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Pokemon: The Psychic Wars
Chapter 8
Ash found himself standing atop a cliff face, the rolling waves of the ocean crashing down upon the jagged rocks below. His cloak shifted in the wind as the breeze suddenly picked up, causing him to bring an arm up to shield his eyes from the dust that swirled around him. He could feel the sun's rays beat down on him, reflecting off of his black master's garb and causing a trickle of sweat to form on his brow.
As Ash looked around at his surroundings, a sudden familiarity of the environment hit him. He had been here before, at this exact spot, many years prior.
The sudden sound of thunder striking from a distance caught his attention, causing him to turn towards the disturbance.
His eyes widened in disbelief at what met his eyes.
Off in the distance Ash could clearly make out the forms of three massive birds circling the islands of fire, ice, and lightning. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see the stone shrine that housed the three magical orbs that brought balance to, not only the Orange Islands, but the entire world.
The orbs sparked to life as he stared into their depths, approaching the stones slowly and cautiously. Picking up the lightening orb gingerly, he studied its shape and was suddenly reminded how much destruction these three simple stones had caused him and his friends.
"Chosen One…"
Ash started at the sudden voice in his head, nearly dropping the orb in his haste to find the source of the voice. Replacing the orb back in its rightful place, Ash circled around to the front of the shrine to face the open ocean and none other than the Guardian of the Sea, Lugia.
"Lugia…"
The majestic psychic type effortlessly floated in midair, its massive wings spread wide to demonstrate its immense wingspan. The navy blue spikes that protruded from its back seemed to glimmer in the midafternoon's sunshine, giving the beast an almost ethereal glow.
"I have sensed a disturbance in the balance," it stated knowingly.
Ash clenched his fists at his side and let his gaze fall, "I know. We're trying to make things right again, but the world is falling apart and we don't have enough power to stop her."
Lugia hummed in response, the vibration sending chills up Ash's spine.
"A disgrace…she must be stopped lest she destroy the world in her efforts to create her psychic utopia."
"We've been trying to stop her for the past 10 years...I don't know what to do," Ash stated helplessly, feeling that familiar hopelessness fill his heart once more, "She's already taken so much from us…" he allowed his words to trail off into the wind, making a fist as he forced the emotional turmoil within him to ebb.
"Perhaps I can be of some assistance."
Ash turned to his right to find the source of the second voice. His eyes widened as he noted the bipedal pale colored pokemon floating on the air several paces away from him.
"Mewtwo…"
"We shall loan you our power to defeat the one called Sabrina."
"Loan me…your power?"
Lugia hummed again, "You have already proven yourself more than worthy of this power."
Mewtwo nodded once in assent, "When the time comes, you will know what to do."
Ash's breathing picked up as he felt his knees buckle beneath him.
They were placing the weight of the world on his shoulders again. The crushing pressure that he never seemed to overcome from his childhood was there in an instant, forcing him to remember all those times he and his friends had placed their lives on the line. Thinking back, he realized how lucky they had been to have survived half the things they set out to do. But in the end, it still made no difference. Misty was still gone and Sabrina was winning the war. Soon, they would be following in his girlfriend's wake.
"We have faith in you."
Those were the last words the two psychic types uttered before Ash felt himself being pulled back into the darkness with a pounding that seemed to reverberate within himself.
"Ash, open up!"
The fog suddenly lifted from Ash's vision as he found himself coming back to consciousness, the pounding of his apartment door increasing with each second that passed. The images of Lugia and Mewtwo faded from his memory as he tried to bring them back into focus however useless it was. He rubbed the back of his head and suddenly felt all the muscles in his body protest at the movement. He had nearly forgotten that he got his ass handed to him the day before.
"Ash! This is an emergency!"
Isn't everything an emergency? Ash thought, as he gingerly rolled out of bed and quickly threw on a shirt. He opened the door before Brock had a chance to knock again.
His friend looked panicked to say the least. A thin sheen of sweat covered his brow as Brock leaned against the door frame, panting for breath. He was as pale as a ghost and was already dressed in his master's robes, giving Ash pause and causing a frown to form on his features.
"What happened?"
Brock suddenly grabbed Ash's shoulders painfully, causing the typically stoic faced master to wince.
