Sabrina and the Mistress of Water and Ice Chapter 14: Shell Game, a pokémon fanfic

Shell Game – Sabrina acts

Today was very difficult. I have not been this aggressive with non-psys in a very long time. But as the saying goes – 'You can't make an omelet without breaking a few eggs.'

We refined our plan as we briskly hiked up the hill behind Kanna's dwelling following Jessie's lead guiding us back to the cave she found last night. I turned to Mondo and asked "Could you do us a favour Mondo?"

"Within limits Ms. Natsume, what do you desire?"

"We hope to avoid bloodshed. Could we have the use of your ditto to provide a diversion?"

"If my colleagues are safer from harm I guess it would be worthwhile. All right I will help," he responded with some reserve.

"Thank you, I sincerely appreciate your help," I said feeling a bit short of breath on the steady uphill. I looked ahead at Jessie who was clearly having some difficulty with her memory. She was casting about like a retriever for fallen game. I could not blame her, the wood offered no clear paths to he destination.

In time we crested the ridge. This was a help to Jessie as she immediately chose to continue upward toward the summit of Ice Island. The trees here were contorted by the salt winds of generations of typhoons and other maritime storms. This made for some tricky footing and scrambling around amidst the knotted trees. After another ten minutes we broke into a vine covered clearing with a yawning hole in the center. Jessie stopped and sighed, "This is the skylight of the cave I found. Articuno's lair lies directly below us. To leave the cave it flies straight up through the hole."

Janine rolled her eyes, "Excuse me? Just how are we supposed to get into this cave? Use parachutes?"

Jessie grimaced but controlled herself, "I took the liberty of asking Kanna if she had any climbing gear about. She said yes, and I just happen to have brought some climbing rope and a harness because I knew I probably wouldn't find the front door."

"James and I have belayed each other lots of times. I think I know what I'm doing," she continued sounding a little smug.

"I'm sure James and you have," Janine said with a smirk.

"You know what I mean!" Jessie barked.

Each of us took turns getting into the harness, and we dropped like spiders on draglines into the dim recesses of the cavern. We arranged for Millie to be the last topside. She collected the climbing gear and would walk back down the hill to the cabin.

I sensed the great bird's presence as soon as I dropped into the stuffy interior of the cave. I looked below and saw the ice titan Articuno. It had a coat of slate blue feathers, a heavy hooked silver beak, a crest and a long sinuous decorative tail. As my feet touched the floor I looked into its garnet red flashing eyes. It seemed far more human than any Pokémon I ever met save Meowth and Mewtwo perhaps.

Mondo had just touched down so I turned to him, "Would you please call forth your ditto and ask it to transform into Articuno?"

He looked blankly at me at first but then it dawned on him. "I see, well, I agreed," he said drawing a red-and-white ball from beneath his jacket. Out popped the shapeless lavender Pokémon, "Ditto transform!" The diminutive Pokémon perceived the great bird and replicated it.

Jessie realized this action preceded our next maneuver, and she amazed us all by rushing up to the genuine Articuno and throwing her arms around its neck. "Take care!" she said in a broken voice. In a flash of intuition I understood the gesture, "Do not worry my friend," I thought, "We will watch over her."

I turned to Kanna, "Are you ready?"

"Never more so," she said coolly.

For our ruse to work well Team Rocket had to find Kanna at home, not abroad threatening their plans. I laid my hand on Articuno and called out my alakazam, "Merlin, on my command teleport to the coordinates in my mind. Kanna…"

"You must call me Lorelei…Sabrina," she said evenly.

"Um…Lorelei place your hand on Merlin."

"Teleport!" I said and we materialized in front of Lorelei's hut. I bent over with the effort and called Merlin back into his ball then I heard Lorelei gasp. I looked up to see in place of Articuno a young woman in her twenties with violet hair and lively eyes grey as a stormy sea.

"So, how long must we wait for Team Rocket to show?" she said sardonically as I noted her black tunic with its emblematic red 'R'.

"Not long judging from your outfit," I said trying to keep the tone light.

Kanna recovered her voice although her face remained pallid, "You…you were my best student at Pokémon Tech but how…? You haven't aged a bit since I last saw you."

"Yes, I am Musashi Myiamoto but this is no longer my true form. I simply transformed myself to help you fool your enemies…and mine. I am Articuno and I am Musashi, or what's left of her," she said quietly looking wistfully at her one time mentor. For I could sense Kanna had been her teacher and friend, unwisely replaced by another less savory mentor.

