Copyright © 2011 Keith E. Kimball
Approx. 56,502 Word Count
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~ "I know not what the future holds, but I know who holds the future."
-Unknown Author
Hmm, I may be getting literate after all. I've have to watch out for that.
*Ahem!* Hello again, dear reader!
It's my pleasure to welcome you to another installment about the fantastic future world of Pokémon! I hope you've enjoyed our previous peeks into what life holds ten years down the road for our friends. I know I've enjoyed sharing the tale with you. Hey, don't sweat it, it's what us Narrators live for. Especially when our TV show is off the air anyway…*sigh* Gets a little lonely here without anybody to narrate to, you know.
Oh, uh, so! Our friends have grown up and forged their own lives in the world. Ash is now part of the Elite Four, but frankly, he hasn't been at his post in the Indigo Plateau much these last few months. He's been spending a lot of that time in Cerulean City, trying to get up the courage to propose marriage to Misty…and he finally did it! Their wedding arrangements were interrupted, however!
Ash received an offer he couldn't refuse. He left Misty behind to answer this challenge. She didn't take that lying down, of course! But when Misty called upon her old friends, Brock and Duplica, for aid, she found that the young married couple were stuck in the hospital with complications over Duplica's pregnancy.
So Misty could only rely on her betrothed's mom, Delia, for backup as she raced to aid Ash in his latest Pokémon challenge. It was the ultimate Gym Match; not just for a badge of honor, but Ash's entire career and life as a Pokémon Trainer were on the line. His opponent: None other than his own father!
It took all his skill and all of the courage of Ash's Pokémon friends, but victory was finally theirs. Only his victory came off a little bittersweet. While he and Misty were busy, another old foe with a score to settle kidnapped Delia from right under their noses! Where could she be? What foul trap is being prepared for Ash and Misty right this second? Are Brock and Duplica okay?
Well, it's time to find out!
Pokémon:
Who Holds the Future?
by
Keith E. Kimball
"This is Connie Chun-Li, reporting live from the Pallet Town Pokémon Gym," the pretty young lady spoke into her microphone with, perhaps, more gravity than the situation warranted. She continued, "The oft-delayed Dream Match is set to finally begin momentarily. Yes, I think I see the challengers stepping up to their marks on the battlefield now…" The reporter's cameraperson zoomed in over her shoulder, letting the television audience see a young couple, in their mid-twenties at most, moving into position.
The grand opening of the gym had been nearly a month ago. With no true formality to this occasion, the duo was clad in their casual attire. The floor-length tails of Ash Ketchum's dark grey cowboy duster slapped against the legs of his blue jeans. His black T-shirt, matching his dark spiky hair, made a nice contrast against his good ol' red-and-white hat. Combined with a lean, athletic build akin to a long-distance runner's, Ash's look was caught between mature seriousness and youthful fun.
Misty Williams made a great match in her light blue blouse, slightly darker jacket, and bright red shorts. The shorts matched the color of her hair, done up into twin crescents framing each side of her face. Most of the time, Misty's tomboy attitude seemed at odds with her own body now; a fair figure having replaced the late-blooming thinness of her teenage years.
But at the moment neither of the pair seemed comfortable at all. They'd barely had time to freshen up at home after getting off the bus from Pewter City, then making it across town to the gym. Misty made an effort to wave to the crowd, but her smile was decidedly forced. Ash didn't bother, staring more or less straight ahead. Both sported large bags under their eyes, slightly jerky movements, and a growing air of irritation. Even the diminutive Pikachu, at Ash's heels as always, wasn't his usual spunky self. Only Togetic, dazzled by the crowd and the furor, looked as chipper as usual as he perched on Misty's shoulder.
The cameras were too far away to catch it when Misty mumbled sotto voice, "Let's get this over with."
Ash broke out his first grin all day, but it had a nasty edge to it. "Come to think of it, this won't be too bad, Misty. Get our minds off things, blow off some steam for a minute…" Down below, Pikachu cracked his tiny knuckles in agreement.
"True," Misty quietly went along with the boys' urge to release some tension somehow, looking a little cheered up as well. That was all the comment she dared allow herself. She doubted that the abduction of Delia by Sir Lawrence Talbot the 3rd had left Ash's mind for a second all month. Together, the couple had decided to postpone their wedding indefinitely until Delia could be found. Neither Misty nor Ash would forgive themselves for letting her miss the big day.
Misty once again refused to let the notion that Delia might not survive to be there cross her mind. Instead she tried to reassure herself by forcibly recalling, for the billionth time, that Lawrence III wanted Delia alive; not dead. In fact the man had actually captured them both. He'd freed Misty entirely of his own accord; she'd been absolutely crippled by a horrible bout of teleport sickness and Lawrence III had deemed it highly uncouth to keep her.
Someone so hung up on genteel manners wouldn't kill his prisoner. Surely…
But she knew for a fact that Lawrence III was not above torture. Many other Pokémon Trainers, captured at his base on Sternbreak Island, would gladly point that out.
Together Ash and Misty eyed the gym's main battle room. Pretty standard, really. A big rectangle, with painted lines on the hardwood floors to mark out the fields of battle like a basketball court. A large pool of water, accommodation for any Water-Type Pokémon who lacked dry-land capability, sat in the center of the room. The stands were so packed that the several news crews present were forced onto the sidelines of the field itself for a good view.
Just then the upper half of the wall opposite to the challengers' entrance lit up brightly. Ash blinked; the broad surface was really a high-definition plasma TV screen. And it was now showing a real-time close-up of Meowth as the gym's mascot strode out of the leaders' entrance beneath it. The small Pokémon, clad in a black uniform-style jacket with big yellow shoulder epaulets (but no pants) walked proudly upright like a human. Meowth confidently clutched a wireless microphone with one paw and some cue cards in the other.
