Now, I do not own any of these characters or places you would read or see in Pokémon. Now here’s Part 14 of this fic.
Ash/Duplica: 13
Misty/Todd: 14
Mondo: 16
Kenji/Jen: 17
Joya: 18
Brock/Jessie: 19
James/Butch/Cassidy: 20
Part
14: Duplica’s True Power!
RP: Last time we left, both Todd and Duplica were kidnapped. Duplica’s cousin, Laura, was the reason for her capture, and a strange Pokémon came and attacked Todd. What will happen now?
Ash title: Duplica’s True Power!
Ash walked down the long, dark corridor, finally arriving at the door of the battling arena. He gulped slightly as he pushed the sliding door back, walking in…Misty, Togepi, and Pikachu slightly behind him.
The arena to this gym was very strange. There were many windows, but they all had battered dark curtains drawn over them, blocking out the main source of light. There were a few dimly lit candles in torches around on the walls, and everything looked to be centuries old. Misty figured that the place didn't have any electricity at all. The floor of the gym was wooden and unusually slick, where the reflection of the fire-lit torches was seen crystal clearly.
On the opposite side of the arena, looked to be some kind of a stage, where four people sat. Due to how dark it was, it was very difficult to distinguish one from the other, especially with the looming shadow that seemed to hang over them.
"I challenge the gym leader to a match!" Misty, while holding Togepi, and Pikachu (who was resting on Misty's shoulder) stood next to Ash for support.
One of the figures stood from her seat, and walked slowly forward, the shadows of the gym still seeming to hide her beautiful face. The young lady wore a white mid-driff (pretty strange given the weather) a short, close-fitting dark-blue skirt, and white heels. She had long flowing violet locks, and a sneer which showed she had no fear of the trainer at all. "What a pathetic looking boy," she replied eerily.
One of the other figures rose, and joined the one who had insulted Ash. She had a sickly grin plastered to her pearly-white face. Her long, stringy red hair was tied back into a single ponytail, some of her long hair hanging down in spiral-curls on the sides. She too wore a mid-driff, only it was an aqua-marine-ish blue, and wore a pair of bright white Capris, along with a pair of white heels.
"Yeah, this boy does look to be pathetic." The second girl crossed her arms, cutting a look at Ash, in a dull voice, asked, "What Pokémon do you have that could actually beat our Pokémon?"
"Oh, and for the record, this will be a two-on-two battle, which means you'll have to battle the both of us, since we're the gym leaders."
The second girl chuckled. "We will use two, one for each of us, and you use two. Make sure you choose your Pokémon wisely."
Going by what he dreamt, he decided to start off with Bulbasaur.
The remaining two, way in the back, were monitoring the match. The first person of the two, laughed loudly, "A puny Bulbasaur?! He really is pathetic!"
To both Ash and Misty, the laugh of the one ridiculing the trainer, seemed to be very familiar. 'I know him,' Misty thought, trying to make the boy out.
"I'm ready to start battling, and so is Bulbasaur! Are we going to battle, or are you going to stand there and talk all day?"
"I've never seen anyone so eager to lose before," the second girl commented blandly as she stood back, to let her partner battle.
The boy from the back was once again laughing hard at Ash's eagerness. "Yeah, pitiful!"
The first girl held up a Pokéball. "Okay fine, let's battle," she told him in monotone. "Since you called out Bulbasaur, I shall call out…Chitozen!"
The Pokémon to emerge, was the same exact one Ash had dreamt.
":Another weird Pokémon,:" Pikachu gasped.
":Uncle Pika, what kind of Pokémon is that?:"
":I don't know, Togepi.:"
":Uncle Mew…in…trouble…Uncle Snap…Auntie Imité…hurt…:" Togepi randomly spurted out, as if in a trance. Misty, was too busy watching the "Chitozen" and didn't even notice the conversation going on between Togepi and Pikachu. Pikachu, on the other hand, questioned, ":What'd you say?:"
":I didn't say anything,:" Togepi replied back in his normal tone.
Pikachu could only shrug, curious as to what it was he had said.
Just like what happened in Ash's dream, it all came true. Ash found it very strange, but didn't question it.
"It can't be!" the second girl cried. "How could Chitozen faint!"
The two guys, who were still remaining in the back, were discussing something, but their voices were hushed and low. The first girl growled lightly, her left fist clenched. "How dare you defeat my Chitozen!"
"Don't worry," the second girl stared over at Ash, a dangerous glint in her eyes and a Pokéball in her hand, "I'll beat him with my Kagezu!"
This Pokémon seemed to resemble a Charmander (due to its scaly skin, which was a very dark blood-red color, and the way it stood) mixed with a Zubat (because of its wings). The size of this, Pokémon, though, was that of maybe a Bulbasaur. The claws it had looked to be razor sharp, and had a reddish looking color on the tips of each. Its wings, also, weren't obviously made for flying, as they were smaller than its body. If looking at it, one might have mistakened it for a fire-type.
Before its trainer could issue a move, the second guy who had been observing the entire time direly, stood and walked over, ceasing the match. He wore a brown cloak; underneath, he wore baggy black jeans, a skin tight black muscle shirt, and black sneakers. The shadows covered his face well, especially since he wore the cloak. He looked to be about the same age as the two female trainers.
"Why not let me battle him?" An estranged smile spread across his face, as he stared over at Misty. "I find it fun to battle."
Misty felt a slight uneasiness when this person looked in her direction, as it was quite familiar to her.
"You already battled with him!" the second girl snapped. "It's my turn now!"
The first guy, who had been laughing earlier, rushed up to the group. Even his face was indistinguishable from the many shadows around. It was like these four wanted to keep their identities secret, as they would only come within a certain distance of them. He was wearing a long-sleeved, black sweat-shirt, which had a hood (which was drawn, making it even more difficult to study his face), a pair of loose grey pants, and white sneakers. "Yeah, if anyone should have to battle the loser, it ought to be me!" he protested stubbornly. "My Arcaking would be perfect! It has one powerful Flame Tackle attack!"
"No!" the first girl argued. "We're the gym leaders; you two are only here to assist us!"
"She's right! The both of us have more of a reason to battle!"
The second guy, who had seemed calm and collected the entire time, grew quite annoyed. "Go ahead for all I care!"
"Good, now go back and sit some place," the second girl commanded.
"If you're going to battle, at least use one of my Pokémon." He pulled one of his Pokéballs from his belt, tossing it, she caught it in her small hands. "Michu is more powerful than your Kagezu, and can blow that plant away in only one hit!" He laughed, staring over at Ash. "I would know."
The other two guys went back to their seats to watch, while the first girl stuck by her partner. "Fine," she huffed. "Come on Michu, time to battle!"
"I knew you were going to use a Michu!"
"Oh, so you know you're going
to lose." She looked down at the
Pokémon. "Michu,
it's time to teach this kid a
lesson!"
x x x x
x x x
x x x
Meanwhile, in the hall…
"What a strange, and unusual gym," Mondo commented, squinting. "We actually managed to get lost and were we supposed to climb those stairs?"
"I wonder why it's so dark in here," Meowth said.
James - along with his Growlithe - who was leading, replied, "I wonder where those kids went."
"I can't believe we ended up lost!" Cassidy muttered.
"You guys picked up on that Ketchum kid's bad sense of direction," Meowth uttered under his breath.
Jessie pointed up the hallway. "I think they went this way."
The group kept walking up the hallway, until they came to a sliding door. They peaked through it to see a platform. They had somehow managed to get onto the second floor of the gym. They went through the door, and looked over the rail to see Ash, Misty, Togepi, and Pikachu; Ash was about to battle a Pokémon that neither of them had ever seen before.
"What da heck is that!" Meowth asked in alarm.
"You're a Pokémon and you don't know?" Cassidy asked in disbelief.
":I know I don't know what it is.:" James's Growlithe barked softly in confusion.
"I don't think my Growlie knows what it is either."
"No, he doesn't know," Meowth quickly relayed. A sneaky grin appeared on Meowth's furry face. "That's one rare and unusual Pokémon." He took out a net. "Let's capture it for da boss!"
