Chapter 3
The Past Returns
"You will be given the day off so we can sort out yesterday's little problems. Thank you. You must spend the day at the Rocket commissary or in your quarters," said the loud speakers.
"I'm going to the commissary," Sabrina said.
"I'll stay here and meditate. I need to after yesterday."
"Well, be careful. Lock the door. We don't want Rockets in here."
"Yeah, see you later," I called as she left. As I meditated scenes from my past came back to me.
"James, will you bring me my kimono?"
"Yeah, hold on," I answered. I grabbed the dark green and purple kimono off the couch where she had left it. I walked up to her room.
"Here," I said, tossing it to her.
"Come back to bed, James,"
"No, not now," I told her. I had felt unfaithful to Sabrina just being there, but Sabrina was insane, and she was sleeping with Darien anyway.
"You and Erika?!" Sabrina yelled as she entered the door. I guess time passes quicker then I thought while I'm meditating
"Hey, hey, hey, we broke up, you tried to kill me," I explained. I hadn't realized I had been meditating that long. She put the groceries down on the floor.
"That doesn't explain why you slept with her!"
"I slept with her less than you did with Darien!"
"What's all the commotion?!" David yelled, running into the room, pokeball in hand, ready for a Rocket assault. Instead he found Sabrina and I yelling at each other about infidelity.
"We weren't even engaged back then."
"You said you'd never do something like that!"
"You did too!"
"Something like what?" asked David.
"Sleep with Erika!" she yelled.
"Sleep with Darien!" I countered.
"What's done is done!" David yelled, "So get over it and get back to your normal lives."
"I'm sorry I exploded like that," Sabrina said.
"Me too," I said. I held her close to me, then said, "we've got to save William, and Olivia."
"Yeah, let's go." As we rode down the long hallway in a Rocket minicar I phased out again, more memories coming to me.
"Haunter, I know you'll like it here." I said, releasing my Haunter at Pokemon Tower. Little did I know that it would be the Haunter that saved Sabrina. It floated off, towards the top story. I looked away, hoping he wouldn't see the tears in my eyes. Sabrina had given him to me, but he belonged here.
"I guess this is yours," Sabrina said, handing me Haunter's pokeball.
"Hey, guys, should we get Jake and Marissa?" David asked.
"Yeah, the more the merrier." When we got to their room the door was unlocked, and they didn't answer. I pushed it open slowly.
"Ohhhhhh! My head!" Jake said, lying on the floor. There was an empty bottle of Dr. Rocket soda on the floor between him and Marissa.
"I think someone spiked the soda!" Jake said. I knew it was the Rockets. Marissa stood up.
"Oww! What was that stuff?"
"Trinitrochloride," I said inspecting the particles, "standard halucinagen, Rocket produced."
"That explains the giant pink frogs!"
"And the Senators..."
"I think we need the day off," Jake and Mrissa said in unison.
"Take it, we're gong to get that kid William and his girlfriend out of trouble."
As we sped down the tunnel Sabrina and I sat in the back of the minicar. We sat quietly, talking to each other mentally.
You know, I haven't seen Dave around.
I think he lost in a match, he might be dead.
One more Agent down. And how are we gonna break it to Daisy about Lily?
I don't know Sab, I just don't know.
"Hey, guys! Over here," yelled William. He was tucked into a small cage in a wall. I jumped off the minicar and unlocked it.
"Thanks, they got my Raichu."
"I know. We're headed up there to get it. Do you have other pokemon?"
"No, just Raichu. He's my only pokemon.
"It's very strong! I was amazed when I watched the battle."
"Raichu isn't in the holding area!" Sabrina yelled, looking up from the computer screen she had accessed the security cameras from.
