A Second Chance

Author's Note: Ok… yeah… long wait for this chapter, huh? Terribly sorry about that, but January was an awful month for me and it's been getting harder and harder to find time to type nowadays. Well, I was going to try and make this my last chapter, but it was taking way too long to complete it. So, I split it up and that's why this chapter is shorter than my other parts. A lot of this is set up for my ending chapter, I must warn you. So, without further ado, here's my long-awaited next chapter…

Disclaimer: Yeah… if I owned Pokemon, we'd be seeing episodes with plot lines other than Ash and co. being sappy heroes and TR "blasting off again". Who owns pkmn? A bunch of rich people own it that think that it's all right for a bunch of 10 year olds to travel around the world, promoting fighting…

A Second Chance

Chapter 6: Race to Serpent Island

*~*~*~*~*

The tension in the room continued to mount as the people involved remained staring at one another like powerless zombies. It was more out of shock then anything else. They could have stayed like that for hours: Gary, Giselle and Misty staring at Ash while he did the same. What broke the tension, the shock, the mood of the room was the ignorance and innocence of a small rodent. Sure, Pikachu was smart for its kind, but even smart rats simply couldn't comprehend the bewilderment of the situation as well as humans could.

"(Ash…)" The single word, voiced as 'pikapi' expressed all the emotions of the pokemon. It wasn't the kind of emotions expressed from one pokemon to its trainer. It more resembled a child's love for its long-lost mother. That single 'pikapi' retained in it some of the deepest and strongest sentiments of the animal kingdom; the kind of emotions that painters, poets, and writers often play with in, except that it was all wrapped up in one single word. "(It's really you…)"

Pikachu ran.

He ran like he has never run before.

Ash instinctively draped his arms around the pokemon as it tumbled into his lap. It was all a dream to him… that was until he felt Pikachu's scratchy fur, razor-sharp tail and body heat within his arms. Time once again began its normal track as Pikachu innocently nuzzled his body against Ash's and placed some sloppy kisses on his cheeks.

"Hey! Stop that! Come on! Quit it!" Ash laughed in embarrassment as he pulled the tiny creature off his face. He then gently set the mouse down the floor as he proceeded to wipe the spit off his face with his sleeve. He then mockingly glared as his joyful pokemon. "You always were a silly rat." Just to show that he meant no harm in that statement, Ash affectionately patted its head.

Remembering the words that had previously escaped her lips, Misty sighed. "Ash… is that really you?"

Ash raised his head at this familiar sweet voice as reality hit him. Fear replaced his joy as Ash began to think ahead. She… and the rest of the Rebels might… no… will be seriously hurt if Lass spots them. "You guys have to get out of here, as in now."

"Don't even think about throwing us out of here Ash Ketchum! We want answers and we want them now! Like, how come you're still alive? According to Gary and Giselle, you just died outside along with all your pokemon!" Misty screamed in frustration.

Panic entered Ash's veins… enough panic to force him to his feet and make the long jog over to Misty and the others. When he got there, he quickly made some random motions in order to calm her down. "Would you be quiet Misty?" Ash pleaded in a soft whisper. "If Lass hears you…"

"And here we come right back to Lass." Misty groaned in frustration at the continuously repeated name.

A slight gaze of confusion entered Ash's face before he hurriedly pushed the three out the door. He quietly closed the door behind him, that is, after Pikachu escaped from the room. A deep sigh of relief entered Ash's lungs, knowing that Lass probably couldn't hear them out here. "I'm sorry, but I can't give you all a full in-depth explanation at the moment. Reason? I'd say death is a pretty good one. Lass will kill all of you if you stay here any longer, and then she'd kill me for being seen with you guys!"

"Trying to save your own scrawny neck from your girlfriend?" Misty taunted in an icy pitch.

Ash, of course, denied it. "Girlfriend? Me? Like that would ever happen…" His voice cracked slightly at the end of that trite expression.

Gary, who had remained silent during the argument, spoke up. "Ash is right. We better get going."

Seeing that Ash wasn't moving a muscle, Giselle gazed at him peculiarly. "Well, aren't you coming, Ash?"

Ash bit his lip in hesitation. How was he going to tell them that he wasn't coming with them?

Trying to lighten up the thick tension, Misty turned to Pikachu. "Pikachu, you sure that this guy is the real Ash?"

"(It's definitely him.)" Pikachu scampered up to Ash and stared deep into his eyes. "(But something has changed about him.)"

"Changed?" Ash mumbled to himself. Has he really changed that much since the last time he saw them? What has Lass done to him?

"Yo, Ash, you ok? You're spacing out." Gary teased as he waved a hand in front of Ash's still face.

Ash barely noticed this as he started thinking about his decision to stay with Lass. Was his wish really worth it? Was he really on Lass' side? Was he on the Rebel's side? What side was he on? Was he even on a side? What should he do?

"I hate my life." Ash simply moaned as he slumped to the floor, still consumed by his own thoughts. If there ever was a turning point in his life, it was now.

Meanwhile, the others watched in bewilderment at Ash's strange behavior. "Looks like we've lost Ash." Giselle murmured.

Misty shook her head. "Well, since Ash doesn't seem to care, how are we going to get Brock's cure?"

"Let's see… we have no idea where it is, what it looks like or how to obtain it; I doubt that our luck could get any worse." Gary voiced with a hopeless expression plastered on his face.

"Maybe we could just wander around. We're bond to find something." Giselle suggested.

Misty rolled her eyes. "Yea, like 50 Serpent agents that will blow our heads off." Turning around, she called. "Hey, Ash, do you have any bright ideas?"

"(What… where'd he go?)" Pikachu questioned in puzzlement. The ground that had last supported Ash held nothing but plants. The lack of bluish mist proved that he didn't teleport out of the area while the lack of footprints proved that he didn't escape by foot either. The lack of noise and time verified that he couldn't have fled into the building either.

"Where'd he run off to?" Gary inquired as he skimmed his eyes across the land.

Giselle licked her chap lips and whispered. "It's like he disappeared into thin air."

