Many thanks to Ri2 for his beta work and advice.
Episode VI: Brock's Double Love Trouble
"Let's see," Misty said hurriedly as she walked through the Pokémon Center. She was preoccupied sorting through the various bags in her arms, pulling items out one by one and then mentally checking them off. "Potions and Restores, check. Pokémon food, check. Togepi's pillow, check…"
The last thing they needed was to forget something important, and unfortunately the duty fell to Misty. Ash was too eager and ready to hit the road, and wouldn't worry about the details until they were well away from any civilization. She could normally depend on Brock, but in a Pokémon Center he was useless, given where he would gravitate. At least he had already picked up the food, but he organized it in a way that made sense only to him. "If you want something done right," she grumbled, "you've got to do it yourself."
Misty suddenly stumbled as her foot tripped over something. Her hands scrambled as she fell, struggling vainly to catch the various items, but then found herself and the items caught in an invisible force and gently brought to the ground. She turned to see the image of Lokoko, as well as the real Ninetales, whose tails she had tripped on. Misty froze at this. "I'm…sorry!" she stammered. Touching a Ninetales' tails was said to bring a thousand years of bad luck. "I…didn't really mean to…"
"It is all right," Lokoko reassured her. "You did not actually step on my tails, you only tripped on them. Besides, it would not be just to curse a friend, would it?" Misty smiled. Lokoko had been fairly caustic at first, only truly caring about Brock. But they were slowly becoming friends. "Do you need any help?" Lokoko continued.
"Oh, I'm fine," Misty said. "I was about done going through the inventory anyway. We should have enough to make it to Mahogany Town, and if not, we can always forage on the road. That's where most of the food comes from anyways; Brock always seems to know which berries and nuts mix in best with a meal."
Lokoko smiled at that. "He certainly is resourceful," she agreed.
"Anyway," Misty said, "we probably should round up the others. Ash won't stand for waiting another day here, but it's already past lunch, so we need to make decent headway before night comes."
"Then let us go," Lokoko said. "Where are Brock and Ash?"
"Oh," Misty said, "Ash is already outside. I don't know where Brock is, but he'll probably be out there sooner or later."
Misty turned the corner toward the main lobby, and then suddenly backtracked. "Actually," she told Lokoko, "why don't we check out the vending machines again before we set out? In case we missed anything, you know?"
Lokoko looked at Misty in confusion. "But Brock already took care of the provisions," she reminded her.
The mention of Brock seemed to make Misty only more nervous. "I mean…" Misty stumbled for an excuse. "Let's just go this way," she said, moving to herd Lokoko away. "I'll explain later."
Unfortunately, Misty still got thrown off by Lokoko's illusionary form once in a while. As Misty stumbled through Lokoko's visage, Ninetales walked past her. She turned the corner, and froze.
Brock was leaning over the front desk, chatting with the Nurse Joy on duty. "I have to say that your Pokémon Center is very impressive, Nurse Joy," Brock told her. "And the décor only serves to highlight your own appearance. You are truly a vision of beauty."
Ninetales silently stared at the scene, Psychic energy building inside her. Unconsciously feeling goosebumps, Brock turned around, and smiled as he saw Ninetales. "Ninetales," he said warmly, bending down to pet her, "how are you? Let's go find Lokoko and the others." Ninetales stiffened on hearing the name 'Lokoko' and, stifling her energy, coldly weaved past Brock's hand. Brock stared at Ninetales, wondering if he was missing something.
Watching the scene unfold, Misty could only groan. "Brock," she muttered to herself, "when will you learn?"
…
…
Brock smiled as he gazed out at the scenery around them. The northeast area of Johto, with its rugged mountains and woodlands, was on the one hand formidable, making their journey harder, but the natural landscape also had a sort of beauty to it. The terrain reminded him of Pewter City. He frowned slightly at this. It had been a long time since he had been home. Even when they finished Ash's tours of Kanto and the Orange Islands, they'd never gotten far enough north before heading off on the next adventure.
He really hoped everyone was doing okay. At least his dad was back now. But he wasn't sure if his dad was up for the challenge. Not with the gym – the man had mastered fighting with Rock Pokémon, and at one time it looked like he would have made it into the Elites. It was the family side of things that worried him. With nine siblings, most of them still relatively young, Brock knew that taking care of them was a big responsibility. And responsibility was something that his dad had trouble with. That was what hurt the most when he left and never came back. When you cared about someone, you devoted everything you could to that person. That was what Brock would do, when he found the right person to spend the rest of his life with. But first, he had to find one, and there were so many different possibilities! And so many failures, but he wouldn't give up!
"So," he said, turning toward Ninetales, "looks like we have some more mountains to deal with before we reach Blackthorn. How do you think they compare with the ones where you used to…"
Brock paused in surprise. Lokoko was walking silently as a Ninetales, and was not projecting her human persona. That made communication a little more difficult. Not to mention that human Lokoko was a very attractive young lady – not that it mattered anymore; he knew when to let it go.
"You know," Brock told Ninetales, "you can bring out your human form again if you want, now that we're out of the city." Ninetales glanced coldly back at Brock and then continued to walk forward. "Besides," Brock added, "it's wonderful to see your pretty face."
For some reason, Lokoko did not smile at the compliment like she usually did. Instead, her tails bristled. "Lokoko," he said quietly, "what's wrong?" Ninetales just ignored him.
