THE LUGIA CHRONICLES
Chapter Fourteen
Firing Orders
By R. A. Stott
Based on FanFics by Anni Ruecroft & R. A. Stott,
"Team Rocket - Terminal Solutions" by Steve Brunton,
"The Myamoto Project" by S. E. Nordwall
and
"United in Eternity" by Jazzy
It had been a long hard drive that day. The memorial service had been that morning in Pennsylvania. The flight had been that afternoon to Celadon, the nearest airport to Lavender, since the true nearest airport was still closed due to the disaster of the Scouting attack.
The old Chevy sat outside the tower, still warm from its long drive. He walked up to the old car and placed a caring hand on the dark maroon paint job. He smiled, and continued towards the tower's base-camp of trailers and test centers.
The two Rockets assigned Ash's 'shadow' stood at attention as he passed.
Trailer One, what was once the science trailer had been converted into living quarters for the Jesse and Baby Rose that PK and Spirit Jesse had saved from a strip wave attack on Level 6.4. Brock sat in the living room watching his twins play with the baby Rose and Pink Lady. Just being in the same room with such a special Pokémon should have made him excited. But, he had other thoughts on his mind. The Breeder's League had donated the grave site and paid for the gravestone and service. The business - gone. His life - shattered, again.
"Brock? Brooock? Hello? Anyone in there?"
Brock broke the stare he had locked on the children. He looked over at the Jesse who was giving him a worried look. He smiled and dropped his head. It certainly had been a long day. This had also been the first time he had seen two Jesses in the same room - one caring, motherly and friendly, the other, a spirit who did not seem to hate him as much as once before, but still only seemed to tolerate him.
"I'm here, barely..." he said with a tired smile. "Thanks for watching the kids today!"
"It was a pleasure, my dear," Pink Lady said.
"They were the perfect pair all day," Mother Jesse added.
He smiled. "Suzy... Suzy always made sure they behaved... All that breeder she had in her, I guess..."
"Get some sleep son," Pink Lady said, patting his leg. "You've got a busy day tomorrow."
"We'll take care of the children... take the spare room in the back," Jesse added, putting Brock's dress jacket over his shoulders. She then gave him a little kiss on the forehead and a rub on the head.
He nodded, stood up, and, with a glance back at the children, trudged back into the spare room.
Mother Jesse stood, watching him close the door behind him. She then sat down in the chair vacated by Brock moments before.
"I'm worried about him..." she said to the Pikachu.
"He'll survive... He's very - resilient," Pink Lady said.
"I remember hearing you say that," a voice by the front door said. "I guess that you were right..."
Pink Lady crossed her arms and tapped her foot. Mother Jesse's eyes grew large.
"Mr. President, what are you doing here?" Pink Lady said with a touch of concern in her voice.
"We've reached a break-point. The next few days, the next few hours will be extremely hectic. I need to see Ash and his team."
Kinza did not like it - he did not like it at all. And that itch was back. His eyes darted back and forth between the bonfire in the center of the compound and everyone gathered there for the meeting.
And Giovanni had just walked into the assembled Ash Team conference. He smiled a sneer and looked over the gathered members.
Blaine and his Magmar and a Charmeleon.
Lara Laramie and her Rapidash and Growliths.
Lt. Surge and his Raichu and an Electrabuzz.
Misty, with Brock's Pix, and her own Golduck and Ash's Lapras.
And the surprise member of his group - Gary Oak, and his Arcanines. Even Ash was surprised when he arrived. He seemed different these days, less "into himself" as Misty had whispered to Ash. Perhaps it was college...
"A fine assortment of people you have assembled, Mr. Ketchum," Giovanni said to the startled group. "Is everyone here?"
Ash gave the leader of Team Rocket a nasty glare. "No... I've got Samurai, Tracey and Richie out on searches," he grumbled.
"Hum... no doubt, looking for the Legendary Birds, ea?"
"Who IS this guy?" Gary blurted out, obtuse as ever.
"Hold your tongue son!" the Boss said angrily to the younger Oak he now had to deal with.
"Wait, I remember you!" Gary blurted. "You're the gym-leader of the Viridian City Gym! You had that incredible unknown Pokémon that beat my Arcanine!"
