Fatal Love
by Martial Arts Master
Pokemon and all related characters copyrighted by Nintendo, Game Freak, Creatures Inc., 4Kids, Satoshi Tajiri, TV Tokyo, and Wizards of the Coast. This will be my first (and probably my LAST) "sad" fic, meaning this fic has a sad ending. So don't read this if you don't want to be depressed. The ending of this story is a bit like Romeo and Juliet. I say that now because I didn't know that until someone told me of the resemblence when I told her my idea. That person is Jeanette Lockhart, without which I wouldn't have been able to decide which genders the Umbreon and speon are. Thanks again Jeanette! Now, on with the story!
***
Ash, Misty, Brock, and Pikachu were in the forest once again. Suddenly a trainer ran up to them.
"Hey, any one of you wanna battle?" he said.
"Ok, sure!" Ash said eagerly. "My Pokemon need experience. I'll even let YOU set the rules!"
"How about one-on-one?" the other trainer asked.
"Fine with me!" Ash said. "Let's go!"
"Let's go, Koffing!" the other trainer said, throwing a Poke Ball. A Koffing came out of it.
"A Koffing?" Ash asked, chuckling. "I've beaten a Weezing on an almost weekly basis! This'll be a cinch!"
Ash sent out Squirtle, saying, "I choose you, Squirtle!"
"Koffing, Sludge attack, now!" the other trainer commanded.
"Squirtle, Water Gun!" Ash said.
Koffing fired its Sludge, and Squirtle fired its Water Gun. Surprisingly, the sludge tore right through the water and hit Squirtle.
"Whoa, that Koffing's well trained!" Brock cried out.
"Yes, this match is MINE!" the other trainer said. "Koffing, Tackle attack!"
"Squirtle, Skull Bash attack!" Ash said.
Koffing used its Tackle, but Squirtle used its Skull Bash and knocked Koffing into a tree.
"Grrr...try a Smokescreen!" the other trainer commanded.
Koffing filled the area with smoke, and Squirtle couldn't see what was around it.
"Now use your Tackle attack from different directions!" the other trainer said.
Koffing complied, repeatedly tackling Squirtle, and from a different direction each time. Squirtle couldn't predict where it would strike next, so it couldn't fight back.
Ash didn't know what to do. Then he had a burst of inspiration.
"Squirtle, Hydro Pump!" Ash said.
Squirtle withdrew into its shell and sprayed water from all four openings. Not only did the water wash away the smoke, it also hit Koffing.
"GRRRRRRRR..." the other trainer said, really mad now. "Koffing, Explosion!"
"Oh no!" Misty cried out. "Explosion is the most powerful attack in Pokemon history!"
"Uh-oh," Ash said. "Squirtle, Withdraw!"
Squirtle withdrew into its shell, and Koffing suddenly exploded. The explosion momentarily shook everyone up, but when it cleared, Koffing had of course fainted.
After a few seconds, Squirtle poked its head and limbs out of its shell, still awake.
"All right!" Ash said, hugging his Squirtle. "Looks like I win the match!"
"Darnit!" the other trainer said, recalling his Koffing and running off.
Ash recalled his Squirtle.
"Hey, look over there!" Brock said, pointing to an area of the forest that had been destroyed by the Explosion.
"I see it!" Misty said. "It's a pathway!"
"Let's check it out!" Ash said. "It might lead us somewhere we'll need to be!"
With that sentence uttered, Ash, Misty, Brock, and Pikachu ran along the pathway.
A while later, they came to a village. Before they could really check out the place, a male doctor suddenly came running up to them.
"Please tell me you have a cure for old-age disease!" the doctor said, pleading.
"Old-age disease? What's that?" Misty asked.
The doctor sighed.
"I guess you don't have a cure, then," the doctor said.
"We'll be glad to help you any way we can, though," Ash said.
"I'm afraid you won't be able to help," the doctor said. "Let me explain."
"Ok, sure!" Ash said.
The doctor cleared his throat and began.
"A week ago, around this village, two Eevees, a male and a female, met each other," the doctor began. "They fell in love eventually, and they were REALLY happy together. In fact, just being CLOSE to one another brought each other happiness."
"Aww, that's so sweet!" Misty said with a sniff.
Ash sweatdropped. Misty was being a romantic again, just like in the incident with the two Nidorans Tony and Maria.
"As I was saying," the doctor continued, "the two Eevees eventually evolved on their own. This happened, by freak accident, on the exact moment 5:59 PM turned to 6:00 PM. The male one evolved into an Umbreon, and the female one evolved into an Espeon."
"How can Eevee evolve on their own?" Ash asked. "I thought you had to use stones."
"That's for their other forms," the doctor replied. "An Eevee evolves into an Espeon if it is happy enough by day, but it evolves into an Umbreon if it reaches this level of happiness at night instead."
"Ok, please continue," Brock said.
"This was all told to the village leader by a villager who saw it happen," the doctor continued. "Out of respect for the level of romance that must have been between the two Eevees to make them evolve into Espeon and Umbreon, the village leader forbade anyone from the village to capture either of the two, and until yesterday the two were perfectly happy."