"Raiii! Chuu!" the electricity came at me quickly, speeded by psychic energy. This Raichu was special. If it was anything it was a Psychu. I stopped the energy with my power, deflecting it away from the group. I hated being in front. Then I heard it. A low rumbling. Then the tunnel filled with blue light. A vortex opened behind me. I ran toward the car, to Sabrina, and safety. The air was being sucked into the vortex. I reached the car, straining against the wind. I felt Sabrina grab my hand. I grabbed William. Raichu clung to his foot. Sabrina braced herself against the open door. I could my grip on her hand slipping. I knew I was going through the vortex, but I wasn't going to die without a fight. Then I lost my grip. My head snapped up.
"James!"
"Sabrina!" And then I fell through. And then nothing. I realized I was dead. I would never see Sabrina again. I felt crushed. My life couldn't end this way, it couldn't! I cried.
Wait! If I was dead, could I cry? I don't think so! Then I realized why it was so dark. I opened my eyes. William lay on the ground about twenty feet away. Raichu sprawled across his chest. I sat up and looked around. This must be an alternate dimension! That would be the only way we wouldn't have died. I had tangled with vortexes before, and I knew enough about them to know we were in the world of pokemon, probably with a strange twist. William sat up, holding his head.
"Ouch!"
"Hey, guess where we are?" I asked sarcastically.
"Where?"
"Saffron City, in another dimension."
"What?"
"You heard me. Now get up, we have to go visit the only person who can get us out of here."
"Who?"
"You'll see."
Saffron Gym was different than usual. It was lighter, cheerier. That could be bad. I knocked, and Sabrina answered, surprisingly.
"Get out of here, ghost!"
"Hey, hold on Sab!" When I called her by her nickname she fell over, crying. I held her to me, letting her cry on my shoulder.
"What's wrong?"
"Follow me, it hurts too much to say it. I'll show you." She lead us into the back areas of the Gym, to her personal quarters. There was a door across from hers that said my name on it. It was padlocked. We walked into Sabrina's room. She pulled a book out from under her futon.
"Read this," she said. I opened the book, revealing a newspaper clipping.
Pokemon League - Today the world mourns as the bodies of master trainers Ash Ketchum and Kojiro Kai Li are carried out of Mt. Moon. The two were searching for rare pokemon. Ketchum's close friend Misty Waterflower from Cerulean City recalls, "He was a great friend, he never hurt anyone. This proves that life really isn't fair. I don't know what will happen without him. I feel like I can't go on."
Gary Oak, Ash's rival recalls differently, "He wasn't the brightest kid around, but he was only fifteen. I'll miss him, even if he was a bit snotty." Ash's mother was not available for questioning. She has not left the house since the incident, and her faithful Mr. Mime has not let anyone near the house recently.
"He was a great guy, and this stuff shouldn't happen. Mt. Moon should be closed down. I have half a mind to do it myself," comments Brock Stone, the Pewter Gym Leader.
"Pity it happened to such a young, promising trainer. There was so much he could have achieved. We are planning to erect a memorial to him in Pallet Town's Town Hall Lawn" Said Professor Oak, one of Ash's mentors.
Kai Li, also known as James Kelley, has a more obscure background, and only three people commented on him. Sabrina, Psychic Gym Leader says, "I sense that the world may now have a different fate, without him. I knew I shouldn't have let him or Ash go. Oh Goddish," at this she retreated to her Gym, and has not exited since to our knowledge. The two other commenters, his parents, wish not to be named.
"We'll miss him, even though we didn't really know him as well as we would have liked. I only wish we could have spent more time with him," says his mother.
"Yes, he was so young, and this should never have happened," Agrees his father.
Memorial services will be held for Ash and Kojiro Saturday, August 13, at Indigo Plateau. All visitors are welcome.
I put the paper down.
"Oh, Goddish, Sab, I'm so sorry. I should explain," I said. William sat, reading the article I had handed him. He looked shocked.
"How? How did you..." Sabrina trailed off, sobbing.
"I'm not, from... Uh, I'm not the... Oh, hell, let me say it straight. I'm not the James you knew. I'm from a different dimension. We were sucked here through a vortex."
"Huh?" Sabrina asked, loosening her death grip on my arm.
"And we came here to get help. I know you know enough about vortexes."