Both Jessie and James punched Meowth in the head.
"Imbecile!" James shouted to him.
"Baka!" Jessie screeched.
"We don't work for Team Rocket anymore!"
Meowth shuddered from the two's outburst. "Oh yeah, I forgot." He put the net away, and laughed a bit. "I guess some old habits are hard to break," he paused briefly, and grew mad, "and so is this one!" He slashed both Jessie and James in the face. "And don't you ever hit Meowth again!"
Jessie began to twitch, fire surrounding her. "Why you rotten little alley cat!" She smashed Meowth
into the floor with a mallet that was similar to the one she had used when they
were in that haunted tower in
"We better keep quiet, if we don't want them to look up and see us," Butch reminded them.
They continued to watch the match, careful as to not make a sound….
x x x x
x x x
x x x
"Bulbasaur, do you want to keep going? I could call you back and let you rest up, if
you'd like."
Bulbasaur shook his head mulishly. ":No, I want my revenge for losing earlier!:"
"If you want to keep going, I guess it's okay, but if you grow tired at any point, I'm calling you back."
Misty smiled humorously at Bulbasaur's pigheadedness. "It's like Brock said, Bulbusaur just can't settle for second best."
Ash quickly gave one of the revitalizing potions he had gotten from Joya earlier, to Bulbasaur. He drank down the bitter-sweet concoction, and was ready to battle in no time at all.
"It's a shame that your pitiful weed is going to lose."
":Pitiful weed!:"
"Don't worry about her Bulbasaur." He glowered at the gym leader. "Anyway, she's the one that's going to lose!"
x x x x
x x x
x x x
"That kid sure has a lot of faith in his Pokémon," Cassidy observed.
"That's a good quality for any decent Pokémon trainer to have," Butch nodded.
"He's determined too, and so is dat Bulbasaur. He said that he refuses to leave da match because he wants his revenge for losin' earlier," Meowth told the others. 'I wonder what he meant by dat…'
"It makes you wonder why we spent all of our time trying to capture his Pikachu when his Bulbasaur is equally strong, just on a different level," James pointed out.
Jessie huffed out a disgruntled sigh. "That's because the boss was a moron! He insisted on our capturing Pikachu for him after we explained our first encounter with that kid. How many Bulbasaur do you know of that are actually capable of using a Solar Beam as powerful as a Venosaur's?"
"None."
"Exactly!"
"Hey guys, da match is about to start! Quiet, quiet…"
x x x x
x x x
x x x
"Only a loser would think he has
an actual chance of winning!" the same boy taunted from his seat, with a
cruel laugh. Misty and Pikachu were starting to grow sick of this guy.
Ash bawled up his fists. "I will win! You just wait and see! I have faith in my Pokémon!"
"You're living in a dream world, kid." She looked down at her borrowed Pokémon. "Michu, Shadow Punch now!"
Ash retaliated quickly, as he remembered what the attack did when Pikachu was hit with it. "Bulbasaur, dodge it!"
"Michu, Dark Lightening!"
Before Ash could blink, the Michu seemed to create some kind of dark, electrical force-field around its entire body. The boy was about to give Bulbasaur a command, but it shot a black streak of the strange aura towards the bulb Pokémon, who was knocked back from the shock. Ash was surprised that an electric base attack had actually hurt Bulbasaur, as plant types had the advantage over electric types, and their attacks.
"Bulbasaur, return!" Ash called, but he refused to. He stood back up shakily, giving Ash a reassuring smile. He was determined not to leave this battle, unless he couldn't move anymore.
":I'm not going back.:" he told Ash.
"Um…if you really don't want to, attack that Michu with your Sharpened Razor Leaf!"
"Sharpened Razor Leaf?"
"It's another move I taught him," Ash answered hastily, keeping his eye on his opponent, his face twisted up in concentration. "It's a more powerful Razor Leaf."
"Michu, Double Take and Block!"
Michu cloned itself in two, like it had done
earlier when fighting Pikachu. It used its cloned body as a shield, so that
the Razor Leaf attack wouldn't harm it.
The leaves that flew towards the Michu were
spinning incredibly fast, like propellers on a helicopter, and very very sharp. The
leaves bounced off of the Michu and headed back
towards Bulbasaur.
He managed to dodge it, but barely due to its speed. Due to Bulbasaur's
dodging, the dangerous attack was still in motion. Ash's eyes widened, as the leaves were coming
towards both him and Misty. He moved,
and shoved Misty out of the way, the leaves slicing the door behind them as
easily as a knife going through butter.
x x x x
x x x
x x x
The ex Team Rocket members' mouths were literally hanging at what they had just
seen.
"Th-th-that Razor Leaf attack…was…amazing," Mondo gaped, pretty much star-struck. "He is a great trainer."
"The twerp actually does
train his Pokémon," Jessie blinked in amazement.
x x x x
x x x
x x x
"Give up," the second girl mused.
"You're going to lose, and your Bulbasaur
looks like it's about to die from exhaustion."
Ash looked down at Bulbasaur, who remained in his spot, breathing heavily. "Bulbasaur, come back! You need to rest." He shook his head, and looked back at Ash, and then up at one of the windows. Ash instantly knew what his Pokémon friend was planning. With that, Ash pulled out a pair of sunglasses and put them on. He took out three more pairs for Misty, Togepi, and Pikachu. "Here, put these on."
"But wh---"
"Just do it!" he ordered shortly.
x x x x
x x x
x x x
"Sunglasses?"
"In dis dark place?"
"Maybe he's up to something?" Mondo replied with uncertainty.
James could only shrug, just as puzzled.
"Dat kid is losin' it."
"I think you're right." Jessie rubbed her chin, as if in thought. "Those glasses are atrocious! You know, now that I see it, his outfit isn't all that great either…"
Everyone nearly face-faulted at Jessie's input.
"This is a Pokémon battle," Butch squabbled, "not a fashion show!"
"I can't help it if I have such high fashion sense."
James and Meowth sighed out one of those puffy clouds, and muttered, "Yeah, right."
"What did you two say?!"
"Nothing!" both insisted, shaking.
"Same old Jessie," Cassidy said with a wistful sigh.
x x x x
x x x
x x x
"What is he trying to prove with
those sunglasses?" the first gym leader questioned.
"Maybe he's trying to start some type of fashion trend for losers!" the same boy mocked.
'We'll see who the loser is after this move!'
Misty, who was still puzzled, put on the sunglasses, as did Pikachu. Togepi glee'd happily as Misty put the glasses on him.
"Okay, Bulbasaur, Ultimate Solar Beam, or should I say, Solar Flash now!! Fill up this entire room with sunlight!" Ash commanded ecstatically. 'Those strange Pokémon seem to be weak against attacks that use sunlight, which is why Lunar Beam Reserve wouldn't work on them. I just hope I'm right.'
Bulbasaur did as instructed, and illuminated the entire room with immense sunlight, which blinded the Michu. Because of this, it let its guard down. As for the others in the room, it practically blinded them, including the ex-Rocket members, whom had to shield their eyes. Thinking fast, Mondo called out his Ditto (which could practically morph into anything) who transformed into a big sheet of glass to block off the extremely powerful bright light.
The Michu now looked confused and was waving its hands around blindly, as was its clone and the light in the room was still lingering.
"Okay, Bulbasaur, you only have one shot at this! Use the light from Solar Flash, and use Solar Beam!" Ash then pointed. "Aim it towards the Michu on the right! That's the real one!"
Bulbasaur nodded, quite tired, as he powered up once again, the bulb on his back glowing a bright sunny yellow. He then released the energy, and aimed the beam at the Michu on the right, hitting it dead on. Not able to battle anymore, the Michu fainted and the clone dematerialized.
Ash looked at girl, whose jaw was hanging so low, you could see all of her teeth at the bottom, who of which he had just defeated. "I," he took off his glasses, acting quite macho and smug, "win."
