Start of Page 9: Operation A.N.O.H.A.N.A.
July 26, 20? Super Peace Busters Secret Base, Chichubu, Japan 4:30 pm Tokyo Time
"So, what now?" Hirai asks everyone. Menma is now seen busy playing in a Nintendo 3DS borrowed from Rachel, playing Pokemon X.
"We are just going to recommission the last two members of the Super Peace Busters, and the problem is solved, right?" Poppo said as he is still busy installing the upgrades to the Secret Base, holding a couple of tubes with him to connect to the mainframe.
"Hopefully it is that easy." Numbuh 362 replied. "I did background checks and Anaru has grown to become a socialite while Tsuruko became one of the top students in their class. Quite drastic given their KND specialty."
"Which is?" Whilhelmina asks her.
"Anaru is actually called the Battlefield Hacker Princess for being able to hack systems even under heavy fire, while Tsuruko is regarded to be the Paint Sniper Duelist. Now I know why everyone fears the sector back in the day."
"Why is this game so easy…" Menma said "Just defeated Diantha. This is way too easy."
"How many resets did it take you to defeat Whitney again?" Jintan teased from afar. "You and Anaru got shafted the entire game due to her." This made Menma pout towards him.
"Don't tell me you picked Chikorita, the weakest starter of all time?" Rachel added, but Menma meekly said "But I finished my game using Chikorita. That warrants something, right?"
"And that's done!" Poppo said after wiping his forehead from sweat. "Super Peace Busters Mainframe 2.0 now complete!"
"That's a record time, Poppo!" Professor Shinonome cheered as well. "It usually took a week to do this, but your base just took 2 days!"
"Of course, I designed the system to be accommodating to future upgrades!" Poppo explained to her. "Which is the exact reason why the base is not on a tree. Time to turn this baby on and complete the update."
After turning it on, a notification was seen, and it was a feed from Herbert.
"Hey, um, KND Communications Director wants to call, should I place it up on screen?"
"Absolutely." Rachel said. The window went up and, a surprise to everyone, it wasn't just Numbuh 36.5 who is on screen, as his call was accompanied by a middle-aged nun, on a separate window, with the background of a library behind her.
"Wait, conference call with the Outlaw Acting President?" Rachel responded, not expecting a call from the Outlaw Headquarters.
"Rachel, we have received contact from the party of 12 we have sent to the other dimension." The nun explained her sudden appearance. "Herbert wanted to tap you, so he tried to reach to you."
"Sophie, before doing so, I needed an inquiry about our mission." Rachel wanted to clarify some questions about the mission she has, but it appears as if Sophie already knew everything about her mission.
"I heard about that, all I can say is for you to proceed with caution. I heard Menma is being hunted down because of her unique existence."
"The communications are now clear. Should I switch the line now, Mam?" Numbuh 65.3 interrupted.
"Yes, you may." Rachel responded. Numbuh 65.3 logs off and a new scene replaced him. It happens to be that of a Numbuh 5, Shana, Yuji, and Timmy, showing their faces, in a forest clearing, with Shana, somehow, cuddling a bug-type Pokemon with protruding red spines on its frilly neck, somehow resembling the sun, looking somewhat distressed.
Shana is a long haired brunette wearing a black coat and white undershirt, a pendant with a circular gemstone, with circling embers from within it. Yuji, meanwhile, is a black-haired teenager wearing a simple black polo shirt, but with dark blue irises. Meanwhile, Timmy is a buck-tooth kid wearing a pink hat and shirt."
"Wow, what Pokemon is that?" Poppo said. Upon hearing those words, Menma immediately rushed on the screen, and said "WOW, IS THAT REALLY REAL?"
"Never thought you'll get this many people on your side, Rachel." Timmy said. "Wait, led me adjust the screen… why do you guys seem to be on some sort of abandoned shack?"
"Mission." Rachel became frank. "We formed a Task Force named Blue Flower. We are here to solve the mystery about the reappearance of a supposedly gone phenomenon: the formation of Torches."
"Hmm… Timmy, can you help me open a direct line to the Snake of Festival?" Yuji suggested, to which Shana just said "No need. I have Alastor's Coccytus with me. Although he already has a safe, physical form in our world, he can still communicate through here."
The bug type Pokemon on Shana's hand slipped from her, but Shana immediately caught it and cuddled it, much to the annoyance of the Pokemon.
"That's so cute!" Menma cooed with her eyes sparkling.
