THE MYSTERY OF BABA YEGA-CHAPTER 6
By Red Star
NOTE: I do not own Pokemon and thanks to Dragoness for allowing me to twist her story around a bit.
"Psy Beam!" Ash fired off a blast of Psychic energy at the target. The bolt of power punched through the skin of the rubber bag and got halfway through before it petered out.
"Very good," Anya Polosev purred as she strolled over to Ash and placed her hand on his head. Ash was quiet and looked toward the ground; the action of a defeated man. The collar around his throat blinked it's little lights. The Minister and Mew were inside the training gym of the compound that Polosev had taken Ash to. The compound itself was located in the Ural mountains. The Russian woman smiled down at the Mew. "Soon, we'll be able to exploit your powers fully. And when we do…" She looked up to the ceiling as if seeing some God that appeared only to her, "The Hammer and Sickle will rise over a Soviet Russia…and Soviet Europe…once again!"
Ash was placed back in his little room, where he slept on a small mattress manufactured from someplace called Murmansk.
The compound consisted of five buildings: A dining hall, a medical office, a solar power station with a connection to a nearby hydropower plant as a backup, a barracks, and finally the training gym. The area around was generously populated with trees. A single dirt road connected the compound with a small town about two miles away.
Ash.
Uh…Hi,…Woman.
Polite even when he doesn't know his friend's name! The Prince would be pleased.
That Prince again…Who is he?
His name is Son of the Dragon.
Kinda long, isn't it?
Oh, that is just the translation of his name. In fact, you have already heard his name many times by now, I'm sure.
Wow…so he's…
Ah, you have figured it out?
…Prince Charles?
…
Are you still there?
I'm sorry, you're young yet. You'll learn.
About what?
Nothing. But enough of these dream conversations. Open your eyes.
Ash opened his eyes to behold an old woman standing before him. She had long silver hair and wore the clothing of a Russian babushka. She smiled at him, showing off Iron teeth. Her old, gnarled hands clutched at a carved cane. Ash blinked upon seeing the aged creature. Who are you? She kneeled down, with considerable effort Ash could see. "The Russians call me Baba Yega." Ash was quiet. She chuckled and shook her head. "I am a sorceress, and as you can see, a rather old one at that." She cackled and slowly brought herself up to a standing position. Here, let me help… Ash tried to float to her and help her, but found he couldn't. She smiled sympathetically toward the little Mew as she finished rising. "That little devil keeps you from doing anything that is not commanded by that little hag." She sighed and looked out Ash's small window. "You poor thing. First you are abducted. Then you lose your humanity. Then you find your father to be a criminal…" She looked back at him, "Forgive me, I did not mean to depress you." No…that's alright. She shook her head sadly. An aged hand began to stroke Ash's head. "Your friends will come, Little One, and then it will be time for the Prince and I to make our move."
Baba Yega then took her hand away and stepped back. A cloud of smoke curled around her and she was gone.