"But, I, you---"
Ash ignored her and rushed over to Bulbasaur,
picking him up. He hugged him
tightly. "Great job, Bulbasaur! You got
your revenge for losing earlier!" Bulbasaur smiled weakly as he nodded to his hyper-active
trainer. "Okay, back into the Pokéball you go. You
need to rest until I get you to a
"Bulba, Bulbasaur!" he replied, as Ash put him down.
"Bulbasaur, return!"
After the plant-Poké was sucked back in, Misty rushed over to Ash chanting, "You and Bulbasaur did it! You won!!"
"Pikachu!" the rodent cheered.
Misty hugged Ash, just as Pikachu did, all happy
that Ash had one a seemingly impossible match.
x x x x
x x x
x x x
"Wow, what a move!" Mondo whistled. "Good job blocking off that bright
light, Ditto."
":No problem:"
"Okay Ditto, return." It went back into its Pokéball. "I wish I knew what it said…"
"Ditto said, 'No problem'," Meowth translated. "I bet if we woulda brought in dat Bulbasaur to da boss, I would've been da top cat for sure!"
"We would've been the new leaders of Team Rocket!"
Meowth and James hugged one another, tears streaking down their faces in happiness.
"We could do it right now, Meowth! We could capture that Bulbasaur for the boss!"
"Yeah, we'd get promoted for sure!"
"We'll become champions after all these years!"
"We'd live like kings! Caviar, fried chicken, sushi three times a day!"
"We'll have more money than we can count!"
"We'll have soivents to soive all of our very needs! We'll be right beside da boss, and we'll never have to go out on assignment for the rest of our lives. And dat Persian dat da boss has, will be history!"
"The easy life!" both said in unison, their tears flowing heavier.
Butch, Cassidy, and Mondo all sweat dropped from the scene, but didn't say a word. Jessie, on the other hand, had grown pretty annoyed at the two's display.
"Will you two ignoramuses shut up!" She hit them with her fan. "We do not work for Team Rocket anymore! James, you just mentioned that a while ago!"
"Oh, that's right!" both said, sheepishly.
"I forgot I just said that."
Jessie shook her head in disbelief, and hit him with her fan again. 'Even though we're no longer a part of Team
Rocket, James is still as clueless as
usual.' She inwardly smiled. 'I still love him, though.'
x x x x
x x x
x x x
The second assistant sprinted up to the second gym leader, the first assistant
a little ways behind him. He stopped in
front of the shorter girl, yelling, "How
could you let him win and beat my Michu?!" He snatched his Pokéball
back, and recalled the fainted Michu.
The first assistant scoffed while crossing his arms. "I could've done a better job with a Magikarp," he sneered sarcastically.
"I-I lost?"
"Yeah, you 'lost'," the first gym leader yelled in true annoyance.
Ash extended his hand out. "May I have my badge and winnings now?"
"What makes you think you're actually getting a badge," the first assistant said to Ash, his face still hidden by the shadows of the gym. Even though Bulbasaur had used Solar Flash, it was too bright to see them clearly, and with his using Solar Beam, he took in all the energy he had used for Solar Flash to create the beam. The attack was pretty much recycling the sun's light. The boy pointed a finger at Ash. "You're still a pathetic loser!"
The four began to inch closer and closer towards Ash and Misty, and neither
liked where this was going…
x x x x
x x x
x x x
"They're scary," James whimpered.
"Guys, we have to help them!" Mondo told them.
"But what can we do?" Jessie asked.
"Don't worry," James ceased his whimpering, "I have an
idea…"
x x x x
x x x
x x x
At this point, both Ash and Misty were getting quite scared.
"Misty," the boy gulped, "I don't think this was a part of my dream."
"What do you mean?! I thought you said you got the badge!"
"Erm, I actually woke up here."
":Don't worry guys! I'll slow them down!:" Pikachu used his Thunderbolt on the four, but it didn't hit all of them. The two boys leapt out of the way, while the two girls were hit dead on.
"You can harm these bodies," the first girl snarled demonically, her clothes singed, "but you can not harm us!"
The second gym leader concurred. "We will conquer this puny island, and then take over the entire world for our good lord!"
"We will also be allowed our revenge on Junsa, Juudai, Hoshi, and that brat Mizuna, who sealed the barrier! Without her, it wouldn't have work, but no, she had to seal it with her powers!" she spat bitterly.
Both Ash and Misty couldn't figure out what these two girls were talking about, or whom they were referring to.
The second assistant chuckled darkly, as he pulled out another Pokéball. "I have another Pokémon that can take care of them." He tossed the ball into the air and caught it, his arm outstretched. "Artictreon, go!"
The most elegant, yet strange, looking bird emerged. Its coat of feathers was an icy midnight blue, only a very dark shade of it. The tips of its wings were a bright yellowish color, and its eyes were a hollow black. It looked to be about the size of a Fearow, and its orange beak was short and stubby. The tail-feather of this bird, trailed behind gracefully, the very tip of it, a bright yellow.
"This is so unfair!" the first assistant whined. "I wanted to be the one to kill him off for our master!"
"Quiet!" the first assistant shouted to the younger boy. "I'm the better trainer compared to you!"
"Whatever."
"Artictreon, use your most powerful attack!" He winked. "You know which one I'm talking about."
The bird gave off a "cawing" sound in understanding, as it began to flap its wings and wave its tail feather. A whirlpool began to form in front of it, its height raising higher and higher. Both teens felt cold winds coming from the whirlpool, due to the ice that it seemed to be forming within it. They also heard a crackling sound, which was electricity (coming from the tips of the wings and tail feather) surrounding it.
"Attack them, now!"
Ash and Misty's faces had gone a chalky color as the whirlpool was heading towards them. Both simultaneously pulled out a Pokéball for their Pokémon. It took a while for Ash to get Pikachu into his, getting shocked by him in the process. Misty managed to get Togepi into his, even though Togepi was not accustomed to it, as he had never even been in one.
"Misty, I think this may be the end…"
"At least we're together and our Pokémon are safe."
The two hugged each other tightly. "It's been nice knowing you, Misty."
"It looks like our journey comes to an end here…"
The two could've run, but both couldn't bring themselves to, and clutched to one another more tightly, their eyes firmly shut as the attack was launched. Their fear increased dramatically, and due to this, the four seemed to grow more and more ferociously hungry, thirsting for their demise.
The first girl's voice had grown very deep, and demonic. "I can finally leave this body! My level is high enough to break out of this terrible entrapment!"
The second girl's voice was just as demonic, only higher in pitch. "The same is true for me, brother! Let us go!"
Hearing these different voices, both Ash and Misty stared at the two girls curiously. They seemed to be stuck in place, and fell to the ground with a thump, but these two strange looking shadowy creatures left their bodies, which, in a way, was beneficial to the trainer and the water Pokémon expert. When these strange creatures left their bodies (the two assistants didn't really pay it any mind), the attack that was launched by the "Artictreon" was blocked off. Relieved, both slumped to the ground, gasping for air.
"That was close," Misty said between breaths, holding her chest.
"You said it."
"Look at that! You can't even attack right!" the whiney-voiced boy complained.
"It was not my fault!"
"Yeah, sure!" he scoffed. "Let me try it!" He kissed the Pokéball he had, and tossed it out arrogantly. "Arcaking, g---"
Before he could say anymore, smog filled the room. The two guys began to cough, just as Ash and Misty did.
"Wh-what's going on," the first assistant coughed from the smog being created by a small, floating ball looking Pokémon.
Through the smog, both Ash and Misty recognized some familiar figures. Two female figures jumped down in the center of the gym and posed. A large, snake-Pokémon was beside the pink-haired one, and beside them, was a blonde-haired one.
"To show the world we've turned over a new leaf!" they said together.
Next, two male figures jumped down beside the two girls. The one with the blue-ish hair, grabbed hold of the pink-haired one around the waist, while the dark-green haired one grabbed the blonde.
"To prove to the world that we are no longer thieves!"
A dark-brown-haired boy, who looked to be younger than the others, jumped and landed in front of them (kneeling) along with three Pokémon (rat; cat; dog), and posed.
"We all now believe in only truth and love!" the dark-brown haired boy said.
"We now give our help to those who aren't as rich above!" the blonde continued.
