Author's Note: (Badly imitating the narrator's voice on Dragonball Z) Today on the Master of Ages!!! As if Ash didn't have it bad enough being thrown five years into the future in a world he never existed, he gets into a little scrape with the Cerulean Police!! Team Rocket's planning a hostile takeover of epic proportions, with a familiar duo and their talking cat at the front!!! A new Team Rocket poses a threat to a certain ex-redhead and her gym, but guess who comes to her rescue!!! And a certain, pupiless hero finds himself on the wrong side of the law, with a busty new sidekick to boot!!! If you haven't read the first episode of Master of Ages, do so now or none of this will make any goddamn sense!!! Plenty of weird surprises are in store as the Master of Ages continues!!!
CHAPTER 5: THE FRIEND YOU NEVER HAD
Ash and Pikachu continued through the dark streets of Cerulean City. The place was a ghost town after 11:00 PM. Our heroes stopped at the center of town, and sat on the steps of Cerulean's legendary landmark, the Water Mother Crystal Fountain.
Ash breathed a sigh of exhaustion, tired from the tense concentration of his tough battle with Misty.
"You know Pikachu, can you keep a secret? I really miss the old, scrawny Misty."
"Pika...(No kidding...)"
"She may've been a pain lots of times, but she was sometimes very nice and cheered me on at every match regardless of how bad I might've been at the time."
"Chu...(Yeah...)"
"But that's just between you and me, right?"
"Pika!!!(Yup!!!)"
Suddenly, a car pulled up in front of the majestic monument. Two police came out. Ash immediately recognized one as Officer Jenny, noticing they were coming toward him.
Officer Jenny calls Ash's attention,"Hey you?! Do you know what time it is!"
"Uhh, it's 11:56 PM. Is something wrong?"Ash inquired.
"You've violated curfew!!! Now, show me your municipal I.D."
"Municipal I.D...Oh...I got it!" Ash thought to himself as he pulled out Dexter.
He flashed his I.D. to Officer Jenny, but it didn't help him one bit.
"That pokedex is an outdated form of I.D. You could've hacked in false information on that thing,"Officer Jenny said, mindful of her quota, "Sorry, kid but you're under arrest for attempting to deceive an officer!!!"
"WAAAHHH!!!" Ash yelped as he and Pikachu were hauled into the back of the police cruiser and taken back to headquarters.
Back in Viridian Gym, three familiar faces are taking to their jobs in the global ops division rather well. They were at one time in their history simple pokemon thieves, but were quickly promoted to spy, industrial saboteur, and district overseer, ultimately attaining the position of the highly respected and feared Team Rocket executive, directing various criminal operations around the globe. They were affluent players in the criminal world, with money, power, and fear tied to their names. Yet they still yearned for more.
"You know James...I'd do my job better if you actually did your share!!!"
"Oh but I am, Jess. I'm...administrating..."
"Administrate this, you numbskull!!! SCRATCH!!! SCRATCH!!!"
James winced in pain, "Oooooh!!!???"
Persian-Meowth tired of wasting his claws on James's face, though ever since he evolved, his attacks became even much more painful than they were before. Both Jesse and James loathed Persian-Meowth, his behavior having changed drastically since its evolution. They both were used to the old, lovable Meowth scratching them before, but the scratches they received from Persian-Meowth hurt much more, for they were not only stronger but had an unprecedented taint of pure hate and conceit.
"Now...I've just spoken with our leader. As you both know, at the end of the last meeting, Giovanni announced our proposed takeover of the Cerulean Gym. And as you both know, that particular gym is the only one on in Kanto that isn't controlled by our organization.
James, pushing away one of his hairs, arrogantly chimes in, "Well what's the big deal? Why can't we just use the old protection racket or bribe the gym leader like we always do?"
Jesse, always eager to get on James's case,"James, James, James...how do you keep your feet on the ground with such an empty head? Cerulean City is run like a police state, has an advanced ID system, and has even instituted a curfew for the express purposes of stopping criminals like us. It's too difficult to muscle our influence there."
Persian-Meowth, the most astute of the three, factors in the last piece of the puzzle, "Though Jesse mentioned some aspects of the danger, there is an even greater threat. The Cerulean Gym has been under the ownership of the Waterflower family for generations. Four sisters still hold the propietorship over the gym. Persuading them to hand over their controlling shares might prove difficult."
"Difficult?!" Jesse said, surprised by Persian-Meowth's concern.
"One of the sisters may prove to be an obstacle. She was this year's Indigo Champ. I believe her name was Misty." Persian-Meowth hands both Jesse and James a folder full of pictures, and intricate details about her, her pokemon, and the gym's financial ties.
"I remember her. She's awfully cute...and spunky." James said, a frequent spectator of the League Games himself, "Misty ripped through her competition without even trying."
"Exactly, and that is the very reason why I signed us up for the mission of bringing the Cerulean Gym under our control," Persian-Meowth said, Jesse and James facefaulting and getting back up to complain.
"But why us?"Jesse says.
"I thought the reason we were given these jobs was to pose around and goof off!" James spat.
Persian-Meowth growled,"Listen, you two. This mission is so critically important in the organization's life that Giovanni personally gave his word to me that we would receive seats in the executive board of Team Rocket if we are successful. That is why I signed the three of us up. Now...do we have a problem?"
Jesse and James were in absolute fictional nirvana. All of their other fantasies about fame, fortune, and romance dwindled away at this very moment. The sky was finally the limit. They were to become board member executives, sitting in the board room making the decisions alongside their longtime boss, Giovanni.
A streak of lightning flashed across the high window of their office.
Jesse started the motto, which had changed since their days as simple pokemon thieves.
Prepare for danger...
Ya got that, stranger?...
To bring the world to devastation...
To enslave all peoples into our nation...
To annihilate the evils of truth and love...
To dethrone the God in the heavens above...
Jesse!!!
James!!!
Team Rocket, stalking the shadows of the night...
Resist us not or feel our bite!!!
Persian-Meowth, jumped in between their legs, and unleashed a frightening, sinister purr.
"PurrRRRRROAAARRRRRR!!!!!! That's right..."
