Guest Reviewer: I know the chapter was short, and I can assure you it'll be the shortest in this fanfic.
I must warn you, reader. There are spoilers in this chapter from the games Pokémon X and Y, and with them, a new villain in my fanfic. This villain is similar to Team Galactic Leader Cyrus in their views on what a perfect world is. The details will be present within this chapter.
Now, at long last, the Journey continues!
Chapter 7: Clash of the Titans
"…" Talking/Psychic conversation in flashback
(…) thoughts/flashbacks
[…] Private psychic link
[…] Private psychic link during flashback
"[…]" Pokémon speaking
"[…]" Out-of-control Pokémon speaking
"..." Dark Pokémon speech
"…" Psychic conversation
([…]) Mewtwo and Tsuyoi's Mind-Link
"…" Black Mewtwo Tsuyoi speaking
"{…}" Pokémon Translator
In the process of going on a date with Sabrina, Tsuyoi learned that Sabrina had feelings for him, despite the fact that she'd denied having any such feelings at a Gym Leader meeting sometime prior that Tsuyoi had been a guest to. Tsuyoi confessed that he'd had unfortunate dealings with Giovanni in the past that had caused him to become mutated. Sabrina didn't care about this, and told Tsuyoi she loved him. Despite an attack by a Tyranitar directed by Night-walker, Mewtwo's killer, Tsuyoi and Sabrina were unharmed, and Tsuyoi, after revealing his ability to transform, chased down and confronted Night-walker, defeating him with some apparent effort. The next day, Tsuyoi and his friends, Sabrina included, made their way on Route 5 toward Cerulean City, where they encountered some temporary romantic issues between Suzy and Clemont that were quickly resolved. Now, three days later, Ash and his friends have made their way to Cerulean City, where an old friend awaits…
"At last," Ash said with a sigh of relief. "We're almost there." The edges of Cerulean City were within a few minutes' walk.
"It looks really pretty from here," Bonnie remarked, a smile on her face.
"It's even prettier up close," Sabrina remarked. "It's one of my favorite places to go on vacation when I'm not attending to my Gym Leader duties."
Tsuyoi smiled. He hadn't been to Cerulean City since he'd crushed Misty. She had dared to try and call his Absol slow and weak, and he had slowly defeated each of her Pokémon with Absol's Shadow Ball, taking his time when he could've crushed her with Absol's Thunderbolt. One thing that he could not accept was a jab at his own Pokémon, and even though he'd changed quite a bit over time, he still would not accept a jab at his Pokémon. He knew that she would likely be at the Contest. It just wouldn't be a Cerulean Contest without the Cerulean City Gym Leader taking part. "I hope we're not too late," Clemont said. "It would be crushing to have come too late."
Suzy smiled, and gave Clemont's hand a comforting squeeze. "I don't think we're late at all," she said. "Just to be sure, though…" She looked at Sabrina. "Can you call ahead to find out?" She asked.
Sabrina turned on her Xtransceiver. "I'll call the Pokémon Center," she said. She walked some distance from the group so they wouldn't eavesdrop on her, and she called the Pokémon Center. "This is Sabrina of Saffron City. Do you read me?"
"Hello, Sabrina," Nurse Joy replied, smiling. "I'm glad to see that you're okay. I was really worried about you when Saffron City was assaulted by Team Rocket. How did you get out?" Sabrina flushed, and said nothing. Nurse Joy chuckled. "Looks like the rumors are true. You do have a strong boyfriend, don't you?"
Sabrina nodded. "Well, I was calling to make sure that my friends and I weren't late for the Contest," she said.
Nurse Joy was silent for a moment. "You're taking part in a Contest?" She asked, sounding incredulous.
"Yes," Sabrina replied.
Nurse Joy smiled broadly. "It's about time," she said. "You just won me a lot of bets, my friend." She looked at someone off-screen. "You owe me a date, Gary!"
"I know it's not usual for me to be present at social events, but there's a first time for everything," Sabrina said, smiling and chuckling a bit, trying to get Nurse Joy's attention. "So, are we late?"
"Oh, no. You got here with two days to spare," Nurse Joy replied happily. "I can't wait to see you again, and to see your boyfriend," she added, teasing the Saffron Gym Leader.
Sabrina blushed and giggled softly. "Can't wait to see yours, too," she countered. She hung up after saying bye, and walked back toward the group. She immediately noticed the concerned, thoughtful look on Tsuyoi's face. "Trouble?" She asked, gently grabbing his hand.
Tsuyoi nodded. "There is," he replied softly, "but only for one person in our group." He looked over at Ash, who was talking to Serena about how Contests worked.
"What do you mean?" Sabrina asked. Tsuyoi looked her in the eye. "Oh…" She replied, realizing what Tsuyoi was getting at, even though he hadn't said a word in any way.
"'Oh' what?" Clemont asked. "And what's this I hear about trouble?"
Tsuyoi looked at Cerulean City, and began walking. "Did Ash tell you about his previous traveling companions?" He asked casually.
"He did," Suzy replied, knowing her brother didn't ask casual questions for the heck of it. "He traveled with Misty through the Kanto and Johto Regions, May in the Hoenn Region, Dawn in the Sinnoh Region, and Iris in the Unova Region."
"With former Pewter City Gym Leader Brock being present for almost all of those regions, the exception being the Unova Region," Tsuyoi replied. He lowered his voice. "All his female traveling companions are there," he added.
"Oh, no," Suzy moaned. "Sounds like a fight."
"Fight? What do you mean?" Clemont asked, clueless.
Suzy giggled softly at her boyfriend's cluelessness, and said, "You know that Electivire loves electricity, right?"
"Of course I do," Clemont replied. "I'm the Electric-type Gym Leader of Lumiose City. I know things like that."
"Well," Suzy continued, "to put it simply and figuratively, Ash is electricity, and in Cerulean City, there are a lot of Electivires, all of whom probably can't stand each other."
"What's this about Electivire?" Ash asked.
"What's an Electivire?" Serena asked.
Tsuyoi pulled out his PokéDex, and it had an image of an Electivire on it. It said "Electivire, the Thunderbolt Pokémon, and the evolved form of Electabuzz. When Electivire attacks, it pushes the tips of its two tails against its opponent." He looked at Ash. "Tread carefully in Cerulean City," he advised. "Some friends of yours are there, and if they see that you're with Serena…"
To everyone's surprise, Ash put two and two together almost instantly. "I'm in trouble," he said nervously. (Editor's note: Just about every time I've seen a female make an advance toward Ash, he seems quite clueless, often to the consternation of the female.)
"Don't worry," Sabrina said comfortingly. "We'll all protect you, and if need be…" She looked over at Tsuyoi.
Getting the hint, Tsuyoi replied, "I'll put them in their places in the Contest Battles," with an attempt at a comforting smile on his face. It came out as more of a smile worn by a Gengar about to scare the living daylights out of someone.
Ash nodded and was about to say something. "ASH!" A female voice yelled loudly, its owner tackling Ash before he had any time to react. Almost immediately, Ash felt someone peppering his face with kisses. It wasn't until the girl pulled back for a second that Ash recognized her.
"Misty?!" Ash asked, surprised.
"Hey there, sweetie," the orange-haired Gym Leader replied, winking at him. Suddenly, she was yanked backward by an angry Serena. "Who the heck are you?!" She snapped.
