Final Pokémon Fantasy IX
Episode 4:
Education or Elimination
"I think I get the hang of this now. Let me try it once more!" Cuddled with Zidane, Dagger picked up a pokéball and let loose. Out came a Seadra, an almost-human-sized seahorse, hissing at its opponent.
Taz, with a playful sneer, said, "You're learning! All right, go, Skarmory!" he threw his pokéball just opposite of the Seadra. A red ball of light flashed and the metal bird appeared. Skarmory flashed its metal wings, forcing Zidane to clench his teeth. Taz just grinned. "Heh, Skarmory! Make it eat Steel Wing!"
Skarmory attacks full on with its wings. Seadra is blown back, and Dagger shouts this: "Counter with ... um... water gun!" Seadra squirts a blast of water, squirting Skarmory away. The metal bird however, began to glow. An utterly flummoxed Taz checked his pokédex.
But instead of the monotone voice of the pokédex and just a picture of Skarmory, Taz's long-time sage Professor Oak popped up. He exclaimed: "TAZ! Where are you? Where have you been? Where's Rob and Ash? What's happened to this planet-wait, um, that's what I've came to explain to you about."
"How the heck did you get into my pokédex?" Taz asked, scratching his head in confusion. Zidane and Dagger were looking on in complete embarrassment, and Skarmory figured out how to Trance and beat the living crap out of Seadra. Dagger, in a mad rage, fell into Trance and beat the living crap out of Skarmory before returning to Zidane's arms. Taz looked at the couple, a sweat drop on his face, remembering that they don't know what a video screen is! "Umm, Professor Oak? Hang on for a minute, will ya?" Taz turned to Zidane.
"What are you talking to?" Zidane asked.
"Um... It's called a video screen. It allows you to talk with people from a long distance. Gotta go; have to find Ash and Rob. You two keep training! And did my Skarmory just... what was it again... Trance?"
"Yeah. Ta-ta." Zidane shooed Taz away with a sweat drop on his head. Taz dashed away.
He found Ash and Rob pigging out on that strange white creature's food. But before he could reach them, he heard a strident yell: "TAZ!!"
"Sorry, Oak. Found Ash and Rob," Taz rubbed his head. Ash and Rob turned their attention to Oak, who by the press of a button on Taz's pokédex became a hologram.
"All right, kids!" Oak announced. "I've found that strange lightning storm was actually a teleport that merged our world with another!"
"Tell us something we DON'T know!" Ash said.
"Pika Pi! Pika Pi PIKA!" Pikachu yelled.
"Okay..." Professor Oak grumbled under his breath. "You people are finding out stuff faster than I do! Now here's the REAL thing: Team Rocket-"
"HEY! We KNOW already... Keeli told us," Rob said with a fake egotistical air in his voice.
Professor Oak became more furious by the second. "Is there ANYTHING you don't know?!!"
"Nope!" Rob crowed. "But there's LOTS of things YOU don't know!"
"Want us to start listing?" Ash added.
"No..." Professor Oak suddenly looked alarmed. "Oh, no! They're here!"
"Professor Oak..." came an ominous voice. "HA!" the voice crowed. It shoved the professor out of the way into the hands of another person. The person who showed up was none other than-
"JAMES!!" Ash shouted, livid in fury.
"That's right, you twerp!" James came on screen with a cartoonish but nevertheless evil grin on his face. "We've got a knowledge powerhouse hostage, and unless you want your dear professor to die a horrid death, I suggest you hand over the Pikachu!"
"You little s***!" Rob shouted. "Prepare to die!"
"Don't get so cocky, sword boy! Some of our friends are on our way there to wreak some havoc! We hear there are new kingdoms to conquer and more babe-ilicious beauties to kidnap! With our new ability to use magic from a source I won't name, we'll subdue you punks easily!"
"I'll toast you, weakling!" snapped Rob.
"NO! Allow me." Ash stood up. "They're small fry, and YOU have to stay here to protect the kingdom! You have better fighting skills than I do! Pikachu! We're outta here!" Ash bounded up the stairs to the main floor and out the castle. Pikachu threw his food away and zoomed, following Ash.