Brock frowned, wondering what was bothering her. He was about to ask again, when he noticed that Ash had stopped ahead on the path. Up ahead was a trainer – a female trainer! She wore an athletic outfit along with a white band atop her gorgeous brown hair. And the metallic bracelet on her left arm made her even more distinct and lovely. She had already started talking to Ash, but Brock rushed forward, ready to seize the day. "Hello there!" he said, offering his hand like a gentleman. "It's great to meet someone as beautiful as yourself! May I have the honor of –"
He suddenly crashed into the ground. "Ow," he muttered as he pulled himself up. What happened? He had been anticipating Misty pulling him away by the ear again – he never figured out how to avoid her in time – but she was never this forceful. He hadn't just tripped, he was slammed into the ground, and it hurt. As he got back on his feet, he saw to his surprise that Misty was nowhere nearby. Ash looked baffled, so that left…Ninetales. He looked at her with a sense of betrayal, but Lokoko was unrepentant. What was going on?
He was distracted from those thoughts when the girl beside him put her arm around his shoulder. "You okay there?" she said.
"I'm fine," he said, blushing, "as long as you're here."
"That's so sweet," the girl said, smiling warmly. "You're quite a handsome catch yourself, you know."
"Really?!" Brock said.
"Don't make me pull you by the ear," Misty warned. "Anyway, I'm Misty, that's Ash over there, and this love-struck fool is Brock."
"Nice to meet you," the girl said. "I'm Cybil. Are you all heading toward Blackthorn City?"
"We sure are," Ash said. "I'm going to fight the gym leader there."
"Well," Cybil said, "if you want to get there sooner, there's a shortcut I could show you. I have a cabin out in the woods, and I'd be happy to let you rest for the night before showing you the path through the mountains."
"That sounds great," Ash said.
"We do need to find shelter for the night," Misty agreed. "Plus, I don't like the look of the clouds. I think a storm is rolling in."
"Then it's settled," Brock said happily. "Lead the way, Cybil!"
"Don't worry," she said. As she led the party off the main path onto a side trail, she absently tapped the bracelet, almost in a pattern. "You and your Pokémon will be safe with me!" Brock smiled contentedly, sparing a brief glance to Ninetales before following after his true love once more.
…
…
Jessie smiled as Farfetch'd laid the last sticks over the team's newly-dug pit. "Good," she said as James and Meowth covered it up. "Let's get into position. The Twerps will come along sooner or later."
Her teammates nodded and hurried into the bushes. "Want Farfetch'd to take another look?" James suggested.
Jessie smiled. After getting tracked by the Twerps' flying Pokémon so many times, it was nice to finally turn the tables. That was how they knew that the Twerps were taking this particular mountain trail, and could set the perfect trap ahead of time. However, she shook her head. "Let's not risk it this time," she said. "They might get suspicious if they see the same Pokémon twice. And we need to keep our new secret weapon a secret."
The three chuckled evilly. Farfetch'd wasn't much of a fighter, but he represented a new card in their deck, one the Twerps wouldn't suspect. Between that and the trap, Jessie was feeling pretty optimistic about their chances. All they had to do was bide their time and stay quiet…
She frowned at the loud crunching noises coming from Meowth. "What part of subterfuge don't you understand?" she snapped.
"Take it easy," Meowth said as he gulped down one last chip. "It's been a long time since we've been able to enjoy quality food – usually we have to scrounge the vending machines for stale ones, but these chips are homemade and fresh!"
Meowth burped happily and then turned back to James. "We'll see how he does with the Twerps, Jimmy, but in any case you really lucked out this time. What a chef! Guess after being the entrée so many times, at least one of 'em decided to learn how to cook its…ow!" Farfetch'd rapped Meowth lightly on the head with its leek baton.
As James tried to calm down the two, Jessie sighed, half in exasperation and half from nostalgia. It had been a long time since their last good meal. Back in the day, they got the usual first-class treatment for agents, with a supplier keeping them well stocked for missions. Now though, they were forced to forage through trees and trashcans. Farfetch'd was a pro at making gourmet food out of scraps, but that didn't change that scraps was the only thing available to them. But that was only for now. Once they got back into the Boss' graces, things would be looking up again.
And here came their ticket now, as she heard footsteps approaching. She peered out of the bushes eagerly, only to be surprised when a non-Twerp trainer merrily skipped down the path. She had brown hair, a black headband, and a bracelet on her arm.
"Hey, who's dat kid?!" Meowth whispered loudly. "She's gonna bust our whole plan!"
"Pipe down!" Jessie hissed. "If she falls in, we'll go after her instead."
The brown-haired girl walked toward the pit trap, but then paused suddenly. She stared down at the ground, and cast suspicious looks around her. "Think she noticed it?" James whispered. Jessie tensed, ready to pounce.
Suddenly, the girl's arm bracelet rang. She used her left hand to press a button on it and then held it up to her face. "Sis S to Sis C," she said. "How's it going?" Jessie craned her neck to hear the dialogue, but couldn't make out the reply. "Oh?" the girl said. "Good find! Just be careful, okay? Big groups like that are tough to deal with." More gibberish came out. "Ah, I see. Well, it shouldn't be too hard to get someone like him away from the others. Anyway, good luck with your catch this time.
"Oh, me? I'll just stroll around a little longer. Besides, there are some annoying pests on our turf I need to deal with. Love you too, Bye!" As soon as she turned off the communicator, her face hardened. She threw out a Pokeball, straight at the bushes. "Oh, Beedril!" she called in a singsong voice. "Could you pretty-please skewer these naughty little vermin for me?"
Team Rocket's eyes widened as the Beedril popped out of its Pokeball and flew forward, its lance-like stingers ready to pierce them. The force knocked them into the air, with Farfetch'd flying beside them. "Now what was that all about?" James complained. Jessie clenched her fist. That girl had better watch out; no one messed with Team Rocket and got away with it!
...
…
"This is pretty nice," Misty said. The party stood in front of a decently-sized log cabin, humble but welcoming.
"You stay here by yourself?" Ash asked.
"Yep," Cybil said. "Just me and my Pokémon. But it's fine; there are always plenty of people and Pokémon passing through that I get to meet." She eagerly beckoned them inside.
