The Mirror-World Menace

CHAPTER 4

The sun was just rising as the five intrepid humans, one Pikachu, and one Togepi crossed the inter-dimensional rift into the mountain terrain of Jecy's and Jaymz's universe.

Misty wrapped her arms around herself and suppressed a shiver. Although they were still a few thousand feet below the snow line, this area of the mountains was considerably chillier than the summery plains they had left behind in the other universe. She pulled out a jacket and put it on, grateful to have had it in her backpack. She always made sure she had some warm clothing packed, ever since the time that Ash had led her and Brock up a mountain during a blizzard and they had all nearly frozen to death. Remembering that day just served to make her angry at Ash all over again. Grr, she thought. Yet another occasion in which Ash rushed into something without thinking.

Brock released his Zubat and told it to try to locate Red. The sightless bat flew off. Ten minutes later, Zubat returned, emitting a series of high-pitched squeaks. It then fluttered off along one of the mountain trails nearby. Pikachu, who had been listening to the giant bat's cries, ran along the same trail after the Zubat.

"I guess Zubat found something," Brock commented, as they all followed.

For nearly three hours, they made their way along the trail, with Pikachu and Zubat leading the way. The morning sun gradually rose high and shone brightly in the sky, seeming to reflect everywhere off the dazzling mountains around them. Eventually, the trail made its way over a large outcrop of rocks.

"Look out!" Brock yelled.

It was too late. As Zubat flew over the crest of the pile of boulders, a bolt of lightning suddenly came out of the ground from behind the outcrop. The poor bat had no chance to react. Struck by the powerful electricity, Zubat gave out a shrill cry before dropping to the ground, unconscious.

Brock cried out in alarm, then rushed up to Zubat with pokéball in hand. "Zubat, return!" he called. He couldn't tell if Zubat was badly injured, but in any case it would be better off in its pokéball.

The others scrambled up the pile of rock to see where the lightning bolt had come from. They all stared.

The boy in front of them looked just like Ash. He had the same clothes, same face, even a similar looking Pikachu, no doubt the source of the electric blast that downed Zubat. Except for the large "R" on the boy's cap, he might as well have been a mirror reflection of Ash himself. Behind the boy was a weary-looking Meowth, caught in a tight metal leash around his neck. Meowth was about to say something to Jecy and Jaymz, but a sharp jerk of the leash by the boy induced him to keep silent.

"Hey, you!" Misty shouted out. "What's the big idea of using a Thunderbolt on my friend's Zubat?"

The boy looked back at them with no hint of apology. "I think you were using your Zubat to spy on me," he replied calmly. "I don't like that."

Even his voice is like Ash's, Misty thought. She nearly faltered, but managed to keep up the ire in her voice. "Well, we weren't spying, and that's no reason to go overboard like that anyway," Misty retorted. "And that," she added, pointing at the weary Meowth, "is my other friends' Pokémon! Who do you think you are stealing it from them?"

The boy blinked. "Didn't they tell you?" he said simply. "I'm Red of Team Rocket. And if you know what's good for you, you'll mind your own business." He turned away to leave.

Misty was furious at Red's dismissive attitude. "Poliwhirl, go!" she shouted, throwing out her pokéball.

"Poliwhirl!" said the giant tadpole Pokémon, as it materialized in front of Misty.

"Thunderbolt!" called out Red, not even bothering to turn around. The Pikachu next to him whipped around suddenly, unleashing an enormous electric attack with amazing speed. Poliwhirl fell to the ground, smoking, singed, and unconscious before Misty had even a chance to issue her first command. Stunned into silence at the skill of her opponent, she recalled her Pokémon quickly to its pokéball.

Ash rushed forward. He still could scarcely believe that there was a nearly exact duplicate of him out there, but he knew that his counterpart had to be stopped before any more of his friends' Pokémon got hurt. "Wait a minute!" he yelled out to Red.

Red turned around, noticing Ash for the first time. His eyes opened wide in surprise for an instant.

"Red," Ash announced, "I challenge you to a Pokémon battle for the possession of Meowth."

Jecy gasped involuntarily. Was Ash really going to battle against Red?

