ALTERNATE REALITY STORY 1 - WHAT LEGENDS ARE MADE OF
SAGA 1: THE LEGEND BEGINS
© Copyright 2000 by Flareon
DISCLAIMER: I do not own Pokémon. I wish I did, but I do not. I just write these fanfiction.
^These things^ - Means thought or psychic communication.
'Apostrophes' - Means Pokémon language deciphered into human language.
[Brackets] - Means author notes.
TheseStrangeThings - Means change of scene.
Narrator: "Last time, Ash and Pikachu faced Brock, the Pewter City Gym Leader, twice. Brock ended up following Ash along on his Journey, as his father, Flint, took over the Gym and his siblings. Now, our heroes are on the trail up to Mount Moon, the home of the Moon Stone, the rarest of the five known evolution stones."
Ash's voice: "Episode 6: Lost in Mount Moon with Clefairy and Clefable!"
Ash, Brock, Misty, and Pikachu were traveling uphill to the base of Mount Moon. They had sent their bikes around Mount Moon, to the other side, by a special transport system in the last Pokémon Center. Ash and Brock were talking about life and its great miracles.
Brock, blushing: "Pretty girls! That's one miracle, right Ash!"
Ash, avoiding Misty's steely gaze: "Um, sure, Brock, whatever you say. I think one miracle was the making of all Pokémon. And of our Pokémon Trainer system, with Badges and other tests. Brock, I've been wondering something. What are you now, Pokémon Gym Leader or Pokémon Breeder?"
Brock: "Well, Ash, I gave up my job as Gym Leader and am now classified as Pokémon Trainer/Breeder. What are you Ash?"
Ash: "I'm a straight Trainer all the way! Well...actually, I don't know. Misty said earlier that I might be a Poké Warrior or something."
Brock, whistling: "Wow. Those are few and far between. So you're good with a martial art?"
Ash: "Yup. I'm a black belt in Taekwando and Karate, a red belt in Aikijutsu, and brown belt in Kung-fu. They aren't that much different, actually, except that Aikijutsu is much more defensive than the others, and it doesn't use kicks."
They came into view of a cave jutting into the side of the Mountain. Suddenly, they hear fluttering of wings. A group of Zubat screeched out of the cave. Instinctively, Ash threw one of his occupied Pokéballs. [In his party, Ash has Pikachu, Charmander, Butterfree, Farfetch'd, Pidgeotto, and Fearow.]
Ash: "Go! Butterfree! Sleep Powder!"
Butterfree came out and used Sleep Powder on all of the Zubat. Soon every single one was asleep.
Ash: "Pokéball, go!"
Ash caught the biggest Zubat with his Pokéball.
Ash: "Brock, Misty, would you like a Zubat? I got plenty."
Brock: "Sure! Pokéballs, go!"
Misty, looking away: "No, thanks. Even though I gotta broaden my range, I don't like bats very much. (Mumbling) Too much like giant, hairy bugs..."
Brock caught every single other Zubat, as a start for his Breeding Ranch he was starting back at home. Ash recalled Butterfree. They entered Mount Moon.
Ash: "Man, its dark in here."
Brock: "Quiet, too."
Pikachu jumped down of Ash's head and lit up his cheeks with Flash. Suddenly, they saw in front of them a Clefairy, blinking at the light. It turned around and hopped off.
Ash: "Hey, wait!"
Ash raced after the Clefairy, grabbing Misty's hand. It was all of her efforts to keep up.
Brock, yelling as he set off after them: "Ash! Hey, wait for me, man!"
He tried to keep up, but couldn't. Ash didn't even know Pikachu had jumped on his head. All he knew, was that there was a Clefairy, a really, really rare Pokémon, for the capturing, and he was going to capture it. Misty was panting as they rounded another bend. The panting somehow broke through his determination, and he slowed down to a walk.
Misty, breathing hard: "Why'd you slow down?"
Ash: "I remembered you can't run quite as long as I can. I'll catch a Clefairy later, I guess. Let's wait for Brock."
Misty sat down on the floor, resting, while Ash stood looking for Brock. Then it seemed in slow motion as he heard a rumble and a scream, looked over at Misty, didn't see her, and realized the floor under her had collapsed. She was screaming as she fell. Without a second thought, he jumped down the hole after her, Pikachu clinging to his back, struggling to keep on.
******
Brock was lost. He had barely light enough to see and no hope of finding his new friends. There was thought to be only one way out of Mount Moon. He called out Zubat, thinking of an idea.
Brock: "Zubat, wake up!"
Zubat woke up after a minute, and looked around to realize it wasn't in its flock anymore.
Brock: "Zubat, I am your new Trainer. Please use your echo-location to find me a way out of this tunnel."
Grudgingly, Zubat obeyed him. Then Zubat pointed the way with its ears at it set itself on Brock's shoulder. They walked. The going was very slow.
Later, about two hours later, he arrived at the exit and recalled Zubat. Then he sat down on a rock and he fell through a trap. Just his luck. The rock caved in to make a hole. He heard a feminine voice.
Jesse, angry: "Hey, you aren't the ones we were looking for!"
Meowth, peering at Brock and smiling: "Might as well take his Pokémon, anyway."
James, curious: "How do you know he has Pokémon?"
Meowth, closing his eyes and crossing his arms before his chest: "As he fell into our little trap, I had the brains of checking first."
Jesse, a little annoyed Meowth had done something smart that she wasn't responsible for: "Fine. We will take them then. (Looking down at Brock from the top of the hole.) Prepare for trouble!"
James, appearing besides Jesse, holding his blue rose: "And make it double!"
Brock had had enough of these clowns and didn't listen as they said the motto. He finally reached his Pokéball with Onix in it.
Brock: "There! Found it!"
Jesse, with a sweatdrop: "-sse."
James, enraged: "Interrupting? How rude!"
Brock: "Go, Onix!"
Onix: "Rounggh!"
Team Rocket: "Uh-oh."
Brock: "Onix, Slam attack, now!"
Onix whammed its head into Team Rocket, sending them to their special star, seen whenever they leave the earth. Brock had Onix get him out.
Brock, thinking: ^I hope Ash and his girlfriend...Misty...get safely through the mountain. (Nodding his head after a while) I will wait here for three days. If they don't come, I will go to tell the police in Cerulean City.^
Reaching an agreement with himself, though he didn't like doing nothing, he sat down and ate lunch with his Onix.
******
Misty wasn't having fun. First, she had to try to keep up with Ash, which was exhausting, then she had to fall down a hole, which was terrifying. Some comfort came when she saw Pikachu and Ash, diving above her, trying to reach her hand. Then she felt awful. They would die with her.
She heard Ash: "Misty! Quick, grab my hand!"
She knew he must have some idea of what do, so strained her hand to reach his. She did.
Ash's voice: "Fearow, go!"
Fearow appeared below them and caught them while they fell. Then, as Fearow spread it wings as far as it could, it still fell, because it could not hold the weight. They descended slowly. There wasn't enough light to see where they were falling.
Ash: "Go, Charmander!"