Ash looked at Gary with a confused expression. "What are you talking about Gary?"
Gary whirled around. "You don't remember? We met outside the Viridian City Gym and I got to go in and fight for an Earth Badge?"
Ash gave Misty a glancing look. She shrugged and said "Err... vaguely..."
"They wouldn't remember..." a voice from behind the group said. Everyone turned towards it. Giovanni shrunk back, fear rolling through his soul.
PK floated into the compound, the bonfire illuminating him brightly. He was followed by a strange looking gray Pokémon who also floated in. He in turn was followed by a smaller pinkish Pokémon.
Sabrina felt their presence and came running out of the practice center with Jesse, James and Meowth. When Jesse and James saw the large gray Pokémon, they stopped in their tracks then slowly walked closer. Something ... there was something about this creature that was... familiar...
"That's IT!" Gary said, taking a step back.
Ash looked at the strange Pokémon... he too knew it from somewhere, he just could not remember where.
The creature raised its 3 fingered paw. "I come in peace, friends... I have resolved my conflicts with your kind... including YOU, Giovanni..."
"What ARE dose t'ings?" Surge mumbled to Blaine, who was awe-struck at the sight he was seeing.
"I've never seen the large one..." he whispered back, "but the pink one is a MEW! The rarest Pokémon in the world!"
Giovanni still stepped back as the Pokémon floated to the opposite side of the bonfire from him.
"M-MewTwo!" he stuttered.
"Times two," was said behind him. He turned to see President Brock, and ANOTHER MEWTWO!
"What is this?" Giovanni yelled. "We only cloned ONE MewTwo!"
The word 'clone' bounced between the trainers.
"I am not the MewTwo from this dimension," the creature next to the older Brock said verbally. "I am the MewTwo from Level 14. I am called M2, by those who saved me. You may as well."
PK squirreled a perplexed look. "I thought we were told that he blew himself up when brought, err, on-line?"
"I destroyed the labs and everyone that created me, yes... I - overreacted..." he said, lowering his head. The other MewTwo took notice of this.
"You seem more sensitive than I was when I came into being..." the first one telepathically said.
M2 nodded. "I felt... remorse for the act... not to whom I did it to, but for the act itself. I never tried to understand just what I was doing there until it was too late... But once I had done what I did, I began to search for those who might understand what I was - who I was..."
The President nodded. "He found Exeter..."
PK laughed. "You're kidding..."
"Exeter?" Misty asked.
"One of the starships helping us," PK answered. "I bet Caroline was surprised to find you!"
"I found her... A nice lady... very understanding... She named me..." the second MewTwo smiled.
"You've found peace, my brother?" the first MewTwo spoke aloud. PK looked back at him with surprise that he would speak in such a way.
"I have now... But I've lost everything else... those I would call friends on my world... As I watched the destruction of my world... as I fought the Red Ghosts sent to destroy me... I felt a presence of a possible escape... They were watching me... and I could watch them."
First MewTwo nodded. "I can feel them now..."
"What?" Ash said.
PK moved over to him and whispered, "Forrestal, remember? She's still in orbit. He can feel her scans."
"Yes, but I can not feel her Captain... nor can I feel you, my brother..." the MewTwo said.
"It is because of this..." the second MewTwo said, holding up a device hanging around its neck. "They called it a Doorknob..."
Brock nodded. "Needed... If he wasn't wearing this, you two would short each other out... That's why Captain Strom wears one..."
Ash's head was spinning. Who was this older person who looked like Brock? What are these Pokémon? WHAT'S GOING ON!?
"What's going on, my friend Ash Ketchum, is the protection of this planet from the Black Lugia," the pinkish creature floating before him said in a telepathic message. "My son, perhaps you should release your mental block on their memories, so that we may continue unhampered?"
First MewTwo gave a slight laugh. "As always, you are correct, Mew... I restore your memories, Ash... Misty... Pika..."
"I have my memories, thank you!" PK said, a paw held up in a 'don't go there' position.
MewTwo bowed, and continued. "Jesse, James, Meowth..."
