Pokemon: Secrets of the Stars

By Mystical Star

A Kitty-Chan Production

Disclaimer: Mystic does in no way own Pokemon. She's not creative enough. However, she does own Maplewood City (thanx to her sister for the name), Maplewood Gym, Misao, Amaya, Severina, Midori, Seiya, Sayori, Rex, Gaven, Mari and Marie, Aurora, Ray, and Hiroko. Everything else was Nintendo's idea.

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Part IV-Victim of Vengeance

Giovanni's Helicopter, Communication's room

Jessie scrambled at the control panel as about a dozen reports came in that some teams had gone missing. James scrambled along with her, sending outgoing orders to try to locate the AWOL Rockets.

"This is crazy! How could fifty people all disappear without anyone seeing anything?!" James wondered aloud.

"I don't know, but however it happened, we got stuck with all of the work." Jessie grumbled, pushing the 'send to cabin' button four or five times.

"Meowth!" Jessie and James's furry companion exclaimed as he looked out the door into the cabin. "Oh what now, is that Persian dancing?" Jessie growled, frustrated with her workload.

"It's the twerp! And 009's got him in the cable restrainer!" Meowth said, bouncing from foot to foot. "What?" The double trouble duo asked in unison. All three peered out the door of the communications room just in time to hear the end of Domino and Giovanni's conversation.

"If you don't mind me asking, sir, what are you going to do with him?" 009 asked. The boss chuckled evilly.

"Kill him,"

"WHAT?!" Jessie exclaimed as quietly as she could. "Kill the twerp?!" Meowth questioned. "Isn't that against the Rocket code?" James asked. Jessie stared at her partner, who, for once, had just offered something intellectual.

"Huh?" Meowth asked. "Section two, paragraph four: 'under no circumstances shall any Team Rocket member murder any civilian, enemy or person. This is to prevent heightened legal pursuit.'" James recited, sounding very intelligent.

"So, should we save the day, or let the boss have his way?" Meowth pondered. "Looks like Team Rocket's helping out again, but how?" Jessie asked.

"Uh, Jessie, I have this strange feeling-" James stated, looking a bit spacey. "Like what?" Jessie snapped, trying to think of a way to help her adversary.

"It's like something in my head clicked..." The blue-haired man said, scratching his scalp. "I think I have a-a-a-a-a-" James stuttered.

"You idiot! You have an idea, now spill it!" Jessie snapped.

Maplewood Gym

Brock paced back and forth behind Misty, who was still gazing up into the sky. "Darn it! My brain won't work!" the tan Pokemon breeder growled as he smacked himself on the head. Misty had stopped crying, but she hadn't moved an inch or said anything. She just sat there holding Togepi in her arms. Pikachu was madly running about trying to figure out a way to find it's lost master.

"Pikaaa!" It cried.

The gym leaders all talked amongst themselves thinking of a way to retrieve Ash, but they had one small problem,

"Okay, so where did they take him?" Seiya asked Midori, who shrugged. Severina, who was standing with Midori, looked down at Misty and thought of something.

"Misty hasn't moved since Ash was taken, has she?" The gym leader asked. Midori looked at Misty too. "I don't think so, why?"

"Hey, Misty," Severina called, walking over to the redhead and sitting next to her. "Him?" Misty replied, not moving a muscle.

"Which way did that helicopter go?" Severina asked. Misty's eyes teared up again and she hiccupped a little, holding back a sob. She pointed into the sky where she had been staring since Ash had offered up himself in exchange for Hiroko.

"Thanks, hey, we'll get him back." The purple-haired leader said as she stood. Misty said nothing, but she smiled.

"Hiroko, they took him that way," Severina pointed north, "What's up there that Team Rocket would want?"

Hiroko thought on that for a minute. "That's where the Temple of Mew is, but that's all," The elderly lady said, scratching her chin. Brock, who was still pacing, suddenly stopped as something stimulated his brain.

