The Blue Skulker

Disclaimer: I don’t own Pokémon. I do own the character ‘Blue Skulker’, but not Misty...

Summary: Misty has a secret...

Note: This is actually the first major story I ever wrote, back when the Battle Frontier was on TV, before I found out about Sinnoh. I wrote this over-night, in January ‘07’, but I later rewrote it as a story yet to be released. You’ll know it when you see it: it’s going to be part two of ‘The Misty Saga’, which I haven’t quite finished writing yet. When I do post it, you’ll notice that I’ve change several elements of the story in order to resolve some continuity issues. (It would have been part four, but I decided to cut a couple of the parts out, as they just weren’t working for me...)Enjoy my first ever story, ignore any issues and forgive any screw-ups, like the almost total lack of descriptive writing.... J (I didn’t learn any of that til later...). There are some small, cosmetic changes where I fixed up the tense when it didn’t quite work before, but otherwise, it’s my original story. Enjoy! (Hopefully...)

Speech. Thoughts and Blue Skulker talking. Distorted voice.

 

Man, I can’t wait to see how Misty’s doing at the Gym!” exclaimed Ash, for the umpteenth time. “We know,” said Max, rolling his eyes. “You’ve only said it, like, eleven times, or something.” agreed May. “Say it one more time, Ash, and we’ll start wondering whether it’s Misty or the Gym you wanna see...grinned Brock. “Shut up...” blushed Ash. After walking for some time, Max stopped the group. “Hey, guys, what’s that?” they all turned and look at where he was pointing. Looks to be some kinda poster, or notice, or something. Let’s check it out.” Ash said. Going over to it, they saw that it was a wanted poster. “The Blue Skulker... suspected to be involved in recent Pokémon theft.” read May aloud. “I wonder who THAT is.” Looking at the picture, they saw a strange hooded figure in a blue Team Rocket uniform. A pair of sunglasses, blue of course, disguises their identity along with the hood, and the only clues to finding out who it is seems to be their pale skin and the thin piece of amber hair sticking out from the hood. “A Rocket, huh. Well, if he comes anywhere near Pikachu, we’ll blast him, right buddy?” growls Ash. “Pi-ka!” agrees Pikachu.

 

Arriving at Cerulean City, the group headed straight for the Gym. They’re about to walk inside when they spot Misty talking to Officer Jenny. “She’s so pretty...” drooled Brock, as Max holds him back by an ear. “Get over it!” said May, rolling her eyes. “Why is Misty talking to the police, anyway?” queried Ash. “Was there a break-in here, or something?” Just then, Officer Jenny came out and strolled away, as Misty headed into a room deeper in the Gym and closes the door. “Let’s see what’s up...” said Ash. “Ok.” replied Brock, now almost normal as Officer Jenny is gone. They are about to call out to Misty when she comes out of the back room with a backpack in her hand. “Hey, Misty.” grins Ash. “Ash, guys, wh-what are you doing here?!  stammered Misty, looking nervously around at them.No! Not them, not now!’ “We came to see you, of course.” laughed Ash. “Why, what’s going on? How come Officer Jenny was here, and why are you looking so freaked to see us?” “WHAT IS THIS, AN INTERROGATION?!” shouted Misty. Seeing their shocked faces, she takes a deep breath to calm herself down. “Look, I’m sorry I shouted, okay? Just, stay out of this, guys. It’s my business, and it doesn’t concern or involve any of you in any way.” “Misty...” started Ash, still confused at his friends’ behaviour. “Look, you chose a bad time to come see me, that’s all.” Misty sighed. “Why, how come it’s a bad time?” asked May. “Because,” replied Misty, running her hand through her orange hair, “I have to go out of town for a while on a very important errand, a job if you wish, so I won’t be here for a while, and I don’t know when I’ll be coming back.” “Oh. So where are you going?” Brock asked. “That also falls under the category of ‘none of your business’. Sorry. I gotta go now... Bye.” Misty said, and promptly ran out of the Gym. “Well, that was kinda weird...” said Max. “Uh-huh.” Everybody nodded in silent agreement.

