Part 2: Forgotten Memories
Legends of Team Rocket
Part 2:
Forgotten Memories
Written by
DK
KEY:
{Pokémon speech.}
[Telepathic speech.]
Thoughts.
(Present day)
As Darru rolled over on the
cold, dirty cot, trying to catch some desperately needed
shut-eye, various memories invaded his mind. He shrugged to
himself. No biggie. This sort of thing happened all the time,
considering his memory chip was extremely unstable. He flopped on
his side and gazed out of the soiled window. The moon cast its
pale, flickering shadow over what little vegetation lived outside
of the trashy shack.
"I can't believe
this ghetto dump is supposed to be a hotel," he muttered. He
flicked the wrinkled sheets aside and sat upright. It was the
same old thing bothering himthe biggest mistake he'd
made in his life
NO! He shook his
head vehemently, trying to clear his thoughts. He couldn't
face his old buddy now. Not after all these years of killing,
double-crossing, razing. He was definitely a different person
from eight years ago. Orwas he?
"I'm just
confusing myself," he frowned as he stretched his fatigued
arms and legs, wincing from the fierce pain. He'd barely
escaped with his life from another Team Rocket attempt to
recapture him, but not without sustaining injury. "I was
such an idiot. Nothing but a dirty traitorfirst my family,
my friends, now, even, that damned Team Rocket" He
cradled his bowed head in his hands. "I'm nothing but a
failure"
{Hey, I'm tryin'
to get some sleep here!} a more than annoyed voice interrupted.
Darru shot the ghostly,
grinning Pokémon a dirty look before returning his head into his
palms. Gengar sauntered over, patting Darru's hunched back
sympathetically. {S'okay, man. You escaped, that's all
the counts.}
"That's not what
I'm depressed about," Darru said angrily as he returned
to a sleeping position down on the bed, rusty springs creaking
painfully.
Gengar shook its head
sadly. {Oh Lord, not that sorry mess about your biggest mistake
again}
"You know it was a
mistake," Darru shot back. "Anyway, I'm not in the
mood to argue, so shut up and let me get a couple winks before I
lose sanity."
{Hmph. You lost that ages
ago.} Darru said nothing.
{Oh, let's just wallow
in self-pity,} Gengar mocked as it returned to its corner of the
small, four-poster bed. Darru, glad for the peace, shut his eyes
and was drifting into Slumberland when suddenly he heard a low
growl. He bolted upright, hand on the hilt of his scimitar, eyes
traveling across the dark, empty room for intruders. Suddenly he
spotted a purple hand waving lazily in the air. {It was just me,}
Gengar said, yawning. {Stomach's growling like no tomorrow.
Let's see what we've got here.}
Gengar floated over to the
pack of rations the hotel manager had given them to chow. Opening
the aluminum can with a sharp claw, Gengar took a whiff, decided
it was safe enough to eat, and took a large bite. It spit out its
mouthful almost immediately, a sour look scrunching up its face.
{Bleccchhhhh, what is this nasty shit? Is that damn manager
trying to poison me?!?} the ghost Pokémon demanded, wiping its
mouth.
Darru rubbed his eyes
sleepily and skimmed over the label on the container. "It
says here that it's stuffed eggplant," Darru read
aloud.
{Yeah, well, this eggplant
is gonna be "stuffed" up the manager's ass if he
expects me to eat any more of this garbage!} Gengar raged. Darru
laughed at Gengar's anger and settled back into the covers,
his head literally disappearing in the giant, oversized black
garbage bag stuffed with cotton that served as a makeshift
pillow. "Well, Gengar, g'night."
{Yeah, good fuckin'
night}, Gengar muttered as he curled up into a little purple ball
near the right edge of the bed. {If I die of nutritional
deficiency during the night, just call the undertaker when I
croak.}
Darru roared.
"You're crazy, Gengar. Maybe this hunger really is
affecting that minuscule brain of yours. I'll see what I can
scrounge off the manager next morning. But for now, it's
either the eggplant or nothing."
{Well, I'd hafta say
that nothing tastes somewhat better,} Gengar replied dryly.
