Foreword: Yep. It's about bloody time. Review reply day! =D
-To DarkCatXX, for episode eleven: You're welcome for the mention. And by the way, I welcome predictions about hosts. Some give me inspirations. ^_^
-To Light Sneasel, for episode twelve: Well, I'm happy I gave you an idea that can help you get out of cleaning your room. =D (Trust me, it's helped me for about a year. It works. XD Unless, of course, your mother is a bit stricter than mine is... ^_^;)
And thanks for allowing me to put up the info. ^_^
-To Tiggera, for episode twelve: Yes, I had mentioned that. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to find time (or inspiration) to use that idea in a complete episode... And it takes a LOT of failed missions to have much of an effect.
Originally, I was planning on using this bit to be able to use a hybrid/chimera idea somewhere in Warp Series, but to keep away from using TOO many overused plots, I just stuck with the "it makes you crazy" idea... =/
-To Light Sneasel, for episode thirteen: Yes, after you commented the first time (for Trading Spaces) that you thought that the arguments between Oracle and Ziggy were humorous, I've tried to fit in more. After all, they're fun to write, and if people like them, I'd be more than happy to write more of 'em. =D
By the way, yes, Bill IS going to be a major threat to the forces of evil. (Wow... That... kinda sounded like a Sailormoon plot... ^_^;) Just wait, and the story will get a bit more interesting when I build upon this... ^_-
Hmm... Well, you've given me a few good ideas with that last paragraph of yours. However, you've just provided yourself with another new mystery to solve because of that. (Hate to be sadistic, but one isn't supposed to just READ Warp Series; they're supposed to think about it a bit, too. And you're doing a great job of that, LS-sama. ^_^)
-To DarkCatXX, for episode thirteen: Well, it looks like you're on to something with the TCB. ^_^
-To blue-eyes toon dragon, for episode thirteen: Quantum Leap is a science fiction television show about a scientist (Dr. Sam Beckett) who is forced to "leap" (take on their lives for a brief moment in time, though how seems to be a controversy -- I do, however, know that a part of him "occupies their aura".) into people across time (meaning, anytime in his own lifetime) as a result of a time traveling experiment gone wrong. This is only a basic summary of the story, but the rest of it might make this bit a LOT longer and much more complicated than anyone wants to deal with, so I highly suggest looking it up on Google or going to quantumleap-alsplace(dot)com, which has a fair amount of good sites listed on its linkage page. ^_^
-To Tiggera, for episode thirteen: Indeed. I suppose people just don't do too many fanfics about/involving Porygon because, well, it's so dang hard to get (Trust me, 9999 coins takes a long time to obtain! Even the easy way of constantly buying coins! ...And Game Shark tends to get messy... at least for me... o_o;), and no one really appreciates it too much due to the dreaded seizure episode. (Dun, dun, dun!) But it's a shame because Porygon really IS pretty cool... XD
-To Dr. Thinker, for episode thirteen: Thanks for the suggestions! I'll think about them. ^_^
-To Kirari, for episode fourteen: It should be third-millenium, if you count year 0 to year 999 as being the first millenium. ^_^; But anywho, I couldn't remember what to call this decade (you know, like "the 90's" refers to 1990-1999, "the 60's" refers to 1960-1969, etc.) without going all cliché-y and saying "2K". (Trust me, it IS a bit of a cliché. There's a heck of a lot of things involving "2K", including, if anyone's familiar with Will and Grace, "Just Jack... 2K!")
Yes, it's incredible how much danger Ash gets himself into. The boy's danger prone, I tell you! *cowers in fear*
Thirdly, just because I said "drug" doesn't mean I meant "medicine". I mean, arisol can be considered a drug if abused; cigarettes are drugs; alcohol in beer is a drug on a level, and acid... It's a flat-out drug which never had a medical purpose to the best of my knowledge. O_o; (Or did it...? o.o;) All in all, that's a hidden message saying don't do drugs! *imitates Warren from Greg the Bunny for a moment* Just say no! Stay in school! *sings* I'm a little teapot... XD
(How I miss Greg the Bunny... ^_^)
-To Light Sneasel, for episode fourteen: On your comments on just how "easy" it will be to get rid of Bill, indeed it will be a bit difficult. While naturally, you just can't get rid of him that easily (meaning, in the way Crocus is going to try to get rid of him -- he's got to be too cunning for that... well, anyone is, I should say), even if Crocus injected the drug/virus into him, you know he'd make it out alright because I would make it that way... even if it takes countless plot holes. ^_^;
I get what you're saying about destiny, and I'm glad we share similar views... slightly different. I can't say too much else due to a risk of being repetitive. o_o;
As for your guess about Keios, though I shouldn't say flat-out that you're right, I will anyways. ^_^; Of course, you'll have to wait until later for a little clarification. ^_-
-To DarkCatXX, for episode fourteen: You didn't think I'd continue...? Oh, dear, I wouldn't leave people hanging. (Oh wait... That was hypocritical... *coughs as she looks back at the countless plot bunnies accumilated on the MFC*) Don't you worry, I'll finish this fanfiction or deny my fangirlish devotion to Sonezaki Masaki! =D
As for your second review, there should be a blue bar at the top of your screen, on which are two white links. One says "Register"; the other reads "Log in." If you don't have an account yet, click "Register" and follow the directions. If you DO have an account, click "Log in." From there, it should be self-explanitory, but if you run into any other problems, simply e-mail me. (zeroseven@tokyo.com) I'll be happy to help. ^_^
-To Tiggera, for episode fourteen: Yes, I like your sign-off, and I get the joke behind it. Cute! ^_^
To Light Sneasel, for episode fifteen: Yes, I agree with you about Ash and his mother. (It just scares me that they're both THAT hyper sometimes... ^_^;) Yes, there's a chance that Mondo might improve (as will Loki, though he won't want to go after Bill anymore) for the sake of the storyline. And finally, yes and no about the Keios thing. You'll just have to wait and see... ^_-
-To DarkCatXX, for episode fifteen: 'Tis okay. I don't (as in didn't, still don't, and probably won't) take your comment in a bad way. Yes, admittedly, it IS a bit different, but perhaps it's because I forced Bill to share the spotlight... Or did you mean that it's just different, period? ^_^;
-To Dr. Thinker: Thank you very much for reminding me of that episode. ^_^; And MUY gracias for the new episode title, which, as you probably have noticed, hadn't been put into use (because I just couldn't seem to make it work -- his name is Shakespeare, with the e at the end, and that, unfortunately, makes a difference), but it HAS inspired me to make up a new title. I really don't know how I was inspired to do an Elvis-related title from your suggestion of a Shakespeare-related title, but then again, I HAVE been known to think up some QUIRKY things... ^_^; (Such as that Napoleon with an Italian accent thing... o.o;)
Wow. That seriously took two pages. O_o; Well, to compensate, I'll give you a nice, juicy episode... which some (*coughLScough*) might find a bit coincidential... =D
***
Episode 16--
Experimentation
"Ash wants to ask you what you think he should do next."
"Tell him that if he wants to get through this safely, he shouldn't look down, but he SHOULD maintain good balance."
"Safely, huh?" Jude smirked. "Hey, Ash? Buddy, are you still there? Yeah? Great. He says look down and let go."
"GIVE ME THAT!!"
Bill pulled Jude's watcher equipment off and put them on himself.
"Alright, Ash, first off, I want you to ignore everything Jude just told you," Bill instructed. "I'm aware she's not completely concerned with your well being, and I'll be happy to have Ziggy go after you until Jude learns that a watcher doesn't lead their shifters into certain doom."
"Please, Bill," Jude said as she rolled her eyes. "It's not CERTAIN doom."
