Blade of Destiny

Chapter 6: Time to Get the Hell Outta Here



 
 	"What's going on?" Ash inquired as May lifted him up to his feet. He took a look 
around the room and examined the destruction that lay around him. "Whoa. I think you 
guys kinda overdid it here. What did you do, throw an Electrode in here or something?"
	The others just stared at him, afraid to even come close to him. Suddenly, the 
facility shook violently as another explosion rocked the lab. "All units converge on the 
laboratory immediately!! Protect the Legacy Weapons at all costs!!" the voice boomed 
over the intercom. 
	"Well, come on, let's grab the sword and get the hell outta here!" Ash exclaimed 
as he ran towards the second set of double doors and plugged Dexter into the keypad. 
Dexter beeped as it hacked through the lock and unlocked the doors. The massive doors 
slid open with a loud hissing sound and in the middle of the room sat the Legacy 
Weapons. 
	Another squad rushed into the room, heavily armed with assault rifles. "Ash, go!! 
We'll cover you!!" Ritchie screamed as he whipped out his twin Glocks and fired into the 
group of agents. Two agents hit the floor as the bullets ripped into them. Brock and the 
others followed suit and pulled out their own guns, firing wildly into the group. 
	May slid behind a half demolished pillar and clicked the release mechanism for 
the magazines. The clips slid out and clattered to the floor as she pulled two fresh 
magazines from her combat outfit and popped them in. Time seemed to slow down as she 
whirled around from her hiding place and fired, hitting one agent in the throat. He tried to 
yell, but couldn't even speak as he drowned in his own blood. 
	"What the hell is taking Ash so long?!" Duplica cried as she peeked from the side 
of the pillar and returned fire. A stray bullet bounced off of the wall inches from her face, 
causing her to shriek and take cover. Suddenly, an explosion detonated in the center of 
the agents, sending bodies flying in all directions. 
	Duplica turned and saw Ash standing there, holding a grenade launcher/assault 
rifle combination. The sword was strapped to his back, accompanied by a large crystal 
disk. "I got what we came for, plus a little extra. Now, let's go!!" He yelled as he took off 
through the doors, Pikachu following close behind. 
	The others were close behind, any agent in their path being taken down in hail of 
gunfire.  Finally, they arrived at the bridge that overlooked the Command Center, their 
point of escape in front of them. "There's the elevator!!" Ritchie cried.  Another volley of 
bullets ripped through the air, narrowly missing the young thieves. 
	"Start it up!!" Ash replied. He whirled around and held down the trigger, taking 
down another group agents that followed close behind. He loaded one last grenade round 
into the launcher and fired, the ensuing explosion blocking off any entry to the bridge. 
Unfortunately, he had also taken out a support beam for the bridge with the same round. 
The steel bridge groaned and lurched as it slowly began to collapse onto the ground 
below.
	"Ash, run!!! The bridge is falling!!" May screamed. He turned on his heel and 
made a mad dash for the elevator doors, which were slowly closing in front of him. He 
could feel the ground beneath him begin to give way as he approached the elevator. 
Suddenly, the bridge in front of him collapsed, leaving at least a ten foot gap between 
him and his escape. He took one last step and leapt with all his might, reaching out for the 
edge of the doorway. He brought his hand down to grab the edge, and felt nothing but air.
	Ash had missed the edge by little more than an inch, and he felt himself begin to 
fall to the ground. Swiftly, a hand shot out and snatched his wrist, halting his descent. It 
was Ritchie, and he was struggling to support Ash's weight. The others grabbed Ritchie 
and yanked them both into the elevator, the doors closing behind them. They felt the car 
shudder and begin its ascent to ground level.
	Ritchie wiped the sweat off of his brow and grinned. "That's two you owe me 
now, Ash." Ash closed his eyes and leaned his head against the wall, trying to stop his 
heart from pounding like a jackhammer. Pikachu slowly climbed onto Ash's head and fell 
chirped slowly, exhausted. 
	Suddenly, a humming could be heard, faint at first, but it grew louder. Ash 
searched for the source of the sound and felt his back. The sword was vibrating violently, 
and as he pulled it off, it clattered to the floor. "What the hell is up with the sword?" 
Duplica asked as she inched closer to it. The sword made a loud whining noise and a 
blinding flash filled the elevator car. 
	Brock screamed and threw a hand up to shield his eyes from the light. As quickly 
as it came, the light faded. Ritchie and Duplica were lying on the ground, unconscious. 
May stared with amazement, while Ash slowly picked up the sword. "Whoa, all of these 
colors are glowing. When I found it, all of the swimming colors were dull, except for the 
green one."
	"There's something really wrong with this sword, Ash. The same thing happened 
when you brought it home, remember?" Brock commented as the elevator slowed and 
jerked to a halt. 
	"Let's just get the hell outta here," May replied as she walked outside of the 
warehouse and tossed a pokeball onto the ground. A large Fearow appeared and she 
hopped on. Brock grabbed Ritchie and slung him over his shoulder, while Ash did the 
same with Duplica. 
	"Here Brock, you can ride Charizard. I'll hitch a ride with Pidgeot," Ash said as 
he threw two pokeballs onto the ground. They opened with a loud crack and the energy 
that poured out materialized into a large red dragon and a majestic bird. Charizard let out 
a low growl and spread its wings wide, stretching them for the journey ahead. 
	Brock hopped onto Charizard while Ash climbed onto Pidgeot, Pikachu still 
asleep on his head. With a large flap of their wings, all three pokemon rose and flew off 
into the sunrise.