*~*~*~*~*

"Oh potion… potion… come on out where ever you are. Where are all the darn potions anyway?" Lass cried in frustration as she started opening empty drawer after empty drawer. "Haven't I told these stupid employees to keep this shelves filled?"

"Looking for one of these?" A mysterious voice called in the darkness. The owner of the unfamiliar voice then threw a bottle filled with a purplish substance at her feet.

Oblivious to the identity of this person or thing, she simply smiled at the potion by her feet. "Finally, a potion. Thank you… huh? What are you doing here!" Lass screamed in shock at her savior. Regaining her breath, Lass scowled. "Don't you ever scare me like that, Mewtwo!"

The pokemon whipped its tail around its body as a slow grin formed on its lips. The almost pleasant cat-like features on its body portrayed a charming individual. However, the hard expression situated on its face intensified within its cold blue eyes. The purple and white creature growled. "Are you trying to order me around?" The icy azure sphere that surrounded it popped as the cat willed itself to drop down to the ground.

Realizing that she had just broken a fundamental rule, Lass dropped to her knees, begging for forgiveness. "Never. Please forgive me."

Mewtwo merely waved off this gesture. "As long as you learned your lesson and never try to deify me again; it's all right."

Lass nodded and placed her eyes on the pokemon as she rose to her feet. "And you came all this way to help a girl in distress? How courageous of you! Next time I need a potion, you'll be the first pokemon I turn to."

Mewtwo shook his head at this bit of sarcasm. "Lass, you know very well that I wouldn't come all this way just for a potion."

"Then why are you here? I thought that you were never going to speak to me again." Lass reminded him.

"Times change along with promises." Mewtwo cited as his tone turned deadly serious. "I've come here in regards to Ash."

Lass gave him a shy smile. "Ash? What about him? It's not like I've done anything bad to him… at least not terribly bad."

"You lie. You know very well that you weren't supposed to mess with him like that." Mewtwo growled furiously. "Confusion is the stupidest thing one can do. It gives the enemy an unfair advantage and you've turned him into a babbling bubble of bewilderment! He needs to know the truth!"

"Um… he'll get over it. Ash is quick to recover." Lass hopefully declared. "But the important thing is that I did what you asked. He is training now."

"But I requested that before you betrayed me!" Mewtwo exclaimed at the frightened girl. His eyes turned an eerie blue as he snarled. "Before you locked me up in that capsule! Before you tried to send me back as a prisoner to the human race!"

Lass cringed at this whole trip through memory lane. "Um… but we had some good times, right?"

"Fool!" Mewtwo bellowed in rage. "I ought to kill you now! But, I won't… I can't. I'm afraid that I need you now."

Lass perked her ears in curiosity. "You need me? Why?"

The cat twisted its head towards the wall. "Keeping you alive will be more beneficial to me rather than killing you straight out."

"What do you mean by that?" Lass demanded curiously. "What are you going to do?"

"Oh, nothing much." Mewtwo grinned as if he was hiding a secret. "I'm sure Ash wouldn't mind delivering the final blow…"

"You're going to make him… kill me! What are you going to do to him?" Lass inquired in shock. Mewtwo left her question unheeded as he rose into the air and vanished in the blink of an eye.

*~*~*~*~*

"Ow…" Ash groaned as he opened his eyes and stared at the darkness. The last thing that he remembered was falling and hitting a cold concrete floor. "At least my head broke the fall." Ash sardonically declared as he tried to quell the throbbing within his skull with little luck.

"Where am I?" Ash asked himself as he carefully examined the room, hoping that it would yield a clue as to why he was here. There wasn't anything especially unusual about the room; it had a bed, a table, a desk and some chairs. It felt like a normal undersized room with a few exceptions. There was a pair of golden cuffs on the desk along with some other bizarre items. Twitching with curiosity, Ash walked over to the desk and gazed at the cuffs.

"I must be in Lass' room." Ash remarked aloud. "I wonder how I got here." As he contemplated this thought, he accidentally touched the golden cuffs on the table. At his touch, the cuffs sprang to life and enclosed his wrists in a tight grip.

After the initial shock wore off, Ash frantically tried to pull the cuffs off his wrists with no success. "What a smart guy I am. I should win a Nobel Prize for stupidity." Ash desperately slammed his wrists against the tabletop, yet the cuffs didn't even retain a crack. All of his efforts, including the use of his powers, backfired and only caused him more pain. Just when he had given up hope, Ash noticed a small keyhole on the cuffs.

"The key has to be around here… somewhere." Ash stated as he started pulling open the desk drawers. The top two drawers contained nothing but random junk. The third drawer, however, held a small book. Ash inquisitively picked up the book and opened the first page.

"I never knew that Lass kept a diary!" Ash exclaimed in shock at the thought of him holding all of her thoughts in one hand. He honestly tried to pull the book away, but something stopped him. His curiosity flew through the roof as he set his eyes on the first page again.

Dear diary, May 17, 2998

The time has come. Mewtwo knew this day would have to come, as did I. The constant training can't keep me here. He tells me that the world is in peril but won't tell me how. He tells me that we need to recruit others like me but won't tell me why. He tells me that I can't leave until I complete my training but won't tell me when. I won't stay on due to stray promises. I need answers and I need them now.

Two days ago I realized part of the truth. I finally figured out how to open the lock to Mewtwo's room. Yesterday, I was rooting through it and discovered two startling pieces of paper. One was written on an aging document, simply titled "The Legends". I read it so many times that I think I memorized most of it. The other paper was my file, but I didn't have time to read all of it. But, it looks like all those weird dreams I had weren't dreams after all; he kidnapped me when I was a baby. Besides the dreams, I can't remember a single thing about my former life.

Unfortunately, Mewtwo caught me sneaking around and severely reprimanded me. I probably won't be able to move for another week. However, I did hear him talking to himself again. This time I managed to pick up a few phrases "Ash Ketchum, were you really right?" and "… all those years ago. If only you knew what I knew." Well, whoever this Ash Ketchum person was, he was obviously important to Mewtwo.

But, I don't have time to think about this. Right now, I need to figure out how to escape from here.