"Toodles!" James shut off the link.
"D***!" Rob swore. "Team Rocket's just HAD to be good at strategy..."
"You still hungry?" Quina asked.
"No," Taz said, "We've got business to do. I fear the queen and king are in danger of invasion..."
"Invasion bad!" Quina crowed. "Must warn Zidane! Come, I get buddy Vivi Jr.! We go to king and queen!" Quina hobbled away, and Taz reluctantly followed. Rob, however, turned in an opposite direction and headed straight for the king.
****
"I have them in sight," whispered a brunette girl to her elder compatriot.
"Good work, Hannah," she took the binoculars from Hannah and scoped for herself. She saw two people out on the balcony, pretty much kissing each other. The only reason she could tell they were king and queen is because they both wore crowns. "Aw, how romantic!" she sarcastically crowed.
"Be mindful, will you?? You're always so cold-blooded, Cassidy," Hannah snapped in a soft voice.
"Having a dark personality does that to you."
"Oh," she showed her own sarcasm. "Being defensive, are we? Never mind, let's just report and get on with this. I want to raid the loot!"
"HA! Proves that I'm not the ONLY evil person here..."
"Oh, shut up!" The two snuck back, getting ready for one of their finest moments...
****
Rob tore through the castle, not being able to find the king or queen. Looking through every room, all he saw were guards, a couple of weird people, and-
"Steiner!" Rob screeched to a stop and ran over to the knight in rusty armor. "Have you seen the king or queen?"
"They are out on the balcony, but I cannot let you disturb them. Is it something urgent?"
"YES!" Rob hissed, showing panic but not anger in his voice. "Team Rocket's coming this way! BIG TIME! And most likely they'll be after the two of them!"
"WHAT? We're going to be under attack?! I shall warn the king and queen! You!" Steiner was hopping madly in his armor. "Tell Lady Beatrix to warn her troops!"
"Okay..." Rob decided to take Steiner's advice. This time, he split to the opposite room. Unfortunately, as Rob burst in Beatrix's door, she was dressing.
"Huh?" Beatrix turned around to see Rob in utter shock, staring at her. "You little peeper!" Quickly putting on her armor, she unsheathed her Save the Queen sword. "How about I teach you a lesson in manners!"
"Oh, S***!" Rob turned tail and ran for it, bursting through the doors. He leaped off the balcony and landed with his sword, not even giving himself a scratch. He turned left, bumping into his buddy Taz.
"Hey! What's the rush besides Team Rocket??!" Taz snapped at his buddy.
"JUST RUN, D****T!!!!" Rob grabbed his friend by the collar and leapt of a second balcony without hurting either of them, just as Beatrix slid down the rail of the spiral steps. Both heroes fled through the main castle door. Unfortunately, they had a surprise waiting for them.
****
Beatrix circled around the balcony on the main hall of the castle. She was going to make that kid pay for trying to look at her unprepared. However, she was in for a dark surprise as she saw the two of them, frozen in revulsion, at a mass of soldiers in black, each having the letter R on their chests. She guessed at such a large number would have easily subdued all of her guards posted outside. With a deep frustration, she realized that the most likely reason they were here was to overtake the castle.
"There's too many of them!" Shouted the strawberry blonde kid.
"I'm running FAR too many times today..." the dark-skinned kid, the annoying peeper complained. They both turned tail and ran. The 'R' soldiers threw some red and white balls, unleashing several monsters she's never seen before. The two kids ran up to her. "I don't care if you hate me or not," the dark-skinned boy panted, growing tired. "But you've got to get the king and queen OUT of here. They'll overtake us all in a matter of seconds..."
"You're right..." Beatrix begrudgingly admitted. "But I still hate you," she smacked him with her sword. "Now let's go!" They headed back up to the queen's balcony.
"HEY! WAIT FOR US!!!" Quina and Vivi Jr. made hot pursuit, trying their best to get away from the men in black.