"I'm his girlfriend!" Serena snapped back.
"You?" The girl deadpanned. "Really?"
"Excuse me?! What do you mean, really?" Serena asked, trying her best not to take off the head of the girl in front of her. "Besides, who the heck are you?"
"For your information," the girl replied, getting in Serena's face, "I am Misty Waterflower, Leader of the Cerulean City Gym, and I am Ash's girlfriend!"
"No, you're not!" Serena yelled, shoving Misty back.
Misty looked at Serena with a look that was a mix of disbelief and rage. "Did you just shove me?" She asked. She looked over, and saw Sabrina and Tsuyoi. Ignoring Tsuyoi, she yelled, "Sabrina-san, tell her that she's out of line!"
Sabrina sighed. "What do I look like, a relationship counselor?" She asked. "Besides, last I checked, Ash was taken before he saw you here."
"By me, right?" Misty asked, glaring at Serena.
"Try to think with you head and not with your voice," Tsuyoi deadpanned in a manner that would put Raven to shame (Teen Titans Raven, not the cheap knockoff that is Teen Titans: Go).
"And who are you, thinking that you can talk to me like that?" Misty snapped.
Tsuyoi was unmoved. "My name is Tsuyoi Kokoro," he replied, "and acting as a mediator in this situation, I challenge you to a Pokémon battle."
"How are you a mediator?" Clemont asked. "After all, Ash is your friend, right?"
"Yes, but I don't have any attraction toward him, and attraction is the central point of this issue," Tsuyoi replied.
"Good point," Clemont replied, figuratively backing off.
"What happens if I win?" Misty asked, fired up at the thought of having a rematch against Tsuyoi. She hadn't recognized him at first because he wasn't wearing his normal ninja outfit, but ordinary clothes.
"I will not stop you from making moves on Ash, and I will ensure my friends don't stand in your way," Tsuyoi replied, ignoring Serena's glare. "However," he added, "if I win, I will not prevent my friends from stopping you from making moves on Ash, and I will stop you from making moves on Ash." Serena cheered at that. Misty glared at her, and in reply, Serena stuck out her tongue. "So, do we have a deal?" Tsuyoi asked. "There is no shame in turning down the battle offer."
"And no point, either," Misty replied. "I accept your challenge!"
Tsuyoi nodded. "You pick the arena," he replied, knowing even without mind-reading what place she would pick.
"Let's go to my Gym," Misty replied, pulling Ash toward the city entrance. Within a few minutes, they arrived at their destination.
-Cerulean City Gym-
"The match between the Cerulean City Gym Leader, Misty, and the challenger, Tsuyoi, will no begin," the referee proclaimed. "Each trainer will use three Pokémon, and only the challenger may switch! The battle is decided when all three Pokémon on one side are unable to battle. Now, begin!"
"Starmie, let's go!" Misty yelled. The purplish star-shaped Pokémon landed with a cry that sounded like "Hyah".
"Abusoru, arise," Tsuyoi replied verbally.
Misty was confused. "I thought you were telepathic," she said. Her face suddenly turned into a glare. "Are you going easy on me?!" She demanded.
"Well, wouldn't you like to know," Tsuyoi drawled, a slight smirk on his face.
Misty had to restrain herself from running over and beating the daylights out of Tsuyoi. (What does he think he's doing?! It's as if he's TRYING to get me ticked off at him!) "Starmie, use Signal Beam!"
"Hyah!" The Starmie shouted as it shot a multicolored beam at Absol.
"Shadow Ball," Tsuyoi replied. Absol threw a large Shadow Ball. It shrank as it forced the Signal Beam back, but what remained was enough to knock Starmie flat on its back.
"Starmie!" Misty cried. To her surprise and relief, Starmie got up with a struggle. "Go, Starmie. Use Hydro Pump!"
"Hyah!" Starmie replied as it shot a massive blast of water from its center crystal.
"Thunder!" Tsuyoi replied. Absol jumped up, and shot a massive blast of electricity from its horn at the water. The electricity flowed through the Hydro Pump at an incredible speed, smashing into Starmie. The Mysterious Pokémon fell backwards, its center crystal flashing.
"Starmie is unable to battle! Winner is Absol!" The referee cried.
"Well done, Abusoru," Tsuyoi said with a smile. He had trained Absol extensively, and it showed.
"Get a good rest," Misty said, shocked by the defeat. She glared at Tsuyoi. (He's gotten tougher since we last met. I won't lose against him. I CAN'T lose against him again!) She thought. "Let's see you handle this one! Go, Armaldo!" She yelled.
"[Let's do this!]" The Plate Pokémon yelled as it jumped out, sharpening its claws against each other.
"Who's that Pokémon?" Clemont wondered, raising his PokéDex. A picture of Armaldo appeared on the screen. "Armaldo, the Plate Pokémon, and the evolved form of Anorith. After Anorith evolves into Armaldo, it proceeds to live on land and an armor-like shell surrounds its entire body," the PokéDex replied.
"It looks like a big shrimp to me," Bonnie remarked.
Sabrina chuckled. "That's pretty much what it is: an oversized Fossil shrimp," she replied.
"I heard that!" Misty yelled. She turned back to the battle. "Use X-Scissor!"
"[Yes! You're done!]" Armaldo yelled as he charged forward, crossing his glowing pincers in front of itself before charging forward.
"Counter with your own X-Scissor," Tsuyoi replied. Absol's horn glowed white, and it charged forward, clashing with Armaldo's X-Scissor. Both Pokémon came to an immediate standstill, neither pushing the other back.
Sabrina was surprised. "I can't believe Absol's standing up to that," she remarked.
"I can't believe it either," Serena replied. "I knew that Tsuyoi's Pokémon were strong, but I didn't know they were this strong."
"Life is not all about taking down your opponents in one hit," Tsuyoi replied, not looking away from the battle before him. "In order to fight, you must be able to endure as well as attack."
Armaldo growled. "[Give up, Absol. You know I have the upper claw here,]" he said.
"[You may have the upper claw, but what about the upper horn?]" Absol quipped. Her horn started to glow even brighter, and she began to slowly walk forward, pushing Armaldo steadily backward.
"Whoa!" Ash exclaimed. "Look at that! Absol's pushing Armaldo back!"
Everyone looked at the scene before them and gasped. Armaldo was heavier than his opponent, but Absol's natural strength appeared to be more than sufficient enough to push Armaldo. "Close Shock!" Tsuyoi ordered.
Absol's horn sparked with electricity. Armaldo, seeing this, tried to jump backward to avoid the Thunder-like attack, but it was too late. Massive amounts of voltage coursed through the Plate Pokémon's body, the force being more than sufficient to throw him back. Armaldo hit the wall, collapsed, and fainted. "[I can take no more…]" he said.
"Armaldo is unable to battle! Winner is Absol!" The referee cried.
"Hooray!" Serena and Sabrina yelled happily. (Just one more Pokémon to go, and Misty will leave my Ash alone,) Serena thought.
"You fought well, Armaldo," Misty said. "Take a good, long rest."
To everyone's surprise, Tsuyoi recalled Absol. "Absol needs her rest," he explained. "Now, let's see your next Pokémon, Misty."
"Alright! Gyarados, come on out!" Misty yelled. The Atrocious Pokémon roared loudly as it came out of its Pokéball. It had a pendant around its neck containing Gyaradosite.