Water dripped from the toilet. It was cracked. The repetitive dripping was about to drive both Pikachu and Ash insane until Officer Jenny broke the symphony.
"Ketchum. Ash Ketchum. You're free to go."
"Huh?!"
"Come on. Someone posted bail."
Ash claimed whatever items and pokeballs that were confiscated and reluctantly came out to meet his benefactor. He may've been dense at times, but not so dense that he didn't know who had just bailed him out. The only question was why.
"Hi." Ash and Misty said to each other. She continued.
"Ash, we need to talk. Get in the car."
Ash had no choice. He needed an escort to avoid getting arrested again, and Misty was the his only choice of a companion. He and Pikachu got into Misty's jeep. It was dark blue, and had an alluring, seductive shine to it. They cruised down the streets of Cerulean City, the gentle blue street lights cascading across both their faces. Neither wanted to speak, but Misty ultimately broke the silence.
"Ya know, Ash. You beat me pretty bad back there."
Ash didn't respond, staring into the darkness of the windshield.
"Ok...I'm...sorry. I really mean that. I...just...never met anyone with such concern for their pokemon. Like if you and your Pikachu were best friends. I'm sorry if I sounded insensitive...I"
Ash interrupted her," Enough of your apology. Why'd ya bail me out?"
"A gesture of good will. That and I have a proposition for you."
"And what's that?"
Misty had driven to a high ledge, a place where several of her old boyfriends had previously taken her. She adored the overview of the city, though she loathed the lecherous company she kept sometimes. Once in a while she would come alone and daydream for hours. Ash, Misty, and Pikachu got out of the car and were led by Misty to a smooth log, a popular site for couples in the city.
"Ash, sit down and look."
"Wow."
"Incredible, isn't it. I've lived here all my life. Hah! I ran away once, but it didn't work out..."
"Yeah, I know. Oops!"Ash bumblingly answered, Misty somewhat startled, and Pikachu smacking his head.
"What? How could you know?" Misty asked.
"Uhh...forget it. Anyway, you had something to ask me about."
"Oh yeah. Ash, your skill as a pokemon trainer could take you places. I hold controlling shares in the Cerulean Gym, and with my guidance and sponsorship, you could become the greatest ever."
"Huh?"
"You can compete in the Indigo League, with me as your..."
Ash interrupted, not wanting to lead the girl on, "I'm sorry, but I have a mission to carry out. I can't stick around to compete in the Indigo League. I'm sorry. Thanks anyway, but Pikachu and I have to leave."
Misty couldn't speak as Ash and Pikachu started to leave. But she was curious about something Ash had said earlier, and continued to pester Ash.
"Oh really...and what mission would that be?" she said jeeringly.
"WAAHHH!!! Huh?"
"Well, answer me. What's so important that you would pass up the opportunity to be coached by me?"
Ash couldn't reveal the true purpose of his journey. What was he gonna say? He couldn't hit her with the sledgehammer of reality. Just tap her on the head a little with it. He sits down next to her, and looks toward the glimmering lights of the city.
"I'm lost. I'm trying to find my way home."
"Is that it? Doesn't seem to major to me. If it's not too far off, I'll drive you home."
Ash sighed"No, it's not that simple. Remember when you said you ran away from home?"
"Yeah...hey how did you know that? I never met you before."
"Tell me about the time you ran away from home..."
"Huh?" Misty blushed, "Well...I had run away for only three days, and then I came back."
"Tell me what you did...just humor me."
"Nothing major really. I left Cerulean, passed through Viridian, stopped by a river to fish, and
"Went to Pallet Town..." Ash said, finishing her sentence.
"Huh? How did you..."
"Don't question me. Just continue, this time with more detail."
Ash knew his approach, and filled in parts of the story she was about to tell.
"Okay...it started to rain so I got on my bike"
"A red bike..."
"And rode my way to Pallet Town. It didn't have a Pokemon Center, so I thought I could find a restaurant. I kept riding along one of the paths, but I stopped to notice an old man comforting a crying woman on the roadside. I asked what happened. They told me her son was..."
"Kidnapped..."
"This isn't funny, Ash...Tell me now how you know all these things...or I'm leaving."
"I'm...I'm...a friend you never had." Ash said, holding back tears, "Let me tell you what I remember, from where I come from, Misty."
He slowly unfolded his side of the story, about how he had started his Pokemon journey, how he and Pikachu were chased by the Spearows, how he jumped the river and got fished out by Misty, how he had stolen her bike to save Pikachu and destroyed it, and how she had tagged along on his journey. She laughed at first, but stopped laughing when she saw how serious Ash's face was. When he finished, there was a silence, which was broken by Misty, who got up and walked away just a few steps until stopping in one spot. Pikachu jumped on the log, while Ash followed her and stood behind her.
"I'm not expecting you to believe me..."
Misty turns around with tears in her eyes, "Then why'd you tell me all those things? Are you trying to say the life that I led was some kind of mistake of fate? That all I had worked for and accomplished was by mere chance? Is that why you beat me tonight? To prove your life superior to mine?!"
Ash grabbed Misty by the shoulders, "No!!! What I'm trying to say...is that I want my old life back. I'm from another reality. Someone in this reality went back in time and kidnapped me in my sleep before I left for my journey that day. That's why we never met. A younger version of me is being held captive by somebody in this world and I'm going find him. I was hoping you...could join me. But I could understand now why you wouldn't want to. I'll leave. I'm deeply sorry I had to tell you those things. Pikachu, let's go."
Misty looked on as Ash and Pikachu slowly turned away and started to walk away. Her mind was filled with all kinds of doubts. Yet her heart told her something different. How come she felt this innate connection with this stranger? What was it that made him seem so familiar? She wanted the answer, so much that she would discard the monotonous, selfish and glitzy life she had carved out for herself, and just for once, do something selfless and unconditionally loving.
She called out, "Ash!!!" Hey Ash!!!"
"Misty???"
"I'll...I'll join you, but only if you can tell me one more thing to prove you really do know me."
Ash looked at her, her face dripping with tears, and cemented his proof with one more comment.