Here the doctor's expression hardened.
"But then yesterday, a man with blue hair and a woman with blond hair came to the village," the doctor said. "They were from Team Rocket, judging by their uniforms. They threw a capsule containing a strange liquid at Umbreon and Espeon. The capsule hit Espeon and broke, and the liquid seeped into Espeon. Espeon's body started to weaken in the exact same fashion as it would if Espeon were at old age. I brought Espeon to the hospital in this village, and Umbreon followed. Umbreon is still at Espeon's bed, and he hasn't left her side for a MOMENT since it happened. I can only reason that this is because Umbreon fears that if he leaves Espeon's side, she will die while he's away, and he will be forever robbed of the chance to give her a final farewell."
"That's so sad," Misty said, sniffing again, but this time with a tear in her eye.
"Those two must have been Butch and Cassidy!" Ash exclaimed. He remembered them from the breeding center incident and from the incident with the brainwashing.
"Well, at any rate, I've studied the disease and haven't been able to find a cure. At the rate the disease is progressing, I'm afraid that Espeon will die soon."
"That's terrible!" Brock said.
"That makes me mad!" Ash said.
"How dare those two interrupt a romance like that!" Misty exclaimed.
Meanwhile, in some bushes near the village, Jessie, James, and Meowth were hiding.
"Good thing we listened to those rumors about a sick Espeon you heard about, Meowth," Jessie said.
"Yeah, but you two knuckleheads wouldn't come at first because you thought you'd mess up your hair!" Meowth replied.
"Well then I guess it's a good thing you told us the powers of an Espeon," James said.
Then, they suddenly remembered something the doctor had said.
"ESPEON WILL DIE SOON?!" all three exclaimed in unison, but not loud enough for anyone to hear.
"James, I just thought of something," Jessie said.
"Yes, what is it?" James asked.
"If Espeon dies, the Team Rocket organization will look like murderers," Jessie said.
"We better chat with the boss about this," Meowth said.
Ash, Misty, and Brock were let into the hospital by the village doctor. The doctor showed them the room where Espeon was staying. Sure enough, there was a pink Pokemon that looked a bit like Eevee staying on the bed, and watching that Pokemon with his forelegs up on the bed was a black Pokemon with yellow rings. Ash's Pokedex identified them as Espeon and Umbreon, respectively.
"As you can see," the doctor said, "Espeon is very weak. Her body has been tricked into thinking that it is of old age thanks to what I've termed as 'old-age disease.'" "What's that Umbreon saying?" Brock said. Indeed, the Umbreon kept whispering to Espeon. From the fact that Espeon was laughing weakly, one could assume that Umbreon was telling Espeon jokes.
"Umbreon is sensitive to Espeon's feelings," the doctor explained, "since he's in love with her, of course. He probably senses the inner turmoil she must be going through at the knowledge that her end is near. Umbreon is probably trying to cheer her up by entertaining her. I think it's worked, so far."
"Grrr..." Ash said. "I'm starting to believe that Butch and Cassidy have even worse personalities than Jessie and James do! At least Jessie and James aren't murderers!"
"Plus Jessie and James have even helped us out a couple of times," Misty said.
"Yeah, compared to Butch and Cassidy, Jessie and James are angels," Brock said.
Ash walked over to Umbreon in an effort to reassure him, but Umbreon tackled him into a wall, causing Brock and Misty to gasp.
"That was uncalled for!" Misty said.
"Umbreon probably doesn't trust anyone to go near Espeon," the doctor explained. "After what Butch and Cassidy, as you call them, did to her, can you blame him?"
Meanwhile, Jessie, James, and Meowth had disguised themselves as villagers, and managed to get themselves alone near a phone. They were currently on the phone to the boss.
"I think we need some explanations about a certain 'old-age disease'," Jessie said.
"It's simple," Giovanni, their boss, said. "I've developed a prototype of a disease that tricks the body into thinking that it's at old age. The body then shuts down accordingly, and the host of the diseaes dies."
"But why did you give Butch and Cassidy that capsule filled with the disease?" James asked.
"I actually gave them two capsules of the disease," Giovanni explained. "The first one is the one they are supposed to use to test the disease. I gave them leave to test the disease on any human or Pokemon they wish. If the disease actually works, they are to send the second, unused capsule back to me, so I can use it to mass-produce the disease. Then, my other Team Rocket members will infect trainers the world over with the disease. Then, with the trainers dead, the Pokemon will be legally wild, and I can take those Pokemon for MYSELF!"
"But," Giovanni continued, "if they don't send the unused capsule back to me by tomorrow, that means that the disease is a dud, or doesn't work the way it's supposed to."
Meowth was about to tell the boss about the Espeon, but the boss interrupted him.
"If that's all you three wanted to know, then stop wasting my time," Giovanni snapped, and hung up on them.
"If Giovanni finds out the disease works and starts murdering trainers the world over, those kids with the Pikachu will think it's our fault!" Meowth said.