Red thought for a moment, then pulled a small device out of his pocket. It was red and had numerous buttons and a screen. A pokédex, Ash thought. Red pushed a few buttons and pointed his pokédex at Ash. The machine began reciting in its mechanical voice: "Trainer: Ash Ketchum." Red raised an eyebrow at hearing Ash's name, but continued listening. "Currently competing in the Johto League. Pokémon, in order of acquisition: Pikachu, Bulbasaur, Chikorita, Cyndaquil, Totodile, Shiny Noctowl." Red listened to the list of Ash's Pokémon with little interest until the last one was read. He closed his pokédex with a smile. Ash was shocked. How does his pokédex know all that? he wondered.

"You may notice that my pokédex has a few additional features," Red commented, noting Ash's look of surprise. "I was able to access your pokédex and download your personal information. Well, Ash Ketchum, I accept your challenge, on one condition. If I win, not only do I keep the Meowth, but I also get your Shiny Noctowl. That sounds like a unique Pokémon worthy of a battle."

"Don't do it," whispered Misty, hugging Togepi protectively. "What if you lose to him?"

"Don't worry," replied Ash confidently. "I can beat him."

Brock was unconvinced. He warned, "I'm not so sure, Ash. After all, he is you. How can you be sure of beating yourself?"

"Yes," Misty agreed. "For once, please think about what you are doing!"

"I can do it," said Ash stubbornly. "I will do it, for Meowth's sake." He turned back to Red. "I accept your terms," he declared.

Red smiled. "Very well. I propose a three-on-three match, with recalls allowed."

Ash nodded, then climbed down the rocky outcrop to the same level as Red. He found himself on a relatively wide area of level ground. To his right, the mountain trail continued as it ran higher up the mountain. On his left side, the flat rocky surface ended in a sheer cliff drop, completely unprotected by any guard railings. Ash couldn't see the bottom of the drop, and he tried hard not to think about how far down the cliff face went.

Red pulled out a pokéball and threw it, hard. "I choose you," he shouted, " ... Charizard!"

Ash gasped as a huge fire-breathing dragon, eager for battle, appeared in front of him in a blaze of light. He wondered if this was how his opponents had felt back in the days when he had a Charizard himself. "I wish I still had my Charizard," he said lamely, mostly to himself.

Red practically choked. "You gave up a Charizard?" he asked. "What happened, did you abandon it because it was sick? Crippled?"

Ash thought about his journey through the Charicific Valley. He had been there only a couple of months before, but it seemed so long ago now. "No, none of those things. I set it free so that it could be with its own kind and grow stronger."

Red shook his head. "You're not going to be so hard to beat if you're the kind of trainer who gives up a perfectly good Pokémon for its own little benefit. I'll show you how a real trainer operates. Go ahead, pick your Pokémon."

Ash turned to Pikachu. "I'm counting on you for this, buddy."

Pikachu glanced at the huge Charizard in panic for an instant, then faced Ash. "Pi - KA?" the little rodent asked incredulously.

"I know it's a tough opponent, but nobody else on the team can handle it better than you can," Ash reassured him. "Besides, you've got the type advantage."

Pikachu nodded, then went out timidly to face the fire Pokémon.

Red called out the first attack. "Charizard, Flamethrower!"

Ash didn't waste any time. "Pikachu, Agility!" he called.

The term was actually a misnomer, a leftover from the days when Pokémon scientists thought that the ability was a rapid physical motion instead of a psychic translocation. Pikachu vanished from the spot where he was sitting, and reappeared instantly a few yards away. And not a moment too soon, for a raging inferno blasted out of the Charizard's mouth and on to the spot where Pikachu had been just a moment before. The rocks in the path of the torrent of flame glowed red-hot as they melted under the dragon's fiery power.

Pikachu dodged the fiery attacks again and again. The flame at the tip of the Charizard's tail grew a whitish blue color as the giant lizard became enraged at its tiny yellow opponent. The fire-type Pokémon lashed out with its flames ever faster and with greater abandon, trying with all its might to incinerate the little yellow mouse. Ash's mind was racing. They were at an impasse, and he wasn't sure whether Pikachu or Charizard would tire first. He had to figure out a way to get Pikachu out of this.

