Chapter 11

Home Sweet … Home?

They were hardly into the forest before it happened. As soon as they were out of sight of the exit, a strange sensation assaulted their senses as the environment around the Digi-Destined and trainers pulsated in negative colors. It gave them all headaches, but by the time they reached up to hold their heads, it was gone, and before them stood the kangaroo-like psychic pokemon, MewTwo.

I apologize for the pain my entrance must have caused, he opened, telepathically broadcasting his message to all of their minds. I did not dare enter without first assuring my power would be focused in our present location, for fear my presence would disrupt the tear.

Gary took a step back in shock as he eyed MewTwo. "What in the world? What is this? A pokemon?"

T.K. grinned as he turned to face Gary. "Oh, that's right. You two have never met, have you? MewTwo, this is Gary Oak, Professor Oak's grandson and my rival during my adventures as a pokemon trainer. Gary, this is MewTwo, the most powerful psychic in the world. He's also a pretty skilled pokemon breeder!"

MewTwo dipped his head. It has been many years since that incident, T.K. I left that side of me behind long ago. I ask that you not bring my foolishness up in such a manner.

T.K. nodded apologetically. "Yeah, sorry … I slipped."

Gary dug about in his pockets before pulling out what looked like a red PDA as he flipped it open. "Been a while since I've used this …" He held it up so MewTwo was in the viewfinder and the device went to work.

"Entry registered as MewTwo," the mechanical voice sounded from the device. "Habitat unknown. Type unknown. Personality unknown. Altered strains of DNA similar to legendary pokemon Mew detected, biological engineering suspected. Psychic energies emanating from subject on an immeasurable scale. Recommend extreme caution."

At the readout, Gary and the Digi-Destined took a step back in reaction, but the psychic pokemon seemed to scowl at the Pokedex in disappointment. Even machines seem to fear my presence …

"It can't fear your presence," Ken answered, speaking up for the first time in a while. "It's a machine. It just recorded a sample of your power and offered strategic advice based on those readings. I'm sure it'd say much the same thing about Imperialdramon."

"It was a figure of speech, Ken," T.K. answered sharply, scowling at the former Dark Emperor.

"Oh, I'm sure he knows that," Yolei chimed in, propping herself against Ken's shoulders. "I think he's just jealous."

There is nothing to envy about my life, MewTwo stated, but that is not what I came here to discuss. Ash, there is something you must know about. There is something else besides the tear.

T.K. turned back to the psychic in surprise. "Something else?"

He nodded. Another force. The threat of the tear is a neutral threat, dangerous, but neither good nor evil. This other force … this entity … It is dark, and I can feel it residing between this world and the one the Executive came from. Perhaps not between them, specifically, but between worlds in general. I am certain it is self-aware, and this tear has drawn its gaze. I have come to the suspicion that the tear is not widening solely on its own, but with this entity's help.

"Oh great," Sora muttered, rubbing her forehead.

Tai nodded in agreement. "Yeah … another great being of evil … Do they ever stop coming?"

"But why?" T.K. spoke this time, directing his question to MewTwo. "Tears, weak spots between worlds, they're all over the place. If it wanted to total everything, it could do it at any time, without having to let something else do its work, and these things rarely have such flat goals, anyway. Why this one? Why now?"

I do not think it is trying to collapse the dimensions. I have detected great frustration from the entity. It is imprisoned and it struggles to escape. I believe … it wants in.

---

His world was just as he remembered it. Nothing had changed, though he reminded himself, why should it be otherwise? He hadn't been gone that long, a few days at the most. World-hopping must have made it seem like a lot more.

The city the tear resided in was, fortunately, the same city with the one place he could think of to go. Kat's grass gym was a short walk away through back alleys, where civilians didn't question them and agents didn't see them. He sent Jesse and James in first just in case, and when they said everything was fine, he and Domino followed suit.

Inside, the gym was as beautiful as always. Incredible floral displays lined the walls, and the entire inside was a sort of inside park, with paved pathways of earthen stone winding through lush grass and great, full trees of all sorts. In this first part, there weren't any walls, only one wide-open area where trainers, mostly girls but a small handful of boys as well, played with their pokemon or learned various flower arrangements or gardening tips. It was the secret to Kathryn's success here. Not only did the place serve as the official Pokemon Gym for this city, but it also served as a premier school in a wide variety of horticultural, homemaking and decorating studies. It was Kat's pride and joy, everything she loved and ever wanted to do all under one roof.

"Oh, wow, it's all so pretty," Domino observed softly, as if afraid to disturb it. "It's hard to believe we just came inside from the city streets."

"It's like the Garden of Eden," James agreed. "I could stay here forever!"

Meowth crossed his arms, shaking his head. "Not me, Meowth. All the dirt under your paws, and imagine the allergies! I'll stick to the city, thank you! All this open space, there's not even anywhere to prowl!"