The interior was warm and cozy, with a large table and several couches for guests. At the back of the room, there was a door slightly ajar leading to a kitchen. Misty plopped herself down on one of the sofas, relieved to rest after a long day of walking. However, she paused as she felt a draft behind her. She turned around and saw some sort of hole on the wall behind the couch.
Misty bent over for a closer look, but Cybil interrupted her. "Oh, that's just the cellar. It gets pretty dank in this kind of weather, so I try to keep it sealed up. Anyway, I bet you're all hungry, right? Well, I have just the treat for you."
"Hey, I can help too," Brock offered, eager to spend extra time with Cybil. He got up from one of the chairs by the table and headed toward the kitchen.
However, she cutely shook her head and blocked the doorway. "Nope! I want this to be a special surprise and reward, all in one. Just sit tight a little longer, 'kay?" She calmly sauntered into the kitchen, and closed the door behind her.
Brock let out a forlorn sigh, but then turned to Misty. "Say, Misty," he whispered, "I wanted to ask you something: do you have any idea what's up with Lokoko today?"
"Besides the obvious?" Misty said. "Look, Brock. I have sort of an idea of why you get so hung up over love. But you really need to open your eyes and take responsibility for once."
"What do you – oh, Cybil, you're back already!" He eagerly headed over to her as she stepped out of the kitchen.
"I just needed to set up a couple of things," Cybil explained. "Now all we have to do is wait." She sat down on a sofa, and patted it teasingly to Brock, who took her up on the offer, sitting close beside her and chatting.
Misty groaned in defeat. She didn't expect Cybil to get done so quickly; usually it took a lot of work and attention, even for Brock, to prepare a meal. Well, if she couldn't deal with Brock right now, she could at least try to handle the other side of the issue. She carefully sidled up beside Ninetales. "It hasn't started raining quite yet," she offered quietly. "Want to come and look outside for a bit?"
Ninetales nodded and followed Misty onto the porch. Once they were out of sight of the others, Lokoko's visage emerged. "Are you feeling okay?" Misty said, already anticipating the answer.
"I…" Lokoko said slowly. The tears on her face were an illusion, but that did not make them any less real. "It's just…I knew he was attracted to my human visage, and I used it to lure him into staying. But even then, I thought that he saw me as someone special. Now…was it all just a lie?"
Misty sighed. She had hoped to avoid this awkward subject for as long as possible. Pokémon or not, Lokoko had certainly been enthralled by Brock's declarations of love and passion, but she was hardly the first or last woman Brock had proposed to. In actuality, Misty was surprised that Brock's infatuation streak remained a secret this long. Even after they reached the Pokémon Center in Mahogany, Ninetales was too exhausted from her injuries to really pay attention to Brock's flirting, not that Brock was in much condition to flirt either. Even on the second day at the center, Misty had managed to keep Lokoko diverted. But the third time was the charm apparently. Not that she could have kept it a secret much longer; leaving aside how widespread the Joy family was, not to mention the Officer Jennies all it would take would be one pretty girl to set Brock off.
"It's kind of tough to tell," Misty said. "Brock…does seem to jump between different attractions at the drop of a hat. There's rarely a day when I don't have to rein him in before he gets out of control with his declarations of eternal love.
"But," she continued after a moment of hesitation, "somehow, I always get the feeling that he is sincere in his promises."
Lokoko and Ninetales blinked in confusion. "I don't understand," she said.
"Most of the time," Misty explained, "there is just one person he sees that he homes in on. Not that there haven't been incidents otherwise; I thought he was going to go insane with all of the Jennies and Joys at the Indigo League. But when he chases someone, he really sees her as someone he could spend the rest of his life with."
"Until he finds someone else," Lokoko interjected.
Misty's face fell. "Yeah," she admitted. "There's that. But even then, he somehow tells every individual woman apart. He knows you're your own person, Lokoko."
"Which person?" Lokoko countered. "The pretty face he saw, or the Pokémon beneath the surface?" Misty said nothing, unsure what to say.
Their conversation broke off as the first drops of rain began to fall. They hurried back into the house, and right behind them they could hear a deluge of water and lightning. The food was all set up on the table, and Brock was sitting right next to Cybil, waiting for her to spoon feed him the first morsel. However, he turned around when he noticed them returning. "Hey," he said, "you're just in time. The food looks great, just what I'd expect from a wonderful person like you, Cybil."
Cybil preened, but frowned slightly when Brock spooned some food and offered it to Lokoko. "Here," he said kindly. "Maybe this will cheer you up." After a moment of hesitation, Ninetales took a small nibble.
Misty smiled lightly, but then Cybil spoke up. "That is a wonderful Ninetales, Brock," she said. "Would you be interested in trading it?"
"Well, actually," Brock admitted, "she doesn't have an owner. We're just friends."
"I see," Cybil said. She bent down close to Lokoko and extended her hand to pet her on the head. "Such modesty. Such a tame and lovely Ninetales could only be the product of someone like yourself."
"Well, that's kind of true," Brock hedged.
At this point, Ninetales snapped, and bit hard onto Cybil's hand. Cybil screamed in pain and fell back, knocking over all the food. "Lokoko, what are you doing?!" Brock demanded.
Ninetales just looked at him sorrowfully for a moment, and then bolted out the door. "Lokoko?" Brock stared in disbelief before moving toward the door. "Lokoko!"
"Leave that wretched beast," Cybil said, pulling Brock back. "It won't go far in this storm, and after the weather clears I'm sure we can make it come to reason."
"But –" Brock said.
"No buts," Cybil said. She hugged Brock. "Bad enough that it ran away, I can't afford to lose you, either."
"Okay," Brock said. "Do you need any help with making dinner again?"