"What? Us?" the trio said as they flashed briefly, as did Ash and Misty.
"Don't forget my sleeping self in the trailer..." President Brock said. The MewTwo nodded, and a flash of light from a window on the trailer let them know it had been done.
"New Island!" Ash said aloud. "The time we found ourselves at the terminal for New Island! I remember now!"
Misty held her head. "W-why did we forget something like that? Y - you DIED, didn't you?"
Ash was more interested in something else. "Sleeping self?" he asked. "Are you really Brock?"
The President walked over to Ash and put his hand on his shoulder. "It's good to see you again, Ash," he said, a slight smile rolling across his face.
"What happened?" Ash said, looking at the older person beside him.
"Nothing happened, Ash... Technically, I am from your future. I am the current President of the Stratus League."
"From my future... And current President... as in right now?" Ash pondered aloud.
"You said it right Ash, but I'm pretty sure you haven't grasped it yet..." Brock said with a wry look on his face. Sabrina giggled with that comment. "The Stratus League works within its own time and space. It's a rather complex formula, and even I haven't ever really been able to completely discern it..." he continued. "But let's just say - Yes, I am the future representation of the man that is currently sleeping over in the trailer, and at this very moment in time, I am also the current President of the Stratus League."
Ash almost looked at President Brock with crossed eyes. "As clear as ever, Brock." Ash mumbled.
"This is all fine and well," Giovanni snorted, "but what does this have to do with our being asked to come here?"
Ash gave Giovanni a perplexed look. "Asked to come here? Who asked you to come here?"
"I did," the President said. "We are waiting for the last invited guests."
"Well, I'm here..." a very familiar voice was heard from beyond the group.
"Gramps!" Gary yelped and headed over to meet his grandfather. Along with him was Bill, Ayako and Fuego, and another person. Just like Professor Oak, this person wore a lab jacket. He also wore glasses, and his jacket had a red 'R' on the breast pocket. But when he saw Giovanni and Brock he stopped in his tracks, looking between the two.
"President Brock... Boss…" he said in a questioning but polite way.
"North..." Giovanni said in return then asked Brock, "Why has the leader of Tech Lab One been called to this meeting?"
"I felt that his input would help out, and seeing what I'm about to present to you, he would benefit from the information as well..."
Giovanni nodded a reluctant agreement and turned away.
Ayako touched North on the sleeve. He nodded towards the Boss. "Stay with Gio," he said.
"Uh, must I?" she said, a bit apprehensive.
"Don't worry, he doesn't bite... much... I'll be there as quickly as I can..." he said, sending her over towards him.
"Flare..." Fuego grumbled.
"Behave," North said, and walked over towards the President.
"Robert," the President smiled.
"Brock, are you out of your mind?" North whispered through grinning teeth. "He doesn't know about this!" North pointed at his belt buckle. The red 'R' turned golden. "He's not ALLOWED to know!"
"Then I suggest you keep your jacket buttoned!" Brock said. "You are here simply as a representation of Team Rocket's Technical Section."
"See if I give you any more help in your lab-work!" North gave a friendly chide back.
"I wish I knew where your leader was," Giovanni said to Ayako as she stepped beside him.
She looked at Giovanni. "Sir?"
Giovanni was stewing about something. "Your Golden R... A stupid rule... I am Team Rocket! I made it what it is today! Not the Golden R!" he fumed. He glanced at her PokéBalls, slung on her belt loop, all with little gold 'R's on their beam emitters.
"Yes sir... Team Rocket did precede the Silph Company though..."
Giovanni gave Ayako a fast glaring look. "Ah, yes... I nearly forgot... you were part of that foolish cryogenics project of my grandfather's..."
"Your father's actually..." she corrected.
"Be that as it may..." Giovanni said, starting to see red, "you come from a time when Team Rocket's priorities were, shall we say, different?"
"I wouldn't know, sir... Have they changed?"
Giovanni stood back and looked at his Black Shirt with an attitude. "Do I sense a lack of dedication, Miss Ayako?"
"I am a dedicated member of Team Rocket, sir! I wouldn't be a member of the Golden R if I wasn't!"