****
Ash tore through the back mountains. Though he had no idea where Pallet Town was or, for that matter where he was going, he felt as if some invisible force was guiding him to his hometown. His loyal Pikachu tailed right behind him. Flying through the unknown landscape, Ash finally saw the professor's lab down below in a basin. Sneering, he slid down to his destination.
****
"What IS this technology?" Kuja looked about him amazed at the giant laboratory that stood before him. Staring at several machines, with members of a crime gang called "Team Rocket" hacking at every one of them. They didn't pay any attention to him, simply because they were engrossed in their own activities. All of them, except for one.
"Who are you?" a blue-haired man, in a gray outfit instead of black, leapt from the stares to in front of Kuja. That reminded him of the Dragoon Knights of Burmecia. "My, you have an interesting taste in fashion."
"Hmph. That doesn't matter. LIKEWISE, who are YOU?" Kuja returned.
"In that case..." The man held up a rose. "Prepare for trouble and make it... single."
"Oh, great, he's going to sing a poem... Too bad it reminds me of myself..."
"To protect the world from devastation!
"To unite all people under our nation!
"To denounce the evil of truth and love!
"To extend my reach to the stars above.
"I am James, member of Team Rocket, blasting off at the speed of light!
"Surrender now, or prepare to fight!"
"Meowth! That's right!" A cat with a huge mouth appeared next to James.
"Meowth!" James cried to the cat. "Why did you have to stick with me?"
"Torture is my specialty! I especially loved torturing Ms. Ketchum!"
"You take torture over hot girls?!"
"Who said there were hot girls in Alexandria?!"
Kuja groaned as the two continued to bicker. "I heard the queen is quite a looker!"
"But she's a HUMAN. I'm a MEOWTH. Get my drift??!!"
"Speaking of the queen..." Kuja finally decided to say something. That immediately got their attention and stopped their talking. "I want the queen for myself."
"Wow! You dream big!" James marveled.
"Heh, but I'm not dreaming. I see that you work for an organized army of some sort. If you bring me the queen, I will extend my services to your faction."
"Interesting deal!" Meowth said. "You should talk to our boss! I'm sure he'll work something out!"
"But we're already overtaking Alexandria!" James exclaimed. "And I forgot what Boss said what to do with the king and queen!"
"Oh, are you always this mindless?" a voice came from the back of the main room. A man of high stature made his way down to where James stood. He stood quite tall, though not much taller than James was.
James recognized him. "Boss Giovanni! I am not worthy!" he gave a shameful bow, which Kuja thought was quite ridiculous.
"Of course you're not, but that's beside the point. Who is this guests we have?"
"My name is Kuja," Kuja introduced himself. (So this is the boss of Team Rocket. Not bad,) he thought. "I see that your group has somewhat done me a favor, and I wish to extend my services, provided you do a couple of things for me."
"Interesting," the boss of Team Rocket nodded. "And what is you want from us, and what is it you have to offer?"
"I teach you how to take over this world, and you give me the queen of Alexandria..."
"HEY!!! YOU STOP YOUR PLOTTING RIGHT THERE!!!" shouted an all-too-heroic voice.
"It's the pest!" James cried.
All four turned to see a very furious Ash Ketchum and his Pikachu standing in front of the doorway. Team Rocket looked nervous. "It's that brat... He always messes up my plans..." Giovanni looked defeated.
"Oh? Giving up? Not a worry! Allow me to show you what true power is..." Kuja leapt down in front of Ash, who drew back in shock.
"Kuja?!" Ash shouted. "You're working with these scum?!"
"Right, my monster training friend! JAMES! Come, accompany me as I show the true art of battling. Giovanni, if you work with me, I can take care of our greatest enemies..."
"I am not afraid... Pikachu..." Ash and Pikachu stepped forward, getting ready to do war with a magic tyrant that could very well spell their death...
Oh, what a shiny little cliffhanger I left you all in! Read it and weep, chicken-wusses!
That's it for episode 4! Next up!: Episode 5: Model Team Rocketry
Kuja and Team Rocket are now conducting business together! That's bad news for not only Ash but our other heroes as well! And why is Kuja so madly after Dagger? Her abduction will only lead to further chaos... And the unveiling of a new hero.