"Excuse me for a second, Ash." Bill took off the headset and visor to speak quietly and directly to Jude. "He's in an unusually small Spinarak's body, four stories from the top floor on the outside of the Sears Tower. If falling from that height ISN'T certain doom, I would certainly like to know what IS."
"Falling from that height AND being pierced in the chest by a sharp object on the streets below?"
He stared at her for a moment before raising an eyebrow and shaking his head. "Where do you GET these ideas from...?"
She shrugged and replied, "The violence of the modern entertainment industry."
He rolled his eyes and slipped the headset and visor back on.
"Sorry about that, Ash," Bill said. "Alright, listen to me. That single, weakened cord*1* won't support both your charge's weight and the weight of the platform at the same time. Before it snaps, use String Shot. Hopefully, your host and the thread it produces are both strong enough to hold Harold alone and long enough for someone to help him inside. Okay?"
{Got it!} Ash replied.
"Good."
Bill continued to monitor the situation until Ash came out successful. When this happened, Jude was given back her watcher equipment.
"Now THAT'S how to be a good watcher," Bill told his younger sister.
"Well, being a good watcher for that little twerp something I'd really like to do," Jude replied.
He narrowed his eyes at her. "Well, 'that little twerp' saved my life twice, so if I were you, I would learn how to hold my tongue."
"Whatever."
Ash shifted back.
"So, how did I do?" Ash inquired.
"Quite well," Bill complimented as he helped the young trainer up. "Not too bad for a second shift."
Jude scoffed and continued upstairs through to the living quarters.
"Why doesn't Jude like me?" Ash asked Bill.
He smiled and looked aside, using one hand to thumb through a stack of papers on a table beside him. "Oh, she likes you. Acts of sadism are just her way of showing it. You see, she's a believer in the saying, 'You hurt the ones you love.'"
"Huh? Love?"
"Did I say that?" Bill's smile grew slightly broader, as if he was deliberately refraining from telling Ash something. "I didn't mean anything by it."
Ash blinked. "Uh..."
Suddenly, Jude's scream was heard from upstairs. Bill stopped for awhile before turning and bolting upstairs. When he arrived on the second floor with Ash, he saw a four men in black, Rocket Grunt-style uniforms (only missing the blood-red R), all tying up Jude.
At this point, Jude swore so severely it would have made even the ex-Rockets blush if they thought about it.
"If you hadn't caught me off guard..." Jude finally growled with actual, clean words.
"Let her go and leave this place, or I promise you, you WILL regret coming here!" Bill sneered, angered at the sight of the four men overpowering and tying up his sister.
"Actually, we will leave here, as soon as we get exactly what we want," one of the men replied.
Hesitantly, Bill finally asked, "What is it that you want?"
"Why, you, Dr. McKenzie," a female voice answered from behind him before spraying sleeping gas at both Ash and Bill.
Before he blacked out, Bill could hear his sister cry out for him. He tried to stay awake to help her, but already, he felt drowsy. So drowsy that he dropped to his knees before falling over on the floor. He remained lying there, awake, for a few more moments before he finally groaned and closed his eyes.
~~~
Bill slowly came to. He wasn't aware of much at first... until he felt a sharp pinch in his arm. His eyes fully opened abruptly, and he turned to find Chester pull away from him, syringe in hand. Before Bill had time to react to Chester, more Antiwarp agents came from almost literally out of the shadows, grabbed him, and pulled him into one of the many cages that lined the room. One agent shut the cage door and locked it firmly afterwards.
The crowd parted, allowing Dr. Crocus to make her way through. Her grin was almost like the Cheshire Cat's, and of course we all know how much anyone could trust that cat... or anyone in Wonderland for that matter.
"Welcome to our lair, Dr. McKenzie," she greeted. "Allow me to introduce myself. I am Dr. Crocus, lead scientist and current boss of Project Antiwarp." She chuckled. "Oh. I'm sorry. I'm not quite the boss just yet. I work for a VERY generous employer."
"What did you do to me?" Bill growled. "What did you inject into me?"
Crocus grinned again. "Apparently, my employer, Mr. Keios, isn't too fond of you. He wants you stripped of your little gift and disposed of afterwards."
Bill didn't like the way she emphasized "disposed of", but he remained silent, wondering where this explanation was headed.
"And so, to take care of half the job, my colleagues and I have developed a powerful little drug called AS7*2* which reduces the energy it takes for you to shift... as well as a virus that ensures that you don't try to regain that extra energy again," Crocus told him.
Bill growled, finding no polite words to reply. "Bitch..."
Crocus threw back her head and laughed before motioning to her lackeys to leave the room, leaving Bill and her alone.
Bill could find no other solution to this problem except to see if he could shift before it was too late. He closed his eyes and concentrated, producing that silver light. However, he knew something was wrong, and he opened his eyes. One glance at the arm the drug was injected into told him what had happened.
In order to shift, one's entire body must produce the energy to push the mind and soul out, illustrated by a colored glow matching one's aura. However, this arm was the only part of Bill that refused to glow a bright silver.
Suddenly, a pain shot up to his left shoulder from the injection site. He clenched his teeth, closed his eyes, and groaned, grabbing his arm where the drug had been injected and slamming his back into one of the cage walls.
Crocus chuckled sadistically. "What's the matter, McKenzie? Can't stand to lose your cute, little powers?"
'Why don't you inject yourself with this drug?' Bill thought. 'Then maybe you'll know "what's wrong with me"...'
"You can't get rid of my powers this easily," he informed her aloud.
"Oh, why don't you just give up and admit that you can't stand a chance?" Crocus asked with a smile. "Keios will get his way, and I'll get mine. And you..." She stepped forward, close to the bars of the cage. "...You, my sly little friend, will be a mutilated corpse in a grave."
"I won't give up. I won't let you win!"
"Fine. Then die fighting. You'll only entertain us. The more you struggle, the more exciting the show becomes!"
Bill managed to push off the side of the cage, turning toward the front and moving in, close to Crocus' face.
"You have no idea how many allies are by my side," he sneered.
"And you underestimate the power of the one I work for," Crocus replied.
"So do you."*3*
Crocus frowned. "I'm starting to see what Lokov meant when he called you cocky."
Bill smirked, giving her a strong, determined look, as if the drug had no effect on his energy whatsoever.
She narrowed her eyes at him. "Hmph. As much as I'd love to watch you swallow your pride and suffer for hours on end until your final breath, I have work to do."
She turned on her heel and walked away, passing a lackey on the way out the door.
"Keep an eye on him," she muttered to her subordinate. "Though he may not look like it, the twerp's cunning."
The lackey nodded and leaned up against a wall on the opposite side of the room.
'Hmph. As if I'm actually going anywhere,' Bill thought with a sigh. 'Oh, god, I hate cages...'
He leaned against the cage front, pressing his back against the bars as he held his arm again. It was numb, and this lack of feeling was spreading into his chest. He wondered for a moment if the drug were simply a poison...
'What do I do now?'
As if on cue, Ziggy appeared.
"Ziggy," he said, extremely softly so as not to allow the guard to overhear. "Help me! Antiwarp injected a drug into me which--"
"I know," Ziggy interrupted with a concerned glance. "Zero told me. She also told me that if you don't get out of here they're going to kill you."
"What should I do?" he asked. "There's nothing in here that could get me out of this cage, and I can't shift into a Pokémon to get it to help..."
"Apollo and Artemis are breaking in as we speak," she assured him. "And Ash is waking up. As soon as he fully awakens, Jude's going to tell him all about your situation."
He bowed his head. "Thank you, Ziggy."
She grinned and thought, 'Anytime, my dear creator.'
~~~
"Ash? Ash! Please, for the love of all things good and holy, please wake up!"
Ash groaned and opened his eyes. He looked up to see Jude, still tied up but squirming much closer to him. She looked at him with a grave look.