Giovanni crossed his arms and frowned. "As you say... The Golden R has been the most dedicated of my Rockets. And the Rocket Board of Directors insists on keeping them as a separate unit of Team Rocket - but they also insist on the same archaic rules that Grandfather installed when the Golden R was first created. I, as the leader of Team Rocket, am not to know the true leader of the Golden R... Now, you're from that era... Why was it that dear old Grandfather came up with that rule?"
"Per the rules of the Golden R and Team Rocket, sir, I am not allowed to say, SIR!" Ayako said as she snapped to attention. Fuego grunted a snarl.
"Yes... I would have doubted your loyalty to the team if you had told me, even though you ARE the second in command... though I still doubt your loyalty to ME... I should send in the TS..." he sneered.
"Please, you're giving me a headache!" M2 said, intervening between Giovanni and Ayako. Giovanni moved away from the MewTwo, unsure and uneasy about the creature.
"Thanks M2," North told him as he came over to rescue Ayako. The Pokémon smiled and nodded.
"Don't ever do that to me again!" Ayako sighed as she let out her pent-up steam. She grabbed his arm and leaned into him. "Please?"
"You knew the job was dangerous when you took it my dear!" North kidded her. "We're almost ready… stand by."
"Yes sir," she said and stood with M2 as North rejoined the group.
Brock watched as a flash of blue light lit up the compound. Team Two arrived, with an addition - A small Pikachu. PK looked hard at it and felt a twinge.
"What's he doing here?" he said aloud. Ash looked over at what had PK's attention.
"Who's that?" he asked.
PK swallowed hard. "My brother..."
"Elb Kinza... I believe everyone is here now," the President said. "You've got the floor."
Kinza stood up, getting off the oil drum he had been sitting on. "Ladies and gentlemen... and Pokémon... We are about to take a trip to the Stratus League... Our method of transit will be transmat... Stand up, hold tight, and please don't get sick! Stand by..."
"Now wait a minute..." Giovanni started to say, but a bright burst of light stopped him.
Everyone blinked. When they looked up from the flash, they were standing among a series of semi-futuristic buildings.
"Look at THAT!" Gary said, awestruck at what was to their left.
"Her name is Exeter," Kinza said at Gary's observation. "She will be departing before we continue with our reason for being here."
PK moved over to his brother. "Bucky, what are you doing here?"
The small Pikachu just looked at his brother and smiled.
"What do you mean you're their translator? You can't speak!"
Bucky shook his head.
"It doesn't matter?" PK said then thought about it. "Yea, I guess you're right about that." Ash and Misty joined him.
The small Pikachu smiled, raised his hand in a victory salute, and squeaked.
"So this is your brother Pikachu?" Misty asked reaching down to give the tiny electric mouse a scratch. He squeaked again.
"He doesn't say much, does he?" said Ash.
"I haven't heard him say a word since he joined us," Jazzy said.
PK glared at the young spirit. "That's because he's mute. Only I can hear him."
Jazzy nodded. "Makes sense... He's doing what's needed though... We've been able to talk with our Pokémon ever since he came along. What did you say his name was?"
"We've always called him Bucky..." PK said.
"Well, he's become the team's mascot, haven't you short stuff?" Jazzy said, picking up the small Pikachu and putting him on his shoulder. He squeaked and smiled and saluted again. PK just watched.
"I'm gonna have to talk to the boss about this one!" PK said to himself. The thought was drummed out of his head, as the ground started to shake around him. He floated off the surface and looked behind himself.
The underbelly engines of the starship were now glowing, as the ship lifted off and quickly gained altitude. She turned and headed up into the night sky over the Stratus. She shimmered, glowed then vanished as she entered the Trans-Dimensional Barrier Zone.
"Okay, now that Exeter has left, we can now proceed," Kinza said. "Mr. President..."
Brock stood in front of the groups. "People... the time has come. We are about to deploy you to where we expect the Black Lugian forces to come to next..."
"What!?" yelped Ash. "After the disaster we had a few days ago?"
"The scouting mission was a sign that Black Lugia is about to transfer levels again," Kinza said. "Exeter had reported that Level 6.0 Lugia has almost been found. As soon as that happens, Black Lugia will be on the move again."