"Good choice,"
came Darru's reply before he fell silent. Gengar, assuming
that its friend was asleep, soon dozed off and its loud snores
filled the room. Darru smiled inwardly. Gengar had always been a
snorer, even as a young Gastly back in the day when the Pokémon
Tower still stood. Now it was nothing but a pile of useless
rubble, torn down by Team Rocket when the legendary ghost
Pokémon Spookle began to roam the streets, haunting the
townsfolk of Lavender Town. Darru had been incredibly lucky when
he captured Gastly; only a few days after did Giovanni issue the
orders to destroy the Tower.
Wide awake, Darru rolled
over, the coils screeching noisily at every move he made. He
remembered the event as if it was yesterday, it was so clear in
his memory. At times he would only remember parts or segments of
that fateful day, but today his gears were turning properly. It
was eight long years ago
*=*=*=*=*
"So you're just
going to get up and leave, are you?" an old, yet
healthy-looking gray-bearded man said softly. "Leave your
family to join a criminal organization?"
"I told you I'll
be back!" A younger version of Darru yelled. "I'm
just gonna check it out and if I don't like it, I'll be
back!"
"Don't think
we'll accept you with warmth and love when you do,"
Darru's father seethed, "if you can even return to us
in one piece!"
"Well, if that's
the way you want it, fine! Don't expect me home. I
haven't got the desire to come back to this shit life in
this petty little hut on the outskirts of town! This is my chance
to use my powers for something—"
"For what? To ransack
entire towns? Steal from the poor? Murder the innocent?"
"Don't stop me,
old man! You've just lost the last speck of authority
you've had over me. I'm outta here!"
"Go! I won't
stand in your way on your journey towards absolute failure!"
"Fine!" Darru
made sure to slam the door as hard as he could on the way out. He
felt a slight twinge of guilt when he heard the windows shatter
from the force of the slam and his mother scream, but he
didn't look back. Not once.
*=*=*=*=*
Suddenly Darru jerked awake
and realized that he'd dozed off during the night. He looked
around the bare, empty room, somewhat resembling a prison cell.
He hopped off the bed and threw open the raggedy, dust-riddled
curtains, letting the warm, welcoming rays of sunshine stream in.
As the room brightened, Darru noticed a small, curled up purple
ball sleeping soundly near the foot of the bed. Darru smiled at
the little ghost, then quickly grimaced. It had been such a long
time since he'd smiled, his mouth began hurt when he did.
Then again, I'm nothing but a mere essence instilled
into an artificial body, he reminded himself bitterly.
What's the use in smiling? I have no personality; only
an artificial intelligence chip. But if Giovanni spoke the truth
when he told me this after I was repaired, why do I have these
unexpected flashbacks? Why do I remember some things so vividly,
while others are unclear?
"Must've all just
been a mistake Giovanni's scientists made," Darru
shrugged as he gently nudged the lightly snoring Gengar with the
tip of his foot.
Gengar groaned, lifted its
head, and gave Darru a dirty look. {That nasty smell from your
feet's enough to wake me up,} it mumbled groggily as it rose
to its feet. Floating over to the door, it raised its head and
inhaled deeply. {Well, whaddaya know,} Gengar remarked, grinning
widely, its rows of white, razor-sharp teeth flashing in the
sunlight. {Something actually smells good! Bout time I get
some food in this empty stomach,} it said, creating a large hole
in itself and pointing to it. {Breakfast, here I come,} it called
out as it stepped out into the hallway, passing straight through
the door as if it wasn't there.
Darru rolled his eyes as he
watched it leave, then quickly pulled out a small black cube out
of his pocket. He stared at it for a moment and concentrated. It
began to expand, eventually forming into a normal-sized
brown-and-black backpack. He stared intently at the backpack,
checked its contents, then began to concentrate. He closed his
eyes, formulating a mental picture of the clothes he'd
change into. Then, his eyes suddenly snapped open and for a
moment glowed a bright white. Instantly, he was clothed with the
clothes he'd pictured in his mind earlier, and his old
clothes that he had been previously wearing had been transferred
into his backpack. Satisfied, he picked up the backpack and
pressed a small button near the top. The backpack immediately
began to shrink and fold, returning to its miniature, cubic shape
once again. He pocketed the black cube, pulled on his sneakers,
and opened the door, the wonderful smells of bacon sizzling and
egg frying hitting him full in the face like a punch. He sniffed,
smiled, and headed for the kitchen, more than ready for a good
meal.