"No, I can handle it," she said, and she slipped back into the kitchen.
Brock turned back uneasily toward the storm outside, clearly torn. "What's wrong with Lokoko?" Ash asked.
"Heartbreak," Misty said. Both Ash and Brock stared at her in confusion, albeit for different reasons.
"You mean she got hurt somehow?" Ash said naively.
Misty shook her head. "Sort of," she answered. "Brock, could I talk you for a moment?" Not waiting for an answer, she pulled him by the ear to a corner of the cabin.
"Ouch, hey!" Brock said. He finally managed to pull himself away. "What's up with everyone today?"
Misty groaned in exasperation. "It's what's up with you that is behind all of this," she said. "Did it occur to you that you used the same lines with Lokoko just last week?"
Brock blinked. "You're right," he said. "But what does that have to do with her now? I know we had some confusion at first, but I know she's a Pokémon now, and about her old master, so I am going to respect her boundaries."
"That's not the point," Misty said, trying to find a way to get through to him. "Let me put it to you this way. Lokoko likes you in part because you became her friend and helped her, just like Ash with his Pokémon."
"Yeah," Brock admitted, still not understanding what she was getting at.
"What if Pikachu, or another of the Pokémon, suddenly learned that their initial meeting was fake, that Ash never really cared about them to begin with?" Misty pressed.
"Ash would never do that!" Brock said. "Abandoning or neglecting a Pokémon is one of the worst things you can do."
"Well, you just did that," Misty said.
Brock's gut churned. "What?"
"Think about it," Misty insisted. "Ninetales thought that you were treating her like someone special. Now she knows that you do the same thing with any pretty girl that comes around. How do you think that's going to make her feel?"
"Hmmm…" Brock said, beginning to frown in worry.
"Dinner's ready again~!" Cybil called out. She came in with another set of dishes. "Have as much as you like, sweetie."
Brock moved toward the table, but then froze in hesitation. He suddenly dashed out the door into the storm.
"Brock!" Misty shouted.
Misty wanted to go after him, but Cybil held them back. "It's too dangerous," Cybil insisted said.
"Fine," Ash said, "but we'll hold off eating until Brock gets back." Misty nodded, failing to notice the increasing frown on Cybil's face.
…
…
Ninetales stumbled into a puddle, but pushed herself back on her feet. She kept having these pains again and again, making it even more difficult to see where she was going. The rain was getting harder, and Ninetales could barely see a few feet in front of her. It was hardly the first storm she had encountered. The mansion had become riddled with holes over the centuries, and even a small shower would soak everything inside. Even so, with her illusions she could at least pretend that she was safe from the elements. She would have damp fur after a storm, but she maintained the mansion's pristine illusion, with her safe at the center. Now, though, she did not want to hide in the illusions, in all those lies. As much as she felt betrayed by Brock, she felt angry at herself for setting herself up. In the end, it had been Lokoko, the demure maiden of the house, who convinced Brock to stay.
"Lokoko!" Ninetales paused and turned around as Brock came into sight. She backed up slightly, hissing. "Lokoko…Ninetales," he said slowly, "please come back. Everyone's worried about you. It's not safe out here." She shook her head and bounded deeper into the woods. However, she heard Brock following her from behind. Frustrated, she spat out a blast of fire, though it quickly dissolved under the rain. "Ninetales," he said, "I'm sorry. Please. If you…don't want to be with us anymore, you can do what you like, but it's really dangerous to be out in this weather."
Ninetales hesitated, but shook her head and dashed off. Only, this time she bounded straight off a cliff. No matter, it would be child's play to use her psychic powers to pull herself back up... However, she suddenly felt another sharp pain, and her concentration broke. Ninetales struggled against the growing haze in her mind as she felt herself plummet, but finally she gave into the lethargy and closed her eyes. So this was how her story ended, just as she had always suspected. Alone and fading on a dark, stormy eve. The last thing she remembered before everything went black with Brock's cry, closer than she would have thought.
….
…
Ash and Misty stared out into the storm, waiting and wondering. Cybil had gone back to the kitchen in a huff after Brock left, and had not come out for a while, leaving the two trainers to themselves and their thoughts. "Ash, I'm worried," Misty said.
"Pi…" Pikachu agreed, watching as a lightning bolt burst through the night outside the window.
"Let's go look for them," Ash suggested.
"You can't leave now," Cybil said, stepping out of the kitchen. "I just prepared more food for you. Besides, this is no weather to wander about in. Just wait until it calms down."
"If we wait too long, we might not see Brock or Lokoko again," Ash said.
"Besides," Misty said, "this rain is no challenge to a Water Pokémon trainer like myself."
"Oh, I guess you can go," Cybil told Misty. She sidled up to Ash. "Why don't you let your friend check things out, while we wait in here together?"
Misty frowned, but Ash shook his head. "We really appreciate your hospitality," he said, "but we really need to find Brock. He's our friend, and we all look out for each other."
"Just have a little more food before you leave, okay?" Cybil insisted. "You never got around to eating dinner before it got cold, and it shouldn't go to waste."
"Why don't you have it?" Misty said. "You haven't had anything yourself."
"That's right," Ash said. "Even when Brock cooks, he still has some food, too. You don't need to bend your back over for us."
"It'd be nice if you bent the way I wanted," Cybil muttered.
"Huh?" Ash said, confused.
"Look," Cybil said, starting to get forceful, "just…"
There was a sudden pounding on the door. "That must be Brock!" Misty said. "Maybe he found Lokoko." Ash and Misty quickly opened the door, but instead three soppy figures plopped inside, none of them Brock.
"More people?" Cybil muttered.
"Please," the magenta-haired woman begged as she pushed water off her long hair, "we need a room for the night. We've been through a lot of trouble."