Brock looked at Team One. Jesse, James, and Meowth snapped-to at the expression on his face. "We will place you on Level 5. Your mission is a simple one... Survive until Black Lugia arrives. It should be at its minimal energy level. Once it arrives, you must attack it before the Red Ghosts can transfer any energy to it."
"Whoa, whoa! How do you's know where da Black Boid is gonna show up?" Meowth interrupted. "You's could drop us anywhere on da planet, only ta have Lugia pop up somewhere else!"
"So far," Kinza reported, "the Black Lugia had appeared over the same spot in each dimensional level... we think there's a possible nexus point there it works with."
"Was that what we saw the other day?" Jazzy asked before Ash could. Ash looked back at the young spirit and nodded, impressed.
"Not really..." Kinza answered. "The scouting missions always happen within a 48 hour period prior to a full Lugian transfer, which is why we were flying overhead when you saw us, Ash. We were scanning for scouting zones. Even we can't predict exactly when the Lugian forces will start a transfer, be it a simple scouting group, or the entire enchilada."
"And you think we can defeat it?" Jesse said, a bit taken aback by President Brock's orders. "We've seen what it can do... its powers... we're just a pair of spirits..."
Sabrina stood before Jesse, a stern look on her face. "You two WILL have the power. You two HAVE the power..."
"Are you sure?" James said, a touch of nerves rumbling through his voice.
Sabrina smiled at her charges. "You've always had the power," she said. "One of the reasons why I have been teaching you, why I've been working with you, is because I also had to govern you."
"What do you mean?" Jesse asked her friend.
"Your combined energy levels, unchecked, could leave the planet's surface a burning ember," Sabrina explained, looking down. "Para-psychic energies, without proper control and balance, is a very dangerous energy to use. Rogue energy discharges could be disastrous."
"What about Team Two?" Myamoto asked.
That voice caught Jesse's attention.
"Since Level 5 has no sub-levels, we will station your team on Level 4.6. Group 3 and 4, made up of Stratus League volunteers, will be stationed on Levels 4.5 and 4.4"
Myamoto cocked her head slightly. "Why spread everyone on so many levels?"
"We - ah - can not guarantee which level Black Lugia will arrive on. It has followed expected parameters... to this point." Brock said. "We may work out of time and space here in the Stratus League, but time-lines jump and twist... It isn't an exact science... True, we know WHERE in a dimensional level Black Lugia will appear, but it has its choice of WHEN, since the para-psychic powers it uses can warp time as well. We figure it will be - err - frugal - with its energies during full transfers though, as it will take most of that stored energy to transfer its armies of ghosts, as well as itself. Major time shifting is an energy waste..."
Everyone looked at one another. Jesse noticed the person whose voice she had heard. She couldn't take her eyes off the Black Shirted Rocket. There was something about her.
"There is something I need to show you all..." the President said, then pulled a communications device from his pocket.
"This is the President... prepare for drop!"
"Engineering here... ready on your orders, sir... what time location?"
"Max us," he said to the com.
PK saw it out of the corner of his eye. Jesse was staring at Myamoto, a questioning look on her face. He moved to intercept her.
"Jesse, just wait here a moment!" he whispered into her ear. Sabrina saw PK with Jesse and came over.
"I know that voice..." Jesse whispered to PK, a bit miffed at the rodent for stopping her.
"Yes, you would... Jesse, I want you to wait and listen before going to meet her..." PK warned her.
Jesse's eye widened. "My mother!" she gasped.
"Mother? Where?" James said.
PK pinched his eye. "Yes and no... Stand ready, ma'am... this'll get weird... She's the first of her kind..."
Jesse's anger was beginning to grow. "Pikachu, please, I want to talk to her! What is the matter? First of her kind what?"
He sighed. "She's the first ever known spirit - - - of a clone..."
Jesse took two steps back.
Myamoto looked over at the slight commotion behind her, and saw Jesse for the first time.
"Grandmother!"
Jesse looked to her left. Myamoto looked to her right. Rose and her Level 14 Mew were standing beside her.