"Why does the guy with the Hawaiian shirt, the guy with messy hair and the girl with white dress look familiar?" Timmy said, with a voice in the background yelling "Probably because it came from a show that you watched before… I mean, YOU KNOW NOTHING!"
"Oh, by the way, the person behind me is Meiko Honma…" Numbuh 362 said.
"MENMA?!"Sudden squeals are heard from behind, and the phone was dropped to the ground, only to be picked up by a group of five girls: 4 kids and 1 of the same age as Ash's.
In a similar fashion, on Rachel's side, everyone was disrupted when Yukiatsu entered the base.
"Hey, I brought some food…"
"Wow, is this real?" the girls from the other side of the line rambled "I can't believe it!"
"Well, give or take, anything is possible now…"
"Hey, what's the issue?" Yukiatsu asked everyone as he comes close to the mainframe and placing the food on the nearby table. "Hmm, are you watching the Pokemon anime or something?"
"Huh? We are on a… yeah, I haven't briefed you guys yet about Interdimensional stuff." Rachel responds.
"Let me see…" Jintan said as he went in closer to investigate. "Wow, just like the show, just with extra characters."
"Let's not get distracted." Rachel remarked, but suddenly, the mature one on the other side said "Well, I know to expect the unexpected, but to see almost the entire cast of a show…"
"Hey, Jintan, what are they talking about?" Poppo turns to Jintan, to which he replied "It's kinda a complicated matter…"
"Just give back the phone before I do something like raining literal Purloins and Lillipups in your area!" Rachel ranted.
"Sorry Bonnie…" one of the girls said, as the phone is given back to Timmy. Timmy's group acquired the phone and continued.
"Sorry for the interruption guys." Timmy retorted. "We need to give a report…"
"So, how's the trip thus far?" Numbuh 362 asks them.
"We are currently going to the 4th gym of the region together with Ash's Kalos crew." Numbuh 5 report. "Seems like our records aren't updated yet to account for Clemont, Bonnie, Serena and Korrina being in it."
"Impressive, in just 3 days." Numbuh 362 said. "At this rate, you'll be finished by Day 8."
"Well, currently, we are skipping the routes because we found out that our teams are too good." Numbuh 5 continued. "This isn't like the games. You have a lot of guess work to do, and you have to strategize on the fly. You have to apply real world logic in here even!"
"Why is a Larvesta with you?" Menma said with a pout. "I never got one in my game."
"Oh, you mean Helios?" Shana looks down on the Pokemon she is holding.
"You nicknamed that thing?" Numbuh 362 said, with Shana replying "Yes. It felt as if we both have a spiritual connection because he hatched from an egg 2 days ago in my presence. Isn't he cute?"
"Shana, you are treating him so much like a baby." Yuji said. Once again, Helios escaped from Shana's hand, but the girl immediately caught him, causing the bug type to just sigh.
"Well, Helios is a bugger to keep." Shana just stared back at the phone. "He's really good in battle, the closest one in our team to nearly beat Ash's Pikachu, but damn is he stubborn. He runs away and playing hard to catch during feeding time. He likes being chased by me, but when I stop chasing, he crawls and snuggles back."
"Basically, like Shana." Yuji said, which Shana just replied with a slap to his nape, saying "Just shut up." which causes everyone to giggle.
"It's amazing to have a Pokemon and its trainer have the same personality." Sophie said. "Can I have an update on your roster?"
"Let's see." Timmy then yelled "Base is asking for a roster update! Let's do it vlog style!"
"This is exciting!" Menma became really ecstatic, but Yukiatsu began to question the events happening. "I need an update on what's happening."
"This world had sent a team of 12 to explore the Pokemon world." Rachel responded. "Basically, we welcomed at least 12 of them in the past before, so we are doing the same. Besides, right now, the countries are basically freaking out about this as we speak, but we did mute them because of their utter idiocy."
"That's an explanation for another time." Hirai said with a puff on her breath.
"Anyways, let's start with yours truly." Timmy said, while showing his team of 3. "My starter is a Mudkip, now a Marshstomp, that I got from Prof. Birch. I also currently have a Skarmory and an Escavalier."
"Me next." Trixie said, with Timmy turning the phone to her. "My Pokemon are Combusken, Fletchinder, and Shedinja. Basically, I learned my Fletchinder has Gale Wings, which nearly defeated Ash's Fletchinder."
"How'd you got that Shedinja?" Menma asks.
"Oh, from me!" Tootie said. "I got Grovyle, Accelgor, and Ninjask. I discovered that Nincada evolves into Ninjask and Shedinja and gave Trixie the Shedinja. A 2-in-1 evolution."