"I miss that red head of yours. Brown doesn't really suit you, Mist."
The two said no more words as they both got into the car, unable to take the smile off their faces as they rode into the moonlit night.
CHAPTER 6: STONE AND ILLUSION
"Like you just got here? You can't just leave!!! Who's gonna protect the gym?!" Daisy shouted as she banged on Misty's door, while Violet and Lily fumbled around a nearby closet looking for the appropriate power tools. Ash and Pikachu had barricaded the door so Misty could gather the essentials for their journey.
"DAISY!!! IT'S NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS WHY I'M LEAVING!!! I'M 18 AND FULLY CAPABLE OF TAKING CARE OF MYSELF!!!" the brunette shouted at the top of her lungs, Ash and Pikachu falling victim to her vocal chords.
Violet and Lily started working on the door's hinges, providing background noise for Daisy's and Misty's argument. Ash and Pikachu had slept in the guest room, but under Misty's advice, awoke early to scramble over to Misty's room to avoid the chaos that would ensue.
Ash, recuperating from Misty's yell, talks to Pikachu, "You know, Pikachu, the more we hang around her, the more she's starting to act like her old self."
"Pika pikachu-cha pika?(Is that a good thing?)"
Ash makes a huge sweatdrop while Misty keeps pulling stuff out of her closet.
"Ya know Misty, when we used to travel together, you kept all of your stuff in a red backpack."
Misty looked at Ash, still intrigued by his knowledge of her, "I've grown up since then, Ash. I'm a woman now. I have more...needs and essentials," she said while she discreetly packed some lipstick, tampons, an epilator, a blowdryer, expensive Celadon perfumes, pimple cream, five 18-hour C-cup bras, six blue panties with various water motifs, and her notorious red bikinis into her orange suitcase.
"Uh...okay?!" Ash affirmed, as he remembered all the kinds of stuff and junk Misty used to carry around in that little red, pouch-like backpack.
BANG!!!...BOOM!!! The door was down and the barricade erupted, sending bits of furniture flying everywhere, bringing Ash and Misty to the ground. They both looked up to see Misty's sisters towering over them, with very threatening drills and automatic screwdrivers in hand.
"WAAAHHH!!!"Ash yelps.
"GRRRRRR..."Misty growls.
"CHAAAAA!!!" Pikachu screams as he hides behind Ash's right shoulder.
"HUH???...!!!"all three sisters simultaneously say, as they find Misty with Ash in her room. They all slightly blush at the cute boy and gawk at the two in amazement. The three sisters, with tears in their eyes, thought to themselves, in all of their years with little Misty, have never seen her have a proactive interest in finding a mate. They set her up on so many blind dates with endless failure, they had given up hope. Little did they know they probably had the poorest taste in men to start with.
"Oh, like, now I see why you're leaving..." Violet said up close to Misty with a weird look on her face.
"Like this is totally awesome!!!"Lily said to Ash, with stars in her eyes.
"GIRLS!!! LET'S GET THESE TWO OUTTA HERE!!!"Daisy commanded.
Both Misty and Ash kept dumb looks on their faces as her sisters packed Misty's stuff for her, threw them into their jeep, and sent them on their way.
"Like, don't worry about the gym!!! We'll take care of everything!!! Goodbye!!!"
And so, our heroes drove off into the sunrise, entirely ignorant and apathetic about what just happened. For them, one thing was on their minds, breakfast.
A jagged, gray monster truck rampaged through the outer rim of the Safari Zone.
The chief warden of the Safari Zone was staying in close contact with Officer Jenny, "Roger Jenny!!! I'll try to barricade the west end, though I doubt we can do anything to stop Brock!!!"
It was his trademark granite gray monster truck that gave him away. Though he wasn't always one to cling to the tenets of stealth, you wouldn't expect that from a rock pokemon trainer. Stone is an element of strength, solidity, and directness, so it was natural for Brock to be honest and in your face, especially if you're a girl. Yet even Brock realizes the need for subtlety and resourcefulness, hence his partner.
Brock fumbled for the radio transmitter and relayed,"Duplica, did you do as we planned?"
"Sure thing, Brocko, your legend as a bounty hunter will be belong to the ages after this one!!!" Duplica shouts into the transmitter, wearing her Officer Jenny outfit.
Brock's monster truck, with a heavy contraband of Chanseys, Kangaskhans, and Pinsirs, barreled down the main valley of the east end. But, unbeknownst to Brock, several police cars and heavily armed reserve humvees were waiting for him at the very end.
"Brock, come in, Brock!!!"
"I'm halfway down the east end valley, Duplica!!! What's up?!"
Duplica nervously yells, "I've tapped into the Safari Zone radar detection system!!! There's a massive group of very unfriendly looking blips at the end of the valley!!!
"Cops???"
"Duh!!! Who else???" Duplica snickers.
"I got an idea, Doop! Meet me at the middle. Time to take center stage!!!"
"I'll be down there!!! And don't call me 'Doop'!!! I'll told you never to call me that!!!"
"Just get down here or we'll be fighting in a jail cell!!! Now here's the new plan..."
The gauntlet was armed to the teeth. They were ready to fire on Brock, inconsiderate of the fact that they would also be firing on the rare pokemon. The owner of the reserve placed her profits above all else, and it reflected on the way she ran the place. What used to be an inexpensive haven for trainers to catch rare pokemon had three years ago become a lavish, restricted pokemon country club, where pokemon were sold to the highest bidder. The irony was that though the reserve's profits soared, much of it went to the owner's pockets, leaving little left for the maintenance and specialized care for the rare pokemon. The average reproductive rate for the pokemon has plummeted for the past two years. Little does Brock know it, but he's actually committing an act of heroism than an act of crime, all on the estate known as Jessiebelle Meadows, a franchise of Team Rocket, Inc. The police readied their guns as they started getting something on their radars. He was coming down the valley, but not alone.
One of the lieutenants received a radio transmission.
"Chief, tell your men to hold your fire!!! I have a grapple on the vehicle!!!" a voice which sounded like Officer Jenny said.