"What kinds of Pokemon are there?" He asked. Hiroko raised an eyebrow. "Only some Ampharos and a few Clefeable," The gym caretaker replied casually.

"I bet they're planning on catching those Pokemon, as for what Ash has to do with any of this, I have no idea, but whatever it is it's no good."

"Yes, but even if we find them there, how are we going to get to that helicopter? If they had that many people come just to fight us, then they're bound to have hordes more wherever they're going." Gaven said.

"We'll have to use our Pokemon power!" Amaya chimed, "peacing" everyone. Misty jumped at the words "Pokemon power" as they sparked an idea.

"Bad idea, Rocket is after rare and powerful Pokemon, if they didn't get them here, they're certain to get them there." Brock advised.

"Yes we can!" Misty declared, finally standing up. All of the chatter stopped and everyone looked at Misty. "But if they're just going to get stolen again, why try?" Aurora asked, clinging to her Vaporeon.

"The power shared between Pokemon and humans! Remember what you said Misao, when a person and a Pokemon bond, they share a power. " Misty explained. Misao looked puzzled.

"Yes, but that's-"

"Just look at yourself! What kind of Pokemon do you use?" Misty interrupted.

"...Psychic?"

"And you're psychic, aren't you?"

Misao had never thought of it that way before, she didn't answer; she just sat there contemplating what Misty had said.

"We can all use our Pokemon's powers if we just believe we can!" Misty said, bringing out a Pokeball. "Staryu!" She called as she tossed the Pokeball to the ground. Her Staryu appeared.

"Show me how to use the power, Staryu," Misty whispered. The star-shaped Pokemon nodded and it's body began to glow as did Misty's. The orange haired trainer closed her eyes for a moment, seemingly concentrating on something. Finally, after what seemed like eternity, Misty transferred Togepi from her right arm to her left and stuck out her right hand, palm-side up. A small tornado of water appeared above the palm of her hand.

Giovanni's Helicopter, Cabin

"Boss, are you crazy?! If anybody comes looking for this kid we'll be in deep!" Domino warned. "Pardon me, 009, but I don't remember asking for your opinion." Giovanni sneered, staring at Ash with a maniacal look on his face.

Domino, not ever remembering* meeting this boy before, felt a little strangely about defending him. Even though she was a part of Team Rocket, she still felt a tad anxious about handing this "Ash" over to the boss. I mean, kill a kid? For what? I've never even seen him before. Giovanni can't be serious; it's even in the Rocket Code that we can't kill anybody. And besides, this kid's got his whole life ahead of him...But I just can't go against the boss...

At that moment, Jessie, James, and Meowth, who had been in the communications room, stumbled out into the cabin, sweat drops flying.

"Team-" Ash was interrupted by Meowth's obvious signals to be quiet.

"What now? Have you three messed up again? I'm in the middle of something important!" Giovanni flamed.

"Actually, we were overhearing your conversation and instead of killing him first, why don't you torture him?" James blurted. Ash twitched. As if dying was any worse....

"What?" Domino asked. Jessie shot her a look. Suddenly, a thought struck Domino, are these clowns trying to help him?

"Explain," Giovanni said, looking a little interested.

"Well, once you're dead, you're dead! No more suffering or anything!" Meowth purred.

"But when you're still alive there are plenty of chances to be hurt and tortured," Jessie added.

"What kind of punishment is death if it's swift?" James finished.

"Uuuh, yeah! Boss, let me, Jessie and James play around with him for a little while!" The Black Tulip said. Giovanni raised an eyebrow, and then smiled evilly.

"Looks like you two finally may serve useful." He sneered. "Landing at Temple of Mew" A voice came over the intercom from the cockpit. Giovanni drummed his fingers on his chair's armrest as the helicopter landed.

"I believe he'll make a wonderful dummy for our testing of genetically enhanced Pokemon, don't you think, Domino?" He sneered. Domino's stomach turned.

"Yeah," She gulped.

Ten minutes later...

Jessie, James and Domino lead Ash outside to where a few Rocket members had assembled a legion of Giovanni's genetically enhanced Pokemon.

