Author's Note:All right! Hoorah! This fanfic is.. ALIVE! Amazing, no, how after nearly two years of not working on it, Switched Identities has returned? Well, it has, and this author wants you to read, review, and above all, enjoy! It's back for good this time.

Chapter 10: The Rescue

A thousand thoughts were wracking my mind as two Russian agents led me down the hall, Putin in front of us. Carolyn was at the back of our entourage, and every so often I would glance back at the American, as if expecting an encouraging word or two from her. It wasn't supposed to happen like this. I wasn't ready to face the deity that could very well decide the fate of millions, maybe more. On the other hand, though, this eliminated the need for a messy rescue. This way, I could take my time; earn Palkia's trust… Or something like it. One of the men leading me cleared his throat when I looked back at her for the thousandth time, and my eyes snapped forward.

"Hey," I hissed at the guard to my left. He made no change in posture or stance as he walked, but his eyes flickered over. "You know the show Star Trek: Enterprise?" No response, but it was no matter. I just couldn't help poking a little fun at him. In half an hour, this would all be over. "Well, this reminds me of the episodes 'Demons' and 'Terra Prime'. This crazy guy, Paxton, wanted to get rid of all the aliens. Y'know why? 'Cause he thought they were inferior. That how you feel about all of us?" I grinned at him, unable to resist. "Anyways, you know what happened to Paxton? He died. Him and all the other Terra Prime operatives. Might stink if that happened to you guys."

That wasn't entirely true, though. I knew that at the end, they had all simply been arrested.

But maybe this guy didn't know that.

"Your threats," he finally said back in a low, thickly accented voice, "are empty. Life is not an American primetime television show."

"I don't know about that, this is-"

Behind us, Carolyn coughed loudly. I dared a look back at her, and received a harsh glare in return. All right, perhaps it was a bad time to be getting on the nerves of a Russian guard twice my size. Besides, I didn't particularly want to reveal the fact that I had my abilities back just yet.

As we neared the end of the hall, a pit began to form in my stomach. What if this didn't work? There always had existed the possibility that it wouldn't. But I couldn't stop now! I almost smarted off to the Russian President leading, but held my tongue. The last thing I wanted was Putin changing his mind about this.

At last we reached a steel-plated, bolted door. It apparently required a keycode, retina scan, and voice recognition, among a myriad of other firewalls. It was a good-sized door, but gave no indication of what it led to.

"Bring her forward."

The one I'd smarted off to grasped my arm and shoved me towards the President. I worked to keep my expression dispassionate as I locked a gaze with him. Staring him in the eyes was hard, but probably not going to be any more difficult than my encounter with Palkia would be.

"I have changed my mind on the terms of this meeting. You have fifteen minutes with the creature. The moment that time is up, you must be done. You will gain as much information as possible from it concerning the situation. Am I understood?"

I nodded, eager to get on with this. Fifteen minutes was hardly enough time, but I'd make do. Worst-case scenario, if fifteen minutes were up, Carolyn would just pull the fire alarm (which would have to be done eventually anyways) and that would be that. He lifted his icy stare and walked to the door. He punched in a numerical password, and a lock clicked. Another clicked after his retina was scanned. A computerized voice then intoned, "State your name and position."

"Vladimir Putin, President of the Russian Republic."

"State the day."

"It is the twenty-third of August in the year two thousand seven."

"State the final code."

"Alpha-alpha three six seven five three zero nine."

"Access granted."

Not a moment later, several locks clicked. The door slid open, only to reveal another door. Putin stepped aside and signaled for me to go through. "Fifteen minutes," he reminded as I crossed the threshold.

The door behind me slid shut and the one in front slipped open. Ironically, it felt more as if I were going to my execution instead of a meeting to have a "conversation" of sorts. It took a moment, but I managed to calm the adrenaline pumping wildly through my veins enough to clear my mind. I needed to work quickly if this plan was going to work. The thought sharpened my senses and gave me a new sense of energy. I could do this!

I stepped through the entrance into a room about the size of a large gymnasium, much like the kind found in universities. The floor was smooth cement, and the walls had darkly tinted windows. The hall was faintly lit by some small fixtures on the sides of the walls, but most of it was black as night. My eyes soon adjusted to the dimness, but I still couldn't make out anything.

I wandered deeper in, reaching out my mind to the legendary I knew resided here. Strangely, though, I wasn't sensing a thing.

So I used the ability I'd had my whole life:

Gut reaction.

And, right then, my gut was screeching at me a single word:

"DODGE!"

I instantly leapt out of the way as something immense slammed to the ground. The ground beneath me cracked when it buckled under the attack. A feral roar cut through the dark silence, bringing chaos with it as I lifted into the air, desperately trying to feel for my opponent. A claw raked the air no more than a few meters from me, and I just narrowly dodged it.

Flying around ended up using more energy than anticipated, so attacking in mid-air was out of the question. Desperate to end this, I shouted, "I'm not going to hurt you, Parukia! I only require answers!"

"LIAR!"