"Alright, I'll help you, but I have to go to your funeral," she said, her eyes full of tears. I hugged her. I couldn't see her like this.
"It's alright, before I leave I'm going to sort all of this out," I told her, holding her closer.
"Oh, Goddish, I missed you," she sobbed into my jacket. William was shocked. He was struck by the fact that I was dead, yet was standing in front of him.
"One question," I said, not wanting to bother her, but I had to know.
"What?"
"What about William?"
"Yes, he's still alive. He's the Cinnabar Gym Leader. He hated you and Ash. Said you would get yours someday. His comments about how you were evil were all over the news after you died. He just about runs the island now."
"Oh Goddish, so I'm an asshole in this dimesion?" Asked William.
Basically, yeah," she turned back to me, "Without you and Ash everything fell into disorder. in two days he had it under his control. I've heard he kidnapped Misty and Erika, as well as Duplica. Surge was found dead in his Gym, and so was his Raichu. It looks like they put up a fight, but he was too much.."
"Oh great, so I'm a pervert too? Whoop de fucking do!"
"Well, yeah."
"Boy, I can't wait to kick my ass! When I see myself, I'm gonna punch myself so hard, I won't know what hit me" He said.
"Slow down, first we have to go to his funeral," Sabrina said, breaking into tears again. I helped her and guided her down the hall. When we got to car the she still had her face on my shoulder. I hugged her.
"I'll drive," William said, getting in front. Sabrina handed him the keys. We sat in the back of the limosine. I put the soundproof glass up, separating us from William. He noticed, but didn't seem to mind.
"Sabrina, are you going to be alright?"
"Yeah, I'm just depressed."
"Losing someone you love hurts."
"I know, I just didn't think it could ever be like this."
"I know, I was as shocked as you when the rocks hit me. What did I just say?"
"Oh my Goddish, you're bonding with your current self. It must be your psychic power. Maybe it'll help us find out if this was an accident or not."
"Yeah, if it wasn't I am gonna kill the little shit who killed me already once here."
"Hey, Kojiro-San, what am I like in your dimension?" Sabrina asked.
"Well, you're, I don't know, you. You know, beautiful, sexy, well you know, you better than I do," I said.
"Tell me more. Please," she said.
"Well, if I ever get back, we're supposed to be getting married next week. Then I don't know, I guess we'll have to go along with whatever we want," I replied, not sure I was making coherent sense.
"James," she said, drawing closer to me.
"What?" I asked.
"Kiss me, please."
"Why?"
"I don't think I can live without kissing you goodbye, even if it's not you, but is."
"No, I'm not," I said, trying to shake off the influence.
"Oh yes you are."
"Am not," I said, looking into her eyes. Again, the watery swirling mystified me.
"Kiss me," she said. I shook off the influence of the champagne. Thank Goddish for psychic power. She seemed to notice and did the same.
"You know, I still want you to kiss me," she said.
"I can read your mind, you know."
"Then what are you waiting for?"
"I don't know."
"Then ki..." she broke off as I kissed her. Then the car stopped. We broke off and got out. Several people gasped, recognizing me. We entered the building. Ash's coffin lay in the aisle. My cremated remains lay in an urn next to it. Flowers were heaped on Ash's coffin. There was a single rose next to my urn. Good old James! I was starting to warm up to him after all these years of kicking his and Jesse's butts. He was my father, after all. Sabrina and I walked to the coffin and urn.
"Goodbye, Ash, farewell, self," I said. Someone recognized me and gasped. Sabrina lay a black lotus by my urn. William walked up and said something quietly to Ash's coffin. He regarded my urn, and said something else. A boy walked up to the podium.
"Despite the fact that they were criminals, these two were alive, and we can't help but feel bad. Just remember that it was these two scumbags that died, not you." It was the evil William! I noticed Lance in the back; he looked strained, but didn't get up. I knew that he was fighting himself not to call out his Dragonite and Kill the Evil William.
"And despite their bad... Oh shit!" The Evil William exclaimed, seeing himself and I in the front row.