 

A few days later, on their way back to Pallet Town, they were still talking about Misty’s strange behaviour. “Maybe she’s in trouble or something...” suggested Max. “Nah, I doubt she’d do anything bad or illegal or anything like that.” replied Ash, shaking his head in disagreement. “Well, maybe someone else she knows is in trouble, or has been in an accident, and she was just worried.” said May, with a worried look of her own. “Then why did she say she was going on business, on a ‘job’?” countered Brock. “Oh, yeah, good point, I guess...” “Whoa, what was that?!” exclaimed Ash, pointing into the trees on the cliff above them. “Th-that’s the guy from the wanted poster!” stuttered May. “Doesn’t look like a guy to me,” corrects Brock, the horn-bag extraordinaire. “Looks more like a girl.” “He’s right,” said Max. “But why is she looking straight at us?” Just then, the figure leapt away towards Viridian City. “Come on, you guys, we’ve gotta catch her!” shouted Ash as he started running after her. “But, why?” panted Brock as he caught up to his younger friend. “Because she’s a Pokémon thief, and we can’t let someone like that get away. She’ll just hurt more Pokémon, maybe even Pikachu!” growled Ash, still running at top speed. “She looks like she’s headed to Viridian City...” grunts Max. “Wait up, guys!” shouts May, struggling to keep up.

 

She’s gone into the Viridian Gym.” panted Max. “Oh well, we can’t get in there, let’s go now...” wheezed May, hoping they’d listen to her. “Hey, Ash,” said Brock, ignoring May, “isn’t the leader of the Viridian Gym also the leader of Team Rocket?” “Hey, yeah!” started Ash. “It’s Giovanni. I remember now...” “WHAT?!” shouted Max. “Giovanni of Viridian Gym is the head of Team Rocket?!” “Shush!” Ash and Brock glared at Max. “Yeah, he is. Didn’t you know that?” “No. No-one told me.” glared Max. “Me neither.” May joined in after finally catching her breath. “Sorry, we thought we’d told you already...” Ash said, not sounding very sorry at all. “Anyway, what are we gonna do now?” asks Brock. “Well, for starters, you can all come with me... replied a mysterious, yet familiar voice. Turning around, they saw Officer Jenny standing behind them, with her Growlithe, looking very seriously at them. “Uh-oh.” sighed Ash. “Busted...

 

Now, what were you kids doing sneaking around outside the Viridian Gym?” demanded Officer Jenny later on at the police station. “That’s very suspicious behaviour, I’ll have you know.” “Yes, we know,” started Ash, “but, you see, we had good reason.” “Yeah, we wanted to see if you were busy tonight, say at seven...gibbered Brock, drool dripping steadily onto his knee. “Give it a rest, already.” groaned May, as Max pulled on Brock’s ear. “Yeah, are you trying to get us in even more trouble?” Er...huh?” Officer Jenny stared back and forth between them, one eyebrow raised in confusion. “Oh, just ignore him.” said Ash, rolling his eyes. “We all do when he’s like this...” “O-kay...” replied Jenny, still confused. “Anyway, you said you had a good reason to be snooping around the Gym...” Oh, yeah. Well, you see, we were following the Blue Skulker, and...” “The Blue Skulker!” exclaimed Jenny. “Yeah, we saw a wanted poster a couple of days ago, and earlier today we saw her on top of the cliffs just north of here. We didn’t want her to get away in case she stole someone else’s Pokémon, so we chased her here. We last saw her going into the Viridian Gym.” “Listen up, kids,” began Jenny, standing up. “This is way out of your league, so why don’t you just go home and let the police deal with Team Rocket and the Blue Skulker like we are trained to do...” “But...” Ash stammered. “No buts!” said Officer Jenny, rather angrily. “There are things going on here that you can’t possibly begin to understand. Now go home before I escort you there myself.” With that, she walked over to the door and held it open. “If I catch you near the Gym again, I’ll arrest you for interfering with police business, trespassing on private property, and endangering your own lives.” She glared at them and slammed the door.

 

Well, that was probably one of the weirdest Officer Jenny’s I’ve ever met...” Ash said, shaking his head in disbelief. “No, something was definitely going on back there, and it had her worried.” said Brock. “Yet another mystery to be solved by Team May.” remarked May, pretending to be holding a microphone. “Oh, no, not this again!” groaned Max. “You’re not a TV star; you’re just my crazy big sister, ok?” “Oh, way to ruin my fun, Max. Thanks a lot!” shouted May angrily. “YOU’RE WELCOME!” screamed Max. A full-blown argument was about to break out, until they both noticed that Ash and Brock had continued walking and gotten ahead of them. “Hey, wait for us, you guys!” They shouted as they ran to catch up. “Keep running,” said Ash. “We can make it to Pallet Town by supper-time. Yum, pizza-pot-pie, here I come!” Ash ran off ahead with his friends catching him at various speeds.

