Foreword: First off, yes, the footnote system is in effect. Anytime you see a number within asterisks (*), go to the bottom of the chapter to read a note. Yes, Pokémon speech is the same thing here. { and } offset something translated into the human language.
This is a bit rushed because I'm replying to whatever review that had come since last time I checked the review box, just as I did the tenth episode, so here we go!
To all those who said they loved Warp Series: Domo arigatou! ^_^
To individual reviews:
-Light Sneasel, on episode 10: This goes for Dr. Thinker too, but I know I've surprised a lot of people when I chose Ditto during this episode. Originally, I was going to have Bill shift from one Pokémon to another (dark and bug elementals, of course), but then I just got lazy. ^_^;
Then again, by choosing Ditto, I brought up the exact point that Light Sneasel found: Bill IS the stronger shifter. Quite powerful in general, too. ^_^ Trust me, this is an important point toward the end of this season. (Oops. Shouldn't be giving anything away, now, should I? ^_-)
I also thank LS-sama for the information on Bill's "role" in Ruby/Sapphire. I hope you don't mind, but I'll be putting it up on Forgotten Lights soon.
-DarkCatXX, on extra 01: Yes, all good stories should put you right in the action. I try to do this with everything I write, and I'm hoping others out there (save for those of you who literally title your stories "The worst Pokémon fanfiction of all time", no pointing fingers...) are doing the same.
-Light Sneasel, on extra 01: Hmm... You're getting warmer to figuring out Zero, LS, but if all else fails, you can always wait. I've gotten rid of season four, so you'll be able to find out as soon as somewhere in season three. ^_-
And by the way, good luck with the GBA-paw problem. ^_^
-Light Sneasel, on extra 03: First off, thanks for the luck with the union workers.
Second, wow, you can hold your breath for a long time. Amazing. ^_^
And third, thanks for joining the cult -- er, CIRCLE -- of Masaki/Bill fans. It's always good to see more in the world. ^_^
Anywho! First episode of the new season, which is technically episode eleven. Just ignore the number in the drop-down box which will take you to various chapters. -_-
***
Episode 11--
Sisterly Love
He found himself at the edge of the water. He looked about, trying to find the reason why he was there again.
There she was, kneeling by a patch of flowers. Clematis,*1* if he wasn't mistaken.
"Zero..."
She looked up at him, as if she always knew he was there.
"Hello, Bill. Have you realized that I've left you alone for a month?"
"Yes," he responded. "Zero, why were you keeping me from going on missions?"
"I wanted you to rest," she replied. "Bill, there's something coming."
"What?"
"I can't say. Something bigger than Lokov. Something dark. It will first strike using Antiwarp as a puppet--"
"Antiwarp?" Bill interrupted. "But... Weren't they disbanded over a month ago?"
"They were abandoned by Giovanni, if that's what you mean," Zero answered. "However, someone else will take it."
"Who?"
As if ignoring his question, Zero went on. "The darkness will strike a second time, this time using another form of shifters."
He opened his mouth to ask something, but Zero silenced him with a wave of her hand.
"The third time, it will strike you itself," she continued. "By this time, you will have realized your true destiny and will have mastered your powers."
"That must be a long time from now then," Bill joked.
Zero looked at him. He fell silent and blushed with embarrassment.
"Remain confident. Within the time period this darkness will take to strike you through Antiwarp, you will learn the key to mastering shifting."
She turned to face the lake.
"Bill, now is the time to make the decision. If you choose to follow your destiny, you will put your own life on the line and possibly never return to being a normal human ever again. If you choose to refuse your destiny, you will return to your former life before you gained your powers, but the world will be allowed to plunge into darkness." She looked at him. "Which do you choose?"
He closed his eyes for a moment.
'My... destiny?' he thought, overwhelmed. 'Do I allow evil to ruin this world? Do I allow innocent lives to fall into the darkness? Do I deny my destiny and forsake the reason I've decided to keep my powers?'
Zero remained silent. The only sounds Bill heard as he stared into the void under his eyelids were the sounds of the lake gently lapping against the shore and the sound of the wind blowing through the clearing and around him.
He opened his eyes.
'No...'
He opened his mouth to reply, but Zero smiled and spoke first.
"I can tell you have chosen to keep your destiny," she said. "You have a good heart."
"What should I do to prepare myself?" he inquired.
She gave him a warm look. "Return to your home and rest. That's all you can do."
"Thank you, Zero."
"I should be the one thanking you," she responded. "Your destiny will tell you why. You must go now, but I will contact you later. Farewell!"
Before Bill could ask her anything else, a darkness washed over him.
~~~
It was morning. He could tell. He saw what anyone would see if they closed their eyes in a sunny room. He felt the sun's rays warm his face.
Wait... Sun?
He awoke and looked over at the digital clock on his nightstand. Ten forty-five in the morning. His eyes widened, and he sat up abruptly.
"KYAAA!? How could I let myself sleep in!!?"
~~~
Crocus closed the door to her office (formerly Loki's) with a slam.
'Greedy morons!' she thought.
The Rockets had indeed returned, but they refused to form a band of unpaid soldiers for her. They wished to be paid, or they would leave. Unfortunately, Crocus had no money for paychecks.
She growled. "Where am I going to get money?"
"Perhaps I can help," a low, raspy voice replied from the shadows of the room.
She gasped. "Who's there!?"
Two points of light, the visitor's blood-red eyes, lit up.
"My name is Keios,*2*" the visitor replied. "I'm a wealthy business man willing to make a deal."
"Really? What sort of deal?"
"I will give you money if you do something in return for me."
"What sort of something?" Crocus narrowed her eyes.
"There is a young man whom I fear will cause trouble for me in the future," Keios explained. "He recently alarmed me by gaining a special ability. Find a way to strip him of his powers, then destroy him with your own shifters."
"Hmph! Why should I carry out a pointless assasination for you?"
"I promise you, if you do as I say, I'll give you the money to get what you want."
Crocus paused for a moment.
"Alright," she said. "It's a deal."
Keios held out a hand to shake hers with. She took it, shivered at how cold it was, and shook it.
"By the way," Crocus started after letting go of his hand. "What is the name of the young man you want my shifters to go after?"
"His name," Keios responded with a frown, "is McKenzie."
~~~
A girl on a skateboard weaved through the streets of Goldenrod City. She hadn't changed, save for the shorter hair, except for the first few locks of hair, close to her face, which had been dyed blue. She wore her usual street clothing: baggy jeans, a white tee-shirt with blue sleeves (on which was a black 8), black biker gloves, and red sneakers. On her back was a black backpack.
She didn't feel like returning home just yet, so she skated throughout Goldenrod. She reached a part which her mother had told her countless times to avoid, a run-down part of the city which had its walls covered in graffiti.
She wasn't scared, though.
Suddenly, someone pushed her off her skateboard. She fell on the ground, grabbed her board, and stood right back up, ready to crack her board across the face of whomever had the nerve to touch her.
"Who the hell did that!?" she snapped.
"Shut your mouth, baby."
In front of her were several larger people, all dressed in baggy clothing, all a few years older than the girl was, and all with dangerous looks.
"Don't call call me 'baby', ass hole," the girl hissed.
"Didn't your mommy ever tell you it's not nice to swear at people bigger than you are?" another thug asked. "How old are you, pipsqueak?"