"It-It's her! She's alive!"
Gary stood stoically beside Lance's seat, his right arm still confined to the sling from his previous battle with the assassin. He had his other hand jammed into his pants pocket as he shouldered his cloak behind him. His eyes narrowed curiously at the figure before him as the other masters and league personnel, roused from sleep, quickly shuffled into the room.
Her shackles clinked softly as she walked, unperturbed, in front of the council. There were about a dozen armored guards shuffling alongside her petite form, which would have seemed overkill if it weren't for the fear she instilled at her very presence. The tension was palpable and it kept Gary on edge.
A second presence came to stand alongside him, "Seems things are finally turning in our favor."
Gary only grunted in response to Leaf's comment.
He didn't buy it, not for a second.
Though it interested him that his hunch was indeed correct, it still unnerved him to think that this woman, one who was once believed to be dead, was among the living and, worse still, their biggest threat to existence. To think the greatest murderer of their time, the turning point in this war, was standing unfazed before them. The same woman that he credited his injuries to had been hauled in by a single master where both he and Ash's combined strength had failed.
It was too easy.
Gary shifted his eyes to the side to see Master Blaine grinning gleefully, a cocky look in his eyes as he stroked the fur of his prized Arcanine.
When he had initially heard the reports that Blaine had single-handedly subdued the assassin, he had his doubts. Sure the old geezer was strong, but strong enough to withstand the might of Sabrina's assassin? This woman had killed a dozen well-trained, experienced soldiers without even batting an eye. Hell, she made him and Ash look like fools for even trying.
Something didn't add up.
Many of the masters and former gym leaders were now present, Gary noticed, with the exception of his closest friends. It scared him to think how either of them would react to seeing their former companion alive.
Especially Ash.
Gary frowned. This wouldn't go over well.
Lance Grayson overlooked the council room from his seat of power beside his fellow Elite Four. His eyes quickly scanned the room and saw that most of the masters were already assembled and present, eagerly awaiting some sort of explanation as to the reason for this emergency meeting. He watched as many of the now seated masters began to draw their eyes to the center of the room where their new captive stood among an escort of about a dozen armed men.
He drew his eyes over to that of the young woman that stood below him, seemingly unfazed at this turn of events, as if the whole ordeal simply bored her. She neither looked scared nor angry. She simply…was. And for some reason, that terrified Lance to no end.
Lance stood, planting both of his hands on the table in front of him, "Shall we begin?" he whispered to his cohorts.
"They're not here yet. We should wait," Gary stated, coming to stand behind Lance after hearing his superior speak.
Of course Lance knew exactly who Gary was referring to. As much as he knew that he was probably right, time was of the essence. Plus, Lance wanted to spare Ash as much heartache as possible by wrapping up before he had the chance to arrive.
Ignoring Gary's words, Lance cleared his throat to silence the crowd below, directing his attention to the young woman before him.
"I thank you all for your sudden presence and apologize for rousing you from your much needed sleep," his eyes swept the room and noted that most of the people present were now completely enraptured in what he was saying, waiting for him to explain the situation at hand. He swept a hand down to where Blaine stood proudly and resisted the urge to grimace. As much as he respected the elder master for his battle prowess and input, there was something about him that always set Lance's teeth on edge, "Thanks to Master Blaine, we've caught Sabrina's assassin."
Lance waited as a wave of muttering filled with exclamations of relief filled the room. Some people started cheering, while others shouted expletives at the young woman. He almost winced at some of the things being shouted, but could hardly blame them their ire. This woman had single handedly turned the tide of the war, was responsible for the deaths of hundreds, and was seen as a traitor to, not only the League, but the people as well.
Lance was only glad that Ash wasn't present to witness this.
And just then, the double doors slammed open, effectively silencing the crowd and sinking Lance's heart.
Gary grimaced as Ash singularly emerged from the doorway. Not far behind him were the forms of Brock, Pikachu, May, Drew, Dawn, and Paul, all in varying forms of dress and shock. But it was Ash's form that drew Gary's attention.
Even from his distance, he could see Ash's eyes and face morph into various expressions, but what killed him the most was the one emotion that could threaten to completely shatter his friend.