"May I have yer attention, please!" Meowth's scratchy voice echoed over the announcement system as he walked, "Foist, a public service announcement from da Pallet Town Pokémon Gym! I, Meowth, am available Monday ta Friday, 10 ta 2, fer Pokémon translation n' consultation services. And my rates are very reasonable, 'specially when ya figure dat I'm da only Pokémon in da whole wide world who can do it." Meowth paused and took a bow to the audience's applause, happy with the thought of all that money rolling in. Even if the work itself was a pain in the tail.
Meowth proceeded to a little podium set up for himself at precisely the halfway point of the battlefield's sidelines. Mounting this platform, Meowth glanced at the cards for his lines as he continued, "Da foist ever Gym Battle for dis here Pokémon Gym is about ta begin! And it's a Dream Match, too!" Meowth had to break for more applause. When it died down a little, he began his spiel. "Da Pallet Town Gym is pleased ta welcome its foist challengas!"
"Dat'd be Misty Ketchum down dere! Da Gym Leader o' beautiful Cerulean City herself! Give da pretty little lady some love dere, folks!" Misty actually blushed a little at Meowth's praise, but the crowd's cheers drowned out her correction of, "Wait! We're not married yet, my last name's still Williams…!"
"And let's not ferget one fourth of da Elite Four itself! All da way from da Indigo Plateau for a little shindig in his hometown! How 'bout a big hand for Ash Ketchum?" Ash waved to the crowd with a true smile this time; the salve Meowth was applying to his ego wiping out Ash's greater concerns for the moment.
Pikachu leapt onto his trainer's shoulder, flashing the crowd a V-for-Victory sign and a happy, "Pikachu!" Meowth grumbled so fast and low in his throat that even his microphone could barely pick up his statement of, "Oh, yeah, and he gots his Pikachu, n' she gots her Togetic too." Quickly, Meowth continued in a much brighter and more audible mood, "But enough 'bout dem! Let's talk 'bout us! Here's da duo dat you've all been waitin' for!"
"Da Pallet Town Gym proudly presents da foist of its Leaders; James Morgan!" Clad in a dark blue Chinese-inspired jacket and pants that matched his impeccable hair, James strode down the entrance path proudly. Roughly a decade older than his opponents, James found exercise to maintain his fair build an obnoxious but necessary chore that was well worth it in the end. The big close-up on the screen followed his every move as James placed the blood-red rose he was holding between his teeth and struck up a dancing pose. Paraphrasing his favorite boxing announcer, James playfully challenged, "Let's get ready to tango!"
By now Ash and Misty were rolling their eyes. She muttered to Ash, "Is this a wrestling match or a Gym Battle?" He confessed back, "At least they're not doing that stupid Team Rocket motto." But if the challengers thought James' entrance a tad overblown, they hadn't seen nothing yet.
"Now get ready ta feast yer eyes on da better half of da Gym Leaders o' Pallet Town!-Geez, who wrote dis cue card?-*Ahem*! Jessica Morgan!" Jessie strode out with her best catwalk strut on, the brightness of her smile competing with the sudden burst of actual fireworks sprouting from the floor around her. The TV screen kept cutting to different angles of her, showing off the hourglass figure she'd reclaimed after giving birth to twins two months ago. Her short, slate-grey jacket was offset by her jet-black one-piece dress with a diamond cut dead center of her chest. Jessie's wine-red hair remained cut off at her shoulders in sharp spikes, the long plume of yesteryear seemingly gone forever.
Jessie clasped a microphone of her own she'd retrieved from her jacket pocket. "Thank you, Meowth, thank you! And thank you, my darling audience, for the warm welcome!" As another round of cheers and catcalls for the posing beauty broke out, Jessie drank in the adoration greedily. By the time Jessie was done vamping for the crowd, even her husband's foot was tapping impatiently.
With one last wink to her admirers filling the stadium, Jessie added, "Now let the Dream Match begin! Meowth, if you'd do the honors-?"
Meowth bowed deeply, "Sure ting, Jess. I mean-Tank you, Jessica! So!" The Normal-Type Pokémon turned to the challengers. "Dis here is a standard Gym Double Battle Match. No substitutions allowed fer either side and no time limit neither. Each Pokémon Trainer is allowed two Pokémon apiece total, but only one of dere Pokémon on da field at a time. Is dese terms accep'tble to da challengas?"
Simultaneously, Ash and Misty answered firmly, "Yes."
"And dat goes for da Gym Leaders too?" Meowth asked.
Jessie and James parroted each other; the latter speaking around the rose still clenched in his teeth, "Oh, yes. Yes indeed."
Meowth retrieved the start flag from his podium and raised it. Yet his attention was caught by Misty's own upraised arm across the field. "Hey, excuse me," she chirped at Meowth's nod of acquiescence, "I never did find out-What type of Pokémon does your gym specialize in, anyway?"
James smiled warmly, one hand removing the rose from his teeth as the other laid over his heart in mock surprise. "All those battles we've had over the years and you can't pick out a theme? My dear, you truly must be tired." Jessie picked the gym badge they'd be fighting for out of her jacket lapel. Thrusting it out firmly toward them, Jessie gave her challengers a good look as she goaded, "If you want the Double Trouble Badge, you'll have to make it through the muck and mire of our Poison-Type team first!"
As Jessie replaced her gym's badge in her pocket, Meowth wondered, "I trust dat answers all da questions…? Good!" The formalities out of the way, Meowth finished raising the green flag. Then he waved it in a sideways motion like a general with a cheap plastic sword encouraging his troops to charge, "Git it on! Let's go!"