"And then they'll hunt us down to the ends of the Earth!" Jessie said.
All three shuddered at that thought.
"We've got to make sure the kids get the unused capsule from Butch and Cassidy so Giovanni never finds out that the disease works," James said. "Here's how..."
That night, Ash, Misty, Brock, and Pikachu had paid to stay in a room on the bottom floor of a hotel in the village. But neither of them could get to sleep.
"I hope the doctor finds a cure for that disease soon," Ash said. "That Umbreon may have been trying to cheer ESPEON up, but IT sure looked worried. I don't wanna think about what's gonna happen if Espeon dies."
"Me neither," Misty said. "I hate it when romance ends like this. It's like some kind of tragic love novel."
"Yeah, and us not being able to do anything stinks," Brock said.
Suddenly they heard a tapping at the window. Ash walked over to the window and got a surprise.
"Jessie, James, and Meowth!" Ash yelled in surprise.
That caused Misty, Brock, and Pikachu to walk over to the window too.
Jessie, James, and Meowth were indeed at the window. Jessie opened the window.
"We need to tell you twerps something," Jessie said, and then she told them everything Giovanni had said to her, James, and Meowth.
"So if we get the unused disease capsule from Butch and Cassidy, your boss will think the disease is a dud, and won't make any more of it!" Brock reasoned.
"Precisely," Meowth said.
"But why are you helping us?" Ash asked suspiciously.
"Because we don't wanna look like murderers!" James whined.
"That's a good reason," Misty said. "We'll be sure to keep an eye out for them. But I think you'd better leave before somebody sees you."
"Will do," James said.
The next morning, Ash, Misty, and Brock were scouring the village, looking for Butch and Cassidy.
"Oh, this isn't working," Ash said. "We can't find them anywhere!"
"We have to keep trying, for the sake of trainers all over the world!" Brock said.
"And for the sake of a beautiful romance!" Misty added.
"Why would they still be in the village, anyway?" Ash asked.
"Because there's no other populated area for miles, that's why," Brock said. "They'll need mail to deliver the capsule to their boss."
Suddenly Brock gasped and pointed to two people who were in trenchcoats. One of them had long blond hair, and the other had blue hair.
"There they are!" Brock shouted.
The two people turned.
"We're just tourists! Who have you confused us with?" the blond woman asked.
"Nice try!" Ash said. "Chikorita, go!"
Ash sent out Chikorita, who promptly began nuzzling Ash's leg. (Author's Note: For those of you who haven't seen the Quagsire episode, Chikorita has a crush on Ash.)
"Chikorita, tear off those trenchoats with your Razor Leaf attack!" Ash said, pointing to the two people in trenchcoats.
Chikorita, eager to obey, turned to face the two. It swirled its leaf around a bunch of times, sending out a bunch of other leaves at the two people in trenchcoats. The two tried to run, but their trenchcoats were torn off by the razor-edged leaves. And there Butch and Cassidy were, their disguises off, displayed in full Team Rocket uniforms, which were black instead of white like those belonging to Jessie, James, and Meowth. At the sight of Team Rocket, everyone on the street but our heroes ran into their houses to hide. The doctor, having heard the leaves, ran out to see what was going on. He saw Butch and Cassidy.
Butch and Cassidy were fuming at the destruction of those disguises.
"It's those meddling kids!" Cassidy said.
"Not again!" Butch said.
"You two caused trouble around here! It's YOUR fault Espeon's about to die soon!" Ash said angrily.
"Yeah! I can't believe you two are so rotten that you'd deliberately break up a romance just for your boss's own personal gain! You're disgusting! Even Jessie, James, and Meowth are more kind-hearted than you!" Misty said, seething.
"Well, we had to find SOME test subject," Cassidy said.
"And Espeon was the first one we found," Butch said.
"That's no excuse!" The doctor spoke up. "You two have to accept the responsibility of a possible death on your hands."
"Ooh, we're SO ashamed," Cassidy said, and she and Butch chuckled evilly.
Now Ash was mad at the fact that Butch and Cassidy didn't seem to have any remorse for what they had done. Recalling Chikorita, Ash got ready another Pokemon.
"Bulbasaur, go!" Ash said, sending out Bulbasaur.
"My Pokemon will beat yours easily," Cassidy said, getting ready to send out Raticate and Drowzee.
"Don't you have any Pokemon?" Brock asked Butch mockingly.
"I don't need any!" Butch exclaimed.
"Don't be too sure! Bulbasaur, use your Vine Whip to get the unused capsule from them!" Ash said.
Bulbasaur quickly sent out its vines. Before Cassidy could throw her two Poke Balls to send her Pokemon out, Bulbasaur's vines had gotten into her clothes. After a minute, they came out holding a capsule filled with a strange liquid. Bulbasaur brought the vines to the doctor, who took the capsule without opening it. The doctor put the capsule in his coat pocket.
"Hey, that's our!" Butch protested.
"Not anymore!" Ash said. "Bulbasaur, send them sailing!"
