Calem didn't leave the area immediately after spotting them.
Instead, he circled around the side of the property and stopped near a low wall bordering the lab grounds, keeping himself out of direct sight of the entrance. From there, he had a clear view of both the front door and the rooftop.
He wasn't the type to ignore suspicious movement.
His original plan had been simple explore Lumiose a bit more, maybe gather information, maybe look into the Gym schedule.
But three familiar silhouettes standing on Sycamore's roof changed that.
So he waited and stayed outside Professor Sycamore's lab hidden, watching for the three members of Team Rocket Jessie, James, and Meowth to see what they were going to do instead of his initial plans for the day.
It didn't take long a few minutes later, the trio reappeared near the entrance.
They were wearing lab coats and surgical masks, clearly trying to pass as researchers.
The disguise might have worked from far away.
Up close, though… Meowth was still Meowth.
No matter how you dressed a talking cat Pokémon, it wasn't exactly subtle.
Calem slowly raised a hand to his forehead.
The stupidity physically hurt to watch.
"…Unbelievable," he muttered under his breath.
They slipped inside through the entrance like they owned the place.
Calem moved closer to the side window, staying out of sight while angling himself so he could see into the foyer.
Inside, the trio immediately started their act.
"Oh fellow researchers"
"We've come to research mega evolution" The fake enthusiasm was almost painful.
From deeper inside the lab, Sophie stepped out, blinking in confusion. "You have?"
Meowth puffed out his chest in his oversized coat."We've come to be of scientific science"
Sophie tilted her head "I wasn't told anything about this?"
Another assistant entered from the hallway, Garchomp following closely behind like a silent bodyguard. "I'll check with the professor"
Calem narrowed his eyes slightly.
While Team Rocket quietly whispered among themselves, something else caught his attention.
Froakie. The injured Froakie had apparently recovered enough to move around.
It hopped into the room, immediately stiffening when it saw them. Then it pointed sharply at the trio, croaking angrily while looking up at Garchomp.
It was obvious even without understanding Pokémon speech.
Meowth flinched "That's the froakie that blasted us off"
James groaned "Then that's the one who should feel our research wrath 1st"
He reached into his coat and pulled out a small metallic cube, turning it in his hand like some kind of gadget. "Then let's get ready to research"
Jessie shoved Sophie aside with exaggerated confidence "Now step aside this research is not for the faint of heart"
Calem's posture straightened slightly.
James hurled the cube.
It shot forward but Garchomp instantly stepped in front of Froakie.
The cube burst into a thin blue beam midair and snapped onto Garchomp's neck, forming a glowing collar.
Sophie's voice rang out. "Oh no, Garchomp"
Jessie barely reacted. "Not our intended bucket but whatever"
She rejoined the others like this was just a minor inconvenience "They did say Garchomp might be able to mega evole"
Meowth grinned "Let's rogue the punches it's a Garchomp catch"
James lifted a small remote "Garchomp we insist that you come along with us for the ride"
The device pulsed and Garchomp roared.
A deep, pained, furious sound
Furniture shattered as its tail smashed into equipment. Shelves collapsed. Glass cracked.
The lab trembled.
Then its eyes slowly turned red.
Jessie and the others began backing away nervously as the collar clearly wasn't working as intended.
Footsteps thundered down the hallway.
Ash and the others rushed in with Professor Sycamore right behind them. Sophie quickly explained what happened, pointing at the trio.
The professor demanded to know who they were.
The fake researchers straightened dramatically.
With exaggerated flair, they tore off their disguises. Lab coats flew aside. Masks dropped with Meowth on top of Wobbuffet.
"Team Rocket?" As Sycamore said the name, Ash immediately pointed at them, calling them thieves who stole Pokémon.
The Rocket trio didn't even deny it.
The trio proudly declared they were taking Garchomp anyway with Meowth finishing their boast.
Sycamore stared at Meowth in shock.
A talking Pokémon clearly wasn't something he'd expected.
But before Meowth could reply a brilliant green light began gathering outside the entrance.
A Solar Beam blasted straight through the doorway.
The explosion of light swallowed the trio completely.
They didn't even get to finish their motto and the force launched them upward and straight through the roof in one clean shot.
Dust and debris rained down seconds later.