"Rukario, let's go!" Tsuyoi yelled.
"Let's do this," Lucario yelled as she shot out of her Pokéball. She was eager to assist her friend (A/N Tsuyoi and Ash treat their Pokémon the same: as friends) in his rematch against Misty.
Misty started laughing loudly. "A Fighting-type? How's that supposed to prevail against my Gyarados? More importantly, how is it supposed to prevail against my Mega-Evolved Gyarados?" As if on cue, beams of light shot through the space between Misty's Key Stone and Gyarados' Mega Stone. In a flash of light, Gyarados lost its serpentine shape, becoming more like its former evolution Magikarp in forme, but after that, all similarities ended. Gyarados' stomach drew darker and color, its whiskers lengthened, and it was much more powerful as a result of the Mega Evolution, and roared loudly. "[FIGHT ME, PATHETIC JACKAL!]" It shouted at the top of its lungs.
"As you wish," Tsuyoi replied. "Rukario, it is time…"
"For our hearts…" Lucario replied.
"To become one!" The two shouted loudly. Streams of light came from Tsuyoi's Key Stone and Lucario's Lucarionite, intertwining. Lucario's dreadlocks grew in length, a reddish pigment emerging at the tips. The blue shorts-like portion on Lucario turned black with a single vertical black stripe on each leg. Spikes erupted from her reddish hands and feet, her tail becoming covered in red/tannish fur. "So, do you still wish to battle me?" Lucario asked, almost sounding smug.
"[ALWAYS!]" Mega Gyarados shouted.
"WHOO HOO! A Mega Fight!" Suzy cheered. "Go get 'em, Onii-chan!"
"Go teach that girl a lesson!" Serena cheered.
Misty smiled. "I don't think so," she replied. "I'll be the one teaching a lesson. Go, Mega Gyarados! Use Giga Impact!" She shouted.
With a mighty shout, the Mega Atrocious Pokémon shot forward, coated in purple energy. Mega Lucario did nothing, simply staring at the oncoming behemoth. "[WHAT'S THE MATTER?! ARE YOU PARALYZED WITH FEAR?!]" The Mega Gyarados shouted as it collided with its target. A massive cloud of water vapor was kicked up by the impact. Misty smirked, certain that her Pokémon had defeated the challenger's. She was in for a surprise. When the dust cleared, Mega Lucario was covered in a blue aura, holding Mega Gyarados in place with a single finger on her left hand. She seemed bored.
"What exactly is 'courage'?" Mega Lucario asked. "It is becoming one with 'fear' itself!" She pulled back her right fist, glowing with a yellow aura in addition to the yellow sparking of ThunderPunch. "Here's a new one for you, human: Sunlight Yellow Overdrive!" Mega Lucario shouted loudly, slugging Mega Gyarados' face with a rapid barrage of ThunderPunches powered up by Close Combat. "Are YOU overcome with fear, now?" Mega Lucario asked as she poured on the power.
Mega Gyarados' Giga Impact dissipated as it began getting thrown backward by the sheer force of the attack. It impacted the wall, causing part of it to crack. Mega Gyarados wasn't done yet, though. It picked itself back up and glared at Mega Lucario. Acting on its own, it charged forward. "[I AM NOT FEAR! VIOLENCE IS WHAT I AM!]" It roared, shooting a massive Hyper Beam at Mega Lucario. Lucario dodged the attack, barely avoiding getting severely injured by the attack.
Inside Tsuyoi's mind, Mewtwo was getting scared. He could sense that Mega Gyarados' rage was more than just its normal personality. [That's what killed me in my fight against Night-walker in Saffron City: wildly flying Hyper Beams. You've got to withdraw Lucario before she gets annihilated!]
Tsuyoi nodded, He knew that Mewtwo wasn't the type to get nervous, and right now, his Psychic friend was sounding close to terrified. Around him, the Gym was beginning to shake. The force that the out of control Mega Gyarados was exerting was too strong for the building to bear. Tsuyoi withdrew Mega Lucario, sending out Tyranitar. The rampaging Mega Gyarados glared at Tyranitar. "[HOW CAN YOU HOPE TO DEFEAT ME, HOPELESS FREAK OF A PEBBLE?!]" It shouted.
Tyranitar glared back. "[I can defeat you, and I will!]" He shouted back. At Tsuyoi's command, the Armor Pokémon threw a massive volley of AncientPower at the rampaging Atrocious Pokémon, but it wasn't enough. The rocks virtually bounced off the Mega Gyarados' face. Even more enraged, the Mega Gyarados shot a massive Hyper Beam out of its mouth. Tyranitar flinched away from the attack, knowing that he was too large and heavy to dodge the might attack. Suddenly, there was a loud BOOM. Tyranitar closed his eyes, awaiting the end. When he didn't feel any pain from the attack, he opened his eyes, and saw a stunning sight: his master was holding back the Hyper Beam and absorbing it through his palms.
"Get everyone to safety! NOW!" Tsuyoi shouted, reverting to telepathy. Tyranitar charged forward, picked Misty up as if she weighed no more than a Gastly, and charged out of the building, leaving a Tyranitar-shaped hole in the wall. No one complained, though, due to the grave possibility of imminent death on their minds. Within seconds, the building was vacated, Tsuyoi and the rampaging Mega Gyarados being the only ones in the building. Mega Gyarados stopped its Hyper Beam and used Outrage to try and smash Tsuyoi into a thousand pieces. Making sure not to stay in one place for longer than a second, Tsuyoi scanned the building telepathically for anything capable of causing a Mega Gyarados to rampage. Hypnosis was the move most likely used, and as Tsuyoi knew from previous experience, Night-walker enjoyed using Psychic to control Pokémon. Suddenly, Mega Gyarados' Outrage grew more chaotic and powerful, causing Tsuyoi to stop scanning the building and start trying to figure out a way to defeat the Pokémon in front of him. [Mewtwo, can you continue scanning the building with your Psychic abilities?] He asked.
[Yes, my friend,] Mewtwo replied as he began the Psychic Scan. Within a few stress-filled moments, he had located the culprit. [Tsuyoi, I have located an anomaly exactly 1 meter (or about 39 inches) above Mega Gyarados' head. I believe it is a Gengar.]
Tsuyoi nodded. He avoided a smashing attack by Mega Gyarados' head and grabbed one of its whiskers, allowing himself to get tossed into the air. Within a second, he was face-to-face with and had a strong telepathic grip on the invisible Gengar. "Leave!" He shouted, throwing Gengar through the air so fast it rivaled Team Rocket in blast-off speed.
Almost immediately, Mega Gyarados seemed to calm down. "[WHAT…HAPPENED?!]" It asked, confused.
"I will explain later," Tsuyoi replied. Suddenly, Mega Gyarados turned a brilliant, formless, semi-see-through red and disappeared. Glad that Mega Gyarados was out of danger, Tsuyoi ran out of the collapsing Gym, using his telekinetic abilities to deflect a shard of ceiling that weighed as much as 5 Snorlax (A/N: Snorlax weighs 1014.1 pounds, so the ceiling shard weighed about 5070.5 pounds!) to the side. He looked toward the exit. Seeing his opportunity, he made a mad dash toward it, jumping rapidly to either dodge pieces of the Gym or use them to propel himself closer to the exit. However, nature always has a way of introducing an element that can't be foreseen. That unforeseen element was a burning ceiling fragment. It sliced through the air quickly, too fast for Tsuyoi to react until it was too late. The fragment sliced open the top of Tsuyoi's head, burning the skin and hair.