"Ash, please! You've gotta shift!" she pleaded.
Ash blinked. "Why? Where's Bill?"
"They took him!"
"Who took him?"
Jude turned away so Ash wouldn't see the tears in her eyes. "Antiwarp."
Ash cocked his head. "Who?"
"Antiwarp," Jude repeated, with her head still turned away from Ash. "Bill told me about them. They used to be with Team Rocket, but now they're employed by something even worse." She shut her eyes tightly. "I don't... really know what they want with him, but he's told me about his past encounters with them, and they usually tried to do something bad to him..." Tears ran down her cheeks, showing just how useless she felt. "I know this time, he's in trouble. I don't know exactly what they're going to do to him this time, but I know it."
Ash couldn't say anything. Neither could Jude for a while.
"Ash..." She slowly turned her head back to him. "I don't want to lose my brother."
"You won't," Ash assured her. "But when I try to shift, how can I get closer to him?"
"Zero will take you there. She told me."
"Told you?"
"I know it sounds REALLY crazy, but Zero sends me messages through my COM device. A few minutes ago, she sent me a mission statement, and according to her, you've got to meet up with another shifter to save Bill."
"Another shifter?"
"I've never known about one outside of Antiwarp, but apparently, there's Apollo."
"Who?"
Jude looked at him. "Ash, we're wasting time. Please, go and help save my brother!"
Ash nodded and shifted out.
~~~
{Ash Ketchum?}
Ash opened his eyes. As soon as he did, he found himself face-to-face with a Hitmonchan. He sat up abruptly, though this was hard to do, as apparently, he was inside the body of an Electrode.*4*
{Who are you?} Ash asked.
{My name is Apollo,} the Hitmonchan replied before motioning to a white Sneasel beside him. {This is my partner, Artemis. We have been asked by Lady Aigori to watch over both you and the Prime.}
{Lady Aigori? The Prime?} Ash blinked. {Who?}
"Let me handle this, Apollo," Artemis said.
Ash's eyes widened. {Woah! A talking Sneasel!}
Artemis ignored him. "Lady Aigori is an all-knowing star pixie you know as Zero. The Prime, on the other hand, is a label that refers to the first shifter who hadn't received his powers naturally, the one you call Bill."
Ash blinked. {Okay...}
{Come on, we've got to keep moving,} Apollo said. {We're deep inside the laboratory used for Antiwarp. If we stay in one place for a moment too long, we'll be stuck in here just the same way Bill is.}
{Right,} Ash replied as he followed Apollo and Artemis down a corridor.
~~~
Bill sat inside the cage, keeping as still and as calm as possible. The dose of AS7 hadn't gone completely through his system, and he was trying to keep it from doing so by slowing down his blood flow.*5* Still, he could feel the drug moving in his bloodvessels, slowly, like a Magcargo slithering down a mountainside. And yet, he could still feel his energy slowly being sucked out of each of the cells the drug HAD come in contact with.
He silently wondered where Ash, Artemis, and Apollo were and whether or not they'll reach him in time.
The guard chuckled. "Thinking up a plan to escape? Whatever you're thinking, it won't work!"
Bill didn't reply.
Suddenly, another goon burst into the room with frantic eyes.
"Didja hear? Someone broke in!" the lackey yelled.
The guard blinked. "Who?"
"We don't know! The security camera's all busted!"
"Why did you bother telling me that?"
The lackey hit the guard in the head with a slap. "Think, Zach! Even if they're only looking for information, if they find Poindexter over there, no doubt they'll take him with them!"
The guard glared at the lackey in response. "Why do you think Crocus wanted me to watch over him, genius?"
There was a pause.
"Oh." The goon blushed and ran back out the door, leaving the guard to shake his head.
For the first time in a half an hour, Bill moved. A grin grew across his lips.
~~~
{That's the only thing standing in our way,} Ash stated, looking down the dark staircase.
Within an hour, the trio knocked out several lackeys, trying to reach the location Zero told them about. All that they had to do now was to decend into unknown darkness to the basement, where the test Pokémon used to be held and supposedly where Bill was now being held.
"After you, oh brave Electrode," Artemis said with a sly grin as motioned toward the threshold with a clawed paw.
Ash's eyes widened. {What!? Why me!?}
An Antiwarp agent's voice echoed from somewhere up the hall. "I hear something over this way!"
"You'd better get down there, buddy!" Artemis said. "And use Explosion when you land!"
Ash blinked {What!?}
At this, Artemis kicked Ash down the steps, waving as the ball Pokémon bounced down a few steps, then continued, rolling until he hit the bottom. He continued rolling until he reached a door, at which point, he broke the barrier down, startling the guard behind it.
"What the...!?"
"Ash! Use Explosion!" Artemis called from somewhere higher up the stairs.
{Can't I use some other move?} Ash inquired, knowing full well that after executing Explosion, he no doubt wouldn't be able to fight.
"Just do it!" Artemis replied with a growl. "If you don't, I'm going to come down there and MAKE you do it!"
Ash groaned, knowing this would indeed be VERY painful. And still, he obeyed, growing a bright white before finally exploding in a cloud of smoke.
A few moments later, Artemis and Apollo ran down the stairs. Apollo would serve as further distraction, keeping the agents at bay as Artemis once more got Bill out of a cage.*6*
"Bill?" Artemis whispered, squinting through the smoke.
"Over here," he replied with a sharp whisper.
Artemis turned and walked to his right until he was able to feel Bill's arm, stretched partially through the cage bars.
"There you are! I'll have you out in a moment," Artemis reassured as he jumped up and clung to the padlock which kept the cage door in place. "Are you alright? Zero told us about what happened to you."
"For the moment, I'm fine," Bill replied. "However, I don't know how much longer it will be before I feel the full effects of this drug."
"Then we'd better hurry and get you back to the lighthouse," Artemis said as he carefully picked the lock with his claws.
Apollo threw another Ice Punch, freezing another set of agents who attempted to stop the commotion as another group came in.
{Artemis! Hurry!} Apollo managed to call. {I can't hold them back forever!}
"I'm going as fast as I can!" Artemis replied harshly.
"Artemis?" Bill finally addressed.
"What?"
"Use Slash."
Artemis glanced at Bill. "Hey, buddy! I don't tell you how to do YOUR job!"
Despite this, Artemis took his advice and brought his claws across the padlock. Within seconds, the lock was nothing but pieces of metal on the floor. Bill got up, pushed the cage door open, and grabbed Ash, who had been knocked unconscious by his own attack.
"Apollo! Clear the way!" Bill commanded.
{No problem!}
Apollo ran forward, using Thunder Punch on every agent that stood between him and the exit. Following him was Bill, still carrying Ash, as well as Artemis bringing up the rear.
As the three ran as fast as they possibly could out of the lab, a figure stood down a hallway, not even reacting to the escape.
Crocus grinned in the shadows. "You can try to run, McKenzie, but in the matter of minutes, you'll be mine again..."
~~~
{Lady Aigori had arranged for someone to take us by water back to your lighthouse,} Apollo said. {All we have to do is make it to the beach!}
Apparently, the laboratory sat on Cinnabar Island, a bit inland and away from the beach. However, it still was easy to get from point A to point B, especially since, strangely enough, the Antiwarp agents were far behind them.
Up until now, the dose of AS7 had indeed taken effect on Bill, but it was such a small effect that he was able to ignore it. However, as soon as his feet touched the sands of the shore, the drug fully kicked in. He and the others had just a strip of sand separating them from the Lapras which would take them back north, but here, unluckily enough, his vision began to blur, and he felt as if he could no longer stand up. With a groan, he dropped to his knees, allowed Ash to roll away a bit, bent down, and began to breathe heavily. Apollo and Artemis stopped abruptly to watch him.
"What's wrong?" Artemis inquired.