"Jenny, we have orders to fire!!! You can't pull any heroics now!!! Jessiebelle will have our hides if we don't follow through with the order!!!
"Then she can have mine too!!! But there's rare pokemon on board and I'm gonna make sure they're safe!"
Officer Jenny steadied herself on the edge of the door of her humvee, and jumped onto Brock's truck, grabbing onto the bottom of the passenger window which was left open. All the officers looked on as Jenny opened the door and got inside the passenger side of the truck.
The chief ordered, "Hold your fire!!!" as Jenny struggled with Brock at the wheel.
"Brock!!! Quit messin' around!!! Get that goofy look off your face!!!"
"Sorry Doop, but you remind me of so many Jennys at the same time!!! I can't help myself!"
Duplica, infuriated as she can ever be, fumes, "I told you....DON'T CALL ME 'DOOP'!!!"
As they pass through the gauntlet of police, Duplica unleashed a very long noogie on Brock, which made the officers wince as they witnessed the cranial torture. All of sudden, Brock's left wheel hit a boulder, sending the truck spinning and knocking police cars in all directions while the cops fled the chaos. By pure chance, Brock's nose became buried in Duplica's cleavage after the impact.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"Duplica shrieked while blushing.
Brock pulled his face out of her breasts, "Uh, I didn't"
SLAP!!!SLAP!!!SLAP!!!SLAP!!!SLAP!!!SLAP!!!SLAP!!!SLAP!!!SLAP!!!SLAP!!!SLAP!!!SLAP!!!...was all that was heard as Duplica unleashed the most devastating doubleslap technique ever seen, even by pokemon standards.
"Wow, I didn't know Officer Jenny could do that..." a policeman commented.
"Maybe its a family thing, though that particular Jenny was awfully short and busty..."another one said.
The slaps continued on in the distance, as all the cops looked on, wondering if Jenny was going to be okay. Brock and Duplica, bounty hunters extraordinaire, continued on in their journey, but not before stopping at the local Dragonite-Aid for some Ben-Gay.
"So back in your timeline, we traveled with a guy named Brock? What was this guy like?"Misty asked.
"He was pretty cool, real wise, and knew where to stick his nose in any situation!!!"Ash replied.
Ash, Misty and Pikachu stopped for breakfast at a small restaurant. A bit into the meal, Misty started asking Ash questions about their travels together. One of the topics of discussion was their traveling buddy, Brock.
"Why'd did he hang around us? A guy his age should've had a girlfriend to keep him company..."
"He wanted to become a pokemon breeder, so he came along to hone his breeding skills. About the girlfriend thing, he had a very soft spot for pretty girls. He'd ask any girl out any chance he'd get, even ones that were probably too old for him to begin with, but without any success."
"That's too bad...umm...how about you? Did you have a girlfriend?"
"Waaaaa!!! No, come to think of it. I never bothered to get a girlfriend when I started my pokemon training. Not since May. But...she was never really my girlfriend to begin with."
"May?!"
"Yeah. We hung out a lot together when we were younger. She beat me up a lot too, but one day she pecked me on the lips and said she finally learned how to show she cared without hitting me. But by the time that happened, her parents divorced and she left suddenly. I never understood what she meant. Then Gary came."
"Gary?"
Ash looked out the window solemnly, with old memories of May still haunting the album of his mind.
"Gary...he's another story. I don't wanna get into that. He's not important."
Misty looked at Ash, getting the sense she hit a sensitive spot about his having a girlfriend. But one thing Misty never falters in is her insensitive persistence. She continues to press on the conversation.
"Ash, why did I follow you?"
"Huh?"
"Initially, why did I follow you?"
"Like I said before. I destroyed your bike and you wanted to tag along until I paid you back."
"That seems like a pretty stupid reason to me. I could've just gotten my sisters to talk to your mom and a settlement could've been arranged. You're still not giving me a good reason."
"Look Misty, that's all I can give you. I'm a pokemon trainer and now a time-traveler, but I'm not a telepath. I don't know what went through your head when you decided to join me on my pokemon journey. I'm sorry if that sounds insulting, but it's the truth. We should go."
"Wait Ash. before we go, what are we going to do next?"
"Huh?"
"You said you wanted to go back home, and that I was going to help you. What's our next move?"
Ash had never considered his course of action. He knew his younger counterpart was being held hostage somewhere in this world, but had no clue where to start looking. Nevertheless, he followed his instincts and common sense and two words came to mind.
"Professor Oak. If the time disruption occured in this timeline, he might know something about it, if he's still around. Our next stop is his research lab in Pallet Town."
"Ash...also...your mom. Maybe we should pay a visit." Misty softly suggested.
"We can't. I wouldn't be able to handle it. I..."
Misty grabs Ash by the collar and pulls him up close, "If you want me to stick around, you're going to pay your mom a visit whether you like it or not!!!!!!"
All of a sudden they noticed everyone in the restaurant staring at them. The pair let loose some sweatdrops as they laughed nervously and started to leave.
"Pikachu, maybe you should let go of that ketchup now..."
"Chaa??? Pika-pi chu...(Huh??? No way, man)"
"Then bring it along. I'll pay for it."
"Pika!!!(Cool!!!)"
The three left the restaurant with their next destination in mind. Pallet Town, Ash's hometown, where all of this mess started, and where clues to getting everything back to normal might still be lurking around. Our heroes reach Misty's jeep, but oddly enough there are two kids about their age, and a Machamp wearing a mean looking vest reclining against the hood of the jeep. All our heroes could see was their silhouettes.
"Hey!!! Didn't you learn to respect private property? That's my jeep!!!" Misty yelled.
"Yeah, get off her jeep!"Ash chimed in.
The two kids and the Machamp got off the jeep, the Machamp starting to tower above them all as it got off. Ash, Misty, and Pikachu started to shake in fear as they menacingly approached. Misty and Pikachu hid behind Ash, while Ash stood his ground with his arms folded.
The blonde boy started talking, "Ya know kid, as members of Team Rocket, we were taught that all in the world belongs to Team Rocket, and that includes pathetic little jeeps like this one. But this particular one belongs to..."
