Pokémon: Masters
Chapter Eight – One True Destiny
"Now let the fun begin," Scott said as the eyes of the three psychics turned red.
"Alakazam, use psychic on Ash," Scott commanded his pokémon, but while it was powering up for the attack, Pikachu shouted something at him.
This froze Alakazam in his tracks, much to the disgust of its trainer.
"I order you to destroy that boy," Scott repeated to the disobedient pokémon.
"Kazam," it replied.
"What do you mean, no?" Scott shouted back. "Just take care of the other pokémon while we handle this."
What Scott did not see was that Alakazam was powering up his psychic attack and aiming at them.
"KAZAM!" it shouted as the beam narrowly missed Jeff.
"Why you little," Jeff yelled at the pokémon. "Scott, recall that traitor."
"Very well," Scott sighed, as he was forced to recall his most powerful pokémon. "We'll just have to deal with these brats ourselves."
Mary rubbed her hands together in joy. "Just the way I like it," she said as she focused on the elderly Scyther.
"Scyther!" it screamed before it fainted from the pain.
"Nice," Jeff remarked. "Now, my turn."
He looked at Geodude who was pounding away at the barrier the psychics were creating.
"Dude?" it said as the scene for him change.
He was surrounded by blastoise, each trying to nail him with hydro pump.
"Geo," he screamed while he tried to dodge them.
"What's up with Geodude?" Misty asked as she watched the rock pokémon swing at empty air.
"Must be a confusion attack," Brock sighed. "Geodude, return."
Jeff and Mary laughed as the three trainers were forced to decide how to battle. Marowak had retaken its defensive position between the Rockets and Ash.
"What can we do?" Misty asked the two older boys. "Our pokémon can't possibly stop those three."
"Maybe if we let them all out," Brock suggested.
"Pika," Pikachu agreed as he pulled all the pokéballs off Ash's belt.
"Good idea," Tracey said as he released Marril and Venonat.
"One or thousand," Jeff called at them. "We can take them all."
"Vulpix, go!" Brock shouted as he released his only usable pokémon.
"All right, everybody out," Misty said as she tossed up her pokéballs.
"Pi pikapi," Pikachu shouted to Ash's pokéball. Suddenly all of them opened, revealing six very angry pokémon.
"Maybe we should retreat," Mary suggested.
"No," Scott told them. "We finish this."
"Ash," Anna told him after she composed herself, "your friends need you."
Ash turned to her. "But I still don't understand everything," he replied.
"Time will teach you," Anna told him.
"I hope so," Ash said as Anna and Aqua disappeared into the shadows.
"Brock," Misty cried as Pikachu collapsed on the ground, "this isn't working."
He looked at all the fallen pokémon on the ground. So far, they only managed to breach the barrier once with Charizard, but Scott took him out when he saw how powerful the dragon was.
"We have no other choice," he said as he yelled to Squirtle to try a skull bash.
Dr. Eve was caring for Misty's Psyduck who was knocked out when Mary caved in the ceiling over him, Bulbasaur, and Marowak.
"Starmie, Staryu, double team with water gun," Misty called to her two remaining pokémon.
Jeff laughed as he sent the three water-pokémon to the far side of the chamber. That left only Jigglypuff and Snorlax able to battle.
"Jigglypuff, sing!" Tracey yelled as he dodged an energy blast from Mary.
The little pokémon jumped back and prepared to begin her sleep song when Jeff disabled her voice.
"Silence is golden," he mocked as Jigglypuff started to mutely cry.
"It'll be okay," Misty said as she picked up Jigglypuff's pokéball. "How about you take a rest?"
"All right, Snorlax," Brock said to final pokémon. "Body slam that barrier until it cracks."
"Snor," it replied as it jumped up and crashed down on the barrier.
"He's too heavy," Scott said as he strained to keep the huge pokémon off their heads.
"It's working," Misty cheered hopefully.
"Time to sleep," Mary said in a soothing voice to the giant pokémon hanging over them.
"Snorlax," it yawned as it slid to the ground and fell into a deep sleep.
"Great," Brock sighed. "Now we got two sleeping bodies to worry about."
"We'll take care of one of them," Jeff called at them.
Scott looked up, relieved that the strain on his psychic powers was over. "Is that all you got?"
"Toge," the little egg pokémon challenged as it leapt out of Misty's arms.
"No, Togepi," Misty shouted as she reached to pick her back up. "You're too little to fight."
"Aw," Mary mocked. "Mothers always want to keep their children under their wing."
"That's why there are fathers," a voice from behind Brock, Misty, and Tracey called. "Togepi, use Angel Kiss attack."
The little egg began to glow and started to float in mid-air. It passed through the Scott's barrier and kissed each of the psychics on the forehead stunning them.
"Now, Proudness," he shouted to the pokémon.
The three psychics began to glow, but it faded away without harming them.
"What feeble attacks," Jeff laughed. He started to create a energy ball when it exploded in his hands.
"Jeff!" Mary yelled as she looked at her fallen comrade.
Scott watched as the egg pokémon hurried back to a confused Misty. "Show yourself Ketchum," he shouted.
Ash walked between Misty and Brock while carrying Pikachu. "You want me," he replied. "Here I am."