It took awhile for Bill to answer, and when he did, it was a reply done with a weak voice. "I feel so tired..."
Artemis and Apollo looked at each other. They knew what this meant.
At this time, Antiwarp agents began to move in and fast.
"Apollo, get the Prime and Ash on Lapras," Artemis instructed. "You're the stronger of the both of us! You can carry them much easier than I can! And hurry! I'll stay behind and try to give you and Lapras as much time as I can!"
Apollo nodded. {Good luck, Artemis.}
The world began to fade out on Bill as Apollo lifted him and Ash and ran toward the Lapras. Behind them, Artemis stood in a defensive position until the Antiwarp goons came close enough.
"'Welcome to my parlour,' said the spider to the fly," Artemis sneered as he jumped high up into the air. "Every one of you look a bit hot. Let's see if I can cool you down! ICY WIND!"
Though Icy Wind is a rather weak ice move compared to others, such as Blizzard and Ice Beam, the agents didn't stand a chance.
~~~
Bill slowly woke up and groaned. His body ached, so he didn't dare move, save for opening his eyes. Almost immediately after, he felt someone place a cold, wet cloth on his head. He looked up to see Jude sitting on the edge of his bed.
"Hey, Bill," she said softly. "Glad to see you awake."
He smiled at her.
"A Lapras brought you and Ash back here," Jude explained. "I wound up having to drag you into bed. You know, you're not the lightest person on this planet!"
He chuckled lightly for a bit. "I know."
She gulped and looked away. "You know, you scared the living shit out of me today."
"Did I?"
"Yeah..." She blinked. "I thought they were going to kill you. I... I didn't want to see you die."
"Oh my," Bill responded with another light laugh. "Jude McKenzie, caring deeply about someone other than... Well, actually caring deeply about something? Hold on, let me check to see if four horsemen are riding across a fiery sky."*7*
"Shut up, Bill!" Jude snapped, glaring at him. "I'm trying to be serious, and all you can do is criticize me!?"
He gave her a gentle glance. "I'm sorry, Jude. Yes, that WAS a bit uncalled for..."
"Hmph!" Jude looked away again. "I guess I can forgive you. After all, it's not like you get how much I care about you. YOU don't care about me that way. All you care about is Pokémon and--"
"Hey! Wait a minute!"
Jude looked at her brother as he took off the cloth and sat completely up. He gave her a serious glance.
"I DO care about you, Jude!" he told her. "Jude, I'm not ALL about Pokémon. In fact, I would willingly give up even saying the word 'Pokémon' just for you -- and Mother as well. Don't you for a SECOND think I see you as anything less than anything else in my life!"
Jude blinked at him. "You mean that?"
He nodded. "Of course! Jude... I felt that way ever since I shifted into your Cyndaquil and got to know you a bit better. In fact, the only reason I was reluctant to allow you to join Warp is because I was afraid that one wrong move might destroy any chance I'd ever have to know you like I, as your brother, should. Your fear of losing me today was the same fear I had of losing you then."
Jude simply stared at him. She didn't know what to say.
"By the way, Jude," Bill finally said as he looked down at the quilt that covered him. "Now that I'm remembering that week, I want to tell you something."
"What?" she asked as she cocked her head.
"Don't think you're untalented."*8*
She paused, remembered what he was talking about, and smiled.
"Thanks, Bill."
Not far away, the door was open just a crack, with Ash, Ziggy, and Pikachu peeking in.
"Man, they're weird!" Ash said softly as he pulled away from the door. "One minute, they're yelling at each other, and the next, it's practically a scene from the Brady Bunch!"
"If you ever got a little brother or sister, you'd be doing the same thing," Ziggy replied, also pulling away.
"Pika!" Pikachu added.
"Wait, how would YOU know?" Ash inquired. "YOU don't have a little brother or sister!"
Ziggy sighed. "Just shut up and take my word for it."
~~~
Dr. Crocus paced back and forth in her office, emitting a low growl before stopping and pounding on her desk.
'Useless buffoons!' she thought, remembering how they had allowed Bill to escape. 'I have an army of agents, all guarding AND tracking down a single man and three Pokémon in broad daylight, on our own territory, no less, and yet, twenty of them had been frozen in the basement, thirty were found paralyzed, and not to mention the forty useless twits found shivering on the beach! Where on EARTH am I to get DECENT help!?'
"I am just as disappointed over your failure as you are..."
Crocus gasped and turned, locating a shadow with glowing, red eyes before bowing to it.
"Master Keios!" Crocus addressed as she lifted her head a bit. "I wasn't expecting you! I apologize for--"
"For your embarrassing loss?" Keios finished.
"Sir, I can explain! Please let me explain!" Crocus pleaded.
Keios ignored this and continued. "I am gradually getting impatient with you and your organization, Crocus. You have promised me that you will get rid of one obstacle standing between my dream and myself."
Keios reached over and took Crocus by the chin, tilting her head back so that she stared into his eyes. She said nothing but instead gave a gasp at the sudden coldness of his skin.
"I want the world to be shrouded in darkness, and I can tell you do as well," Keios told her. "However, there is a light constantly shining that keeps me from doing so. The same light which is destroying the virus you had attempted to infect the Prime with. The same light which will be locked away in the Prime's soul until one faithful hour. Extinguish this light before that hour comes, Crocus. Yes, I will give you as many more chances as my patience will allow, but know that this number is a low one. You had better do what I ask of you before this number reaches zero. Have I made myself clear?"
Keios released Crocus, allowing her to reply, "Yes, Master Keios."
"Very well then." Keios turned away. "Do not disappoint me like you had done so today."
With that, he vanished into the darkness of the office. Crocus straightened up as her expression twisted into one of anger. Her fists clenched as she once more growled.
"Yes, Master," she mumbled, emphasizing the latter word. "I'll destroy McKenzie for you. However, once the world is covered in the darkness you've created, it will be MY turn to be the master..."
***
End episode 16*9*
---
Footnotes:
*1*: Ash's charge here is a window cleaner whose platform is about to fall, taking the poor guy with it, leaving a family fatherless.
*2*: ...I'm thinking I should lay off the Jekyll and Hyde stuff for awhile... ^_^; (Though the AS initials -- which stand for "Anti Shifting" -- came from my own mind, I got the seven part from HJ7, the formula that split Dr. Jekyll's soul in two. It's obscure details like that which make you wonder if I truly believe there's life away from my computer, no? Well, actually, no. I don't think there's life beyond my computer. Happy? ¬_¬)
*3*: Bill's referring to Zero. Though he technically doesn't work for her, he receives every mission from her, making her his superior when it comes to shifting.
*4*: Technically, Electrodes can't sit because they have nothing to sit on. (Or nothing that can make the difference between sitting and standing clear.) =p
*5*: By not moving and not experiencing extreme emotion, your heart maintains a steady pace (slow, according to some people). Try it sometime. ^_^
*6*: I mean once more as in it happened before. I'd like to take the time to remind you about the scene where he was trapped in Sisterly Love. ^_^
*7*: For those of you who aren't familiar with the Christian Bible, apparently, this is something that would happen during the Armageddon. And yet, I actually read Revelations (which is a big surprise, if anyone knows my take on theology), and I didn't notice a single mention of the four horsemen. Unless, of course, they come earlier... =/
*8*: If anyone could remember the part he's referring to (Yes, it too is in Sisterly Love.), then I must say I'm quite impressed. ^_^
*9*: Well, nice and long, with not much of a shift as there is just plain story. Ah. Oh well. Sailormoon had a ton of plots like this, so why can't I? ^_^;;; And by the way, yes, I've realized that this as well was an incredibly serious plot, straying away from the only semi-serious plotlines I've intended on doing. If you have any comments or suggestions of improvements, please tell me specifically what you want to see changed, and I'll concider your thoughts. ^_^
-To DarkCatXX, for episode eleven: You're welcome for the mention. And by the way, I welcome predictions about hosts. Some give me inspirations. ^_^
-To Light Sneasel, for episode twelve: Well, I'm happy I gave you an idea that can help you get out of cleaning your room. =D (Trust me, it's helped me for about a year. It works. XD Unless, of course, your mother is a bit stricter than mine is... ^_^;)
And thanks for allowing me to put up the info. ^_^
-To Tiggera, for episode twelve: Yes, I had mentioned that. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to find time (or inspiration) to use that idea in a complete episode... And it takes a LOT of failed missions to have much of an effect.