Episode 4:
Education or Elimination
"I think I get the hang of this now. Let me try it once more!" Cuddled with Zidane, Dagger picked up a pokéball and let loose. Out came a Seadra, an almost-human-sized seahorse, hissing at its opponent.
Taz, with a playful sneer, said, "You're learning! All right, go, Skarmory!" he threw his pokéball just opposite of the Seadra. A red ball of light flashed and the metal bird appeared. Skarmory flashed its metal wings, forcing Zidane to clench his teeth. Taz just grinned. "Heh, Skarmory! Make it eat Steel Wing!"
Skarmory attacks full on with its wings. Seadra is blown back, and Dagger shouts this: "Counter with ... um... water gun!" Seadra squirts a blast of water, squirting Skarmory away. The metal bird however, began to glow. An utterly flummoxed Taz checked his pokédex.
But instead of the monotone voice of the pokédex and just a picture of Skarmory, Taz's long-time sage Professor Oak popped up. He exclaimed: "TAZ! Where are you? Where have you been? Where's Rob and Ash? What's happened to this planet-wait, um, that's what I've came to explain to you about."
"How the heck did you get into my pokédex?" Taz asked, scratching his head in confusion. Zidane and Dagger were looking on in complete embarrassment, and Skarmory figured out how to Trance and beat the living crap out of Seadra. Dagger, in a mad rage, fell into Trance and beat the living crap out of Skarmory before returning to Zidane's arms. Taz looked at the couple, a sweat drop on his face, remembering that they don't know what a video screen is! "Umm, Professor Oak? Hang on for a minute, will ya?" Taz turned to Zidane.
"What are you talking to?" Zidane asked.
"Um... It's called a video screen. It allows you to talk with people from a long distance. Gotta go; have to find Ash and Rob. You two keep training! And did my Skarmory just... what was it again... Trance?"
"Yeah. Ta-ta." Zidane shooed Taz away with a sweat drop on his head. Taz dashed away.
He found Ash and Rob pigging out on that strange white creature's food. But before he could reach them, he heard a strident yell: "TAZ!!"
"Sorry, Oak. Found Ash and Rob," Taz rubbed his head. Ash and Rob turned their attention to Oak, who by the press of a button on Taz's pokédex became a hologram.
"All right, kids!" Oak announced. "I've found that strange lightning storm was actually a teleport that merged our world with another!"
"Tell us something we DON'T know!" Ash said.
"Pika Pi! Pika Pi PIKA!" Pikachu yelled.
"Okay..." Professor Oak grumbled under his breath. "You people are finding out stuff faster than I do! Now here's the REAL thing: Team Rocket-"
"HEY! We KNOW already... Keeli told us," Rob said with a fake egotistical air in his voice.
Professor Oak became more furious by the second. "Is there ANYTHING you don't know?!!"
"Nope!" Rob crowed. "But there's LOTS of things YOU don't know!"
"Want us to start listing?" Ash added.
"No..." Professor Oak suddenly looked alarmed. "Oh, no! They're here!"
"Professor Oak..." came an ominous voice. "HA!" the voice crowed. It shoved the professor out of the way into the hands of another person. The person who showed up was none other than-
"JAMES!!" Ash shouted, livid in fury.
"That's right, you twerp!" James came on screen with a cartoonish but nevertheless evil grin on his face. "We've got a knowledge powerhouse hostage, and unless you want your dear professor to die a horrid death, I suggest you hand over the Pikachu!"
"You little s***!" Rob shouted. "Prepare to die!"
"Don't get so cocky, sword boy! Some of our friends are on our way there to wreak some havoc! We hear there are new kingdoms to conquer and more babe-ilicious beauties to kidnap! With our new ability to use magic from a source I won't name, we'll subdue you punks easily!"
"I'll toast you, weakling!" snapped Rob.
"NO! Allow me." Ash stood up. "They're small fry, and YOU have to stay here to protect the kingdom! You have better fighting skills than I do! Pikachu! We're outta here!" Ash bounded up the stairs to the main floor and out the castle. Pikachu threw his food away and zoomed, following Ash.