"That's right," her blue-haired companion choked out, "and you can make that double!"
Double? Ash and Misty tensed, as the three arrivals' identities became clear. Suddenly, the trio's heads snapped up with newfound focus, but not on the "Twerps." Instead, they glared daggers at Cybil, who could only blink in puzzlement.
"You!" James spat out, his anger rivaling Jessie's.
"Of all the joints in the rain," Meowth said, "we just happened to drop into yers. Guess karma's finally givin' us a chance, after what you pulled." He lunged forward, his claws ready to slash at her face. Cybil's stance tensed, but Meowth never made it over to her, as Pikachu tackled him from the side.
"Huh?" Jessie said, finally noticing the other trainers present. "Twerps?!"
"Team Rocket!" Ash said.
"This is a new-time low for you creeps," Misty said. "Leave that poor girl alone!"
"Hey," Meowth snapped, "dat girl is 'bout as defenseless as a Beedril, like the one she sicced on us!"
"Beedril?" Ash said, turning his head in confusion. He turned back to Cybil. She still seemed lost, but her eyes were starting to focus, as if she was putting something together. "Do you have a Beedril?" he asked.
Snapping out of her daze, Cybil said, "Of course not! With a Pokémon like that, someone could get hurt!"
"You see?" Misty said. And she's been here for the last few hours. "You three just got mixed up. Given how mixed up your heads are, I can see why you got confused."
"We'll show ya mixed up!" Meowth said. "Ya can't fool us!"
"In any case," Jessie said, "since we're all here, we might as well take Pikachu too. And this time, we have our new secret weapon." She turned to James. "That brat messed up the time and place for us, but we still have a chance. Ready to give it a go, James?"
He nodded. "Weezing, Smokescreen!" he shouted as he threw a ball into the room. As soon as the gas Pokémon emerged, it spewed out a thick cloud, filling the entire cabin and flowing out into the storm.
Ash coughed and squinted in pain, but stood his ground. "Secret weapon," he said sarcastically. "Can't you guys think of anything new? Pikachu, get ready!" Even though he couldn't see his partner, he heard Pikachu chime in agreement. Most likely, they were planning to swoop in and grab Pikachu under the cover of the smoke, or attack Cybil. But this time they'd be ready. With Team Rocket, it was only a matter of time before you got used to all their tricks…
However, Ash instead heard another Pokeball open. "Forward, in the name of Team Rocket!" James shouted. Ash frowned. What were they up to now? The smoke began to clear as the storm's wind blew away the gas. No, wait, it wasn't the storm. Most of the smokescreen was still hazy, but there was a small pocket of wind forming, with something small in the center. Before Ash could see what it was, the figure burst out of the smoke right in front of Pikachu, before the cloud concealed it once more.
There was a sudden tapping noise in the darkness, like chopsticks striking each other, and then Pikachu cried out. "Chu!"
"Pikachu!" Ash said. He ran over in the direction of the sound, and nearly tripped over the Pokémon lying still on the floor. Carefully lifting him up, Ash saw that Pikachu had fainted, with but one blow, and the attacker was nowhere to be found. "What was that?" Ash said.
"Just leave me alone!" Cybil yelled. "I've had about enough of you people messing things up for me!"
"What a shame," Jessie said without a drop of sympathy.
"Ya Twerps can leave," Meowth said, "but don't even think about taking Pikachu or dat girl with ya."
"Not on your life!" Ash yelled.
"Well, then," James said, "we'll just take all your Pokémon. Time for round 2." Ash gritted his teeth. Whatever Team Rocket had up its sleeve, it was strong enough to take Pikachu out in one blow. And with all of the smoke, he couldn't see a thing. And Brock and Lokoko were still out there in the storm.
Wait, maybe that was the key. He fingered through his belt until he found the right ball. "Phanpy, go!" The baby elephant trumpeted happily. "Phanpy, use Rollout," Ash said. "Go straight at the door, and don't let anything stop you."
Team Rocket blinked in confusion. "Huh?" Still standing at the doorway, they were bowled over as Phanpy crashed into them.
Ash ran out right behind him, still carrying Pikachu. "If you want Pikachu," he called back to them, "you'll have to catch me first!"
"Grrr," Jessie said, clenching and waving her fist. "James, go after them. I'll wrap up things inside."
James nodded and headed out into the rain with Weezing and his secret weapon. "You won't get away that easily," James said. "With this weather, you have nowhere to go."
"Maybe so," Ash said confidently, "but maybe it'll help me, too."
James blinked in confusion, but then shook his head. "No matter," he said. "One more time!" Weezing shot out more smoke, and a patch of wind moved forward toward Ash, Pikachu, and Phanpy.
"Get ready, Phanpy," Ash said. Phanpy nodded and stood its ground. Ash gazed into the smoke and waited until a bird slowly began to approach Phanpy. "Now!" Ash shouted. "Grab it!"
"What?" James said. Before the attacker could strike Phanpy, the small but strong Pokémon grabbed the opponent with its trunk. "Good job," Ash said. "Use Seismic – oh, wait," he amended, realizing that he hadn't taught it to Phanpy yet. "Just throw it around and swing it back and forth as much as you want," he said, and the playful Pokémon complied.
By the time Phanpy was finished, the bird had been thrashed around more than a tennis ball. It made a final "flight" to James as Phanpy gave one last toss. As the impact slammed James into the mud, he gaped in shock. "How did you see us?" he said.
"See for yourself," Ash said. That was when James noticed that the smoke was barely a trickle. Weezing was still trying its hardest, but the smoke was only a faint mist, as the rain continued to pour. "The smoke might have worked inside," Ash said, "but out here it just ends up all wet."