"Jessie and James!"
"Cassidy!"
"Butch!"
"And don't forget Mondo, that's right!"
"Team Rocket, the evil company that is no more!" Jessie and James said.
"And take it from us, Team Rocket was evil to the core!" Cassidy and Butch said.
"Now that we are all good," Mondo started.
"We all will now sore!" the other four finished up.
"Ratticate!/Meowth! (His arms crossed)/Growwwwlithe! (You got that right!)"
"Team Rocket?" Misty blinked.
"What are you guys doing here?" Ash asked.
The two assistants stared at each other for a brief moment, and then burst out into laughter. "Who are these pathetic fools!" the second assistant nearly choked from laughing so hard.
"A bunch of rejects if you ask me!" the first assistant coughed, wiping a tear away from his eye. "What a bunch of losers!"
Jessie, whose veins were starting to show in her forehead, rolled up her sweater sleeve. "Losers!! Rejects!! I'll show you a reject and a loser!!" She pulled out a mallet, about to mutilate the two (whom were still laughing too much to notice), until she felt herself being held back by James.
"The plan was to create a diversion so that we could all get away, Jessie," he whispered to her urgently. "You have to learn to control that temper of yours."
Butch turned to Ash and Misty. "You guys better get out of here."
"Run!" Mondo called out.
Ash and Misty didn't kill any time, and ran off faster than the speed of light, if it were possible. Cassidy and the others followed behind them. James and Growlie, though, were bringing up the rear, trying to get Jessie to leave, who was still struggling to get to the two boys for insulting them.
While running down the corridor, they all heard a strange creaking sound, but ignored it. Once they got outside, they looked back at the gym, which looked like it was about to collapse, but didn't.
Ash immediately let Pikachu from out of his Pokéball, as did Misty with Togepi.
"C'mon out now, Pikachu. It's safe."
"You too, Togepi."
Both Pokémon emerged, and were pretty much happy they were out of the confined area.
":I hate being inside a Pokéball!:" both complained.
"Yeah, we're sorry about that," Misty told them gently while picking up Togepi.
Ash, who was still a bit…lost on what had just happened, asked no one in particular, "What's going on?"
"This gym is just strange," Cassidy commented, staring back at the building.
"I think we better go find the others, Ash. I know that today is Kenji's birthday, which is why Jen-san was keeping him busy, but we really should go let them know what just happened here."
Ash nodded. "Oh yeah, we never did get him a present, but never mind that right now. He turned to the ex-Rocket members. "Thanks a lot, guys for helping us out back there."
"No problem, kid." She then cut him a suspicious look. "Now, what's going on?"
"Huh?"
All of a sudden, Ash was sitting in an interrogation room, a light shining down on him. Butch and Cassidy were standing at the table, both dressed as 1940s detectives, questioning him quite fast.
"What the---"
"What's going on, kid?" Butch asked.
"I don't know what you're talking about!"
"Where were you on the night of Friday 13th, 1974?"
Ash looked at Cassidy stupidly.
"I wasn't even born!"
x x x x
x x x
x x x
RP: Neither was this narrator. Seven years too early. lol
x x x x
x x x
x x x
"What were you doing two days ago at the Cerulean City Gym!" Butch
continued.
"What's your mother's maiden name?!"
"What's your blood type?!"
"How many pails of water did Jack & Jill fetch when they went up the hill?"
"How many pecks of pickled peppers did Peter Piper pick?"
"How many people did it take to put Humpty Dumpty back together again!"
"Which came first, the Pidgey or the egg?"
"Why did the Pikachu cross the road?"
"Waaah!" Ash held his head. "You're going too fast and confusing me!"
Neither ceased, and Cassidy continued questioning the young hero. "What is your father's mother's maiden name?"
"Where is your father?"
Ash jumped out of his seat, and stepped up to the two, a bit angered. "Why do you want to know about my father?"
"Sorry, I guess we got carried away with the questioning," Cassidy replied apologetically, but quickly went back to her interrogating him. "How dare you speak to us in such a manner! Do you have something to hide?"
"You haven't answered my question yet!"
"What about the Indigo Pokémon League Tournament?" Butch asked, ignoring the boy.
Ash calmed down slightly. "What about them?"
"Where are they being held, and don't try anything funny!" Cassidy told him.
"I don't know anything about them!"
"You're the one trying to become a master!" Cassidy retorted.
"You're the one in the league!"
"You should know!"
"Well, so should you! You're gym leaders, and why do you care about my father and mother's history!"
"Ash, calm down…"
Ash ignored Misty and continued to rant. "Do you know where he is? If you do, tell him that he has a son who is very eager to meet him!" he spat vehemently.
"We've never met your old man," Butch pointed out, everything back to normal, "or anyone in your family. It was just RP's attempt at a comedic scene."
"Yeah, so calm down. We were only asking what she made us ask."
"I will not---"
"ASH, SHUT UP!" everyone shouted at once.
Ash huffed in annoyance, and uttered under his breath, "well, they were asking for it." He went back to his normal tone and stared back at the two. "Anyway, why are you asking me about the league games when you're the gym leaders?"
"Well, that's true, we are," Cassidy sheepishly laughed, "but we want to know what you know."
"Professor Oak said that I needed to win the badge from this gym in order to get into the leagues, and that they were going to be held here."
"I spoke with Professor Oak after speaking with the Cerulean Sisters about that, and he said that they were being held at the Indigo Plateau, as well as the other gym leaders."
"My sisters actually said that?"
"That's the most unusual thing," Mondo continued, "they're the only ones who named this place. Everyone else said the Indigo Plateau."
"We really need to talk with Brock, Ash." Misty looked at the others. "I guess it would be okay for you all to come along with us, if you want."
The others agreed, and followed behind Ash and Misty.
"Hey, since we're going to be around," Cassidy started, "how about we get that kid you mentioned a present. What kinds of things does this kid like?"
"He's a Pokémon Watcher and Researcher, and as a part of his job, he sketches a lot. He also paints on the side," Misty told them.
"Well then," James began, "before you guys go to wherever it is you're taking us, let's go to town and buy something for his birthday."
The group headed to town, and managed to go to a Pokémon Science shop, one that was nearby where Todd was earlier. Ash and Misty bought him a Pokémon Research kit, which was an upgrade in comparison to his current one. Butch and Cassidy bought a book about all of the latest Pokémon discoveries, which was written by Westwood V of the Pokémon Symposium. Jessie and James bought him a mini computer organizer for all of his Pokémon information, data, and research. It was a bit like a Pokédex, only it was made specifically for researchers who added in the information themselves. Mondo and Meowth bought him a birthday card, as he didn’t know him well. He, along with Meowth, Growlie, and Raticate, signed it.
After the shopping was done, Ash and Misty led them all back to Jen and Joya's place, hoping it was okay for them to bring company.
"You guys are staying here?" Jessie asked after they arrived at Jen and Joya's place. They nodded and entered the house, the door being startlingly unlocked. 'I guess Brock and Joya stepped out,' Misty thought.
They all went to the living room, and everyone took a seat. "I wonder what was wrong with those gym leaders and those two guys," Ash queried.
"I felt as if we knew them," Misty spoke up.
Ash nodded slowly. "Yeah…same here."
"While we were watchin' da match, I remember Bulbasaur sayin' somethin' about getting revenge for an earlier battle."
"Ash, Meowth is right! One of the girls also said that the older looking boy battled you before."
"Yeah, you're right, and the Pokémon he had…that Michu…"
"It's that weird guy you battled before getting here that scared Togepi! I should've figured it was him when I got that uneasy feeling when he looked over at me. He also mentioned something when you battled him the first time about how a certain element could defeat the type of Pokémon the gym leaders had!"
The two thought for a second, coming to the same conclusion at the same exact time. "Sunlight!"
Cassidy, as well as the others, were confused at the conversation that Ash and Misty was having. "You wouldn't mind filling us in here, would you?"
"No, not at all," Misty said to her. With that, both Ash and Misty explained about how they got to the island and of the guy with the Michu.