*=*=*=*=*
Gengar's bright,
orange-yellow eyes lit up in sheer joy as it thrust its sharp,
pointed claw at a million different items on the wrinkled,
tattered menu. The waitress, a gum-chewing, jaw-smacking brunette
in her early twenties, accustomed to strange occurrences such a
Ghost Pokémon ordering food, merely jotted down as many things
as she possibly could. Gengar was just about to order another
twenty or so things when the manager, a dirty old coot with a
mouthful of rotting, broken teeth, limped over to the table and
stared at Gengar with his half-blind eyes.
Gengar hardly noticed, so
busy as it was choosing more food. The manager ran his bony hand
over his scraggly beard and remarked, "Boy, you need to go
an' take a nice good bath, you sho dirty it look like
you're purple."
Gengar shrugged to itself.
Could be worse, Gengar thought. At least the geezer
isn't colorblind.
The waitress cracked loudly
with her gum. "Anything else?" she asked between chews.
Gengar shook its head no,
and tossed the menu to the girl, who quickly disappeared into the
kitchen with the long list of food trailing after her. The
manager squinted harder behind thick, horn-rimmed trifocals.
"Waitaminute, you ain't no boy, you a Pokémon!"
the old man exclaimed.
[Hey, you're a quick
one,] Gengar answered sarcastically. [I've been starving
since yesterday, and there's no way I was eatin' that
eggplant crap, so I'd better be gettin' a discount on
all this stuff.]
The man's eyes
narrowed, if that were possible; it seemed as if his eyes were
permanently shut. "Ain't no damn Pokémon llowed
ta ordah food in here! That'sh your trainer'sh job, you
mangy ghosht, now git! Shoo!" The man slurred his s's
as he spoke, his putrid breath choking Gengar and polluting its
nostrils. Gengar waved a purple claw in front of its nose.
[Get lost, old man. You owe
me big for makin' me sample that poison yesterday night. So
shut your smelly ass up and get a Cert,] Gengar growled as the
waitress reappeared with a tray loaded with all sorts of
scrumptious goodies. Gengar licked its lips and rubbed its hands
together, grinning madly. As the waitress plopped the
hundred-pound meal on the table and walked back to the kitchen
rubbing her aching arms, Gengar focused all its attention on the
delicious feast set before it.
"Aaah," Gengar
sniffed, letting the smell permeate its nose. "Could a
Togepi possibly be better fried?" Gengar was about to dig in
when the manager, angrier than a stampeding herd of Tauros,
decided to take action against this troublemaking Pokémon.
Grabbing the nearest object he could find, a cheap metal folding
chair, with considerable effort he raised it over his head and
swung down on Gengar with all the strength left in his scrawny
body.
Gengar saw it coming before
it'd taken two bites. Raising its hand over its head, the
chair stopped in mid-air. The old man's eyes widened in
surprise, and suddenly he felt his raggedy shoes leave the floor.
Before he even had time push his falling glasses up his crooked
nose, he flew through the air like a Frisbee until one of his own
tables stopped his flight with a loud crash. Amidst the tangle of
broken table legs and his broken legs, two yellow orbs glared at
him from across the room. The old codger picked up his broken
teeth from the floor and jammed them into his mouth, croaking,
"You'll pay for thesh damagesh, y' hear?"
Gengar's eyes glowed a
demonic white. [Shoo me,] it said in a mocking imitation of the
broken manager's voice before the man's limp body was
thrown headlong into the kitchen door. A loud scream was heard,
followed immediately by a plopping noise, a sound similar to when
a heavy object is dropped in water.
Gengar's eyes returned
to their normal colors and it went back to scarfing as if nothing
had happened. When it noticed the appalled stares of the various
customers, it shrugged. [Boiled manager soup, anyone?] it asked
as it gulped down a giant mug of coffee created by Snorlax
Industries, Inc.
At that moment Darru
entered the room, hair neatly combed, his sharp eyes scanning the
room. "Am I late for breakfast?" he inquired of Gengar.
Gengar motioned him over.
[Nah, I'm just getting started.] Gengar was crunching on a
piece of buttered toast when it noticed a tender leg of chicken
to its left. Discarding the toast, it tore into the drumstick
like a meat cleaver into a raw steak. Darru eased into a chair
and was about to try to snag something when he saw a big, iron
pot roll out of the kitchen out into the dining area. The pot
tipped over, spilling its boiling, bubbling contents all over the
dirty hardwood floor—and to Darru's surprise, the
manager was among the contents.