"I'm fourteen, but I can still kick all of your asses," she replied.
"Really?" The second thug smirked. "I'd like to see that..."
He pounded his fist into his hand, threatening to start a fight. Just then, a larger and older boy (possibly the leader) grabbed him by the shoulder.
"Don't," the larger man said. "I think she's good enough for our posse." He looked at the girl. "What's your name?"
"People call me Jude,"*3* she replied. "You'd better too."
"Jude, how would you like to join our gang?"
"I don't join in. I make my own group."
The leader smiled. "Yeah? Well, I'll let you think about it. If you want to do something fun, come back to this side of town."
"Whatever," Jude replied as she put down her board and skated away.
~~~
Ziggy cocked her head. "So... You had a dream about Zero."
Bill stopped for a moment. He was bent over a counter, working on a new device. He straightened up and turned a bit to look at Ziggy.
"And?"
"What did she say?" Ziggy questioned.
He turned back to the counter and continued. "She said that a darkness will come and that my destiny has something to do with it."
"Is that it?"
"She also said that it will attack three times, but by the third time, I will have 'mastered my powers.'"
"Mastered them? How much further can you control them?"
Bill sighed. "I can't control where I go, nor can I consciously control what I go into without contact.*4* I suppose that there will be a time when can aquire these skills."
"Wow. You're going to be one powerful little twerp," she commented.
Bill smirked. "Thank you, Ziggy."
"By the way, Bill..."
"Hmm?"
"Up for a shift?"
He turned around and leaned against the counter. "I thought you'd never ask."
Quickly, he shifted out.
~~~
Crocus stormed through the lab door.
"Chester! Give me a status report!" she demanded.
The assistant wove through the chaos and approached Crocus.
"Doctor, we have good news and bad news," Chester reported. "The good news is that the technological experts have successfully penetrated McKenzie's cyber defenses and hacked into his Alpha program. We can now track his every move through his 'Ziggy.'"
Crocus smiled. "Good! But the bad news...?"
"The bad news is that, apparently, he's currently on the move," Chester added. "Alpha has set coordinates in Goldenrod City, but neither she nor her shifter have arrived yet."
Crocus chuckled. "Chester, remember to look up the definition of 'bad news' on your break."
Chester cocked his head. "Um... Okay... Doctor."
"But seriously, send Oracle along with Agents Daphne and Theo. I'm sure McKenzie would be happy to see us again..."
"Yes, doctor."
~~~
Jude opened the front door to her home and walked in without a second thought to time. Her mother, however, rushed over and tried to speak sternly with her.
"Judith McKenzie, where have you been!?" the mother inquired sharply.
"Out," Jude replied with barely any tone.
"It's nine forty-five at night, on a school night, no less," Mrs. McKenzie stated. "Do you know how much I've worried about you?"
"Not really," Jude responded as she headed toward her room.
"Why can't you be like your brother or sister?" Flora sighed.
"Because I don't want to be an airhead like my sister, and my brother is Heaven's ultra-rare, 'dear god, we're not doing THAT again' gift to mortals?" the daughter answered before walking into her room and shutting the door.
Flora could only sigh, give a saddened look, and walk away, shaking her head.
~~~
Jude dropped her backpack on the floor and picked up a PokéBall. She smiled, knowing what was inside.
"Cyndaquil! I choose you!"
The fire mouse obediently appeared. Jude sighed.
"Ignored by my so-called friends, laughed at by preps, spoken to by strangers in the ghetto, and lectured to by teachers on my 'attitude problem.'"
She picked Cyndaquil up and held it in her arms as she flopped on her back on her bed.
"You're probably the only one who gets me, Cyndaquil," she commented.
"Cynda!"
She smirked, placed Cyndaquil beside her, and curled up next to it. Within moments, she was fast asleep.
She didn't notice as a silver light descended into it.
Bill blinked, looked down at his sister, and carefully moved off the bed so as not to disturb her.
{Jude?} He cocked his head. {What am I doing here? Ziggy?}
Ziggy appeared.
"Aww... Your sister looks cute when she's asleep and not wreaking havoc!"
{My thoughts exactly,} Bill replied. {What am I doing here?}
"Well, you see..." Ziggy put her hands behind her head. "Your sister isn't exactly what you would call a happy child. She's one of those punks and skater girls who just hate, well, everything."
{And this I know far too well.}
"Right. Well, a few hours ago, she got this offer to... join a gang."
{WHAT!?}
Jude groaned a bit and turned over. Ziggy and Bill remained still and silent for a few moments, watching to see if she would wake up. When nothing happened, the conversation resumed.
{What?} Bill reacted, much softer than last time.
"She received an offer to join a gang," Ziggy restated. "And if things don't improve, she's going to join it. And to initiate, you of course need to do something... I dunno... illegal?"
{But Jude wouldn't do something as stupid as join a gang... Would she?}
"Bill, how long has it been since you've lived with her?"
Bill paused for a moment to remember. {Seven years.}
"Think, Bill. People can change in the space of seven years."
Bill's face went red with embarrassment. {Alright, alright. I see your point. Now, I suppose I'm here to stop Jude from joining this gang?}
"That's part of it."
{What would the other part be?}
"The other part is, after you stop Jude from joining the gang, you have to get her to drop the 'I hate the world' act and help her onto a better path. It's not going to be easy. Do you think you can get her to do all that?"
{I hope so,} Bill replied with a shudder. {I don't want to see my own sister wind up in jail or worse.}*5*
"I don't know if you remember or not, but if you don't, just keep in mind one thing: Jude's as stubborn than a Tauros on a hot day. Got it?"
{Trust me. THAT I know. She gets it from my father's side of the family.}
Ziggy smiled and nodded. "Good luck, Bill."
{Thanks, Ziggy.}
In an instant, she was gone. Bill looked up at his sleeping sister.
{Oh boy...}
~~~
The sun rose again. This time, he awoke to find himself on an empty bed. Jude must have left a few hours ago...
"Judith! What about your homework!?"
"Geez, Mom! It's SATURDAY!"
Jude opened the door to her room, rolled her eyes, and began picking things up off the cluttered floor, only to put them in a second black backpack. She finally straightened up and put on her backpack. After this, she looked over at Bill, and picked up her skateboard in one hand and him with the other.
As she walked out of the room, the two heard their mother call out, "Judith, don't tell me you've left a mess in your room again!"
"It's not a mess, Mom," Jude replied as she put her Cyndaquil on her shoulder and opened the front door. "It's organized chaos."
Bill smiled inwardly in nostalgia. He used to use the same excuse on his mother all the time.
~~~
Bill found the ordinary Saturday which his sister lived to be... well... different from the one he had imagined. She wasn't the hooligan she made herself out to be or others made her out to be, nor was she the cutesy twerp he always thought of his younger sister as. She was... Just normal. She had her normal friends, which she hung out with at the arcade and the Pokémon Center; she did her normal chores, running errands for her mother obediently (despite how ironic that was), and she had her normal teenaged thoughts which she shared with Bill (though she thought he was just her Cyndaquil) as she skated through the streets of Goldenrod.