 

Later on, after greeting Ash’s mum, they sat down to eat. “How did your Battle Frontier challenge go, dear? queried Ash’s mum, pleased to have him home at last. “It was great, mum. I really learned a lot.” Ash replied happily. Just as he was about to tell her all about it, there was the sound of a huge explosion. “That sounded like it was from Professor Oak’s lab!” exclaimed Ash’s mum. They all rushed outside to see thick black smoke rising from the lab. “It must be Team Rocket again, those jerks!” growled Ash. “Hey! We resent that!” Looking around, they watched as Jessie, James and Meowth came round the corner of the house. “Yeah, we had nutting to do wid it!” “For once.” retorted Ash. “But if you’re here, then who’s up there?”

 

A short while later, they reached the lab and started calling out for Professor Oak and Tracey. “We’re over here...” “Yeah, we’re ok.” “Oh, thank goodness.” sighed a relieved Mrs. Ketchum. “Yeah, who did this anyway?” asked Ash. “It was...” started Tracey. “The Blue Skulker.” finished Professor Oak with a strange sort of glare at Tracey. “Yeah, she took some Pokémon and a proto-type Pokéball we were working on.” “Well, actually, she just took the plans. The proto-type model isn’t finished yet.” corrected Professor Oak. “Which way did she go? We’ll get her, and get your stuff back, too.” growled Ash, as he turned to run off. “No!” shouted Tracey and the Professor in unison. Upon realizing everyone was staring at them, they blushed, glanced at each other out of the corner of their eyes and started talking again. “What we mean is, no, you shouldn’t go after her. The Blue Skulker is much too dangerous a person for even you to handle, Ash.” rushed Tracey. “Exactly.” nodded Professor Oak. “And besides, those Pokémon are easily replaced, and the proto-type ball isn’t that special, or even powerful. There’s no reason to interfere.” Er, oh, ok. I-I guess, if you say so, Professor...” stammered Ash, deeply confused about his friends’ behaviour.

 

Later on, whilst getting ready for bed, Brock commented on how strangely Tracey and the Professor had acted earlier. “Yeah, you’d think they’d be more upset about being robbed.” agreed May. “I think it’s kinda weird how we’ve been told to ‘mind our own business’ and ‘don’t interfere’ by four different people now: Misty, Officer Jenny, Professor Oak and Tracey.” said Max, summing up what they'd all been thinking. “Yeah, it’s weird alright.” nodded May. “But not as weird as the fact that Ash is about to climb out the window...” “Ash, where do you think you’re going?!” “Shh! Be quiet, ok?” But where...” started Brock. “I’m going to sneak into the Viridian Gym, find the Blue Skulker, and make her give the Professor’s stuff back.” replied Ash with a determined look on his face. “But, you heard what Tracey said. She’s too dangerous for us to handle. You could get hurt. Or at least captured, and have all your Pokémon stolen too. Then where would you be, huh?” hissed Max, trying to change his mind. “That’s why I’m leaving all my Pokémon here, ‘cept Pikachu.” Ash answered, pointing at the bag and pokeball belt on his bed. “That way, I don’t have to worry about them, and if they try to take Pikachu away, we’ll fight them, right buddy?” “Pi-ka, pi-pi-ka-chu.” replied Pikachu, cheeks sparking. “Well, in that case, I’m coming too.” “Brock, what...?!” “You’re my friend, Ash, and friends don’t let friends go into dangerous places and situations alone. Besides, you’ll need back-up, right Ash?” grinned Brock. Ash looked at him in awe for a moment then grinned back. Yeah!”Well, count me in too, then.” May started. Yeah, me too.”Forget it, Max. You’re way too young to be sneaking into Team Rocket controlled Gyms. Besides, mum and dad would kill me if they ever found out.” “So, don’t let them find out.” retorted Max. “Besides, what if there’s a really tight gap or something. None of you’d be able to get through...” “He has a point, May.” started Brock. “Fine, he can come too. But if I tell you to get out, you’ve gotta go, okay May?” she looked at him sternly. Fine.” Max sighed.

 

A couple of hours later, they were creeping around the outside of the Gym, trying to find a way in without getting themselves caught. They weren’t having much luck. “What’d you expect, Ash, to be able to just walk right in there, no worries.” teased May. “No! I was gonna send Pikachu through a vent or something, whilst I got myself caught. He could have busted me out, and we’d have found a map or something leading us to the Blue Skulker so we could get the stuff back and get out... growled Ash. “Someone either lives in a complete fantasy world, or thought waaay too much about this.” retorted May. “Oh yeah?! Well I wasn’t expecting you guys to come. I can handle it myself. I don’t need you!” shouted Ash. “You really shouldn’t have done that, Ash...” started Max nervously. “Oh yeah, how come?!” Ash replied angrily, still glaring at May. FREEZE!” They turned around to find a group of Rockets with various evil looking Pokémon staring at them. “That’s why you shouldn’t have done that, Ash.” sighed Max. “Whoops, sorry guys...” Ash laughed nervously.