Lass

Ash blinked in surprise at seeing his own name in her diary. Unable to control his impulses, Ash flipped through a few of the others pages. As his eyes focused on the date, he let out a slight gasp. "July 15, 3003! Why, that's 3 days before I ran away from Pallet!" A shiver rustled through his system as he thought back to the day. After he forced the memories out of his head, Ash set his eyes on the sheet.

Dear diary, July 15, 3003

So far, things have been going pretty good. My escape 4 years ago has had no consequences as of yet. Mewtwo is still stuck in a capsule… I'm thinking that I'll give the Rockets some "hints" as to where to find him. Hopefully, they'll be smart enough to destroy him or, better yet, train him.

After a lot of work, I found out where this Ash Ketchum lives. Turns out that he is staying with his mom and a few of his friends in a small town called Pallet, right next to Viridian City. I wonder why Mewtwo thinks that he has the gift… he doesn't look that talented.

"Hey!" Ash yelled at Lass' comments. "That's sooooooooo not true!"

Then again, I've heard that he recently became a pokemon master. Perhaps looks are deceitful.

"That's better!" Ash nodded his head as his swollen ego was restored. "But… should I take the last part as a compliment or an insult?"

This kid looks pretty innocent; I doubt that he can handle the implications if he does have the gift. Also, I remember Mewtwo's insistence on training him… like I really want to follow orders from that nearly dead cat. I've wanted to get revenge on that bossy pokemon for a long time; perhaps the key is with this Ash Ketchum. I would really like to see his face when he hears that the student that betrayed him kills his most promising pupil. If he ever breaks out of that capsule, he's going to go crazy with rage.

The plan is already set. I'm sending my best Serpent agent on the job, Jeff Wilson. I even forced him into a Rocket uniform, just in case the police catch him. I figure that once he shots Ash Ketchum, and, if necessary, his companions, I'll finally have my revenge…

Ash slammed the book to the ground, not wanting to read another word of the horrible manuscript. His anger forced him to bang his fist on the desk a couple of times before pain got the better of him. He slowly sank to the floor, beside the vile book. As he leaned his back against the small table, a couple of sore tears slipped to the ground. "No… it can't be true." He kept repeating this hopeless phrase to himself as he focused his blurry red eyes toward the ground. There, he noticed a golden key sitting nearby his leg. "It must have dropped from its hiding spot after all that banging on the desk."

Instead of getting the key and releasing the cuffs from his wrists, Ash stayed perfectly motionless on the floor. He was too emotionally drained at the moment. Learning the scandalous truth about your past can do that to a person. As his eyes closed in complete exhaustion, Ash mumbled a determined promise to himself, "I will kill her…"

*~*~*~*~*

The creature sighed. Her little tail twirled anxiously in the air as she gazed down at the patient in the hospital bed. Why did she wait so long to help out anyway? Oh yeah… it was because of him…

There was once a time when he wasn't that inclined to revenge and power. For a brief time, Mewtwo was content with his life on his little island… far away from anyone, except "his pets" and me. But he was never built for peace. His soul needed challenges… it needed power.

And that's when he discovered the Legends. Where he got it, I'll never know how, but he attained it and learned about the existence of the "chosen ones"… people who had pokemon power. Through his far superior magic, he discovered two of these individuals… one of them, ironically enough, was the one that begged him to covert to peace around 9 years later. Taking the most powerful one out of the two, he tried to train her, hoping to create the first truly powerful and generous human. But he only accomplished half of his goal. He did create the most powerful human in existence… the most powerful monster in existence as well.

She tried to clear the vicious memories out of her head. Fear of Mewtwo won't keep her from helping the innocent anymore. Hospital nurses walked in and out of the room, not noticing a hovering pink cat just to the right of the lifeless patient. She smiled quietly, straining to keep up her invisibility attack.

When the hospital staff left the room, she delicately placed her paws on the sick man's chest. Powerful rays of blinding light enclosed the dying body with a certain angelic glow. The man, with his spiky brown hair, quivered slightly at such vigorous waves of pure energy. By the time the illumination died down, the man seemed to breathe easier and seemed to be more at ease. His hand started trembling for a moment as his eyelids flickered open. After curiously gazing at his surroundings, he oddly stared to his right. If he didn't know any better, he could swear that there was a cherry-white feline floating just beside him. Before he had a chance to respond, a soft voice echoed within his head, "Get away from here as fast as can. They need you…" The creature then made its disappearance from the area.

*~*~*~*~*

"Hit Squad #1… #2… #3#4#5#6………. Someone answer this damn radio!" Giovanni cried in frustration as he slammed the radio into the table. The radio, designed to withstand everything from bullets to dragon rage, crackled with bolts of electricity before smoking with death.

"Is… is something wrong sir?" A timid voice called from behind his closed door.

Giovanni smiled at such a question. A smile on Giovanni's face never represented happiness… just plain lunacy. The Rocket Boss was only a few notches away from a total breakdown. "What do you want?"

A shy head peeked out from behind the door, fear circling with her soft face. "I… I just thought you might want to turn to channel 7."

Giovanni shook his head in disgust. Hundreds of his best agents have disappeared off the face of the earth and she wants him to watch TV? "I don't have time to deal with such nonsense. Leave now."

The young Rocket agent quivered at his foul tone. "Sir, I afraid that it's pretty important." Not wanting to waste another minute in that icy room, she hurriedly left.

Consumed by curiosity, Giovanni searched his desk for the remote control. Once found, he turned on the TV.

"… around 12:00-3:00 am. The exact cause of this massacre, which has been dubbed by some as the Saffron massacre, is presently unknown. It appears that hundreds of people belonging to the gang Team Rocket have been found dead at the scene…"

"What!!!!" Giovanni screamed in an inhumane voice as he sprang to his feet and slammed his comfortable chair across the room. Unnoticed by him, his Persian felt the full impact of the moving chair. Knocked into unconsciousness, the cat fell limp on the floor.

"… the only person found at the scene not in a Rocket uniform has been identified as young Ash Ketchum. It appears that his disappearance six years ago has met a tragic end…"

"What the? Giovanni questioned as he clenched his fist in utter joy. His eyes flashed in a reddish glow of insanity. Suddenly, the murder of hundreds of some of his best agents meant nothing to him anymore. He finally destroyed Ash Ketchum… at last… his revenge was complete. "He's… dead? Finally dead?"