"I wonder who the other ones were. The two girls seemed a little familiar, and so did the guy in the sweatshirt that wouldn't shut up and quit calling me a loser."
Misty shrugged. "I guess we'll
never know…"
x x x x
x x x
x x x
Todd awoke, rubbing his head which was still bandaged from the previous
night. He noticed that he was on a cement
floor, and that his bag, camera, and phone were gone.
"Where am I," he grumbled grumpily, investigating his surroundings to see that he was in a cell.
He sensed something was behind him, so he turned to see the strange looking Pokémon that had attacked him earlier. Todd backed away cautiously, but noticed the Pokémon wasn't trying to attack him; instead, it seemed to be studying him. Its expression looked to be that of slight confusion. ':Could he be the one?:' it questioned in thought. ':If I could only remember, but at least one good thing has come of this; I have regained control of my mind again.:' It gave Todd a somewhat sympathetic look. ':It's quite disheartening how I've caused harm to this innocent one…:'
The Pokémon took a step towards Todd, who backed away even more. "What kind of Pokémon are you?!"
x x x x
x x x
x x x
:Fatality music plays:
Ash pops into the room.
Ash: See, it wasn’t me this time! It’s Todd’s fault that RP is throwing in another song.
Misty pops in.
Misty: (Holding her head) Ooh. Why can’t you guys ever watch what you say!
Todd: Um, so I guess that means another song, right?
RP: I see you guys are catching on. Song Play list, go!
Todd: (Sweat drop) Song Play list?
RP: Quit interrupting, now, Song Play List go! RP chooses the song, What Kind of Pokémon Are You! It’s such a cute song.
:What Kind of Pokémon Are You starts to play:
RP: (After the song finishes) I wish I could’ve thought of doing this in my
last fic. I could’ve used the song
x x x x
x x x
x x x
"Wh-what do you want from me?" Todd asked,
his voice quivering.
The Pokémon only responded by saying, "Flamie", and took off to the back of the cell. Todd rushed after it, but it seemed to duck out of sight through the floor. This didn't help the photographer any, who grew bored of trying to figure out how the Pokémon had managed to get out. "Must have gone through some kind of trap door," he muttered, going back to the front of the cell to see what else was down there.
He looked out to see that he was most definitely in a dark, dank dungeon, a pair of stairs connected to the hallway, and the fact that everything was cement didn't help, as it was quite chilly and drafty. He also shuddered slightly, wondering if this place had rats. He saw that across from him, were some more cells; one was filled with kids about his age staring around dismally. He recognized all five them at once.
"I know you guys," Todd pointed.
"You all were at Articuno's Ice Palace
in
"That name…it sounds familiar," a boy with short black hair answered dully, staring blankly at the wall from where he stood in the front of the cell. His clothing consisted of light blue-jeans and a plain, baggy t-shirt with a picture of a Vulpix using Flamethrower on the front. Todd could see him best, as he was closest to him.
"Yes," a girl with shoulder-lengthened brown hair commented drearily, "yes, it does." She was just as dreary looking as the other ones in the cell. She was seated Indian-style in the middle of the cell, staring at the floor, her eyes lackluster with any signs of true life. She was wearing a white blouse, a short, dark navy-blue skirt, and baggy white ankle-socks. Beside her sat a pair of black dress shoes, presumably hers, as she wasn't currently wearing any.
"What are your names?"
The boy with the short, black hair answered first. "Tad Smith."
The girl with the bouncy, shoulder-lengthened hair, who was currently shoeless, answered, "Cherie Avery."
The next one to speak up was a pretty, slender girl with long, dark-blue hair. She was wearing a pair of white shorts, and a thin, light-pink t-shirt, hugging her knees up to her chest, staring who knows where, but she was also as dull as the other two. "Shelley Johnson," she answered in monotone from her spot in the back of the cell.
A boy with bright spiky red hair wearing a grey t-shirt and baggy black jeans spoke up next. He was seated next to Shelley in the back of the cell on the cold, cement floor. His head was lolled back, like he didn't have a care in the world, or was stripped of that luxury. Just like the others, his tone was very monotonous and boring. "Eric Bailey."
The last person to answer was a girl with long blonde hair, which flowed all the way down her back. She was lying opposite side of Cherie, who looked just as miserable. Todd noticed her exotic dark green eyes, which looked sad and devastated. Right now, the girl was wearing a long-sleeved bright red dress with matching sneakers. When asked her name, she sat up, and stared at Todd eerily, which was how he had noticed her enchanting dark-green eyes. "Toni Buchanan," she replied, no emotion what-so-ever. After she answered, she lied back down.
Todd looked from Tad to Toni, and took notice of their looks. The five seemed to act like zombies, or like they had no souls of their own. It was a bit creepy to the photographer.
"What is wrong with you guys? You all sound so…I hate to say it, depressing."
Eric looked forward - his bright blue eyes, dim, - right into Todd's curious eyes. "We only listen and obey one."
Toni sat up again, and stared at Todd, as if studying him. Her piercing eyes caused him to feel quite uneasy. "You are not our master."
This was getting strange; what on Earth were they talking about? "'Master'?"
Tad gave Todd a suspicious, yet threatening, look. "Do you not believe in what our master says?"
Shelley squeezed her legs tighter, as she stared blankly at him. To Todd, it seemed as if she were trying to warm herself, but had no sense of knowing it. "We only obey master."
Toni was once again lying on her back. Todd saw her wince, as if she were quite uncomfortable, but like Shelley, didn't realize it. "Do you think he could be the 'Chosen One' master was talking about?"
Tad nodded slowly. "It seems so."
"Oh-okay," Todd stuttered, growing a bit fearful, "you guys are starting to scare me. Who is this 'master' person, and what do you mean by 'Chosen One'?"
None of them answered him, as they heard the echoes of footsteps coming down the stairs, and a man laughing cruelly. Todd craned his neck to get a better view of him. As of the moment, he could only make out that he was wearing a grey suit, had balding hair, and holding what looked to be a Persian.
"I see we have brainwashed you all well," the man said after he had reached the bottom step.
Todd stared on in shock at the man finally recognizing him, but that shock soon turned to that of anger. "Giovanni!" he growled irately. "How in the hell did you get out of that mental hospital!"
Giovanni stared over at Todd, a sinister smile on his partially wrinkled face. "My, my, my, such language," he mocked. "As we all know, I'm too good for prison life or being locked up in some loony bin." He set Persian down, and blew on the nails of his right hand cockily. "I have my ways, you know."
"Was the mental institution just a set up?"
"Naturally; people as powerful as I are just much too good for prison life."
Todd stared at the man in disgust and ignored the Persian that was sniffing at his feet. "So you mocked poor Growlithe's death just so you could get out of prison!" he bellowed loudly, causing the sneaky cat to jump.
"No, of course not! Even I know the price of mocking the dead," Giovanni snapped. "All of that was somewhat true, I just made a bigger deal out of it than what it really was."
"You better let me out of here, or---"
"You better calm yourself, my little shutterbug."
"Why should I," Todd snapped defiantly.
"Do you want to end up like them over there?" Giovanni gestured to the cell across from him with the bleak children. "They are some of the best trainers here, and they're helping me out quite nicely, doing a few chores here and there." Todd had grown incredibly annoyed by this point, and shook his head. "What about that little girlfriend of yours?"
"Duplica?" His eyes widened. "What have you done with her!" He then blushed slightly. "Um…she's not my girlfriend!"
Giovanni pulled out a strange looking remote from his pocket. He pushed one of the buttons, and a small monitor lowered from the ceiling in Todd's cell. He instinctively looked up. Giovanni pushed another button, and an image came up on the screen. Todd's heart fell at the sight. It was Duplica, laid out and unconscious in a cell similar to his, only she was on a soft, straw bed.
Todd rushed to the bars of the cell, wishing they weren't separating him
from the ex
"My, my, my," Giovanni yawned, shutting off the monitor that showed the peacefully sleeping Duplica, "what an attitude this one has."
Right at that moment, Giovanni's assistant walked down the stone steps and
stood next to his mentor.
