The Days That Will Come, The Days That Never Came

Chapter 3: Unexpected Destiny
By: animeinsanity
Ages: Giovanni: 34; TR Elite Leader Mirage: 21; Ash: 16
Disclaimer: Don't own. What a shame. (;_;) Oh well.
************************************************************************
   Plit plat. Plit plat.
   The rain sounded against the metal of the transport vehicles. Giovanni sat in his 
helicopter, awaiting news from his Rocket grunts. A voice reported to him through his 
radio. " Um, sir? The weather we're having is going to slow us down a bit. Mud's 
everywhere. Not much of a living thing actually saw us so far. Our progress is proceeding 
a little bit faster than expected though. We should be there in no time. Over," the Rocket 
grunt reported. Unaffected by the rain report, the Rocket leader ordered back, " Good. 
Report to me if there's any problems that needs to be taken care of." The smirk on 
Giovanni's face grew wider as he neared his destination.
   The downpour drenched Pikachu's yellow fur coat as he tailed Ash towards Meteor 
Falls. Strange how an ancient map can lead you to a place that's already known for 
mysteries. They've crossed the Johto boundary line and now in Hoenn. Trees and berry 
plants dotted a landscape that'll soon become a desert sandstorm. The desert signals that 
Fallabor was near, but the storm will slow down the spy, even though he was well 
equipped. " We're almost there," informed Ash, stopping so his Pikachu can catch up. 
The sandstorm was obviously not in their favor. Pikachu stood up on his hind legs, 
spotting some Trapinch. " I'll go make sure we're on the right track," Pikachu shouted. 
He heads towards the group of Pokemon. After a few minutes, the yellow mouse 
returned. " TR's been here alright. Their stench is everywhere," Pikachu said, rubbing his 
sensitive nose. "The Trapinch informed me that there were some tank-like vehicles that 
just passed by followed by a helicopter." Ash calculated the information into his head. " I 
think that TR is up to something big. It's not every day that they bring transport cars to 
their missions. And I'll bet that helicopter is Giovanni's," the spy observed.
   " The Trapinch also told me that there were some army trucks that has the word ' Elite' 
on it. What can you make out of that?"
   Ash stopped cold. ' He wouldn't for this mission, would he?' Ash thought. Pikachu 
cocked his head to the side, rubbing his scar like what he always does when he's puzzled 
or thinking. " I doubt the TR organization will be that dense to let the Elite Four of 
Hoenn to follow them," the Pokemon said, confused. " The Elite on the trucks did not 
stand for ' Elite Four of Hoenn'. It stood for ' TR Elite Force'!" Ash realized. Now it was 
time for Pikachu the freeze. ' Elite Force? This object is this powerful?' Pikachu asked 
himself. The Trapinch said something to their leader, who went over to Pikachu. There 
was a few ' Trapinch trap ' and a few ' Pika chu' before the conversation was over. 
Bowing to Ash, the group and the leader of Trapinch left. " The leader said that he hopes 
that you can stop TR. The leader reported me that all of the Pokemon here are acting 
strange, like if the end of the world is near," Pikachu told his friend. Ash motioned for 
Pikachu to follow him again, and they were off.
   Mirage stared out the window of Giovanni's helicopter. He was one of the few people 
that were allowed this privilege. Rain still streaked down from the sky, and from the 
looks of it, since they passed the sandstorm, TR should be nearing Fallabor Town within 
a few minutes. At least he hopes so. If something holds them back, they'll be discovered. 
With a sigh, he turned to Giovanni, who was enjoying another glass of wine. " Sir, what 
is it that we're after again? You never seem to tell us what exactly is so special about it," 
Mirage asked. The thirty-four year old set down the empty cup. " We are after an object 
that is supposedly well guarded. This object has enough power to bring me evil from 
other dimensions. If we tame this evil, not only we can rule this world but other 
dimensions as well!" Giovanni sneered. Mirage wasn't convinced. The odd feeling he 
had still hasn't shaken off yet. " Yes, but the riddle; it must be the key of using the object 
and taming the beast, but we haven't even got a clue of what's its answer. If we can't 
figure it out, the whole plan might as well be discontinued," he stated, brushing his purple 
hair out of his eyes. There was a silence. Taking a Pokeball from his desk, Giovanni said, 
" Don't take the riddle seriously. Anyway, my Alakazam could figure it out. The riddle 
was only meant to stump us so we won't have the heart to continue on with our plan. But, 
Mirage, it's not like you to worry, is it?" 