***

	Harrison blew out a stray hair out of his eyes with an upturned lip. He had been 
sitting in the crime lab for at least an hour with Misty, Gary and Jenkins, searching the 
database for any matches on the surveillance footage. Leaning back, he cracked his spine, 
feeling each vertebrae click back into its place with a loud snap. Gary turned and looked 
a Harrison with a disgusted look on his face. "Dude, that's just gross." 
	Harrison ran a hand through his short, light brown hair and chuckled. "Sorry, 
Gary, but that's what happens when you're sitting at a computer screen for over an hour. 
How much of the database have we looked through so far?" 
	Jenkins glanced at a computer screen to his right. "About ten percent." Harrison 
groaned and sunk into his chair. 
	"Perfect. I had tickets to the Electabuzz game tonight, but I guess I can scrap 
those plans. Did you guys hear anything when they escaped; a name or something?"
	Misty shook her head. "Nope. Not a thing. We have no leads, no information, 
nothing." She pulled a scrunchie from her pocket and tied her fiery hair into a ponytail 
and stood up. "Well Gary, it's your turn to stare the computer for a while. We gotta take a 
bathroom break."
	Gary groaned and rolled his eyes. "Fine, but bring me some aspirin, ok? These 
headaches are killing me." 
	"You still have headaches, Gary? Maybe you should go talk to Nurse Joy. You 
could have a concussion or something worse. It's not normal for you to have these 
headaches for a week, man." Jenkins said, concerned. Gary waved a hand at him 
dismissing the notion. 
	"I'm cool, they've just been off and on, and they haven't been too bad." Jenkins 
just shrugged and walked out of the room with the others. Sighing, Gary turned and 
stared at the computer screen as the machine sorted through various tidbits of 
information, trying to find a match.
	Gary's stomach rumbled as he realized that hadn't anything to eat in while. He 
looked around for the bag of chips he had brought in earlier for such an occasion and 
found them on a table in the middle of the room. Crap. I really don't feel like getting up 
to grab them, he thought to himself.  Suddenly, the bag slowly scraped across the table. 
Gary whipped his head in the direction of the bag and stared at the table. He shook his 
head and looked at the bag again
	No way had that just happened. Maybe I really should go see Nurse Joy. Then, an 
idea hit him. Concentrating, he thought of the chips coming to him. Nothing happened, 
and Gary chuckled. "Just my imagination." Suddenly, the bag shook violently and flew 
across the room into Gary's lap. 
	Gary's eyes opened wide with shock as he realized what had just happened. 
       "Holy shit!!"