The raven-haired girl continued his sentence, "Misty Waterflower, this year's Indigo League champ. I believe that's you, girl. Hmm...and who would this be? Your boyfriend? I admit, he is rather cute, but a pretty face ain't gonna help either of you one bit."
Ash and Pikachu growled, but Misty added to the tension.
"Why the interest in me? You should know better than to face off against a Pokemon Master!!!"
The blonde kid spoke, "That doesn't concern us at all. What does interest us is that precious little gym of yours. It's the only one our leader has yet to control..."
And then the Machamp said in a earth-shaking voice, "Hand over the deed or else!!!"
Our heroes shouted, shocked at the Machamp's ability to speak.
"WAAAAHH!!!!!!"
"AAAAAHH!!!!!!"
"PIKAAAAA!!!!!"
CHAPTER 7: WAR CRY OF THE ROCKETS
Our heroes were in peril. Two Team Rocket members and a menacing Machamp had ambushed them in front of a small restaurant. Their only option was a pokemon battle, but not before listening to their motto. For Ash it was an expected task, but for Misty it was something she had never been privy to hearing. The raven-haired Rocketeer started the motto, with her blonde companion alternating verses.
Rocket here and Rocket there!!!
Rocket Gang is everywhere!!!
Terrorizing the nations of the land!!!
Taking them in the palm of our hand!!!
Beauty by day, terror by night!!!
Crime is the passion of which we delight!!!
Billy...
Kid...
Kneel before us and feel our wrath!!!
As we tread all who stand in our path!!!
"GGGGGGRRRRRRR...that's right!!!"
Ash said, "Team Rocket!!!" yet felt weird saying it alone, since the old Misty usually said it with him.
Kid, waving some of her hair away, continues, "Now Ms. Waterflower, hand over your slice of the deed over to us. Or maybe we should persuade one of your sisters to hand us theirs..."
"You keep away from my sisters, or I'll..."Misty shouts.
"You can't do anything, little girl. You're in no position to make demands."Machamp growls.
"But I am!!!" Ash yells, infuriated by their arrogance, one reminiscent of Jesse and James.
"And who might you be?" Billy sneers.
"I'm Ash Ketchum!!! Misty's my friend, and if you clowns want her, you're gonna have to come through me!!!" Ash staunchly shouts.
Misty blushed, flattered by Ash's defense, but never wanting to be the damsel in distress, yells, "Butt out, Ash!!! This is my fight!!! There's no way these third-rate punks are gonna beat this year's Indigo Champ!!!"
"Ahhh, if it's a battle you want, we'd be happy to entertain!"Billy jeers.
Kid grabs a pokeball, "Go, Flareon!!!"
Billy launches his pokemon, "Go, Jynx!!!"
Ash and Misty look at their opponents pokemon and start a small discussion.
"Ya know, Ash, this isn't even worth the effort!" Misty giggled.
"I know what ya mean. Your Fullfrog can douse the Flareon, and my Charizard can melt the Jynx. Whaddya say, Pikachu. Should we show some mercy?"
"Pika (Nope)"
Billy and Kid start to get upset at how their targets are giggling to each other in their conversation.
"Hey!!! You're supposed to be trembling in fear of our pokemon!!!" Kid yells.
Machamp angrily roars, "Call out your pokemon or else!!!"
Ash and Misty, ever the humble trainers, turn quickly towards their assailants, and simultaneously unleash the appropriate pokemon. Fullfrog and Charizard pop out, standing menacingly in front of their trainers.
Billy, Kid, and Machamp start trembling in fear.
"FULLFROG!!!"
"CHARIZARD!!!"
"AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!" Machamp effeminately screeches.
"Fullfrog, Croak Powder!!!"
"Charizard, Flamethrower!!!"
Fullfrog's Croak Powder, a mixture of explosive bodily gases, quickly envelops the young Rockets, while Charizard's Flamethrower quickly ignited the Croak Powder.
KRRRAAAAA-BOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMM!!!!!!!!
The evil trio and their pokemon get launched into the blue of the sky.
"That wasn't even right!" Kid blathers out.
"It's the first time we lost a fight!" Billy spits.
"TEAM ROCKET'S BLASTING OFF FOR THE FIRST TIME!!!!!............'ping'"
"Ash, did you know who those people were? They kinda scared me for a bit." Misty asked.
"Hmm, those were members of Team Rocket, though I never met those two before. When we traveled together in my world, we were constantly fighting against two kids named Jesse and James, and a talking Meowth, members of Team Rocket. I guess Meowth musta taught that Machamp how to talk."
"Come on, Ash, Pikachu. We have to get to Pallet Town. We can talk more about our journeys together on the way."
"Right, come on Pikachu."
The pair and little Pikachu race towards Pallet Town in hopes of finding Professor Oak. But little do they know they are being watched from above as a sinister evil looms in the distance.
"Father, I knew you'd come. Race towards that little town you used to call home. It will do you no good. And as for you...Misty. You shall feel the joy of father's love, only to have it slip through your fingers. You shall be my dark queen soon enough, and your luscious body will be mine for the taking..."
A trembling agent cowers and kneels before the fiery being, "Master, your meeting with the one called Giovanni for next week has been scheduled. He says his associate, Gary Oak, has successfully utilized the technology you had specified, and has captured the designated target."
"Splendid, now...reach Gary and tell him to keep me posted on the development of little Ash and his Pikachu. Once the proper parameters are in order, we can proceed with Phase 4. Isn't that right, Pikachu?"
A grayed, colorless Pikachu, morphed out of the shadow of the evil figure, with a red glow in its little eyes. They had the look of pure, unrelenting terror.
"Chuuuu....."
"Whaddya mean we can't pass through Pewter City?!"Ash demanded.
"Yeah, what's the deal?!"Misty continued.
Pikachu was enjoying the last remnants of his ketchup bottle as his trainer and their traveling partner were fighting with an Officer Jenny on a route leading to Pewter City.
"I'm sorry, but we're on red alert. A bounty hunter named Brock is holed up somewhere inside. Until we find him, nothing goes in or out of this city."