"Yes, professor, that Flamie you sent out really did the trick."
"True, sir," he stood up, "but for some strange reason, it has vanished. For, I cannot find it anywhere, nor did it return to me after completing its task."
"It doesn't really matter," Giovanni told him briskly, "it served its purpose."
Todd, who still had Duplica's welfare on his mind, finally looked over at the professor. Todd couldn't believe it. How could he work with such an evil man?
"It's you! How could you! Are you controlling him too, Giovanni!" Todd demanded. "Everyone trusts and idolizes him! Both Kenji and Professor Oak have a high respect for him! Professor Oak even recommends him to his friends and students studying to become great Pokémon scientists, researchers, and watchers!"
"No, I'm not under his control," the professor told him plainly. Todd couldn't find any words to describe what he was currently feeling over this situation. "I have always been a part of Team Rocket." He took out a remote that was similar to Giovanni's, and pushed a button on it. Todd looked back at the screen to see a certain psychic-Pokémon attached to machinery and wires.
"Mewtwo?"
"Yes, I helped to create Mewtwo," the professor continued. "Kenji-kun asked me about Mewtwo a few times, about what type of Pokémon this was since I had a picture of it up in my home." He chuckled lightly. "It's quite amusing how Mewtwo kept trying to warn you all through that Togepi the youngest Hanada sister has, and through Satoshi. With the Togepi, to my knowledge, he kept having convulsions, and Satoshi would say things he would never dare say, especially to the girl that he is truly fond of."
"Wait a minute, did you say Ash?"
"Yes, I did."
"So that's why he was acting the way that he was. He kept saying he felt like someone was controlling his mind." Todd felt a bit disturbed. "He was literally right…"
"This set up is quite nice, don't you think, professor?"
"Indeed it is, sir."
"What do you want with me," Todd murmured quietly. He felt he had the right to know that at least. Giovanni explained about the myths and legends of the island. "That still doesn't explain what you want with me!"
Giovanni smiled slightly before answering. "We plan on using you against your friends." He looked at the pair of them quite confusedly. "I can tell by the look on your face that you want to know how we plan on doing so." Todd nodded reluctantly. He wasn't sure he really wanted to know. "When you were first brought here, we injected you with an experimental drug, while I managed to summon another spirit. You will be under my complete control, and will help us, along with my three shadow demons. You will become one of them, only not in a physical sense."
"What are you talking about?"
"You were tested when you got here to see if you were one of the destined we were indeed in search of, but unfortunately, you weren't." Todd held his stomach while the man spoke. He wasn't feeling very well. "You will now have a new power, and nothing will be able to break you from it." His voice grew eerie, "And I do mean nothing."
"I-I'm going to turn into some type of a monster?" he asked, growing queasy. 'What's with this strange feeling?'
"Not completely. You'll still be your same stubborn self, and you will have your same physical features and form, only now under my control with extra phenomenal powers!" He began to laugh, and at this, the kids in the other cell all bowed to him. "You will be thinking and acting with your subconscious mind." He then lowered his voice, "My brother, you will work alongside me once again. I'm giving you another chance."
"Pure genius, sir, but who is this 'brother' that you speak of?"
"Um, sorry, never mind that."
'The time must be close for him to unveil his true powers,' the professor concluded in thought. "With him on our side, sir, you can get rid of the Imité girl indefinitely. She wouldn't hurt him."
Todd broke out into a sweat, his stomach growing even more sensitive. He didn't like the sound of his hurting his friends, especially Duplica.
"By the way, sir, how much longer until this 'spell', as you call it, takes effect?"
"It shouldn't be too much longer," Giovanni answered. "So, how is Imité's other niece doing?"
'Duplica's cousin? Laura?'
"She's doing quite, fine, sir. She did a wonderful job of getting the Imité girl captured for us. Her trance should be wearing off quite soon, though."
"Just toss her in the cell along with her uncle, and send someone over to the gym to get the two girls, seeing as how the two final spirits have been released."
"Yes, sir."
'I can't believe this is happening! This is all unreal.'
Todd was beginning to grow pale as his head started to feel a bit peculiar. Giovanni took notice, looking quite pleased. "It is starting faster than I thought." He then said, in a voice quite unlike his, "My younger brother will finally be fully awakened!"
The professor ignored the fact that Giovanni had referred to Todd as "brother" again, and asked, "How will we know when the spell and drug are up to its full effect?"
"His dark eyes will become a dark shade of red, when it is complete."
After his question was answered, the professor left the room to make arrangements to get the subjects over at the gym, which included the two assistants. The trance that they were all in, would be wearing off soon. The cell door flipped open across from Todd, and he heard the professor's voice on a loud speaker. "You five are to go and retrieve the leaders and the assistants from the gym above," he ordered. "Use the teleporter at the top of the stairs to get there quickly." The children obediently left their cell, making their way up the stairs.
A short while later, the five teens returned to their cell and sat back in their assigned positions, the door shutting right behind them. They had put the two gym leaders and their assistants into a cage along with Mayor Imité and Laura, which was in another part of the building. Once they were secure, by the professor's standards, he went back to where Giovanni was.
At this point, Todd was breathing unstably, and had to seat himself down on the cool, cement floor. Earlier, it bothered him, but now, the cool concrete against his clammy skin felt good. His insides also felt as if they were burning, or that he had the fiery craters of hell forming in the pit of his stomach. Giovanni was just watching him suffer, like he was part of a side-show. When the professor joined him, he looked back to him.
"I want you to keep an eye on this kid. I think I'll go check on the Imité girl."
"I'll go, sir." Giovanni nodded, and the professor rushed off.
A brief moment later, rushed footsteps were heard coming back. Todd was now laid out on the floor, twitching and grunting, trying his best not to scream (he didn't want to give Giovanni the sick satisfaction), since his head felt like it was splitting in half.
"So, how is our prisoner doing?" Giovanni asked, refusing to take his eyes off of Todd.
He frowned slightly, and stared down at the floor. "she is gone, sir…"
Giovanni turned quickly to the professor. "Excuse me, what did you say?"
He gulped and looked at the soon to be fuming man. "She's gone, sir."
"What!!! How!?!"
"I-I don't know sir. I'm very sorry!"
"Did she have any Pokémon with her?"
The professor felt his mouth go dry, unable to speak momentarily for making such a blunder. "I forgot to check, sir, since we were tending to the photographer," he uttered barely. "She must've used her Ditto to get away."
He thought for a moment. "The special Pokémon, it must be that Ditto of hers. How else could she have managed to escape!"
Todd looked up dimly at the two, and smiled gratefully. "Du…plica…is safe. She…got…away. Thank…goodness," he managed to get out, his energy completely depleted. He couldn't even lift himself into a sitting position if he wanted to, due to how terrible he felt.
"Not for long," Giovanni shot back. "Pretty soon, you will be completely mine! I may have lost one, but I will gain another, and this one just happens to be family."
The shutterbug knew that he was right. Although he felt like complete and utter crap, he did feel as if he was filling with a power he couldn't quite explain. He only hoped that the others would get away safely, or that he wouldn't encounter any of them. He would rather be killed than to actually commit the act himself. Todd wasn't sure what he would be capable of after the transformation, so to speak, would be complete, or what the drug would do, as they didn't explain it to him. He only sensed that "murder" by his hand, could've been amongst one of the things he would be proficient of, and that thought terrified him…
Todd closed his eyes, as he felt silent tears trickling down his hot
face. 'Forgive me all for what I am
about to do…stay safe, my friends; please, stay safe, Duplica…I'm sorry…I'm
sorry…'
x x x x
x x x
x x x
Meanwhile, Duplica had just appeared within a flash, in the shopping district
of the town with her Ditto by her side in the form of Kadabra. Some people looked on at the girl and her
Pokémon, wondering how she had managed such a thing, while others ignored it,
like they were in a hurry to get away.
"I can't believe what happened," Duplica told Ditto. "I'm so glad you were with me so that I could teleport out of there. Waking up to that is pretty scary." Kadabra nodded in agreement. "We should get back home, and tell the others what happened, and about that strange Pokémon that attacked me." Kadabra transformed back into Ditto, and went back into its Pokéball.