Charmander appeared on the head of Fearow, who didn't mind, but they fell faster. Now there was enough light to see by. Misty peered down. They were in a narrow, vertical hallway, which seemed to end about twenty feet down. She looked at Charmander.
Misty: "Charmander is such a cute, useful Pokémon. I wish I had one."
Ash, surprised: "But I thought you only like Water Pokémon."
Misty, thinking: "Well, since meeting Pikachu, I guess I started to the other types as well. Ever since that bond, I feel different. Now I'm feeling like a Pokémon Trainer."
Ash, raising an eyebrow: "Misty, you ARE a Pokémon Trainer, right?"
Misty, slipping verbally: "No, I'm a...uh, I mean, yes I'm a Pokémon Trainer. But, um, I only capture Water types. So I'm not actually a straight Pokémon Trainer, because, uh, those catch every type."
Ash: "So why do you stay with just Water Pokémon?"
Misty: "It's in my family. We're all G---I mean, um, Water Pokémon Trainers."
Ash: "You don't have to train just Water types. (After thinking for a second) Okay, maybe you do. Now, if you were a Gym Leader, you might catch other types. Too bad you're not."
Misty, thinking of that last statement while replying: "Yup. Too bad."
They entered a new chamber. Suddenly, Fearow squawked.
Ash: "What's wrong, Fearow?! Tell me!"
Fearow: "Feer fee row!" 'On my wing! A Golbat!'
Fearow started falling. It was headed towards a wall. Without thinking, he grabbed Pikachu's and Misty's hand and recalled Fearow. They headed down at breakneck speed [literally!].
Ash, shouting as they flew down: "Go! Pidgeotto, Farfetch'd! Misty, grab one and I'll take the other!"
Pidgeotto and Farfetch'd glided smoothly into position below them and they each grabbed a talon of each. Pikachu was jerked off Ash by the stopping of motion and fell downwards, toward the stone floor. [This is not unlike the time in "Mewtwo Strikes Back" when Pikachu fell down towards the ground after being chased by Mewtwo Balls.]
Pikachu: "Piiiiiiii!"
Ash: "Pikachu!"
Ash let go of Farfetch'd and dived down towards Pikachu. He grabbed Pikachu, flipped in the air and landed on his feet on the wall, which he jumped again on back to the ground. Misty could barely hear him mutter: "I'm glad I had these triple-soled."
She landed by him. Suddenly, she noticed something that he didn't, a pile of rocks falling towards them, from when Ash had landed on the wall. For once, she didn't think, and dived on top of Ash and Pikachu, shielding them with her body.
******
Ash relived the nightmare in his dreams. One minute, he had found a Clefairy, the next, Misty probably killed herself by saving them, if her act did indeed save them. Moaning her name, he struggled to wake up. He had made a sign he put in his dreams that told him they were dreams, and it had been his father. He saw him now, shaking him and saying to wake up.
Cypress: "Wake up Ash."
Ash: "Okay..."
He woke up to see a Clefairy shaking him and a man off to one side. He immediately recognized it as Professor Oak. Ash, wincing at the pain in his head: "Professor Oak?? What happened? Where's Misty?? And Charmander?? And Pikachu?? And Pidgeotto and Farfetch'd?"
Prof.: "If you mean the girl who was covering you with her body when the tunnel caved in, we are trying to awaken her over there. Your Charmander and Pikachu are off to your right, getting treated, and your two birds said to me they were looking for a tanned someone."
Ash, surprised his birds had thought of something without their Trainer: "That must be Brock! Wait a minute. You understand Poké Language??"
Prof., smiling: "Over the years, one does pick up a few things, and I am now almost able to totally comprehend what Bird Pokémon say."
Ash, anxiously: "I gotta see Misty! You said she's okay?"
Prof., with a sweatdrop: "Well...actually, no. She's in a coma-like state right now. Don't worry. We think your girlfriend will be fine, if she wakes up. And she has a 90% chance of coming to, so we think...er, Misty, will be up and walking in a day or less."
Ash, blushing a little: "She's not my girlfriend."
Prof., eyebrows raising: "Ah. I see. But she's a girl, and obviously not a enemy, because she just risked her life to save yours...wouldn't that classify the young lady as your friend? And since she would be called a girl, wouldn't that make her your girlfriend?"
Ash, pleading: "Please Professor! Don't call her that when she wakes up."
Prof., shrugging: "Sure, I guess."
Ash: "And thanks for saving me."
Prof., gesturing to the Clefairy beside him: "Actually, this Clefairy saved you. Its wild."
Ash, confused: "How could a cute little thing like this get those rocks off of us?"
Prof.: "Watch. It is called the Metronome attack. We never studied this one, because scientists are unsure of its capabilities."
Clefairy wiggled its fingers back and forth and a rock was lifted into the air.
Ash: "Thanks, Clefairy. I'm sorry for trying to capture you. (Hugging Clefairy) You saved Misty, me, and Pikachu. How can I ever repay you?"
Clefairy: "Fairy. Fairy fairy. Fairy clef. Clefairy fairy. Clef..." 'Well, hmm. I don't like it here anymore. I don't feel safe here. Bad things are happening. I wanta meet other Pokemon. Maybe if you...'
Ash: "What?"
Clefairy: "Clefair fairy. Fair fairy. Fair..." 'Captured me and sent me to Professor Oak's. He seems like a really nice guy. But...'
Ash: "What?"
Clefairy: "Fairy fair clef. Clefairy." 'I have some work to do here first. The Moon Stone.'
Ash: "Cool. I'll help, if I can. After Misty wakes up."
Ash waited by her side for seven hours. Pikachu waited after the second hour. Ash talked about their journey together and all about what happened, trying to wake her up. Professor Oak came and looked in on Ash from time to time. Ash didn't care. He just kept talking.
Ash, one time: "And then Pikachu touched the ketchup packet and it exploded all over me! Remember that?"
Prof., startling Ash from behind: "You really care about her, don't you."
Ash, holding his head and keeling over as a wave of emotions overwhelmed him: "No! Yes! I think so. I don't know. Its tearing me apart. We've only been traveling together for about two weeks."
Prof.: "Young love. Can't live with it, can't live without it."
Ash made no comment.
Finally, Misty's eyelids scrunched and she slowly opened her eyes.
[This part is exactly like when Nurse Joy first woke up in "Mewtwo Strikes Back".]
Ash, rushing to her side: "Huh? Misty!"
Misty: "Where am I? And how in the world did I get here?"
Prof., in a dark voice: "You have been under my control. I transported you here from the Pokémon Center. Your knowledge of Pokémon Physiology proved useful for my plan. Now I have cleansed your tiny, human brain of memories for the past few weeks."
Ash, both frightened and angry: "Who are you??!!"
Prof., back in his regular voice: "Professor Oak. I'm sorry, but I always wanted to do that."
[Sorry, I couldn't resist. Picture Professor Oak saying that. Hee, hee, hee! *^-^)]
Ash fell over and Misty sort of bonked her head. They got up.
Ash: "Misty, you were conked on the head by Pumice when you saved Pikachu and me."
Misty, blushing: "Then I guess my debt to you is repaid."