"Toodles!" James shut off the link.
"D***!" Rob swore. "Team Rocket's just HAD to be good at strategy..."
"You still hungry?" Quina asked.
"No," Taz said, "We've got business to do. I fear the queen and king are in danger of invasion..."
"Invasion bad!" Quina crowed. "Must warn Zidane! Come, I get buddy Vivi Jr.! We go to king and queen!" Quina hobbled away, and Taz reluctantly followed. Rob, however, turned in an opposite direction and headed straight for the king.
****
"I have them in sight," whispered a brunette girl to her elder compatriot.
"Good work, Hannah," she took the binoculars from Hannah and scoped for herself. She saw two people out on the balcony, pretty much kissing each other. The only reason she could tell they were king and queen is because they both wore crowns. "Aw, how romantic!" she sarcastically crowed.
"Be mindful, will you?? You're always so cold-blooded, Cassidy," Hannah snapped in a soft voice.
"Having a dark personality does that to you."
"Oh," she showed her own sarcasm. "Being defensive, are we? Never mind, let's just report and get on with this. I want to raid the loot!"
"HA! Proves that I'm not the ONLY evil person here..."
"Oh, shut up!" The two snuck back, getting ready for one of their finest moments...
****
Rob tore through the castle, not being able to find the king or queen. Looking through every room, all he saw were guards, a couple of weird people, and-
"Steiner!" Rob screeched to a stop and ran over to the knight in rusty armor. "Have you seen the king or queen?"
"They are out on the balcony, but I cannot let you disturb them. Is it something urgent?"
"YES!" Rob hissed, showing panic but not anger in his voice. "Team Rocket's coming this way! BIG TIME! And most likely they'll be after the two of them!"
"WHAT? We're going to be under attack?! I shall warn the king and queen! You!" Steiner was hopping madly in his armor. "Tell Lady Beatrix to warn her troops!"
"Okay..." Rob decided to take Steiner's advice. This time, he split to the opposite room. Unfortunately, as Rob burst in Beatrix's door, she was dressing.
"Huh?" Beatrix turned around to see Rob in utter shock, staring at her. "You little peeper!" Quickly putting on her armor, she unsheathed her Save the Queen sword. "How about I teach you a lesson in manners!"
"Oh, S***!" Rob turned tail and ran for it, bursting through the doors. He leaped off the balcony and landed with his sword, not even giving himself a scratch. He turned left, bumping into his buddy Taz.
"Hey! What's the rush besides Team Rocket??!" Taz snapped at his buddy.
"JUST RUN, D****T!!!!" Rob grabbed his friend by the collar and leapt of a second balcony without hurting either of them, just as Beatrix slid down the rail of the spiral steps. Both heroes fled through the main castle door. Unfortunately, they had a surprise waiting for them.
****
Beatrix circled around the balcony on the main hall of the castle. She was going to make that kid pay for trying to look at her unprepared. However, she was in for a dark surprise as she saw the two of them, frozen in revulsion, at a mass of soldiers in black, each having the letter R on their chests. She guessed at such a large number would have easily subdued all of her guards posted outside. With a deep frustration, she realized that the most likely reason they were here was to overtake the castle.
"There's too many of them!" Shouted the strawberry blonde kid.
"I'm running FAR too many times today..." the dark-skinned kid, the annoying peeper complained. They both turned tail and ran. The 'R' soldiers threw some red and white balls, unleashing several monsters she's never seen before. The two kids ran up to her. "I don't care if you hate me or not," the dark-skinned boy panted, growing tired. "But you've got to get the king and queen OUT of here. They'll overtake us all in a matter of seconds..."
"You're right..." Beatrix begrudgingly admitted. "But I still hate you," she smacked him with her sword. "Now let's go!" They headed back up to the queen's balcony.
"HEY! WAIT FOR US!!!" Quina and Vivi Jr. made hot pursuit, trying their best to get away from the men in black.