   The Elite leader stared out of the window. It's not like you to worry, is it? He knew 
what that statement meant, and he won't let down his boss. They have already passed 
Fallabor. That means Meteor Falls was near. The feeling of up coming dread became 
stronger. Mirage never knew what fear is, but he guessed that this feeling must be fear. 
Never in his whole life that Mirage was scared, and now, here he is, frightened like a 
Skitty lost in the dark. Scared about going into a cave that countless many find as a 
tourist attraction. ' This is embarrassing. Of all the things that fear could've made me 
scared of, it had to be a cave,' Mirage thought to himself. " Approaching destination. 
Please prepare for Phase Three of the operation," someone announced over the PA. 
Getting up from his chair, the TR Elite Force leader walked out of the helicopter, 
knowing that the future won't be like what Giovanni planned of.
   " Building, building, tree, house, garden, building, Poke Center, hot spring, building, 
house, house, grass, grass, and cave! Ash, I see it. There's Meteor Falls!" Pikachu 
shouted, jumping from one rooftop to the next. Ash knew something was going to 
happen, something really important; something so important that Ash got a shiver going 
up his spine. Meteor Falls. That place now sounded like an indescribable thing than a 
word. Pikachu screeched to a halt in front of the cave. " Great. TR is here." 
Transportation cars were parked all around the cave. Getting into the mouth of the cave, 
Ash ordered, " Pikachu, go find some clues on to where they're going. I'm going to 
redraw all my Pokemon." Rubbing his left eye, Pikachu replied, " But you're only 
allowed to carry six Pokemon. How can you…" Ash cut him off. " I'm just going to 
break one rule," he said, winking. Pikachu got the message and sniffed the cave floor. 
Ash got out his laptop and accessed to his PC. A few seconds later, he hid all his 
Pokeballs into his backpack.
   " Here's where the hidden door is," said a Rocket scientist who held up a copy of the 
original map. Pressing a weird circle symbol on the wall of the cave, the scientist stood 
back in amazement when the door opened. Hundreds of glowing substances filled the 
crevice of every rock. Gems of every kind decorated the floor. A floating platform made 
of the glowing substance hovered in the middle. On the platform was a strange gold 
colored box that probably contained the item TR was looking for. Mirage began to 
breathe hardly. ' Some well guarded cave,' he thought. ' But I bet the riddle is all that is 
needed to guard the object.' He was right. A blue light emerged from the box, forming 
the word: answer. Giovanni released his Alakazam. " Find the answer to this riddle." ' I'll 
soon have the universe in my grasp,' he thought.
   Cat walking across a narrow ledge, Ash and Pikachu tailed the last of the Rocket 
grunts' scent. A blue light from below attracted Ash's attention. " They found the cave!" 
he whispered, jumping lightly off the ledge. Mirage perked up, sensing another presence 
that isn't a Rocket. " Spy, I know you're here," he called. Giovanni turned around, just to 
see the Rocket grunts being pummeled by a black blur. When Ash was done with his 
work with the Rocket grunts, he started attacking the Elites. With the help of a few 
Thundershocks, the Elite Force was down. Only Mirage, Giovanni, Alakazam, and the 
scientist were left. Alakazam sat on the floor in defeat. It couldn't answer the riddle. 
Returning his Pokemon, Giovanni turned to Ash. " Your career is over. Get him Mirage!" 
he commanded. Mirage slammed into Ash, knocking the wind out of the young spy. The 
purple-haired Rocket grunted in pain as a roundhouse kick from Ash sent him colliding 
into the wall. ' This kid's good.' A punch in the stomach made Mirage heavily winded. 
Ash glared at Mirage, looking him straight in the eye. The scientist gasped. The spy was 
looking Mirage in the eye, and he's not going insane? Fear seized the Elite leader again, 
only this time, it wasn't about the cave. It was the look that Ash's eyes gave off. Putting 
down his fists, Mirage suddenly knew. ' The object is in his destiny. I know he knows the 
answer to the riddle,' realized Mirage. 
   Ash was a little surprised when Mirage puts down his defensive posture. It was like the 
Rocket somehow knew that no matter what he does, it wouldn't change anything. " Stop 
fighting. It'll get us nowhere. Whoever figures out the riddle is the one to claim the 
object," the scientist said. The spy knew he already won. " The answer is: portal," Ash 
declared in a clear loud voice. The blue word ' answer' changed into the words: Chosen 
One, you fulfilled your destiny to maintain balance. Another destiny lies before you. The 
golden box opened to reveal a portal. Sucking in all the air around it, the portal dragged 
Ash and Pikachu into it.
   Ash woke up, just to find himself and Pikachu in a dark place. " Hello?" The word 
echoed in the empty darkness. " Pikachu, where are we?