 

Well, at least he got us inside...” sighed Brock. “LET US OUT AND GIVE ME BACK MY PIKACHU!!!” shouted Ash as he tried to bend iron bars too thick even to get his hands around them. “SHUT UP, KID!!” the guard yelled back. Just then, a voice came out of the P.A box on the wall. ‘Will the Blue Skulker report to the boss’s office for re-assignment, now!’ “Man, there is something creepy about that Blue Skulker chic...” said the guard who had yelled. “Yeah, she like, gives you the impression she doesn’t care about anyone or anything. Like, if you were dying, she wouldn’t help you, you know?” came the voice of the other guard assigned to watch the prisoners. “Yeah, now wonder she never got assigned to a team. She’d probably destroy them herself.” “Yep, she’s a weird one alright... But you didn’t hear that from me.” There was a slight pause. “Here’s hoping her re-assignment isn’t to a team.” “Yeah, I’d pity them.” Ash and the others glanced around at each other. “Wow, even the other Rockets are afraid of her. That’s... not good, is it?” May asked nervously. “Definitely not.” replied Max.

 

Meanwhile, in the boss’s office... “You called for me, sir.” the Blue Skulker said as she marched in and saluted. “Ah, yes, Blue. I have a new, important mission for you. Some trainer kids were caught snooping around outside the base, and it turns out that they were the ones giving those incompetent ninnies so much trouble.” “I believe you are referring to Jessie, James and Meowth, as they are the only incompetent ninnies I know about, sir.” stated Blue. Correct, Blue. We now have that Pikachu they’ve been wasting time on, and we need a test of its power.” “Ok, but what do you need me for, sir?” asked Blue. “You see,” replied Giovanni, for that’s who it was of course. “There’s only one person available apart from myself, of course, who is strong enough, not to mention brutal and ruthless enough, to handle that Pikachu, Blue, and that’s you. Therefore, you will take the Pikachu to the power plant, use its, supposingly immense power level to overload the plant’s computers, causing it to explode. Then, you will capture as many of the stunned Pokémon, wild and trained, as possible, and bring them back to me. Understand?” finished Giovanni. “Sir, yes sir. I can take care of that for you, no problems.” The Blue Skulker saluted, then turned and marched out of the office.

 

I wonder if they’re gonna feed us or anything...” asked May after hearing Ash’s stomach growl from across the room yet again. “Don’t mention food. Ash’s stomach is more than enough of a reminder of how long it’s been since we ate... groaned Max. “If I had just brought my backpack, I could’ve made something...” stated Brock. “I just hope Pikachu’s okay... replied Ash. “If they hurt him, I’ll...” “You’ll what, Ash? It’s not like we can do much about it in here if they did, you know.” May remarked. “SHUT UP!” shouted Ash, causing the guards to glance in trough the window in the door. “I’m sorry!” May whispered. “I’m just... really hungry, that’s all...” Ash looked mad for a moment, winced as his stomach growled again and sighed. Yeah, me too.”Hey guys, let’s just try to sleep, okay? After all, it’s not like we’ll be getting out anytime tonight, right?” said Brock. “Yeah, okay. Goodnight guys.” “’Night Ash.” came the small chorus of replies.

 

Giovanni, sir...” “What is it!?” “Sir, it’s the Blue Skulker, she’s...” “She’s what?!” “She’s injured, sir. She’s in the infirmary now, sir.” Giovanni stood up and strolled to the infirmary. The Blue Skulker was lying on a bed receiving treatment from a Team Rocket nurse. She had little electrical burns and looked the worse for wear. However, she was still in uniform. “What is the meaning of this, Blue?!” demanded Giovanni. “Sorry sir, ouch, but that Pikachu fried me and ran off somewhere. I-I don’t know where though, cause I was kinda, well, unconscious, sir. Sorry.”