Scott's eye turned blood red as he began to focus all his energy, but it became too much for him to control.
"Pride goes before the fall," Ash laughed as Scott tried to regain control over his own powers.
Scott screamed in pain as he fell to the ground panting. "We'll be back," he muttered as he tossed a smoke bomb at the four trainers. When the smoke cleared, Team Rocket had vanished.
"That was amazing," Tracey said as he began to sketch Misty holding Togepi. "I've never heard of those attacks before."
"Togepi, are you all right?" Misty asked her little 'baby.'
"Togeprrii," she cooed triumphantly from excitement of winning her first battle.
Ash looked at the weak Pikachu he was holding in his arms. "We better get to a pokémon center soon," he suggested as Brock retrieved all the fainted pokémon.
"Marowak," a weak voice called.
The three turned around and saw the injured pokémon leaning on its bone club.
"My duty is done," it sighed. Slowly it began to fade away.
"I can finally rest," it said as it finally vanished.
It was Dr. Eve who finally broke the silence. "This is all very confusing," she said as she walked to the opening.
"I'll say," Misty agreed. "Ash, how did you do that?"
"Honestly," Ash shrugged. "I don't know."
Butch and Cassidy were walking down the halls of Team Rocket's headquarters when Scott and Mary came in while carrying Jeff.
"Well," Butch said to Cassidy, "look what the cat dragged in."
"Not now," Scott tonelessly replied. "We have to get Jeff to the infirmary."
"What happened to you three?" Cassidy asked. "Tried to fight a pokémon match without pokémon again."
Mary glared at her. "This kid was using attacks no one has ever seen before," she snapped. "Besides, I heard one Sandslash took care of all your pokémon."
Cassidy gritted her teeth in anger as Butch held her back.
"Please, ladies," Scott told the girls, "we have better things to do than watch a cat fight."
"Yeah," Butch said to his partner. "We have to go see Shane now."
"Fine then," Cassidy replied. She turned to Mary. "I'll see you later."
"I look forward to it," she replied as the two dragged Jeff to the infirmary.
"You shouldn't over-battle your pokémon like that," Nurse Joy chided the four trainers. "They all will have to remain here for three days."
"Yes, ma'am," Brock sighed as he gazed at the nurse. "In the meantime, how about we go out for dinner?"
"Young man," Nurse Joy replied as she raised her voice, "I would never date someone who mistreated his pokémon as much as you."
She turned to walk back into the ward where their pokémon were resting.
"But…" Brock started.
"Give it up, Brock," Misty told the older trainer. "I doubt she would believe you."
"Prii," Togepi laughed.
"I hope Scyther wasn't hurt too badly," Tracey said as they walked over to the couch in the lobby. "He is getting older now."
"Don't worry, Trace," Ash replied. "He's too determine to let a little thing like this keep him down."
"I'm thirsty," Misty said as they passed a drink machine. "What about you, Ash?"
"No, I'm fine," he replied.
Brock leaned over and whispered something in his ear.
"Oh," Ash said as Brock shook his head. "Now that you mention it, I am kinda thirsty."
You think he know better by now, Misty sighed.
When Brock and Tracey where out of sight, Misty turned to Ash. "Care to explain all that?"
"I don't think I can," Ash replied. "After that Marowak's flash attack, I dreamed that I was in the past. I was there for about a month and met Anna."
"And who is Anna?" Misty asked with a jealous tone in her voice.
Catching this, Ash replied, "She was a very pretty girl. Too bad she was one of my ancestors."
Misty was about to pull out her mallet, when Ash quickly added. "She taught me a little about being Destiny."
Misty calmed down a bit. "Is that how Togepi used those new attacks?"
"Yes," he answered. "Who knows, I may get her to evolve."
"Please, don't," Misty pleaded. "She's still just a baby."
Ash gave her a funny look. "Must be that mother stuff Team Rocket was talking about."
"Why you," Misty replied as she brought her mallet down on Ash's head.
"Boss?" Butch asked as he stuck his head into Shane's office.
"Butch, Cassidy, please come in," Shane replied.
When the two entered the office, they were surprised that it was almost empty. Giovanni had kept souvenirs of his pokémon journey on shelves in his office, and the other Rocket Brothers were known for filling their rooms with decorations and furniture. Shane was different from the others. His office was only furnished with a simple desk and some chairs. The only thing that decorated the room was the large window behind the desk.
"Have a seat," he instructed them as he turned away from the window and sat at his desk.
Butch and Cassidy complied and waited for what was coming next.
"I assume you've seen or heard about Scott's team," he told them.
The both nodded. "Did you also know that it was caused by Ash Ketchum?"
"The twerp?" Cassidy replied.
"The same," Shane said. "He has been a thorn in the side of Team Rocket ever since the Viridian Pokémon Center Incident."
Shane leaned on his desk as he continued. "My father tried to eliminate him as a trainer. I, however have no such conventions."
Butch and Cassidy did not liking the sound of this. They knew Shane was a decent trainer, not quite the same level as his father, but he rarely battled. He preferred settling differences by using pokémon to attack the trainer.
"The Pokémon League Competition is coming up in two months," he told them. "That will be Ketchum's final battle, and you two while be the first wave."
"Yes, sir," they both replied.