A Reflective Homecoming: Part 2
By: Bryce Daniel (2015)
"Where is Ash," Clemont shouted.
"I…am…sensing…hostile…intentions."
"ROBOTS don't have 'senses!' Now tell us where he is before I rip every wire out of your fucking body!"
"Brother, don't be barbaric!"
"Yes…listen…to…your…imposter…sister."
"That's what you brought THIS for," she said pulling a sledgehammer out of her brother's backpack.
"Is there a problem out here," Meyer said entering from the back room.
"Papa," Bonnie shouted running over to give him a hug.
"They…are…apparently…looking…for…Ash."
"Well after losing to Meyerbot here," he said throwing his arm around Clembot's shoulder. "He may have gone off towards Coumarine City to train."
"Thank you, papa."
"Wait," Serena said. "What do we do with this place?"
"Humph," Bonnie said. "Torch it."
"No time," Clemont said. "We need to get to Coumarine City as quickly as possible."
The three kids then joined their hands together and teleported away.
"Never seen him do THAT before," Meyer said scratching his head.
"Those…three…were…imposters."
"I know, but we're safe… and hopefully so are the real ones."
Meanwhile on his way to Coumarine City, Mirror-Ash stopped into a Pokémon Center. He was still a bit leery about it, but the Nurse Joy inside seemed friendly.
"Nurse Joy," a green-haired trainer shouted. "My Grovyle, it needs your help!"
"No problem," she smiled. "What's your name so I know who to call when I'm finished?"
"Scottie"
"W-wait, Scottie," Mirror-Ash said rushing up to him excitedly. "THE Scottie? The greatest trainer in all of Hoenn? Is this your famous 'Victory Log'?"
"Um, no," he said taking his notebook back.
"Oh…right," Mirror-Ash said turning away dejectedly. "…I f-forgot, s-sorry to bother you."
"Wait, Ash, come back. I'm not sure what, but there's something…'different' about you."
"Yes – everything, y-you're not going to believe this, but I came here from someplace called the 'Mirror World' in which e-everything is the exact opposite of what it is here. Jenny's a mobster; Joy is greedy and cruel to pokémon and…"
"And I'm the 'greatest trainer in all of Hoenn?' Thanks, way to kick a guy when he's down."
"S-s-scottie, pl-please," he said tearing up. "T-that's not what I meant. I'm sorry."
"You really ARE the oppo…hey, what happened to your eyes?" He looks around the lobby "and what happened to Clemont, Serena and your Pikachu?"
"I d-don't want to talk about it," he said slumping over dejectedly.
"Are you alright? Did someone do that to you? It doesn't seem like something they would do."
"T-THEY didn't – their 'Mirror versions' DID. It was awful… Clemont restraining me with his Bind spell w-while Mirror-Serena and Mirror-Bonnie did most of the actual work. So, y-yeah, I was beaten up by 6-year-old."
"B-but t-that doesn't sound anything like the Clemont I know."
"See, I t-told you wouldn't believe me. What's worse, t-they even stole all of my pokémon…except Pikachu – it left on its own be-cause I'm – I'm such a bad trainer."
"I've seen you battle before – you're an EXCELLENT trainer."
"No, you saw ASH battle before, I'm a weak trainer. Not only did I lose the Grand Festival – THREE TIMES - but I don't have a-"
"Scottie," Nurse Joy called. "Oh, there you are. Your Grovyle has made a full recovery."
"Thank you, Nurse Joy," he said receiving his pokéball from her.
"Yeah," Mirror-Ash said wistfully. "It's so weird seeing her being all friendly like that, she didn't shake you down for money once."
"Your world really is different from ours. Where are you going from here anyway?"
"Probably Coumarine City..."
"Good, I can accompany you and you can tell me more about this 'Mirror World' while we walk."
"T-that would be great – I-I'd like that," he said blushing heavily.
"Wow…that's a LOT to take in," Scottie said.
"And you've been taking notes this entire time. Mirror-Scottie's motto was always 'Notes are for Nerds.' They say he carried a notebook with the names of all the trainers he defeated. Supposedly, he was up to his THIRD one before he even left Hoe...AUGH," he shouted as he was ensnared and lifted off the ground in a giant cocoon.
"Sucking up to the champion are you," Mirror-Clemont said standing on top of a nearby ledge. "Well this isn't the Mirror World anymore. In fact, he only has ONE badge which he earned out of pity…at least your hero had the decency to BUY his badge from me."