"My Mew?" M2 said, feeling the creature through the Doorknob's block, or possibly because this Mew was also wearing a Doorknob. "I thought I was the only survivor of Level 14."
"Actually M2, you were the second," Rose smiled at the Pokémon. "I sent this Mew back to get help when I was fighting Black Lugia."
Myamoto looked at the red haired, green eyed girl before her. "Grandmother? You called me your Grandmother?"
"Well, nearly..." she said scratching her head. "Only if you're from Level 6.4..."
"I'm not sure WHAT level I'm from!" Mya said, now totally confused.
"Level 1.2," PK said. "And this Jesse and James are from Level Prime."
"Hey! Don't forget Meowth!"
"How could we?" PK said, looking skyward for guidance.
"PEOPLE!" Kinza yelled. "People, I'd suggest you'd wait until this is over with before starting this discussion... we're about to drop the League!"
"So, just what does that mean?" Ash asked.
Kinza cleared his throat. "The Stratus League exists within a dimensional paradox, out of normal time and space, but within its own zone of time and space. It's not exactly a dimension of its own, it's more sniped in-between dimensions - a pseudo-dimension. It is protected by the stasis field it generates, and masks it with a projection of the daytime and night time skies from the location the League was first constructed at... among the Pennsylvania Dutch lands east of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. But, because of the type of paradox this pseudo-dimension is, the League exists within a time-line of around 50 years in either direction..."
"Direction?" Misty asked.
"Future, past..." Kinza said, pointing in each direction.
"Begin drop!" Brock said.
Kinza nodded. "What we are about to do is return the League to where it was originally built."
The sky shimmered. It then turned a gray-white, then red... that deadly red Ash, Misty, Teams One and Two had already seen.
An energy field could be seen around the complex. It would flare and flash as objects would strike it.
"This is Level Prime, at the maximum of our time reach. This is what the League's time-line takes us to without any intervention." Brock said sternly.
"But, if you're showing us the future," Giovanni said, "and this is the result, haven't you just shown us that it was a failure, all this posturing and preparation is all for nothing?"
"No," Brock said with conviction. "No, what we are seeing is a possibility, not a truth yet. You see, the Stratus League travels along a single time-line, unlike our friends with the starships. With our capabilities to witness both the past and short-term future within our time-line, it allows us the capability to adjust our futures for the betterment of Humans and Pokémon alike, which is what the Stratus League is all about.
"Some of these adjustments have all ready occurred... for example, Mr. Kinza and Rose once found the wreckage of the starship you saw leave here... this time-line has since been changed, and Exeter is no longer destroyed by Black Lugia as it lays waste to this planet."
"Now she's found to have been destroyed when she self-destructed stopping Black Lugia from escaping THIS level..." Kinza added. "Succeeded too..."
PK looked at Kinza, puzzled. "I thought they weren't supposed to interfere, just report history..." he whispered to the Tomassamassa.
Kinza gave PK a worried look. "After this dimensional level begins one of THEIR levels," he whispered back. "Remember, this might be Level Prime to you, but it's not to them..."
"Or you..." PK said.
Kinza sighed and looked at the red hurricane that was blasting against the shielding. "Nope. But our commitment stands. We know history... MANY of them... We will prevent this horror, one way or the other."
oOo
Characters from Pokémon ©2000, 2007, 18 The Pokémon Company/Nintendo/Creatures/GameFreak
Kinza, UNS Exeter, UNS Forestall, Mr. Button, Caroline Edwards, Battle Phoenix, Roy Strom, GENUINE DOORKNOBS, The Observers ©2000, 2007, 18 Denivan Media Services - Used with permission
'TS' from "Terminal Solutions" ©2000, 2007, 18 Steve Brunton - Used with Permission
Ayako, Fuego ©2000, 2007, 18 R. A. Stott/Ayako/DMS - Used with Permission
Characters from "The Myamoto Project" ©2000, 2007, 18 S. E. Nordwall - Used with permission
Characters from "United in Eternity" ©2000, 2007, 18 Jazzy - Used with permission
©2000, 2007, 18 R. A. Stott/The Lugia Project/DMS
Edit 0706.21 - 1807.13
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