And… another chapter!

Disclaimer: Pokemon belongs to Nintendo and Shogakukan Comics. This non-profit, non-copyright infringing fanfiction belongs to me. Do not steal my work!

Notes: <> for telepathy, ** for thoughts, italics if a pokemon talks

Chapter 2

 

            “Hmm?”

            “I was asking,” Camille repeated rather petulantly, “If you would come on a double date with Brock and me tonight.”

            Catelyn did not look up from her work – well, as she was busy stitching up an injured Rattata, she did not exactly have the attention to spare for her frivolous sister. She finished the last row of stitches and turned back to the video screen.

            “As you can see, sister dear, I’m occupied, and you know how busy I am.”

            Behind Camille, Ash wilted. He knew it was too good to be true, and he did not want to be a third wheel to Brock and Camille’s potential relationship.

            “But it’ll be fun!”

            ‘Do you the words ‘I have work to do’ mean nothing?”

            “Look, nothing bad is going to happen overnight. You can leave the two Blissey here to handle the situation. It’ll only be for a few hours.”

            Catelyn closed her eyes. “You’re persistent, I’ll give you that.” She wheeled the Rattata out of the operating room and into a clean bed, hooking it up to the IV and letting the Blissey take care of the rest. Then, she shed her bloodstained surgical garments and stepped into the shower.

            Twenty-five minutes later, she reemerged in Nurse Joy’s clothes once again, only to find that Camille was still on the phone.

            “Please, Catelyn?”

            “Why are you that concerned?” * I’m getting annoyed…! *

            “Because… because I’m scared of going on a date by myself!” She wailed. “So we should double date!”

            Brock reassuringly patted her on the shoulder.

            Ash sweatdropped. “Um… you know, it’s fine, you two go by yourselves…” * She looks busy, and I don’t want to make anyone else mad at me… *

            “Yeah, yeah! I mean, it’s more personal, you know, with just the two of us?” Brock suggested. * Please work… *

           

            After a long pause, Camille finally hung up and turned to the other two “Nothing will budge her when she’s in this mood. Sure, let’s go.”

            Ash nodded, and then left the two of them. It was still early afternoon, and he could use some more training…. Or just spend some time with his pokemon. They headed to a park, where they spent several hours playing volleyball.

            He was on his way back to the Pokemon Center to rent a room for the night when he noticed Catelyn closing up. Eh?

            Didn’t she have work?

 

            She put a ‘Gone to dinner, back in an hour’ sigh up on the inside of the glass, and then left the building.

            “Excuse me?” Ash asked.

            “Yes?” Catelyn turned back to him, regarding him with golden orbs. Ash blushed and looked downwards. He didn’t want to bother her, but…

            “I need a room at the Center tonight.”

            “Do you have an Indigo League Pass card?”

            Ash nodded, flashing it. Catelyn hesitated, but unlocked the door and let him in. “Take care of yourself, Ash. I don’t think anything will happen, but just in case…”

            “Don’t worry, Pikachu will protect me!”

            Pikachu nodded with a thumbs-up.       

            “Take care then, I’ll try to be back soon.” Catelyn said as she left.

 

            Once out of sight, Catelyn’s pleasant smile melted away into a smirk. “Well now, that’s the famous Ash Ketchum?”

            It seems so, Sneasal sent.

            “So, who’s our target for tonight?” She passed her hand in front of her face as Nurse Joy gear melted away, replaced by a skintight black cat suit and a silver mask. Red-gold hair flew around her face. Four poke balls glittered on her fingers.

            I believe it is a Misty Waterflower. Sneasal replied.

            “Oh? That ugly girl?”

            Yes…

            “Excellent then. Pity she had a motorcycle, but even that can’t outrun a Skarmory.” Catelyn vaulted onto said steel bird’s back.

            Silver preened at her Mistress’s praise, and then waited for Sneasal to climb on as well. Let’s go.

 

            Misty was riding her motorcycle when a shadow dropped overhead, blocking out the rays of the setting sun, startled, she looked up and got a face full of sludge.

            She coughed and hacked, losing her sight of the road and crashed into a tree nearby. The explosion threw her several yards away from the smoldering wreckage of her bike. Gasping and coughing, Misty fumbled around her backpack, drew out a poke ball. “Starmie! Help!”

            “Psyduck?”

            “No, not you Psyduck! Argh!”

            Catelyn and Houndoom landed silently, as she recalled Skarmory. She nodded to the hellhound, and a quick Crunch attack ensured Psyduck would not be trouble.

            Smirking now, as Misty turned towards the sound of the crack. “P-psyduck?” She whispered. “What happened?”

            “Too late, little girl.”

            “Who are you?” Misty fumbled around, tossed out all her pokemon. “Horsea! Staryu! Starmie! Goldeen! Attack!”

 

            Houndoom leapt back, obviously not wanting to deal with that many water-types. She shook her head, as Skarmory delivered a Screech that froze them all in their tracks, and Sneasal followed up with his Blizzard, freezing them solid.

            The way was now clear.

            A tiny silver needle appeared in her fingers. It delivered an untraceable poison, lulling the victim into sleep – and then death, almost instantaneously. An autopsy would reveal that the trainer had died in her sleep…or in this case, of some internal injury after she had crashed her bike.

            Misty barely felt the pinprick in her leg before she breathed her last.

 

            Nodding, Catelyn removed a silver, palm-sized, star-shaped crystal and pointed it at Misty. Hopefully her intuition had been right…

            Misty gave an agonizing scream as a light blue crystal was sucked out of her body. However, instants later, the Murkrow came to take the spirit off to the land of the dead. Murkrow gave Catelyn a polite nod, before it vanished.

            Catelyn smiled, as she crushed the light blue crystal between her fingertips and the powdered dust entered her body.

            “One step closer to regaining my real memories… what Father doesn’t know will not hurt him…”

            She twisted her gold earring studs forty-five degrees. “Father? Lance here. Mission completed.”

            Back in Viridian Gym, Giovanni nodded. The first step in his revenge had begun.

 

End Chapter

Completed 4/25/05

Phantomness: Yay! I have a plot!

Ash: *sighs* Am I going to die?

Lance: Perhaps.

Shoyko: *bangs head against wall* I hate you phantomness

Pika-chan: *gives Shoyko chocolates*

Kairo: Aww!