"I know this is one of my old complaints," she once said, "but sometimes I feel as if I don't belong in this family. Everyone has their own talents. Dad's good at guessing numbers, and I know because he never became so broke at the casino that he had to gamble away our last penny and force us into the ghetto. Mom's this graceful dancer and world-famous flower arranger, and some people think she's even better than Martha Stewart and Eliza Manelli put together. Penny's popularity is unbelieveable, and she's a good singer to boot, even if she's a major airhead. Then you've got Bill, who's so friggin' smart he's probably had NASA begging to have him work for them. And don't get me started on grandparents and other relatives."
She sighed. "But me? I'm just the punk kid who can't do anything right... except intentionally piss adults off."
'I didn't think she thought that way,' Bill thought upon listening to this. 'Then again, I admit Jude and I have never been truly close...'
"Sometimes I wish I was special," Jude added. "That I was born with a real special talent. Right now, I don't feel like I'm good enough to be called a McKenzie."
At this point, Bill wished he could speak to her to tell her that old but true saying. She was special in her own little way, even if it might not have anything to do with popularity or grace or... Well, you get the idea.
Jude passed through the ghetto again. It only took a few minutes before the gang stopped her.
"Hey, Jude,"*6* the leader greeted. "Have you thought about it?"
Jude put one foot on the ground and carefully concidered joining. If she couldn't do anything right, then what's the point? Maybe if she joined the gang, she'll find a little talent in gangwork. It wasn't anything her parents would be proud of, but it would be a talent nonetheless. Besides, she'd feel as if she'd really belong (she never did in her usual setting), and anytime someone gave her trouble, she'd have backup.
Jude looked at the leader and opened her mouth to answer. At this moment, Bill jumped off her shoulder, landed on the cement, took a deep breath, and used Ember.
The gang went wild, trying to put out the flames which caught the leader on fire. Jude screamed, picked Bill up, and skated as fast as she could away from there, knowing that this wouldn't end too well.
~~~
"Why did you do that!?" Jude whispered as she entered the house, just a few hours after the sun set.
Her mother greeted her, but she didn't reply as she went immediately to her (recently cleaned, thanks to Mrs. McKenzie) room.
{I had to do my job SOMEHOW,} Bill replied, ignoring the fact that she couldn't understand him.
"But... I guess... If you didn't want me to join, then maybe it wasn't such a good idea after all," she figured.
{No kidding.}
"Thanks, Cyndaquil."
{Anything for you, Jude.}
"But I guess I'll have to stay away from the ghetto from now on. Nice shot though."
{I suppose I went a bit overboard, though...}
Jude smiled and flopped on her bed. She reached down to where Bill sat beside the edge, picked him up, and put him on the bed beside her.
"What would I do without you, Cyndaquil?" she muttered. "Good night..."
She yawned and closed her eyes, tired from the day. Bill smiled, jumped off the bed, and curled up on the spot where he landed.
{Sweet dreams, Jude.}
~~~
The clock in the hallway struck midnight. Just as it had, a ghostly figure slipped through the wall. Gengar landed beside Bill and stood still for a moment.
The room seemed to drop in temperature,*7* and this woke Bill up. Cyndaquil naturally have poor vision,*8* so he couldn't see the uninvited visitor. But he knew it was there.
{Who's there?}
{A guest from Antiwarp, McKenzie,} the Gengar replied. {I'm here to escort you to my employer.}
Before Bill could react, Gengar used Hypnosis. The fire mouse was fast asleep within moments, allowing the ghost to pick him up and carry him away.*9*
Jude sat up, startled. She had been awakened when she heard her Cyndaquil's cries, and she could make out everything that was happening in the dark of the night.
Quickly, she gathered a few things, opened a window, and slipped into Goldenrod's nighttime scene to follow the Gengar.
~~~
Bill slowly woke up... and found himself in a cage. He sat up abruptly and gasped.
{Where am I...?}
It obviously was a warehouse, dimly-lit by fluorescent lights. Here and there, there were wooden crates, but his cage itself sat on the cement floor, rather than wood.
He knew he had to get out and fast, so he tossed all questions aside and used Ember on the bars. A few minutes later, he stopped and struck the bars with a Tackle.
The bars did nothing. In fact, they weren't even warm.
{Flame-resistant,} Bill muttered. {Ziggy!}
{You won't be seeing her for awhile...}
He looked over and saw Gengar standing next to a girl in something similar to a black Rocket uniform, only missing the R.
{Where am I?} Bill demanded.
"Relax, McKenzie," the girl replied. "You're with us now, and neither Theo--" She motioned to the Gengar. "--Or myself, Daphne, are doing anything to you until we receive orders from our boss."
{Who is this boss of yours?} Bill asked cautiously before realizing something. {And how can you understand me?}
No one noticed as Jude slipped in and hid herself among a pile of crates in a corner nearby.
"Our boss is Dr. Crocus," the girl answered. "She's the head scientist for Project Antiwarp, not to mention the inventor of the Pokémon-to-human translator I'm using to understand you and the signal scrambler that's keeping your Ziggy's signal from reaching you."
{Antiwarp...} Bill growled.
"Surprised, Bill?" Daphne inquired.
Jude's eyes widened as she whispered, "...Bill...?"
"Don't be," Daphne continued. "Even without Loki OR Team Rocket, we do just fine. Especially now that we've got a new source for funding..."
{What...?} Bill began.
"Unfortunately, we still need a thing or two from Warp and especially you, McKenzie," Daphne said, ignoring him. "Sure, we know how to control WHEN one would shift -- which, myself, I'd rather not do because I'd rather not be inside of a Pokémon body -- but we still don't know how to control where one would go and into what. That's what we need from you."
{You won't get anything from me,} Bill replied. {I don't know how either.}
{You're a pathetic liar, McKenzie,} Theo muttered before executing a Night Shade.
Jude gasped and was about to rush out of her hiding place when a white Sneasel and a Marowak smashed through the ceiling.
At this point, Bill's hope was restored. {Artemis!}
"You look like you need a little help, shifter friend of mine," Artemis commented as he approached the cage.
{I'll take care of these clowns; you get the Prime out of there,} Apollo, inside Marowak, instructed.
"Well, duh," Artemis muttered as he used his claws to try to pick the lock.
Jude slipped away, just as Apollo used Bonemerang, sending both agents into a wall. Daphne was immediately knocked out on impact, but Theo wasn't about to give up.
{Alright, punk! Try this!} Theo leapt forward and used Night Shade.
With ease, Apollo twirled Marowak's bone in front of him, deflecting the black energy... for the most part. Though he was struck by part of the attack, he remained undazed and able to throw his bone again in a Bonemerang attack. It struck Theo once more, but once again, the Gengar stood up, ready to fight again.
{Let's see you get away from this!} Theo yelled as he brought his hands together, forming a black ball.
Within moments, the ball grew to the size of a basketball. Theo threw this as one of the strongest Ghost-type attack known, Shadow Ball.
However, in a fit of humor, Apollo positioned himself like a baseball player and swung his "bat" (aka his bone) forward, striking the ball as if it were a baseball, sending it right back to the pitcher.
Theo was struck head-on and was once again sent flying into the wall. This time, he didn't get back to his feet, and a dull, brown light ascended from the Gengar's body and disappeared.
"Screw this!"
Apollo looked over to see Artemis withdraw his claw from the cage lock and swing both his claws across the bars in a Slash attack. A few moments later, the metal completely broke apart, freeing Bill.