One of the fire blasts finally caught Pikachu on the tail, and the electric rodent rolled his body over the rocky ground to put the flames out. Tail singed, he leapt up suddenly and released an enormous electric attack. The Charizard was expecting this, however, and launched like a rocket into the air at the last second. The crackling electricity drained away, its power spent uselessly on the rocks where the Charizard had been standing.

Ash knew he was in trouble. Pikachu looked exhausted, and smarting from the burn on his tail. He saw the Charizard circling high in the air above them. If I were the one with the Charizard, Ash thought, I'd have it do a Seismic Toss now. He blinked suddenly, realizing the implications of his own thought. Red is me, thought Ash, or at least some version of me. He'll probably try to do what I would do in his place.

Ash looked quickly at Red. Red was scanning the skies, no doubt waiting for the right instant to order his Charizard's next attack. Ash watched his opponent's face carefully. If he missed this chance, Pikachu would lose for sure.

Red finally found the right moment, and shouted out, "Charizard, Seismic Toss!" Ash, who had not taken his eye off Red, immediately commanded, "Pikachu, Agility, now!"

As the fire-breathing dragon swooped down with amazing speed, Pikachu gathered up his energy for one last translocation. Ash had predicted Red's move correctly, and had managed to give his own command a half second sooner because he was watching Red's face instead of the battle. Even so, it was just barely enough. Pikachu felt the warmth of the Charizard's great claws as it grasped at him right before he translocated away.

Pikachu reappeared on top of a rock and tumbled over it. The Charizard, having unexpectedly missed its target, flapped its wings furiously as it tried to correct its trajectory to account for the missing weight.

The momentary distraction was all that Ash needed. "Pikachu, Thunderbolt!"

The electric mouse charged up his whole body almost to bursting. "Pi - KA - CHUUUUUUU!!!" The air split apart as the lightning bolt arced into the sky, striking the giant fiery-orange lizard full force. The Charizard convulsed in mid-flight as the searing electricity coursed through its body.

"Look out!" called Red, but it was too late. The electric shock had disoriented the giant dragon to the point where it did not realize it was heading straight towards the outcrop behind Ash. The Charizard plowed head first into the rocky ground, raising a large cloud of pebbles and dust. Everyone was blinded for a moment. Finally, the dust cleared, revealing the defeated Charizard, unconscious and still.

Red seemed unconcerned about his loss as he recalled his Charizard to its pokéball. "Good battling, Ash Ketchum. Let's see how you do against my next Pokémon." He tossed out a second pokéball. "I choose you ... Espeon!"

The pokéball opened in a flash of light. Before Ash was a medium-sized, light blue quadruped with fine hairs over its body. It looked somewhat like a large cat, but with a two-pronged tail and a violet, gemlike protrusion on its head.

"What's that?" wondered Ash, and brought out Dexter to find out.

"Espeon," recited the pokédex. "The psychic evolution of Eevee. It uses the fine hairs that cover its body to sense air currents and predict its enemy's actions."

Red began to laugh. "You're battling it and you don't even know what it is?" he derided.

Ash ignored Red as he planned his next move. Seeing his exhausted Pikachu, he said, "Okay, buddy, I'm recalling you for now. Take it easy." The little yellow Pokémon was only too glad to take a rest alongside his master and friend.

Ash pulled out a pokéball. "You're at stake, so you should have a part in deciding this," he declared. "I choose you ... Noctowl!"

In a blinding flash, the giant owl materialized, hovering in the air in front of the Espeon.

"Noctowl, Hypnosis!" called out Ash.

Noctowl stared into the Espeon's eyes and emitted its red hypnotic beam. The Espeon was caught in the hypnotic trance for just an instant, but then shook its head clear.

Red laughed derisively some more. "You won't be able to get a psychic-type Pokémon very easily with a psychic attack. Espeon, use your Psychic attack!"