The Castle's library yielded it's information once again to the Prince, after four centuries of research. A pile of books crowded the desk as he flipped through them in search of any details he may have missed. Experience had taught the Prince to figure out every angle, to consider all possibilities, and to find every weakness. Every few minutes or so, he would pick up his pen and scratch some information down on a notebook at his side. His high-backed chair and massive Oak desk sat in front of a roaring fireplace. The desk itself held two candle lamps on either side of his blotter. A cloud of smoke appeared before the desk and the Prince's deep blue eyes looked up. Baba Yega smiled at her partner and gave a little curtsy. "Enough," he mumbled, "I have never demanded that of you. I thought I had made that clear earlier," "I know," she grinned, "I do it to annoy you," He sighed and went back to his current book. "I assume you have news?" "I revealed myself to little Ash," The Prince's eyes darted up to her. "And me…?" "Don't worry, I have continued referring to you as 'The Prince'. He is curious though." "As he should be," said the Prince as he looked back down at his work, "I shall introduce myself later. But now, I must remain in the shadows. Besides," he said as he looked back up at Baba Yega with a clever smile, "He would not react well if I appear to him in his current state, now would he?" The Prince cackled, and his white canines grew slowly longer…
Sabrina yawned as she literally lifted herself from her place on the Ketchum's couch. She had worn a white T-shirt and black briefs for pajamas. "Uh, uh,…Morning Sabrina," said a gushing Brock. "Um, good morning, Brock," she replied as she made her way to the kitchen. Mrs. Ketchum hummed to herself as she presided over a skillet flooded with pancakes. She flipped one over as she simultaneously turned and said, "Good morning, Sabrina, I hope you slept well. I'm sorry about the couch, but Misty, Brock, Richie, and Billie have been taking up a lot of the beds." "Mrs. Ketchum, if there are too many people for you to handle I could find a motel…" Delia shook her head and flipped over another row of pancakes while she continued looking at the Psychic trainer. "No, no. I enjoy having you all here." She looked over at the kitchen wall. Sabrina followed her gaze to a picture of a younger Ash with an older man giving that familiar "V-for-Victory" salute. The man with him was also giving the salute. He was completely bald and clutched Ash to his chest. "Who is that, Mrs. Ketchum?" Delia gave a fond smile as she piled five pancakes onto a plate. "That's my father, Fred. When I married Giovanni, he and Mom cut me out of their will. They weren't too pleased that I married at the age of eighteen." She chuckled at the memory. Sabrina sat down at the table. "When Ash was three, my mother was in a car accident. Vanni paid for her treatment all the time she was in the hospital. It was a good thing he did; when she died, the bill was up to $23,000,"
Delia continued flipping pancakes onto a plate as she spoke. "After that, Dad softened a little, started sending me birthday cards again," she chuckled again, "Then, when Ash was five, Dad called me and told me to bring Ash over for a visit. We went over there and Dad seemed to brighten up as soon as he saw Ash." She stopped for a minute.
"About two weeks later, Dad died of Motor Neuron Disorder." A small tear began to emerge from her eye. "His doctor told me, at his funeral, that he went quietly and peacefully because he had 'seen his grandson'." She sighed and continued flipping the pancakes. Sabrina decided to change the subject. "Has General Nikolov been creeping around?" Delia shook her head. "He told me last night that he was going to speak with Dane again."
"Minister Primakov has known Anya Polosev's plan since before this blasted thing ever happened," said the Emperor. Ivan straightened up at hearing this. "Miss. Polosev revealed her plans to Primakov and invited him to join her. He refused out of loyalty and common sense," Ivan nodded. "If Minister Polosev's intentions are as dangerous as you described, my Emperor, may I suggest that the Psychic Corps be deployed against her. We could find her for you; perhaps even kill her off before she acts against you."
The Emperor was silent for a moment. He shifted some papers and drew out his glasses.
"I am sending the Imperial Flight to pick you and the victim's relatives up. You will be brought to Moscow where…" "Excuse me, my Emperor, may I say something?" Dane blinked and then nodded. "Sire, Ash Ketchum has more friends than relatives waiting for him here. I request that you allow them to enter the Russian Empire along with Delia Ketchum." Dane nodded. "Very well, General. Bring them here. Perhaps they can assist us."
The Prince stood within a massive tower that extended upwards from his castle. The tower had windows on all of it's walls. The Prince sat at a large telescope. (Think Lawrence III's telescope in Pokemon the Movie 2000.) He looked through it to examine a certain group of stars. What he regarded pleased him.
"Time is already on my side," he whispered to himself, "And soon, Fate shall also cross to my banners…"
AUTHOR'S MESSAGE: Dragoness has told me these chapters are too freakin' short. My apologies to all who would rather I upload longer sections of the story. The truth is, I often jump straight into these fics and just let the story take me to where it ends. I build chapters around ideas that occur to me and then I expand on them. (For example, General Nikolov and the Psychic Corps weren't in the plot that I had planned.)
So, excuse the abruptness of these chapters. Besides, I think it helps with the suspense, don't you?