With the secret weapon clearly visible, he drew out his Pokedex. "Farfetch'd," Dexter stated: "The Wild Duck Pokémon. Farfetch'd have been prized for their meat, and have only recently begun to recover from near-extinction. They often carry a leek with them as a weapon, using it to strike critical blows against enemies."
"So that's how you knocked out Pikachu," Ash said. After seeing Farfetch'd in action, Ash could see that it was actually a pretty slow flyer. That's why James had needed the Smokescreen to hide it.
"This isn't over yet," James said as he hoisted himself out of the mud. "Weezing is still ready to go, and Jessie's probably taken care of things in the cabin."
Oh no, Misty! Ash bolted for the cabin. To his horror, Misty was lying flat on the ground, clutching Togepi desperately. "You won't get away with this!" Ash said. He was about to grab another Pokeball, but then noticed something. Lying next to Misty was somebody else, Jessie! And Meowth, both of them unconscious.
"Jessie? Meowth?" James said, coming in behind Ash.
"What happened?" Ash wondered.
"They're resting peacefully, or will be," a voice said in front of them. They stared forward to see Cybil gazing at them with Butterfree hovering beside her. In contrast to her usual cheery attitude, her voice was now harsh and cold. "If 'I' called you pests, it was clearly an understatement. Everything was going smoothly, until you – all of you – had to ruin it."
Ash took a step back in confusion. "What do you –?"
Cybil just smiled, with the same expression that Team Rocket wore when they bagged a catch. "Sleep Powder," she told Butterfree. Before Ash and James could escape, the blue dust filled the cabin. As the world faded into the darkness, he saw Cybil put on a gas mask and bent down. "Don't worry," she said. "You'll see all of your friends soon enough. Even the stupid ones who wandered off."
…
…
Ninetales slowly woke up, the pattering rain having died down slightly. As she slowly got up on her paws, she realized that they were in a cave. From a look out the mouth of the tunnel, the storm was still at it. But how…?
"How do you feel?" Brock's voice said from behind her. She growled warningly and stumbled out toward the opening, but fell back down. Brock gently lifted her up and set her back down on a makeshift blanket of leaves and cloths. "Take it easy," he said. "Your fall wasn't as bad as it could have been, but you need to rest."
Ninetales wanted to argue some more, but paused. She noticed the white cloths wrapped around Brock's hand. "It's nothing," he said. "I'm just glad you're okay." Ninetales just stared at him in confusion. Why did he go through so much to help her?
Suddenly, Brock began to lean to one side, his own energy almost spent. Ninetales hastily shifted her weight to catch him, and then laid him down beside her on the bed. He smiled in gratitude, but then nodded his head toward his backpack to the side. "There are some potions in there," he said. "Take what you like when you go. I'm…sorry."
Ninetales glanced back and forth between Brock and the bag. After a moment of hesitation, a small voice whispered on the wind. "…Why?"
He just smiled weakly and bitterly. "I…want to keep my promises," he said. "Not be like my dad…or mom…. But I keep messing up. I guess that's why nobody wants to be with me, to build a life, to be together forever…" He broke off into silence before speaking again. "But at the very least, I can be a good trainer and breeder, someone who respects and cares for Pokémon and brings out the best in them. Only I guess I messed that up too." He fell asleep, but Ninetales continued to watch over him, as she wondered what to do now.
…
…
Ash groggily woke up in pitch darkness. He anxiously stumbled to his feet, only for a number of voices to cry out in objection. "Watch where ya step, Twerp!" Meowth said on his left.
Ash backed up in surprise, only to step on something else; he figured out what it was in a second, when Pikachu's Thunder lit up the whole area and him. "Pikapi?" Pikachu said in concern upon realizing what happened. Amidst his electrified daze, Ash saw that they were in a large cage, down in some sort of cellar.
"Are you okay, Ash?" Misty asked.
"I'm fine," Ash said. "But what happened?" Glancing around blankly in the dark, he shouted, "You'd better let us out of here, Team Rocket!"
"Tough luck with that," James countered. "We're just as stuck as you."
Ash blinked in confusion. "Huh?"
"It was Cybil," Misty said. "After the smoke cleared, she had her Butterfree come out and use Sleep Powder."
"I told you that cutesy act was a lie," Jessie said. "But no, you just had to ignore us."
"Probably because every other time it's a trick," Misty responded.
"Never mind that," Ash said. "We need to get out of here now. We need to find Brock and figure out what's going on."
"Easier said than done," James said. "This is one remarkable cage, impervious to nearly any attack. Such a masterpiece. We could use something like this."
"You can admire the trap once we're out," Jessie retorted. "Now that you're up, Twerp, maybe you can fix the trouble you caused."
"Me?" Ash said in confusion.
"Yes, you," Meowth said. "Yer' always getting out of our traps, so dis should be a piece o' cake for ya!"
"That's usually because you end up doing something stupid," Misty said.
"Hey, that's it!" Ash exclaimed, snapping his fingers. "Your Psyduck, Misty! Maybe he can bend the bars!"
"That could work," Misty mused. "But I can't see which ball is his."
"That doesn't matter," Ash said. "He'll probably come out anyway."
"Don't remind me," Misty grumbled. Nevertheless, she expanded a random ball in preparation for throwing. "At least he had enough sense to keep his head down at Lake Rage."
Wait. A sudden thought came to Ash. "Misty," he said anxiously. "Maybe you shouldn't…"
"Come on out, Psyduck, or whoever you are!" Misty said. A white flash lit up the cage and began to expand further and further. "Oh no," Misty groaned in realization. She had just released Cascade. And while the cage was fairly roomy, it was hardly enough room to hold a super-evolved and colossal Gyarados.
Cascade's large coils pushed everyone against the bars. "Dang it, Twerps," Meowth swore. "Sometimes you're worse than us!" Suddenly, the cage gave way under the pressure, causing everyone to slam against the walls of the cellar. Except for Team Rocket, which had been blasted through the roof and into the air once more.