"Brock!!! Ash, isn't that the guy...mmmf!!!"
Ash quickly puts his hand over Misty's mouth and finishes the conversation. "Well, I guess we're gonna have to wait, huh Officer Jenny?"
"Guess so. There's a large inn a mile away from here. You can stay there until this thing clears up."
Ash pushes Misty to the car while Misty protests, "Hey, quit pushing!!!"
"Come on. We don't have much time. I have a plan, but we need a place to stay first."
They get in the jeep and ride to the famous Rollin' Golem Inn, where they scramble to find a room.
"Sorry kid, we don't have one with separate bedrooms. All we have is the honeymoon suite."
Ash flusters and sighs, "Hmm...that's too bad. Guess we're gonna have to camp."
Misty interjects, "We'll take it!!! Come on, Ash!!!"
"Huh?"
"Don't just stand there! Bring our stuff up and tell me about your plan!"
"Right, Pikachu, take my backpack and follow Misty. I'll meet you upstairs soon."
"Chu! (Alright!)"
As Misty and Pikachu ran up to their room, Ash pulls out Dexter, and punches up a listing of stored phone numbers. Brock, early in their journey, asked Ash to store his phone number on his pokedex in case he forgot. Ash, hopeful that the number is still the same in this reality, dials it up on a voice-only phone, aware of the risk he's taking. It rings three times until someone picks it up.
"Hello, Slate residence. Grant speaking."
"Uh hi, is Brock there?" Ash whispered.
"What's the password, kid?"
"Waaahhh!!!" Ash facefaulted and made a sweatdrop as he thought of what he was going to say next.
"Password accepted."
Lady Luck seemed to be on Ash's side, for his very cry of excitement was the password he needed.
"Brock speaking. Where are you calling from?"
"Uhh, I'm calling from the Rollin' Golem Inn."
"Good. Who am I speaking toooOOOWHOA!!! Duplica, hold steady!!!"
Ash chose the worst time to call, for Brock, Duplica, and some of his family were holed up in a hidden basement under his house, their property under search by the police. His father, Flint, aware of his son's whereabouts, is stalling the police during the search. Brock would be in the clear, except that the trap door had broken in two while they were crawling in. Duplica was barely holding up the two boards, while balancing on Brock's shoulders. Not a good time for conversation, but for Brock, business was business.
"Now, who am I speaking to?"
Ash figuring out what to say, "I can't give you that over the phone, but I have a job for you."
"You're at the Rollin' Golem Inn, right? I'll meet you down there in the back lot at midnight. Okay?"
"Right, but how are you going to get past the cops?"
"Leave that to me! They don't call me Brock the Rock for nothing! Bye!"
Ash ran upstairs, excited that he had made contact with his old friend, but wondering how he was going to convince him to join him on his journey. And Duplica? What was that all about? How did they get together in this world? Too many questions, Ash said to himself. He made it to his room and entered rather quietly, looking for Misty and Pikachu, yet was unable to find them. He tiptoed to the bedroom and took a peek.
"You know, Pikachu. The more I'm around you, the more I'm losing my fear of Pikachus."
"Pika Pika!!! (Atta girl!!!)"
Misty continued, throwing several deep questions, "But still, I have a lot of questions about Ash. I wish I were able to understand you. Maybe you could tell me more about him. How exactly did you two get to this world? Why did he want me to come along on his journey with him? What made me want to follow him when we were younger in his timeline? There's just so much I don't know..."
Ash smiled and thought to himself, "I wish I knew the answers to those myself. But we'll find them...together" He knocked on the side of the wall and called out to Misty and Pikachu. The two jumped out of the room.
"Pika-pi (Ash!)"
"What took you so long? I was playing around with Pikachu for a while now. What's up?"
"Hmm...listen you two. I contacted Brock, and got him to meet with us at midnight in the back lot."
"What?" Misty said with a stunned face, "How'd ya manage to do that?"
"A lot of luck. But now I'm gonna have to figure out how to get him to join us..."
"Why do you want him to join us?" Misty asked.
"Huh?"
"I mean, don't you think three's a crowd? Aren't we doing pretty well by ourselves?" Misty scowled.
"Misty, he was our friend and traveled with us in my world. We should see how he turned out, and by the looks of things, it doesn't seem he was very lucky if he has the police chasing him."
"Ohh...okay," Misty said, secretly disappointed that it wasn't just gonna be the two of them.
It was midnight. Ash, Misty, and Pikachu were waiting outside in the back lot. There was a cold drizzle that tickled them gently as they waited. Misty started to shiver, and Ash took notice.
"Misty, are you cold?"
"A little, but I'll live."
"Here, take my jacket." Ash said before taking it off and putting it on Misty.
"Thank you."
Ash softly rubbed her shoulders to warm her up, while Misty stared at Ash, blushing slightly and smiling when he took notice. Ash, still with the mind of 12 year old, not knowing what to make of Misty's behavior, smiled back.
"If you don't mind, can you hold Pikachu? I know you don't like..."
"Sure..."Misty quickly agreed as Pikachu shook the rain off his fur and jumped into Misty's arms.
Not too far by, the recently defeated members of Team Rocket are looking at their targets through night-vision goggles, plotting their next course of action.
"Aww...don't they look cute together?"Kid snickered.
"Not as cute as me," Billy sneered.
"Both of you are quite ugly in my opinion," Machamp groaned, "but that's not gonna matter. This time I'm gonna battle them. Neither them or their pokemon will survive my awesome might. The Cerulean Gym will be ours, and afterwards, Team Rocket will rule all of this continent, and soon the world!!!"
CHAPTER 8: THE TRUMP CARD
A strange, unprecedented feeling came over her, a warmth in the midst of the cold, wet night. She had always been fiercely independent, traveling to the gyms of the continent, beating the gym masters of the other gyms, dating guys sparsely here and there with disappointing luck. Yet this time she felt differently. Ash wasn't possessive of her like other guys were with her. Though she wasn't one to be under the shadow of a man, she liked how Ash protected her. Not defending her like a piece of property, but standing alongside her, empowering her. For once in her life, she didn't feel alone, but secure...cared for, even. She looked on at her companion longingly, with a small infatuation growing ever more immense inside her heart.