 

Hey, did you hear about the Blue Skulker?” No, what about her?”She messed up.” No way!” Yeah. She was supposed to blow up the power plant using some super-powerful Pikachu, but it fried her instead and ran off somewhere. She ended up in the infirmary.” “Ha! She’s not so great after all...” “Yeah, but get this, right. She’s already up and looking for a new assignment.” “Man, she’s tough...” “Yeah...” The guards’ talking woke up Ash and the gang. “Did you guys here that?!” whispered Ash. “Yeah, what do you think? Maybe it was...” started Brock. “I bet it was Pikachu! There’s no way he’d ever let himself be used like that by anyone, not even Ash.” grinned Max. “Yeah, at least we know he got away. Maybe he’ll find help and rescue us too.” said May, hopefully. “Of course it was him, and of course he’ll bring help.” said Ash fiercely. “Yeah, Pikachu wouldn’t just leave us here, you know.” agreed Brock. Definitely. He could have gone to the police, or Professor Oak, or Ash’s mum.” smiled Max. Yeah, or even Misty. He could have found a way to get to Misty. She’d storm the place to get us out, especially Ash.” teased May. “Shut up.” retorted Ash, blushing fiercely. They all laughed at Ash, and for the rescue team they know were coming.

 

Step aside, losers.” Bl-Blue Skulker! Wha-what are you doing down here?!” the guard yelped with more than a hint of fear in his voice. “The boss sent me. I’m on guard duty til my wounds heal, so beat it.” “But-but...” “I said, beat it!” “Yes ma’am.” The two guards took off at a run, leaving the Blue Skulker as far behind as they could. “Uh-oh, we’re in for it now, guys...” whispered Max. “Yeah, those other guys have taken off, and now we’re pretty much at the mercy of the Blue Skulker, of all people...” May trembled lightly as she spoke. “Ha, she’s just a big bully. If I had my Pokémon with me, I’d...” “Ash, news flash, you DON’T have your Pokémon with you, remember?!” retorted Max. “Oh. Yeah, right...” Ash mumbled. Just then, the cell door opened, and the Blue Skulker stepped into the room. Any plans to rush her were pointless as there were bars between them and where the Blue Skulker stood. Expecting to be questioned or attacked, they were shocked when she instead said, “Hey, did those goons bring you any food at all?” “What do you care, thief?!” Ash shouted, quickly recovering from his shock. “Ash cut it out...” Brock hissed, trying to hold his younger friend back. “Where’s my Pikachu?!” Ash screamed. “Your Pikachu is fine. He has run back to Pallet Town, and has not been harmed.” replied the Blue Skulker in a calm, but almost sweet voice. “Huh?” Ash started. “How’d you know...?” “I know just about everything about you, Ash Ketchum.” “Whoa, how’d you know my name?” “Wait, no, it... it can’t be...” “What? What is it, Max?” The smaller boy took a nervous step back. “Guys, I-I think she's...Who? Who do you think it is, Max?” asked May. “Misty.”

 

What?!” They all stared, first at Max, then at the Blue Skulker.  She chuckled and reached up, sliding back her hood revealing golden amber hair. There was no doubt at all when she took off her sunglasses and smiled at them shyly. “Hi, guys.” “Misty, you-you’re the Blue Skulker?!” Ash stammered in shock and disbelief. “When did you join Team Rocket?!” “Um, actually, er...” Misty sighed deeply. “It-it’s kinda a long and rather complicated story that, um, I’d rather NOT go into right now, ok?” “So this is that, ‘important errand’ that you had to take care of, huh?” asked Brock. Um, he-he, yeah. I’ll, I’ll tell you about it later, ok?” “NO, IT’S NOT OK!” shouted Ash. “How long have you’ve been a Rocket, Misty?!” She looked embarrassed briefly, sighed and answered quietly, avoiding eye contact with those in the small cell. “Since before any of us even met, ok, but I promise you, Ash,” she stared straight at him. “I promise you, I was never, ever, after Pikachu. In fact, I was the one who got him out of here. I, told him to shock me til I fell unconscious, then run back to Pallet Town. I have the electrical burns to prove it, too.” With that, Misty pulled of one of her long blue gloves to reveal several burn patches going up and under her sleeve. “Ouch, THAT had to hurt...” winced May in sympathy. “Yeah, it kinda stings a bit, but hey, I’ve always been a tough chick, you know. I can look after myself.” shrugged Misty as she carefully slipped the glove back on. “Anyway,” Misty continued. “I’ll work on getting you all outta here, ok? I’ll explain everything better later, I promise. First though, hmm...” Misty stopped and thought for a moment. “Oh! I know! It’s a little clichéd, not to mention obvious, but I’ll get you some uniforms, and you can just walk out. I’ll be back in a few, ok?” With that, she put her uniform’s hood back up, slid the sunglasses back on, and raced out of the cell.