"My turn." Chloe Charmichael said. She is a long haired blond girl with a purple ribbon on her head accompanied by a yellow dress. "I gave myself a Dartrix, but also have a Victreebel, Pyroar and Torkoal with me. A classic sun team!"
"She is overlevelled because she gets bodied a lot." Timmy whispered, to which Chloe said "HEY, NOT COOL TIMMY!"
"My turn then." Numbuh 5 responded. "I chose Frogadier, Golbat, and recently, this Spinarak. Planning to get a Dark type soon."
"Well, I chose Torracat, Vigoroth, and Semipour." Numbuh 4 said. "Pretty neat, huh?"
"Nah, you like monkeys." Numbuh 3 teased, to which Numbuh 4 just blushed and said "Hey, no fair!"
"Well, my turn!" Numbuh 3 said. "I have Brionne, Audino, Clefable, Azumarill, Milktank, and Florges. I have lots more in my PC."
"She just catches anything cute." Numbuh 5 said.
"Well, my turn then." Numbuh 2 said. "So far, I have a Chesnaught, Tyrunt, and Amaura. My Helioptile is still on the S.C.A.M.P.E.R. to investigate the feasibility of 2x4 tech and Pokemon be a mutual source of power."
"Well, our turn then." Shana remarked "My team is that of a Charmeleon, Larvesta, and Eevee. For some strange reason, Professor Willow wanted to test the affinity of Existence users to a certain type when Larvesta hatched on my presence, so he gave me, Yuji, Sato, and technically still Hecate an Eevee each. Mine hasn't evolved yet, but has naturally learned the move Sizzly Slide."
"Well, mine is an unusual case." Sato said. He is a brown-haired teenager with the same age as Yuji's, with dark blue eyes and a fair complexion "I seem to have an affinity to Ice for some strange reason. Although I chose Blastoise, I have a Lapras as well, and the Eevee I had learned Freezy Frost." It is now Yuji's turn.
"In my case, I chose Prinplup, but also had caught the strongest Pokemon in the group, a Steelix."
"FOR REALS?" Menma squeeled, but Numbuh 362 just said "Ehem." To which the teenager just apologized.
"For some strange reason, my Eevee can deal more damage using Iron Tail. Professor Willow is still investigating this phenomenon, because apparently, my Eevee acquired the ability Steelworker."
"Meanwhile, in my case…" Fumina Konoe, a blue haired, green eyed girl wearing a white cloak, spoke up "I have Braixen, Kadabra, and Eevee with Glitzy Glow, and Professor Willow said I have an affinity to Psychic types."
"That's fascinating." Sophie said. "No wonder why I felt too connected with my Ampharos that easily."
"Well, can we show our guide's partners?" Timmy asks, to which Numbuh 362 said "No need. We still need to discuss."
"Yes! I want to!" Menma said, and Timmy immediately oblidged.
"Alright, Ash, Serena, Clemont, Bonnie, Korrina, come here!"
"Boy, this will take a while." Numbuh 362 grumbled.
After all the fuzz was finished, Numbuh 362 made a request. "Timmy, can you give the phone to Shana?"
"Ok mam." Timmy gives it to Shana, and with Helios still being cuddled by her, she places the phone on the nearby bench and faces it.
"So, what's the issue?" Alastor asked. Alastor is speaking via the Treasure Tool called Coccytus, the pendant that Shana wears. He is classified to be one of the three Crimson Gods, a classification reserved to the most powerful Crimson Denizens to ever exists, and is in charge to the Flames of Retribution.
"We found something that should not exist: A torch in post-Misaki City Age."
"Can I see the girl alone on the screen?"
Everyone moved away from the monitor and Menma stood straight in front of the screen. After observing, Alastor said. "Upon examination, I have concluded that the girl is indeed, an unusual case."
"How unusual?" Menma asked the Crimson God. "And why do you have the voice of a man all of a sudden?"
"Did you forget to brief her about us?" Shana interjected, but Alastor just focuses and said "Continuing her restoration will be a risk and a reward."
"What do you mean by that?" Jintan asks him in return.
"It will be a reward because if you completely gathered all her scattered pieces of existence. Doing so will cause her to return to a physical, palpable form."
"And the risk?" Hirai followed.
"I'm afraid the risk is due to the way her existence became what it is today. It will be like betting on a toss coin. Either she returns back to her form, or her breath is taken upon achieving it."
Immediately, concern was raised on Jintan's voice. "Wait, you mean…"
"It means that when her existence is fully restored, she will take a physical form, but whether she lives or dies when it happens is yet unknown." Shana responded.