Duplica walked through the shopping district that Todd, Ash & Misty, along with the ex-Rocket members, had been to earlier. While there, she spotted both Brock and Joya coming from out of a Party Favor store with some bags.
"Brock! Hey, Brock, Joya!" the girl called, running up to them.
Brock went towards the sound of his name being called. "Duplica?"
She stopped in front of them.
"What are you doing here in town?" Joya asked. "Takeshi-san and I went to pick up some streamers and more decorations for the party tonight. We knew you were asleep, and didn't want to want to wake you, so I hope you didn't mind our leaving without you."
"We also ran into your cousin on the way out and she said she'd let you know everything once you awoke."
"Never mind that, now!" Duplica told them urgently. "Something weird is going on, and I have this strange feeling that Mewtwo of Ashie Boy's is connected, somehow."
Both looked at her curiously. She took the hint and explained all that happened to her, including her cousin's being responsible for her kidnapping.
"No, no!" Joya protested in denial. "I've known her for years; she would never do a thing like that! It couldn't be!"
"Well, she did," Duplica replied with a depressing sigh. Her face was quite sad at the moment. "I don't know why she would do it. I don't even know what to think right now. First my uncle tries to attack me, and my cousin kidnaps me…"
"Did you get a good look at the person you were taken to?"
She shook her head. "Sorry, Brock, I didn't get a good look at him. When I woke up, my vision was a bit blurry, and where I was, was dark. I then overheard this guy talking about Mewtwo, then he ran off with a bunch of kids, talking about a teleporter and gym leaders, or something. After he left, I checked to see if he had gone altogether, and got a glimpse of his hair, it looked short, wavy and greenish. I then checked to see if I still had Ditto with me, and I did, and teleported right out of there."
"Should we split up and look for the others?"
Joya shook her head this time. "I don't think that would be a very good idea. Everyone could be on their way back to the house. We should go there first, get rid of these bags, and then go back out to search."
The other two agreed, and made their ways as fast as they possibly could
back home…
x x x x
x x x
x x x
"So, what have you guys been up to?" Ash asked the ex-Rocket members.
"Butch, Mondo, and I have been running the
Viridian City Gym, and so far, we outran all of the other gyms, with the
exception of the newly remodeled one on
"Yes," Mondo added, "we have a winning rate of 95 percent."
"I'm glad I got my badge without actually having to battle," Ash murmured under his breath.
"Oh-ho!" Misty shrieked, overhearing his statement. "You mean getting a badge out of pity or charity?"
"I have never gotten a badge out of 'pity or charity'!"
"Let's count now," she put up her hand, counting off. "Now, you got the Boulder Badge because Brock felt sorry for you; my sisters gave you the Cascade Badge because you saved our gym; you got the Marsh Badge out of pure luck because Haunter made Sabrina laugh; you got the Rainbow Badge because you saved Erica's Gloom from the fire Jessie, James, and Meowth started; you got the Earth Badge because Cassidy and Butch gave it to you." She counted on her fingers. "Let's see, what's that, five pity or charity badges out of eight?"
"You don't have to rub it in," Ash said quietly, poking his index fingers together innocently.
"Well, it's true."
"But you have to admit, that if it weren't for Team Rocket busting into your sisters' gym, I would've beaten you!"
Misty laughed heartily. "Beat me? Yeah right!"
"Your Starmie was about to run out of energy!"
"I was winning!"
"You might have beat my Butterfree, but I was making a great comeback with Pidgeotto!"
"I bet that if," she pointed over to the quiet, embarrassed Jessie, James, and Meowth, "they hadn't busted in there, my Starmie would've whipped your butt!"
"Oh yeah!"
"YEAH!"
x x x x
x x x
x x x
RP: (Sweat drops) Back to the bickering.
(Thinks for a moment) Now why does that conversation seem so familiar? (Winks)
x x x x
x x x
x x x
"Okay Mr. 'Pokémon Master'," she took out one of her Pokéballs, "how about we battle, same Pokémon as before!"
"You're on!" Ash went to his belt, when he realized it wouldn't be possible. "Wait a minute! When I battled you before, I used Butterfree and Pidgeotto. I don't have Buttefree anymore since I released it. You used Staryu and Starmie, and you got your Starmie back from your sisters not too long ago! No fair!"
"Hmm, yeah, you're right." She put the Pokéball back, and smiled triumphantly. "I guess this means that you still only got three out of eight badges on your own, and until we battle, since our match was technically interrupted, we'll never know if you really earned the Cascade Badge or not."
"What about you guys?" Ash asked, wanting to get off of the subject of his gym-record.
"Have you heard of J & J's?" James asked.
Ash crossed his arms. "Nope, how about you, Misty?"
She shook her head. "No, I never have."
The two and Meowth face-faulted from their response.
"The only thing kids think about now days, is pizza," Meowth complained, picking himself back up.
"How about we show them, Jess."
Jessie nodded. "Roger!"
"My name is James. Who is this 'Roger' person? I know you wouldn't be cheating on me with someone named 'Roger', would you! How dare you, Jessie!" His voice grew cute and whiney as streaked tears streamed down his handsome face. "After all we've been through together! We've been together so long, well, it isn't funny! I am shocked and appalled! I'm going home to mother! I---"
Everyone sweat dropped from James's overly-dramatic performance and Jessie smacked him with her fan.
"Stop acting like an ignoramus and let's get on with this! I meant that I was ready!"
Meowth rolled his eyes. "Here we go again."
The room went dark suddenly. A spotlight then shined down on Jessie, who was wearing a fry cook uniform, holding a tray.
"Jessie!"
Another spotlight shined down, only this time it was on James, who was standing back to back with Jessie. He too was wearing a fry cook uniform, holding a tray.
"James!"
Jessie took out a plate which held a hamburger, and a side of French fries. "Want a burger and fries without trouble?"
James took out a plate, just as Jessie did, only his held more food. "If you're really hungry, make that double!"
Jessie twirled and handed her plate to Misty and Togepi. She also took out some drinks, and handed those to Ash, Misty, Togepi, and Pikachu. She then struck a pose. "To protect the world from hunger and thirst!"
James handed his plate to Ash and Pikachu, also striking a pose, winking sexily and holding a red rose. "Our food isn't bad, at least not the worst!"
The two now hugged on one another, Jessie's left arm outstretched; James's right arm outstretched, still posing. "The J&J restaurant blasting for a bite!" Jessie continued.
Both then finished up, "We stay open all day; we stay open all
night!"
x x x x
x x x
x x x
RP: I sense a bad joke coming up…
x x x x
x x x
x x x
Misty snapped her fingers, coming to the realization she had heard of the
fast-food place. "That's
right!"
x x x x
x x x
x x x
RP: (Sweat drops) Bad joke…
Meowth: HEY, THAT REDHEAD STOLE MY PART!
RP: See what I mean about the bad joke?
x x x x
x x x
x x x
"Oh yeah, I remember now!" Ash said.
"Brock was reading about it in the paper. It was about a newly established restaurant,
and it got four stars."
"We didn't know it was your restaurant," Misty exclaimed. "It's one of the best new places around!"
James - who was back to his regular clothes, as was Jessie - nodded. "Yes, it is ours, and for a side job, Jessie models clothes."
"That is so cool!" Misty's eyes became stars. "Maybe I should become a model."
Ash laughed playfully at the girl. "You're too scrawny to be a model!"
Everyone stepped back and/or moved away from the young trainer. They knew what was going to happen to him, a big mallet game to Ash's noggin. "I meant scrawny in a pretty way! Waaah!" he said in defense, falling over.
":Stop acting dumb, Ash!:"
Misty shook her head, still holding her mallet. "I'm starting to wonder if he's acting, Pikachu."
Pikachu laughed a bit as Ash came to. "Hey, I heard that."
Misty put the mallet away and smiled. "I was just teasing, Ash."
":Speak for yourself…:"
Ash stared down at his Pokémon friend, looking a bit hurt. "Pikachu!"