 

Sometime later, Misty slipped back in and unzipped her uniform top. Underneath, she had somehow managed to hide four sets of the normal black uniform. Dumping them on the floor, she quickly zipped her top back up and lowered the hood, revealing four black Rocket hats. “Sorry I took so long,” Misty said, smiling briefly. “But I had to figure out how to get everything here without getting caught. That would definitely blow my cover, you know...” “That’s ok.” replied May. “Where’d you get all this stuff from, anyway?” asked Brock. Oh, the storage room. They keep spare uniforms just in case of emergencies.” “What about me?” asked Max.I’m pretty sure that they wouldn’t have anything in my size...” “Relax, Max.” Misty laughed. “They like to get you when you’re young, so I raided the new recruits stuff. They may not be perfect, but they should fit good enough to get you outta here.” “Um, one problem...” “Huh, what is it, May?” “Um, well, how are we supposed to get change in one room? There’s no, um, privacy...” she blushed deeply and, after a moment for it to sink in, the boys joined her. “Ah, yeah, good point... Right. Oh, cleaner’s closet across the hall. Come on, May.” Misty grabbed a uniform and hid it in the back of her hood. Taking a key card out of her pocket, she swiped it though the lock and typed in a combination. Pushing the door open, she beckoned to May. “Come on.” “Uh, why didn’t you unlock the door earlier?” “Huh? Oh, because I didn’t want you guys wondering around the place. If you were caught again, I’d not only get in trouble for letting you escape, but it’d blow my cover, and I can’t let that happen just yet. Anyway, you guys get changed here, I’ll take May across the hall, and then we’ll see about getting you outta here.” With that, she threw the remaining uniforms through the door, and locked it. “See you in five, boys... ready or not...” Misty winked and led May out the main door. “She’s weird.” remarked Max. Yep. She’s Misty, all right.” grinned Ash. “Yeah.” agreed Brock with a nod.

 

A short while later, Misty and May came back in. “Hey guys, looking good! Or should that be Baaad? Eh, whatever.” she shrugged. Hey Misty?”Yeah, what is it May?” “Um, how come you get that kinda cool-looking outfit, and we get this stuff?” Hey, yeah! Why is that, anyway?!” demanded Ash. “Because I’m special, and you’re not.” she winked and pulled a face at Ash. “Hey, that’s not funny!...” Ash complained with a small grin. “He-he-he.” chuckled Misty Anyway, let’s blow this joint.” She opened the doors and they followed her out into the base. “Okay guys, just stick with me, okay?” whispered Misty. “And act natural, like you’re supposed to be here and... Oh, wait. What about your backpacks and other Pokémon? We can’t leave them here...” “Oh, don’t worry. We left them back at Ash’s place in case we were caught.” smiled Brock. Yeah. Pikachu was the only Pokémon we brought with us, and you already got him out, so don’t worry.” grinned Ash. “Oh. Well, good then. Let’s get going.”

 

They hadn’t walked but a few steps when Ash’s stomach let out a huge growl. “Um, he-he, do you remember earlier, when you asked if we’d been fed? No, we weren’t...” Brock nervously informed Misty. “We’ve been hearing his stomach since last night.” finished May. “Oh,” Misty said, glancing at Ash who was rubbing his stomach and blushing nervously. “Well, don’t worry, the cafeteria’s on the way, so we’ll drop in, eat, then walk on out. However, as the Blue Skulker, I have to sit alone. It’s all part of my rep., you see. So I’ll go in, you guys wait about twenty seconds before following me. But don’t talk or sit with me... In fact, pretend you’re new recruits. They way, you can honestly say that you don’t know anyone, and you can sit at an empty table, ‘kay?” As they all nodded, Misty smiled. “Good. I’ll give you a bit of advice before I go in, just to be sure...

 

As they walked into the cafeteria, they stopped in awe. “Whoa, there’s like, hundreds of them...” whispered May nervously. “Yeah, if we get caught, it’s game over for sure...” Max replied under his breath. “Hey, guys,” Brock hissed. “Remember what Misty said. Act natural, like we belong here, and don’t draw attention. Right, Ash? Ash?” Looking around frantically, they spotted Ash. He was already at the counter filling a tray with food. They rushed over to him and did the same. After finding a table and eating in silence for a while, not including the various slurps and grunts from Ash, they saw Misty get up from the table where she had eaten alone and move towards the door. “I guess we should follow her, huh?” asked May. “But I’m not done yet...” Ash complained through a mouthful of food. “Ash, she’s the only one of us who knows the way out of here.” reasoned Brock. “Yeah, either we follow her, or we stay stuck in here.” Max nodded. “Come on.” They stood up, disposed of their trays and walked out after Misty.