The word burst into my mind like an atomic bomb. It was painful, painful enough to make me falter in mid-air, btu I psychically caught the string that would allow telepathy and pushed through to the legendary's mind. I'm not! I thought back, and touched down on the floor behind the Spatial Pokémon. I'm going to get you out of here.

I ran over to underneath one of the lights and spread my arms in submission. I come here to help you.

Heavy footsteps approached, making the cold ground vibrate with each step. Then, a head lowered itself to my level. Palkia may have been without his abilities at the moment, but he was still intimidating beyond anything I had ever encountered. I shook off the shiver that was creeping up my spine enough to clear my vision and look at the deity. The silver biped looked somewhat like a sleek dragon, but the lights were too dim to see clearly.

"You are not human," the powerful voice boomed in my mind.

Nope. I chuckled nervously, lifting a paw for the legendary to see. I'm a Pokémon, like you.

"I do not recognize you."

Probably not.

Palkia moved closer yet, leaving me pinned to the wall with fear I tried not to betray. "Then what are you?"

I'm… I'm… I swallowed hard and took a deep breath. I'm a species of Pokémon created through artificial means. The original was manufactured by a band of humans known as Team Rocket in their attempt to have an omnipotent weapon. Their creation escaped and basically threatened to take over the world. That plan was thwarted, and now it's just… uh… a wanderer.

"You speak as thought only one exists."

Only one does exist.

"Then who are you?"

I used to be human, I explained, thankful for telepathy and the fact that he had backed off a few inches. A young girl. And now I'm… this. I look like the one called Mewtwo, and I even possess his abilities, but I'm really not.

The legendary emitted a low growl and pushed his face even closer to mine than before. I could now feel the Spatial Pokémon's icy breath against my fur. "Then why should I trust you? Surely you are aware how your pathetic race captured me and confined me to this space."

Because you're the only one who can set things right and only I can help you get your abilities back. Kapeche? His only response was to stare at me incredulously. …Nevermind. So will you let me help you?

Palkia snorted, blasting me with cold air. "Very well. It seems I have no choice in the matter," he seemed to snarl and backed off a few steps. He swung his huge tail towards the wall, and the hall filled with light.

The legend was just as Satoshi Tajiri had designed it: A huge, dragon-like creature with a body of silver and occasionally lavender armour. His eyes blazed with a fury unlike any I'd seen before. A thick, metal collar was at the base of the legendary's neck, though I couldn't see the microchip Carolyn had described from here.

He towered over me, so far I had to crane my neck just to make eye contact. Palkia, on the other hand, obviously didn't think there was time for me to gape in wonder at him.

"Where am I?"

You're on a planet called Earth, in a nation known as Russia, and—

"This is not the Earth I know."

You've – presumably - traveled to another dimension in which Pokémon don't exist. That's why you don't recognize anything. In fact, you may be causing universal chaos right now.

Palkia's eyes widened in what might have been shocked horror. But of course he wouldn't know; he'd been holed up here for years. "Elaborate."

Remember when I told you I had once been human? The deity nodded, and I continued, Well, there are about a hundred other humans that were turned into Pokémon. I think your being here is causing fluctuations in the space-time continuum.

"That seems plausible." He paused to eye me again. "Your psychic abilities are unsuppressed."

Well, I'm the only one for which that's true. The humans that captured you also captured all of us, and used the metal bands you and I wear to suppress our abilities. They don't know mine's deactivated, so they let me in here. I rose up to where I could be face-to-face with Palkia. I need to deactivate your band. Will you let me?

Faintly, the words, "I can hardly believe I am dropping myself to this level…" crossed my mind. "Quickly."

With a nod, I landed where the collar was. His shoulder muscle twitched so violently where I was that I nearly fell off. Hold still! I ordered, feeling somewhat like a doctor trying to hold still a nervous patient. He growled, but didn't protest again. It only took a moment to locate the keypad, and I charged up a Shadowball. Brace yourself, I warned before slamming the dark matter into the collar. It exploded in a violet mess of sparks and wires, and I grinned. All right, now I need to pull the chip out of your shoulder.

He peered back at me. "And then?"

Then you'll have your powers back.

"And you believe I can then revert you all back to your human selves."

My stomach flipped, and not just because I was upside-down while searching for the chip. You can, can't you?

"Not exactly."

"WHAT?" I screamed aloud, staring at him in horrified shock. What do you mean you can't?

"If you have forgotten because your primitive little brain has such horrid memory, I have been disconnected from my dimension for quite some time," Palkia shot back.

But you're Palkia!

He snorted. "I also rely on Giratina and Dialga in all I do so that instances like this do not occur."

I couldn't help but grumble at his excuse. Did I have any right to be upset? No, not really. For all anyone knew, there was more to this problem than met the eye. Besides that, I didn't know a thing about Giratina. With a sigh, I went back to searching the crevices of his armoured shoulder for the microchip. There has to be something you can do… Something you can do on your own. Most of the other Pokémon I have seen here are lower-leveled, regular Joes. I mean, they're Lucarios… Pidgeys… nothing too special. The only quote-end-quote 'legendaries' are me and an Articuno that was brought in, and I don't know how to do anything. The hall fell into silence as the legend seemed to be considering my words. At last, my fingertips ran over a foreign object jammed between the armour. "Gotcha," I whispered, and took one last look up at Palkia. So what's it going to be?