"In other words," Serena taunted. "He's a LOSER, just like the two of you. Now, come back to the Mirror World with us!"
"Nev…AUGH…"
"Oops, I forgot to mention: the more you resist the tighter those restraints become."
"Unfortunately," Mirror-Serena added. "Our orders were to bring you back ALIVE."
"Where's the FUN in that," Mirror-Bonnie huffed. "Can we at least make him bleed a little?"
"De-DENNE," her brother's pokémon said shaking its paw determinedly.
"Sure, anything for my darling sister," he then holds out a set of pokéballs. "Whose pokémon do you want to start with, mine…or HIS?"
"Y-you're not g-getting - AUGH - with this," Mirror-Ash shouted unconvincingly.
"Humph, that's an easy one," she said picking the second pokéball from the right. "Hawlucha, come out and use Flying Press!"
Hawlucha comes out and reluctantly charges towards the tightly bound Mirror-Ash, but he tripped and fell straight down the edge of the cliff impaling itself on a sharp rock.
"Oh well," Mirror-Bonnie shrugged. "It wasn't very strong anyway. Can I choose again?"
"Grrr," Scottie growled. "The REAL Bonnie – or any other trainer for that matter - would NEVER be so callous! Now let him go or-"
"Or you'll what," Mirror-Serena taunted. "Prove to us what a worthless trainer you are? Hell, maybe we'll just let Bonnie beat you. I'm sure she knows our pokémon's moves by now."
"No, let her focus on that floating fucktard. I'll take care of his sycophantic shit stain," he said teleporting himself to the bottom of the cliff.
"Okay, Chespin," Mirror-Bonnie shouted. "Go and use Vine Whip on that useless trainer."
"Ches…pin," it said looking at Ash and then back at Bonnie.
"Don't you dare question me, just do it – NOW!"
"No, Chespin, don't. Y-you know me. I-I make those Poke-AUGH-puffs y-you love so much."
"Don't listen to him – listen to ME! Use Vine Whip on him – NOW - you ugly little cretin!"
"De-DENNE!"
"I won't allow this! Grovyle, come out and protect Ash!"
Chespin leaps up into the air and looks directly at Grovyle with a "Chess" followed by a knowing "Vyyle" as the spiny nut pokémon landed safely on Mirror-Ash's shoulder.
"TURNCOAT," Mirror-Bonnie shouted.
"Look," Mirror-Clemont said. "I don't want to do this, but if we don't get Ash back to the Mirror World before sundown than he will be trapped here permanently creating a paradox that could DESTROY the very Mirror World we live in–"
"Um, guys," Mirror-Ash said. "Y-you might want to look behind you."
"We're not falling for a trick like THAT," Mirror-Serena said. "Braixen, teach him a lesson with Flamethrower!"
However, the move freed Mirror-Ash from his cocoon and he began falling to the ground.
"Catch him," Scottie shouted, and Grovyle did returning Mirror-Ash and Chespin safely to the ground.
"No," Mirror-Ash said pointing to the sun setting behind the mountain. "I was referring to the sunset. We're ALL trapped here now."
Suddenly, all four Mirror World trainers started glowing, brighter and brighter as they rose slowly off the ground.
"AUGH, brother, what's…happening…it… hurts."
"BRAIX…en," she cried writhing in pain.
"My skin…it…feels like… its… on fire," Mirror-Serena shouted frantically.
"So…warm…" Mirror-Ash said tranquilly. "I've… never… felt… anything… like…"
"Chess…p-pin"
"No," Mirror-Clemont said. "This…can't…be…it! There…has …to…be…a…"
As the last rays of the sun disappeared behind the mountain, the four trainers and their pokémon exploded in a serious of blindingly bright lights.
"A-Ash, noo, ASH," Scottie said falling to his knees crying. "C-come back, I-I believe in you."
"T-that's t-the nicest thing anyone has e-ever said about me."
"Chespin!"
"A-Ash," Scottie said wiping the tears from his eyes. "Y-you're back?"
"Yes, be-because you 'believed' in me. Y-you see, I c-came to this world because I believed in Ash… b-but I came BACK because you believed in…ME, the weak little trainer from Pallet Town. So, please, t-tell me, c-can I travel with you to Coumarine City?"
"YES," Scottie said hugging Mirror-Ash as Chespin threw its arms around his new trainer's leg…