To Be Continued...
The Past Returns
"You will be given the day off so we can sort out yesterday's little problems. Thank you. You must spend the day at the Rocket commissary or in your quarters," said the loud speakers.
"I'm going to the commissary," Sabrina said.
"I'll stay here and meditate. I need to after yesterday."
"Well, be careful. Lock the door. We don't want Rockets in here."
"Yeah, see you later," I called as she left. As I meditated scenes from my past came back to me.
"James, will you bring me my kimono?"
"Yeah, hold on," I answered. I grabbed the dark green and purple kimono off the couch where she had left it. I walked up to her room.
"Here," I said, tossing it to her.
"Come back to bed, James,"
"No, not now," I told her. I had felt unfaithful to Sabrina just being there, but Sabrina was insane, and she was sleeping with Darien anyway.
"You and Erika?!" Sabrina yelled as she entered the door. I guess time passes quicker then I thought while I'm meditating
"Hey, hey, hey, we broke up, you tried to kill me," I explained. I hadn't realized I had been meditating that long. She put the groceries down on the floor.
"That doesn't explain why you slept with her!"
"I slept with her less than you did with Darien!"
"What's all the commotion?!" David yelled, running into the room, pokeball in hand, ready for a Rocket assault. Instead he found Sabrina and I yelling at each other about infidelity.
"We weren't even engaged back then."
"You said you'd never do something like that!"
"You did too!"
"Something like what?" asked David.
"Sleep with Erika!" she yelled.
"Sleep with Darien!" I countered.
"What's done is done!" David yelled, "So get over it and get back to your normal lives."
"I'm sorry I exploded like that," Sabrina said.
"Me too," I said. I held her close to me, then said, "we've got to save William, and Olivia."
"Yeah, let's go." As we rode down the long hallway in a Rocket minicar I phased out again, more memories coming to me.
"Haunter, I know you'll like it here." I said, releasing my Haunter at Pokemon Tower. Little did I know that it would be the Haunter that saved Sabrina. It floated off, towards the top story. I looked away, hoping he wouldn't see the tears in my eyes. Sabrina had given him to me, but he belonged here.
"I guess this is yours," Sabrina said, handing me Haunter's pokeball.
"Hey, guys, should we get Jake and Marissa?" David asked.
"Yeah, the more the merrier." When we got to their room the door was unlocked, and they didn't answer. I pushed it open slowly.
"Ohhhhhh! My head!" Jake said, lying on the floor. There was an empty bottle of Dr. Rocket soda on the floor between him and Marissa.
"I think someone spiked the soda!" Jake said. I knew it was the Rockets. Marissa stood up.
"Oww! What was that stuff?"
"Trinitrochloride," I said inspecting the particles, "standard halucinagen, Rocket produced."
"That explains the giant pink frogs!"
"And the Senators..."
"I think we need the day off," Jake and Mrissa said in unison.
"Take it, we're gong to get that kid William and his girlfriend out of trouble."
As we sped down the tunnel Sabrina and I sat in the back of the minicar. We sat quietly, talking to each other mentally.
You know, I haven't seen Dave around.
I think he lost in a match, he might be dead.
One more Agent down. And how are we gonna break it to Daisy about Lily?
I don't know Sab, I just don't know.
"Hey, guys! Over here," yelled William. He was tucked into a small cage in a wall. I jumped off the minicar and unlocked it.
"Thanks, they got my Raichu."
"I know. We're headed up there to get it. Do you have other pokemon?"
"No, just Raichu. He's my only pokemon.
"It's very strong! I was amazed when I watched the battle."
"Raichu isn't in the holding area!" Sabrina yelled, looking up from the computer screen she had accessed the security cameras from.