"So Musashi it's been a long time since I introduced you to my mother and younger brother. You should know mother disappeared many years ago and Giovanni took the reins of her organization," Lorelei said with a slight quaver in her voice. "I wish you had never met mother, but I suppose you really couldn't resist the pay, especially after you got pregnant."

I was stunned I had not discovered this about Lorelei, her mental discipline was better than I had guessed, "Lorelei, your family…"

"It's true, my mother founded Team Rocket and my own brother sent his minions to these islands even though he knew I was here," she admitted sadly. "I ran as far from her as I could but talent and ambition won out and I eventually became an Elite Four member. I never wanted anyone to know. That was why I always kept Koga at arm's length after I became more active in the League. Eventually he would have discovered Gio was my brother and make some sort of connection…"

"But you never had any more than family connections to Team Rocket," Myiamoto protested. "Koga would have forgiven you anything. I saw the way he looked at you."

"I could never forgive what I was connected to by blood," Lorelei murmured. "I would never have been at ease knowing how close I brought Koga to that monstrous greed and ambition."

I looked accusingly at Musashi, "What about Jessie? How could you contemplate raising her within Team Rocket?"

The changeling Pokémon struggled with her emotions at this question, "I can't change what I did. I was blind to the consequences of my actions. I have already apologized to Jessie, but I know that's not enough."

I then considered Koga's lasting regard for Lorelei and looked anxiously at her "Lorelei, would you still like to rekindle your affections with Koga? I…I could…" I choked back the emotion rising in my throat, "I could sort of, um…gracefully withdraw if you wish me to."

"No! No, Sabrina it's far too late for me to turn back the clock," she said firmly, "It is a sign of how much you love Koga that you would make this offer just to make him marginally happier. Do you really think I could be happy separating a sweet person like you from the one she loves? I was always a lone wolf, it's just that Koga…well, he made me feel happy, wanted and beautiful. I am fine now, really I am."

I could sense this was not exactly true, but I also realized she would be no happier for my sacrifice. Of course I had to make the offer. I have always admired and respected her. I turned to Myiamoto again, "Was it a happy coincidence that finds you here on the same island with your old friend Kanna?"

"Accidents never happen," she said, "What do you think?"

"That is what I thought too," I answered. "Will you be with her and your daughter always?"

"Always", she said.

Suddenly we could hear a helicopter in the distance and spied the black machine hovering over a distant ridge. It was closing in quickly. "We'd best get indoors," Kanna said primly.

We moved inside and dressed Musashi in some of Lorelei's clothing and awaited our visitors. It did not take long. We could hear the chirping sounds of the 'copter's blades in the meadow outside then heard them gradually slow to a stop. A loud knock announced the arrival of Team Rocket. In strode a handsome young man with a mop of sea green hair. "Lorelei Kanna…" he began in a raspy voice, he stopped upon seeing Myiamoto and I.

"Well, well, well…" he said with a sneer. "So Natsume made it here after all. And who is this?"

"I'm Artemis Kanna, Lorelei's kid sister," Myiamoto answered. I could tell holding human form was becoming a strain for her. She looked nervously at me.

"Well my name's Kosaburou, Butch Kosaburou. Glad to see you ladies at home, you'll stay put if you know what's good for you," he said threateningly, "I'll be outside if you need me."

As soon as he left I said, "Look Articuno, whatever we call you, feel free to transform. I will monitor our keeper's activities and put a psychic veil over the windows."

Myiamoto looked gratefully at me and changed uncannily from a woman into a bird Pokémon. I looked back at Lorelei. She stared fixedly at her former student now the focus of her lifelong obsession with ice Pokémon.

I had to ask this formidable trainer another question, "Do you remember me Lorelei? On the day you bested father? I was so impressed by your skill, determination and self possession. I had the talent to become a fine trainer, but it was your example that convinced a shy, lonely girl of her calling."

Kanna turned her calm, remarkably unlined face to me. Her kind eyes shone behind her glasses, "Of course I noticed you. You were so quiet and observant. I could sense your mind touching mine, noting my every thought and decision. It caused me grief to hear of your cruelty in your teens, but you have matured beautifully. I am so happy you met Koga. He's a decent, kind, intelligent man."