***


	The sound of alarms and mad chattering everywhere drifted into Roxanne's ears, 
awakening her from her slumber. Slowly, she sat up and as the world came into focus, 
she noticed the Directors were lying in beds next to her. I must be in the Medical Bay, she 
thought as she suddenly shivered. "Geez, is it just me or is it freezing in here?" 
	Groaning rose from her sides, alerting her that the Directors were awakening. 
Jessie rose and climbed out of the bed, placing her feet on the cold floor. The others soon 
followed, and Roxanne was staring at her companions. "What the hell happened?" James 
asked as he looked into a mirror and shrieked. 
	"What's the matter?!" Jessie asked frantically. James pulled out a comb and 
started to style his hair. 
"My hair looks horrible!!" Jessie growled and smacked James upside the head. 
"Now is not the time to worry about your hair, James!!"
	"She's right, Director James. You four have far more important matters to deal 
with," said a voice behind them. The group whirled around to see the wiry Dr. Leto stroll 
into the Medical Bay. "It's good to see you're all up and about so quickly. I trust you're 
all feeling well?"
	"What's going on, Doctor? The last thing I can remember was that huge flash of 
light, and the next I know I'm waking up here," Steadman said.
	"Well, your bodies have to recover from such a huge fusion of energy. Still, I did 
not expect you to be conscious so quickly...But that's beside the point. Thanks to you 
four, our mission is nearly complete!" Dr. Leto said excitedly.
	"Will you stop talking in circles and just tell us what's going on?!" Roxanne 
exclaimed, her patience wearing thin. 
	"Certainly. You four are now the hosts of the Guardians of Poison, Ghost, Ice, 
and Power," he stated bluntly. "Now if you'll follow me, we're going to have to relocate 
to the main headquarters. Our present location is no longer adequate." The doctor turned 
and casually walked out of the room, the newly appointed Guardians following close 
behind.
	The once state-of-the-art facility was now in ruins, bullets holes and small craters 
littered the entire headquarters. Bodies of agents who had fallen in battle were strewn 
throughout, some horribly burned and scorched. "Who did this?" Jessie asked in awe. 
	"A small group of six individuals infiltrated the compound and stole the Legacy 
Weapons. This is what they left behind," he answered, waving a hand over the 
destruction. 
	"How did six people do all this damage? It looks the Special Forces sent a whole 
platoon of agents in here..." James inquired. 
	"Well, they were all highly skilled, but the main thing is that they had a Guardian 
with them. To be more precise, it was the Guardian of Thunder. No matter how skilled 
our agents are, they cannot compare to the brute force of a Guardian. Even a squad of 
Elite Agents was dealt with swiftly."
	The Doctor led them to a small van and pulled open the door. "Now, we are going 
to train you in your specific skills as a Guardian, so if these people return again, we will 
be ready for them. I will join you at the main facility soon to see your progress."
	The group nodded as they climbed into the van. The Doctor slammed the door 
shut and the vehicle sped off towards their destination. As he stared at the dust cloud, a 
young scientist ran up to the scientist, and stopped to catch his breath.
	"Doctor...The texts, we've finished...translating them," he gasped between gulps 
of air. The Doctor patted the young scientist on his back and led him back into the ruined 
compound. 
	"Good. Send the files to the mainframe at HQ and transport the tablets there also. 
Then order the demolition team to set the charges. I don't want any part of this facility to 
be left standing."
	"Yes sir," the man answered and dashed off to carry out his duties. 
	The Doctor smiled sinisterly as he realized his plans were coming to fruition. 
       "Amo a redundo, Umbra mos fluo trans terra quod perussi quicumque iacio pro 
is."