"The nature of the explosion that killed her before involves a device that both shatter the physical body first, then the existence in it." Alastor explained to everyone. "It will be a massive shock if I explain it in detail in this setting, but let's just say that before the explosion that erases existence happened, 50% of her had already died, and the other 50% kept on living, which was then obliterated into a Torch-like existence before disappearing. It was the dead parts that ensure her existence is still written, but her living parts are the ones that got drifted into the Void. These, in accordance, to the old laws of Existence."
"Aren't the new laws supposed to no longer allow this to happen?" Rachel asks him in return.
"It is supposed to not allow even the existence of Torches, so yes." Alastor answered. "Instead of going to the Void, any existence will now be converted alongside the physical form. If ever the physical form is destroyed because of the lack of existence, or vice versa, the conversion will happen in a much slower pace than before, and there will now be evidence left that can be traced. It indicates that something has happened, a murder, in an attempt to make someone into nothing. Anyone who did attempt to make torches in this day and age will suffer the guilt themselves, and the existence he gathered will revolt against him like a haunted conscience, enough to make them insane."
"But how does it relate to Menma's case then?" Sophie asks in return. "NorthSea is already in transit to Tokyo as we speak, having collected all of Menma's scattered existence that he can find with the help of Sector NK."
"It will be your call to continue this or not." Shana said. "Keep her on this current, unique state, or pursue her complete existence, but risk the chance of her permanently leaving the physical realm, leaving a body. It is your choice."
Suddenly, dread is felt in the room. Silence befalls them, as they all realized the risk of continuing the pursuit of the mission. When the thought sank within her, Menma made .
"I'll take the risk then." Menma said with a smile in her face. "Whether Menma lives or dies, it no longer matters. All Menma desires is to be seen by everyone in a normal way. My friends, my family, even if it means dying for a second time around."
"Menma, Menma! Do you realize what we are discussing about?" Jintan suddenly bursts out from the sides of the holographic frame. "If we continue to restore you to complete existence, there is a 50% chance of you dying instead! Just think of the sorrow we have endured all these 5 years without you. But now you came back, and yet you are willing to gamble it all away? What about us, Menma? Are you willing to come back as a dead person instead? Just think about yourself for once!"
"We'll continue." Yukiatsu said, suddenly turning the mood around. "Jintan, it isn't just you, me and Poppo, or the entire Flame Hazes and KND that needed to know Menma is alive. Think about that. Anjo and Tsurumi would be overjoyed to see Menma is alive. Her parents and brother too will be happy as well. We already have the technology necessary to fix and implant memories any way." He paused a bit and said "I even want to see her without any use of 2x4 communication device or a Treasure Tool."
"What do you mean by…" Whilhelmina soon noticed that Yukiatsu isn't actually wearing the Chordae, and said "Where did you place it?"
"I left it at home." Yukiatsu replied to her. "I'll be receiving 2x4 tech anyway. There is no need for that. Besides, I heard that you can just call it whenever you wanted."
"That was one of my Treasure Tools, idiot." Shana yelled from the other line out of anger. "Who are you anyway, and how did you…"
"Hey… can we just stop this fighting and just focus on the issue on hand?" Poppo said. "I mean, we are discussing about either having a living yet invisible Menma, or a version of her dead, like a Schrodinger's Cat. Menma and Yukiatsu is willing to risk it, but Jintan do not want. I wanted for her to stay here, invisible to everyone but those who knows anything about existence, than to just complete her and see her die again. Had I known about this, perhaps my involvement here would change."
"I agree with Poppo." Prof. Shinonome said. "I asked Poppo how hard it is to see her go that way and I understand his feelings, and to see it again might cause even more problems for him. Besides, we can always find a way, like linking up the Reiji Maigo from Yuji and supplying her the necessary Force to bring her back."
"I-I don't think it works that way, but I agree with the Professor," Nano also spoke up. "I don't talk that much during this entire mission, but despite being a robot, and having data to see how Menma died, and how Poppo decided not to watch it back in the Moonbase, I see his pain, and seeing her die again is more painful, not just for him, but for everyone else."
"We will push through." Hirai disagreed with Poppo, Shinonome, and Nano's opinions. "There is still a chance of 50% of her living, and it is better for us to risk it, and even Menma agrees to it. That is enough for us to continue."
"So am I." Whilhelmina said in agreement with Hirai. "I'm only here as guidance anyway, and as a Flame Haze, part of my duty is to bring balance into this new world. Let fate decide where Menma goes."