Before anybody had a chance
to say anything, Darru quickly stood up. "We're
leaving," he stated abruptly before roughly grabbing a
protesting Gengar by the arm and making a hasty exit.
The waitress watched them
leave, then popped a sticky bubble and pouted. "That guy was
cute"
*=*=*=*=*
"What was that all
about?" Darru asked hotly when he was out of earshot of the
inn. "I've got a high price set on my head by Giovanni,
the richest, most powerful man in the world. And here you are,
stuffing your face and flinging old men into pots of boiling
soup." Darru remained calm, but his anger was evident to
Gengar as they were telepathically linked.
{So I was hungry!} Gengar
shot back. {Can't a guy get any decent food? I told you I
wasn't eatin' that eggplant shit last night!}
"Eating doesn't
involve cooking the hotel staff," Darru answered, voice soft
with anger.
{I defended myself! That
old fart was bout to hit me over the head with a chair!}
Gengar shot back.
"You didn't have
to hit him back. You could've used your transparency."
Gengar was indignant. {Then
I would've gotten in trouble anyway! He would've ruined
my meal!}
Darru held up his hands.
"Calm down, Gengar, you're turning purple with
rage."
{Ha ha, very funny,} Gengar
replied sarcastically as he and Darru turned to leave. Darru
concentrated and snapped his fingers, his black sweatshirt
materializing in mid-air and falling into his hand. He slipped it
over his head, the hood obscuring his facial features under its
dark shadow. He nodded to Gengar.
"Let's go."
Darru began to walk in the
direction of East Pallet. The entirety of the small, forgotten
town was basically nothing more than a assortment of cardboard
boxes that were supposed to be homes. East Pallet had once been a
prosperous city, thriving after Ash Ketchum, the Pokémon Master,
built and connected his mansion to the famous Professor
Gary's Oak's lab after marrying his sister May Oak. But
poverty and politics tore the town apart, and while West Pallet
continued to thrive, East Pallet slowly became a ghost town. The
town, unlike its West Pallet sister, was above ground, and
transport lines did not extend there. Old, rusted buildings, most
in conditions past repairable, lay dusty and empty, and the
streets were littered with the twisted skeletons of cars. Darru
figured that would be the last place anybody would look for him,
and the city was such a confusing network of streets, buildings,
tunnels, and alleyways, that he could hide in a million places
without being discovered.
Darru had taken not more
than three steps when suddenly he felt a hard fist slam into his
upper back. He fell forward, but managed to land on his hands,
turning the fall into a two-handed flip. He landed squarely on
his feet and spun to face his attacker.
The attacker was tall,
muscular, and slim, with two long, black bangs hanging down in
front of his eyes. He was clad in a sleeveless black shirt,
showing off his muscle definition, and long, baggy jeans. He was
an unmistakable copy of Darru, like a twin, for they looked
exactly the same, save for Darru's black sweatshirt. The
dark brown eyes peered out from underneath the bangs, an evil
coldness present in them that Darru recognized immediately.
Gengar identified the
attacker aloud. {A Replicate,} it whispered.
Darru nodded. The only
reason he'd been caught off guard was that Replicates could
never be sensed. They attacked without warning, and sometimes,
without purpose. Darru despised them with all his heart, but he
knew that he was the one responsible for their existence.
When Giovanni had been
restoring his body from the ravages of a powerful attack, he had
taken some of Darru's DNA and had begun to create clones, or
"replicates" of Darru. In a short period of time,
Giovanni had an entire army of powerful Replicates that would
never refuse his bidding. While they lacked personality, they
were ideal for suicide missions and were also very strong and
quick, possessing the characteristics the real Darru had.
Darru's senses had been dulled from the repairs on his body,
but he could still feel emotions.
The Replicate raised his
head and brushed his bangs away from his face. "Your journey
stops here," he said in a mechanical voice. "You are
wanted by Giovanni and I must return you to him at all
costs."