-Outside-
"Oh no. I hope he got out okay," Sabrina murmured. She was grateful to sense that Mega Gyarados had been recalled, but she was extremely concerned for the safety of her boyfriend.
"Why do you care so much?" Misty asked, curious. "I didn't know-"
Before she could finish her explanation, Suzy backhanded Misty across the face. "WHY DO YOU CARE?!" She snapped. "I know you hate my brother, but if it wasn't for him, you wouldn't be here!"
Before anything else could happen, Sabrina walked between the two of them. "It's okay, Suzy," she told the young ninja. "Misty doesn't know yet."
"What don't I know?" Misty asked, irritated at the feeling of being kept in the dark.
"Hopefully, you know how to put out a fire on someone's head," a voice said behind her. Misty turned around to see who it was, and gasped loudly in shock. Tsuyoi's hair was ablaze, along with his forehead.
Thinking quickly, Misty tossed a Pokéball, and a Squirtle came out. "Squirtle, use Water Gun!" Misty ordered. Tsuyoi winced as the Water Gun hit his head. It stung his burnt skin a lot, but it was better than being burned. Suddenly, his knees caved from beneath him, and the world turned black. Misty gasped out loud. She ran forward and took Tsuyoi's pulse. She was relieved to feel a good, strong pulse. "We've got to get him to the Pokémon Center," the orange-haired Cerulean Gym Leader said.
"Most definitely," Sabrina replied. Her eyes glowed, and Tsuyoi floated up from the ground. "The sooner, the better," she added, her voice carrying a worried tone. Suddenly, it clicked for Misty. (She's gotta have a crush on Tsuyoi, at least,) she thought.
-At the Pokémon Center-
Tsuyoi groaned softly. "What happened?" He asked. His forehead was no longer burning, but he could sense that Sabrina was very worried about him. He opened his eyes, and saw that his hospital bed was surrounded by his friends and Nurse Joy. It was the same one who had talked to Sabrina earlier that day.
"You got badly burned on the top of your head," Nurse Joy replied, applying some fresh antibiotic ointment to the top of his head. "If Misty hadn't acted as quickly as she had, you could've lost the rest of your hair."
Tsuyoi shrugged. "If I lost all of my hair, I wouldn't get upset about it. It's my hair, not my life," the burnt Ninja replied. "So, how much of it did I lose?" He asked.
Nurse Joy picked up a mirror and gave it to Tsuyoi. "You lost a lot on the top of your head," she replied. "I don't know how, but you healed pretty fast from that burn, so your hair might grow back quickly," she added, a hopeful tone in her voice.
Tsuyoi nodded and used the mirror to look at the top of his head. He had completely lost the hair in the middle of his head, and a large swath of hair from that area to his forehead had been burnt off. Nothing remained. After looking at the reflection for a few minutes, he shrugged and gave the mirror back to Nurse Joy. "I do not know if my hair will grow back, but that's okay," he said. "I'm alive, and that's all that matters." (And I think I know how I could use this to my advantage,) he thought inside his mind. (After all, Goken didn't have hair on the top of his head.)
Sabrina looked at Nurse Joy. "How long does he have to stay in here?" She asked.
"From the way his head looks, I'd say he's ready to be released right now," Nurse Joy replied.
"That's good," Sabrina said with a sigh of relief.
Three minutes later, Tsuyoi was walking out of the Pokémon Center, leaning on Suzy's shoulder for support. He noticed some commotion over by the ruins of the Pokémon Gym and walked over. Office Jenny was interviewing witnesses to see if they had seen anything or knew anything about how the arena had been destroyed. "Excuse me, but I think I could shed some light on the subject," he said as yet another witness who hadn't seen anything walked away from the Officer.
Officer Jenny turned around, and immediately recognized Tsuyoi. "Didn't I give you a lecture about taking it easy back in Saffron City?" She asked sternly.
"You did, but this mess is not my fault," Tsuyoi replied.
"What does he mean?" Misty asked.
"It's a long story. I'll tell it to you later," Sabrina replied.
"So, did you see what the cause of the collapse was?" Officer Jenny asked.
"I most certainly did," Tsuyoi replied. "I was in the Gym, having a rematch with Gym Leader Misty," he explained. "She had just Mega Evolved her Gyarados. She had it use Giga Impact, but my Mega Lucario knocked it back. When it got up, it went on a rampage, shooting a Hyper Beam at my Pokémon. I attempted to use Tyranitar to defeat it-"
"You mean that Tyranitar that had rampaged in Saffron City?" Officer Jenny interrupted.
"The same," Tsuyoi replied. "I failed. Mega Gyarados shrugged aside Tyranitar's attacks and used a Hyper Beam. I managed to absorb it into my hands and told Tyranitar to get Misty to safety. Everyone else managed to escape through the main entrance. The Mega Gyarados used Outrage to try and crush me. No doubt that's what caused the Gym's collapse. I spent the whole time dodging until I figured out what had caused it to rampage: a sneaky, conniving Gengar. It must have used Hypnosis just as Gyarados was Mega Evolving. I defeated Gengar by throwing it out of the Gym, and then I attempted to make my way out of the Gym in one piece. I was injured, but Nurse Joy patched me up quite well. That's what I saw," Tsuyoi said, ending his tale.
Officer Jenny looked surprised, but finished writing down what Tsuyoi had said. "That explains why a couple witnesses saw a Gengar flying and a Tyranitar bashing through the Gym walls," she said.
"The walls were already weakened by Mega Gyarados," Tsuyoi replied. "That's how Tyranitar escaped so easily." Officer Jenny nodded, and after obtaining some more information from Tsuyoi about the Gengar, went back to the police station. Tsuyoi turned toward Misty. "So, where do you want to finish our rematch?" He asked.
Misty shook her head. "You won," she said. "You saved my life, along with everyone else's."
"Besides," Sabrina added, walking over to Tsuyoi's side, "one of the rules of a Pokémon Gym battle states that in the case of an emergency occurrence of any kind that causes the disruption of the battle, the battle participant who has the least number of Pokémon unable to battle is officially the winner." She smiled briefly at Misty, and gave Tsuyoi a kiss on the lips. "You're always a winner to me, though," she said to him. Misty was shocked. Sabrina had never been the social type, and it seemed impossible that she could have a boyfriend so soon after finally becoming somewhat social. Suzy chuckled softly at Misty's stunned expression.
"H-h-how long have you been together l-like th-this?" Misty asked.
"Oh, about a week," Sabrina replied. "That's why you hadn't heard of it before today."
Misty nodded, and ran off to her house, hoping that her sisters were okay. They could be absolutes jerks, but after what she'd just been through, she wanted to make sure they were okay. Only a few minutes after she had left, a young man ran up to the group. Sabrina stepped in front of Tsuyoi, not knowing what the youth wanted, but Tsuyoi walked in front of her. "I know this person," he said. He walked over to the youth, and asked, "Why are you here?"
"I'll tell you everything you need to know, but not right now," the boy replied, looking around nervously. "It's not safe, here. The walls have eyes and ears."