Ash looked down. He knew this day would come, he just hoped it had been later. [Maybe 100 years later.]
Misty noticed his expression. She felt the same way. This past two weeks had been the happiest in her life, if she would admit it. Then she brightened, but not noticeably from the outside.
Misty, narrowing her eyes, as if annoyed, and brushing a strand of hair into place: "My first debt, I mean. One down, I think about four more to go."
Ash, surprised but hopeful: "What do you mean by that???"
Misty, sighing: "Well, think about it Ash. You might have saved my life from Spearow, but there are other things. Like, at Viridian City, when I faced Team Rocket, you saved my Pokémon for me with Pikachu and Pidgeotto. Then, in the Viridian Forest, you did it again with Venonat when Team Rocket attacked again. Once again, in Viridian Forest, when Samurai jumped at me, you risked your well-being to save mine. Yet again, how ever long ago here in Mount Moon, you jumped into a hole a fell through, risking certain death to save me again. (With a strange look in her eyes) You must really want your guide."
Prof., laughter in his eyes: "Yes, he told me he really needed his guide."
Ash, glaring daggers, knives, electricity, etc. at Professor Oak: "Um, sure. So I, um, guess I'm stuck with you again, huh?"
Misty: "Yup. But you still have Brock, so your Journey won't be-"
Ash and Misty, in unison: "Brock!"
Ash: "He musta got lost in the caves 'upstairs'! Pidgeotto and Farfetch'd are still looking for him, too. I hope he finds a way out."
Misty: "I hope WE find a way out."
Ash: "Heck, the Professor's here. He must know a way out, if he knew how to get in."
Misty: "Oh. Right."
Prof.: "You should both get some sleep now."
Ash and Misty: "Why?"
Prof.: "I have a surprise for you tonight."
Ash: "Oh."
Ash and Misty tried to sleep in beds of stone with mattresses of hay. Pikachu slept by Ash. Misty looked like she was sleeping, alone at the other side of the room. Ash couldn't look at any stars. He was restless. He got up and went out looking for Pokémon, leaving Pikachu to sleep in his bed. Misty got up a minute later. She followed Ash, careful not to let him know she was following, because she knew he needed to concentrate to catch strong Pokémon. She also knew he was adept at about anything she could imagine. He would probably hear her if she didn't walk dead silent.
She was in luck. After about ten minutes, they found a large waterfall. It covered the noise of her footsteps easily. Peering down, she looked for rare Water Pokémon, still careful to keep out of Ash's sight or sound. Disappointingly, there weren't any Pokémon at all. Oh, well, if she tried to capture them, she would lose Ash and all hope of getting back to Professor Oak and their base. She hurried onwards.
Ash didn't know Misty was following him. He was still around the waterfall he had found earlier. There weren't any Water Pokémon for him to capture. This brought a dilemma into his mind. If he had found a Water Pokémon, would he have kept it for himself, or given to Misty to raise and keep? It was better he didn't find any, because Pikachu might not get along with it anyway.
He held his Pokédex out in front of him like a flashlight. He could see because the waterfall came out of a crack in the ground high above, spouting sunlight. As he looked up, his Pokédex responded.
Dexter: "Paras, the Parasite Pokémon. With the animal personality and the power of a Grass Pokemon from the mushrooms on its back, Paras can prove a powerful ally."
Ash, pleasantly surprised: "A Paras? (Throwing a Pokéball) Go, Charmander!"
Charmander appeared, ready for combat. It spooked when it saw the waterfall, but regained its composure. Paras looked right to defend itself. It waved its mushrooms. Ash knew what that meant.
Ash: "Charmander, its the Stun Spore attack! Counter it with Ember!"
The waving of the tail blew the Stun Spores away from Charmander and back to the Paras. It also hurt the Paras. Ash smirked.
Ash: "Good, its weakened and paralyzed! Pokéball, g-"
He stopped in mid-throw. He just stood there for a moment. Charmander looked at its Trainer, confused.
Ash, patting it on the back: "Sorry, Charmander. You did a great job. I would normally catch it, but..." (But Misty hates bugs, and that would create a whole new chaos.)
Misty looked at the bug sprawled out on the ground and suddenly knew why Ash hesitated. She thought quickly and started briskly walking towards him as if she had been looking for him and suddenly found him. Ash heard her and turned around. [Not unlike when Mewtwo turned around in "Mewtwo Strike's Back" when it hears the clones.] Misty, sounding annoyed and relieved at the same time [she should be an actor]: "Ash! What are you doing?! I woke up and you weren't there!"
Ash, smiling a little: "I kinda went to catch some Pokémon."
Misty looked at Charmander, then at Paras on the floor as if for the first time.
Misty, sounding impatient: "Well? Aren't you going to capture it?"
Ash, surprised: "Uhh, well, I know you hate bugs, and Paras is a bug, so I assumed..."
Misty, sighing: "Ash, I don't care much about that anymore. Venonat-I mean Venomoth showed me not all bugs are icky. I guess Pokémon bugs are better than the normal type."
Ash, delighted: "Well, if you're sure its all right.."
Misty: "Positive."
[Actually, Misty wasn't positive, but she didn't want to make Ash not do something he wanted to do. :)]
Ash, turning back to the Paras: "Then, Pokéball, go!"
The Paras had gotten back a tiny amount of strength, but Ash caught it anyway with his Pokéball. Misty winced, but covered it up. They walked back to Professor Oak's stake out. [If I wanted to rush this fanfic, I'd say they were hand in hand. They aren't, because this is going to be a loooooong fanfic. Hey, does anyone know if two people can fall in love in such a short amount of time?] The only way they knew was Ash's sense of direction.
Pikachu was up. It looked relieved when Ash and Misty came back in the door.
Pikachu: "Pika! Pika pika pika chu pik!" 'I was so worried! Next time wake me up and tell me you're leaving to go do something!' Ash and Misty, psychically sending their same words together at the same time: Sorry, Pikachu.
Pikachu wondered if they had learned how to speak to each other psychically, which of course, they had not. Pikachu checked their emotion signals and his eyebrows raised. "It" went up another notch. The best thing about his new Psychic ability was that he could snoop on them, but they couldn't snoop on him. For some reason, they couldn't hear his thoughts unless he sent them to one of them, personally, or both, at the same time, but he could hear their thoughts whenever he wanted to. Maybe it was just his being a Pokémon. He listened to the melded thoughts from Ash and Misty to draw up the story. He knew the exact story and exactly what happened, as if he had lived it himself. He knew what Misty had done, and why Ash hadn't captured Paras right away.
[I am calling Pikachu a he because I'm not sure if Pikachus have genders. I don't like calling it "it" and the manga shows Pikachu as probably a boy, though you can't be sure.]
They went to bed. After Ash and Misty went to sleep, Pikachu sat down at the foot of Misty's bed, instead of Ash's. He had enough of Ash's dreams and wanted to listen to a few of Misty's. Deep inside his head, he knew this must be wrong. He shrugged off the feeling and started watching.
******
Misty found herself inside a dark room. On the floor, was Ash, a Pokéball clutched in his hand.