"Raiii! Chuu!" the electricity came at me quickly, speeded by psychic energy. This Raichu was special. If it was anything it was a Psychu. I stopped the energy with my power, deflecting it away from the group. I hated being in front. Then I heard it. A low rumbling. Then the tunnel filled with blue light. A vortex opened behind me. I ran toward the car, to Sabrina, and safety. The air was being sucked into the vortex. I reached the car, straining against the wind. I felt Sabrina grab my hand. I grabbed William. Raichu clung to his foot. Sabrina braced herself against the open door. I could my grip on her hand slipping. I knew I was going through the vortex, but I wasn't going to die without a fight. Then I lost my grip. My head snapped up.
"James!"
"Sabrina!" And then I fell through. And then nothing. I realized I was dead. I would never see Sabrina again. I felt crushed. My life couldn't end this way, it couldn't! I cried.
Wait! If I was dead, could I cry? I don't think so! Then I realized why it was so dark. I opened my eyes. William lay on the ground about twenty feet away. Raichu sprawled across his chest. I sat up and looked around. This must be an alternate dimension! That would be the only way we wouldn't have died. I had tangled with vortexes before, and I knew enough about them to know we were in the world of pokemon, probably with a strange twist. William sat up, holding his head.
"Ouch!"
"Hey, guess where we are?" I asked sarcastically.
"Where?"
"Saffron City, in another dimension."
"What?"
"You heard me. Now get up, we have to go visit the only person who can get us out of here."
"Who?"
"You'll see."
Saffron Gym was different than usual. It was lighter, cheerier. That could be bad. I knocked, and Sabrina answered, surprisingly.
"Get out of here, ghost!"
"Hey, hold on Sab!" When I called her by her nickname she fell over, crying. I held her to me, letting her cry on my shoulder.
"What's wrong?"
"Follow me, it hurts too much to say it. I'll show you." She lead us into the back areas of the Gym, to her personal quarters. There was a door across from hers that said my name on it. It was padlocked. We walked into Sabrina's room. She pulled a book out from under her futon.
"Read this," she said. I opened the book, revealing a newspaper clipping.
Pokemon League - Today the world mourns as the bodies of master trainers Ash Ketchum and Kojiro Kai Li are carried out of Mt. Moon. The two were searching for rare pokemon. Ketchum's close friend Misty Waterflower from Cerulean City recalls, "He was a great friend, he never hurt anyone. This proves that life really isn't fair. I don't know what will happen without him. I feel like I can't go on."
Gary Oak, Ash's rival recalls differently, "He wasn't the brightest kid around, but he was only fifteen. I'll miss him, even if he was a bit snotty." Ash's mother was not available for questioning. She has not left the house since the incident, and her faithful Mr. Mime has not let anyone near the house recently.
"He was a great guy, and this stuff shouldn't happen. Mt. Moon should be closed down. I have half a mind to do it myself," comments Brock Stone, the Pewter Gym Leader.
"Pity it happened to such a young, promising trainer. There was so much he could have achieved. We are planning to erect a memorial to him in Pallet Town's Town Hall Lawn" Said Professor Oak, one of Ash's mentors.
Kai Li, also known as James Kelley, has a more obscure background, and only three people commented on him. Sabrina, Psychic Gym Leader says, "I sense that the world may now have a different fate, without him. I knew I shouldn't have let him or Ash go. Oh Goddish," at this she retreated to her Gym, and has not exited since to our knowledge. The two other commenters, his parents, wish not to be named.
"We'll miss him, even though we didn't really know him as well as we would have liked. I only wish we could have spent more time with him," says his mother.
"Yes, he was so young, and this should never have happened," Agrees his father.
Memorial services will be held for Ash and Kojiro Saturday, August 13, at Indigo Plateau. All visitors are welcome.
I put the paper down.
"Oh, Goddish, Sab, I'm so sorry. I should explain," I said. William sat, reading the article I had handed him. He looked shocked.
"How? How did you..." Sabrina trailed off, sobbing.
"I'm not, from... Uh, I'm not the... Oh, hell, let me say it straight. I'm not the James you knew. I'm from a different dimension. We were sucked here through a vortex."
"Huh?" Sabrina asked, loosening her death grip on my arm.
"And we came here to get help. I know you know enough about vortexes."