*~*~*~*~*

"He's dead?!" Pro. Oak screamed in terror as he shook the TV set, hoping that his pathetic actions could change the course of history. "No….. this wasn't what was supposed to happen!"

"Who's dead?" Joe questioned as he entered the room, dressed in a thick coat and holding a clipboard in his hands.

Pro. Oak refused to answer the question as he turned back to the television set. "… Forensic teams have been trying to reconstruct the events that happened here with little success. Apparently, Ash Ketchum came to this spot during the very early hours of the morning. It is believed that he came here with five pokemon, perhaps six, but all of them have disappeared from the scene; all the dead pokemon here belongs to dead Team Rocket agents, as was determined by a pokemon expert…"

"What was Ash doing there? I thought that Lass convinced him to join the Serpents!" Joe screamed in confusion.

Pro. Oak gazed at Joe strangely. "Who's Lass?"

Joe slowly smiled, realizing his blunder. "Oops… I guess I've said too much. Nighty night Pro. Oak." Taking a dark canister out of his coat, he sprayed its contents at Pro. Oak who drifted off into a restless sleep.

*~*~*~*~*

"… From what can be determined, there was at least one ghost pokemon here that caused massive head trauma to numerous victims, including the once pokemon master, Ash Ketchum. Police have their suspicions that this is somehow connected with the suspicious activities circling around the Silph Co. Building. Numerous attempts at trying to get into the building has failed and, therefore, the police have been given permission to break into the building and arrest the occupants for further question…"

"This can't be happening." Jessie cried as she tried to close her eyes to shut out the awful news. Already their headquarters was decimated and now… now the police was raiding their other main building. The Serpents were being destroyed before her very eyes… and there was nothing that she could do about it. "Please say that it isn't true."

"But it is." A deep voice called from behind her.

Jessie breath came in pants as she exclaimed. "Who is that?" Thinking that it was probably some kid wanting a badge, she added. "And no battles for today."

"I'm not here to battle." The voice answered as the person moved away from the shadows.

"No… it couldn't be. James?" Jessie hesitantly questioned.

"In the flesh." James curtly responded and strolled over to the terrified female. "Watching a little news, Jess? Now that's something I've never seen you do."

Jessie's eyes gazed curiously up at him. "I'm doing a lot of things that you've never seen me do." She then turned back to the TV.

"… In other news, a hospital victim awoke today in Cerulean after battling an unknown disease for several days. It appears that he is in perfect shape and doctors are at a loss at his quick recovery. The new disease, dubbed Stellar by one of the doctors, is an incurable disease and this patient is the only known survivor of it to date…"

"But… that's impossible." Jessie murmured in shock.

James stared at her with a peculiar look on his face. "What do you mean impossible?"

Jessie dropped her eyes to the ground. "There's no cure for Stellar."

*~*~*~*~*

"Oh…" Ash groaned as he lifted his heavy eyes. He squinted them instinctively while trying to get some bearings on his surroundings. When his eyes adjusted to the light, Ash sighed. "It's morning. I must have fallen asleep."

He then gazed down at the cuffs on his wrists and at a golden key nearby. After inserting the key into the keyhole of both cuffs, he gently placed them on top of the dresser. His eyes then darted over to the open book on the floor as memories flooded his system. "Lass' diary."

He then closed the book and placed it back in its proper place. "I hope I never lay eyes on that again." Ash thought as he lifted his body off the floor.

Loud footsteps were heard outside along with strange voices. "Check in here. There has to be more Serpents around here."

"What?" Ash silently whispered in alarm. It must be a raid… but by who? Fear built up in his system; he had to hide… now. If it was Rocket agents, they'll kill him on the spot. Ash anxiously searched the room for a possible hiding spot but none came to mind. His muscles froze in terror, awaiting his death punishment.

"This room is locked." A feminine voice commented as she jiggled the knob to Lass' room.

"There's no turning back." Ash gulped in terror, sure that they were going to exterminate him.

"Blast it open then!" A masculine voice commanded as it was followed by two gunshots. The lock cracked open and the two people entered the room.

"The police?" Ash blinked in confusion and collapsed to his knees and held his hands over his head. "Go ahead, arrest me."

"Did you hear something?" The male cop questioned and started searching around the room. "I swear I just heard someone's voice."

"Me too." The female cop retorted as her eyes moved swiftly around the room.

Ash gazed at them in utter confusion. He rose to his knees and blocked the woman's vision. "Hello?"

The female shivered. "Gosh, now I know I just heard something! Does this room seem a bit cold to you?"

"Yeah, actually it does." The male officer replied. "Here, let's do a clean search of this place before checking out the other quarters."

"What's wrong with them?" Ash thought as he watched them search around the room. He then walked over to a nearby mirror and gazed into it. There was no reflection. As his breathing rapidly increased, Ash gazed down at his own hands only to discover that they weren't there… at least he couldn't see them. "This makes no sense."

"Maybe that voice was just our imagination." The female officer trembled as she gazed around the room. She could swear that there was someone else here… watching her.

"Yeah… that's all it was… our imaginations." The man replied as he and his female counterpart raced out of the room.

Ash gazed back at the mirror. "I'm dead? No… that makes no sense. But… what else could have happened to me?"

Spooking himself out, Ash opened the doorknob and dashed into the hallway.

*~*~*~*~*

"Can't you dial any faster?" Misty shouted as she glared at Gary.

Gary held the phone to his ear and growled. "Shut up! You're ruining my concentration!"

Before Misty could retort, Giselle flashed her a warning look. "Misty, let the man dial, ok?"

Misty slumped to a nearby chair with a venomous look on her face. Gary ignored her and turned his attention back to the phone. "Hello? Cerulean hospital? I want to check up on the status of a patient currently residing at your hospital. His name is Brock Slate."

A few anxious moments passed as Gary held the phone to his ear. "Oh… really? Then it's true? How's his condition now?" Gary listened for a few more seconds before replying. "All right. Yes. Yes, we'll come and get him immediately. Thanks for all your help. Bye." Gary hung up the phone and was met with questionable stares.