Originally, I was planning on using this bit to be able to use a hybrid/chimera idea somewhere in Warp Series, but to keep away from using TOO many overused plots, I just stuck with the "it makes you crazy" idea... =/
-To Light Sneasel, for episode thirteen: Yes, after you commented the first time (for Trading Spaces) that you thought that the arguments between Oracle and Ziggy were humorous, I've tried to fit in more. After all, they're fun to write, and if people like them, I'd be more than happy to write more of 'em. =D
By the way, yes, Bill IS going to be a major threat to the forces of evil. (Wow... That... kinda sounded like a Sailormoon plot... ^_^;) Just wait, and the story will get a bit more interesting when I build upon this... ^_-
Hmm... Well, you've given me a few good ideas with that last paragraph of yours. However, you've just provided yourself with another new mystery to solve because of that. (Hate to be sadistic, but one isn't supposed to just READ Warp Series; they're supposed to think about it a bit, too. And you're doing a great job of that, LS-sama. ^_^)
-To DarkCatXX, for episode thirteen: Well, it looks like you're on to something with the TCB. ^_^
-To blue-eyes toon dragon, for episode thirteen: Quantum Leap is a science fiction television show about a scientist (Dr. Sam Beckett) who is forced to "leap" (take on their lives for a brief moment in time, though how seems to be a controversy -- I do, however, know that a part of him "occupies their aura".) into people across time (meaning, anytime in his own lifetime) as a result of a time traveling experiment gone wrong. This is only a basic summary of the story, but the rest of it might make this bit a LOT longer and much more complicated than anyone wants to deal with, so I highly suggest looking it up on Google or going to quantumleap-alsplace(dot)com, which has a fair amount of good sites listed on its linkage page. ^_^
-To Tiggera, for episode thirteen: Indeed. I suppose people just don't do too many fanfics about/involving Porygon because, well, it's so dang hard to get (Trust me, 9999 coins takes a long time to obtain! Even the easy way of constantly buying coins! ...And Game Shark tends to get messy... at least for me... o_o;), and no one really appreciates it too much due to the dreaded seizure episode. (Dun, dun, dun!) But it's a shame because Porygon really IS pretty cool... XD
-To Dr. Thinker, for episode thirteen: Thanks for the suggestions! I'll think about them. ^_^
-To Kirari, for episode fourteen: It should be third-millenium, if you count year 0 to year 999 as being the first millenium. ^_^; But anywho, I couldn't remember what to call this decade (you know, like "the 90's" refers to 1990-1999, "the 60's" refers to 1960-1969, etc.) without going all cliché-y and saying "2K". (Trust me, it IS a bit of a cliché. There's a heck of a lot of things involving "2K", including, if anyone's familiar with Will and Grace, "Just Jack... 2K!")
Yes, it's incredible how much danger Ash gets himself into. The boy's danger prone, I tell you! *cowers in fear*
Thirdly, just because I said "drug" doesn't mean I meant "medicine". I mean, arisol can be considered a drug if abused; cigarettes are drugs; alcohol in beer is a drug on a level, and acid... It's a flat-out drug which never had a medical purpose to the best of my knowledge. O_o; (Or did it...? o.o;) All in all, that's a hidden message saying don't do drugs! *imitates Warren from Greg the Bunny for a moment* Just say no! Stay in school! *sings* I'm a little teapot... XD
(How I miss Greg the Bunny... ^_^)
-To Light Sneasel, for episode fourteen: On your comments on just how "easy" it will be to get rid of Bill, indeed it will be a bit difficult. While naturally, you just can't get rid of him that easily (meaning, in the way Crocus is going to try to get rid of him -- he's got to be too cunning for that... well, anyone is, I should say), even if Crocus injected the drug/virus into him, you know he'd make it out alright because I would make it that way... even if it takes countless plot holes. ^_^;
I get what you're saying about destiny, and I'm glad we share similar views... slightly different. I can't say too much else due to a risk of being repetitive. o_o;
As for your guess about Keios, though I shouldn't say flat-out that you're right, I will anyways. ^_^; Of course, you'll have to wait until later for a little clarification. ^_-
-To DarkCatXX, for episode fourteen: You didn't think I'd continue...? Oh, dear, I wouldn't leave people hanging. (Oh wait... That was hypocritical... *coughs as she looks back at the countless plot bunnies accumilated on the MFC*) Don't you worry, I'll finish this fanfiction or deny my fangirlish devotion to Sonezaki Masaki! =D
As for your second review, there should be a blue bar at the top of your screen, on which are two white links. One says "Register"; the other reads "Log in." If you don't have an account yet, click "Register" and follow the directions. If you DO have an account, click "Log in." From there, it should be self-explanitory, but if you run into any other problems, simply e-mail me. (zeroseven@tokyo.com) I'll be happy to help. ^_^
-To Tiggera, for episode fourteen: Yes, I like your sign-off, and I get the joke behind it. Cute! ^_^
To Light Sneasel, for episode fifteen: Yes, I agree with you about Ash and his mother. (It just scares me that they're both THAT hyper sometimes... ^_^;) Yes, there's a chance that Mondo might improve (as will Loki, though he won't want to go after Bill anymore) for the sake of the storyline. And finally, yes and no about the Keios thing. You'll just have to wait and see... ^_-
-To DarkCatXX, for episode fifteen: 'Tis okay. I don't (as in didn't, still don't, and probably won't) take your comment in a bad way. Yes, admittedly, it IS a bit different, but perhaps it's because I forced Bill to share the spotlight... Or did you mean that it's just different, period? ^_^;
-To Dr. Thinker: Thank you very much for reminding me of that episode. ^_^; And MUY gracias for the new episode title, which, as you probably have noticed, hadn't been put into use (because I just couldn't seem to make it work -- his name is Shakespeare, with the e at the end, and that, unfortunately, makes a difference), but it HAS inspired me to make up a new title. I really don't know how I was inspired to do an Elvis-related title from your suggestion of a Shakespeare-related title, but then again, I HAVE been known to think up some QUIRKY things... ^_^; (Such as that Napoleon with an Italian accent thing... o.o;)
Wow. That seriously took two pages. O_o; Well, to compensate, I'll give you a nice, juicy episode... which some (*coughLScough*) might find a bit coincidential... =D
***
Episode 16--
Experimentation
"Ash wants to ask you what you think he should do next."
"Tell him that if he wants to get through this safely, he shouldn't look down, but he SHOULD maintain good balance."
"Safely, huh?" Jude smirked. "Hey, Ash? Buddy, are you still there? Yeah? Great. He says look down and let go."
"GIVE ME THAT!!"
Bill pulled Jude's watcher equipment off and put them on himself.
"Alright, Ash, first off, I want you to ignore everything Jude just told you," Bill instructed. "I'm aware she's not completely concerned with your well being, and I'll be happy to have Ziggy go after you until Jude learns that a watcher doesn't lead their shifters into certain doom."
"Please, Bill," Jude said as she rolled her eyes. "It's not CERTAIN doom."