{Pity he only sent one,}
Gengar sneered, stepping forward and balling its fists. {A
Replicate hasn't been created that can take Darru on
one-on-one.}
The Replicate cocked an
eyebrow. "THE Darru?" he asked. When Darru made no
reply, he began to laugh. Then howl. Then roar. Pretty soon he
was rolling across the ground in fits of laughter, clutching his
sides.
Darru began to grow
annoyed. "I don't see what's so funny," he
told the Replicate.
The Replicate got back to
his feet, taking deep breaths and wiping tears of laughter from
his eyes. Since when could a Replicate laugh and cry? Darru
wondered as the Replicate opened his mouth. "First of all,
Darru, I am not an ordinary Replicate. In fact, I was the first
Replicate ever created." The Replicate waited for some kind
of comment, but received none, so he went on. "I am called
the Protocate. I was called upon by Giovanni to hunt you down and
return you to him." Suddenly he broke into a wicked sneer.
"And second, you are most certainly not the real Darru. The
real Darru died eight years ago. He was never completely
repaired, as he died while they were operating on him."
Darru's eyes widened when he heard this, but he said
nothing. The Replicate cackled for a bit before resuming his
talking.
"So technically I am
closer to the real Darru than any other Replicate," he said
in a boastful tone. But then his smile faded quickly and he
glared hard at Darru. "For some odd reason, Giovanni seems
to have taken a strange liking to you. It seems that you
experience the same feelings the real Darru did." The
Protocate shrugged. "No matter. Once I return you to him,
your pitiful life will be as well as over."
"If you can return me
to him," Darru replied coldly. "And how is it that you
know that I'm not the real Darru?"
The Protocate was on the
verge of bursting into laughter again, but he surpressed the urge
with an effort and flicked his index finger at Darru's left
arm. Darru stepped back, suspecting that the motion was an
attack, but instead a small metal square popped up out of
Darru's arm. Darru's mouth opened in shock as he read a
number similar to the serial number all Replicates are labeled
with: 9442703.
Darru's face fell, the
anger and pain burning within him. He refused to believe it, but
the seven-digit number was forever burned in his memory. He had a
serial numbernot only that, but his skin was actually
artificialDarru lowered his head in sorrow. He was nothing
but a Replicate. What foolish thoughts he had about being Darru
were all liesbut what about his memories? Weren't
those real? Or were they just another illusion Giovanni had
planted into his mind?
{Don't listen to him!}
Gengar hissed. {That's nothing but a bunch of bullshit!} But
Darru was unheeding to his Pokémon's words. He was too
stunned to move.
The Protocate watched
unemotionally from a few feet away, arms crossed over his chest.
"The truth hits hard, eh, Replicate?" he chuckled
evilly before pointing a finger at Darru. "Now I suggest you
come with me before I show you just how superior I am over a
normal Replicate."
Darru's eyes narrowed.
"If I truly am a Replicate." Darru snapped the metal
square off his arm with a mere flick of his finger. Surprisingly,
a sharp pain shot up his arm.
The Protocate sensed the
pain and smirked. "So that's what Giovanni sensed in
you, eh? More human than the rest of us." He laughed
derisively. "We feel no pain."
"You are killing
machines," Darru countered. "You don't deserve to
feel painyou deserve to DIE!" Darru blurred forward,
gathering momentum as he cocked his fist back, ready to strike.
The Protocate just stood
there smirking. "Pity I'll have to make your death
quick and painless. I was expecting more of a challenge than
this." He merely dodged the blow at the last instant, and as
Darru reached around for another shot, the Protocate had drove
his fist into Darru's stomach, with the knuckles creating
welts upon his skin as he fell to the ground. Darru quickly
jumped to his feet, just in time to parry a blow to the side of
his head. Darru countered with a front snap kick, then a flying
side kick to knock the Protocate off his feet.
The Protocate laughed.
"You call this fighting? HA!" The Protocate sprang into
the air, twisting into a 180° back kick, his leg a blur. Darru
brought up a forearm just in time as the blow struck, sending him
flying backwards from the sheer force. Darru's sneakers
created skid marks in the ground as he stopped himself.
"Where's the quick death I was expecting?" he
mocked as he lunged at the Protocate, whipping into a tornado
roundhouse kick and hitting the Protocate squarely across the
jaw. The Protocate bit the dirt and spat, grinning.
"So, you're
better than I thought. Lucky for you I was just going easy."