Tsuyoi nodded. Beckoning for his friends to join him, he followed the boy. "They're trustworthy," he said when the boy looked back and saw them.
The boy led them to a small building not too far from the Gym. He opened the door enough to squeeze through. "Come on," he whispered. Tsuyoi walked in without a moment's pause, and Sabrina followed close behind. She didn't know the youth, but knew that if Tsuyoi trusted him, she could, too. Ash and Serena followed, Lucario and Sabrina's newest Pokémon, Zoroark, went next, and Clemont was the last to enter after letting Suzy in. "We're all here?" The boy asked.
"Yes, we are," Tsuyoi replied. "Now, Tatsu, why are you here? I thought you didn't like to be in a city very much."
"I don't," Tatsu replied, "but I have information that I think you'll find interesting. It's about Team Rocket."
Tsuyoi was immediately interested. "Is there any charge?" He asked.
"No," Tatsu replied. "Not this time." He paused for a moment, and continued. "There's a Team Rocket base not too far from here. Its entrance is hidden in a small hill, but I've located another secret entrance very close to this building. There's been a lot of activity around here lately. I think they might be working on something big."
"I will depart immediately," Tsuyoi replied, interrupting Tatsu.
"No, you won't," the boy replied. "They've got scanners installed in there that you can't fool. They've got machines that scan your eyes and fingerprints. There's no way that you can bypass them with what you have. You'd need a Ditto, or an illusionist, or something similar."
Tsuyoi nodded, and he sat down, his face drawn out in deep thought. All that was missing from the moment was a flap-eared cap and an old-styled smoking pipe, and Tsuyoi would've almost passed for the great Sherlock Holmes. Suddenly, Tsuyoi smiled, and he looked at Sabrina. A minute passed in silence, but no one asked what was going on. They, including Tatsu, knew that the two trainers were communicating through a Psychic Link, which the others couldn't hear. "Think it'll work?" Sabrina asked telepathically.
"I have no doubt it will. There's too much at stake for him to fail," Tsuyoi replied with a slight smirk and a telepathic chuckle.
"So, what's the plan?" Clemont asked, voicing everyone's thoughts.
Tsuyoi looked over at Zoroark. "Are you up for a little breaking-and-entering Team Rocket's place?" He asked.
Zoroark immediately shook his head, causing the ponytail-like hair on his head to shake back and forth like a flag. "Oh, no way am I going back to that scary place! Do you know what that mean man does to Pokémon?" He protested.
"We know you don't want to go there because of what happened in the past, but we need you," Sabrina pleaded.
"I don't care. I'm not going there!" Zoroark snapped, looking panicked.
"Very well. It would appear that I must use an offer you just can't refuse," Tsuyoi replied. "That is, if you're still willing to listen to the offer."
"What's the offer?" Zoroark asked, intrigued in spite of himself.
"Simple: You break into the nearby Team Rocket base, and you get one date with my Lucario," Tsuyoi replied.
"Wait, what?!" Lucario said, almost shouting. "You'll let him do what?!"
"It's only one date," Sabrina replied. "Surely, a strong Lucario like you can keep a Zoroark in line for a couple hours or so, right? You do know Aura Sphere, right?"
"I do, but that's beside the point!" Lucario protested. "Don't you have a Ditto or something?" She asked Sabrina.
"I don't have a Ditto," Sabrina replied, "but I have a Zoroark who seems to like you, and we need to give him some motivation. Look at it this way. We're only asking you to endure his company for half an hour, at least, and if you don't like him, no second date."
Lucario appeared to think about it, her cheeks flushed a light pink underneath her fur. After a few minutes, she looked up, looking Zoroark in the eye. "Y-yes?" Zoroark asked, nervous under Lucario's intense gaze.
"Come back in one piece, please" Lucario said, a concerned tone creeping into her normal telepathic tone. "I don't date bits and pieces."
Zoroark nodded. "Yes, ma'am," he replied solemnly, hiding the hopeful tone in his voice. All he had to do was go into a building ran by the people he hated and feared, get some kind of information, and get the heck out without being spotted. Shouldn't be too easy, right?
"Then it's decided," Tatsu replied. "You'll have to leave at once, Zoroark." He walked over to the center of the sparsely furnished room and tapped his foot against a spot on the floor. A panel of fake wood shifted to the side. It slid into a hidden slot under the panel next to it, revealing a small tunnel. "That's the second entrance," Tatsu explained. "It's got cameras after the next half a mile, but I think it best that you best use your Illusion ability right now, or very soon."
"Wait a minute," Ash protested. "Zoroark, have you improved your Illusion?" He asked.
Zoroark nodded, and appeared to transform into a typical Team Rocket Grunt: Black brimless cap, black jacket, black pants, and grey boots, the jacket having the Team Rocket symbol on the back. "I've improved it so I don't have a visible tail, and that I'm not appearing to use telepathy," he replied 'verbally'. "So, do I have a time limit?"
"You don't," Sabrina replied. "Just don't take too long. For all our sakes," she added, looking at Lucario. She walked forward, giving Zoroark what appeared to be a Poké Buck. "It's got a hidden microphone in it," she explained. "You won't be able to communicate with us with it, but we'll be able to hear everything that's going on where you are. It has a 50 foot radius, so you will be able to pick up a lot of information that way."
"Once you're gone, I'll seal the hole so that if we have to leave, no one stumbles on the Team Rocket base and puts them on alert, accidentally or otherwise," Tatsu added. "Once you're back, tap the wood panel twice, and you'll be able to get out."
"Right, then," the disguised Zoroark replied, walking over to the hidden ladder. He pocketed the bugged Poké Buck. "What if my cover's blown? What if I'm surrounded by Grunts and unable to escape?"
"We will have Deoxys standing by to teleport you out if things get hairy," Tsuyoi replied. "I will provide a distraction so that you can escape from the room."
Zoroark nodded, feeling somewhat reassured by Tsuyoi's words. He didn't know what a Deoxys was, but it sounded powerful. "Bye," he said, climbing down the ladder, descending from sight.
Tatsu tapped the fake wood, and the missing panel shifted back into place. "Now, we wait…" He said.
-Underground, moving in the direction of Rocket Outpost XY-
(Oh, the things I do to get a date,) Zoroark thought as he walked through the dark tunnel, (even if it's the first time I've done something for a date.) The tunnel had lights, but they were only strong enough to give just enough light to allow the user of the tunnel to walk without tripping and falling, unless they were disposed to tripping and falling easily. (I just hope this thing gets past those scanners,) he thought, resisting the urge to pull the Buck out of his pocket. He didn't know if he was on camera or not, but he didn't want to risk pulling it out and blowing his cover before he got any information for his trainer and her friends. After walking quickly for a few minutes, Zoroark came to what appeared to be a solid metal slab blocking the tunnel. A small green light appeared, projecting a thin, flat beam. Zoroark realized it was scanning him. The beam shifted downward slowly, then shifted upward slowly, scanning Zoroark from the bottoms of his fake shoes to the top of his fake hat. Apparently satisfied, the beam vanished, and the metal slab shifted to the side. Zoroark walked through the doorway. He tried not to panic when he heard the door close behind him. (Just keep going forward, and stay calm,) his sensible side said.
(Like that'll happen,) his sarcastic, panicky side replied eloquently.