"I think you need to work on things a little, Misty," Ash moaned.
"Sorry about that," Misty said, embarrassed. Her eyes hardened. "Anyway, there's no time to waste. Let's find Brock and help before it's too late."
…
…
Brock woke up to the light of the morning sun. He slowly got up, and saw that the bag had been emptied. He hoped that Lokoko…Ninetales was all right now, wherever she was. However, he froze when he felt soft fur against his arms. He pulled himself around to see that Ninetales was still there. "You…stayed?" he said. Ninetales nodded, and then moved her nuzzle downward to grab a potion and lift it up toward him. "You don't need to use them on me," Brock said. "Focus on yourself first."
Even so, he smiled, though he then frowned slightly. "Look," he said, "I'm…sorry about how I treated you when I thought you were Lokoko. I really did want to stay with you. It's just…I can't give up!" He pumped his fists to the sky defiantly. "Someday," he vowed, "the perfect girl will say yes, and we'll live happily ever after!"
The sound of clapping broke off the moment. "It's good to see that you're all right…Brock, right?" Cybil said as she strolled out of the woods. "It was really silly for both of you to go out in that weather. But now that you're okay, let's go back to the cabin, shall we?"
Brock smiled, but frowned as his eyes locked on her bracelet. Something wasn't right… "Hold on," he said. He put his arm forward to block Ninetales, and then looked carefully at their rescuer. "You aren't Cybil."
She looked at him in confusion. "What are you talking about, Brock? Who else would I be, a Ditto?"
"You were wearing a white headband, not black," he countered. "And your bracelet is on the wrong arm."
She stared at him for a moment, and then rallied herself. "Oh, Brock," she said, "how can you be so cruel? I had to change my outfit after this horrible weather set in. So can't we go back where it's safe?"
"Nice try," Brock said, "but that wasn't the clincher. Your left hand had a small scar poking out from under the bracelet; even if you changed bracelet, it doesn't explain why you lost that mark!"
"Your friend Misty healed, me, all right?" she said. Her voice became gruffer, but then turned plaintive. "So come on, stop playing games!" However, her free hand ducked into a pocket of her dress. Without warning, she threw a Pokeball into the air. A Beedril appeared, already charging forward at its targets. But Brock had anticipated it, and pushed himself and Ninetales out of the way. "So you want to play rough?" she noted with a sigh. "Oh well, that just makes this more fun."
Brock just drew out a Pokeball of his own. "Forretress, go!" he shouted. The armor-shelled Pokémon appeared.
"Beedril, Twineedle Attack!" his opponent shouted.
"Rapid Spin!" Brock ordered. The armored bug rushed forward and smashed into Beedril, shoving its lance arms aside and crashing with it against a tree. Beedril tried to hover for a few more seconds, but then fell to the ground unconscious.
"Now then," Brock said seriously, "would you mind telling us what's going –?"
Before he could finish his questioning, Brock saw a beam of light stab right through Forretress, causing it to crash down as well. "What?!" Brock looked to the left and saw a Vileplume come out of the underbrush, with Cybil right behind her. "Cybil! Get back!" Brock warned her. "There's an impostor here!"
"Oh dear," Cybil said worriedly as she stared at Forretress. "He still has a little health left. This'll keep him down while we go about business." With that, she pulled out a hiking cane and struck Forretress, just as it was trying to feebly float up once more.
Satisfied, Cybil turned and rushed over to the doppelganger. She got on her knees and carefully looked over her near-clone. "Sis!" she said worriedly. "Are you all right?"
"Could've used your help a little sooner, Big C," the doppelganger spoke to Cybil.
"Sorry," she said, "but I ran into a little trouble on my end. Turned out those pests you got rid of survived, and they broke my cover."
"Dang," she said. "I was sure that they wouldn't be coming back. You took care of it?"
"Yeah," she said, "but my guests heard a little too much, so I had to knock them out. They're locked in the basement right now." A massive tornado erupted behind them, causing her to groan.
"And you didn't disarm them?!" she said angrily.
Her partner raised her hands defensively. "Look, I was flustered, okay? I couldn't figure out how to handle all of them at once, and I didn't know when they'd wake up."
"Nothing we can do about it now," she said. "We'll have to take a long hike until things cool down. But first, how about helping me take care of these couple of admirers?"
"Sure thing!" Cybil said eagerly.
They helped each other up and faced Brock and Ninetales. "Cybil, what are you doing?" Brock said. In response, the two girls smiled, as if they were discussing the weather.
"Allow us to reintroduce ourselves," the near-identical girls said. On the left, the girl said, "I'm Cybil, spelled with a big C. Cybil the Catcher."
"And I'm Sybil with a big S," the other said. "Sybil the Stalker."
"I see," Brock said, his face hardening as he finally understood. "You two are twins."
"That's right," Cybil said cheerfully. "Identical, in fact!"
"It gives us the perfect alibi for our work," Sybil said.
"You see," Cybil explained, "when someone passes through, they'll either meet Cybil the Catcher, who will invite them to her little home for a long stay…"
"Or they'll meet Sybil the Stalker," Sybil said, "who will hunt them down. Either way, one of us always has an alibi, and they and their Pokemon are never seen again."
"Until you and your friends messed everything up," Cybil said, almost whining. "That's really mean, you know! But you can make it up to us now, if you want."
"What do you mean?" Brock said.
"Oh, silly silly Brockie," Sybil teased, "can't you guess?"
"If you share your Pokémon with us," Cybil said, "we can share you. Isn't that what you wanted? A little cottage in the woods, with two pretty young maidens beside y–"
"You're not pretty," Brock said flatly. "Neither of you." The girls' eyes widened, Ninetales' most of all.