To prove his point, the Protocate merely raised a hand. Suddenly,
Darru's entire body began to shake, and an intense pain shot
through his entire body. It felt as if his entire body was
aflame, and that all his bones were cracking. Darru's body
was suspended in the air. Then, the Protocate made a downward
sweeping motion with his hand. Darru slammed into the ground with
intense force, face first.
Gengar had patiently stayed
out of the battle to avoid Darru giving it a lecture on what
battles to fight and not to fight, but this was too much. Gengar
had felt Darru's pain, and now he was going to return it
tenfold. {Dirty bastardyou'll pay for this! DARK
KATANA!} A long, black sword materialized in Gengar's
outstretched claw. Gripping it tightly, Gengar teleported behind
the Protocate and slashed in a dark blur, separatingnothing
more than air molecules.
The Protocate was gone.
Gengar ran to Darru's
side. {Darru? Darru! Get up!}
Darru raised himself from
the miniature crater with a groan of pain.
"Unnnnnhhhis he gone?"
Gengar nodded. {For now, at
least.}
Darru stood and brushed
bits of dust from his clothing. "Good." He began to
walk briskly in a southerly direction—AWAY from East Pallet.
Gengar was baffled. {Darru!
Did that pushover completely clean your clock? What's the
matter with you? You lost your sense of direction?!} Gengar began
to worry. What if what that crazy wannabe said really got to
Darru? it wondered. {Where're you going?} Gengar yelled
at Darru's back.
"To Team Rocket
Headquarters," Darru said shortly, his steady pace not
slowing a bit. His loose sweatshirt billowed out behind him as he
walked.
Gengar was even more
puzzled now than before, and even a bit fearful. Their last
encounter with Utor had not been a friendly one. {Why?!} it
asked, enraged. {They'll take you!}
Darru stopped and ran his
fingers through his jet-black hair, and a bright red glow seeped
into his pupils as he whispered in a voice colder than Death
incarnate:
"Let them try."
Gengar fell silent. It knew
that nothing would stop Darru while he was like this. The best
thing was to do was to stick around and help as much as possible.
Darru brushed a lock of
hair behind his ear and pondered to himself. Even he didn't
know what he was doing at that moment, but he was furious at
Giovanni for ruining his life. He'd been brought into
existence only to rend, maim, and destroy. He knew that Gengar
was right; there was a high possibility he could be taken or even
killed. Not that Darru was afraid of death. Hell, he'd
welcome it like a friend. But who knew, maybe he'd find some
answers thereand perhaps, just perhaps, he could take down
Giovanni with him. That bastard should've kept an eye on
his creations! Darru said silently. Pretty soon one would
revolt; there would always be a defect.
And Darru was that defect.
*=*=*=*=*
A lone figure stood at the
edge of a cliff, gazing out towards the horizon, the cool,
(remove comma) ocean breeze caressing his thick, dark brown hair.
A bright green blade was held in his hand, the luminous glow
casting its lime light on his sharp, well-defined facial
features. Two glistening emerald eyes reflected the raging waves
as they pounded against the cliff mercilessly. A strong, firm
voice commanded, "Blade Cap, deactivate." The green
sword began to shorten, and the handle began to change shape
until it became a cap, spinning up into the air before landing
squarely on the figure's head.
The figure smiled.
"We'd better head on home," he stated to the cap
as he began to head down the cliff. In less than a millisecond,
he had reached the bottom with a series of lightning-fast leaps
and flips. The hat blinked on and off repeatedly in response. The
figure grinned, showing perfect white teeth. "Come on, I can
taste Mrs. Beasely's homemade chicken already." He
streaked across the plain like a green laser, leaving burnt
blades of grass in his wake.
*=*=*=*=*
"—and now a
report from John Blake, filling in for Cory Delinsow, who has
been reported missing. Police are still investigating the
situation. John?"
The camera shifted to a
young, handsome man in his late 20's. In the background was
the remains of the great Ilex Forest. Despite the image of
destruction behind him, the reporter's face remained
expressionless, his monotone voice completely devoid of emotion.
"Thanks, Philip. The weather report has been delayed until
the 8 o' clock news, and I will be delivering this special
report."
Philip nodded. "Very
well, John. Go on."