"Well, what did they say?" Giselle asked.

Gary sighed. "The news reports were right; Brock did make a remarkable overnight recovery. Right now, he's conscious and is asking for all four of us."

"Four?" Giselle moaned in confusion.

Misty shook her head. "He means the three of us and Ash. Go on Gary."

"Well, the doctors have run some tests on him and they say that he's perfectly healthy. All he needs is a few hours of rest." Gary stated.

"Do they have any idea as to how Brock recovered?" Misty questioned curiously.

Gary grunted in negative. "Afraid not."

"So, are we all going to Cerulean?" Giselle inquired with a bored expression on her face.

"But, what about Ash? He keeps disappearing every few seconds!" Gary huffed.

Misty was silent for a moment. "How about we all split up? One person goes and gets Brock, another stays here, searching for Ash and someone else goes to Pallet."

"Wait… Pallet? Why Pallet?" Giselle moaned irritably.

Misty sighed. "Have you even tried calling Pro. Oak? The line is disconnected. We haven't given him a status report since we left Cerulean. One of us has to tell him about all the recent events that happened here."

"Why?" Gary absentmindedly questioned.

"Why?" Misty repeated and exclaimed. "Are you kidding me? Pro. Oak deserves to know what's going on around here! He is the one that assigned us to this stupid mission in the first place!"

"All right, all right… we'll go to Pallet." Giselle whispered in a soothing voice. Even she could see that this whole mission was driving everyone crazy, including Misty, probably one of the most practical people on the team. "Here, if you want, I'll go to Pallet myself, ok?"

"Sure, pick the easy job." Gary mumbled.

Giselle frowned. "What did you say?"

Not really in the mood for a fight, Gary shook his head. "Nothing. But, I'll go to Cerulean. Saffron is starting to get on my nerves."

"Ok then. It's settled. Giselle will go to Pallet, Gary will go to Cerulean and I'll stay here and search for that pesky Ash. Let's say we met back here tomorrow at noon, that'll give us more than 24 hours. And let's keep in touch with these." Misty then tossed them two cell phones. "If any problems occur, we need to call each other. The numbers are already programmed into the phone itself."

"Where did you get these?" Gary gazed at her questionably.

Misty shyly grinned. "Your grandfather has a nice stock of cell phones."

"Then why didn't you give it to us in the first place!?" Giselle demanded.

Misty shrugged her shoulders. "We didn't need them then."

"Hey, who gets to keep Pikachu?" Giselle questioned as the trio gazed down at the yellow rodent at their feet.

"Well, besides Ash, I'm the only one that understands it. I'll take Pikachu." Misty smiled at the pokemon who was in a deep slumber.

"Ok, so it's agreed. We meet back here tomorrow at noon." Gary remarked.

*~*~*~*~*

"What do you mean there is no cure for Stellar?" James demanded in a stern voice. "Are you telling me that the patient in Cerulean just magically got better on his own accord? That it was a miracle?"

"There are no miracles in this world; only lucky events." Jessie coldly responded. "Stellar was developed to take over the world… to destroy enemies. It was meant as a weapon to fight the few that resisted the Serpent's world domination. All the people that have died so far were test subjects."

"Test subjects? You mean that in Cerulean and Saffron, the Serpents have been developing a disease for world domination? That there is no hope for the future?" James yelled in shock. The future looked much bleaker than he had originally thought.

"No, it wasn't developed in those two cities. They create this disease on a little deserted island north of Cinnabar Island called Serpent Island." Jessie stated, not even releasing how much information she was giving away.

A slow smile formed on James' lips. "Jessica, there is still hope for the future. All the stocks of Stellar were destroyed in Cerulean and confiscated by the police in Saffron, right? Then, that means that the only place that still has Stellar is this deserted island. Will you help me destroy it? If Lass gets control of this world… then everything is lost."

"Yeah, Jessie. Let's do what Jimmy says." The Ghastly remarked as it materialized beside Jessie.

James gazed curiously at the Ghastly. "That voice… but… it couldn't be."

The Ghastly wickedly grinned at James. "But it is. I may be a ghost, but I've still got the same spirit that Meowth did."

"Amazing…" James whispered as he stared at the image of his former friend.

Turning back to Jessie, Ghastly smiled. "Let's listen to James. What's there left ta lose?"

Jessie turned to the vaporous form and sighed. "You're right. We've already lost everything else… what's a few more lives."

"Not too optimistic I see." James commented. "Here, how about I go up to Cerulean and check out this patient… perhaps he's naturally resistant to it or something like that. You can go to Serpent Island and try to destroy it from the inside. Do you have a cell phone?"

"Yeah… if you want, here's the number." Jessie feebly replied as she handed James a piece of paper.

James quickly scribed down something on another piece of paper and handed it to Jessie. "Ok, here's my number. Let's keep it contact if any of us gets in trouble. When I learn more about this patient, I'll call you and try to meet you on the island. You can give me the coordinates later, ok?"

"Ok." Jessie whispered.

James gazed intently at her. "Jessie, is everything all right?"

"No." Jessie responded shakily. "I was just wondering why I didn't do this before."

James shrugged his shoulders. "Maybe it just wasn't the right time."

*~*~*~*~*

Ash smiled happily as he trotted down the corridor. Everywhere, there were hundreds of police officers yet none of them seemed to notice him. Suddenly, nothing mattered to him anymore; Lass, Misty, Brock, Gary, Giselle… then were simply distant memories. Ash felt as if he were 10 years old again as he playfully tapped numerous policemen on their backs… no one could ever find him.

He never thought that scaring people could be so much fun. You won't believe what a couple of "boos" here and there can do to a person! Unfortunately, his merriment ended all too soon.

Ash managed to find his way outside and gazed at all the Serpent agents that were caught. True, the police did say that they were going to question and release them, but it was just an excuse. The truth was that the police had been waiting for months, perhaps years, to break into the building.

Ash soon spotted Lass and scowled in disgust. "What a vile piece of trash!" Ash bitterly cursed inside his head. Ash stared at the police officer that was holding her. Sure he could have easily punched the guy unconscious and let Lass escape. But after all that she has done to him… "You deserve this." Ash whispered into Lass' ears.