Brock's voice: "He's dead."
Misty turned around to see Brock, dressed in a black tuxedo and looking grim.
Misty: "WHAT???!!"
Brock, leaning down at Ash: "He went and got himself killed. Just for trying to get into the Pokémon League."
Misty, shocked: "There must be some mistake! Where are we? Where's Pikachu?"
Brock, pointing: "Pikachu is there, in Ash's hand. We are in the domain of dead Pokémon. (Slowly, he smiled) I hate it here."
Misty, backing away: "Ash can't be dead!!! NO!! Brock, why are you smiling???!!! Ash is dead!!!"
Brock: "Because I'm not Brock."
Slowly, he face transformed into that of a young girl with pale purple eyes.
The little girl, in a small, girl voice: "Too bad. He was a good opponent. I won't get to play with him anymore."
The little girl flashed and Ash's body burned. A blackened skeleton slowly turned into real ash. Pikachu's Pokéball also disintegrated, leaving Misty alone in a dark room. Ash was dead. Pikachu was dead. Brock wasn't there.
Misty, screaming as loud as she could: "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!"
******
Misty woke up screaming to someone shaking her. She opened her eyes, saw Ash, blinked twice, and quickly hugged Ash, quietly sobbing and gasping for breath at the same time. After a while she brought herself under control and collapsed on the bed, staring at Ash as if she couldn't believe he was there, still breathing hard with sobs in her voice. He stared at her, completely caught off-guard. A song played itself in Ash's mind.
"When you feel all alone And the world has turned it's back on you Give me a moment please To tame your wild, wild heart I know you feel Like the walls are closing in on you It's hard to find relief And people can be so cold When darkness is upon your door and you feel like you can't take anymore
Let me be the one you call If you jump, I'll break your fall Lift you up and fly away with you into the night If you need to fall apart I can mend your broken heart If you need to crash then crash and burn, you're not alone
When you feel all alone And a loyal friend is hard to find You're caught in a one way street With the monsters in your head When hopes and dreams are far away and You feel like can't face the day
Let me be the one you call If you jump, I'll break your fall Lift you up and fly away with you into the night If you need to fall apart I can mend your broken heart If you need to crash then crash and burn, you're not alone
Because there has always been heartache and pain And when it's over, you'll breathe again You'll breathe again
When you feel all alone And the world has turned it's back on you Give me a moment please To tame your wild, wild heart
Let me be the one you call If you jump, I'll break your fall Lift you up and fly away with you into the night If you need to fall apart I can mend your broken heart If you need to crash then crash and burn, you're not alone
Let me be the one you call If you jump, I'll break your fall Lift you up and fly away with you into the night If you need to fall apart I can mend your broken heart If you need to crash then crash and burn, you're not alone"Pikachu was woken by Clefairy. He was shouting: "PIIIIKAAA PIIIIIII!!!" He opened his eyes, saw Ash and jumped on Ash's head, clutching Ash's hair and cried for a short time, as well.
Professor Oak, who had been watching the scene: "Wow. Ash, you seem to be well-loved here. (Seeing Ash and adding hastily) I mean, by Pikachu of course."
Ash looked into Misty's wet eyes. Then up at Pikachu pulling his hair out.
Ash: "Misty, Pikachu, what's wrong?"
Misty looked at Pikachu, and finally noticed how he looked.
Misty, speaking psychically to Pikachu, who could sense her mixed feelings: ^Don't tell him. He doesn't know about me and probably doesn't want to know.^
Pikachu, looking pale and speaking back: ^Right.^
Misty left, going to the bathroom to wash up. Pikachu decided to bend his word.
Pikachu, thinking psychically to Ash: ^Watch close, Ash. This is what I saw and heard...^
Pikachu showed Ash the whole dream. Ash looked slightly flushed. Pikachu had substituted him for Misty in the dream, though in his dream he was part of Misty, not himself. And the Pokéball was gone.
Ash: "Man! No wonder you got worked up. Don't worry, I won't ever leave. Now I wonder what made Misty so scared?..."
Pikachu sweatdropped. Misty just then decided to come back in.
Misty, looking like she had cleaned herself up a bit: "Ash? Professor Oak said it was time for his surprise now. He was in the hall, heading that direction. (Pointing) We should go."
Ash: "Right."
Ash sent Charmander, not wanting it to miss this. It gave him a thumbs-up.
******
Prof., looking flustered: "Here, come watch!"
The Professor was on top of a cropping of stone that overlooked a vast room, filled with about two hundred Clefairy. And the biggest surprise were all of the Clefable in there too. In the center was a huge rock.
Misty, awed: "Professor, is that...?"
Professor Oak, nodding: "Yes, that is the Moon Stone. Various pieces of it have been found by humans over periods of time. About three years ago, a scientist name Seemore found its resting place. The Clefairy destroyed the rock and one fourth of the Clefairy in the entire world became Clefables. Then, it seems they built spaceships with everyday things we use around the house and flew all over the world, never into space, where they meant to go. Now they are trying to build a spaceship out of the pieces of the Moon Stone. If they succeed, they will depart this world and no one will ever see a Clefairy or Clefable again. Actually, only Seemore and ourselves have ever even seen Clefable before. No one has one. Hardly anyone has a Clefairy. It has been checked at Pokemon.com."
Ash, in wonder: "Wow. We arrived just in time. About how many pieces do they need, now?"
Prof., pointing at a particularly big rock: "They need to fit in that big piece over there, then they're done."
Misty, puzzled, pointing at a large pile of Moon Stone pieces: "But what about the rest of those shards? You can see a great many of them."
Prof., rubbing his chin: "It is my conclusion that those pieces are extra, that they will give to the world to evolve their Pokémon. Like Jigglypuff."
Misty: "Oh."
They watched in silent fascination. The Clefable were picking up the biggest piece and lugging it towards the ship, which was crowded around with Clefairy, in with silent anticipation.
A Clefairy walked up to Ash and the group. Pikachu recognized that it was the one that had saved them before. He told Ash.
Ash, sadly: "Goodbye, Clefairy."
Clefairy, looking startled: "Clef? Clefair fairy?" 'Huh? Aren't I going with you?"
Ash, looking surprised: "Well, I thought you were leaving with the other Clefairy."
Clefairy, looking relieved: "Clefairy, fairy clefairy fairy." 'Nope, I'm one of the few chosen to stay behind and watch over Earth.'
Pikachu, thinking: If anyone is ready and able to watch over the Earth, its us Pikachus.
Ash, eyes lighting up: "Well, okay. Great!"
The Clefairy sat by them and watched the Clefable tugging the piece into place. Suddenly, they stopped and looked up at the top of the stone. Two figures clothed in shadow [this is weird, because there was a crack in the tunnel (which made a light source) just above the rock] were standing on the stone.
A familiar voice: "Prepare for trouble!"
Another familiar voice: "And make it double!"
Ash, disgusted: "Oh, its Team Rocket, again!"
Prof., angry: "Whoever they are, they are interrupting in a natural spectacle of Pokémon intelligence."