****
Ash tore through the back mountains. Though he had no idea where Pallet Town was or, for that matter where he was going, he felt as if some invisible force was guiding him to his hometown. His loyal Pikachu tailed right behind him. Flying through the unknown landscape, Ash finally saw the professor's lab down below in a basin. Sneering, he slid down to his destination.
****
"What IS this technology?" Kuja looked about him amazed at the giant laboratory that stood before him. Staring at several machines, with members of a crime gang called "Team Rocket" hacking at every one of them. They didn't pay any attention to him, simply because they were engrossed in their own activities. All of them, except for one.
"Who are you?" a blue-haired man, in a gray outfit instead of black, leapt from the stares to in front of Kuja. That reminded him of the Dragoon Knights of Burmecia. "My, you have an interesting taste in fashion."
"Hmph. That doesn't matter. LIKEWISE, who are YOU?" Kuja returned.
"In that case..." The man held up a rose. "Prepare for trouble and make it... single."
"Oh, great, he's going to sing a poem... Too bad it reminds me of myself..."
"To protect the world from devastation!
"To unite all people under our nation!
"To denounce the evil of truth and love!
"To extend my reach to the stars above.
"I am James, member of Team Rocket, blasting off at the speed of light!
"Surrender now, or prepare to fight!"
"Meowth! That's right!" A cat with a huge mouth appeared next to James.
"Meowth!" James cried to the cat. "Why did you have to stick with me?"
"Torture is my specialty! I especially loved torturing Ms. Ketchum!"
"You take torture over hot girls?!"
"Who said there were hot girls in Alexandria?!"
Kuja groaned as the two continued to bicker. "I heard the queen is quite a looker!"
"But she's a HUMAN. I'm a MEOWTH. Get my drift??!!"
"Speaking of the queen..." Kuja finally decided to say something. That immediately got their attention and stopped their talking. "I want the queen for myself."
"Wow! You dream big!" James marveled.
"Heh, but I'm not dreaming. I see that you work for an organized army of some sort. If you bring me the queen, I will extend my services to your faction."
"Interesting deal!" Meowth said. "You should talk to our boss! I'm sure he'll work something out!"
"But we're already overtaking Alexandria!" James exclaimed. "And I forgot what Boss said what to do with the king and queen!"
"Oh, are you always this mindless?" a voice came from the back of the main room. A man of high stature made his way down to where James stood. He stood quite tall, though not much taller than James was.
James recognized him. "Boss Giovanni! I am not worthy!" he gave a shameful bow, which Kuja thought was quite ridiculous.
"Of course you're not, but that's beside the point. Who is this guests we have?"
"My name is Kuja," Kuja introduced himself. (So this is the boss of Team Rocket. Not bad,) he thought. "I see that your group has somewhat done me a favor, and I wish to extend my services, provided you do a couple of things for me."
"Interesting," the boss of Team Rocket nodded. "And what is you want from us, and what is it you have to offer?"
"I teach you how to take over this world, and you give me the queen of Alexandria..."
"HEY!!! YOU STOP YOUR PLOTTING RIGHT THERE!!!" shouted an all-too-heroic voice.
"It's the pest!" James cried.
All four turned to see a very furious Ash Ketchum and his Pikachu standing in front of the doorway. Team Rocket looked nervous. "It's that brat... He always messes up my plans..." Giovanni looked defeated.
"Oh? Giving up? Not a worry! Allow me to show you what true power is..." Kuja leapt down in front of Ash, who drew back in shock.
"Kuja?!" Ash shouted. "You're working with these scum?!"
"Right, my monster training friend! JAMES! Come, accompany me as I show the true art of battling. Giovanni, if you work with me, I can take care of our greatest enemies..."
"I am not afraid... Pikachu..." Ash and Pikachu stepped forward, getting ready to do war with a magic tyrant that could very well spell their death...
Oh, what a shiny little cliffhanger I left you all in! Read it and weep, chicken-wusses!
That's it for episode 4! Next up!: Episode 5: Model Team Rocketry
Kuja and Team Rocket are now conducting business together! That's bad news for not only Ash but our other heroes as well! And why is Kuja so madly after Dagger? Her abduction will only lead to further chaos... And the unveiling of a new hero.