***


	"So the sword went off again?" Ash nodded solemnly as he sat on the couch. Max 
folded his arms and leaned onto the counter of the kitchen in Ritchie's home. "I've been 
reading over the data that you sent ever since you got back. You wouldn't believe who 
we're dealing with."
	Ash chuckled. "Try me." 
	"Those people you were fighting against are called Team Ultima. Remember all 
those random crime rings, you know, like Team Rocket?"
	Ash shook his head. "Yeah, it was all over the news. They were all shut down by 
the Special Forces a few years ago. The final standoff took out half of Saffron City." 
	"Well, they didn't stay down for long. All of the Teams; Rocket, Aqua, Magma, 
Jet and Helicopter joined together. And from what I read from their files, they are up to 
some seriously screwed up stuff."
	Ash walked over and grabbed a drink out of the fridge. "Like what?"
	"I found files on drug smuggling, pokemon poaching, even assassinations. But the 
biggest files I found were focused on just two things: Genetic Research and something 
involving Guardians, whatever they are." Max walked over to his laptop that sat in the 
living room and pressed a few random keys. 
	Screens upon screens of information appeared, filling the computer monitor. 
"They're trying to fuse human and pokemon DNA together. It appears they already 
succeeded in fusing a fighting type's genetic material in somebody named Steadman. 
From these reports, the guy was already pretty strong, but after the experiment; well, you 
take a look." He clicked on a small icon and a video screen popped up.
	A man stood in the middle of a pokemon arena, and a pokeball appeared, 
materializing into a colossal Machamp. There was no sound, but someone must have 
ordered the pokemon to attack as it charged forward at full speed towards him. It threw a 
Mega Punch, but the man simply dodged the blow and grabbed the arm. 
	In a flash, he delivered a punishing strike to the Machamp's arm, and the arm 
visibly snapped in two. Ash and Max flinched at the impact of the blow, and the 
Machamp grabbed its arm, obviously roaring pain. It launched a dizzying blitz of attacks, 
all of which were simply blocked, dodged or parried by the man.
	He quickly dropped and swept the creature's legs out from under it. The 
Machamp slammed into the ground, and tried to rise to its feet before being pinned down 
by the man's foot. He raised his arm and threw a punch to the chest of the pokemon. 
Instantly, the creature's body went limp, blood pouring out of its mouth. The screen went 
blank. 
	Ash was speechless. He had seen cruelty to pokemon before, but nothing this 
severe. He didn't know what shocked him the most; the treatment of the Machamp, or the 
sheer brutality that this man displayed. Only the rarest pokemon could take down a 
Machamp in a head to head fight, and even then it would have to wear it down first.
	Max noticed the look on Ash's face and closed the video. "They're also trying to 
reverse the process by attempting to insert human genetic material into pokemon. I 
haven't read all of the files on this Guardian thing yet, but I found out this much. In a 
week, Team Ultima is going after the man who found that sword and shield in the first 
place. They haven't found out all of the information about these things yet, and it seems 
they're putting more effort into this than the genetic testing."
	Ash balled up his fist and pounded it into the coffee table. "Who are they going 
after?"
	"Ash, what are you thinking? This is way over our heads, and you know it! I say 
we call the Special Forces and let them take over. There's no way we can handle 
something this big," Max said calmly.
	"Who are they going after?!!" Ash screamed as he slammed his fist through the 
table, smashing it in two. His eyes flashed a bright yellow before instantly fading again. 
Ash stared at his hands and then at Max, who stood there terrified. "Oh my god, Max. 
I'm sorry, I don't know what came over me," he apologized as he tried to steady his now 
trembling hands.
	"Geez Ash, what's going on with you? You haven't acted like this since..." Max 
trailed off, not daring to finish the sentence. Ash took a deep breath and took a seat on the 
couch, still startled at what he had just done. Max sat across from him and clicked a few 
more keys before sliding the laptop around, a picture adorning its screen.
	It was a young man, around the same age as May. His white hair fell across his 
eyes in bangs, a crooked smile on his face. He was athletic, but not muscle bound at all. 
Ash could tell from looking at him that he was athletic. He must have played sports or 
something to gain a frame like his. 
	"When did you say Team Ultima was going after him?"
	"About a week."
	"And who is he?" Max turned the screen around and read its contents. 
	"His name's Brendan Birch. He's a professor of Archaeology at Pokemon Tech. 
Says here he lives in Slateport City, Hoenn region."
	"Max, we're going to save this guy from whatever Team Ultima's planning. Read 
everything on that other file about the Guardians. We're taking these bastards down."


***


	"Satoshi, come on over here!! Don't be an outcast!!" the same young man with 
the silver hair called out to him. Ash looked around and realized that he was in a forest; a 
group of figures were huddled around a fire in the middle of a clearing. "Who's Satoshi? 
What are you talking about?" Ash asked as he neared the group.
	The same guy laughed loudly. "Real funny, Satoshi." Ash neared the group and 
peered at their faces. "Brock, Max, what are we doing in a forest?" Two members of the 
group a bore an uncanny resemblance to his childhood friends, and they stared at him 
with puzzled looks on their faces. 
	"Geez, Satoshi, I think that hit on your head affected you worse than we thought. 
Who are Brock and Max?" the Brock look-alike asked.
 	Suddenly, the snap of a twig alerted everyone. "They found us?! How they have 
located us so quickly?!" the Max look-alike asked frantically. The silver haired one 
looked grimly, and raised his hand, summoning a katana. 
	"Everyone, it's time for battle."