"But just imagine, Meowth," Jesse insisted as she looked around, eyes wide. "Just picture how incredible it would be to just spend a day laying around under the trees, watching the sunlight drift through the limbs as you relax on the soft grass ... Mmm, I'm getting drowsy just thinking about it!"

"Drowzee!" That particular psychic pig just happened to be waddling along when she said that and hurried over ecstatically to cling to her leg.

"Gagh!" The woman squealed in disgust as she kicked her leg to try to get it to let go. "I didn't mean YOU, you pig! Let go of me!"

Shawn couldn't help himself. He laughed, and hard. "Don't be so surprised, Jesse. This gym also serves as a haven for orphaned or abandoned pokemon that have nowhere else to go. This Drowzee probably thought you just said you were going to take it home with you!"

That seemed to make her even more anxious to get Drowzee to let go. "Ew! As if! Why would I want a stinking mud-wallower?"

Domino had been chuckling – almost giggling – at the entire scene, and now, she knelt down and held her arms open for the pokemon, which came over and embraced her as she rubbed its head. "Actually, I think it's pretty cute!"

"The adoption process is pretty straight-forward," Shawn told her. "If you want, I'm sure we can arrange it while we're here. Hmm?" He looked over as he thought he spotted a small, red head poking out from behind the door at the other end of the park that led into the actual gym portion of the complex, but it pulled back in a moment later.

Meowth noticed the pause and looked toward the Executive with concern. "Is somethin' wrong, Meowth?"

But Shawn just grinned. "Not at all. I think I just spotted a familiar face. Come on, let's go."

He led the way down the paths toward the far side as the others followed, Drowzee tagging alongside Domino. They had just passed through the wide double-doors when they saw a Flareon urging a petite young woman around the corner.

"Flareon, what are you doing? Where are we going?" But the fire pokemon didn't answer, instead turning to the doorway and letting out a triumphant cry before rushing forward and jumping into Shawn's arms. The woman followed the pokemon with her eyes and seemed to freeze in stunned surprise, then slowly walking toward them.

"Hey, Flareon," Shawn greeted his old pokemon with a wide grin, ruffling its head. "I noticed you saw us coming. Decided to form a welcoming party, did you?"

"Flare!"

"Shawn ..." Kat's word drew his attention from his pokemon to her, and he set Flareon down and stepped toward her. "Shawn ... is it really you? They ... they told me you were dead ..."

"It's a long story," he answered, wrapping his arms around her, "but let me tell you it later. Right now, it feels like it's been forever since I've held you."

Domino and Meowth watched in rapt, reverent silence, but suddenly, James ruined the moment by blowing his nose, sounding like a trumpet in the silence. The others all turned to look at him.

Even Jesse, who had been looking at it with a more neutral expression, reached over and slapped the crying man in the back of the head. "What do you think you're doing, you blubbering fool?"

"I'm so sorry," James cried before blowing his nose again. "It's just so touching!"

Domino looked over at them in confusion and said something she might have said when she still had her memories, only in this case, it was softer and less accusatory. "I thought you two were supposed to be Rockets? Shouldn't you be tougher, or something?"

Kat pulled away when she spoke, looking over toward her. "Oh. Agent Domino, I'm sorry, I didn't see you there."

Then the blonde did something that really threw the poor girl for a loop. She smiled. "It's okay. You haven't seen him in a long time, right? I don't think I'd see much else if that happened to me, either."

The Gym Leader stared at her for several moments as if she had grown an extra head. "... You ... don't mind?"

"Should I?" she asked in confusion as she returned a similarly lost expression.

"... Is she okay?" Kat asked, turning back to look up at Shawn and recalling a very different Domino, one far more protective of Shawn when it came to feminine affection, whether he liked her or not.

Shawn gave a small smile. "I think it's time for that story. Could I speak to you alone?"

She nodded. "Of course, but what about them?"

He turned to look back at the other three. "Domino, if you still want to adopt Drowzee, the office for that is down the hall and to your left. Jesse, James, you two go with her and help however you can."

Domino smiled brightly as she took Drowzee's hand and hurried down the hall, the other two Rockets and Meowth moving to go after her.

"See?" Shawn grinned widely as he turned back to her, and she chuckled. "Piece of cake!"

She nodded as they began walking toward the back. "But coming here with another Executive and two grunts ... You must be here on business?"

"Well, not exactly," he answered. "Like I said, it's a long story, and it's probably best if I start at the beginning ..."

In the next chapter of The Pokemon Master's Return:

Shawn has finally met up with his girlfriend, Kathryn, Leader of the Grass Gym in his world. While sending the others away, he takes time to speak with her in private, telling her about all that has happened on his adventure, but he's forgotten one very important thing! Will she be convinced, or will it all blow up in his face? Find out next time on The Pokemon Master's Return: Chapter 12 – Show Your Stuff, Metapod!