"Excuse me for a second, Ash." Bill took off the headset and visor to speak quietly and directly to Jude. "He's in an unusually small Spinarak's body, four stories from the top floor on the outside of the Sears Tower. If falling from that height ISN'T certain doom, I would certainly like to know what IS."
"Falling from that height AND being pierced in the chest by a sharp object on the streets below?"
He stared at her for a moment before raising an eyebrow and shaking his head. "Where do you GET these ideas from...?"
She shrugged and replied, "The violence of the modern entertainment industry."
He rolled his eyes and slipped the headset and visor back on.
"Sorry about that, Ash," Bill said. "Alright, listen to me. That single, weakened cord*1* won't support both your charge's weight and the weight of the platform at the same time. Before it snaps, use String Shot. Hopefully, your host and the thread it produces are both strong enough to hold Harold alone and long enough for someone to help him inside. Okay?"
{Got it!} Ash replied.
"Good."
Bill continued to monitor the situation until Ash came out successful. When this happened, Jude was given back her watcher equipment.
"Now THAT'S how to be a good watcher," Bill told his younger sister.
"Well, being a good watcher for that little twerp something I'd really like to do," Jude replied.
He narrowed his eyes at her. "Well, 'that little twerp' saved my life twice, so if I were you, I would learn how to hold my tongue."
"Whatever."
Ash shifted back.
"So, how did I do?" Ash inquired.
"Quite well," Bill complimented as he helped the young trainer up. "Not too bad for a second shift."
Jude scoffed and continued upstairs through to the living quarters.
"Why doesn't Jude like me?" Ash asked Bill.
He smiled and looked aside, using one hand to thumb through a stack of papers on a table beside him. "Oh, she likes you. Acts of sadism are just her way of showing it. You see, she's a believer in the saying, 'You hurt the ones you love.'"
"Huh? Love?"
"Did I say that?" Bill's smile grew slightly broader, as if he was deliberately refraining from telling Ash something. "I didn't mean anything by it."
Ash blinked. "Uh..."
Suddenly, Jude's scream was heard from upstairs. Bill stopped for awhile before turning and bolting upstairs. When he arrived on the second floor with Ash, he saw a four men in black, Rocket Grunt-style uniforms (only missing the blood-red R), all tying up Jude.
At this point, Jude swore so severely it would have made even the ex-Rockets blush if they thought about it.
"If you hadn't caught me off guard..." Jude finally growled with actual, clean words.
"Let her go and leave this place, or I promise you, you WILL regret coming here!" Bill sneered, angered at the sight of the four men overpowering and tying up his sister.
"Actually, we will leave here, as soon as we get exactly what we want," one of the men replied.
Hesitantly, Bill finally asked, "What is it that you want?"
"Why, you, Dr. McKenzie," a female voice answered from behind him before spraying sleeping gas at both Ash and Bill.
Before he blacked out, Bill could hear his sister cry out for him. He tried to stay awake to help her, but already, he felt drowsy. So drowsy that he dropped to his knees before falling over on the floor. He remained lying there, awake, for a few more moments before he finally groaned and closed his eyes.
~~~
Bill slowly came to. He wasn't aware of much at first... until he felt a sharp pinch in his arm. His eyes fully opened abruptly, and he turned to find Chester pull away from him, syringe in hand. Before Bill had time to react to Chester, more Antiwarp agents came from almost literally out of the shadows, grabbed him, and pulled him into one of the many cages that lined the room. One agent shut the cage door and locked it firmly afterwards.
The crowd parted, allowing Dr. Crocus to make her way through. Her grin was almost like the Cheshire Cat's, and of course we all know how much anyone could trust that cat... or anyone in Wonderland for that matter.
"Welcome to our lair, Dr. McKenzie," she greeted. "Allow me to introduce myself. I am Dr. Crocus, lead scientist and current boss of Project Antiwarp." She chuckled. "Oh. I'm sorry. I'm not quite the boss just yet. I work for a VERY generous employer."
"What did you do to me?" Bill growled. "What did you inject into me?"
Crocus grinned again. "Apparently, my employer, Mr. Keios, isn't too fond of you. He wants you stripped of your little gift and disposed of afterwards."
Bill didn't like the way she emphasized "disposed of", but he remained silent, wondering where this explanation was headed.
"And so, to take care of half the job, my colleagues and I have developed a powerful little drug called AS7*2* which reduces the energy it takes for you to shift... as well as a virus that ensures that you don't try to regain that extra energy again," Crocus told him.
Bill growled, finding no polite words to reply. "Bitch..."
Crocus threw back her head and laughed before motioning to her lackeys to leave the room, leaving Bill and her alone.
Bill could find no other solution to this problem except to see if he could shift before it was too late. He closed his eyes and concentrated, producing that silver light. However, he knew something was wrong, and he opened his eyes. One glance at the arm the drug was injected into told him what had happened.
In order to shift, one's entire body must produce the energy to push the mind and soul out, illustrated by a colored glow matching one's aura. However, this arm was the only part of Bill that refused to glow a bright silver.
Suddenly, a pain shot up to his left shoulder from the injection site. He clenched his teeth, closed his eyes, and groaned, grabbing his arm where the drug had been injected and slamming his back into one of the cage walls.
Crocus chuckled sadistically. "What's the matter, McKenzie? Can't stand to lose your cute, little powers?"
'Why don't you inject yourself with this drug?' Bill thought. 'Then maybe you'll know "what's wrong with me"...'
"You can't get rid of my powers this easily," he informed her aloud.
"Oh, why don't you just give up and admit that you can't stand a chance?" Crocus asked with a smile. "Keios will get his way, and I'll get mine. And you..." She stepped forward, close to the bars of the cage. "...You, my sly little friend, will be a mutilated corpse in a grave."
"I won't give up. I won't let you win!"
"Fine. Then die fighting. You'll only entertain us. The more you struggle, the more exciting the show becomes!"
Bill managed to push off the side of the cage, turning toward the front and moving in, close to Crocus' face.
"You have no idea how many allies are by my side," he sneered.
"And you underestimate the power of the one I work for," Crocus replied.
"So do you."*3*
Crocus frowned. "I'm starting to see what Lokov meant when he called you cocky."
Bill smirked, giving her a strong, determined look, as if the drug had no effect on his energy whatsoever.
She narrowed her eyes at him. "Hmph. As much as I'd love to watch you swallow your pride and suffer for hours on end until your final breath, I have work to do."
She turned on her heel and walked away, passing a lackey on the way out the door.
"Keep an eye on him," she muttered to her subordinate. "Though he may not look like it, the twerp's cunning."
The lackey nodded and leaned up against a wall on the opposite side of the room.
'Hmph. As if I'm actually going anywhere,' Bill thought with a sigh. 'Oh, god, I hate cages...'
He leaned against the cage front, pressing his back against the bars as he held his arm again. It was numb, and this lack of feeling was spreading into his chest. He wondered for a moment if the drug were simply a poison...
'What do I do now?'
As if on cue, Ziggy appeared.
"Ziggy," he said, extremely softly so as not to allow the guard to overhear. "Help me! Antiwarp injected a drug into me which--"
"I know," Ziggy interrupted with a concerned glance. "Zero told me. She also told me that if you don't get out of here they're going to kill you."
"What should I do?" he asked. "There's nothing in here that could get me out of this cage, and I can't shift into a Pokémon to get it to help..."
"Apollo and Artemis are breaking in as we speak," she assured him. "And Ash is waking up. As soon as he fully awakens, Jude's going to tell him all about your situation."
He bowed his head. "Thank you, Ziggy."
She grinned and thought, 'Anytime, my dear creator.'
~~~
"Ash? Ash! Please, for the love of all things good and holy, please wake up!"
Ash groaned and opened his eyes. He looked up to see Jude, still tied up but squirming much closer to him. She looked at him with a grave look.
"Ash, please! You've gotta shift!" she pleaded.