{Out of curiousity, why didn't you do that in the first place?} Bill asked.
"Shut up," Artemis replied. "At least I got you out."
{Come on, we'll lead you back,} Apollo said. {I suggest we leave before these two wake up.}
Bill nodded and followed Artemis and Apollo out of the building.
As soon as they were gone, Oracle appeared.
"Mistress sent the three of us here to keep McKenzie in place so she could pick him up and experiment on him to find a way to get rid of his shifting ability," Oracle mumbled. "And THESE two screw up the job! Mistress won't like this at all..."
She turned around swiftly and disappeared.
~~~
Artemis and Apollo led Bill back to his family's home, stuck around to be thanked, and left. Bill was left to finish the rest of his mission.
However, inside the house, Jude remained in her bed (because dawn hadn't occurred yet) and went over what she heard.
'Bill...? Able to go into Pokémon bodies?' She stared at the ceiling. 'Weird. But then again, how do I know if it's the truth? On the other hand, Cyndaquil HAS been acting strange lately, and a former Rocket, like Daphne claimed to be, wouldn't be after Cyndaquil if there wasn't anything special about him...'
She closed her eyes as she heard someone entering the room. Cyndaquil.
'But... If it's true,' Jude thought, 'then... It's not my brother, right? I mean, sure he's weird, but... not THAT weird, right? Besides, Bill McKenzie is a common name. It could be ANYONE. Then again...'
She shut her eyes tighter.
'It DOES explain why he went missing for a few days on Penny's birthday. Not only that, but also why he's suddenly gotten quieter than usual... and why Cyndaquil was acting kinda like him...'
She opened her eyes and looked over, making out the outline of her Cyndaquil's body in the diminishing darkness. He was already asleep.
'Bill...'
~~~
It was quite surprising, but all of a sudden, Jude had seemed to clean up her act. She started being loving to her parents and quite polite, and she behaved herself in church and at home, not to mention the fact that she actually did her homework later on. Bill found no stay and shifted back when he was sure his mission was done.
However, the REAL reason why Jude was acting differently was only because she wanted something. She finally approached her mother about it that afternoon.
"Mother," Jude addressed politely. "If I remain well-behaved for the rest of the week, may I go to visit my dear older brother?"
Flora smiled and looked toward her husband, sitting at the table. He had no readable expression because his head was nearly completely hidden behind a newspaper, save for his straight, dark hair with strands of gray in it.
"I think you can go now," Flora said. "What do you think, Charles?*10*"
Her husband grunted and looked at her with his hazel eyes.
"Wouldn't William be a good influence on our Judith?" Flora asked.
Charles grunted again. "If she wants to go, let her. But if our little girl comes back weird, that boy will have a piece of my mind!"
Flora looked at Jude, blushing slightly with embarrassment, before giving her a nod.
~~~
A week had passed, and Bill was once again in the cellar, working on that device.
"I guess it felt nice to help your sister," Ziggy commented.
"My family means more to me than Pokémon," Bill stated. "Of COURSE it felt nice to help her!"
"You sound worried."
Bill sighed. "I'm just worried that Jude will run into some other sort of trouble, and when she does, I won't be around to help her."
"Not every older brother can save their sister ALL the time," Ziggy pointed out.
Bill smiled lightly. "How true. But I can't help but think about her..."
"I wish I could give you sympathy, but I'm not quite familiar with how you feel." Ziggy gave him a sly grin. "Maybe if you gave me a little sister..."
Bill straightened up and turned to face her. "Ziggy, do you honestly think I'm that gullible?"
She shrugged. "It was worth a try."
Bill rolled his eyes and turned back to his work just as the doorbell rang. He looked up.
"Hmm... Someone bothered to come up this way? Probably just a Ledyba Scout*11* desperate for someone to by her cookies," Bill joked.
"Ooh! Ledyba Scout Cookies!" Ziggy smiled. "Could you buy me some, please?"
Bill turned around to give her a curious glance. "Why? You don't eat."
"Oh yeah..."
Bill rolled his eyes once more and continued upstairs to answer the door.
~~~
He opened the door. There stood Jude with a suitcase by her side.
"J-Jude?" Bill blinked. "What are you doing here?"
"Can't I visit my dear older brother?" she asked with a smile.
"You never did before."
'If she comes to stay here, and if I shift out during that time, how will I explain it to her?' he asked himself mentally.
He spoke aloud. "I'm sorry, Jude. I'd love to have you over for a visit, but I'm working on a project and don't really have time for interruptions."
She gave him a solemn look as she looked into his eyes.
"Maybe if I told you the truth, you'll let me stay," Jude said before she took a deep breath. "Bill, I know about Warp."
Bill's eyes widened. He could find nothing to say.
***
End episode 11
---
Footnotes:
*1*: This is a pun on a pun. You see, there really IS a type of Clematis (which is a flower, by the way) called Bill McKenzie. If you don't believe me, look it up yourself. Now, whether or not the webmaster(s) of Pokémon World (the website which had for a long time until recently called Bill "McKenzie"... which is odd for an "official website"...) knew this is not actually known, but I highly doubt they did, making this one quirky coincidence. O_o;
*2*: Pronounced exactly like "chaos".
*3*: Just for the record, if anyone's interested, Jude wasn't named after the cute Beatles song that constantly gets stuck in Mai-chan's head. ("Hey, Jude/Don't make it bad/Take a sad song and make it better/Remember to let her into your heart..." Aww, craters...) Jude actually received her name from British actress Dame Judi Dench. (I just modified it a bit to make it fit tomboyish Jude.) Penny received her name from a similar source -- actress Penelope Keith. (Both, by the way, are stars of two of my absolute favorite Britcoms, As Time Goes By and To the Manor Born, respectively, among other programs and movies. ^_-)
*4*: I apologize to Light Sneasel for misleading him. Bill (nor any shifter, for that matter, except Apollo -- but more on Apollo later) CAN'T control which Pokémon he goes into... at will at least. However, if he ever touched a Pokémon (or a human, i.e. Loki, as seen in "Trading Spaces") and shifted out, he would shift into the Pokémon he touched. So, in a sense, you're right, but, alas, not completely. ^_^;
*5*: Um... The "or worse" would be referring to the fact that... he doesn't want Jude to get killed in a gang fight!!
*6*: I swear to god, this isn't a pun. o.o;
*7*: Supposedly, if a ghost is nearby, the temperature drops drastically in the room (or area, depending on whether the ghost haunts the outdoors or the indoors) it had arrived in.
*8*: Or at least I think they do. I'm sure they would, as, like Brock and Wobbuffet, Cyndaquil don't open their eyes. ^_^;
*9*: I can't explain how Gengar got Bill through the wall. Why would I need to? I'm currently thinking of the Pepsi commercial where Casper (the friendly ghost) tries to get a can of Pepsi out of a refrigerator but can't because the can is a physical object, kinda like a certain fiery mouse would be. o_o;
*10*: This would be a pun. I've named Bill's father Charles in reference to the British princes. Get it? Prince Charles and Prince William? (Too bad I can't fit in a pun with Prince Harry... ^_^;)
*11*: In reference to the Girl Scouts, but it's also a pun on A Bug's Life. (If I can remember correctly, Dot was a member of the Ladybug Scouts, something similar to the Girl Scouts. ^_^)
This is a bit rushed because I'm replying to whatever review that had come since last time I checked the review box, just as I did the tenth episode, so here we go!