Hope.
He sighed deeply and listened as Lance recovered from the interruption. It would be interesting to see how the Master handled this one.
"Master Ketchum…"
Ash jolted as he heard his name, but knew immediately that it was Lance. He barely saw the people that had assembled around him nor did he care that these people were now whispering hurriedly to one another, probably about his sudden entry.
But none of that really mattered to him. All Ash had eyes for was the girl in front of him that currently had her back towards him. That familiar flash of auburn hair, the slender yet toned figure, and the pale complexion caused a flood of memories to rush Ash's vision.
He could never unsee the day when the ship she had been on had erupted into a ball of shrapnel, fire, and debris. He had been so sure that she was lost to the sea that day that his whole life had been flipped upside down. He had fallen into a deep depression, shunning anyone who attempted to cheer him up. They could never know the pain he had experienced nor would he ever wish his grief on anyone. But he needed proof, undeniable evidence that she was real and not merely a look-a-like or illusion.
And then, as if reading his thoughts, she turned to peer over her shoulder and Ash saw those beautiful azure eyes that he'd fallen head over heels for in his youth. He watched as she quickly studied him before turning away, giving no indication that she even recognized him. But it was enough for Ash to know that she had come back to him. He didn't know how or why but couldn't find it in himself to care much at this point.
Misty was alive…she was alive.
He couldn't find the words, find the strength, to tell her how much he missed her, how much his heart still yearned to be with her, even after all this time. It was as if the past ten years had never happened, as if this whole war never existed. It was just the two of them again, travelling down that long, winding path, always looking forward and never looking back.
And before Ash knew what he was doing, he slowly approached her, single arm outstretched to touch her, one last confirmation that she was real and not a figment of his imagination.
His hand lightly rested against her right shoulder and he felt tangible evidence that he wasn't dreaming. She was alive and there again and he made a silent vow to himself that he would never let her out of his sight again.
Misty gently shrugged off his hand and spoke in a hushed, threatening tone, "Touch me again and it'll be the last thing you do."
Ash blinked. The voice was undoubtedly hers, but the tone was all wrong, her words were spoken as if being controlled by someone else's hand.
He vaguely heard the rattle of weapons being grasped at her open threat, the tension in the room palpable as Ash heard someone cough uneasily. He heard the scrapping of a chair being pushed back before a strong voice broke the unbridled silence.
"That's quite enough," Lance said, his normally commanding voice taking on a softer role as heads turned in his direction.
Ash ignored him, instead trying another approach.
"Misty, it's me…it's Ash."
Without missing a beat, she spat out venom in response, "I know who you are."
With nothing more than her words and not even the decency to turn in his direction, Ash felt himself hitting a metaphorical wall. It was as if she were slowly being pulled away from him again and that same feeling of overwhelming helplessness assaulted him, dragging him further into that dark pit that he tried so desperately to claw himself out of.
"We're adjourned, take the prisoner to her cell," Lance announced, leaving no room for discussion.
Blaine looked utterly shocked, then furious that his moment in the spotlight had been cut brutally short, "But-"
"Enough Blaine! My ruling stands, we will reconvene at a later time," Lance shot back, glaring at the fire master.
Blaine glared back, but said nothing.
The soldiers who had escorted Misty to the hall, turned in unison, grabbing her chains in the process and began to march her towards the doors and directly in front of Ash's path. As they approached, the lead soldier gently put a hand on Ash's shoulder moving him, not unkindly, to the side.
"Pardon, Master Ketchum."
Ash's feet moved automatically to the side as he stared hard at Misty's approaching figure. It was his first time seeing the entirety of her face in nearly a decade and it brought a flood of memories back to him. All those gym battles, their journeys through different regions, all their friends, old and new, the laughter, the tears shed, the victories, the defeats…Ash saw them all so clearly as she approached him.
But as he watched those blue eyes come closer, they seemed so familiar yet so alien at the same time. They were no longer bright with longing and desire and passion, but instead, dull and dark and blank.
Ash looked to Lance, silently pleading with the man for some kind of explanation for why this was happening. There had to be some sort of mistake. This girl – no woman – this wasn't his Misty. It just couldn't be.