Ash blinked. "Why? Where's Bill?"
"They took him!"
"Who took him?"
Jude turned away so Ash wouldn't see the tears in her eyes. "Antiwarp."
Ash cocked his head. "Who?"
"Antiwarp," Jude repeated, with her head still turned away from Ash. "Bill told me about them. They used to be with Team Rocket, but now they're employed by something even worse." She shut her eyes tightly. "I don't... really know what they want with him, but he's told me about his past encounters with them, and they usually tried to do something bad to him..." Tears ran down her cheeks, showing just how useless she felt. "I know this time, he's in trouble. I don't know exactly what they're going to do to him this time, but I know it."
Ash couldn't say anything. Neither could Jude for a while.
"Ash..." She slowly turned her head back to him. "I don't want to lose my brother."
"You won't," Ash assured her. "But when I try to shift, how can I get closer to him?"
"Zero will take you there. She told me."
"Told you?"
"I know it sounds REALLY crazy, but Zero sends me messages through my COM device. A few minutes ago, she sent me a mission statement, and according to her, you've got to meet up with another shifter to save Bill."
"Another shifter?"
"I've never known about one outside of Antiwarp, but apparently, there's Apollo."
"Who?"
Jude looked at him. "Ash, we're wasting time. Please, go and help save my brother!"
Ash nodded and shifted out.
~~~
{Ash Ketchum?}
Ash opened his eyes. As soon as he did, he found himself face-to-face with a Hitmonchan. He sat up abruptly, though this was hard to do, as apparently, he was inside the body of an Electrode.*4*
{Who are you?} Ash asked.
{My name is Apollo,} the Hitmonchan replied before motioning to a white Sneasel beside him. {This is my partner, Artemis. We have been asked by Lady Aigori to watch over both you and the Prime.}
{Lady Aigori? The Prime?} Ash blinked. {Who?}
"Let me handle this, Apollo," Artemis said.
Ash's eyes widened. {Woah! A talking Sneasel!}
Artemis ignored him. "Lady Aigori is an all-knowing star pixie you know as Zero. The Prime, on the other hand, is a label that refers to the first shifter who hadn't received his powers naturally, the one you call Bill."
Ash blinked. {Okay...}
{Come on, we've got to keep moving,} Apollo said. {We're deep inside the laboratory used for Antiwarp. If we stay in one place for a moment too long, we'll be stuck in here just the same way Bill is.}
{Right,} Ash replied as he followed Apollo and Artemis down a corridor.
~~~
Bill sat inside the cage, keeping as still and as calm as possible. The dose of AS7 hadn't gone completely through his system, and he was trying to keep it from doing so by slowing down his blood flow.*5* Still, he could feel the drug moving in his bloodvessels, slowly, like a Magcargo slithering down a mountainside. And yet, he could still feel his energy slowly being sucked out of each of the cells the drug HAD come in contact with.
He silently wondered where Ash, Artemis, and Apollo were and whether or not they'll reach him in time.
The guard chuckled. "Thinking up a plan to escape? Whatever you're thinking, it won't work!"
Bill didn't reply.
Suddenly, another goon burst into the room with frantic eyes.
"Didja hear? Someone broke in!" the lackey yelled.
The guard blinked. "Who?"
"We don't know! The security camera's all busted!"
"Why did you bother telling me that?"
The lackey hit the guard in the head with a slap. "Think, Zach! Even if they're only looking for information, if they find Poindexter over there, no doubt they'll take him with them!"
The guard glared at the lackey in response. "Why do you think Crocus wanted me to watch over him, genius?"
There was a pause.
"Oh." The goon blushed and ran back out the door, leaving the guard to shake his head.
For the first time in a half an hour, Bill moved. A grin grew across his lips.
~~~
{That's the only thing standing in our way,} Ash stated, looking down the dark staircase.
Within an hour, the trio knocked out several lackeys, trying to reach the location Zero told them about. All that they had to do now was to decend into unknown darkness to the basement, where the test Pokémon used to be held and supposedly where Bill was now being held.
"After you, oh brave Electrode," Artemis said with a sly grin as motioned toward the threshold with a clawed paw.
Ash's eyes widened. {What!? Why me!?}
An Antiwarp agent's voice echoed from somewhere up the hall. "I hear something over this way!"
"You'd better get down there, buddy!" Artemis said. "And use Explosion when you land!"
Ash blinked {What!?}
At this, Artemis kicked Ash down the steps, waving as the ball Pokémon bounced down a few steps, then continued, rolling until he hit the bottom. He continued rolling until he reached a door, at which point, he broke the barrier down, startling the guard behind it.
"What the...!?"
"Ash! Use Explosion!" Artemis called from somewhere higher up the stairs.
{Can't I use some other move?} Ash inquired, knowing full well that after executing Explosion, he no doubt wouldn't be able to fight.
"Just do it!" Artemis replied with a growl. "If you don't, I'm going to come down there and MAKE you do it!"
Ash groaned, knowing this would indeed be VERY painful. And still, he obeyed, growing a bright white before finally exploding in a cloud of smoke.
A few moments later, Artemis and Apollo ran down the stairs. Apollo would serve as further distraction, keeping the agents at bay as Artemis once more got Bill out of a cage.*6*
"Bill?" Artemis whispered, squinting through the smoke.
"Over here," he replied with a sharp whisper.
Artemis turned and walked to his right until he was able to feel Bill's arm, stretched partially through the cage bars.
"There you are! I'll have you out in a moment," Artemis reassured as he jumped up and clung to the padlock which kept the cage door in place. "Are you alright? Zero told us about what happened to you."
"For the moment, I'm fine," Bill replied. "However, I don't know how much longer it will be before I feel the full effects of this drug."
"Then we'd better hurry and get you back to the lighthouse," Artemis said as he carefully picked the lock with his claws.
Apollo threw another Ice Punch, freezing another set of agents who attempted to stop the commotion as another group came in.
{Artemis! Hurry!} Apollo managed to call. {I can't hold them back forever!}
"I'm going as fast as I can!" Artemis replied harshly.
"Artemis?" Bill finally addressed.
"What?"
"Use Slash."
Artemis glanced at Bill. "Hey, buddy! I don't tell you how to do YOUR job!"
Despite this, Artemis took his advice and brought his claws across the padlock. Within seconds, the lock was nothing but pieces of metal on the floor. Bill got up, pushed the cage door open, and grabbed Ash, who had been knocked unconscious by his own attack.
"Apollo! Clear the way!" Bill commanded.
{No problem!}
Apollo ran forward, using Thunder Punch on every agent that stood between him and the exit. Following him was Bill, still carrying Ash, as well as Artemis bringing up the rear.
As the three ran as fast as they possibly could out of the lab, a figure stood down a hallway, not even reacting to the escape.
Crocus grinned in the shadows. "You can try to run, McKenzie, but in the matter of minutes, you'll be mine again..."
~~~
{Lady Aigori had arranged for someone to take us by water back to your lighthouse,} Apollo said. {All we have to do is make it to the beach!}
Apparently, the laboratory sat on Cinnabar Island, a bit inland and away from the beach. However, it still was easy to get from point A to point B, especially since, strangely enough, the Antiwarp agents were far behind them.
Up until now, the dose of AS7 had indeed taken effect on Bill, but it was such a small effect that he was able to ignore it. However, as soon as his feet touched the sands of the shore, the drug fully kicked in. He and the others had just a strip of sand separating them from the Lapras which would take them back north, but here, unluckily enough, his vision began to blur, and he felt as if he could no longer stand up. With a groan, he dropped to his knees, allowed Ash to roll away a bit, bent down, and began to breathe heavily. Apollo and Artemis stopped abruptly to watch him.
"What's wrong?" Artemis inquired.