"So, it's a tie then." Shana said. "The new guy, Whilhelmina, Hirai, and Menma, herself, will take the risk, but Jintan, Shinonome, Poppo, and Nano just doesn't want to. It is now your call, Rachel."
Rachel immediately goes to take the sit in front of the holographic monitor and asks "What's your opinion, Shana, Sophie?"
"I support her return to physical form, despite the risk." Sophie responds. "I know there is a lot of personal feelings mixed in here, but we have to face the fact that if it will not be us, someone else will. Remember our conversation last night Rachel? Some group wants Menma as well, and if we do nothing now, we might be facing a bigger threat in the future once they figure out how to completely eradicate someone like her from existence."
"I'll pass." Shana said. "However, I'll let Alastor voice his opinion."
"I would tell you to stop, as there is another way, but for now, no technology or Spell of Unrestraint was able to do it." Alastor answered. "One is to condense her entire being into a single entity and take it out of her body, and see the reaction of her body. If the body stopped breathing, then we can transfer her into a similar body tailor-made for her existence, but that requires a series of technologies that still doesn't exists yet. The other is when an Existence of White that Trancends the Whiteness of Light touches her, but that is a random occurrence that even we, the Crimson gods, cannot explain, as that lies within the depths of Deep Magic. We are only taught it is possible, but no Crimson Denizen has ever saw it happen."
"So there is another way." Rachel responds. "But it either takes years, or a random chance."
"Yes."
"Alright. Thanks for your opinion." Rachel said, and the line from Shana was closed.
"So, a hard decision." Sophie said.
"Yeah. I'll think about that. I have to discuss it further to Task Force Blue Flower. This is Numbuh 362 signing off."
At that, Sophie's window closed. Rachel simply stood up from her feet and said "Give me time to think." She went outside, and began to breathe some air, when all of the sudden, Poppo came out of the base and yelled "Mam, Numbuh 65.3 is calling you! We have an emergency!"
End of Page 9
Shana closes the phone, and just gives a sigh.
"The kid ain't gonna catch a break. I swear, if my son joins the KND, I will be mad pissed at him!" She then releases Helios to the ground, and the bug Pokemon attempted to get away, but noticed his trainer isn't following him, so he looked back and just stared at her.
"However, that is the first time I heard of such." Shana said. "It is still quite possible to remove a whole existence out of someone's body and still be alive?"
"However, doing so will make the body sentient, albeit with no emotion, yet the passion to continue her old life remain. It can be a vessel to create a new existence." Alastor respond. "It is something that Shaher saw when she reviewed possible loopholes. It can only be done if someone or something with a deep connection to the Deep Magic did it, something that I know that the Fairies are incapable of doing so despite their knowledge in the matter, and was written in their laws to never interfere with."
"As for the latter, what is this 'Existence of White that Trancends the Whiteness of Light' then?"
"Some say it is a beacon that comes from the Multi-Colored Flame. Others say it is an Existence from a different dimension, although for us, the Crimson gods, we know it is neither of that." Alastor responds. "Only one such instance per dimension can exists, but not all dimensions can have it. Before the Fall, Shaher used to hold such existence before it left her and found a different host. It is hard to find because it hides inside a sentient being until the time something happens to them or calls them, and whoever it touches was left with a mark of a White Flame that exceeds the Whiteness of Snow." Alastor said. "I deliberately left one detail out, regarding Menma's existence, because it is just speculation."
"What is it?" Shana asks him.
"Menma has a connection to the Light, which might explain how she survived, but I still lack substance to support this. I need a closer examination."
"You are back on earth for that, it will be easy."
"I'll consult the other 2 about this first, before I take action."
Meanwhile, behind the bushes, Timmy overheard it and he telepathically said it to Tootie and Trixie
"Why does the concept sounded like straight out of a Kingdom Hearts game?"
"Don't make such assumptions, Timmy." Trixie said.
"Hey, anything is possible." Tootie said. "Next time you know it, our wands are actually a keyblade."
"Stop making jokes like that Tootie…" Timmy said. "You just make me hope so badly."
Meanwhile, Tsuruko is about to go to the Secret Base when she noticed that there is a person stalking her. She was alarmed and decided to go the other way when she bumped into an adult taller than her. She stepped backed and suddenly, someone with ammonia in a handkerchief took her. A car passed by and Tsuruko was kidnapped and tied.
"Cree, target one is captured." The group said as they drove away, to which she responds on the phone "Good. Tokyo Headquarters, then we'll get the other girl later. Time to use them as bait."