Bulbasaur smacked Butch and Cassidy really hard with its vines, sending them "blasting off again" over the horizon.
"Well, that takes care of them, but we still don't have a cure," the doctor said, sighing.
Meanwhile, inside the hospital...
Umbreon was still watching Espeon. She seemed to be even weaker now.
"Umbreon, my love..." Espeon said weakly in Pokemon language.
"Don't talk," Umbreon urged in Pokemon language.
"I need..." Espeon said, having to force her words out since she was so weak, "...one last...farewell kiss...to say good-bye...make it your most passionate one you can muster..."
Umbreon, with tears in his eyes, moved to comply with her request. He used his forelegs, which were already propped up on the bed, to pull himself onto the bed. He stood on all four feet over Espeon's prone form. Espeon smiled in anticipation.
Umbreon abruptly moved his mouth forward, and his lips locked with hers. He put all his passion into this farewell kiss good-bye. His tongue probed and moved around Espeon's mouth very rapidly. He could feel Espeon's skin stand on end, as it always did when he kissed her. But Umbreon wasn't finished.
He held the kiss, and he intertwined his tongue with Espeon's tongue. He could hear moans of pleasure from Espeon, muffled because her mouth wasn't free. But he wasn't done.
He added an embrace to the mix, keeping his body close to hers. (Author's Note: It's just an embrace, so, to quote a commonly used phrase: "Getcha minds outta the gutter!)
Espeon was uttering more moans of pleasure. Umbreon was relieved. Obviously her reason for wanting such a kiss was that she thought her death was very close now, and she wanted her last memory to be a good one, one to cherish even beyond the grave, if such a thing existed.
Suddenly, without warning, Umbreon found himself kissing cold lips. It was warm in the room, so this could only mean one thing...
(Author's Note: Yes, I DO know that dead bodies don't cool that fast. It's just that I couldn't think of another way for Umbreon to find out she was dead. Anyhow, back to the story)
Ash, Misty, Brock, Pikachu, and the doctor were standing outside. (Ash had recalled Bulbasaur.)
Suddenly they heard anguished howls coming from the hospital. The anguish was so obvious in these howls that everyone in the village poked their heads out of their village curiously.
"That sounds like Umbreon!" Ash said.
"Oh no..." Misty said, her eyes filling up with tears.
"Yes," the doctor said sadly. "I'm afraid Umbreon's anguish can only be originated from one thing. Espeon is dead. The 'old-age disease' finally killed her."
Ash, Brock, and Pikachu got downcast looks on their faces, while Misty was crying.
"If it's any consolation, I have the unused disease capsule, and I'll destroy it as soon as possible," the doctor said.
Ash knew that this meant the Team Rocket boss would assume that the disease was a dud thanks to being told so by Jessie, James, and Meowth. That was only a small consolation, however.
With regret in their hearts, our heroes turned and left the village.
Meanwhile, elsewhere in the village, Jessie, James, and Meowth were disguised as villagers again.
"Jeez, did you hear the agony in those howls?" Meowth asked.
"Of course we heard it," Jessie snapped. "You'd have to have been deaf NOT to hear it!"
"I heard it, and it was AWFUL," James said. "I've never heard anyone in such emotional agony before. Espeon's death must have been pretty hard on Umbreon." (Author's Note: Remember, Team Rocket heard everything the doctor had first said to our heroes.)
"Well at least this ain't gonna happen again," Meowth said.
"For sure," Jessie agreed. "It feels good knowing we helped those twerps stop a potential mass-murder."
"Yes, but I wish we could have done more," James said. Jessie and Meowth agreed, and they left the village. Just like our heroes, they had regret in their hearts.
In the hospital, the doctor was on his way to the laboratory, where he would search for a way to destroy the disease so it could never again be used to destroy a life.
Then he noticed Umbreon was following him. The doctor stopped.
"Umbreon, why are you following me?" the doctor asked rhetorically. He knew he wouldn't be able to understand Umbreon's answer.
But Umbreon didn't answer. Instead, he leaped up to the doctor and swiped the capsule from his pocket.
"Umbreon, what are you doing?" the doctor asked, surprised.
"I will be with you soon, Espeon," Umbreon said to itself. Umbreon opened the capsule.
Although the doctor couldn't understand Pokemon language, even a moron could figure out Umbreon's intent.
"No, don't do it! It's not worth it!" the doctor cried out.
But Umbreon was already drinking the contents of the capsule down...