And for some odd reason, Ash was suddenly struck by her black attire. The eerily familiar warrior's garb, lightweight and dark enough to hide within the shadows, and the narrow cloak that billowed over one shoulder…there would be daggers tucked within the folds, laced with deadly poison, there should have been a sword attached to one side, and a pulsing psychic energy that was unmistakable for a certain assassin employed by Sabrina.
She couldn't be…there's no way…
Brock stared, open mouthed, as his childhood friend approached them. The features were all Misty, but the aura radiating off of her was from someone else entirely. It was then that he spotted Professor Oak's latest invention, the simple band that held the power to subdue one's psychic power, strapped securely around Misty's wrist.
So that's how they managed to capture her…still…based on Ash and Gary's wounds, it doesn't seem possible that Blaine of all people could defeat her.
Misty, for her part, didn't even seem to notice Brock's presence, as she continued to march where her captives led her. She was nearly to the door now when Brock noticed Ash slowly inching in her direction.
Lance seemed to notice this too and called a halt to it, "Master Ketchum, you're to remain here. As will you Master Slate."
"You can't-"
"You're to remain here," Lance emphasized, leaving no room for discussion as both Ash and Brock watched Misty leave the hall, her soldier detail in tow.
The rest of the occupants slowly filtered out of the room, some muttering to themselves about the pointlessness of the meeting while others guessed at the fate of their new captive. By the time the hall had cleared out, the only remaining figures within were that of the Elite Four, the Masters, and Ash's group of friends.
Lance brought a hand to his face, massaging his temples in frustration.
"Please tell me the two of you had no idea about this revelation."
"You think we knew about this and purposefully kept it from you?!" Brock nearly shouted, angered that Lance would think such a thing of them.
Lance sighed aloud, "No, of course not. I'm just trying to make sense of this whole mess."
"I want to know what happened," and it was Ash who spoke this time, seemingly brought back from his shock at seeing his girlfriend back from the dead.
"You wanna know what happened?" Blaine asked tauntingly, "I'll tell you what you two-" he pointed at Gary and Ash, "—utterly failed to do."
"Enough of your theatrics Blaine," Lance said, putting a damper on Blaine's fun, "The facts."
Blaine scowled in response, crossing his arms and turning towards his fellow comrades.
"I was out scouting the outskirts of the Viridian Forest with Arcanine when she approached me," he started, recounting his tail from earlier that night.
"Alone?" Gary questioned, skeptical.
Blaine smirked, "Alone."
"Carry on," stated Lance, cutting off any chance for a war of words from starting.
"I won't lie, she caught me off guard," he stated, petting his loyal fire type, "Fortunately, Arcanine got to her before she could get to me."
"Misty was a water pokemon trainer. How could she be so easily defeated by you?" the words were like venom when Ash spat them out, an anger growing within him that he didn't realize was escalating.
Blaine narrowed his eyes, "We're at war, boy. Water, fire, grass, what difference does it make anymore? There are no type advantages in this game we're playing. Besides, she had no pokemon on her, she relied solely on her psychic powers and hand to hand combat," Blaine turned his attention back on the Elite Four, "While my pokemon kept her busy, I was able to get in close enough to attach Professor Oak's nullifying bands."
The elderly Agatha laid both hands to rest on her gnarled cane, "Impressive work, Master Blaine."
Bruno grunted in response, "There is no doubt that Master Blaine's efforts were courageous, however, the question remains-"
"What next, Lance?" asked Lorelei, finishing her compatriot's thought.
Lance rubbed his chin in thought, turning the question over in his mind several times before coming to a conclusion.
"We must interrogate her for information. She must know what happened to her sisters," the red haired dragon master stated.
"The people will call for vengeance," Blaine interjected, receiving a sigh from Master Erika who had stood quietly beside the fire master.
Erika folded her arms within her green kimono, "Blaine is right. In the eyes of the rebellion, she's a traitor."
"I won't let you lay a finger on her!" snarled Ash suddenly, clenching his fists in anticipation. Brock laid a gentle, yet firm hand on his friend's shoulder, silencing him. Ash, instead, turned his ire on the rock master, "This is crazy. They want to make some sort of sick example of her and you're just going to sit and take it?"
