Chapter 14: To Find a Bass

As it turned out, Dingo didn't remember anything when he woke up. Sure, his memory was intact until Bass actually touched him, but what information the Navi had gotten remained unknown. Dingo was not pleased. Actually, he'd taken to bombarding Meowth with questions about Bass. The Messenger of Darkness had not deemed Meowth smart enough to understand any of his latest plan, so had left the pokemon awake. Meowth was really regretting it. In fact, Dingo was Istill/I at it when they got back to One Island's Pokemon Center. Raika took pity on poor Meowth and brought Dingo with him to report to the Rangers. Ash and the others reluctantly accepted Meowth into their group.

Megaman and the Navis sat on the floor with the talking pokemon, and the NetOps quietly watched over them. Meowth had almost been as silent, but interrrupted every once in a while to ask what was what or why they thought something. Megaman imagined that these little insights into their conversation only confused the NetOps even more.

"Okay, my idea is officially blown out of the water," said Megaman.

"Which idea is this?" said Meowth.

"The one where this is a classic video game. Beat the boss and you can go home... But our 'boss' turned out to be Bass," said Megaman.

"Fishy!" Trill interjected.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever you want to call him..." Ring grumbled.

"Anyway, it seems that Bass isn't the villain this time at all. We've been chasing after a false lead," Megaman sighed.

"We're back to where we started, then," said Roll.

"I still don't get it," said Meowth, shaking its head. "You're all... little people that are supposed to live in computers. I've never heard of most of the techno-stuff you're talking about, the PETs and the fighting chips and all... How did you become Pokemon?"

"We don't know, ourselves. I think Bass figured out what's going on, that's why he was so smug," said Ring.

"Fishy!"

"...Yeah."

"You think that some bad guys did this, right? So, what did you do to get them angry at you?" said Meowth.

"We're like a branch of the police," said Protoman. Immediately, Meowth's fur went on end and it backed up quickly.

"P-p-police?"

"No more of the p-word, then, guys," said Megaman, glancing around at the others. They all nodded.

"But he brings up a good point," said Roll. "I know that Mary and Ring aren't NetSavers, and neither are Tora and Kingman. I'm not really sure about Tamako and HeavyMetalMan, though... Still, whoever is behind this doesn't have a grudge against NetSavers. It's more like they're out to get Megaman."

"Me?" said Megaman.

"Of course, you!" said Tomahawkman. "Haven't you saved the cyberworld like, a dozen times before? Maybe one of your old enemies came back for revenge."

"Zoanroids?" Roll guessed.

"I don't know!" said Megaman. He rested his head on his paws, ear-fins drooping as he thought. "If only Bass had given us some clues..."

"Fishy!" cried Trill.

"...Okay, Trill, I think we get it," said Ring. Trill pouted. Protoman suddenly straightened up and eyed Trill with newfound interest.

"What about Fishy, Trill?" he asked. In response, Trill reached behind his big ears and pulled out a small square. All of the pokemon leaned in close.

"...Nice one, kid. You can pull poke-block out of your ears..." Meowth was saying, but it quickly stopped. The cube was Imoving/I. "What is that thing?"

"Is that a virus?" said Megaman, intrigued.

"Trill caught it!" the Pichu laughed, tossing it into the air. Within seconds, the little shape had unfolded into something that looked like an Ivysaur. The NetOps were seriously weirded out now.

"What is that?" said Misty, echoing Meowth's earlier question.

"Guys, I think that Iis/I a virus," said Megaman.

"Mr. Virus will lead us to Fishy!" said Trill, clapping his paws together excitedly. "Trill did good?"

"Very good, Trill!" said Megaman.

The virus eyed them for a second before scuttling away. The Navis yelped and chased after it, with the NetOps hard on their heels.

"Megaman!"

"Protoman!"

"Roll, come back!"

Raika and Dingo were just leaving Ranger Headquarters when the group rushed past them. They stood there for a total of five seconds before Dingo realized what was going on.

"H-hey! Tomahawkman!" And he ran after them too. Raika glanced from the building to the runners, and back again, before rolling his eyes, making an irritated noise, and following.

Upon arriving at the mainland, they were too dazed and windswept to keep track of the virus. Unfortunately, it got away. So, they were stranded with a scolding Raika and a very confused Meowth. No one was exactly happy. Megaman waited around while the others tried to figure out what was going on. Once Meowth finally made it clear that they needed to find the fake Ivysaur, they pulled out a map (Chaud and Lan glaring at each other over it- they seemed to blame each other for what was happening). At last, it was decided that they go east. West was towards Cycling Road, and no pokemon seriously liked that place. It was too easy to be run over.

So, they were leaving the city limits when they spotted something in the bushes. They all froze as the thing emerged. It was a small, blue, doglike creature that stood on its hind paws and watched them with wide red eyes.

"Riolu. The aura that emanates from its body intensifies to alert others if it is afraid or sad," said Lan's pokedex.

"Megaman?" it said, and the others stared.

"You're a Navi!" said Roll.

"One of you freaky computer twerps?" said Meowth.

"Yes, I'm a Navi. My name is Arora," said the Riolu, bowing slightly. "You helped me once, Megaman. I'm not sure if you remember it or not, but still... I'd like to help you now."

"Help would be appreciated," said Ring, before Megaman could say anything.

Arora smiled, and pulled some bushes away, revealing a cave mouth. The NetOps were dumbfounded. Megaman looked back at her and asked, "Where does this go?"

"It leads to a place near the Viridian Forest. I saw Bass there, and I can only imagine that you're following him," said Arora.

"Oh, thank you!" cried Roll. "Thank you so much!"

Arora smiled again, and they all followed her (NetOps and trainers a bit hesitantly) into the cave.