The End
***
You know, as I was writing this fic I realized that one aspect of Pokemon that some authors don't like to write is Pokemon battles. Now I LOVE writing Pokemon battles, so I'm willing to make an offer: If you're writing a Pokemon fic, and you're unwilling to describe the battle, e-mail me with the desired result of the battle, and I'll write a battle description for you. For example, if it's not enough just to write that a Geodude defeated a Kadabra, but you're unwilling to invest your time in fully describing the battle, e-mail me saying that you want Geodude to win the battle, and I'll get back to you with a full description of the battle. E-mail all questions and comments to bleifer@msn.com.
by Martial Arts Master
Pokemon and all related characters copyrighted by Nintendo, Game Freak, Creatures Inc., 4Kids, Satoshi Tajiri, TV Tokyo, and Wizards of the Coast. This will be my first (and probably my LAST) "sad" fic, meaning this fic has a sad ending. So don't read this if you don't want to be depressed. The ending of this story is a bit like Romeo and Juliet. I say that now because I didn't know that until someone told me of the resemblence when I told her my idea. That person is Jeanette Lockhart, without which I wouldn't have been able to decide which genders the Umbreon and speon are. Thanks again Jeanette! Now, on with the story!
***
Ash, Misty, Brock, and Pikachu were in the forest once again. Suddenly a trainer ran up to them.
"Hey, any one of you wanna battle?" he said.
"Ok, sure!" Ash said eagerly. "My Pokemon need experience. I'll even let YOU set the rules!"
"How about one-on-one?" the other trainer asked.
"Fine with me!" Ash said. "Let's go!"
"Let's go, Koffing!" the other trainer said, throwing a Poke Ball. A Koffing came out of it.
"A Koffing?" Ash asked, chuckling. "I've beaten a Weezing on an almost weekly basis! This'll be a cinch!"
Ash sent out Squirtle, saying, "I choose you, Squirtle!"
"Koffing, Sludge attack, now!" the other trainer commanded.
"Squirtle, Water Gun!" Ash said.
Koffing fired its Sludge, and Squirtle fired its Water Gun. Surprisingly, the sludge tore right through the water and hit Squirtle.
"Whoa, that Koffing's well trained!" Brock cried out.
"Yes, this match is MINE!" the other trainer said. "Koffing, Tackle attack!"
"Squirtle, Skull Bash attack!" Ash said.
Koffing used its Tackle, but Squirtle used its Skull Bash and knocked Koffing into a tree.
"Grrr...try a Smokescreen!" the other trainer commanded.
Koffing filled the area with smoke, and Squirtle couldn't see what was around it.
"Now use your Tackle attack from different directions!" the other trainer said.
Koffing complied, repeatedly tackling Squirtle, and from a different direction each time. Squirtle couldn't predict where it would strike next, so it couldn't fight back.
Ash didn't know what to do. Then he had a burst of inspiration.
"Squirtle, Hydro Pump!" Ash said.
Squirtle withdrew into its shell and sprayed water from all four openings. Not only did the water wash away the smoke, it also hit Koffing.
"GRRRRRRRR..." the other trainer said, really mad now. "Koffing, Explosion!"
"Oh no!" Misty cried out. "Explosion is the most powerful attack in Pokemon history!"
"Uh-oh," Ash said. "Squirtle, Withdraw!"
Squirtle withdrew into its shell, and Koffing suddenly exploded. The explosion momentarily shook everyone up, but when it cleared, Koffing had of course fainted.
After a few seconds, Squirtle poked its head and limbs out of its shell, still awake.
"All right!" Ash said, hugging his Squirtle. "Looks like I win the match!"
"Darnit!" the other trainer said, recalling his Koffing and running off.
Ash recalled his Squirtle.
"Hey, look over there!" Brock said, pointing to an area of the forest that had been destroyed by the Explosion.
"I see it!" Misty said. "It's a pathway!"
"Let's check it out!" Ash said. "It might lead us somewhere we'll need to be!"
With that sentence uttered, Ash, Misty, Brock, and Pikachu ran along the pathway.
A while later, they came to a village. Before they could really check out the place, a male doctor suddenly came running up to them.
"Please tell me you have a cure for old-age disease!" the doctor said, pleading.
"Old-age disease? What's that?" Misty asked.
The doctor sighed.
"I guess you don't have a cure, then," the doctor said.
"We'll be glad to help you any way we can, though," Ash said.
"I'm afraid you won't be able to help," the doctor said. "Let me explain."
"Ok, sure!" Ash said.
The doctor cleared his throat and began.
"A week ago, around this village, two Eevees, a male and a female, met each other," the doctor began. "They fell in love eventually, and they were REALLY happy together. In fact, just being CLOSE to one another brought each other happiness."
"Aww, that's so sweet!" Misty said with a sniff.
Ash sweatdropped. Misty was being a romantic again, just like in the incident with the two Nidorans Tony and Maria.
"As I was saying," the doctor continued, "the two Eevees eventually evolved on their own. This happened, by freak accident, on the exact moment 5:59 PM turned to 6:00 PM. The male one evolved into an Umbreon, and the female one evolved into an Espeon."
"How can Eevee evolve on their own?" Ash asked. "I thought you had to use stones."
"That's for their other forms," the doctor replied. "An Eevee evolves into an Espeon if it is happy enough by day, but it evolves into an Umbreon if it reaches this level of happiness at night instead."
"Ok, please continue," Brock said.
"This was all told to the village leader by a villager who saw it happen," the doctor continued. "Out of respect for the level of romance that must have been between the two Eevees to make them evolve into Espeon and Umbreon, the village leader forbade anyone from the village to capture either of the two, and until yesterday the two were perfectly happy."