"So, Ash, it's been 10 minutes. He hasn't shown up yet."Misty said.
"If you want, you can go back inside. You don't have to stay with me. I can wait for him alone."
"Oh...no. I'll stay...if you want me to...."
Ash's heart started to beat nervously. He wanted her to stay, and were he the old Ash, he would've expressed himself rather easily, but he wasn't able to. His age, the hormones in his body were all too foreign to a 12 year old. He knew his body radically changed from the time warp, but he noticed his feelings had changed too. He felt differently about Misty. He wanted to tell her how beautiful she looked in his jacket holding Pikachu, with the rain shining off her chocolate hair along with her azure-colored eyes and her delicate lips. But he was used to shaking his sentiments away, and denied to himself of what he was feeling.
"Sure. If you want to."Ash said curtly, not daring to look at her.
Misty walks up to Ash.
"Ash, what's wrong? You don't seem okay?"
"Oh, nothing. I just miss home. That's all. Hey, look! Someone's coming."
A black sports car sped into the back lot, braking a few feet in front of Ash and Misty. Pikachu unwound his body, pulled his head away from Misty's chest, and poked his head out of the jacket. Brock and Duplica jumped out of the car and walk towards them. Brock stood tall and muscular, with a his old spiked hair smoothed out into an interesting array of cascading hairs and bangs. Duplica stood next to him, her shortness emphasized even more standing next to a monster like Brock. She was very athletic for her age, though her breasts were somewhat huge. Her hair was tied down into a long braided tail.
"So which one of you called us?" Brock asked.
"I did. My name's Ash."
"I don't recall giving you my private number. What's your angle?"
"My angle?"
"You said you had a job for us. How much are you paying and what are we being asked to do?"
Ash thought to himself for a moment, remembering the images he saw of Brock back in Chronine's dimension, "How about if I tell you I can help you reclaim your old gym in Pewter City?"
"What?...HAH!!! You gotta be kidding me, boy. I sold that gym to Team Rocket. I didn't want to, but I had no choice. Don't joke around with me. I got a family to maintain. Now unless you've got cash, I'm not listening any further."
Brock and Duplica paused for a moment while Ash stood silent. They started to walk away until Misty intervened, "Hey wait!!! If you want to be paid, then talk to me!!!"
Brock started to blush, "Huh?" Psychedelic anime bubbles of love started glowing behind him.
Misty got a questioned look on her face, as Brock pushed Ash aside, and introduced himself, "Hi, my name is Brock. I'm sorry if sounded rude to your friend, but me and my partner are in desperate need of cash. Please tell me what's your name and do you have a boyfriend?"
"We used to hang around this guy?"Misty thought to herself as she let Pikachu down and unleashed her mallet on his head, "Listen, Brock. We have need of your skill as a bounty hunter. From what Ash tells me, you're also an exceptional breeder, so we can use your help in maintaining our pokemon in top health. I'm the main proprietor of the Cerulean Gym, and am able to pay you handsomely if you'll assist us."
Misty looked at Duplica, "Your partner is welcome to help as well. What's your name?"
"Duplica, and will you please tell me where you got such a nice-looking mallet? Brock does need a good whack once in a while."
"Sure thing, Duplica, but for now we should leave since the police are looking for you two."
Ash interjected, "Uh, Misty, maybe we should leave the inn and camp out somewhere. No offense to you two, but we can't risk staying in one place for too long with you guys."
Misty concurred,"Right, Ash. Let's get outta here."
All of a sudden, three souped up and heavily armored motorcycles barrel down the slope surrounding the back lot. They tore into Brock's sport car, with Machamp reducing it to scrap with one blow. The scrap heap exploded, sending huge flames and fumes into the air. The silhouettes of the Rocket members and their bikes stood against the fire and twisted metal. Our heroes looked at them, shocked by their brazenness.
Ash stood back in a rather stoic pose and calmly lets out, "We're kinda busy now fellas. I'm hoping you wouldn't mind taking a rain check on your next defeat."
Kid, with a sinister laugh, says, "That's cute, but we're not gonna lose this time. We've brought stronger pokemon, seeing that you and your little friend are quite the masters. But not before our friend here has a little fun. Machamp, pound 'em down!!!"
Machamp revved up his bike and started charging towards Ash, "GRRRAAAAARRRRR!!!!!!!!!"
Ash held his ground, timing himself to withdraw Bulbasaur's pokeball, but out of nowhere, Brock called a pokemon out before Ash could react, "Go Hitmonlee!!! Rolling Kick attack!!!
Hitmonlee rolled out in front of Ash at lightning speed.
'Flip...WHAAAMMM!!!'
With one quick well-placed kick, it sent Machamp flying towards his teammates and its bike rolling on its side, leaving a trail of sparks before crashing into a nearby dumpster. Hitmonlee's kick nailed Machamp in the breadbasket. Machamp landed in front of his teammates, and got up.
"HAH!!! You think that's gonna stop meee..e.e.e.e.e.e..." Machamp trailed off as he blacked out and toppled over. Billy and Kid looked at Machamp in shock that he had lost a match so quickly and unprecedented.
Billy's nerve busted out of his forehead, "We lost once, but we aren't gonna lose to you dweebs again!!! Come on, Kid, let's show these wimps what we're made of!!! Go Nidoking!!!"
Kid, perhaps the most kind-hearted and wise of the group, reluctantly unleashed one of her pokeballs, "Go Primeape..."
"Nidoking, Horn Drill!!!" Billy commands.
"Primeape, just hang out..." Kid yawns.
Nidoking's Horn Drill tore into Hitmonlee, fainting it before it could counterattack. Brock quickly withdrew the fainted Hitmonlee, but Nidoking quickly faced our heroes and started charging, leaving potholes in the pavement as it ran forward. Misty, Brock, and Duplica started running away, but Ash kept his cool and stood his ground.
Misty, seeing Ash wasn't moving an inch, shouts, "Ash, come on!!! My jeep's not too far!!!"