"Ash?" Lass quivered uneasily. Her eyes frantically searched the area for him. It was strange; she couldn't see him at all, yet something was telling her that he was close… extremely close.

His grin increased at Lass' confusion. He would kill her, but not now… too many people were around. Ash then took off, wondering where he should go. He really hadn't the slightest clue where his friends were or where to look for them.

Ash walked into a small patch of woods nearby in order to figure it all out. When he wasn't watching, he accidentally crashed into a tree. "Ouch! Well… at least I know I'm not dead."

"Ok… think… not invisible… not colorless… colorful… think having a reflection in the mirror…" Ash groaned to himself. As if by magic, his body became visible in the light, complete with his old worn-out set of clothes.

Ash smiled as he looked down at his own hands. "Invisibility… does such an attack exist?" He then crept into the edge of the forest and watched the scene in front of the Silph Co. building. He let out a slight gasp as he observed something he missed before. Hundreds of white chalk lines were cut into the black concrete all in the shape of… human beings. "What happened here?"

The bodies left at the scene were being loaded into stretchers. Some were burnt behind recognition, others were drowned in water, others seemed to be strangled, and others… he just didn't want to think of the ones that really suffered. His curiosity getting the better of him, Ash scampered into the scene and over to the few remaining bodies. Unfortunately, he made the crucial mistake of not turning invisible again.

"It couldn't be…" One of the sharper police officer moaned as he observed Ash walk over to one of the dead. "It's a ghost!" The calls of the man attracted more people to turn in Ash's direction. Each one of their faces turned deadly pale in fear, sincerely believing that Ash was a walking phantom.

Ash didn't seem to notice the commotion that he was causing and stared at the dead man in a Rocket uniform. The tortured expression… the lack of cuts… it could only be shadow bolt. "Haunter did this?" Ash whispered in horror. His eyes soon darkened. "What did that clone do to my pokemon?"

"It a real ghost… can you believe it?" Ash perked his ears at this random statement. By now, he had gotten the attention of most of the crowd.

"I guess it's time to make my disappearance." Ash remarked as he tried to summon his strength into an invisibility move. After a few unsuccessful attempts, Ash managed to complete the attack. The gasps from the crowd seemed to increase in intensity.

Lass observed the scene with surprise. "Ash already learned invisibility? He's faster than I thought."

*~*~*~*~*

Gary once again turned around. It had to be his imagination. There was no one following him… no one. Remember… no one is following. No one…

His ears once again picked up unusual sounds. Why would anyone follow him, anyway? All he has to do is keep his cool… and not go crazy. Those noises were just the wind… nothing more, nothing less.

"Ok, who's there?" Gary screamed. So much for keeping his cool. But those sounds… they were too real to be taken lightly. "Come on out!"

Seeing that no one was departing from the bushes, Gary turned around only to be startled once again. Standing in front of him was a dark figure cast in a somber navy coat. A blackened hood covered his face making it impossible for Gary to recognize him. Mustering all the courage that he could, Gary yelled. "Who are you?"

"Well, well Gary… we meet again." The figure remarked as he removed his hood and stepped closer to Gary.

Gary, being smarter than Ash in some respects, smiled. "No motto, redhead or talking cat? I almost didn't recognize you there, James."

James casually grinned. "Nice to see you again, Gary."

"So, what brings you out here? Trying to steal a Pikachu from Cerulean?" Gary smirked.

James shook his head. "Nope, trying to steal some information. That Brock is a true medical miracle."

"Brock?" Gary uneasily questioned. "What about him?"

"Well, he's the only patient in Cerulean that was suffering from Stellar…" His voice quieted down to a hush as he roughly pulled Gary and himself behind a few thorny bushes. "Don't even breath."

Gary, itself, was having a hard time enough doing that since James' hand was covering his mouth and nose. "Mwhwhwhw…" Were the only sounds coming from Gary's lips until he saw them. Two ragged people emerged from the trail both emerged in a hot dispute.

"I'm telling you, dad didn't! End of story!" A raspy female voice croaked, her vocal cords straining as if she had been using them for a while.

"How can you deny the evidence! Lass would only use her best sharpshooter to pull off such a mission and he was the best sharpshooter at the time!" A male voice yelled in response.

The ticked-off female clenched her teeth before desperately shrieking. "He would never do that, Win! The Jeff Wilson I knew would only fight when he was forced to! He only became the best to protect us!" After catching her breath, she growled. "And you know very well what the Master would do is she heard you speak her name! We are to always refer to her as Master you numbskull!"

"Julie, I'm telling you… I saw him that day with a Rocket uniform! And you know that a neighbor in Pallet shootings, 6 years ago, saw a man dressed in a Rocket uniform fleeing the scene!" Win cried distraughtly.

Gary managed to free his mouth from James' strong grip. "Pallet shootings?"

Sensing trouble from his younger companion, James tightly repositioned his hand back over his mouth and held him down even more forcefully than before. "Don't blow our cover."

Though the words were little comfort to the hysterical, anxious boy, Gary managed to hold his tongue. He knew that any impulsive behavior on his part would probably result in getting caught by the enemy. Plus, he didn't have a choice. "Ok."

Julie closed her tired eyes before trying to change the subject. "So, what do you think the Master wants with this Brock kid anyway?"

Win shrugged his shoulders. "Got me. All she said was to bring him alive to Serpent Island. Probably wants to run more test on him. I heard that the lab was getting short on guinea pigs for their new experiments."

This time it was James who could barely contain his impulsive actions. Using innocent people for tests like that! Just how inhumane were they? Fortunately, the shabby agents retreated from the area before James could act on his whim. It was after a few restless minutes that James released his aggravated companion. Before giving Gary the chance to yell at him, James hastily spoke. "Come on. We better find Brock before they do."

*~*~*~*~*

Death

The word could barely describe it.

It was worse than a murder.

Worse than a massacre.

Nothing could describe it.

It was evil…

It was death.

Misty held her breathe as her eyes transfixed on corpse. She then turned to face another lifeless body… and another… and another… and another. It was a party of death… a silent spooky party.