***


	Ash opened his eyes and found Pikachu standing over him, ready to let loose a 
jolt of electricity to wake him up. He leapt up and screamed for Pikachu to stop, but it 
was too late. The jolt of electricity traveled through him, sure to keep him awake for a 
long time. 
	"Pikachu, you ever heard of shaking someone awake for once?" The yellow 
rodent smirked and walked off towards a house down a long dirt road. Ash examined his 
surroundings and found himself in what seemed to be a large valley with a narrow dirt 
road leading to a small two-story house.
	He walked up and examined the mailbox. "Ketchum...I'm in Pallet Town...but 
what am I doing here?" He never thought he'd be back here again. Reluctantly, he 
walked up to the front door and the handle. Not surprisingly, it was locked. Pallet Town 
never really did have any crime, so no one bothered to lock their doors. 
	He stepped inside and was greeted by a heavenly scent wafting from the kitchen. 
He stuck his head through the doorway and nearly collapsed. There was his mother, 
standing at the oven, mitts covering her small hands.
	Her petite body looked up and a smile spread across her face. "Oh Ash, you're 
back!! You came just in time too; I was just about to take these cookies out of the oven. 
Be a dear and wash your hands will you?" 
	Ash looked her over, her brownish-red hair shining from the light that drifted 
through the window, an apron covering a small dress. He shook his head. "No, this isn't 
real. You're not real. You can't be." Delia stared at him puzzled. 
	"What are you talking about, Ash? I'm standing right here. How can't I be real?"
	Ash moved closer and poked her arm, testing to see if she was really there or not. 
A feeling of relief washed over him as he embraced her in a tight hug. "Oh my god, 
Mom. I can't believe it, you're really here." Ash's eyes watered as he struggled to hold 
back his tears of joy. 
	"Wow, Ash. I'm flattered, but you act like you haven't seen me in ages. You 
haven't been gone that long," she replied. "Could you me a favor and go pick some 
carrots out of the garden for me? Mimey's at the market to buy some groceries since 
we're running short." 
	Ash wiped the tears from his eyes and shook his head. "Sure thing, Mom. 
Anything for you." He turned and almost skipped from joy through the back door, 
noticing the once sunny sky was beginning to darken. "It's gonna rain in a little while. 
Better hurry up and pick those carrots," he told himself as he knelt down and grasped the 
green shoots that poked out of the ground.
	He had barely gathered three carrots when a scream echoed from his home. 
"Mom?!" He dropped the carrots in his hand and made a mad dash for the door. His heart 
leapt into his throat when he arrived inside the kitchen.
	His mother was lying on the floor in a puddle of blood; a knife covered in the 
crimson substance lay near her. "Oh god. Mom, you're gonna be fine. Everything's 
gonna be ok, got it?!" he cried frantically. The skies outside darkened more, turning into 
a black abyss. Delia smiled and her body went limp, her last breath escaping her body. 
	Ash's eyes grew wide as he shook her weak frame. "Mom, say something, 
please!" His vision blurred as the tears welled up in his eyes, falling down his cheeks like 
a burst fountain. He cried out in anguish, his screams of grief accompanied by a booming 
clap of thunder. 
	The lightning lit the sky in a flash, illuminating the two figures huddled together 
in the now dark kitchen. An unholy screeching and squealing echoed throughout the 
valley, filling Ash's skull. His grabbed his head and cried out, in a vain attempt to make 
the sounds stop. 