Calem lowered his arm slowly.
Beside him, Chespin's body still faintly glowed from the discharged attack.
Calem had been preparing the solar beam with his chespin as soon as Garchomp went out of control.
Smoke and dust still drifted through the shattered entrance of the lab.
Everyone instinctively turned toward the source of the attack.
Through the haze of fading green light, a figure stood outside Calem and Chespin at his side, small body still glowing faintly from the Solar Beam discharge.
"Calem!" They called out.
Their voices overlapped in surprise and relief, echoing through the damaged lab.
"Focus on the problem 1st" calem said.
His tone was flat and direct, eyes already locked onto Garchomp instead of them.
Garchomp then fired a hyperbeam at the direction of Ash's gang and professor sycamore which they ducked.
The beam tore through the far wall, exploding outside and sending rubble flying into the sky and the shockwave rattled the entire lab.
Ash looked up, startled and confused.
"What was that for?" Ash said.
Clemont adjusted his glasses quickly, squinting toward Garchomp. "Hey look at Garchomp's neck" Clemont pointed out.
Sycamore followed his gaze and stiffened.
"It's some sort of collar" sycamore said.
"It's from those people" Sophie replied.
"Garchomp jumped in to save froakie" she continued.
Garchomp growled again, clawing at its own neck as if trying to rip the device off.
The collar sparked violently, red electricity snapping around Garchomp's scales like restraints digging into its flesh.
Garchomp crouched and leapt with one powerful jump, it smashed straight through the window above the entrance door, glass exploding outward like rain.
"Garchomp!" Ash called out as he came infront of the entrance looking at the broken window.
Wind rushed in through the opening, carrying the distant sounds of alarms and shouting civilians.
Ash stared upward, worry clear on his face.
"Garchomp must be in a lot of pain" ash said
Bonnie hurried over and grabbed Clemont's pant leg tightly.
"What's gonna happen to Garchomp" bonnie said holding her brother's leg.
Ash clenched his fist "Let's go after it" he says to his Pikachu.
Pikachu nodded firmly.
"Pika!"
Ash then sees that calem's not there. 'He might gone after it' ash thought.
Outside, Calem was already moving, he had recalled Chespin the second Garchomp burst out of the building.
Now he sprinted down the street, eyes locked onto the distant silhouette of the raging dragon Pokémon.
Debris littered the roads, people were shouting and Car alarms rang endlessly.
Garchomp rampaged ahead, smashing through streetlights and walls like they were paper.
As Garchomp was out of control it was using hyperbeam around it's surroundings destroying things in the way.
Each blast gouged the pavement or tore chunks from nearby buildings, leaving smoking craters behind.
As Calem was following Garchomp he came close to being hit by it's attack.
A Hyper Beam slammed into the street just meters from him, the shockwave knocking him sideways and forcing him to roll behind an overturned bench for cover.
Garchomp was fast enough for calem to not catch up to it.
Even sprinting at full speed, he could only watch the distance slowly widen.
Sirens began echoing through the city and the sky was already turning orange and purple as the sun dipped lower.
While this was happening the sun was already setting officer Jenny was telling everyone to evacuate the area through the police car microphone
Her voice echoed repeatedly through loudspeakers, ordering civilians to clear the streets.
News tv helicopters were broadcasting the destruction cause by it.
Spotlights tracked Garchomp from above while cameras zoomed in from every angle.
Garchomp landed on the prism tower still out of control due to the shock collar.
The shock collar continued flashing violently around its neck.
It began attacking the broadcasting helicopter with hyperbeam.
The helicopter swerved wildly to avoid the blast, barely escaping as the beam scorched the air beside it.
Calem arriving at the placed then called out chespin.
"Chespin throw me up there with vine whip" he commanded
The small Pokémon looked up at him immediately.
Calem pointed toward the upper platform.
Chespin then braced itself and with all its strength, it launched Calem upward.
Then landed roughly on the edge of the Prism Tower platform, boots skidding slightly before stopping.
Above, the news helicopter cameras pivoted instantly, lenses locking onto the lone trainer now standing high above the city.
And as ash and team arrives there calem then calls back chespin and sends it out towards Garchomp.
.
.
.
While this was happening at the Yvonne resident in vanville town.