"Now I'm sure
we're all familiar with the famous Ilex Forest. It has stood
tall and proud for centuries, preserving what we here in Azalea
have taken for granted, serving as a home for all kinds of
Pokémon and guarding our peaceful town. But now, as you can see
here, the once prosperous forest is now nothing more than
kindling." The reporter stepped over a fallen redwood as he
continued speaking. "By the looks of it, it seems as if the
forest was used as a battleground by either humans or Pokémon.
All entrances to the forest have been blocked, and it will be
inaccessible pending further investigation. Philip, back to
you."
"Now Philip, you said
that the forest may have been used as a battleground. Who do you
think may have fought here?"
"Hmmm, that's a
good question, Philip. Well, judging by the condition of the
forest floor, I'd say there were a few Pokémon involved in
this fight, although investigators have also picked up scraps of
clothing, meaning that there were also people fighting
here."
"A mysterious event in
a mysterious forest. Thanks, John. And now, for the sports
report"
"KYLE!" a loud
voice called from the kitchen. "Jin is going to be here
soon, and here you are, just sitting there watching TV! Come over
here and help me prepare dinner!"
Kyle rolled his eyes he
switched off the TV without even getting up. "Coming,
Mom." He levitated himself off the chair and floated over to
the kitchen. Concentrating for a brief moment, he watched in
satisfaction as spoons, forks, and knives flew out of their
cabinets and laid themselves neatly on the table. He was just
about to finish setting the napkins when two loud knocks
resounded throughout the small, quaint house.
[Coming, Jin,] Kyle said
telepathically as he teleported himself to the door and opened
it.
"Kyle! How's it
going, buddy?" Jin's emerald-green eyes lit up in
pleasure as he slapped hands with his longtime friend.
"Still too lazy to open the door with your hand, I
see," he joked as he entered the house and removed his
shoes, still smoking from his traveling. He removed the neon
green cap from his head, freeing his hair and letting it tumble
over his face. He blew his hair out of his view and greeted,
"Good evening, Mrs. Beasely! I could smell the chicken from
a mile away, and it smells great!"
The kind woman beamed at
him. "Why, thank you, Jin. If you boys'll just give me
a few minutes, I'll have this dinner ready to go."
Kyle gestured to him from
the living room, so Jin flashed to his side.
"Did you hear the
news?" Kyle asked as they plopped down together on the
couch.
Jin's eyes wandered
around the room, but he responded, "No, what was on?"
"There was some
accident in Ilex Forest. Some guys were fighting, and it got
completely trashed."
Jin's intense eyes
locked onto Kyle's, (replace comma with "with") a
look of utter shock on his face, his full attention now focused
on his friend. "What?"
Kyle nodded halfheartedly.
"I don't understand it either. But the place was a mess
when I saw it on the newsbroken branches and dead stumps
everywhere. And the ground looked like it got torn up by an
Earthquake, or some other ground-type Pokémon attack."
Jin shrugged, his gaze
drifting once again. "Fissure, maybe. Probably Team Rocket
hunting down some wanted criminal." He inhaled deeply.
"Damn, I'm so hungry!"
Kyle nodded absently, and
was about to say something on the subject of Ilex Forest when his
mom's voice interrupted his thoughts. "Jin! Kyle!
Dinnertime! Come and get it!"
"YES!" Jin
yelled, absolutely euphoric as he blazed into the kitchen in two
milliseconds. Kyle shook his head, grinning, and he wondered
whether Jin was faster than him if he teleported. He'd have
to test that out sometime. Teleporting into his seat, he just
smiled and let the smells of freshly baked chicken permeate his
nostrils. It didn't get any better than this.
But the conflict in Ilex
Forest still nagged at him through the entire meal. He sensed
something justnot right about the whole ordeal. He knew it
had been more than just a big fight. Kyle wanted to know the
purpose of the fight. But the accident was shrouded in mystery
and it even had the experts baffled. Kyle seriously contemplated
going to the remains of the forest to investigate.
He shrugged to himself as
he munched indifferently. Maybe later. For now he would enjoy his
meal. But (as he ate the chicken,) for the first time in his
life, Kyle grimaced.
Mom's chicken was
bitter.
*=*=*=*=*
Jin was amazed at how
quickly Kyle had finished his meal. He didn't seem to enjoy
it at all. Jin, on the other hand, had seven pieces of chicken,
plus heaps of mashed potatoes and corn, and he even managed to
polish off an refreshing bowl of ice cream for dessert. What had
happened? Questions ran through his head as he and Kyle walked
side by side to Jin's home.