***


	Ash awoke with a loud scream, the television across the room bursting apart. He 
was breathing heavily and drenched with sweat as the others burst into the room.
	"What the hell happened?!" Brock exclaimed. Ash shook his head as Max's gaze 
led to the now shattered television. 
	"Oh my god, Ash, you're soaked in sweat. What is going on with you?" May 
asked as she felt his forehead. Max stepped forward and cleared his throat.
	"I know what's going on, but you guys probably won't believe it." He motioned 
for the others to follow him downstairs to the living room. As they all gathered into the 
room, Max activated his laptop. 
	He took a deep breath and started. "Ok, Ash, what do you remember when you 
were in the Team Ultima facility?"
	"I remember hacking the mainframe, and grabbing the sword and getting outta 
there," he responded. 
	"That can't be all. Think harder. Was there anything out of the ordinary?" Ash 
thought hard, recollecting the events of the day before.
	"Now I remember! When I was in the room with those rocket guys, I blacked out. 
When I came to, all of those guys were dead. I just thought the others had arrived and 
taken them out."
	The others looked at the floor, shifting nervously. "What? What is it?" Ash 
looked around and noticed that the others were looking very tense. 
	"Ash, when we got there, those men were already dead," May said quietly. Ash 
looked at her, bewildered.
	"What are you talking about? You guys had to have taken those guys out," Ash 
said.
	The others told him the events at the Team Ultima facility and Ash nearly fell out 
of his seat. "No way, that's impossible..." Max cleared his throat and swiveled his laptop 
around so the others could see. 
	"They're called Guardian spirits. These spirits are the source of the different 
pokemon types all over the world. Every time that sword flashed, another spirit hop 
scotched into our bodies, so we are now the hosts of these beings. Now, according to the 
findings of Team Ultima, these things are extremely powerful. They're planning to take 
over the world with these Guardians and those genetically enhanced pokemon and 
soldiers."
	Ritchie chuckled as he eased into a chair. "Normally, I wouldn't even think of 
believing this, but from I've seen here and at that facility last night, I'd be hard pressed to 
not believe this. Just seeing Ash in that state yesterday made me think something really 
weird was going on."
	"So we're possessed by these spirits, or whatever?" Duplica asked. Max nodded 
as he closed his laptop. 
	"Now, that's all I know. And apparently, that's all they know too. That's why 
they're going after this Professor Birch. He's the world's top mind on this sort of thing, 
and they're planning to abduct him. We have to stop them at all costs. If these guys get a 
hold of this kind of power, no one can stop them."
	Ash nodded solemnly and stood up. "He's right, guys. We're going to stop these 
bastards in their tracks. And the first step to doing that is getting to Birch first. We can 
protect him from Team Ultima, and figure out what's going on with us as well."
	