She paused and thought for a bit, "You have learned restraint, but have a care. You can't be lenient to foes who don't hesitate to make your weakness their strength. Use your power to win this fight when it comes to you."

I nodded silently, and we sat down with our feathered companion to await Team Rocket's next move. My thoughts strayed to Jessie, Janine and Mondo watching the boy's ditto masquerading as Articuno. Had the cave been assaulted as we anticipated? Had they discovered our ruse? I considered Millie, was she watching Team Rocket from the safety of the forest?

About a quarter hour later one of my worries sprang to life. I heard a loud shout from a patrolling Rocket grunt and knew Millie had been discovered. I knew our minders would be distracted so I rushed to the door and threw it open. "Sabrina! Consider what you're risking!" Lorelei called after me, but I was heedless in my concern for my friend.

The tableau that unfolded before me was horrifying. Millie was running across the clearing toward the building and the elite Rocket named Kosaburou was aiming a handgun at her retreating back. There was a puff of smoke followed by a loud crack from the automatic pistol. Blood sprayed from Millie's shoulder. "Millie!" I wailed and vengefully directed my mind at the young man's shooting hand. Kosaburou screamed because the gun exploded in his hand as my telekinetic command shattered it into hundreds of pieces of shrapnel that lodged in his hand, torso and face. A thug leveled a semi-automatic rifle on me and I sent a crushing wave of angry psychic energy across the clearing. Men and women in black fell to their knees clutching their heads screaming in anguish all over the opening. The pilot attempted to start up the chopper but a concentrated freezing cold beam struck the rotors and the metal cracked and fell in pieces. I turned to see Lorelei and Articuno standing behind me in the doorway.

"We decided you could use a little help Natsume dear, but not much I see," Lorelei observed dryly.

I looked in horror at the damage I had wrought. Women and men were lying all around moaning, weeping. I raised my hand and caused them to gently fall asleep, all save the injured Kosaburou and Millie. "I hate to ask this of you Lorelei but would you please see to Kosaburou's injuries? I must see to my friend," I said trying to quell the feeling of illness rising from my stomach.

Millie was pale and bleeding badly from her shoulder, at least nothing vital had been hit. I applied pressure above the wound and the flow slackened, "Can you stand up?"

"I think so," she said weakly, "Sorry to screw up so badly."

"Not at all, let's get you into the house," I said trying to sound comforting. "How is Kosaburou?" I asked Lorlelei.

"He's in a lot of pain and some shrapnel hit both eyes, but he'll live," she said quietly.

"Do you know anything about bullet wounds? I'm not going to be much help to Millie I fear," I said feeling helpless.

"I know enough. Let's lay her on the table inside."

Lorelei guided Butch inside as I gently got Millie onto the table. Lorelei started to attend to her shoulder and I turned to talk with Butch. "You know this is only a temporary setback," he grimaced, "As soon as we take Zapdos and Moltres you'll feel the full force of Team Rocket's anger."

"Not likely," I sighed, "Here, I will turn on your communication device." The small radio sputtered to life, "Which band for Thunder Island?" I asked the damaged Rocket elite.

"C12," he muttered.

I made the adjustment, a voice came through, "Under attack…by…huge psychic Pokémon…too powerful…mission failed…"

Kosaburou turned sightless eyes toward the sound of the radio, "How?"

"Mewtwo," I answered. I switched to the Fire Island frequency he gave me, a similar message ensued. "Lugia," I said.

He seemed more stricken than ever. I cleared my throat, "Lorelei, Millie and I combined our psychic abilities to send out an SOS to all psychic Pokémon in hopes of receiving aid in stopping Team Rocket's assault. Our prayers were answered."

I did what I could for him. Bandaging cuts, cleaning wounds, and tending to his damaged optic nerves with my psychic powers, but he is still a sightless, silent, dispirited shell in the corner of the room. Millie is looking better, Lorelei did a wonderful job bandaging her shoulder and staunching the bleeding.

It has taken all my remaining strength to write this overlong entry, and I still have no idea what has become of Jessie, Janine, and Mondo yet. I pray they are well and safe. I never understood that using my awful offensive powers would be unavoidable under certain conditions. Indeed in this case my powers may have minimized the carnage. I had been so afraid of doing harm that I eventually did greater harm by being too tentative at first. I am still learning. Why must so many of my lessons be painful?