Here the doctor's expression hardened.
"But then yesterday, a man with blue hair and a woman with blond hair came to the village," the doctor said. "They were from Team Rocket, judging by their uniforms. They threw a capsule containing a strange liquid at Umbreon and Espeon. The capsule hit Espeon and broke, and the liquid seeped into Espeon. Espeon's body started to weaken in the exact same fashion as it would if Espeon were at old age. I brought Espeon to the hospital in this village, and Umbreon followed. Umbreon is still at Espeon's bed, and he hasn't left her side for a MOMENT since it happened. I can only reason that this is because Umbreon fears that if he leaves Espeon's side, she will die while he's away, and he will be forever robbed of the chance to give her a final farewell."
"That's so sad," Misty said, sniffing again, but this time with a tear in her eye.
"Those two must have been Butch and Cassidy!" Ash exclaimed. He remembered them from the breeding center incident and from the incident with the brainwashing.
"Well, at any rate, I've studied the disease and haven't been able to find a cure. At the rate the disease is progressing, I'm afraid that Espeon will die soon."
"That's terrible!" Brock said.
"That makes me mad!" Ash said.
"How dare those two interrupt a romance like that!" Misty exclaimed.
Meanwhile, in some bushes near the village, Jessie, James, and Meowth were hiding.
"Good thing we listened to those rumors about a sick Espeon you heard about, Meowth," Jessie said.
"Yeah, but you two knuckleheads wouldn't come at first because you thought you'd mess up your hair!" Meowth replied.
"Well then I guess it's a good thing you told us the powers of an Espeon," James said.
Then, they suddenly remembered something the doctor had said.
"ESPEON WILL DIE SOON?!" all three exclaimed in unison, but not loud enough for anyone to hear.
"James, I just thought of something," Jessie said.
"Yes, what is it?" James asked.
"If Espeon dies, the Team Rocket organization will look like murderers," Jessie said.
"We better chat with the boss about this," Meowth said.
Ash, Misty, and Brock were let into the hospital by the village doctor. The doctor showed them the room where Espeon was staying. Sure enough, there was a pink Pokemon that looked a bit like Eevee staying on the bed, and watching that Pokemon with his forelegs up on the bed was a black Pokemon with yellow rings. Ash's Pokedex identified them as Espeon and Umbreon, respectively.
"As you can see," the doctor said, "Espeon is very weak. Her body has been tricked into thinking that it is of old age thanks to what I've termed as 'old-age disease.'" "What's that Umbreon saying?" Brock said. Indeed, the Umbreon kept whispering to Espeon. From the fact that Espeon was laughing weakly, one could assume that Umbreon was telling Espeon jokes.
"Umbreon is sensitive to Espeon's feelings," the doctor explained, "since he's in love with her, of course. He probably senses the inner turmoil she must be going through at the knowledge that her end is near. Umbreon is probably trying to cheer her up by entertaining her. I think it's worked, so far."
"Grrr..." Ash said. "I'm starting to believe that Butch and Cassidy have even worse personalities than Jessie and James do! At least Jessie and James aren't murderers!"
"Plus Jessie and James have even helped us out a couple of times," Misty said.
"Yeah, compared to Butch and Cassidy, Jessie and James are angels," Brock said.
Ash walked over to Umbreon in an effort to reassure him, but Umbreon tackled him into a wall, causing Brock and Misty to gasp.
"That was uncalled for!" Misty said.
"Umbreon probably doesn't trust anyone to go near Espeon," the doctor explained. "After what Butch and Cassidy, as you call them, did to her, can you blame him?"
Meanwhile, Jessie, James, and Meowth had disguised themselves as villagers, and managed to get themselves alone near a phone. They were currently on the phone to the boss.
"I think we need some explanations about a certain 'old-age disease'," Jessie said.
"It's simple," Giovanni, their boss, said. "I've developed a prototype of a disease that tricks the body into thinking that it's at old age. The body then shuts down accordingly, and the host of the diseaes dies."
"But why did you give Butch and Cassidy that capsule filled with the disease?" James asked.
"I actually gave them two capsules of the disease," Giovanni explained. "The first one is the one they are supposed to use to test the disease. I gave them leave to test the disease on any human or Pokemon they wish. If the disease actually works, they are to send the second, unused capsule back to me, so I can use it to mass-produce the disease. Then, my other Team Rocket members will infect trainers the world over with the disease. Then, with the trainers dead, the Pokemon will be legally wild, and I can take those Pokemon for MYSELF!"
"But," Giovanni continued, "if they don't send the unused capsule back to me by tomorrow, that means that the disease is a dud, or doesn't work the way it's supposed to."
Meowth was about to tell the boss about the Espeon, but the boss interrupted him.
"If that's all you three wanted to know, then stop wasting my time," Giovanni snapped, and hung up on them.
"If Giovanni finds out the disease works and starts murdering trainers the world over, those kids with the Pikachu will think it's our fault!" Meowth said.