Brock stared firmly at Ash, not backing down, "Don't let your anger get the best of you, Ash. This is a delicate situation. We need to approach it cautiously or the whole of the rebellion could crumble."
"That's complete bullshit and you-"
Brock then narrowed his eyes threateningly, "Don't you dare forget that I was there too. I saw the ship explode, I watched as you broke down and I was left to pick up the pieces," Brock suddenly grabbed Ash by his collar, nearly lifting him off of his feet, "No one was there to pick my ass up off the floor, so don't you dare go accusing me of inaction! I lost a best friend that day too…how do you think this whole thing makes me feel?!"
Ash's eyes widened only a fraction before he blew the steam off and seemed to remember himself. Instead of giving in to Brock's atypical behavior, Ash grabbed his friend's hand and lowered his voice, "Let go."
It was more of a threat than a statement and the meaning wasn't lost on Brock as he reluctantly let his friend go, letting the tension release from his muscles and letting out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding.
"Enough," Lance growled, planting both hands on the table in front of him.
Janine cleared her throat after the exchange, getting the attention of all those present, "If I may make a small suggestion. I have a certain poison at my disposal that may remedy our problem."
Ash's eyes lit up in anger once more, however, before he could voice his opinion, Janine held up a hand to silence him, "It's not that kind of poison. It's more of a truth serum I've been perfecting, with Master Erika's assistance of course."
Erika's eyes lit up in recognition, "Of course, a brilliant idea."
"Is it safe?" asked Gary guardedly, his dislike for the torture chambers evident in his tone.
"It contains all natural ingredients from the spores of Erika's and mine's pokemon," explained Janine.
"Have you tested this poison on anyone yet?" asked Leaf.
"Not yet, but it's highly unlikely that a side effect will occur, especially given the impeccable health of the pokemon," Erika clarified.
All eyes turned in Lance's direction, knowing that he was the final say in all things dealing with the rebellion.
"You know how I feel about torturing prisoners," mumbled Gary audibly, giving Lance a sidelong glance.
"This hardly counts as torture," he stated, "In any case, we may not have any other choice in the matter. If you have any other alternatives, let's hear them."
"Please Master Lance," and it was May who spoke this time, huddled in the back of the group, wringing her hands in front of herself, "I may not have known Misty as long as the rest of these guys, but I know she wouldn't have done something so horrible if she wasn't backed into a corner. There must have been something driving her actions, if not that then…maybe Sabrina brainwashed her somehow?"
"May's right. Something doesn't add up," Drew added, coming to his girlfriend's defense, "I'm sure if we could find out what happened to her sisters, everything will start to make sense. Who knows? Maybe they're still alive."
Lance folded his arms in front of himself, tossing their ideas back and forth in his head. Both of the Hoenn natives made valid points, something was definitely amiss though he wasn't sure whether it was the still missing Cerulean triplets or the fact that Misty, a once loyal gym leader and follower of the League's traditions, had suddenly gone rogue.
"Something else bothers me," spoke Paul, his eyes closed as he contemplated his next words, "I'm sure I'm not the only one who noticed this, but how is it possible such a deadly foe could so easily be apprehended by a single Master?"
Blaine gritted his teeth in anger, "You insubordinate little-"
"I mean no disrespect Master Blaine, I'm sure your battle skills are bar none, however, I am concerned about the simplicity of her capture. It all seems too convenient…too easy."
"Paul's right," agreed Gary, stepping closer to the group of friends, "We need to play our cards right or this could get dangerous."
"What would you have me do?" asked Lance, opening the floor for suggestions.
"Let me speak to her," Ash stated, having calmed down from his altercation with Brock and advancing himself forward.
Lance immediately shook his head, "Absolutely not. You're too emotionally involved in this. I won't have either of you…" he pointed to both Ash and Brock, "…be directly involved in the interrogation. In fact, you're not to visit the cells unless under my direct orders."
Ash narrowed his eyes, "You can't do that."
Lance, instead of meeting his glare with one of his own, pleaded with the young man, "Please Ash. Don't fight me on this one. I know you want to see her, but I need to have her questioned first and I don't think it's smart or fair to push you on her this soon."