Noctowl was suddenly enveloped in a strange blue glow that held it in place. Squawking furiously, it flapped its wings in a futile effort to break free. Suddenly, the large owl was hurled backwards, slamming into a rock under the Espeon's telekinetic force. Noctowl was momentarily dazed, but got up and started flying again.

Ash turned back to his pokédex and tried to whisper into the voice input without Misty hearing. "Dexter," he said quietly, "list Noctowl's attacks."

Red's Pikachu began howling in laughter as Brock slumped in resignation to the ground and Misty yelled out furiously, "Are you trying to tell me that you NEVER found out what your own Noctowl's attacks are?!"

Ash took just a moment to defend himself against Misty's ire as the handheld device began accessing its memory files. "I just never got around to it yet, okay?" he pleaded lamely. He looked back at the battle. Noctowl was desperately dodging the Espeon's Psybeam attack. Dexter seemed to be taking forever to display the information.

"Noctowl's attacks," recited the pokédex, with infuriating slowness. "Tackle, Growl, Foresight, Peck..."

"Okay, use Peck!" Ash shouted out.

Noctowl dived down instantly, knocking the Espeon hard on the head with its beak. The psychic Pokémon went reeling, its Psybeam missing completely.

"...Hypnosis, Reflect, Take Down..."

Ash commanded, "Now do a Take Down!"

Noctowl swooped down, ramming the Espeon with its own body full force. Ash smiled as he saw the psychic Pokémon at the verge of collapse.

But Red seemed unconcerned. Grinning, he called out calmly, "Espeon, Morning Sun."

The Espeon glowed for a moment in the bright mountain sunshine, as the air around it darkened slightly. To Ash, it looked as if the psychic cat were absorbing all the sunlight in its vicinity. After a moment, the Espeon straightened up, fully refreshed and ready to battle. Ash gasped.

"Impressive, isn't it?" Red asked as he gloated before his opponent. "Espeons can use the sun's power to restore themselves when injured. I've found it works even better up here in the mountains, where there is less atmosphere to block the sun's rays." Red's grin disappeared as he once more focused on the battle. "Espeon, Psychic attack!" he ordered.

Once again, Noctowl was caught in the psychic creature's telekinetic grasp. The large bird struggled to break loose, but to no avail. The Espeon hurled the giant owl against another rock, and this time Noctowl lay still.

Red laughed loudly as Ash recalled Noctowl to its pokéball. "Do you know why you'll never beat me, Ash Ketchum?" Red asked tauntingly. "It's because you are what I used to be.

"It's true," he insisted, as Ash glared at him. "You see, I used to be like you. Naïve, thoughtless, impulsive ... a stupid league trainer. It wasn't until I found my true calling in Team Rocket that I became what you see now. It was there that I learned to plan ahead, and to think things through. Look at you! You rushed into this battle, without knowing what Pokémon I had, or what they were, or apparently even what attacks your own Pokémon have. You will never beat me, Ash Ketchum, because I am everything that you are - I encompass everything that you are - plus I have the benefit of thoughtfulness. And that makes me a better Pokémon trainer."

Misty was already infuriated at Red's arrogance, and this disparagement of Ash in the middle of a battle was the last straw. "No it DOES NOT!!" she retorted defiantly. "Ash may be a bit impulsive, but at least he cares for his Pokémon, which is more than can be said for YOU! You're nothing more than an arrogant, conceited bully, even to your own Pokémon, and Ash is more than a match for a dozen of you!" Fueled by her anger, Misty's words came out of her mouth even before she considered what it was she was saying. But as she finished, she realized that everything she had said about Ash was true. His closeness to his Pokémon, his love for them, that was what made him an impressive trainer. And it was the reason she had stayed by him for these last couple of years.

Unimpressed by the girl's words, Red turned his attention back to Ash. "All right, Ketchum. Let's see what Pokémon you use now," he challenged.

Ash pulled out a pokéball slowly. It was his third and last choice for a Pokémon in this battle, and he hoped it was the right one. "I choose you," he called, throwing out the ball, " ... Bulbasaur!"

The tiny plant dinosaur popped out. "Bulbasaur!" it called out.

"A Bulbasaur? Let me guess," Red teased, "it didn't feel like evolving so you didn't force it to." Ash thought for a moment about his encounter long ago with the Venusaur's mysterious garden, but decided to keep silent.