***


	The sunlight poured through the windows of the office, illuminating the lone 
figure that sat hunched over the computer screen. Young Brendan Birch had 
accomplished an amazing amount during his short life, and his assets proved it. He lived 
in a huge mansion, had butlers and maids working for him; heck, he was even an 
accomplished Pokemon trainer, and he had the credentials to prove it. 
	He walked over to the window and slid it open, taking in the light salty breeze. 
The city of Slateport was world renowned for its great fishing spots, and was a popular 
vacation spot due to its location on the coast. He took a deep breath and exhaled; the 
ocean air always calmed his senses. 
	He had heard of the theft of the artifacts from the various museums across the 
regions ever since he woke up in the hospital. It was very strange, as soon as he 
unearthed the beautiful weapon, a flash filled the cave, and the next thing he knew, he 
was waking in up in a hospital in Violet City. 
	If he didn't know better, he would have believed in the legends he had studied for 
so long; that he was now a host of one the Guardian Spirits. But he was a man of science, 
and he wouldn't believe in childish fairy tales. So, he turned back to his computer and 
began his work again before he was interrupted by his beeping intercom. 
	"Yes, Janet, what is it?" 
	"You have visitors, Professor Birch. They say they're with the Special Forces."
	Brendan was taken aback. What were people like the Special Forces doing here? 
He reached over and clicked a button on his desk. "Let them in, Janet. Direct them to my 
office."
	Soon, he heard footsteps nearing the closed door, followed by a knock. "Come 
in." Inside stepped six people, all dressed in black suits and sunglasses. They of them 
were followed by two Pikachus, one having a small tuft of fur hanging down over its 
eyes.
	"Well, gentlemen and ladies, what I can do for you today?" he asked, surprised by 
the number of people.
	One of the agents cleared his throat. "Professor Birch, I'm Special Agent Masters. 
This is my team," he said, waving a hand at his companions.
	"Can I ask what's going on? I'm not in any trouble with the law, am I?" The agent 
shook his head. "You're not in trouble with the law, but we believe you are in trouble. 
We have reason to believe that some individuals may be after you about your research. 
No doubt you've heard of the recent thefts of the artifacts that you've recovered."
	Brendan shook his head. "Yes, I've seen it all over the news."
	"We need you to come with us. We are going to put you in our Witness Protection 
Program for the time being. If you would gather all of your research and join us 
downstairs, please." 
	Brendan shutdown his laptop and slipped it into his backpack. "All my research is 
in this computer," he said as he slung the bag onto his back. "Let's go."
	The intercom beeped again and Janet's voice floated over the receiver. "Um, 
Professor Birch, some more Special Forces agents are here. Actually, there's a bunch of 
them in vans."
	The so called "agents" looked nervously at each other, trying to figure out what to 
do. "What's going on here? Who are you people, really?" Slowly, Brendan reached out 
and pulled his pokemon belt from a drawer behind him. 
	"Sir, there's no reason to panic, these men are obviously impostors."
	Brendan eyed all of them. "Oh really? Then show me your badges!" he 
exclaimed. 
	"Of course, here you are," the agent said as he slipped a wallet out of his pocket 
and slipped it open. Brendan grabbed it and examined it. It was a trainer's License, issued 
to someone named Ash Ketchum. He raised his gaze to protest, but was met with a fist to 
the jaw, knocking him out. 
	The brown haired "agent" smacked the lead "agent" upside the head. "You did 
not have to hit him, Ash!!"
	"He was gonna try something. I had to act fast!" Ash exclaimed as he slung the 
unconscious professor over his shoulder. 
	"Yeah, nice job. You just added dead weight. You're carrying him, Ash," Max 
said.
	"Hey, this arguing is pretty fun, but we got a whole mass of Team Ultima agents 
downstairs, and we can't exactly jump out of a two story window," Ritchie chimed as he 
pulled his Glocks from their holsters. 
	Quickly, they filed out of the room and Ritchie peeked his head out from the 
hallway that lead to the main staircase. The only way out was down the stairs, through the 
huge foyer, and out the front door to their cars. 
	Ritchie spied a force of twenty or so Team Ultima members. He nodded and sent 
Pikachu and Sparky out onto the stairs. 
	"Pikachu!"
	"Sparky!"
	"Flash attack, now!!" both Ash and Ritchie cried out at the same time. The agents 
downstairs turned to fire at the tiny pokemon, but were met with a blinding flash of light, 
filling their vision with white. 
	"Let's go!!" Duplica cried as they all dashed down the stairs and knocked out any 
member close to them, the Flash still in effect. As they piled out of the house, gunfire 
rang out and the group scattered in all directions in attempt to avoid the flying bullets. 
	"Ash, we can't take all of these guys!!" May screamed over the gunfire. Ash 
nodded and pointed at Sparky and Pikachu, who both knew what to do. The two rodents 
dashed off and charged an electrical current in their fur. With a loud cry, they released the 
energy into a wave that swept over the entire force that occupied the front lawn. 
	Every agent was frozen in place; the electricity had overloaded their muscles, 
causing them to spasm and cease to work properly. Ash smirked as he and the others 
dashed to their vehicles and drove off, leaving a paralyzed Team Ultima platoon behind 
them. 
	Ash, Brock, May, and the unconscious Brendan sped through the streets; Duplica, 
Ritchie, and Max followed close behind. Brock chuckled as he turned the steering wheel 
and edged them around the corner. "Wow, that was too easy," he said before the car 
shook violently. 
	"What the hell?" Ash peered to the left and saw a black sedan ram into the car 
again. "They're still after us!! Brock, get us outta here now!!" Brock and slammed the 
steering wheel to the right, veering them around the corner. 
	"May, call Ritchie and the others and tell to meet us at the rendezvous point!!" 
Ash exclaimed as he pulled out his Desert Eagles. May nodded, and pulled out her cell 
phone to make the call. 
	Brock slammed his feet on the accelerator, causing the car to lurch forward and 
pick up speed. Suddenly, two more black sedans pulled in front of them, blocking the 
street. He threw the steering wheel to the left, the car jerking violently as it narrowly 
missed the makeshift blockade. The world blurred together as the car topped out at 120 
miles an hour. 
	The black sedans still gave chase, intent on capturing their quarry. Ash leaned out 
of the car, and struggled to get a bead on his target. The vicious winds shook his hand and 
blew into his eyes, making it nearly impossible to have a clear shot. He cursed, and 
simply fired wildly at the three cars behind them, praying that one of his shots would his 
mark. 
	A stray bullet ripped through one of their pursuer's tires, popping it instantly. The 
driver struggled to keep control of his car, but it was in vain as the vehicle turned and 
flipped into the air. It flew into the air and careened into the asphalt, crumpling like tissue 
paper onto the pavement. The gas tank ripped open and a stray spark ignited it, sending 
the car into flames. 
	The explosion ripped the car in half, and a small mushroom cloud filled the 
afternoon air. Ash grinned as he sat back into the car, and reloaded his pistols. The car 
sped into an intersection, the incoming cars swerved wildly to avoid the speeding car and 
its pursuers. One of the Team Ultima sedans was not so lucky however, as it smashed 
into an incoming car. Two down, one to go, Ash thought to himself. Suddenly, an idea hit 
him. 
	"Brock, turn around!! I want you to go head on with him!!" Ash exclaimed. 
	Brock whirled around for a second, a bewildered look on his face. "Are you 
insane?! No way in hell I'm doing that!!" 
	"Brock, just trust me, ok?" Brock clenched his teeth and growled. 
       "Fine, but if you get us killed, I'll never forgive you!!" He braked, and threw back 
the emergency brake, sending the vehicle into a 180 degree spin. In a flash, he slammed 
onto the gas, sending the car head-on with their pursuer. 
	The cars sped against each other, neither one moving from their imminent 
collision course. Leaning out the car, he raised his gun and fought against the wind that 
whipped at his face. He waited, and waited for that precise moment. 
	Everything seemed to slow down as he saw his chance. He squeezed the trigger 
and sent four bullets whizzing into the windshield of the sedan. The cracked glass was 
now painted crimson from the dead driver's blood as the car lurched to the side, and 
smashed into a tree, the car exploding on impact. 
	"See, I told you to trust me."