Jesse and James stepped into the light, James holding his customary blue rose and Meowth nowhere to be found. This made Ash, Misty, and Pikachu more than a little nervous. Jesse, James, and Meowth may have been defeated by Ash and Brock before, but they were nonetheless crafty, and with Meowth nowhere to be seen...
Jesse: "To protect the world from devastation!"
James: "To unite all peoples within our nation!"
Jesse: "To denounce the beauty of truth and love!"
James: "To extend our reach to the stars above!"
Jesse: "Jesse!"
James: "James!"
Jesse: "Team Rocket, blast off at the speed of light!"
James: "Surrender now, or prepare to fight!"
Ash, shouting at them: "Leave these Clefairy and Clefable alone! They didn't do anything to you!"
Jesse, eyes narrowing: "Oh, but they did! They hid this ship from Team Rocket for three full years!"
James, throwing a Pokéball: "Koffing, go! Smokescreen attack, now!"
Knowing what was happening, Ash sprung into action.
Ash: "Go, Butterfree! Whirlwind attack!"
The smoke sprang out of Koffing's mouth, and Butterfree blew it away. But by the time it was gone, the Clefable looked dazed and they saw the entire ship had left the building. Misty saw a hole in the wall to the left.
Misty, pointing: "Ash, there!"
Ash, shouting to no one in particular: "Follow them!"
He started running at the fasted continued running speed he could go (down a hill cluttered with vegetation) [about 30 MPH] out of the hole in the wall. Pikachu jumped on his head as he did. Misty was left behind, hoping they would be all right. Suddenly, all of the Clefairy started pointing their finger this way and that and chanting their name. She had an uncontrollable urge to move her head in those directions, and did so. She saw the Professor Oak was doing the same.
Prof.: "Misty is your name, correct?"
His voice sounded as if it was coming from this way, then that way, then this way, etc....which was understandable, considering what was happening.
Misty, sounding a little frightened: "Right."
Prof., calmly: "This is the Metronome. Do not be alarmed. It is usually harmless. Their combined efforts will make them do whatever they want to do."
Ash was following Team Rocket, overtaking them quickly. They were sliding down the hill on some sort of platform holding the Moon Stone.
Brock saw them too. They were making quite a ruckus. Then he saw Ash, running at impossible speed after the contraption, gaining on it. He could barely see Pikachu hanging out of Ash's backpack. It was time for him to help.
Brock, throwing a Pokéball: "Go, Onix!"
Onix appeared, huge.
Brock, pointing at the platform: "Onix, stop that moving thing from moving."
Onix followed these simple instructions. It barreled into the ground.
Ash felt a tremor and saw a huge head bursting out of ground in front of Team Rocket.
Ash, thinking: ^Hey! That must be Brock! He found us! Or did we find him?^
Pikachu, psychically to Ash: ^Who cares? Let him help and stop running, please.^
Ash, screeching to a twenty-foot dust slide halt: "Okay. Go, Farfetch'd! Razor Wind!"
[Pidgeotto and Farfetch'd came back after a fruitless search. Just wanted to put that in. :I)
Farfetch'd popped out and stirred up a small but very fast wind. Then it threw its stick into the cyclone and blew it towards Team Rocket. As it swept them off the spaceship, battering them with the celery stick, Ash and Brock could hear them shouting.
Jesse, James, and Meowth: "Team (ugh!) Rocket (ouch!) is (umff!) blasting (ow!) off (get that thing away from us!) agaaaainnnn.(oof!)"
Ash and Brock walked up to each other and slapped hands.
Ash, cheering: "You did it man!"
Brock: "Yup! Onix is the best, she was my first Pokémon."
Ash, looking at the Moon Stone and sweatdropping: "How are we going to get this thing back to the Clefairy and Clefable?"
Brock, shocked: "HUNH? Clefairy?? Clefable???"
Ash, putting his hand on the back his head and smiling: "Oh, that's right. You weren't there."
Brock had Onix push the spaceship up the hill. Ash and Brock talked about all of their experiences while they were apart. Brock seemed amazed, but, a good listener, didn't interrupt. He interrupted at the end.
Brock, counting off his fingers: "...So when your girlfriend, Misty, woke up, you went right back to sleep? Doesn't make any sense."
Ash, irritated: "Brock, for the final time, Misty is not my girlfriend. She's-"
Brock, sighing: "Ash, I'm going to drop it. Tell me when I can say it and its more than half-true."
Ash, still irritated: "Brock, that's never going to happen!"
Brock, folding his hands across his chest: "Ash, you've saved her, what, six times? Anyway, answer my question."
Ash, nettled to the point of bursting: "No, you got it mixed up. I never went to sleep in the first place, I stayed up and went to look for Pokémon. I almost captured a Paras, but I knew Misty hates them {Brock: "Aha!"} (glaring at Brock)...so much that she would start chaos. But she came looking for me and found the Paras lying defeated, and told me to capture it. Then we went to sleep, Misty woke up from some nightmare, and we went to the Clefairy meeting or whatever it is."
Brock: "Oh."
They were up the hill. Onix didn't seem tired yet, so Brock had her start pushing it back through the wall. Ash jumped in first and motioned for all the creatures in there to step back.
They were all chanting at the far side of the room. Professor Oak and Misty were waving their heads back and forth, in time with the rhythm. They weren't in the way.
Onix lugged the ship into the room.
Brock: "Good girl, Onix! Return and I'll give you a treat, later."
Onix was sucked inside. The Clefairy and Clefable suddenly heightened the pitch of the lyrics. Misty and Professor Oak stopped waving their heads. Then the Clefairy and Clefable all flashed.
Ash, surprised: "What?!"
The ship started humming, and the Pokémon's flashing stopped. The Moon Stone became an actual spaceship, with actual steel sidings and engines. The Clefairy and Clefable boarded and sealed the hatches. Ash's new Clefairy stood by him, watching the spectacle with satisfaction. Misty, Brock, and Professor Oak all stood slightly behind Ash, who stood behind Clefairy. It waved its fingers and engines started to roar to life. It waved them three more times and the ship blasted off, leaving them in, strangely, a purple smoke with the scent of wildflowers.
Misty, after coughing a bit: "Isn't it wonderful?"
Prof.: "It sure is."
They watched the Clefairy Ship until it sailed above the sky, under the stars.
******
Ash: "Well, Clefairy, we part now. Here."
Ash put the Pokéball on the ground. Clefairy tapped it and disappeared in red light. It shimmered and disappeared.
They were outside on the other side of the mountain, where Professor Oak had kept a helicopter to go home in. Ash, Brock, and Misty were all set. Ash had his chosen Pokémon for battle at the Cerulean Gym. Misty seemed very nervous to the guys, but handled herself well. Ash had gotten the four biggest Moon Stones as recompense for his service.
[Ash has these Pokemon, right now: Charmander, Pikachu, Butterfree, Paras, Pidgeotto, and Mankey. At Professor Oak's, there are these of his: Beedrill, Zubat, Fearow, Clefairy, Venomoth, and Farfetch'd. By the way, he will probably always have Charmander, Pikachu, and Butterfree in his main party, and they are his main Pokemon, like Ritchie's are. :)]
Ash: "Thanks, Professor Oak. You've done so much."