"What?" Cybil said. A tone of frustration slipped into her cheerful voice.
"Beauty is not simply skin-deep," Brock explained. "It's the character inside that really counts. You may have the looks of innocent girls, but now I see that your true self is hideous and vile. I could never love someone like that!"
Cybil stared open-mouthed at Brock, and then her expression hardened. "Fine," she growled, "if that's the way you want to play."
"We'll see if you're in a better mood once we make your Ninetales into a coat," Sybil added with a snarl.
Brock readied another Pokeball, but Ninetales stepped forward. "Ninetales?" Brock said in confusion. She looked at Brock, waiting. "I see," he said. "All right then, let's battle together!" Ninetales nodded and raised her nine tails menacingly.
"Peh, relying on that Ninetales now?" Cybil said dismissively. "I hope she doesn't cry and run away again. Though that might be all she can do now."
"We'll see about that," Brock said. "Ninetales, cover yourself!" Ninetales nodded, remembering a tactic they had been planning out recently. There was a flash of psychic energy, and then the forest…shifted. There were more trees and underbrush than before, and Ninetales was gone.
"…Wh…what?!" Sybil stammered. Her eyes darted around worriedly.
"What was that?!" Cybil demanded.
"Like I said," Brock told her, "a person's true heart is beneath the surface, and you have only scratched the very edge of Ninetales' true power."
"Feh," Sybil said. "Don't dismiss us that easily. We know how to roust out hidden prey. Vileplume, use Stun Spore on the area!" Vileplume nodded and was about to release the spores when a fire blast plowed into it. The twins gazed in the direction of the flames, and saw that one of the "trees" had vanished. In its place stood Ninetales. Having taken the full force of the attack, Vileplume fainted.
"Dang," Sybil muttered as she called back Vileplume. "Looks like it's up to you, Big C. I'll just cheerlead from the side."
"Don't worry," Cybil said, winking. She released her other Pokémon, a Bellossom. The dancing flower got into position under Butterfree, and prepared for battle. Ninetales disappeared again, but this time the twins were ready. "Bellossom, Petal Dance," Cybil ordered. "Butterfree, get ready." Bellossom's petals floated through the battlefield, and scattered as they hit the visage of Ninetales. With the cover broken, Butterfree prepare for a PsyBeam.
Nevertheless, Ninetales stood her ground and opened her mouth wide. "Ninetales," Brock began to say, "Flame…"
Twang!
Brock suddenly screamed in pain and fell to the ground. Caught by surprise, Ninetales turned her head around, and was blasted into the forest by Butterfree's power. Sybil waltzed over and put her boot on Brock as she leaned forward to pick up the cane she had thrown. She then happily gave a thumb's up to her sister.
"Good shot, sis!" Cybil said. She called back her Pokémon and walked up beside her sister. "Now that that dumb pervert is out of the way, this battle should be a cinch."
"You're wrong." The two girls paused in confusion when they heard a new voice speak. From out of nowhere, a woman stood beside Ninetales with a fierce, determined expression.
"Who…are you?" Cybil said. She moved her arm back to her Pokeballs, but found herself frozen in place. No, more than that – her feet had been lifted an inch off the ground, and she was locked in place midair. Her sister, likewise about to bolt, suffered the same fate.
The woman brought them together and stared coldly at them in judgment. "You don't deserve an answer," she said. "I don't care about you enough. But I do care about Brock. He may not be my master, or feel for me in the same way I do, but he is my friend!"
The two poachers screamed in agony as psychic forces squeezed them mercilessly. However, just when they were at their limit, they fell to the ground. "And that's why I will not do something he would regret," she said. The two, now unconscious, ignored her.
She in turn paid no further attention to them, and focused on Brock. He groggily reopened his eyes. "Lo…Ninetales?" he said.
She smiled back at him. "Just take it easy now," she said.
"So we're on talking terms again?" he asked hopefully.
She nodded. "You're strange even for a human, Brock. But you're a good friend."
"Thanks, Lo –" He paused, and then said, "Ninetales."
"You can call me Lokoko," she told him.
"All right then," he agreed, "Lokoko." He then paused. "You changed your hairstyle," he noted. Instead of the long tails of hair, she now sported a short cut.
Lokoko gaped at him, and then blushed slightly. "You noticed?" she said.
"Of course," he said. Then, unexpectedly, he rubbed Ninetales' fur. "That, and this balled up fur on by your neck. I think it got bunched up in the rain."
"You…really do pay attention," she said softly. "Which way looks best, by the way?"
After a moment, Brock slowly shook his head. "It doesn't matter," he said. "After all," he added, "you're a good friend no matter how you look, so you look beautiful no matter what."
"You're…a confusing person," she mumbled. "But then again, my master was, too."
"Brock!" They looked up on hearing their friends approach. "Are you okay?" Ash shouted.
"We're fine!" Brock said. "But be careful around those twins – they're not as cute as they pretend to be."
"Already covered," Misty said, gesturing to the Officer Jenny following them.
"So you're the ones who have been behind all of the recent Pokémon kidnappings," Jenny said. She gazed down authoritatively at the sisters. "I hereby place both of you under arrest."
Brock rushed toward Officer Jenny, but then found himself pulled back slightly. He turned to Lokoko again. She smiled enigmatically. "I understand the loneliness behind your passion, Brock," she said. "However, there is still a sense of courtesy one must take toward a lady, is there not?"
Brock groaned in defeat, but nevertheless tried to strike up a conversation with the officer, though more carefully with Lokoko watching. She realized that Brock was sincere in his dreams, but he still needed to learn to rein himself in a little. Plus, understanding or not, she was still jealous in a way. Hopefully, one day they would each find what they were looking for, together.