Ash glared at the dragon master, though Lance could tell something he said had clicked, so he continued, "Please, just give me some time and then I promise you, you'll be able to speak with her. Just afford me this one luxury."
Ash gave just a little, clenching his fist in frustration. Instead of answering, he threw his hood over his head and gave a tiny nod. He signaled for Pikachu to follow as the yellow rodent hopped atop its master's shoulder. Then, without a word, the two left the hall.
Brock stared after them, hesitating, torn between following his friend and staying for the entirety of the meeting. Sure he was still upset with Ash's accusation, however, he couldn't fathom the kind of hurt and confusion he must have been going through. His heart truly went out to him and, for that reason, he briefly looked to Lance (who seemed to understand his meaning and nodded in consent) and left the hall in pursuit of Ash.
Lance let out a breath once the two young men plus one Pikachu were out of sight. He had at least bought himself some time, if not much. He wasn't sure how long Ash would wait (or if he would even wait at all), but he needed to start planning immediately. He knew Ash wasn't the patient type and was more likely than not to go behind his back to see the former gym leader.
Lance couldn't let that happen.
He turned eyes in Paul and Drew's direction, "You two are charged with keeping eyes on Ash and Brock at all times. I want them nowhere near the cells. If they so much as breathe within a foot of those dungeons, I want to be told. Understood?"
The boys nodded obediently. Gary, however, frowned, "Aren't you taking this whole thing a little seriously? I mean, maybe Ash and Brock could use their past friendship to get the truth out of her."
Lance sighed, turning around to look at the vast portrait of the League's former base of operations that hung just behind the Elite's seat of power.
"In time, yes, I will want them to communicate with her, however, they're too easily blinded by their desire to see her that it will undoubtedly cloud their judgement," Lance turned suddenly to address all present, "Our forces are dwindling by the second. This is our only chance to discover what Sabrina's hiding and destroy her once and for all. I won't take the risk."
Gary opened his mouth to speak then closed it again, realizing he couldn't argue with his logic. He rubbed the back of his head with his uninjured hand and grinned, "Guess there's a reason why you're the boss."
Lance smiled and approached Gary and Leaf, landing an appreciative hand on the former's shoulder, "It's also for those reasons that I entrust the important task of interrogation to you two."
Gary sputtered in response while Leaf raised a brow in confusion, "You want us to interview the Waterflower girl?"
Lance smiled, returning Leaf's gaze, "I need fresh eyes and an unbiased opinion," he turned to Gary who had recovered from his shock, "And I need someone who's at least somewhat familiar with her mannerisms and true nature."
"You seem to be forgetting that I haven't seen or spoken to her in at least ten years. I don't know enough about her 'true nature,'" Gary said in exasperation.
Lance smirked, "Then dazzle her with your sparkling personality," Gary rolled his eyes, "Frankly, I don't care what you do, but I need information, Gary."
Blaine snickered to himself, cracking his knuckles noisily, "And if you fail again, I wouldn't mind taking a crack at her. Think of it as retribution for destroying my gym."
Gary shot a sharp look in the fire master's direction.
What was Gary's true reason for not giving in to Lance's request? It was simple enough – question the girl about the whereabouts of her sisters, figure out if she had been privy to Sabrina's plans all along, then use whatever she told him against Saffron City. A simple game, set, and match. But for some reason, an off putting tug at his heart pulled his mind in the direction of his friend who had stormed out moments earlier. It felt like a betrayal, like he was playing a game behind Ash's back. He owed him more than that.
And yet, this could be the big breakthrough the rebellion needed. Even if this whole ordeal was a crafty ruse set up by Sabrina herself, Gary trusted his instinct enough to sift through the details later. Maybe this is what Lance had meant when he had chosen him for this task. He certainly didn't trust Blaine enough for it.
Upon hearing the fire master make another snide comment, Gary cut him off, staring confidently into Lance's expectant eyes.
"Fine. I'll do it."
To be continued…
A/N: I worked my ass off on this one to get it updated within a somewhat respectable amount of time! And a whopping 13 pages to boot! Hope you all enjoy and thanks for the previous reviews from the last chapter! Much appreciated!