***


	Brock and the others slowly pulled into a small park, the tranquility of the area a 
direct antithesis of what had just occurred. With a groan, Brendan awoke as he was 
placed onto a bench. He jumped as the faces of the so called "agents" appeared. 
	"You!!" he exclaimed and reached for his pokemon belt. 
	"Lookin' for this, hot shot?" Duplica taunted, holding up his belt.
	"Who are you people? What do you want with me?" Brendan asked.
	Ritchie folded his arms and smiled. "Believe it or not, we just saved your ass. 
You're with us for protection, and we've got questions that we need answering. We're 
gonna need your expertise in ancient myths."
	Ash scratched his head and placed his sunglasses onto his face. "But, we can't 
talk here. No way we're gonna take another chance for Team Ultima to get their hands on 
us. And we can't do this alone, so we're going someplace safe." He chuckled as he 
opened the door to the car for the young professor. 
	"After you, Professor Birch." 


***


	Chief Azusa sipped his cup of coffee, looking over the daily reports. He chuckled; 
the Special Forces Database was notoriously huge, and it took ungodly amounts of time 
to find even the smallest match. 
	As he took another sip of his coffee, the alarm blared, startling the Chief as he 
spilled his coffee onto his face. "Damn it!!" He pressed the button on the intercom and 
started to scream into it. "What is going on out there?!" he asked angrily. 
	"Uh, you have to come see this for yourself, sir," the secretary replied. 
	Scowling, he hurled the door of his office open and stormed to the front of HQ. 
Standing in the foyer was a small group of seven, and two Pikachus that stood with their 
hands raised. Surrounding them were over sixty heavily armed Special Forces agents 
pointing their weapons at the intruders.
	"Geez, kinda edgy aren't they?" Ash quipped. 
	Ritchie groaned and rolled his eyes. "You seriously have to stop that."