"And then they'll hunt us down to the ends of the Earth!" Jessie said.
All three shuddered at that thought.
"We've got to make sure the kids get the unused capsule from Butch and Cassidy so Giovanni never finds out that the disease works," James said. "Here's how..."
That night, Ash, Misty, Brock, and Pikachu had paid to stay in a room on the bottom floor of a hotel in the village. But neither of them could get to sleep.
"I hope the doctor finds a cure for that disease soon," Ash said. "That Umbreon may have been trying to cheer ESPEON up, but IT sure looked worried. I don't wanna think about what's gonna happen if Espeon dies."
"Me neither," Misty said. "I hate it when romance ends like this. It's like some kind of tragic love novel."
"Yeah, and us not being able to do anything stinks," Brock said.
Suddenly they heard a tapping at the window. Ash walked over to the window and got a surprise.
"Jessie, James, and Meowth!" Ash yelled in surprise.
That caused Misty, Brock, and Pikachu to walk over to the window too.
Jessie, James, and Meowth were indeed at the window. Jessie opened the window.
"We need to tell you twerps something," Jessie said, and then she told them everything Giovanni had said to her, James, and Meowth.
"So if we get the unused disease capsule from Butch and Cassidy, your boss will think the disease is a dud, and won't make any more of it!" Brock reasoned.
"Precisely," Meowth said.
"But why are you helping us?" Ash asked suspiciously.
"Because we don't wanna look like murderers!" James whined.
"That's a good reason," Misty said. "We'll be sure to keep an eye out for them. But I think you'd better leave before somebody sees you."
"Will do," James said.
The next morning, Ash, Misty, and Brock were scouring the village, looking for Butch and Cassidy.
"Oh, this isn't working," Ash said. "We can't find them anywhere!"
"We have to keep trying, for the sake of trainers all over the world!" Brock said.
"And for the sake of a beautiful romance!" Misty added.
"Why would they still be in the village, anyway?" Ash asked.
"Because there's no other populated area for miles, that's why," Brock said. "They'll need mail to deliver the capsule to their boss."
Suddenly Brock gasped and pointed to two people who were in trenchcoats. One of them had long blond hair, and the other had blue hair.
"There they are!" Brock shouted.
The two people turned.
"We're just tourists! Who have you confused us with?" the blond woman asked.
"Nice try!" Ash said. "Chikorita, go!"
Ash sent out Chikorita, who promptly began nuzzling Ash's leg. (Author's Note: For those of you who haven't seen the Quagsire episode, Chikorita has a crush on Ash.)
"Chikorita, tear off those trenchoats with your Razor Leaf attack!" Ash said, pointing to the two people in trenchcoats.
Chikorita, eager to obey, turned to face the two. It swirled its leaf around a bunch of times, sending out a bunch of other leaves at the two people in trenchcoats. The two tried to run, but their trenchcoats were torn off by the razor-edged leaves. And there Butch and Cassidy were, their disguises off, displayed in full Team Rocket uniforms, which were black instead of white like those belonging to Jessie, James, and Meowth. At the sight of Team Rocket, everyone on the street but our heroes ran into their houses to hide. The doctor, having heard the leaves, ran out to see what was going on. He saw Butch and Cassidy.
Butch and Cassidy were fuming at the destruction of those disguises.
"It's those meddling kids!" Cassidy said.
"Not again!" Butch said.
"You two caused trouble around here! It's YOUR fault Espeon's about to die soon!" Ash said angrily.
"Yeah! I can't believe you two are so rotten that you'd deliberately break up a romance just for your boss's own personal gain! You're disgusting! Even Jessie, James, and Meowth are more kind-hearted than you!" Misty said, seething.
"Well, we had to find SOME test subject," Cassidy said.
"And Espeon was the first one we found," Butch said.
"That's no excuse!" The doctor spoke up. "You two have to accept the responsibility of a possible death on your hands."
"Ooh, we're SO ashamed," Cassidy said, and she and Butch chuckled evilly.
Now Ash was mad at the fact that Butch and Cassidy didn't seem to have any remorse for what they had done. Recalling Chikorita, Ash got ready another Pokemon.
"Bulbasaur, go!" Ash said, sending out Bulbasaur.
"My Pokemon will beat yours easily," Cassidy said, getting ready to send out Raticate and Drowzee.
"Don't you have any Pokemon?" Brock asked Butch mockingly.
"I don't need any!" Butch exclaimed.
"Don't be too sure! Bulbasaur, use your Vine Whip to get the unused capsule from them!" Ash said.
Bulbasaur quickly sent out its vines. Before Cassidy could throw her two Poke Balls to send her Pokemon out, Bulbasaur's vines had gotten into her clothes. After a minute, they came out holding a capsule filled with a strange liquid. Bulbasaur brought the vines to the doctor, who took the capsule without opening it. The doctor put the capsule in his coat pocket.
"Hey, that's our!" Butch protested.
"Not anymore!" Ash said. "Bulbasaur, send them sailing!"