The house was quiet compared to the chaos unfolding miles away.
Evening light filtered softly through the curtains, painting the living room in warm orange tones. The television was the only bright thing in the room, its screen flickering rapidly with emergency broadcasts.
Serena and her mother were watching the broadcasting and the destruction done by Garchomp on tv.
Helicopter footage shook violently as the camera struggled to keep focus on the rampaging Pokémon. Buildings scarred with blast marks. Smoke rising between streets. Police sirens blaring faintly through the speakers.
Serena leaned forward unconsciously, fingers tightening around the edge of the couch cushion.
And as they were watching it, the camera then shifts to a boy with red cap with black sunglasses on the brim of his cap as he lands on the prism tower both the Yvonne and broadcasting teams gets suprised seeing this.
The sudden cut made the reporter gasp and the lens zoomed in sharply.
A lone figure dropping onto the tower platform.
Serena's eyes widened "…Huh?"
The boy then calls back and sends the Chespin towards Garchomp.
On-screen, the small Grass-type burst forward without hesitation, charging straight toward the much larger dragon.
.
.
.
Back at the moment the wind howled around the Prism Tower platform.
The height made the city look smaller than it actually was, streets reduced to thin lines of light and movement.
Calem never expected that he had to stand face to face with high level Pokemon but from the benefit of having known many moves and the already having learned the battle system he was sure he could beat it. Calem's breathing remained steady.
Garchomp was still out of control that was both an advantage and disadvantage for
1 Garchomp wouldn't be focusing him and 2 it was unpredictable. Its movements were wild, attacks fired without aiming, more destruction than strategy. That made it dangerous but careless.
"Chespin get near Garchomp" he commanded.
Chespin immediately sprinted forward, claws tapping rapidly against the metal surface of the platform.
Garchomp roared overhead, Hyper Beam charging again, attention still locked on anything that moved in the sky.
At a suitable distance calem then commanded "Chespin circle around it and use razor leaf on the collar".
Chespin then began using razor leaf circling around Garchomp as he shot it out.
Sharp green leaves formed midair and launched rapidly, spinning like blades.
Some of the leaves were blocked by Garchomp and some leaves went through and broke the collar.
The collar shattered, pieces falling away and clattering across the platform.
Freed from the restraint, Garchomp staggered.
The remaining leaves still struck its body, leaving shallow cuts across its scales.
Calem didn't care that the attack would damage Garchomp as he wanted to get this over quickly.
Ending the rampage mattered more than a few scratches.
Calem then takes a potion from his bag and then proceeds to apply it on Garchomp.
He moved in carefully once Garchomp stopped thrashing, spraying the medicine over the worst injuries. The liquid glowed faintly as it soaked into the wounds.
Soon ash and his gang and froakie arrived at the scene where they see calem tending the injured Garchomp with potions.
Their footsteps echoed as they rushed onto the platform.
Ash stared for a second, surprised at what he was seeing.
"You did it!" Ash ran up to him, eyes shining.
"You saved Garchomp!" Bonnie ran towards him and Garchomp.
"Wow that was amazing, Calem," Clemont adjusted his glasses, staring at the broken collar pieces.
Calem then recalls Chespin back.
The Poké Ball clicked softly as the red beam pulled Chespin inside.
Froakie gives a look of acknowledgement thanking him before going near Garchomp.
The small Water-type placed a hand gently against Garchomp's arm, croaking softly.
"Well I guess now that's over can you guys show me a way down" calem said.
Only then did he glance over the edge of the tower.
The ground looked very, very far away.
Ash bonnie and clemont just look at each other and then laughs for a while as the tension from earlier finally broke.
While calem just stood there arms crossed watching them as he gave a small barely noticeable but genuine smile.
Ash then calls out calem "Hey, calem you and me should battle sometime"
Calem looks at him for moment then replies "Maybe"
Short. Noncommittal. But not a rejection either.
While the broadcasting team were praising how this boy had managed to stop Garchomp with a single attack with a circling strategy.
Cameras zoomed in again and reporters spoke excitedly over each other, replaying the Razor Leaf strike in slow motion.
Across Lumiose and even back in Vaniville people watched the same scene.
A trainer no one knew stopped a rampage alone that police and rangers couldn't.