To all those who said they loved Warp Series: Domo arigatou! ^_^
To individual reviews:
-Light Sneasel, on episode 10: This goes for Dr. Thinker too, but I know I've surprised a lot of people when I chose Ditto during this episode. Originally, I was going to have Bill shift from one Pokémon to another (dark and bug elementals, of course), but then I just got lazy. ^_^;
Then again, by choosing Ditto, I brought up the exact point that Light Sneasel found: Bill IS the stronger shifter. Quite powerful in general, too. ^_^ Trust me, this is an important point toward the end of this season. (Oops. Shouldn't be giving anything away, now, should I? ^_-)
I also thank LS-sama for the information on Bill's "role" in Ruby/Sapphire. I hope you don't mind, but I'll be putting it up on Forgotten Lights soon.
-DarkCatXX, on extra 01: Yes, all good stories should put you right in the action. I try to do this with everything I write, and I'm hoping others out there (save for those of you who literally title your stories "The worst Pokémon fanfiction of all time", no pointing fingers...) are doing the same.
-Light Sneasel, on extra 01: Hmm... You're getting warmer to figuring out Zero, LS, but if all else fails, you can always wait. I've gotten rid of season four, so you'll be able to find out as soon as somewhere in season three. ^_-
And by the way, good luck with the GBA-paw problem. ^_^
-Light Sneasel, on extra 03: First off, thanks for the luck with the union workers.
Second, wow, you can hold your breath for a long time. Amazing. ^_^
And third, thanks for joining the cult -- er, CIRCLE -- of Masaki/Bill fans. It's always good to see more in the world. ^_^
Anywho! First episode of the new season, which is technically episode eleven. Just ignore the number in the drop-down box which will take you to various chapters. -_-
***
Episode 11--
Sisterly Love
He found himself at the edge of the water. He looked about, trying to find the reason why he was there again.
There she was, kneeling by a patch of flowers. Clematis,*1* if he wasn't mistaken.
"Zero..."
She looked up at him, as if she always knew he was there.
"Hello, Bill. Have you realized that I've left you alone for a month?"
"Yes," he responded. "Zero, why were you keeping me from going on missions?"
"I wanted you to rest," she replied. "Bill, there's something coming."
"What?"
"I can't say. Something bigger than Lokov. Something dark. It will first strike using Antiwarp as a puppet--"
"Antiwarp?" Bill interrupted. "But... Weren't they disbanded over a month ago?"
"They were abandoned by Giovanni, if that's what you mean," Zero answered. "However, someone else will take it."
"Who?"
As if ignoring his question, Zero went on. "The darkness will strike a second time, this time using another form of shifters."
He opened his mouth to ask something, but Zero silenced him with a wave of her hand.
"The third time, it will strike you itself," she continued. "By this time, you will have realized your true destiny and will have mastered your powers."
"That must be a long time from now then," Bill joked.
Zero looked at him. He fell silent and blushed with embarrassment.
"Remain confident. Within the time period this darkness will take to strike you through Antiwarp, you will learn the key to mastering shifting."
She turned to face the lake.
"Bill, now is the time to make the decision. If you choose to follow your destiny, you will put your own life on the line and possibly never return to being a normal human ever again. If you choose to refuse your destiny, you will return to your former life before you gained your powers, but the world will be allowed to plunge into darkness." She looked at him. "Which do you choose?"
He closed his eyes for a moment.
'My... destiny?' he thought, overwhelmed. 'Do I allow evil to ruin this world? Do I allow innocent lives to fall into the darkness? Do I deny my destiny and forsake the reason I've decided to keep my powers?'
Zero remained silent. The only sounds Bill heard as he stared into the void under his eyelids were the sounds of the lake gently lapping against the shore and the sound of the wind blowing through the clearing and around him.
He opened his eyes.
'No...'
He opened his mouth to reply, but Zero smiled and spoke first.
"I can tell you have chosen to keep your destiny," she said. "You have a good heart."
"What should I do to prepare myself?" he inquired.
She gave him a warm look. "Return to your home and rest. That's all you can do."
"Thank you, Zero."
"I should be the one thanking you," she responded. "Your destiny will tell you why. You must go now, but I will contact you later. Farewell!"
Before Bill could ask her anything else, a darkness washed over him.
~~~
It was morning. He could tell. He saw what anyone would see if they closed their eyes in a sunny room. He felt the sun's rays warm his face.
Wait... Sun?
He awoke and looked over at the digital clock on his nightstand. Ten forty-five in the morning. His eyes widened, and he sat up abruptly.
"KYAAA!? How could I let myself sleep in!!?"
~~~
Crocus closed the door to her office (formerly Loki's) with a slam.
'Greedy morons!' she thought.
The Rockets had indeed returned, but they refused to form a band of unpaid soldiers for her. They wished to be paid, or they would leave. Unfortunately, Crocus had no money for paychecks.
She growled. "Where am I going to get money?"
"Perhaps I can help," a low, raspy voice replied from the shadows of the room.
She gasped. "Who's there!?"
Two points of light, the visitor's blood-red eyes, lit up.
"My name is Keios,*2*" the visitor replied. "I'm a wealthy business man willing to make a deal."
"Really? What sort of deal?"
"I will give you money if you do something in return for me."
"What sort of something?" Crocus narrowed her eyes.
"There is a young man whom I fear will cause trouble for me in the future," Keios explained. "He recently alarmed me by gaining a special ability. Find a way to strip him of his powers, then destroy him with your own shifters."
"Hmph! Why should I carry out a pointless assasination for you?"
"I promise you, if you do as I say, I'll give you the money to get what you want."
Crocus paused for a moment.
"Alright," she said. "It's a deal."
Keios held out a hand to shake hers with. She took it, shivered at how cold it was, and shook it.
"By the way," Crocus started after letting go of his hand. "What is the name of the young man you want my shifters to go after?"
"His name," Keios responded with a frown, "is McKenzie."
~~~
A girl on a skateboard weaved through the streets of Goldenrod City. She hadn't changed, save for the shorter hair, except for the first few locks of hair, close to her face, which had been dyed blue. She wore her usual street clothing: baggy jeans, a white tee-shirt with blue sleeves (on which was a black 8), black biker gloves, and red sneakers. On her back was a black backpack.
She didn't feel like returning home just yet, so she skated throughout Goldenrod. She reached a part which her mother had told her countless times to avoid, a run-down part of the city which had its walls covered in graffiti.
She wasn't scared, though.
Suddenly, someone pushed her off her skateboard. She fell on the ground, grabbed her board, and stood right back up, ready to crack her board across the face of whomever had the nerve to touch her.
"Who the hell did that!?" she snapped.
"Shut your mouth, baby."
In front of her were several larger people, all dressed in baggy clothing, all a few years older than the girl was, and all with dangerous looks.
"Don't call call me 'baby', ass hole," the girl hissed.
"Didn't your mommy ever tell you it's not nice to swear at people bigger than you are?" another thug asked. "How old are you, pipsqueak?"
"I'm fourteen, but I can still kick all of your asses," she replied.