"Come on, Ash!!! Run for it!!!" Brock yells.
Ash narrows his eyes and answers, "Sorry guys!!! I'm not running from these clowns!!! They're not gonna threaten my friends and get away with it. Pikachu, remember our fight in Cinnabar Island? How you defeated Rhydon? Time for an encore!!!"
"Pika!!!(Gotcha!!!)"
Ash Ketchum, perhaps not the smartest guy in the world, compensated for it with his somewhat abnormal strength, superkeen agility, cunning and intuition. Of all his pokemon, he probably resembled Pikachu the most, which was perfect for the stunt he was about to pull. Ash's friends looked on in suspense as he bended his knees and lowered his head slightly. Pikachu climbed up Ash's leg and hid behind his backpack. Nidoking was charging full strength as Ash and Pikachu prepared for a custom technique.
Three feet before Nidoking was about to hit Ash, he tumbled out the way, while Pikachu flipped in the air, and Nidoking stumbled in confusion. Pikachu landed on Nidoking's face and clasped onto its horn. Ash, quickly recovering from his sideflip yells, "Pikachu, Super Thunder Attack!!!"
Pikachu unleashed a Thunder attack, which, amplified by the rainclouds, morphed into Super Thunder Attack quite easily, sending massive amounts of electricity coarsing through Nidoking's body through its horn, causing it to faint. Pikachu somersaulted off Nidoking's face and perched itself on Ash's outstretched forearm. His friends looked on in amazement at how well Ash and Pikachu had coordinated such an extraordinary attack as Billy recalled Nidoking.
"You're not getting away with that!!! Go...," Billy was fumbling for another pokeball, but Kid had stopped him.
"No, Billy. Primeape, drag Machamp onto the back of my bike."
Our heroes, especially Ash, were surprised to see that one of the Rocket members was holding back.
Kid, waving her dark hair to one side, talks, "You know, Ash...you're quite an impressive warrior. You battle as if you and your pokemon were one and the same. Believe it or not, I know about your little situation. Time has a way of falling back on itself. But for some reason, it seems to have fallen on you. When you get your act straight in this world, perhaps you should consider working for us. I'd love to partner up with you..."
Ash gets a weird look on his face, "Huh?!"
Misty scowls, "There's no way he'd work with a trashy thug like you!!!"
"Hmm, you should keep better company, Ash. Her feelings towards you are quite ambivalent, whereas mine are quite crystal clear. Think about it, Ash. Until then, ciao lover boy..." Kid said as she blew him a kiss and left with her comrades.
Our heroes looked on as they rode off into the distance. Ash wondered what to make of Kid's apparent knowledge of his time displacement. He stood there, until Misty shook his shoulder.
"Ash!!! Snap out of it will ya and let's find a camp site! You're gonna have to tell all of us what we're getting into, and you're the person who can best explain what's going on."
"Sorry, Misty," Ash said as he looked into the fire of Brock's destroyed car, "Let's go."
Billy and Kid sped down the route, with Machamp recuperating rather peacefully. There was a bit of silence, until Billy found the nerve to ask Kid a burning question.
"Kid, not to be nosy, but what didja mean back there when you said you knew about that kid's situation?"
"Billy, I'm host to classified knowledge about Team Rocket's top secret ops. I can't tell you."
"Then one question. If our mission is just to secure that Misty girl's deed, why are you showing so much interest in that Ash boy? He's not critical to our goal."
Kid, peeved at Billy's persistence, fashions an answer, "Ash has taken it upon himself to protect Misty. I'll make a deal with you if you don't ask anymore questions. You and Machamp can have Misty's deed and the reward that goes with it all to yourselves, but only if you assist me in capturing Ash as well. I'll only tell you that Giovanni's personally interested in the boy..."
Billy, giddy at the request, " What would Master Giovanni want with that boy? My, what some women will say to have a love toy. But if that's your deal, count me in!!!"
A fire burned brightly near the western forest of Mt. Moon. The four friends had to backtrack because of the increased police activity due to the commotion at the Rollin' Golem Inn. Everyone had decided to take a rest before continuing with whatever Ash had in mind. Brock was cooking, while Duplica had taken it upon herself to check their pokemon. Pikachu started taking a nap while Misty finished securing the tents. She had nothing better to do, so she decided to check up on Ash. He had taken off for more firewood, but had stopped to take a rest and ponder his next move near a small pond. It didn't take too long for Misty to find Ash.
"What's up, Ash? You seem worried."
"Oh, don't mind me. I'm just thinkin' about stuff. That's all."
"Hmm, well don't think too hard. Though I've already promised them a fair amount of money just a moment ago, you're gonna have to convince these two of some pretty unbelievable stuff. They might leave if you say the wrong thing."
"Misty...how was I at convincing you?"
"Huh? Well..."
"I mean, you looked like you took my story pretty hard, and I've been feeling bad about it ever since."
Misty, a little saddened, "Ash...don't feel bad. I...I have to admit, you did hurt me. Even now, I have some doubts and fears..."
"Then why'd ya wanna come with me?" Ash asked.
Misty wasn't sure how to answer his question, or whether she wanted to. She was angry at him for telling her about his situation and even having the nerve to ask her to join him in his quest so bluntly, but she adored the compassion he had in his eyes when he held her by the shoulders that night in Cerulean, trying to comfort her. Whether it was out of love or not, she wasn't sure, but Ash had quickly become the sword to her shield, and she wasn't about to let go just yet.
"I'm just curious. I'm always on the lookout for a good adventure!" Misty said, unable to look into Ash's eyes in honesty.
"Oh, well...if we're dealing with Team Rocket, we're bound for plenty of adventure, don'tcha think?"
"Yeah..."
"SOUP'S ON!!!" Brock yelled in the distance, eager to try out his new recipe.
Ash and Misty got up, a little weary of their travels, and eager to chow down. Misty may have agreed to pay the young outlaws, but to receive the most out them, Ash knew he needed to convince Brock and Duplica of his situation and gain their trust in the process.
"Maybe Satoshi can help me out..." Ash pondered as he ran to the camp site.
TO BE CONTINUED...