Red shrugged, then called out, "Espeon, Psychic attack."

Bulbasaur waved its short legs around wildly as the Espeon's telekinetic power held it in place in the air.

"Hurl it off the mountain," Red ordered carelessly. The psychic Pokémon complied. Bulbasaur screamed as its body flew over the edge of the unprotected cliff on Ash's left side.

Ash yelled out and ran up to the cliff's edge. Was there any chance his Pokémon had survived? Almost afraid to look, he peered over the edge.

There, about fifty feet below, Bulbasaur was suspended in the air, hanging by one of its vines from a rock formation that jutted out from the sheer cliff face. The little green Pokémon was pulling itself back up the mountain slowly. Ash wanted to leap for joy.

The Espeon ran to the cliff edge as well. Its eyes glowed blue as it prepared for another psychic attack.

"Razor Leaf, now!" called Ash.

Dozens of tiny green blades sliced through the air, headed straight for the Espeon's body. The psychic Pokémon yelled out, clawing at the air madly in an attempt to brush off the leafy attack. Bulbasaur took advantage of the distraction to pull itself back up to the top.

Red snarled. "Hurl it off again, Espeon, and this time make sure the cliff is out of its reach."

As Espeon's eyes glowed blue once more, Ash called out in desperation, "Bulbasaur, Solar Beam!"

"Is Ash crazy?" whispered Jecy. "Solar Beam takes too long."

Beads of sunlight accumulated into the grass-type Pokémon's bulb as it powered up. Amazingly, it rose to full power almost instantly, and it let forth its solar attack with the force of a dozen cannons. Ash covered his face, blinded by the brilliance of the powerful light beam. Blasted by the powerful ray, the Espeon flew back and crashed on the hard rocky surface, where it lay still.

As Red stood open mouthed in surprise, Ash turned to his friends with a smile. "Red was right," he said triumphantly. "The thin mountain air makes solar attacks work better. I figured that Bulbasaur could power up his Solar Beam in less time than usual."

Red fumed briefly while recalling the Espeon to its pokéball. When he regained his composure, he turned to the Pikachu next to him. "I choose this one now," he declared simply.

Red's Pikachu ran out to face Ash's Bulbasaur.

Ash smiled to himself. He had Red against the ropes now. It was Red's last Pokémon, and Ash had the type advantage. "Bulbasaur, Razor Leaf!" he shouted.

Bulbasaur's leaves once more shot out, rushing towards Red's Pikachu like tiny green arrows.

"Thunderbolt!" Red called. The Pikachu charged up for the briefest instant, then fired a salvo of electric charges. Its aim was perfect. Each and every leaf was shattered by a lightning attack. Ash was amazed at the skill of his opponent's Pokémon. He wasn't even sure if his own Pikachu could do that.

Red snickered at the look of astonishment on Ash's face. Then, with a stern look, he commanded, "Pikachu, Thunderwave!"

Electricity flashed out and covered Bulbasaur from head to tail. The little plant Pokémon stiffened up completely, paralyzed from the electric attack. Even its vines were frozen in place.

"Thundershock!" Red yelled.

"No, wait!" Ash called. He was going to surrender to avoid having Bulbasaur shocked, but it was too late. Bulbasaur collapsed on the ground, singed and unconscious.

"Bulbasaur, return!" called Ash, holding out a pokéball. The grass Pokémon was recalled inside.

Ash considered his position. He and Red had already chosen all of their three Pokémon each, and each had used two of them up. The only remaining Pokémon for the battle were Red's Pikachu and his own. It would be the Pikachus who would determine the winner of this battle.

He turned to his bruised Pikachu, who was busy licking his still painful tail. "Hey buddy, it's your turn again," he said softly.

Pikachu sat up sharply and said, "Pi - ka - pi!" as if he were ready, although he didn't look it. He went out to face his counterpart.

Jaymz whispered to Brock, "Red's Pikachu looks like the strongest Pokémon I've ever seen. Do you think Ash has a chance?"

Brock replied simply, "We're about to find out."