"Really?" The second thug smirked. "I'd like to see that..."
He pounded his fist into his hand, threatening to start a fight. Just then, a larger and older boy (possibly the leader) grabbed him by the shoulder.
"Don't," the larger man said. "I think she's good enough for our posse." He looked at the girl. "What's your name?"
"People call me Jude,"*3* she replied. "You'd better too."
"Jude, how would you like to join our gang?"
"I don't join in. I make my own group."
The leader smiled. "Yeah? Well, I'll let you think about it. If you want to do something fun, come back to this side of town."
"Whatever," Jude replied as she put down her board and skated away.
~~~
Ziggy cocked her head. "So... You had a dream about Zero."
Bill stopped for a moment. He was bent over a counter, working on a new device. He straightened up and turned a bit to look at Ziggy.
"And?"
"What did she say?" Ziggy questioned.
He turned back to the counter and continued. "She said that a darkness will come and that my destiny has something to do with it."
"Is that it?"
"She also said that it will attack three times, but by the third time, I will have 'mastered my powers.'"
"Mastered them? How much further can you control them?"
Bill sighed. "I can't control where I go, nor can I consciously control what I go into without contact.*4* I suppose that there will be a time when can aquire these skills."
"Wow. You're going to be one powerful little twerp," she commented.
Bill smirked. "Thank you, Ziggy."
"By the way, Bill..."
"Hmm?"
"Up for a shift?"
He turned around and leaned against the counter. "I thought you'd never ask."
Quickly, he shifted out.
~~~
Crocus stormed through the lab door.
"Chester! Give me a status report!" she demanded.
The assistant wove through the chaos and approached Crocus.
"Doctor, we have good news and bad news," Chester reported. "The good news is that the technological experts have successfully penetrated McKenzie's cyber defenses and hacked into his Alpha program. We can now track his every move through his 'Ziggy.'"
Crocus smiled. "Good! But the bad news...?"
"The bad news is that, apparently, he's currently on the move," Chester added. "Alpha has set coordinates in Goldenrod City, but neither she nor her shifter have arrived yet."
Crocus chuckled. "Chester, remember to look up the definition of 'bad news' on your break."
Chester cocked his head. "Um... Okay... Doctor."
"But seriously, send Oracle along with Agents Daphne and Theo. I'm sure McKenzie would be happy to see us again..."
"Yes, doctor."
~~~
Jude opened the front door to her home and walked in without a second thought to time. Her mother, however, rushed over and tried to speak sternly with her.
"Judith McKenzie, where have you been!?" the mother inquired sharply.
"Out," Jude replied with barely any tone.
"It's nine forty-five at night, on a school night, no less," Mrs. McKenzie stated. "Do you know how much I've worried about you?"
"Not really," Jude responded as she headed toward her room.
"Why can't you be like your brother or sister?" Flora sighed.
"Because I don't want to be an airhead like my sister, and my brother is Heaven's ultra-rare, 'dear god, we're not doing THAT again' gift to mortals?" the daughter answered before walking into her room and shutting the door.
Flora could only sigh, give a saddened look, and walk away, shaking her head.
~~~
Jude dropped her backpack on the floor and picked up a PokéBall. She smiled, knowing what was inside.
"Cyndaquil! I choose you!"
The fire mouse obediently appeared. Jude sighed.
"Ignored by my so-called friends, laughed at by preps, spoken to by strangers in the ghetto, and lectured to by teachers on my 'attitude problem.'"
She picked Cyndaquil up and held it in her arms as she flopped on her back on her bed.
"You're probably the only one who gets me, Cyndaquil," she commented.
"Cynda!"
She smirked, placed Cyndaquil beside her, and curled up next to it. Within moments, she was fast asleep.
She didn't notice as a silver light descended into it.
Bill blinked, looked down at his sister, and carefully moved off the bed so as not to disturb her.
{Jude?} He cocked his head. {What am I doing here? Ziggy?}
Ziggy appeared.
"Aww... Your sister looks cute when she's asleep and not wreaking havoc!"
{My thoughts exactly,} Bill replied. {What am I doing here?}
"Well, you see..." Ziggy put her hands behind her head. "Your sister isn't exactly what you would call a happy child. She's one of those punks and skater girls who just hate, well, everything."
{And this I know far too well.}
"Right. Well, a few hours ago, she got this offer to... join a gang."
{WHAT!?}
Jude groaned a bit and turned over. Ziggy and Bill remained still and silent for a few moments, watching to see if she would wake up. When nothing happened, the conversation resumed.
{What?} Bill reacted, much softer than last time.
"She received an offer to join a gang," Ziggy restated. "And if things don't improve, she's going to join it. And to initiate, you of course need to do something... I dunno... illegal?"
{But Jude wouldn't do something as stupid as join a gang... Would she?}
"Bill, how long has it been since you've lived with her?"
Bill paused for a moment to remember. {Seven years.}
"Think, Bill. People can change in the space of seven years."
Bill's face went red with embarrassment. {Alright, alright. I see your point. Now, I suppose I'm here to stop Jude from joining this gang?}
"That's part of it."
{What would the other part be?}
"The other part is, after you stop Jude from joining the gang, you have to get her to drop the 'I hate the world' act and help her onto a better path. It's not going to be easy. Do you think you can get her to do all that?"
{I hope so,} Bill replied with a shudder. {I don't want to see my own sister wind up in jail or worse.}*5*
"I don't know if you remember or not, but if you don't, just keep in mind one thing: Jude's as stubborn than a Tauros on a hot day. Got it?"
{Trust me. THAT I know. She gets it from my father's side of the family.}
Ziggy smiled and nodded. "Good luck, Bill."
{Thanks, Ziggy.}
In an instant, she was gone. Bill looked up at his sleeping sister.
{Oh boy...}
~~~
The sun rose again. This time, he awoke to find himself on an empty bed. Jude must have left a few hours ago...
"Judith! What about your homework!?"
"Geez, Mom! It's SATURDAY!"
Jude opened the door to her room, rolled her eyes, and began picking things up off the cluttered floor, only to put them in a second black backpack. She finally straightened up and put on her backpack. After this, she looked over at Bill, and picked up her skateboard in one hand and him with the other.
As she walked out of the room, the two heard their mother call out, "Judith, don't tell me you've left a mess in your room again!"
"It's not a mess, Mom," Jude replied as she put her Cyndaquil on her shoulder and opened the front door. "It's organized chaos."
Bill smiled inwardly in nostalgia. He used to use the same excuse on his mother all the time.
~~~
Bill found the ordinary Saturday which his sister lived to be... well... different from the one he had imagined. She wasn't the hooligan she made herself out to be or others made her out to be, nor was she the cutesy twerp he always thought of his younger sister as. She was... Just normal. She had her normal friends, which she hung out with at the arcade and the Pokémon Center; she did her normal chores, running errands for her mother obediently (despite how ironic that was), and she had her normal teenaged thoughts which she shared with Bill (though she thought he was just her Cyndaquil) as she skated through the streets of Goldenrod.