"I know what
you're thinking." Kyle said slyly. "Sorry,
couldn't help it. But anyway, don't worry, I'm
alright. It's just that sumthin's not right about that
forest thing. I just have a gut feeling."
Jin knew his friend would
read his thoughts, and chuckled. "What's there to worry
about? The only thing troubling me was that you weren't
enjoying your meal, and I could've eaten that chicken for
you instead of having it go to waste!"
Kyle laughed. Typical of
Jin to think with his stomach. "You want it back? It might
be a little digested, but I could teleport the chicken out of my
body into your mouth."
Jin gagged. "Heh, no
thanks."
The two friends walked a
little further, when Kyle sensed that something wasn't
right.
Jin sensed it too.
"What the hell? My
house!" Jin streaked to where his house had stood no less
than two hours ago. It was now nothing more than a pile of
burning rubble. "No?"
Kyle stopped dead in his
tracks. "What theoh my Godhow did this
happen?"
But Jin's ears were
unheeding to Kyle's speech. He knelt in front of the smoky
remains of the house. "Why?" His volume of his voice
went higher as he realized that not even the bodies of his mom
and dad had been left behind. The house had been razed to the
ground. "WHY? WHAT DID WE EVER DO TO YOU?!?" He was
hysterical now, his eyes bloodshot and blazing.
Kyle held out a timid hand.
"Jin" He, too, was at a loss of words. He
couldn't believe what he'd just experienced, and
he'd never seen Jin in such pain. He tried to offer words of
comfort, but they merely bounced off him like rocks off a
Snorlax.
"ARRRGHH,
NOOOO!!!" Jin activated the Blade Cap with a blinding flash
of green light, the powerful energy blade glowing with power, and
began to madly slash everything in his path. His expression was
frantic, his breathing irregular.
[Jin! Get a hold of
yourself!] Kyle shouted in Jin's mind. But in his own mind
he was completely shocked as well. Who would have the nerve to
kill Jin's parents, two of the nicest people living on this
earth? It was morally unjust. And unfair. In fact, it was
downright evil. Whoever had committed the crime deserved to die.
"WHY?!?" Jin
screamed again, this time casting the Blade Cap aside and
beginning to glow a bright green. His whole body seemed to be
consumed by green fire. "WHY?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?"
[Jin, DON'T!] Kyle
cried out in panic. He'd never seen Jin go insane before,
but he knew the destructive power he possessed inside his body.
He knew innocent lives would be taken if he didn't act
quickly. Thinking fast, he set up a powerful psychic shield in
front of Jin. He watched helplessly as Jin began to float in the
air, his body aflame, streaks of green power surrounding him in a
neon tornado. His pupils disappeared as a dark green color Kyle
had never seen took their place.
Suddenly Jin doubled over
as if dealt a blow in the stomach, but was not in pain. Instead,
green energy crackled like lightning down his muscular arms into
his hands
"AHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!"
With his arms thrown out in front of him and his palms facing
forward, Jin exploded in a burst of energy as a gargantuan green
beam erupted from his fingertips. The attack was so incredibly
strong it simply cut through Kyle's shield like scissors
through paper. Kyle's mind was racked by an intense psychic
backlash, and his efforts to desperately hold onto consciousness
disappeared, just like everything that was unfortunate enough to
stand in the beam's path.
*=*=*=*=*
End of Part 2. Copyright ©
2001 by DK. E-mail at rpgmaster@netzero.net.
*=*=*=*=*
~ The Blade Cap ~
A mysterious hat that was
found by Jin, or rather, the hat "found" him. A light
green in color, with a short pair of golden wings protruding from
the sides. Can be activated into an energy sword, and possesses
many other powers yet unknown. Able to communicate with Jin and
Jin only.
DISCLAIMER: I don't
own Pokémon. Duh, as if this is news to anyone. Pokémon belongs
to Nintendo, 4Kids Productions, Creatures, and Gamefreak. So
don't sue me. I don't have any money except for the
pennies I scrounge off the street and I live in a cardboard box
on 123 St. in Ghettoville, USA. Well, maybe that was a slight
exaggeration.