"Alright, I'll help you, but I have to go to your funeral," she said, her eyes full of tears. I hugged her. I couldn't see her like this.
"It's alright, before I leave I'm going to sort all of this out," I told her, holding her closer.
"Oh, Goddish, I missed you," she sobbed into my jacket. William was shocked. He was struck by the fact that I was dead, yet was standing in front of him.
"One question," I said, not wanting to bother her, but I had to know.
"What?"
"What about William?"
"Yes, he's still alive. He's the Cinnabar Gym Leader. He hated you and Ash. Said you would get yours someday. His comments about how you were evil were all over the news after you died. He just about runs the island now."
"Oh Goddish, so I'm an asshole in this dimesion?" Asked William.
Basically, yeah," she turned back to me, "Without you and Ash everything fell into disorder. in two days he had it under his control. I've heard he kidnapped Misty and Erika, as well as Duplica. Surge was found dead in his Gym, and so was his Raichu. It looks like they put up a fight, but he was too much.."
"Oh great, so I'm a pervert too? Whoop de fucking do!"
"Well, yeah."
"Boy, I can't wait to kick my ass! When I see myself, I'm gonna punch myself so hard, I won't know what hit me" He said.
"Slow down, first we have to go to his funeral," Sabrina said, breaking into tears again. I helped her and guided her down the hall. When we got to car the she still had her face on my shoulder. I hugged her.
"I'll drive," William said, getting in front. Sabrina handed him the keys. We sat in the back of the limosine. I put the soundproof glass up, separating us from William. He noticed, but didn't seem to mind.
"Sabrina, are you going to be alright?"
"Yeah, I'm just depressed."
"Losing someone you love hurts."
"I know, I just didn't think it could ever be like this."
"I know, I was as shocked as you when the rocks hit me. What did I just say?"
"Oh my Goddish, you're bonding with your current self. It must be your psychic power. Maybe it'll help us find out if this was an accident or not."
"Yeah, if it wasn't I am gonna kill the little shit who killed me already once here."
"Hey, Kojiro-San, what am I like in your dimension?" Sabrina asked.
"Well, you're, I don't know, you. You know, beautiful, sexy, well you know, you better than I do," I said.
"Tell me more. Please," she said.
"Well, if I ever get back, we're supposed to be getting married next week. Then I don't know, I guess we'll have to go along with whatever we want," I replied, not sure I was making coherent sense.
"James," she said, drawing closer to me.
"What?" I asked.
"Kiss me, please."
"Why?"
"I don't think I can live without kissing you goodbye, even if it's not you, but is."
"No, I'm not," I said, trying to shake off the influence.
"Oh yes you are."
"Am not," I said, looking into her eyes. Again, the watery swirling mystified me.
"Kiss me," she said. I shook off the influence of the champagne. Thank Goddish for psychic power. She seemed to notice and did the same.
"You know, I still want you to kiss me," she said.
"I can read your mind, you know."
"Then what are you waiting for?"
"I don't know."
"Then ki..." she broke off as I kissed her. Then the car stopped. We broke off and got out. Several people gasped, recognizing me. We entered the building. Ash's coffin lay in the aisle. My cremated remains lay in an urn next to it. Flowers were heaped on Ash's coffin. There was a single rose next to my urn. Good old James! I was starting to warm up to him after all these years of kicking his and Jesse's butts. He was my father, after all. Sabrina and I walked to the coffin and urn.
"Goodbye, Ash, farewell, self," I said. Someone recognized me and gasped. Sabrina lay a black lotus by my urn. William walked up and said something quietly to Ash's coffin. He regarded my urn, and said something else. A boy walked up to the podium.
"Despite the fact that they were criminals, these two were alive, and we can't help but feel bad. Just remember that it was these two scumbags that died, not you." It was the evil William! I noticed Lance in the back; he looked strained, but didn't get up. I knew that he was fighting himself not to call out his Dragonite and Kill the Evil William.
"And despite their bad... Oh shit!" The Evil William exclaimed, seeing himself and I in the front row.
To Be Continued...