Freedom of the Phoenix

In the Team Rocket HQ, deep under the Viridian Gym, a large machine stood in the centre of the huge laboratory. It was shaped like a ball that opened like a Pokéball. Professor Namba, the Team Rocket Professor, walks around the inside of the machine, checking for any faults. The door to the laboratory opened and Giovanni, leader of Team Rocket, walked in.

Prof. Namba climbed out of the huge 'Pokéball' and walked over to Giovanni. "Everything is going to plan Sir. The Energy Ball will be up and running by tomorrow"

"Excellent" Giovanni nods and looks at the machine known as the 'Energy Ball'. "And the Pokémon?"

"All trained up and ready Sir" Namba reported.

"And the Captureball?" Giovanni took his gaze from the Energy Ball and looked at Professor Namba.

Prof. Namba help up a black Pokéball with a red "C" on it. "Right here" Giovanni nodded. "Alright then, plan "Legend Capture" will commence tomorrow at dawn" He turned and left the Lab.

Prof. Namba turned and began to check the Energy Ball again.

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Ash, Misty, Brock and Pikachu walked along a path towards Phoenix Mountain. Ash had decided to take a break from training so they all agreed to go somewhere they've never been. They looked through a guidebook. Misty wanted to go to Tinis Beach, and so did Brock. But Ash saw a picture of a mountain that made him feel strange. It was Phoenix Mountain, a mountain hardly anyone went to because it was so difficult to climb. Brock and Misty thought it was a stupid place but Ash's mind was made up. Brock and Misty tagged along, though they kept going on about Tinis Beach, as if Ash would change his mind. But Ash hadn't, and they were now at Phoenix Mountain. It was 10:40pm so they decided to set up camp at the foot of the mountain.

Ash was sent off to get firewood along with Pikachu. He returned with his arms full of wood, Pikachu followed him with a few small sticks. He threw them down in the centre of camp and sat of a log, sighing.

Pikachu walked up and dropped the sticks in with the others. He tilted his head at his trainer and muttered to himself, "Pika..". [Lazy...]

Ash yawned. "I'm tired let's go to sleep"

Brock shook his head. "We have to get the fire going" He began to hit two rocks together.

"What are you? A cave man?" Ash took out a Pokéball and released Cyndaquil. "Cyndaquil, use flamethrower to light a fire" He said through yawns.

Flames shot out of Cyndaquil's back and he shot a flamethrower at the pile of firewood, causing them to burst into flames.

"Good job Cyndaquil, return" Ash returned Cyndaquil.

"That works too" Brock shrugged and got out his sleeping bag and lay it out on the ground. He got into it and was almost instantly asleep.

Misty got out her sleeping bag and went to sleep too, still moaning about Tinis Beach. Ash yawned and took out his sleeping bag. He lay it out beside the fire and lay down. Pikachu curled up beside him

But suddenly he no longer felt tired. As he looked up at the mountain, he felt that he had to climb it, that there was something up there. He pushed himself up and looked over at the others. No point in waking them. He stood up slowly and pulled on his runners. He picked up his back-pack and turned to leave.

"Pikapi?"

Ash turned back to see Pikachu looking lazily up at him. "Shh. Just tell the others in the morning that I've gone up the mountain" He turned and headed towards Phoenix Mountain. He climbed up and up. He lost his footing a few times but was able to hang on. After about six hours, he was at the top. It was an amazing view. He could see for miles around. He saw the first rays of sunrise appearing of the horizon. -----------

Back at the Team Rocket HQ, a few Captureballs, along with hundreds of Rocket members and their Pokémon in pokéballs, were being loaded into a huge hover plane. When they were all on, Giovanni boarded and took his seat near the front of the plane. His Persian sat beside him.

Prof. Namba stood by the giant Energy Ball, waving to the giant hover plane as it floated off the ground for a few seconds and then took off.

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Ash suddenly realised that he was hungry. He sat down on a rock near the entrance of a dark cave. He rummaged through his bag and pulled of an empty bar wrapper. "Ah, not again Pikachu" He moaned and stuffed the wrapper back into his bag. He looked at the cave behind him. "Well, no point in sitting here doing nothing" He put his backpack on and walked into the cave. It was dark and he could hear his footsteps echo all around the quiet cave.

Suddenly, he saw a light up ahead. He walked towards it, curiosity getting the better of him. He rounded a corner and saw something he thought he'd never see again.

The Pokémon he had seen on the day he began his Pokémon Journey stood before him. When he was at Ectrutic in the Burned Tin Tower, he had learned its name was Ho-oh. It was believed to be extinct.

Ho-oh looked at him and its eyes became wide. It turned to him and bowed its head.

Ash heard a voice come from around him.

The voice said "So we finally meet"

Ash knew that it was Ho-oh speaking. "I knew it! I knew you were still alive. Morty thought I was wrong when I said I'd seen you"

Ho-oh nodded and it's voice echoed in Ash's mind again. "So what he said may be true"

"What who said?" Ash asked.

"The Pokémon Master. He said you and I would meet someday, but I was hoping he was wrong" Ho-oh's voice said.

Ash was getting confused, "Why?"

"Did you ever wonder why you were the Chosen One?" Ho-oh asked back.

Ash had never given it much thought. Why was he the Chosen One? Why, out of all the people in the world, was he the only one that could stop Articuno, Zapdos and Moltres from destroying the world?

"It's because you have the power of a legendary Pokémon inside you" Ho-oh told him.

Ash looked at Ho-oh, stunned. "What?"

"The reason you were the only person who ever saw me is because you have some of my power inside you. The Pokémon Master choose you, when you were only small, to hold my extra power. If I was to keep it, I wouldn't be able to control it, which could cause the destruction of the world. But the Pokémon Master also predicted that, the day I would meet you would be the day something terrible would happen to the legendary Pokémon" Ho-oh closed it's eyes as it spoke.

Ash was beginning to feel nervous, "What kind of terrible things?"

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A large shadow passed over Shamouti Island and towards the Islands of Fire, Ice and Lightning. Three large, green beams shot out from a laser gun on either wing and the nose of the hover plane as it neared the islands. Each beam struck the center of the island, causing a hole in the mountain on Ice Island, a lake to be destroyed at Lightning Island, and a hole to appear in the centre of Fire Island.

There was silence for a moment and then a blast of fire, electricity and ice shot up at the plane, but hit a barrier around it and disappeared. Zapdos, Articuno and Moltres emerged from caves in the islands.

Zapdos shot another thunderbolt at the plane, but it disappeared like before.

The same thing happened when Articuno used Ice Beam and Moltres use Flamethrower.

The Legendaries watched the plane nervously.

Suddenly, a trap door opened in the bottom and 3 Captureballs fell out. They hovered for a while and then shot forward at the Flying Pokémon.

Zapdos, Articuno and Moltres didn't have enough time to move. The Captureballs hit them and they were sucked in. They floated back into the hover plane and it flew off.

Unlike a normal Pokéball, the Captureball was built to consume the Legendary Pokémon....from Moltres...to Suicune...to Mew...and even Ho-oh.

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To Be Continued

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Well how was that for a first chappy? More coming soon, I hope. Well see yaz in the next chapter folks!
Bay Bay!
Bayleef
adorable_chickorita@hotmail.com