"I know this is one of my old complaints," she once said, "but sometimes I feel as if I don't belong in this family. Everyone has their own talents. Dad's good at guessing numbers, and I know because he never became so broke at the casino that he had to gamble away our last penny and force us into the ghetto. Mom's this graceful dancer and world-famous flower arranger, and some people think she's even better than Martha Stewart and Eliza Manelli put together. Penny's popularity is unbelieveable, and she's a good singer to boot, even if she's a major airhead. Then you've got Bill, who's so friggin' smart he's probably had NASA begging to have him work for them. And don't get me started on grandparents and other relatives."
She sighed. "But me? I'm just the punk kid who can't do anything right... except intentionally piss adults off."
'I didn't think she thought that way,' Bill thought upon listening to this. 'Then again, I admit Jude and I have never been truly close...'
"Sometimes I wish I was special," Jude added. "That I was born with a real special talent. Right now, I don't feel like I'm good enough to be called a McKenzie."
At this point, Bill wished he could speak to her to tell her that old but true saying. She was special in her own little way, even if it might not have anything to do with popularity or grace or... Well, you get the idea.
Jude passed through the ghetto again. It only took a few minutes before the gang stopped her.
"Hey, Jude,"*6* the leader greeted. "Have you thought about it?"
Jude put one foot on the ground and carefully concidered joining. If she couldn't do anything right, then what's the point? Maybe if she joined the gang, she'll find a little talent in gangwork. It wasn't anything her parents would be proud of, but it would be a talent nonetheless. Besides, she'd feel as if she'd really belong (she never did in her usual setting), and anytime someone gave her trouble, she'd have backup.
Jude looked at the leader and opened her mouth to answer. At this moment, Bill jumped off her shoulder, landed on the cement, took a deep breath, and used Ember.
The gang went wild, trying to put out the flames which caught the leader on fire. Jude screamed, picked Bill up, and skated as fast as she could away from there, knowing that this wouldn't end too well.
~~~
"Why did you do that!?" Jude whispered as she entered the house, just a few hours after the sun set.
Her mother greeted her, but she didn't reply as she went immediately to her (recently cleaned, thanks to Mrs. McKenzie) room.
{I had to do my job SOMEHOW,} Bill replied, ignoring the fact that she couldn't understand him.
"But... I guess... If you didn't want me to join, then maybe it wasn't such a good idea after all," she figured.
{No kidding.}
"Thanks, Cyndaquil."
{Anything for you, Jude.}
"But I guess I'll have to stay away from the ghetto from now on. Nice shot though."
{I suppose I went a bit overboard, though...}
Jude smiled and flopped on her bed. She reached down to where Bill sat beside the edge, picked him up, and put him on the bed beside her.
"What would I do without you, Cyndaquil?" she muttered. "Good night..."
She yawned and closed her eyes, tired from the day. Bill smiled, jumped off the bed, and curled up on the spot where he landed.
{Sweet dreams, Jude.}
~~~
The clock in the hallway struck midnight. Just as it had, a ghostly figure slipped through the wall. Gengar landed beside Bill and stood still for a moment.
The room seemed to drop in temperature,*7* and this woke Bill up. Cyndaquil naturally have poor vision,*8* so he couldn't see the uninvited visitor. But he knew it was there.
{Who's there?}
{A guest from Antiwarp, McKenzie,} the Gengar replied. {I'm here to escort you to my employer.}
Before Bill could react, Gengar used Hypnosis. The fire mouse was fast asleep within moments, allowing the ghost to pick him up and carry him away.*9*
Jude sat up, startled. She had been awakened when she heard her Cyndaquil's cries, and she could make out everything that was happening in the dark of the night.
Quickly, she gathered a few things, opened a window, and slipped into Goldenrod's nighttime scene to follow the Gengar.
~~~
Bill slowly woke up... and found himself in a cage. He sat up abruptly and gasped.
{Where am I...?}
It obviously was a warehouse, dimly-lit by fluorescent lights. Here and there, there were wooden crates, but his cage itself sat on the cement floor, rather than wood.
He knew he had to get out and fast, so he tossed all questions aside and used Ember on the bars. A few minutes later, he stopped and struck the bars with a Tackle.
The bars did nothing. In fact, they weren't even warm.
{Flame-resistant,} Bill muttered. {Ziggy!}
{You won't be seeing her for awhile...}
He looked over and saw Gengar standing next to a girl in something similar to a black Rocket uniform, only missing the R.
{Where am I?} Bill demanded.
"Relax, McKenzie," the girl replied. "You're with us now, and neither Theo--" She motioned to the Gengar. "--Or myself, Daphne, are doing anything to you until we receive orders from our boss."
{Who is this boss of yours?} Bill asked cautiously before realizing something. {And how can you understand me?}
No one noticed as Jude slipped in and hid herself among a pile of crates in a corner nearby.
"Our boss is Dr. Crocus," the girl answered. "She's the head scientist for Project Antiwarp, not to mention the inventor of the Pokémon-to-human translator I'm using to understand you and the signal scrambler that's keeping your Ziggy's signal from reaching you."
{Antiwarp...} Bill growled.
"Surprised, Bill?" Daphne inquired.
Jude's eyes widened as she whispered, "...Bill...?"
"Don't be," Daphne continued. "Even without Loki OR Team Rocket, we do just fine. Especially now that we've got a new source for funding..."
{What...?} Bill began.
"Unfortunately, we still need a thing or two from Warp and especially you, McKenzie," Daphne said, ignoring him. "Sure, we know how to control WHEN one would shift -- which, myself, I'd rather not do because I'd rather not be inside of a Pokémon body -- but we still don't know how to control where one would go and into what. That's what we need from you."
{You won't get anything from me,} Bill replied. {I don't know how either.}
{You're a pathetic liar, McKenzie,} Theo muttered before executing a Night Shade.
Jude gasped and was about to rush out of her hiding place when a white Sneasel and a Marowak smashed through the ceiling.
At this point, Bill's hope was restored. {Artemis!}
"You look like you need a little help, shifter friend of mine," Artemis commented as he approached the cage.
{I'll take care of these clowns; you get the Prime out of there,} Apollo, inside Marowak, instructed.
"Well, duh," Artemis muttered as he used his claws to try to pick the lock.
Jude slipped away, just as Apollo used Bonemerang, sending both agents into a wall. Daphne was immediately knocked out on impact, but Theo wasn't about to give up.
{Alright, punk! Try this!} Theo leapt forward and used Night Shade.
With ease, Apollo twirled Marowak's bone in front of him, deflecting the black energy... for the most part. Though he was struck by part of the attack, he remained undazed and able to throw his bone again in a Bonemerang attack. It struck Theo once more, but once again, the Gengar stood up, ready to fight again.
{Let's see you get away from this!} Theo yelled as he brought his hands together, forming a black ball.
Within moments, the ball grew to the size of a basketball. Theo threw this as one of the strongest Ghost-type attack known, Shadow Ball.
However, in a fit of humor, Apollo positioned himself like a baseball player and swung his "bat" (aka his bone) forward, striking the ball as if it were a baseball, sending it right back to the pitcher.
Theo was struck head-on and was once again sent flying into the wall. This time, he didn't get back to his feet, and a dull, brown light ascended from the Gengar's body and disappeared.
"Screw this!"
Apollo looked over to see Artemis withdraw his claw from the cage lock and swing both his claws across the bars in a Slash attack. A few moments later, the metal completely broke apart, freeing Bill.