 

Come on you guys, we’re almost there...” hissed Misty. Just then, the PA crackled back to life. ‘Will the Blue Skulker report to the boss’s office, immediately!’ “Oh, drat... Sorry guys, if I don’t go, I’m done here. But listen.” Misty paused and took a piece of paper out of her pocket. After unfolding and reading it, she folded it back up and held it out to Ash. “Take this note to the Viridian Officer Jenny. It’s written in code, so don’t bother trying to read it. She’ll explain everything to you, okay?” Ash nodded and took the note, then paused. “But, what about you?” she smiled at him briefly. “Don’t worry about me, Ash; I’m the Blue Skulker, one of the most feared Rockets around. Even other Rockets are afraid of me. If they bug me, I’ll just glare at them til they get scared and go away. Now, just follow this hallway, it’ll take you right out. See ya, Ash.” Misty winked at Ash, and then took of down another hallway. They followed the hallway Misty had pointed out to them, and discovered that it took them to a hidden back door to the Gym. From there, they made their way to the Viridian Police Station.

 

Freeze, Rockets!’ Officer Jenny was livid about having Team Rocket members just walk into her police station. “Hey, wait... You’re those kids from earlier...Yeah. We were captured by Team Rocket, but Mist- er, I mean, the Blue Skulker, got us out with these uniforms.” Ash explained. “She also gave me this note for you.” Officer Jenny took the note and read it. “Oh, so that’s it. Well then, sit down kids. I’ll explain to you what’s going on.” After they had all taken a seat, Jenny continued. “You see, about five years ago, I was out patrolling, doing my usual rounds, when I came across a young girl defending a Pokémon from a member of Team Rocket with all her might. After the battle, I arrested the Rocket, and asked the girl to come here to sign a statement. After talking to her for a while, I realized she’d be perfect for a rather dangerous mission, as she didn’t seem to care about her own personal safety when Pokémon were in danger. Therefore, when I asked her if she’d be interested, she agreed to take the mission. That girl was a young new trainer called...” “Misty!” Ash interrupted. Officer Jenny looked shocked. “How-how did you know that?!” “Because,” May said. “She’s an old friend of Ash’s, and she told us she was the Blue Skulker, but didn’t say why.” “Yeah,” Max interrupted. “Probably in case she was overheard, and her cover was blown.” “Exactly.” agreed Officer Jenny.

 

Anyway.” Jenny continued. “We set up a code, actually, that was her idea, and a pretty sneaky way to pass information. She would find out about the Rockets plans, and pass the info. to me. Then...” “Wait,” Ash interrupted again. “What about the Pokémon and stuff she was supposed to have stolen?” “Well, you see, she would pass me information on what she was supposed to take or do, and I’d quickly arrange it with the owner, the ‘victim’, if you will. They would stage the theft and make it look real. In the case of having to steal a Pokémon from a trainer, I’d convince the trainer to act upset and file a complaint, while Misty would go out and catch a wild Pokémon. She’d then take that one to the Boss Rocket and say it was the trainer’s Pokémon. The filed complaint made it look like she’d really done it.” “Wow. So, she didn’t really take those Pokémon, and the plans from the Professor, but he and Tracey were in on it?” Ash wondered. Exactly. I informed them of what was needed, and they pretended it was real.” “That’s why they tried to warn you about going after the Blue Skulker.” Max exclaimed. “They were worried you’d blow Misty’s cover and ruin everything.” “Anyway...” Officer Jenny started. Just then, there was a huge explosion from outside. They raced out to see the Gym erupting in a huge fireball! “MISTY!” yelled Ash as he started to run.

 

The amount of smoke pouring out of the remains of the Gym was incredible. Ash could barely see as he and the others frantically called out for Misty. Just then, there was a blinding white light, and as the smoke started to clear, they saw Misty’s Gyarados and Giovanni’s Onix locked in combat. Gyarados tried to douse Onix with Bubblebeam, but Onix dove underground using Dig. Misty however, had Gyarados counter with an Earthquake attack, forcing Onix to the surface. Giovanni tried to blind them with Sandstorm, but Misty called for a Rain Dance, which washed the sand away. Then Gyarados let out a mighty roar, and blasted Onix with Hydro Pump, sending the giant stone Pokémon flying back and knocking it out. Giovanni then called for his Persian, who automatically let loose with an awesome Thunderbolt attack. Fearing for Gyarados, Misty called him back, avoiding the attack, and brought out Politoed. Politoed? Why’d she bring out Politoed?!” Max exclaimed. “It’s still weak against Persian’s Thunderbolt!” “Just wait,” Ash said fiercely, with both fist clenched in excitement. “Misty wouldn’t have done it if she didn’t have a plan.”