"I…" He hesitated. "I may be able to transport myself and those affected back to the Original Universe. Anything that happens from there depends on what Dialga, Giratina, the Alpha, and I can do."

Then we'd better get moving. With one decisive, quick tug, I yanked the chip from his shoulder. It turned out to be more than an iPod-length microchip; what also came out were a series of wires and implants, as well. Palkia hissed in loud protest when it was pulled out, and in the next moment I found myself being blasted off my perch and flung into the wall. I took a split second and bounced off of the wall and onto the floor. The impact still jarred my shoulder, but at least I could still move.

Remembering the plan, I extended my consciousness to find Carolyn, and when I did, sent her a message: Palkia is free. Pull a fire alarm NOW! And make sure everyone gets out!

Just as Palkia was charging up an attack on his arm, I shouted, "HEY, STOP!" and dashed over in front of him. We can't bring this place down yet! We have to wait for the—

BRRRRRRING! BRRRRING!

The Spatial Pokémon's eyes were blazing with energized fury, but I held up a paw. Even as the alarm was going off madly and a computerized voice was calmly advising the building's occupants to please exit the complex, I couldn't have him act. Not yet. This needed to be convincing. As soon as I heard the sliding of doors and the frantic tramples of feet, I signaled to Palkia with a nod.

He obviously needed nothing more.

He swung a glowing arm towards the inside wall, and the attack burst through it like a knife through butter. The wall shattered right on impact, and cracks were already moving quickly through the rest of the wall. I had to create a barrier over my head just so I wouldn't be impaled by the falling debris.

The outside hall was complete chaos.

Between the blaring of the fire alarm, the shouts in both Russian and English, the crazed chatter of fifty Pokémon free from their cages, and the ear-splitting screech coming from Palkia that cut through it all, it seemed the world was going to Hell – or something close. Agents were trying to figure out what was going on, others were heading for the doors in thick parkas, and President Putin was yelling like Coach Bo Pelini during a Nebraska – Texas football game. Interestingly enough, Williams herself held the expression of a referee, taking all the heat and simply nodding at everything he was yelling in her face. I caught her making a wild "I don't know what's going on; don't look at me!" gesture and smiled. At that same moment, though, floating above the chaos, I realized something:

This was the moment when our plan had been to "improvise". Palkia was out, the fire alarm was going off, agents were running around as if on fire, and it seemed just about every Pokémon was out now. It seemed several workers were attempting to corral some of the creatures back into their cages, but they were all being fought off. Thinking on my feet (or rather, in the air), I zipped over to Palkia, who was surveying the situation. Do what you have to keep the agents away, but try not to hurt anyone. Please? He gave a curt nod and a grumble.

I then went over to Carolyn, flashing a quick grin at the Russian president across from her. I landed in between them and first faced the latter. "Mister President, I know this looks bad, but it's really for the best." His jaw dropped open, but I didn't give him an opportunity to speak. "Carolyn, I need you to shut everyone's bands off. Can you do that?"

She cleared her throat, nervous eyes flickering from me to the international leader across from her. "I-I don't know if I can."

"I'll send Myria with you. Would that help?"

Putin was practically beet-red with rage. "Y-you were in on this, Agent!" he yelled in a burst of outrage. "You are a disgrace and a traitor to the entire-!"

"Oh, cool it already!" she shouted back. "You should've known what you were getting into, Mister President, and then maybe this whole thing wouldn't have happened! Now, sir, are you going to let me try and solve this or not?"

After several seconds in which their collective glares could have alighted ice cubes, he finally cursed and started down the hallway. "I will go with you. I am the only one who knows every access code… though it seems you already know one or two." He glanced reproachfully back at me. Putin broke into a jog, and Carolyn ran after him.

I managed to spot Myria amid the mess of bodies, and tapped her on the arm. The Lucario whirled about and nearly sliced me open with the spike on the back of her hand, but in that same moment almost gave me a hug. I quickly gave her a psychic push backwards. Don't impale me. You're not human yet.

She beamed at me nonetheless. "You did it! You got Palkia out!"

Yeah, but there's been a change of plans. Go with Agent Williams and the President to the control room. He's agreed to help her shut off all the bands, but I think they might need some help.

"All right." With that, the Spaniard dashed through the crowd and after the two.

I knew there was one more thing I had to do, but I had to keep this from going entirely out of hand. I teleported over to the Articuno I'd seen earlier, ignored its shocked look, and sent, Okay, my name's Christine, and I'm going to help get us all out of here. Can you try to get everyone… Like… in the same space? I gestured with my in an attempt to get the "bring people together" message across. The Freeze Pokémon started to send something back, but I interrupted with, And don't worry; that band will be off soon enough. Thanks in advance.

Seeing as there was no point in hiding the fact that I now had full control of my powers, I focused on the band around my wrist, and it shattered. Now, though, I had just one more mission to accomplish.

I needed to go pick up a couple of teenage boys.