Almost immediately, Zoroark found himself in a small room with a lot of people in it, and he quickly assimilated himself with the group. They all had a uniform on that looked similar to his. Even the women had a similar outfit. There were no variations as far as Zoroark could see. A Team Rocket Grunt approached him. "New recruit, eh?" He asked.
"Um…uh…y-yes," Zoroark stuttered out of nervousness.
"Nervous? Can't blame ya," the Grunt replied sympathetically. "I was nervous my first day, too." He looked over Zoroark's shoulder and looked nervous. "It's the boss! Act like you're busy," the Grunt advised.
Not sure what to do, Zoroark reached into his pocket, pulling out a notebook. He began writing imaginary plans on it, something it seemed a normal Grunt would do. He looked over his shoulder, and saw Giovanni walking slowly through the room. He was well-dressed, wearing a brown suit jacket, a whitish shirt underneath, black pants, black shoes, and a black tie. He didn't make eye contact with anyone, looking straight ahead as he walked. He turned abruptly to the disguised Zoroark. "Follow me," he said simply.
"Y-yes, sir," Zoroark replied. Giovanni nodded and began walking. Zoroark obediently followed, wondering where they were going. As far as he knew, his disguise was perfect. After a few minutes of walking, the two arrived at their destination: a large door similar in appearance to the one Zoroark had entered the base through. Giovanni leaned forward, pulling the lid on his right eye upward. A machine scanned the eye and quickly determined that Giovanni's eye, at least, was authentic. Satisfied that the first test was complete, Giovanni placed his right hand on a pad, allowing another machine to scan his handprint. This machine determined that the hand resting on its sensor was the hand of Giovanni, Leader of Team Rocket, and the door opened.
"Keep a lookout at the door while I'm making this call," Giovanni ordered.
"Yes, sir!" Zoroark replied, his voice a tad less shaky than previous.
Satisfied with the response, the Leader of Team Rocket stepped inside the room. It was relatively large, and was bare except for a few seats to the right side of the room. Giovanni went to one of them and sat down. Satisfied that he was alone, he activated his Xtransceiver. "This is Giovanni, Leader of Team Rocket, contacting Cyrus, Leader of Team Galactic. Cyrus, respond." Giovanni said. As expected, a hologram of Cyrus appeared in the empty room. To Giovanni's surprise, however, another figure appeared. This new figure, a man, had a brownish jacket, brown gloves, and black pants with matching shoes. His hair had shades of red, orange, and yellow, similar to the colors in the mane of a male Tyroar. "Who is this?" Giovanni asked Cyrus.
"This is my newest associate," Cyrus explained. "He's a former criminal Team Leader like I am, and is on the run from police. I have offered him protection in exchange for…information. I believe the information he has will be invaluable in your quest to rid yourself of the Psychic thorn in your side."
"Cyrus has told me a lot about you," the new figure replied, "and while I am unable to provide much assistance in manpower, I can provide you with invaluable information about the boy you're facing, but before we get any further, I should introduce myself. My name is Lysandre, and I was once the leader of Team Flare in the Kalos Region. We had but a simple mission: to create the perfect world. There was a time when my team and I were so close to achieving this objective, but then, we were attacked. Do you know this boy?" He asked as he pulled out a picture of a young boy, almost a young adult, in black ninja robes. Very little of his skin showed, but Giovanni recognized him right away. The Leader of Team Rocket nodded in reply. "His name is Tsuyoi Kokoro," Lysandre said grimly, "and he was a thorn in my side, too. I assume you know about how flawed this world is, how few resources there are to go around, whether those resources are necessary for survival or not."
"I do know that," Giovanni admitted.
"Then you know that the only way to make a truly beautiful and perfect world is to reduce the surplus population of the planet, for when there are less people, there are more resources per group of people. Unfortunately, there are those who would not agree with my plans. They were perfectly fine with this chaotic, torn world we live in. Tsuyoi was their leader. About eight years ago, I first met Tsuyoi. He was a young, strong trainer who was concerned solely with making himself the strongest there ever was. I attempted to use this to convince him that joining my team was the wisest course of action, but he disagreed, saying that I was beneath him in power. He defeated me and left the city. I had my men keep an eye out for Tsuyoi, but he never showed up. Years passed, until we had a break in our search. This happened about eight months ago. An agent of mine living in the mountains sent news that she had found Tsuyoi, and that he'd agreed to join my cause. I gave him information that would allow him to find his way to my base where he would be able to talk with me personally. In return, when he entered my base, he assaulted my scientists, leaving a trail of destruction in his wake. It was at that moment that I realized he was an agent of the chaos I had been attempting to eradicate by building the ultimate weapon. He broke through my most trusted guards and forcibly attacked myself and my Tyroar. I was forced to remove Xerneas and Yveltal, two of the most powerful Pokémon from the Kalos Region, from their positions in the ultimate weapon so that I could defend myself. That blasted boy stole them from me and fled. 'This is the end of your plans,' he said. As if to rub it in even further, he told Yveltal to use Hyper Beam, and the blasted thing obeyed him. He left me to die, but I survived. I proved that I was one of the people worthy of continuing to survive in the perfect world. I have a list of the Pokémon he had when he fought me. They are as follows: Deoxys, Salamance, Absol, Lucario, and Xerneas and Yveltal."
Giovanni paused to consider the Pokémon Tsuyoi had. "And do you know if he still has these Pokémon with him?" He asked.
"He released Xerneas and Yveltal, and in doing so, revealed his stupidity and naïveté," Lysandre replied bitterly. "The little fool. He had incredible power at his disposal, and what did he do with it?! He threw it away!" His image and Cyrus' image flickered slightly. "The authorities are drawing near to our position," Lysandre noted grimly. "We have to leave now or risk capture."
"Go, then," Giovanni replied. "I hope to speak with you two gentlemen at a later time." Lysandre and Cyrus nodded as their images blinked from sight. Giovanni pressed the End Call button on his Xtransceiver. "Gengar, I assume you have news for me?" He asked the Ghost/Poison Pokémon floating nervously behind his chair.
"I failed you, master," the Gengar replied hesitantly. "I was unable to use Gym Leader Misty's Mega Gyarados to defeat and kill the boy."
"If you HAD succeeded in that endeavor, you most definitely would've failed," Giovanni replied standing and turning to face the Gengar, "and for the most part, you HAVE failed. I told you to observe the boy for me, not to launch an assault of any kind on him." He groaned softly. "Were you seen?" He asked.
"Somehow, the human spotted me while I was invisible," Gengar said, incredulity in his voice. "He threw me with his mind!"
Giovanni glared at the Gengar, silencing him. "Be glad I find your abilities useful and irreplaceable. Otherwise, I would find another to fill the position you so enjoy," he said. "Now, get out of my face!" Gengar skittered away, phasing through the wall to evade his boss' anger. With an annoyed sigh, Giovanni walked to the door. "Bunch of useless cretins," he muttered. "If only I had a few minions more like you," he said, turning to the disguised Zoroark. "You actually seem a bit useful, and on top of that, you've got a lot of potential, young man. Stay around a while, and you could be an Administrator someday."