 

Politoed, hit it with a Psychic attack!” Misty yelled. Psychic? Politoed can use Psychic?!” Brock exclaimed, have finally snapped out of drool mode. “Yeah,” Max confirmed. “But only the best trainer can teach it how to use the move properly.” Politoed raised its arms, and as its eyes glowed purple, a strange aura surrounded Persian lifting it up into the air. Following Misty’s hand signals, Politoed waved Persian around in circles, slammed it into the ground, and lifted it back up, before dropping it on a direct collision course with Politoed itself. “Politoed, use Brick Break!” Misty screamed, pounding the air with her fist. Giovanni could do nothing as Persian was sent flying towards him by the power of Politoeds' high level Brick Break attack. Persian collided with Giovanni, and they were both forced back into a partially collapsed wall, destroying it. The remains of the ceiling shook and shuddered from the force of the impact, and looking up, Misty only had time to recall Politoed before the roof collapsed on top of her. “MISTY!” Ash screamed.

 

Uhh, ouch...” Misty winced as she woke up and found herself in bed. “Misty! You’re awake! How do you feel?” Ash asked with a worried grin. “Uh, like a house fell on me...” Misty replied, grimacing as she tried to sit up. “Actually, it was a Gym roof, so that’s why you gotta stay down.” Brock said as he gently pushed her back. “Ouch... Hey, what about Giovanni and the Rockets?” asked Misty after settling back. Oh, them.” May popped into Misty’s field of vision. “Officer Jenny had them all pulled out and arrested.” “Oh. Um, how long have I’ve been out for, anyway?” Oh, only a day or so.” replied Max. “We figured you deserved the rest.” said Brock. “Yeah,” agreed May. “After all, you did single-handedly defeat Giovanni and destroy Team Rocket.” “Yeah,” added Ash. “And once they let you out of hospital, you can come back to Pallet Town and recover properly, with my mum’s great cooking. Hey, we never did finish that meal, did we?” Typical Ash Ketchum, always thinking about food.” Misty teased with a grin. He-he, so?” Ash grinned back. “He, maybe we should leave these two alone for a while?” teased May. “Hey!”

 

So, what are we gonna do next?” asked Ash, reaching for his third helping of pizza potpie. They had been back in Pallet Town for five days now, and Misty was almost back to her old self. “I don’t know, Ash. You’ve already competed in all the big league tournaments, and the Battle Frontier. What else is there to do?” wondered Brock. “Well,” started May. “I’ve been thinking of going to Johto, trying my luck in their contest circuit.” “I’ll be happy just as long as I can still travel and see new Pokémon.” added Max. Hey, Ash?”Yeah, Misty, what is it?” “Well,” she began nervously. “Why don’t you go solo for while?” “Solo?!” Ash exclaimed. “Yeah,” continued Misty. “All the best trainers travel solo at some point in their careers. Just them and their Pokémon, I mean. You could wondering around, battling trainers, maybe even catch a few of the Pokémon that you missed out on first time around.” she added with a smile. “Just pick a region, go there, and see what happens.” “She’s right, Ash.” said Brock. “Yeah.” agreed Tracey. “It’ll certainly be a rewarding experience for you, Ash.” said Professor Oak. “I’ll be proud no matter what you decide.” added Ash’s mum. Yeah. It’s about time May learned to do things by herself.” teased Max. “Hey! I know how to destroy you by myself... growled May. “But still, I agree. Ash should go solo now.” “So, what do you say, Ash?” Ash looked around at his friends, so confident he could do this, and smiled. “Sure, I’ll do it. After all, I’m gonna be the world’s greatest Pokémon master. I can’t be afraid of being alone! Besides, I’ll have Pikachu with me, right buddy?” Pi-ka!” Pikachu replied happily.

 

THE END.

 

Okay, not bad for my first ever full sized story... and with an old story at that. As I said, I changed some minor stuff to make it easier to read and to fix the tense. On a lighter note, we have two little white kittens at home, and we suddenly realized that we still haven’t named them. Obviously, we have quite a few cats... After playing around a little with some stupid ideas, we finally decided: Brock and Tracey, because neither of them has anything resembling a personality! Seriously, it’s hard to pick a name for something that was born without the personality gene. These two kittens are a few months old, and so far, they’re just, ‘the stronger one’ and ‘the weaker one’.

AUSSIE WOLF.

7th-Aug-08.

2-Apr-09 (fixed)