Professor Oak, shaking Ash's hand: "Thank you, Ash. Without you, the Clefairy wouldn't have been able to go...well, home."
The Professor got into his copter and lifted off. Ash, Misty, Brock, and Pikachu waved as he zoomed off into the distance.
Ash: "Let's go. I'm tired of walking instead of biking."
They found their bikes where the loaders left them and hopped on. A few minutes later, they came to a sign.
Brock, curious: "Hey, someone wrote on this sign."
Misty: "Kids usually write ridiculous things on signs like this. What's it say?"
Brock, reading the letter: "It says: 'Gary was here. Ash is a loser!' "
Ash, gritting his teeth: "Man, he's still ahead of me!"
He took off at a pretty fast speed. Then he slowed down considerably so Misty and Brock could run alongside. Misty was still downcast as she ran as hard as she could besides Ash.
Narrator: "Well, so ends a typical in the life of Ash Ketchum. Misty is getting as yet even more mysterious as time passes, and Ash has three new Pokemon. Will the future bring pain, embarrassment, or peace? Or a bit of all three?"
James popped in.
James, frustrated: "When are we going to get our own fanfic, Mr. Flareon, sir?? This stinks! I don't LIKE getting battered and beaten almost every episode! You made the twerp get super powers, why can't me and Jesse and Meowth get them??"
Flareon, rolling his eyes: "I did not give Ash super powers, James. He's just really strong, smart, and talented. And he has a courteous, polite, kind personality. I don't think that makes him a super hero."
James, looking indignant: "So why can't I be really strong, smart, talented, courteous, polite, and kind??"
Flareon, raising his eyebrows: "Hey, you can do some pretty cool stuff in the show, ya know. I mean, you can jump from a ninety-foot high platform and land perfectly, you can do all these other crazy acrobatic skills, you're funny, you can be very empathetic...heck, you're my second favorite character!"
James, grumpily: "I still want super strength..."
Flareon, sighing: "Let me think about it, okay? End fic!"
Next, the battle for the Cascade Badge. Will Ash be victorious? Will Ash fight Misty? Will Ash win with only Pikachu? Will Ash get a new bike? Will Brock do what he did in the TV show, and say he has some *stuff* to do while Ash battles, of which he says nothing about later or any other time? Does anybody really care? Am I asking too many questions?
{:FLAREON:}
SAGA 1: THE LEGEND BEGINS
© Copyright 2000 by Flareon
DISCLAIMER: I do not own Pokémon. I wish I did, but I do not. I just write these fanfiction.
^These things^ - Means thought or psychic communication.
'Apostrophes' - Means Pokémon language deciphered into human language.
[Brackets] - Means author notes.
TheseStrangeThings - Means change of scene.
Narrator: "Last time, Ash and Pikachu faced Brock, the Pewter City Gym Leader, twice. Brock ended up following Ash along on his Journey, as his father, Flint, took over the Gym and his siblings. Now, our heroes are on the trail up to Mount Moon, the home of the Moon Stone, the rarest of the five known evolution stones."
Ash's voice: "Episode 6: Lost in Mount Moon with Clefairy and Clefable!"
Ash, Brock, Misty, and Pikachu were traveling uphill to the base of Mount Moon. They had sent their bikes around Mount Moon, to the other side, by a special transport system in the last Pokémon Center. Ash and Brock were talking about life and its great miracles.
Brock, blushing: "Pretty girls! That's one miracle, right Ash!"
Ash, avoiding Misty's steely gaze: "Um, sure, Brock, whatever you say. I think one miracle was the making of all Pokémon. And of our Pokémon Trainer system, with Badges and other tests. Brock, I've been wondering something. What are you now, Pokémon Gym Leader or Pokémon Breeder?"
Brock: "Well, Ash, I gave up my job as Gym Leader and am now classified as Pokémon Trainer/Breeder. What are you Ash?"
Ash: "I'm a straight Trainer all the way! Well...actually, I don't know. Misty said earlier that I might be a Poké Warrior or something."
Brock, whistling: "Wow. Those are few and far between. So you're good with a martial art?"
Ash: "Yup. I'm a black belt in Taekwando and Karate, a red belt in Aikijutsu, and brown belt in Kung-fu. They aren't that much different, actually, except that Aikijutsu is much more defensive than the others, and it doesn't use kicks."
They came into view of a cave jutting into the side of the Mountain. Suddenly, they hear fluttering of wings. A group of Zubat screeched out of the cave. Instinctively, Ash threw one of his occupied Pokéballs. [In his party, Ash has Pikachu, Charmander, Butterfree, Farfetch'd, Pidgeotto, and Fearow.]
Ash: "Go! Butterfree! Sleep Powder!"
Butterfree came out and used Sleep Powder on all of the Zubat. Soon every single one was asleep.
Ash: "Pokéball, go!"
Ash caught the biggest Zubat with his Pokéball.
Ash: "Brock, Misty, would you like a Zubat? I got plenty."
Brock: "Sure! Pokéballs, go!"
Misty, looking away: "No, thanks. Even though I gotta broaden my range, I don't like bats very much. (Mumbling) Too much like giant, hairy bugs..."
Brock caught every single other Zubat, as a start for his Breeding Ranch he was starting back at home. Ash recalled Butterfree. They entered Mount Moon.
Ash: "Man, its dark in here."
Brock: "Quiet, too."
Pikachu jumped down of Ash's head and lit up his cheeks with Flash. Suddenly, they saw in front of them a Clefairy, blinking at the light. It turned around and hopped off.
Ash: "Hey, wait!"
Ash raced after the Clefairy, grabbing Misty's hand. It was all of her efforts to keep up.
Brock, yelling as he set off after them: "Ash! Hey, wait for me, man!"
He tried to keep up, but couldn't. Ash didn't even know Pikachu had jumped on his head. All he knew, was that there was a Clefairy, a really, really rare Pokémon, for the capturing, and he was going to capture it. Misty was panting as they rounded another bend. The panting somehow broke through his determination, and he slowed down to a walk.
Misty, breathing hard: "Why'd you slow down?"
Ash: "I remembered you can't run quite as long as I can. I'll catch a Clefairy later, I guess. Let's wait for Brock."
Misty sat down on the floor, resting, while Ash stood looking for Brock. Then it seemed in slow motion as he heard a rumble and a scream, looked over at Misty, didn't see her, and realized the floor under her had collapsed. She was screaming as she fell. Without a second thought, he jumped down the hole after her, Pikachu clinging to his back, struggling to keep on.
******
Brock was lost. He had barely light enough to see and no hope of finding his new friends. There was thought to be only one way out of Mount Moon. He called out Zubat, thinking of an idea.
Brock: "Zubat, wake up!"
Zubat woke up after a minute, and looked around to realize it wasn't in its flock anymore.
Brock: "Zubat, I am your new Trainer. Please use your echo-location to find me a way out of this tunnel."
Grudgingly, Zubat obeyed him. Then Zubat pointed the way with its ears at it set itself on Brock's shoulder. They walked. The going was very slow.