"Thank you, sir," Zoroark said as he bowed in respect to Giovanni, who walked away to take care of other business. Deciding it was about time to leave, Zoroark started walking back to where he'd entered the base. He was glad he'd remembered the directions he took when walking behind Giovanni. He walked past a dark room, unremarkable in outward appearance, but something made him stop: two small colored lights glowing inside the room. Turning around, the disguised Zoroark approached the door. It had a keypad to type in a coded password to open the door. Zoroark immediately began searching around the area of the keypad, and his search was soon rewarded. Some Team Rocket Grunt had written the password down on a note, and the note had been folded and stuffed between the keypad and the wall. The password was 150-384-487-493. Zoroark typed in the password, hoping that the note left behind by the dumb Rocket Grunt had a genuine password. He was not disappointed. The door slid to the right, and Zoroark entered the room. He moved toward the two glowing lights in the room, and he soon realized what they were. One of the objects was the legendary Tyranitarite, already set in a wristband designed for a Tyranitar to wear. Zoroark pocketed the Mega Stone and its wristband. (Better Tsuyoi and Sabrina deal with it. They'll know what to do,) he thought. He looked at the second glowing object. It was a tablet that a Rocket Grunt had left behind, no doubt the same one that left the note. Zoroark reached for the tablet, but stopped. Something wasn't right. He had gotten in far too easily.
"What's the matter?" A familiar voice said behind him. "Have the feeling that something isn't right, that you may have walked into a trap, Zoroark?" Zoroark turned to see who it was. He was not surprised to see it was Giovanni. "You may as well drop the disguise," Giovanni continued. "I know it's you."
Zoroark glared at Giovanni and dropped his disguise. "How did you guess?" He asked, baring his teeth.
"Call it a gut feeling," Giovanni replied. "That, and the fact that the illusion resembled my average Team Rocket Grunt a little too well." He walked over to the tablet left on the table. "Get a good look?" He asked. Zoroark said nothing. "Very well," Giovanni said as he turned the tablet off. "I suppose I could tell you what my plans are, since you aren't getting out of here alive, or in one piece." He paced about the room. After a few minutes, he spoke. "This is one of the worst years in the history of Team Rocket. Most of our bases, aboveground or belowground, have been invaded by the authorities and shut down or completely destroyed. It's becoming harder and harder to evade the authorities. Their Pokémon are getting more and more thoroughly trained, and the officers are getting harder and harder to bribe, and they were hard enough to bribe to begin with. Are you understanding all of this?" He asked, looking at Zoroark. Getting only a silent stare, he continued. "What better way to ensure the safety of my team, and the accomplishment of our goals, than to enter into an alliance with two former Team Bosses? I'm certain you overheard our conversation. They will give me men, competent men who will carry out my orders without question or qualm, and together, we will overthrow the Indigo Plateau, the seat of the Kanto Elite Four, and with that accomplished, I will rule the Kanto Region. After that, I will give my associates the power they need to rule their regions."
"You will be stopped," Zoroark rebutted.
"By whom? You?" Giovanni asked. He gave a signal with his hands, and the room was suddenly feeling crowded. The door slammed shut. "You can't escape. My men have glasses that filter out illusions, and you can't use any of your attacks in a small space."
Suddenly, the door was ripped off its hinges by a strong Psychic force. "Then I believe it's time to open up some space," an all too familiar telepathic voice replied.
Giovanni turned toward the far corner of the room slowly, a look of horror on his face as he saw an undiscernible glow there. "It can't be!" He exclaimed.
"It can, and it is," the voice continued.
"Who are you?"
"Ask me who I was in life," the voice retorted.
"Wh-who were you, then?" Giovanni asked. Noticing that the Team Rocket Grunts and their leader were transfixed by the glowing light like a bunch of Venonat, began to slowly sneak out of the room.
"I was Mewtwo, the one you used to call your ultimate creation ere I was replaced," the voice replied.
Gathering his wit, Giovanni growled, "And you were destroyed by one superior to you, and he will do it again!"
Mewtwo's voice chuckled softly. "You cannot kill what is already dead. I promise you this, 'old friend': you will be stopped. That is an unavoidable fact."
"Really?" Giovanni asked. "Then what do you say to this: a Deoxys embryo infused with fresh Zoroark DNA?"
"And where, pray tell, will you obtain this 'fresh Zoroark DNA from?" Mewtwo's voice countered.
"From the Zoroark behind me," Giovanni replied as he turned around. To his shock, there was no Zoroark. "Alright, which one of you is the Zoroark?" He asked.
Any coherent reply was drowned out by the Grunts all protesting that they were really who they said they were. Mewtwo's voice chuckled. "You can't control everything," it replied sagely, "and I am especially beyond your control. Your plans will fall, and with them, your organization will collapse like a house of cards in a Twister attack." The light faded, and Giovanni gave a loud shout of anger. Suddenly, the walls began to shake. "Emergency Base Collapse measures initiated. Estimated time until total collapse: six minutes," the automated warning blared.
Giovanni kicked the wrenched door in frustration. "The Lord of the Reverse World will not be pleased," he said, giving the corner one final look before fleeing. The base was completely evacuated within five minutes. After the six minutes had passed, absolutely nothing happened.
-Secret entrance to Rocket Outpost XY-
Inside the house, Deoxys stared at the hidden entrance to the Rocket base. "Master has been gone for a long time," it said telepathically. "I hope that he is okay."
Before anyone could say anything, there was a tapping noise coming from underneath the floorboards. The panel Deoxys was staring at withdrew, revealing a triumphantly smiling Tsuyoi. "I'm sorry if I kept you all waiting," he apologized.
"Wh-what was that?" Zoroark wondered. "What was that light I saw?"
Tsuyoi smiled. "I hijacked the sound systems," he explained. "That Pokémon Buck I gave you, Zoroark, had a hidden projector within it. It projected a ball of white light that seemed to float in the air, and because there was no shadow, you were able to sneak out of the room, where my Deoxys teleported you to safety."
"What happened after that? How did you get into the base?" Zoroark asked.
Tsuyoi fell silent for a moment. "After you walked in, the security system was shut down for a few minutes for maintenance and updating," he replied after a moment. "Somehow, I was able to sense that, and seeing my opportunity, I snuck into the base, bypassing the inert systems, and I used my stealth skills to make my way through the crowds to get to the main computer room. Once I was there, I hacked into the system and downloaded the information I needed. Once I was done, I activated the projector, which was the primary distraction. Still, in order to escape a crowd made aware of an intruder in their midst, I had the computers give a fake 'Collapse Imminent' alarm to make everyone abandon the base. I managed to snag the tablet Giovanni told you about. I trust you still have the Tyranitarite?" He asked.
Zoroark nodded and removed the Mega Stone from the fur on his right side. "I think you have some explaining to do," he said.