Right at that moment, Joya, Brock, and Duplica all rushed into the house, stopping in front of the living room, and entering it.
"Hey guys, what's up?" Ash asked. "What's wrong?"
Duplica hurriedly explained her story once again to the group, totally disregarding the fact that they had more guests in the house.
"Your own family turned on you?" Cassidy asked in bewilderment.
"Yeah. She wasn't really acting like her usual self either. She seemed to be in some kind of a trance." She looked to Ash urgently. "Ash, that Pokémon you said that left of yours is the most powerful psychic-type there is, right?"
"Yeah, he is so far, but---"
"He must have something to do with this!" she continued, quite panic-stricken. "The guy I heard talking about this, I didn't get a good look at, but I do remember his voice well. It was very distinguished, like an established gentleman, and he spoke with an English accent. He also kept going on about the gym leaders and about a Pokémon called 'Mewtwo'."
"Has either of you seen Jen or Kenji?" Brock interrupted directly. He felt that as of the moment, that was more important.
Everyone shook their heads. "We ran into the ex-Team Rocket after my match at the gym, and then we went shopping, and came here. I wanted to give my Bulbasaur to Joya-neesan to heal."
"Ever since I woke up from my nap earlier, I've had this strange feeling," Duplica uttered softly, her heart aching in sorrow. "I kept having this feeling like Todd was in trouble." Her face burrowed in anger as her eyes glistened slightly with tears. "If that guy got his hands on him, I'll---"
Before Duplica could finish her threatening statement, her entire body began to glow majestically. The glow subsided, and went straight to her right hand. It remained there for a while, and then, without warning, launched itself towards the couch, as it was directly in front of her. Mondo saw the white beam coming towards him, and ducked behind the couch just in the knick of time, the ray hitting the small cushion there instead of him. Everyone was quite flabbergasted, and stared at Duplica with looks of amazement and confusion, just as she was.
"Wh-what was that?" Mondo asked, poking his head back up.
James squealed, "The Ditto kid is possessed!"
"Knock it off!" Meowth shouted, refusing to believe what he had just witnessed firsthand. "It's probably just some type of…an-an illusion. Yeah, that's it! An illusion! She's a performer, and she was just performin' a trick!"
"She is not a magician!" Jessie pointed out shakily, not sure if she wanted to keep her distance from the girl, or remain where she was.
Butch stood up calmly and picked up the now smoking cushion, tossing it to Meowth. "Can an 'illusion' do that?"
Ash looked at the girl, who still hadn't moved from her spot, too shocked to speak. "Duplica?"
Joya was just as speechless, but asked what everyone else was probably thinking. "How did you do that?"
Duplica gulped slowly, finally finding her voice. "I don't know. I was thinking about Todd, and how upset I would be if something were to happen to him, and then," she pointed to the cushion, "that happened."
"Maybe---" Misty started, but didn't finish. Togepi was shaking violently in her arms. "Togepi!"
":Uncle Snap…trouble…Uncle Mew…trying contact…Aunty Imité…only hope…three others…:"
This time, Pikachu caught what Togepi had said, and so did Meowth, Growlithe, and Ratticate.
"Togepi, what's wrong!!" He stopped shaking, and looked up at Misty like had before, wondering why she was staring at him so worriedly.
"Dat's strange. Togepi said something about 'Uncle Snap, trouble, Uncle Mew, trying contact, Auntie Imité, only hope, three others'. What does all of dat mean anyway?"
"Uncle Snap, trouble?" Ash questioned, taking in the young Pokémon's words. "Togepi must mean that Todd is in trouble, and that Mewtwo is too! Uncle Mew is Togepi's name for him!"
Misty gasped. "Is this what he was trying to tell us the entire time?"
"I'm not really understanding this completely," Mondo started, "but maybe we should go find your friends."
"I agree," Joya nodded in agreement. "Let's go everyone. We have to go find Jen-chan and Kenji-san. What if they're in danger or run into some trouble like Toru-kun probably has, or Laura-san?"
"Someone should stay just in case they do return," Cassidy recommended. "I’m sure you guys have a cell phone, and we can just contact each other if they do return."
"I'll stay here, just in case they return," Misty volunteered. "Besides, I really feel I should watch over Togepi right now."
"Yes, that is quite wise. The rest would be good for Togepi," Joya smiled to her gently.
"Okay, we'll catch you later, Mist," Ash told her.
"Okay," she replied quietly.
With their tasks assigned, they all went on their way to look for Todd, Jen,
and Kenji…
x x x x
x x x
x x x
In Hoshi Imité Park…
"I had a wonderful time with you today," Jen told the Pokémon artist bashfully, her cheeks pink from her slight blush, and the chilling winds.
"I did too," he told her truthfully.
"So, what do you want to do now?" the girl asked, the snow crunching under their feet as they walked briskly through the serene, white park.
"It doesn't matter to me," he looked to her and smiled genuinely. "I'm having fun hanging out with you, and it was really nice of you to show me around the way you have."
"It's no problem." She felt her face going even more red. "You're really special to me, Kenji-kun." She couldn't believe she was saying such a thing to a guy she had just met. "You're the first guy I've ever met that I've actually, well, liked." She breathed out in relief after her small confession. "I just have this strange feeling about you."
"Not a bad one, right?" he asked, slightly alarmed.
She shook her head, her long hair swishing. "No, I have a good feeling about you."
"It's strange," he said while looking ahead, "I feel the same way. I have this feeling that--"
"--we're connected somehow," both finished up together. They stopped in their tracks, and pointed at one another. "You too?" Both laughed as they resumed their walk.
"After hanging out with you last night, I had the feeling that we were meant to be together," Jen told him quietly. "I know it's not really reasonable, since we just met each other, but it's…I can't explain it."
"It's the same for me, and it was bothering me a lot last night, which is why I went in search of you to talk. That was quite unethical of me to go to a girl's room unannounced, and I apologize for it."
"Oh, it was no problem at all. I enjoyed talking with you last night. I felt that I could be very open with you, like I could tell my entire life's story. I've never felt that way with anyone before, 'cept for Joya-chan since she's my best friend."
"I've never been the open type," Kenji admitted in a pitiful voice, "but…you made it so easy for me. I'm still confused about this. It's just not…logical, but we both feel strongly that we are meant for one another…" he trailed off. 'It can't be love, can it? We just met, it's not rational for us to be in love…but with the way I feel now, I would throw away my career just to stay by her side and this isn't lust I'm feeling. I just feel so complete when I'm with her.'
Just as Kenji was in deep thought, trying to sort out what it was he was truly feeling towards Jen, she was thinking something similar. She too felt that she would throw away everything that was dear to her (becoming a Pokémon Scientist) just so she could be with Kenji. She'd marry him right then and there if he had asked to. Was it love? Was she truly in love?
Obliviously, the couple clasped hands, like it was natural to the both of them. Kenji wasn't even awkward around her anymore. As they continued their walk, both started to feel a bit strange, like their energy was rising.
"Kenji?"
"Jen?"
"What's going on? I feel…weird."
They stopped walking, and looked at their embraced hands. A soft glow surrounded it, and then it grew, completely engulfing the two, knocking them both out…
RP: Cool chapter, right? lol So, what happens now? Is Todd really going to turn into some type of a monster? What’s the deal with Duplica’s new powers? Who is this "Professor" person and how do Professor Oak and Kenji know him? What has happened to Jen and Kenji? Tune in next time to part 15 of this fic for the answers and more!
Extra Characters:
Tad Smith - A character from the prequel of this fic. He had a Persian and a Vulpix
and battled against Cherie Avery and Ash. Tad beat Cherie, but Ash didn’t get
the chance to battle him due to an interference, caused by Misty.
Cherie Avery - Another character from my previous fic. She had a Wartortle.
Shelley Johnson - And yet another character from my previous fic. She had a Flareon and battled against Toni, and beat her. She also battled against Ash, but lost to his Squirtle.
Eric Bailey - Another one of the battlers from Articuno’s
Toni Buchanan - Another person from my previous fic. She had a Bellsprout and lost to Shelley’s Flareon.