Later, about two hours later, he arrived at the exit and recalled Zubat. Then he sat down on a rock and he fell through a trap. Just his luck. The rock caved in to make a hole. He heard a feminine voice.
Jesse, angry: "Hey, you aren't the ones we were looking for!"
Meowth, peering at Brock and smiling: "Might as well take his Pokémon, anyway."
James, curious: "How do you know he has Pokémon?"
Meowth, closing his eyes and crossing his arms before his chest: "As he fell into our little trap, I had the brains of checking first."
Jesse, a little annoyed Meowth had done something smart that she wasn't responsible for: "Fine. We will take them then. (Looking down at Brock from the top of the hole.) Prepare for trouble!"
James, appearing besides Jesse, holding his blue rose: "And make it double!"
Brock had had enough of these clowns and didn't listen as they said the motto. He finally reached his Pokéball with Onix in it.
Brock: "There! Found it!"
Jesse, with a sweatdrop: "-sse."
James, enraged: "Interrupting? How rude!"
Brock: "Go, Onix!"
Onix: "Rounggh!"
Team Rocket: "Uh-oh."
Brock: "Onix, Slam attack, now!"
Onix whammed its head into Team Rocket, sending them to their special star, seen whenever they leave the earth. Brock had Onix get him out.
Brock, thinking: ^I hope Ash and his girlfriend...Misty...get safely through the mountain. (Nodding his head after a while) I will wait here for three days. If they don't come, I will go to tell the police in Cerulean City.^
Reaching an agreement with himself, though he didn't like doing nothing, he sat down and ate lunch with his Onix.
******
Misty wasn't having fun. First, she had to try to keep up with Ash, which was exhausting, then she had to fall down a hole, which was terrifying. Some comfort came when she saw Pikachu and Ash, diving above her, trying to reach her hand. Then she felt awful. They would die with her.
She heard Ash: "Misty! Quick, grab my hand!"
She knew he must have some idea of what do, so strained her hand to reach his. She did.
Ash's voice: "Fearow, go!"
Fearow appeared below them and caught them while they fell. Then, as Fearow spread it wings as far as it could, it still fell, because it could not hold the weight. They descended slowly. There wasn't enough light to see where they were falling.
Ash: "Go, Charmander!"
Charmander appeared on the head of Fearow, who didn't mind, but they fell faster. Now there was enough light to see by. Misty peered down. They were in a narrow, vertical hallway, which seemed to end about twenty feet down. She looked at Charmander.
Misty: "Charmander is such a cute, useful Pokémon. I wish I had one."
Ash, surprised: "But I thought you only like Water Pokémon."
Misty, thinking: "Well, since meeting Pikachu, I guess I started to the other types as well. Ever since that bond, I feel different. Now I'm feeling like a Pokémon Trainer."
Ash, raising an eyebrow: "Misty, you ARE a Pokémon Trainer, right?"
Misty, slipping verbally: "No, I'm a...uh, I mean, yes I'm a Pokémon Trainer. But, um, I only capture Water types. So I'm not actually a straight Pokémon Trainer, because, uh, those catch every type."
Ash: "So why do you stay with just Water Pokémon?"
Misty: "It's in my family. We're all G---I mean, um, Water Pokémon Trainers."
Ash: "You don't have to train just Water types. (After thinking for a second) Okay, maybe you do. Now, if you were a Gym Leader, you might catch other types. Too bad you're not."
Misty, thinking of that last statement while replying: "Yup. Too bad."
They entered a new chamber. Suddenly, Fearow squawked.
Ash: "What's wrong, Fearow?! Tell me!"
Fearow: "Feer fee row!" 'On my wing! A Golbat!'
Fearow started falling. It was headed towards a wall. Without thinking, he grabbed Pikachu's and Misty's hand and recalled Fearow. They headed down at breakneck speed [literally!].
Ash, shouting as they flew down: "Go! Pidgeotto, Farfetch'd! Misty, grab one and I'll take the other!"
Pidgeotto and Farfetch'd glided smoothly into position below them and they each grabbed a talon of each. Pikachu was jerked off Ash by the stopping of motion and fell downwards, toward the stone floor. [This is not unlike the time in "Mewtwo Strikes Back" when Pikachu fell down towards the ground after being chased by Mewtwo Balls.]
Pikachu: "Piiiiiiii!"
Ash: "Pikachu!"
Ash let go of Farfetch'd and dived down towards Pikachu. He grabbed Pikachu, flipped in the air and landed on his feet on the wall, which he jumped again on back to the ground. Misty could barely hear him mutter: "I'm glad I had these triple-soled."
She landed by him. Suddenly, she noticed something that he didn't, a pile of rocks falling towards them, from when Ash had landed on the wall. For once, she didn't think, and dived on top of Ash and Pikachu, shielding them with her body.
******
Ash relived the nightmare in his dreams. One minute, he had found a Clefairy, the next, Misty probably killed herself by saving them, if her act did indeed save them. Moaning her name, he struggled to wake up. He had made a sign he put in his dreams that told him they were dreams, and it had been his father. He saw him now, shaking him and saying to wake up.
Cypress: "Wake up Ash."
Ash: "Okay..."
He woke up to see a Clefairy shaking him and a man off to one side. He immediately recognized it as Professor Oak. Ash, wincing at the pain in his head: "Professor Oak?? What happened? Where's Misty?? And Charmander?? And Pikachu?? And Pidgeotto and Farfetch'd?"
Prof.: "If you mean the girl who was covering you with her body when the tunnel caved in, we are trying to awaken her over there. Your Charmander and Pikachu are off to your right, getting treated, and your two birds said to me they were looking for a tanned someone."
Ash, surprised his birds had thought of something without their Trainer: "That must be Brock! Wait a minute. You understand Poké Language??"
Prof., smiling: "Over the years, one does pick up a few things, and I am now almost able to totally comprehend what Bird Pokémon say."
Ash, anxiously: "I gotta see Misty! You said she's okay?"
Prof., with a sweatdrop: "Well...actually, no. She's in a coma-like state right now. Don't worry. We think your girlfriend will be fine, if she wakes up. And she has a 90% chance of coming to, so we think...er, Misty, will be up and walking in a day or less."
Ash, blushing a little: "She's not my girlfriend."
Prof., eyebrows raising: "Ah. I see. But she's a girl, and obviously not a enemy, because she just risked her life to save yours...wouldn't that classify the young lady as your friend? And since she would be called a girl, wouldn't that make her your girlfriend?"
Ash, pleading: "Please Professor! Don't call her that when she wakes up."
Prof., shrugging: "Sure, I guess."
Ash: "And thanks for saving me."
Prof., gesturing to the Clefairy beside him: "Actually, this Clefairy saved you. Its wild."
Ash, confused: "How could a cute little thing like this get those rocks off of us?"
Prof.: "Watch. It is called the Metronome attack. We never studied this one, because scientists are unsure of its capabilities."
Clefairy wiggled its fingers back and forth and a rock was lifted into the air.