"Indeed, I do," Tsuyoi replied, accepting the Mega Stone from Zoroark. "I found no trace of a Deoxys embryo anywhere in the base. I believe Giovanni was bluffing about that. Anyways, Lysandre was right for the most part. Our world is a flawed one, but that's what makes it beautiful. If perfection existed, technology could be at a near-fatal standstill. Yes, he made contact with me at the age of 11, but I wasn't interested in joining a criminal gang. Something about it just wasn't right, and I felt my talents were better suited for non-illegal activities, so I refused. He and his group continued stalking me wherever I went, so I took the opportunity to fulfill a dream of mine, which was to travel across the world. I returned to the Kalos Region about eight months ago, having heard through sources that shall never be identified that Lysandre had perfected an ancient weapon capable of wiping out massive swaths of population, human and Pokémon alike. I believed I didn't have enough time to alert Officer Jenny, the Elite Four, and Champion Diantha of the impending danger, so I had to take matters into my own hands. I forced my way into the hidden base. I did not attack anyone directly, but I fought for a brief while against the chief scientists of Team Flare who decided to interfere with my quest. When I entered the inner sanctum of the Team Flare base, Lysandre ordered his Tyroar to use Thunder Fang on me directly, but I countered by brushing it to the side with my Psychic powers. A deliberately weakened Psycho Boost from Deoxys knocked Tyroar unconscious, but the battle was far from over. Lysandre used both Xerneas and Yveltal against me, but I was able to capture them in Ultra Balls because Lysandre never had done so. I had Yveltal destroy the machine, and I left the base through a hole in the cave wall Rukario dug. I deliberately left the hole open that Lysandre could use it to escape if he wished. From the sounds of the conversation, he didn't wish to use my tunnel to escape, no doubt believing it was a trap. I can assure you it wasn't. I might've been different back then, but I was not a murderer at all. The tunnel simply wasn't large or wide enough to haul Lysandre through it. Once I was free of the base, I escaped to the countryside where I attempted to release the two Pokémon that had once powered the weapon. One left, but the other stayed with me."
"Well, who left?" Ash asked.
"And who stayed?" Bonnie asked, also.
Tsuyoi was about to reply, but stopped. "We'd best get moving," he said, recalling Rukario. "No telling whether or not the Rocket Grunts have figured out that the impending base collapse was a hoax." The group left the house without being spotted, and Tatsu took his leave. Tsuyoi looked at the sky. "I think I'll head outside the city for a few hours. I must get ready for the Contest." He walked to the south, soon exiting by the same path he'd used to enter the city. He looked around. Realizing that he hadn't been followed by Team Rocket Grunts, he called out two of his Pokémon. "Darkrai, Bangiras, you're up," he said.
"What is your wish, sir?" Darkrai asked. Ever since Tsuyoi had freed Darkrai from Colress' control, the Nightmare Pokémon had nothing but respect for the human.
"I need your help in testing something," Tsuyoi replied. He pulled out two thin pieces of metal from his pocket. They looked like coins, but had no faces on them. Darkrai received one piece, and Tyranitar received the other. "Place the metal piece on your arm or shoulder. It doesn't matter which one," Tsuyoi said. Tyranitar put his metal piece on his left shoulder, Darkrai putting his piece on his right arm. "Now, Darkrai, fire a small Hyper Beam through your hands and repeat after me: Metsu HADOOOOOOOOOOKEEEEEEN!"
Darkrai nodded, and shot a small Hyper Beam from his hands, yelling "{Metsu HADOOOOOOOOOOKEEEEEEN!}" To his surprise, he sounded exactly like Ryu. "What is this?" He asked.
"A voice modulator," Tsuyoi explained. "It'll allow you to sound like a number of famous figures, fictitious or realistic. In your case, you sound like Ryu. The voice modulator is small enough that it'll be almost impossible to detect when you're in full costume. Now, Tyranitar," Tsuyoi said, revealing his Key Stone, "It is time…"
"For our hearts"
"To become one!" The two shouted at the same time. Tyranitar grew taller as the holes in its torso grew larger. His stomach turned from blue to hunter orange, and his tail elongated. "Now, Tyranitar. Repeat after me: I shall grind beneath my heel ALL that exists."
Tyranitar nodded, and replied in a menacing voice that sounded exactly like that of a certain villain from Street Fighter, "{I shall grind underneath my heel EVERYTHING that exists!}"
Tsuyoi shook his head. "Not quite, but that's okay. We've got plenty of time before the Contest, though," he replied. He looked back at the bushes behind him. "Enjoy the show, Sabrina?" He asked verbally.
Sabrina, Ash, Bonnie, and Suzy walked out of the bushes. "Wow! That was REALLY cool!" Bonnie explained.
Tsuyoi smiled. "I'm glad you liked it," he replied. "That's just a fraction of what is to come, though. If you wish, I will reveal the Pokémon that decided to stay with me." Without waiting for a reply, Tsuyoi turned around and pulled an Ultra Ball from his belt, pressing the button to activate it. "Pokémon, arise!"
And so concludes another exciting chapter in the saga of Ash and his friends. They have learned of great secrets and marvelous techniques held by the ninja Tsuyoi. They have also learned that Tsuyoi has a past with Lysandre, the leader of Team Flare of the Kalos Region, who has entered into an alliance with Giovanni, who is in the process of questioning an alliance HE himself has made…
-Reverse World-
"What news have you brought? It had better be good," a deep, grim voice said from within the darkness.
"The youth proves more resilient than anticipated," Giovanni admitted. "MUCH more resilient. If you had given me a Gengar that could follow orders, we wouldn't be in this mess, Dark-"
"This is YOUR fault!" The deep voice interrupted. "You lead, but without any REAL power. If you knew how to use real power, my Gengar would not have made his attempt to kill the boy. You are soft, human. You need to rule with an iron claw."
"I know, Dark Giratina," Giovanni replied, staring at his shoes. "That's why I've increased punishment for failure to carry out-"
"That is not good enough," Dark Giratina interrupted again. "Your paltry attempts to discipline your troops is nothing more than temporary imprisonment with a definite end, and suspension of payment that also has a definite end! You must make it known that you will not accept failure, that failure is cause enough to have the perpetrator thrown in your imprisonment areas for an indefinite period of time. If they resist, kill them. There is no room for failures in my new world. Now, are we clear?"
"Yes, Dark Giratina, Lord of the Reverse World," Giovanni said, staring at his shoes.
"Good. You are dismissed…"
To Be Continued…
I'm sorry for taking so long to type this chapter, but life's been incredibly complicated since I graduated from a certain college. I've been busy with attempting to ready myself for a new college, which I've started going to. I snuck in a couple references. I snuck in a couple Street Fighter references, two of which aren't as obvious as the other (E.R. and Onii). I also snuck in a Young Justice reference. No doubt my good friend SuperHeroTimeFan will be able to recognize it with ease. I also snuck in a couple lines from a game that you may have never heard of. It's called JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: All Star Battle.
In my opinion, when one is charging a beam attack in their hands and they're turning away from their targets, it can only be one of three things: a Kamehameha Wave attack, a Hyper Beam, or a Metsu Hadoken, the former being an iconic Dragon Ball technique, and the latter being one of the iconic Street Fighter moves. Lysandre is wrong. Tsuyoi kept one of the Legendary Kalos Pokémon, but which one? Did he keep the Fairy-type Xerneas, or did he keep the Dark/Flying Yveltal? Vote on the new poll on my profile to help me decide which Legendary Tsuyoi still has with him.
I have to thank 1 for the idea of having Zoroark breaking into the secure Team Rocket facility. This is why I write: so that people can give me their ideas on how to improve the story. Yes, I know that I need to update more often, but life has an odd way of messing you up when you've got plans.
The next chapter will be a 9/11 special. It will not have anything to do with the progression of the story, but I feel it's a chapter that needs to be written. We cannot afford to forget what happened on that fateful day 14 years ago. May we never forget…