Sickle blood still dribbled from one of the victims… how they managed to survive till morning is a mystery that no one will understand. Most of the metal drawers were closed but a few were wide open clutching the bodies of the deceased. A stench of rotting flesh mixed in with repugnant chemicals consumed the air.

Misty was now having doubts. Sure, the idea of breaking into a morgue and trying to find any clues on Ash's dead clone seemed like a good idea outside. But, in here, the remains of the departed reigned supreme.

Trying to quell her feelings of anxiety, Misty focused on the nameplates on the metal drawers. Most remained nameless while others only possessed a first name. As her eyes started glazing over in boredom, Misty spotted her destination. She tentatively placed her fingers on the drawer marked "Ketchum, Ash".

"Hold it right there!" A voice boomed from behind.

Misty sighed in frustration and held her hands over her head. Caught red-handed.

The owner of the voice shoved what felt like the barrel of a gun into her back. The person roughly grabbed her wrists and snapped a pair of handcuffs on them. She was then forced to turn around and face her perpetrator. Noticing the uniform, she assumed that he must be a security guard.

He shook his head, baffled by her actions. "You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to a lawyer…"

*~*~*~*~*

"Return Gyarados." Jessie demanded as the water/dragon beast disappeared in a ray of light and into the pokeball. She sighed as she swiftly turned around. The sight of a lush sandy beach entered her vision along with stray palms sprouting from the sand. A few yards away, the coast converted into a scratchy patch of grassland. But that wasn't what caught her eye. What interested her was a desolate building sitting atop the grass. After gathering some courage, Jessie leisurely moved her legs towards the building.

"Identification needed." A robotic voice chimed. A slight yawn issued from Jessie's lips as she typed in her badge code. With a loud beep, the metal door to the complex swung open.

Jessie entered a darkened hallway. Moving to her right, she quickly passed through a maze of passageways before arriving at a door. She rapidly entered some numbers into a nearby keypad before the door cracked open.

A group of people seemed to be spread out in what looked like a science classroom. Their white coats wrapped around their bodies as they ignored the newcomer. Jessie took no notice of the scientists and walked across the room. She then opened another door and entered what was clearly the control center of the place. Bundles of machines were stacked all over the place along with an easy chair designed to hold the overseer of this vast amount of equipment. The person, seated in the easy chair, sensed a presence in the room and swirled their chair around until their eyes rested on Jessie.

"Jessie?" The lady in the chair questioned in surprise.

A phony smile spread across Jessie's lips. "And hello to you, Tammy."

Tammy flickered her eyelids before realizing that her eyes weren't lying; Jessie, of all people, was in the room. Her dark brown hair was neatly tied up in a high ponytail with the exception of a single strand of hair at the side of her face. Tammy's eyes glowed emerald with flecks of gold dancing across her pupils. Her skin appeared somewhat tanned and perfectly matched her lush crimson blouse and pitch-black cotton pants. "What do I owe the pleasure of this visit to?"

"I have some news for you. HQ has been destroyed while the building in Saffron is being raided by the police as we speak." Jessie briefly recounted.

Tammy continued to stare at Jessie as her eyes started flickering blackish-green. "Impossible. Master would have sent Win and Julie to inform us."

"It's hard to get here when you're in a jail cell." Jessie spoke with an icy pitch. "Just try and contact them if you don't believe me."

Even before Jessie finished her sentence, Tammy grabbed a nearby radio. "Win and Julie, respond immediately." A few moments of scratchy silence followed before Tammy crossly tossed the radio aside. She then picked up a phone. A brief conversation followed before she placed the phone back on the receiver. "All right, if both buildings are destroyed, where is the Master?"

Jessie contemplated that for a moment before responding. "Her location is unknown at the moment. But, she has informed me to come to Serpent Island and assist operations here."

Tammy growled. She hated it when she couldn't confirm orders like that. "Fine. You know where the extra rooms are. You can supervise the scientist geeks with their projects."

"She also said that all testing and experimenting was to stop until she returns." Jessie whispered, wondering if Tammy would believe her.

Tammy glared at her opponent with vicious eyes. An unusual feeling formed in her stomach… Jessie was holding back something… she wasn't telling the whole truth. But, it didn't matter what she thought. If Jessie was correct, she didn't want to risk the consequences of disobeying the Master. Her consequences were far from harsh… they were excruciating agony. "Testing will cease then."

A small grin developed on Jessie's lips. This was easier than she had thought.

*~*~*~*~*

"Well, you are one lucky girl… one very lucky girl." The cop grinned. "Turns out that the morgue isn't going to press any charges. All you have to do is pay a small fee and you're home-free."

Misty heaved a sigh of relief. "Thank you very much." Taking out a small wallet from her pocket, Misty gave some money to the man.

She then started walking around the police station, trying her best to find the exit. Unfortunately, that was easier said than done. Misty managed to get lost in the hallways. Having too much pride to ask someone where the entrance was, Misty ended up walking around in circles.

"Oh, sorry." Misty quickly mumbled, seeing that she bumped into someone. As she turned around, she realized that the person she banged into was none other than Lass herself. With her hands locked in tight cuffs, she was being lead away by a policeman. "It couldn't be…"

Sensing Misty's presence, Lass turned around. A crafty grin formed on her lips. "Well, long time no see."

"Keep moving." The policeman roughly ordered as he tried to force Lass to walk. Closing her eyes, blackness issued from her body and seemed to surround the whole area. By the time the darkness diminished, Misty blinked her eyes open in disbelief. Around her, all activity came to an abrupt halt. Various people stood frozen to their spots with the exception of herself and Lass.

"You can freeze time?" Misty questioned with sincere curiosity.

Lass bobbed her head up and down, never letting that shrewd smile leave her face. "Along with other things."

"So, what do you want?" Misty asked, slightly apprehensive.

"You're looking for something." Lass simply stated as she stared into Misty's eyes. "Ash is on your mind."

"What makes you say that?" Misty growled in response. "Have you stooped low enough to read other people's minds?"

Lass shook her head amazed at her innocent thoughts. "Reading people's mind is a weapon… you need every weapon you can get to win the war."