{Out of curiousity, why didn't you do that in the first place?} Bill asked.
"Shut up," Artemis replied. "At least I got you out."
{Come on, we'll lead you back,} Apollo said. {I suggest we leave before these two wake up.}
Bill nodded and followed Artemis and Apollo out of the building.
As soon as they were gone, Oracle appeared.
"Mistress sent the three of us here to keep McKenzie in place so she could pick him up and experiment on him to find a way to get rid of his shifting ability," Oracle mumbled. "And THESE two screw up the job! Mistress won't like this at all..."
She turned around swiftly and disappeared.
~~~
Artemis and Apollo led Bill back to his family's home, stuck around to be thanked, and left. Bill was left to finish the rest of his mission.
However, inside the house, Jude remained in her bed (because dawn hadn't occurred yet) and went over what she heard.
'Bill...? Able to go into Pokémon bodies?' She stared at the ceiling. 'Weird. But then again, how do I know if it's the truth? On the other hand, Cyndaquil HAS been acting strange lately, and a former Rocket, like Daphne claimed to be, wouldn't be after Cyndaquil if there wasn't anything special about him...'
She closed her eyes as she heard someone entering the room. Cyndaquil.
'But... If it's true,' Jude thought, 'then... It's not my brother, right? I mean, sure he's weird, but... not THAT weird, right? Besides, Bill McKenzie is a common name. It could be ANYONE. Then again...'
She shut her eyes tighter.
'It DOES explain why he went missing for a few days on Penny's birthday. Not only that, but also why he's suddenly gotten quieter than usual... and why Cyndaquil was acting kinda like him...'
She opened her eyes and looked over, making out the outline of her Cyndaquil's body in the diminishing darkness. He was already asleep.
'Bill...'
~~~
It was quite surprising, but all of a sudden, Jude had seemed to clean up her act. She started being loving to her parents and quite polite, and she behaved herself in church and at home, not to mention the fact that she actually did her homework later on. Bill found no stay and shifted back when he was sure his mission was done.
However, the REAL reason why Jude was acting differently was only because she wanted something. She finally approached her mother about it that afternoon.
"Mother," Jude addressed politely. "If I remain well-behaved for the rest of the week, may I go to visit my dear older brother?"
Flora smiled and looked toward her husband, sitting at the table. He had no readable expression because his head was nearly completely hidden behind a newspaper, save for his straight, dark hair with strands of gray in it.
"I think you can go now," Flora said. "What do you think, Charles?*10*"
Her husband grunted and looked at her with his hazel eyes.
"Wouldn't William be a good influence on our Judith?" Flora asked.
Charles grunted again. "If she wants to go, let her. But if our little girl comes back weird, that boy will have a piece of my mind!"
Flora looked at Jude, blushing slightly with embarrassment, before giving her a nod.
~~~
A week had passed, and Bill was once again in the cellar, working on that device.
"I guess it felt nice to help your sister," Ziggy commented.
"My family means more to me than Pokémon," Bill stated. "Of COURSE it felt nice to help her!"
"You sound worried."
Bill sighed. "I'm just worried that Jude will run into some other sort of trouble, and when she does, I won't be around to help her."
"Not every older brother can save their sister ALL the time," Ziggy pointed out.
Bill smiled lightly. "How true. But I can't help but think about her..."
"I wish I could give you sympathy, but I'm not quite familiar with how you feel." Ziggy gave him a sly grin. "Maybe if you gave me a little sister..."
Bill straightened up and turned to face her. "Ziggy, do you honestly think I'm that gullible?"
She shrugged. "It was worth a try."
Bill rolled his eyes and turned back to his work just as the doorbell rang. He looked up.
"Hmm... Someone bothered to come up this way? Probably just a Ledyba Scout*11* desperate for someone to by her cookies," Bill joked.
"Ooh! Ledyba Scout Cookies!" Ziggy smiled. "Could you buy me some, please?"
Bill turned around to give her a curious glance. "Why? You don't eat."
"Oh yeah..."
Bill rolled his eyes once more and continued upstairs to answer the door.
~~~
He opened the door. There stood Jude with a suitcase by her side.
"J-Jude?" Bill blinked. "What are you doing here?"
"Can't I visit my dear older brother?" she asked with a smile.
"You never did before."
'If she comes to stay here, and if I shift out during that time, how will I explain it to her?' he asked himself mentally.
He spoke aloud. "I'm sorry, Jude. I'd love to have you over for a visit, but I'm working on a project and don't really have time for interruptions."
She gave him a solemn look as she looked into his eyes.
"Maybe if I told you the truth, you'll let me stay," Jude said before she took a deep breath. "Bill, I know about Warp."
Bill's eyes widened. He could find nothing to say.
***
End episode 11
---
Footnotes:
*1*: This is a pun on a pun. You see, there really IS a type of Clematis (which is a flower, by the way) called Bill McKenzie. If you don't believe me, look it up yourself. Now, whether or not the webmaster(s) of Pokémon World (the website which had for a long time until recently called Bill "McKenzie"... which is odd for an "official website"...) knew this is not actually known, but I highly doubt they did, making this one quirky coincidence. O_o;
*2*: Pronounced exactly like "chaos".
*3*: Just for the record, if anyone's interested, Jude wasn't named after the cute Beatles song that constantly gets stuck in Mai-chan's head. ("Hey, Jude/Don't make it bad/Take a sad song and make it better/Remember to let her into your heart..." Aww, craters...) Jude actually received her name from British actress Dame Judi Dench. (I just modified it a bit to make it fit tomboyish Jude.) Penny received her name from a similar source -- actress Penelope Keith. (Both, by the way, are stars of two of my absolute favorite Britcoms, As Time Goes By and To the Manor Born, respectively, among other programs and movies. ^_-)
*4*: I apologize to Light Sneasel for misleading him. Bill (nor any shifter, for that matter, except Apollo -- but more on Apollo later) CAN'T control which Pokémon he goes into... at will at least. However, if he ever touched a Pokémon (or a human, i.e. Loki, as seen in "Trading Spaces") and shifted out, he would shift into the Pokémon he touched. So, in a sense, you're right, but, alas, not completely. ^_^;
*5*: Um... The "or worse" would be referring to the fact that... he doesn't want Jude to get killed in a gang fight!!
*6*: I swear to god, this isn't a pun. o.o;
*7*: Supposedly, if a ghost is nearby, the temperature drops drastically in the room (or area, depending on whether the ghost haunts the outdoors or the indoors) it had arrived in.
*8*: Or at least I think they do. I'm sure they would, as, like Brock and Wobbuffet, Cyndaquil don't open their eyes. ^_^;
*9*: I can't explain how Gengar got Bill through the wall. Why would I need to? I'm currently thinking of the Pepsi commercial where Casper (the friendly ghost) tries to get a can of Pepsi out of a refrigerator but can't because the can is a physical object, kinda like a certain fiery mouse would be. o_o;
*10*: This would be a pun. I've named Bill's father Charles in reference to the British princes. Get it? Prince Charles and Prince William? (Too bad I can't fit in a pun with Prince Harry... ^_^;)
*11*: In reference to the Girl Scouts, but it's also a pun on A Bug's Life. (If I can remember correctly, Dot was a member of the Ladybug Scouts, something similar to the Girl Scouts. ^_^)