Bulbasaur smacked Butch and Cassidy really hard with its vines, sending them "blasting off again" over the horizon.
"Well, that takes care of them, but we still don't have a cure," the doctor said, sighing.
Meanwhile, inside the hospital...
Umbreon was still watching Espeon. She seemed to be even weaker now.
"Umbreon, my love..." Espeon said weakly in Pokemon language.
"Don't talk," Umbreon urged in Pokemon language.
"I need..." Espeon said, having to force her words out since she was so weak, "...one last...farewell kiss...to say good-bye...make it your most passionate one you can muster..."
Umbreon, with tears in his eyes, moved to comply with her request. He used his forelegs, which were already propped up on the bed, to pull himself onto the bed. He stood on all four feet over Espeon's prone form. Espeon smiled in anticipation.
Umbreon abruptly moved his mouth forward, and his lips locked with hers. He put all his passion into this farewell kiss good-bye. His tongue probed and moved around Espeon's mouth very rapidly. He could feel Espeon's skin stand on end, as it always did when he kissed her. But Umbreon wasn't finished.
He held the kiss, and he intertwined his tongue with Espeon's tongue. He could hear moans of pleasure from Espeon, muffled because her mouth wasn't free. But he wasn't done.
He added an embrace to the mix, keeping his body close to hers. (Author's Note: It's just an embrace, so, to quote a commonly used phrase: "Getcha minds outta the gutter!)
Espeon was uttering more moans of pleasure. Umbreon was relieved. Obviously her reason for wanting such a kiss was that she thought her death was very close now, and she wanted her last memory to be a good one, one to cherish even beyond the grave, if such a thing existed.
Suddenly, without warning, Umbreon found himself kissing cold lips. It was warm in the room, so this could only mean one thing...
(Author's Note: Yes, I DO know that dead bodies don't cool that fast. It's just that I couldn't think of another way for Umbreon to find out she was dead. Anyhow, back to the story)
Ash, Misty, Brock, Pikachu, and the doctor were standing outside. (Ash had recalled Bulbasaur.)
Suddenly they heard anguished howls coming from the hospital. The anguish was so obvious in these howls that everyone in the village poked their heads out of their village curiously.
"That sounds like Umbreon!" Ash said.
"Oh no..." Misty said, her eyes filling up with tears.
"Yes," the doctor said sadly. "I'm afraid Umbreon's anguish can only be originated from one thing. Espeon is dead. The 'old-age disease' finally killed her."
Ash, Brock, and Pikachu got downcast looks on their faces, while Misty was crying.
"If it's any consolation, I have the unused disease capsule, and I'll destroy it as soon as possible," the doctor said.
Ash knew that this meant the Team Rocket boss would assume that the disease was a dud thanks to being told so by Jessie, James, and Meowth. That was only a small consolation, however.
With regret in their hearts, our heroes turned and left the village.
Meanwhile, elsewhere in the village, Jessie, James, and Meowth were disguised as villagers again.
"Jeez, did you hear the agony in those howls?" Meowth asked.
"Of course we heard it," Jessie snapped. "You'd have to have been deaf NOT to hear it!"
"I heard it, and it was AWFUL," James said. "I've never heard anyone in such emotional agony before. Espeon's death must have been pretty hard on Umbreon." (Author's Note: Remember, Team Rocket heard everything the doctor had first said to our heroes.)
"Well at least this ain't gonna happen again," Meowth said.
"For sure," Jessie agreed. "It feels good knowing we helped those twerps stop a potential mass-murder."
"Yes, but I wish we could have done more," James said. Jessie and Meowth agreed, and they left the village. Just like our heroes, they had regret in their hearts.
In the hospital, the doctor was on his way to the laboratory, where he would search for a way to destroy the disease so it could never again be used to destroy a life.
Then he noticed Umbreon was following him. The doctor stopped.
"Umbreon, why are you following me?" the doctor asked rhetorically. He knew he wouldn't be able to understand Umbreon's answer.
But Umbreon didn't answer. Instead, he leaped up to the doctor and swiped the capsule from his pocket.
"Umbreon, what are you doing?" the doctor asked, surprised.
"I will be with you soon, Espeon," Umbreon said to itself. Umbreon opened the capsule.
Although the doctor couldn't understand Pokemon language, even a moron could figure out Umbreon's intent.
"No, don't do it! It's not worth it!" the doctor cried out.
But Umbreon was already drinking the contents of the capsule down...
The End
***
You know, as I was writing this fic I realized that one aspect of Pokemon that some authors don't like to write is Pokemon battles. Now I LOVE writing Pokemon battles, so I'm willing to make an offer: If you're writing a Pokemon fic, and you're unwilling to describe the battle, e-mail me with the desired result of the battle, and I'll write a battle description for you. For example, if it's not enough just to write that a Geodude defeated a Kadabra, but you're unwilling to invest your time in fully describing the battle, e-mail me saying that you want Geodude to win the battle, and I'll get back to you with a full description of the battle. E-mail all questions and comments to bleifer@msn.com.