Misty raised her hand to her head, as if that harmless gesture could protect her from Lass' amazing powers. "If that's true, then you know that I'm still looking for him. Do you know where he is?"

"It's just like Ash to disappear without a trace." Lass slowly contemplated. "In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if he was standing right in front of you and you didn't notice a thing."

Misty impatiently tapped her foot on the ground. "You have a real difficultly answering a simple question. A yes or no would have been sufficient."

"I prefer to be original." Lass remarked leisurely. "You wouldn't be able to find him. Unless he wants to be found, Ash will remain in hiding for as long as it takes."

"That's quite amazing considering the state that he was in when I last saw him." Misty murmured threateningly. "Why doesn't he want to be found?"

"Who knows?" Lass sighed as she started to talk more to herself than to Misty. "Ash is too mysterious to understand. I doubt that even Mewtwo can deal with him."

"Mewtwo?" Misty repeated wondering why that name sounded familiar to her.

Lass took in a deep breath not really caring what she had just told Misty. "Once I considered him my teacher and then I considered him my enemy. Funny… Ash is doing the same thing to me…"

Misty blinked, trying to process the information. Her eyes then focused on the cuffs still gripping Lass' wrists. "What are you doing here anyway? Why don't you just break out?"

Lass gazed down at the metal cuffs. "Because, Ash and Mewtwo both want me dead. To be out in the open means risking death. I'll escape only when the time comes."

The darkness in the scenery abruptly evaporated into a blinding ray of light. Misty closed her eyes only to open them a second later. Time began its normal course as people continued with their activities. For a moment, Misty thought that the whole discussion was simply a dream. This notion soon disappeared when she saw the fleeting image of Lass rounding the bend.

Misty remained there as memories of the previous conversation flooded her brain. Her eyes… there was something behind them… something she just couldn't grasp. For a moment, Lass had lost her air of craftiness and almost became… remorseful? Sympathetic?

Misty shook her head. She must delusional.

*~*~*~*~*

"Oh…" Ash cried as he collapsed to the ground in sheer exhaustion. A high-pitched shrill echoed across the forest at his sudden appearance. Panting heavily, Ash forced his body up and into a sitting position against a sturdy tree. His arms wiggled like watered-down jello while his legs felt like they needed to be amputated. He found out the hard way what happens when you stay invisible for too long.

As his heart returned to its normal track, Ash sighed. "Great… everyone thinks I'm a ghost. What am I going to do?"

As he sat in deep in thought, a brave Pidgey flew into the area. The brown pigeon-like creature quietly hopped to Ash's side with an inquisitive look within its petite pupils. Ash simply ignored this pest and continued pondering his situation. Noticing that it was being ignored, the bird turned rather agitated and jumped up on top of Ash's shoulder.

By now, Ash had quite enough of this annoying visitor. He flicked the creature off his shoulder with an irritated grunt. "What's your problem?"

"No, what's your problem?" Startled by the strange voice, Ash twisted his head towards the dark forest behind him. "I'm standing right in front of you."

Ash gazed down at the Pidgey once again. This time, fear and shock covered his face as he moved a few steps back. What troubled him was that he heard the pokemon's voice inside his head, not through his ears. "Who are you?"

The Pidgey slowly smiled. "I'm sorry, did I frighten you?" A brilliant white light enveloped the pokemon, blinding Ash in the process. By the time the fair glow dissipated, the Pidgey had disappeared only to be replaced with a pink fluff-ball known as a Clefairy. "Is this better?"

"W… what?" Ash stammered, still in shock at having a wild Pidgey talking in his head and changing form within a blink of an eye. "What are you?"

"A pokemon!" The creature laughed merrily with a strangely familiar squeaky pitch. "What else dummy?"

"Hey!" Ash called, slightly ticked off at this happy-go-lucky creature. "What kind of pokemon are you?"

"One that can transform. Also, a pokemon that recently learned how to talk to humans psychically!" The Clefairy remarked in a giggly tone.

"All right…" Ash mumbled still as confused as before. "Why are you here?"

"Because… I want to talk to you!" The Clefairy chimed as it transformed into a Pikachu. "Also… I've got a message for you."

"A message?" Ash whispered. "What message?"

The pokemon grinned as it played with its new jagged tail. "Look! I'm a pika-messager! With a sharp tail too!"

Ash stared oddly at the Pikachu before letting out an exasperated moan. It was like he was babysitting a 2 year old. "That's nice… here, can you tell me what the message was?"

"You have to go… go to Serpent Island." The silly Pikachu smiled. "Do you think that they have Ekans and Arboks there?"

"Um… sure… yeah… lots of them." Ash quickly muttered. "Here, can you tell me why I have to go to this island?"

"Cuz… everyone's going there! You and Misty have to save the day!" The unknown pokemon chimed excitedly.

"Misty? Guess I have to find her then…" Ash whispered to himself before turning his attention back to the energized rat. "Ok… so where is this island?"

The Pikachu glowed white once again. However, when the light evaporated, the Pikachu was still there but held a small map in its paws. "Here… take!"

"Ok…" Ash sighed as he took the map from the Pikachu. "Who sent you?"

The pokemon smiled. "Me! I sent me! Although, he probably wants you there as well… but, for other bad, bad reasons. You know… he can be so strict… I really think he should lighten up at times…"

"Who's 'he'?" Ash interrupted, not really in the mood for this.

The Pikachu wrapped itself with white light before changing into its original form. A soft pink color flowed across the creature while its eyes glistened a deep blue. As it hovered through the air, its particularly long tail draped around its cat-like body. "Why Mewtwo of course!"

Ash's memory sprang to life as he gazed at the creature with a dumbfounded look on his face. "Mew?"

He had barely spoken this word before Mew was coated with the light of teleportation. Before disappearing completely from view, the pokemon grinned in a childish manner and whispered. "You remember…"

*~*~*~*~*

A/N: So, how's that for a chapter? Well, I have about ½ of the next part done. Reviews always help… I really don't even know if people are still reading this series! It shouldn't take as long to post my next part as the last part did *ducks while bricks come flying at her head* Gomen (Sorry)! Sheesh… everyone makes mistakes! Ja ne! (See you later!)