"Thanks a lot you two." Ash muttered sarcastically. Jessie leaned over and talked from the side of her mouth. "I'd say 'Prepare for trouble', but you're already in it, so hush! This is the best thing we could come up with on short notice." Jessie whispered harshly.

Domino snickered. "Jessie, are you helping this little rat?" She asked. Jessie and James straightened and their faces filled with worry. "NO." They both said.

"Well, that's too bad, because if you were, I was going to help you."

Jessie, James, and Meowth stopped for a second, then continued on, a little surprised.

"How did you know?" James asked. "Easy, you two aren't dastardly enough to come up with a plan like this unless you had something else up you're sleeve." Domino replied. Ash smiled to himself.

"If we all get out of this, I know a place you're always welcome," He said. The three Rockets and Meowth smiled at Ash, wondering why in the world they were doing this and how in the world were they going to get out of it.

The three Rocket members led Ash over to the east side of the Temple of Mew where there were other Team Rocket members all lined up in a row, each with a Pokemon. Domino leaned over to Ash.

"Try to dodge anything you can while we think of a way to get you out of here," She whispered. Ash nodded as he walked to where he was being directed. As soon as Domino, Jessie, James, and Meowth had cleared the area and Giovanni had showed up, the Rockets with the Pokemon took ready stances.

"Ready?" Giovanni boomed from his spot on the Temple, "Go!"

Ash braced for the first barrage of attacks from a Machoke that was rushing at him.

Back to Jessie, James, Meowth, and Domino

The four Rocket members stood to the side, watching their adversary/friend being beaten to the ground by one of Giovanni's genetically altered Machokes.

"What are we going to do?" James asked, biting his gloves nervously. Domino gritted her teeth and clenched her fists as she tried to think. Meowth growled to itself, tapping its foot in frustration.

Ash screamed out in pain, making Jessie jump. "ARG!" She exclaimed, holding her head, trying to make her brain function faster.

Giovanni held out his hand to stop the Machokes and signaled the Victribells to move up and take a turn. The grass Pokemon began to whip the young trainer mercilessly as Giovanni laughed manically from his perch on the Temple.

"Oh, please stop!" Jessie cried in a soft voice as Ash fell to the ground. Giovanni chuckled as he stepped down off of his platform and walked down the Temple to gloat at Ash. The Team Rocket executive reached the spot where Ash had fallen and stepped on the young trainer's hand with his shoe, laughing.

"So, how would you like to suffer the same fate as your father?" He asked. "You're...a monster..."Ash managed to mutter. Giovanni stepped on his hand harder, bones cracking under his weight. The young trainer couldn't even manage to gather the strength to cry out in pain, he only winced.

"Stop this, Giovanni!" Domino screamed, finally seeing no choice. The Team Rocket executive lifted his foot from Ash's hand and looked up at his right hand woman.

"009, is this insubordination?" He gasped, a bit surprised. Domino gulped hard before answering. "Yes" She declared.

"Well then, it looks like this boy won't be alone...in death," Giovanni began to cackle evilly, as if he'd gone mad.

"He's lost it..." James observed.

Giovanni stepped away from Ash, still laughing. Then, observing the lineup of Pokemon that had assembled in front of him, he made a decision and pointed to one of the Dragonites.

"Hyper beam!" He commanded. To everyone's dismay, the dragon Pokemon opened its mouth where a large multi-colored light was forming. Ash looked up just in time to see the beam heading straight for him and to hear Giovanni cackling insanely.

"Yes! Yes! Yes!"

Next Time: Holy cosmos! Giovanni's finally gone kuku! Will Ash survive? Will Domino, Jessie, and James make it out alive? The saga is coming to an end, only two more chapters left!

Author's Note: Please don't flame me too much for leaving you on yet another cliff *grabs fire extinguisher*, relax; count to ten, and check back sometime between today (1/14/02) and Friday. If it's not done at that time, you can flame however you like.