It took awhile for Bill to answer, and when he did, it was a reply done with a weak voice. "I feel so tired..."
Artemis and Apollo looked at each other. They knew what this meant.
At this time, Antiwarp agents began to move in and fast.
"Apollo, get the Prime and Ash on Lapras," Artemis instructed. "You're the stronger of the both of us! You can carry them much easier than I can! And hurry! I'll stay behind and try to give you and Lapras as much time as I can!"
Apollo nodded. {Good luck, Artemis.}
The world began to fade out on Bill as Apollo lifted him and Ash and ran toward the Lapras. Behind them, Artemis stood in a defensive position until the Antiwarp goons came close enough.
"'Welcome to my parlour,' said the spider to the fly," Artemis sneered as he jumped high up into the air. "Every one of you look a bit hot. Let's see if I can cool you down! ICY WIND!"
Though Icy Wind is a rather weak ice move compared to others, such as Blizzard and Ice Beam, the agents didn't stand a chance.
~~~
Bill slowly woke up and groaned. His body ached, so he didn't dare move, save for opening his eyes. Almost immediately after, he felt someone place a cold, wet cloth on his head. He looked up to see Jude sitting on the edge of his bed.
"Hey, Bill," she said softly. "Glad to see you awake."
He smiled at her.
"A Lapras brought you and Ash back here," Jude explained. "I wound up having to drag you into bed. You know, you're not the lightest person on this planet!"
He chuckled lightly for a bit. "I know."
She gulped and looked away. "You know, you scared the living shit out of me today."
"Did I?"
"Yeah..." She blinked. "I thought they were going to kill you. I... I didn't want to see you die."
"Oh my," Bill responded with another light laugh. "Jude McKenzie, caring deeply about someone other than... Well, actually caring deeply about something? Hold on, let me check to see if four horsemen are riding across a fiery sky."*7*
"Shut up, Bill!" Jude snapped, glaring at him. "I'm trying to be serious, and all you can do is criticize me!?"
He gave her a gentle glance. "I'm sorry, Jude. Yes, that WAS a bit uncalled for..."
"Hmph!" Jude looked away again. "I guess I can forgive you. After all, it's not like you get how much I care about you. YOU don't care about me that way. All you care about is Pokémon and--"
"Hey! Wait a minute!"
Jude looked at her brother as he took off the cloth and sat completely up. He gave her a serious glance.
"I DO care about you, Jude!" he told her. "Jude, I'm not ALL about Pokémon. In fact, I would willingly give up even saying the word 'Pokémon' just for you -- and Mother as well. Don't you for a SECOND think I see you as anything less than anything else in my life!"
Jude blinked at him. "You mean that?"
He nodded. "Of course! Jude... I felt that way ever since I shifted into your Cyndaquil and got to know you a bit better. In fact, the only reason I was reluctant to allow you to join Warp is because I was afraid that one wrong move might destroy any chance I'd ever have to know you like I, as your brother, should. Your fear of losing me today was the same fear I had of losing you then."
Jude simply stared at him. She didn't know what to say.
"By the way, Jude," Bill finally said as he looked down at the quilt that covered him. "Now that I'm remembering that week, I want to tell you something."
"What?" she asked as she cocked her head.
"Don't think you're untalented."*8*
She paused, remembered what he was talking about, and smiled.
"Thanks, Bill."
Not far away, the door was open just a crack, with Ash, Ziggy, and Pikachu peeking in.
"Man, they're weird!" Ash said softly as he pulled away from the door. "One minute, they're yelling at each other, and the next, it's practically a scene from the Brady Bunch!"
"If you ever got a little brother or sister, you'd be doing the same thing," Ziggy replied, also pulling away.
"Pika!" Pikachu added.
"Wait, how would YOU know?" Ash inquired. "YOU don't have a little brother or sister!"
Ziggy sighed. "Just shut up and take my word for it."
~~~
Dr. Crocus paced back and forth in her office, emitting a low growl before stopping and pounding on her desk.
'Useless buffoons!' she thought, remembering how they had allowed Bill to escape. 'I have an army of agents, all guarding AND tracking down a single man and three Pokémon in broad daylight, on our own territory, no less, and yet, twenty of them had been frozen in the basement, thirty were found paralyzed, and not to mention the forty useless twits found shivering on the beach! Where on EARTH am I to get DECENT help!?'
"I am just as disappointed over your failure as you are..."
Crocus gasped and turned, locating a shadow with glowing, red eyes before bowing to it.
"Master Keios!" Crocus addressed as she lifted her head a bit. "I wasn't expecting you! I apologize for--"
"For your embarrassing loss?" Keios finished.
"Sir, I can explain! Please let me explain!" Crocus pleaded.
Keios ignored this and continued. "I am gradually getting impatient with you and your organization, Crocus. You have promised me that you will get rid of one obstacle standing between my dream and myself."
Keios reached over and took Crocus by the chin, tilting her head back so that she stared into his eyes. She said nothing but instead gave a gasp at the sudden coldness of his skin.
"I want the world to be shrouded in darkness, and I can tell you do as well," Keios told her. "However, there is a light constantly shining that keeps me from doing so. The same light which is destroying the virus you had attempted to infect the Prime with. The same light which will be locked away in the Prime's soul until one faithful hour. Extinguish this light before that hour comes, Crocus. Yes, I will give you as many more chances as my patience will allow, but know that this number is a low one. You had better do what I ask of you before this number reaches zero. Have I made myself clear?"
Keios released Crocus, allowing her to reply, "Yes, Master Keios."
"Very well then." Keios turned away. "Do not disappoint me like you had done so today."
With that, he vanished into the darkness of the office. Crocus straightened up as her expression twisted into one of anger. Her fists clenched as she once more growled.
"Yes, Master," she mumbled, emphasizing the latter word. "I'll destroy McKenzie for you. However, once the world is covered in the darkness you've created, it will be MY turn to be the master..."
***
End episode 16*9*
---
Footnotes:
*1*: Ash's charge here is a window cleaner whose platform is about to fall, taking the poor guy with it, leaving a family fatherless.
*2*: ...I'm thinking I should lay off the Jekyll and Hyde stuff for awhile... ^_^; (Though the AS initials -- which stand for "Anti Shifting" -- came from my own mind, I got the seven part from HJ7, the formula that split Dr. Jekyll's soul in two. It's obscure details like that which make you wonder if I truly believe there's life away from my computer, no? Well, actually, no. I don't think there's life beyond my computer. Happy? ¬_¬)
*3*: Bill's referring to Zero. Though he technically doesn't work for her, he receives every mission from her, making her his superior when it comes to shifting.
*4*: Technically, Electrodes can't sit because they have nothing to sit on. (Or nothing that can make the difference between sitting and standing clear.) =p
*5*: By not moving and not experiencing extreme emotion, your heart maintains a steady pace (slow, according to some people). Try it sometime. ^_^
*6*: I mean once more as in it happened before. I'd like to take the time to remind you about the scene where he was trapped in Sisterly Love. ^_^
*7*: For those of you who aren't familiar with the Christian Bible, apparently, this is something that would happen during the Armageddon. And yet, I actually read Revelations (which is a big surprise, if anyone knows my take on theology), and I didn't notice a single mention of the four horsemen. Unless, of course, they come earlier... =/
*8*: If anyone could remember the part he's referring to (Yes, it too is in Sisterly Love.), then I must say I'm quite impressed. ^_^
*9*: Well, nice and long, with not much of a shift as there is just plain story. Ah. Oh well. Sailormoon had a ton of plots like this, so why can't I? ^_^;;; And by the way, yes, I've realized that this as well was an incredibly serious plot, straying away from the only semi-serious plotlines I've intended on doing. If you have any comments or suggestions of improvements, please tell me specifically what you want to see changed, and I'll concider your thoughts. ^_^