Ash: "Thanks, Clefairy. I'm sorry for trying to capture you. (Hugging Clefairy) You saved Misty, me, and Pikachu. How can I ever repay you?"
Clefairy: "Fairy. Fairy fairy. Fairy clef. Clefairy fairy. Clef..." 'Well, hmm. I don't like it here anymore. I don't feel safe here. Bad things are happening. I wanta meet other Pokemon. Maybe if you...'
Ash: "What?"
Clefairy: "Clefair fairy. Fair fairy. Fair..." 'Captured me and sent me to Professor Oak's. He seems like a really nice guy. But...'
Ash: "What?"
Clefairy: "Fairy fair clef. Clefairy." 'I have some work to do here first. The Moon Stone.'
Ash: "Cool. I'll help, if I can. After Misty wakes up."
Ash waited by her side for seven hours. Pikachu waited after the second hour. Ash talked about their journey together and all about what happened, trying to wake her up. Professor Oak came and looked in on Ash from time to time. Ash didn't care. He just kept talking.
Ash, one time: "And then Pikachu touched the ketchup packet and it exploded all over me! Remember that?"
Prof., startling Ash from behind: "You really care about her, don't you."
Ash, holding his head and keeling over as a wave of emotions overwhelmed him: "No! Yes! I think so. I don't know. Its tearing me apart. We've only been traveling together for about two weeks."
Prof.: "Young love. Can't live with it, can't live without it."
Ash made no comment.
Finally, Misty's eyelids scrunched and she slowly opened her eyes.
[This part is exactly like when Nurse Joy first woke up in "Mewtwo Strikes Back".]
Ash, rushing to her side: "Huh? Misty!"
Misty: "Where am I? And how in the world did I get here?"
Prof., in a dark voice: "You have been under my control. I transported you here from the Pokémon Center. Your knowledge of Pokémon Physiology proved useful for my plan. Now I have cleansed your tiny, human brain of memories for the past few weeks."
Ash, both frightened and angry: "Who are you??!!"
Prof., back in his regular voice: "Professor Oak. I'm sorry, but I always wanted to do that."
[Sorry, I couldn't resist. Picture Professor Oak saying that. Hee, hee, hee! *^-^)]
Ash fell over and Misty sort of bonked her head. They got up.
Ash: "Misty, you were conked on the head by Pumice when you saved Pikachu and me."
Misty, blushing: "Then I guess my debt to you is repaid."
Ash looked down. He knew this day would come, he just hoped it had been later. [Maybe 100 years later.]
Misty noticed his expression. She felt the same way. This past two weeks had been the happiest in her life, if she would admit it. Then she brightened, but not noticeably from the outside.
Misty, narrowing her eyes, as if annoyed, and brushing a strand of hair into place: "My first debt, I mean. One down, I think about four more to go."
Ash, surprised but hopeful: "What do you mean by that???"
Misty, sighing: "Well, think about it Ash. You might have saved my life from Spearow, but there are other things. Like, at Viridian City, when I faced Team Rocket, you saved my Pokémon for me with Pikachu and Pidgeotto. Then, in the Viridian Forest, you did it again with Venonat when Team Rocket attacked again. Once again, in Viridian Forest, when Samurai jumped at me, you risked your well-being to save mine. Yet again, how ever long ago here in Mount Moon, you jumped into a hole a fell through, risking certain death to save me again. (With a strange look in her eyes) You must really want your guide."
Prof., laughter in his eyes: "Yes, he told me he really needed his guide."
Ash, glaring daggers, knives, electricity, etc. at Professor Oak: "Um, sure. So I, um, guess I'm stuck with you again, huh?"
Misty: "Yup. But you still have Brock, so your Journey won't be-"
Ash and Misty, in unison: "Brock!"
Ash: "He musta got lost in the caves 'upstairs'! Pidgeotto and Farfetch'd are still looking for him, too. I hope he finds a way out."
Misty: "I hope WE find a way out."
Ash: "Heck, the Professor's here. He must know a way out, if he knew how to get in."
Misty: "Oh. Right."
Prof.: "You should both get some sleep now."
Ash and Misty: "Why?"
Prof.: "I have a surprise for you tonight."
Ash: "Oh."
Ash and Misty tried to sleep in beds of stone with mattresses of hay. Pikachu slept by Ash. Misty looked like she was sleeping, alone at the other side of the room. Ash couldn't look at any stars. He was restless. He got up and went out looking for Pokémon, leaving Pikachu to sleep in his bed. Misty got up a minute later. She followed Ash, careful not to let him know she was following, because she knew he needed to concentrate to catch strong Pokémon. She also knew he was adept at about anything she could imagine. He would probably hear her if she didn't walk dead silent.
She was in luck. After about ten minutes, they found a large waterfall. It covered the noise of her footsteps easily. Peering down, she looked for rare Water Pokémon, still careful to keep out of Ash's sight or sound. Disappointingly, there weren't any Pokémon at all. Oh, well, if she tried to capture them, she would lose Ash and all hope of getting back to Professor Oak and their base. She hurried onwards.
Ash didn't know Misty was following him. He was still around the waterfall he had found earlier. There weren't any Water Pokémon for him to capture. This brought a dilemma into his mind. If he had found a Water Pokémon, would he have kept it for himself, or given to Misty to raise and keep? It was better he didn't find any, because Pikachu might not get along with it anyway.
He held his Pokédex out in front of him like a flashlight. He could see because the waterfall came out of a crack in the ground high above, spouting sunlight. As he looked up, his Pokédex responded.
Dexter: "Paras, the Parasite Pokémon. With the animal personality and the power of a Grass Pokemon from the mushrooms on its back, Paras can prove a powerful ally."
Ash, pleasantly surprised: "A Paras? (Throwing a Pokéball) Go, Charmander!"
Charmander appeared, ready for combat. It spooked when it saw the waterfall, but regained its composure. Paras looked right to defend itself. It waved its mushrooms. Ash knew what that meant.
Ash: "Charmander, its the Stun Spore attack! Counter it with Ember!"
The waving of the tail blew the Stun Spores away from Charmander and back to the Paras. It also hurt the Paras. Ash smirked.
Ash: "Good, its weakened and paralyzed! Pokéball, g-"
He stopped in mid-throw. He just stood there for a moment. Charmander looked at its Trainer, confused.
Ash, patting it on the back: "Sorry, Charmander. You did a great job. I would normally catch it, but..." (But Misty hates bugs, and that would create a whole new chaos.)
Misty looked at the bug sprawled out on the ground and suddenly knew why Ash hesitated. She thought quickly and started briskly walking towards him as if she had been looking for him and suddenly found him. Ash heard her and turned around. [Not unlike when Mewtwo turned around in "Mewtwo Strike's Back" when it hears the clones.] Misty, sounding annoyed and relieved at the same time [she should be an actor]: "Ash! What are you doing?! I woke up and you weren't there!"
Ash, smiling a little: "I kinda went to catch some Pokémon."
Misty looked at Charmander, then at Paras on the floor as if for the first time.
Misty, sounding impatient: "Well? Aren't you going to capture it?"
Ash, surprised: "Uhh, well, I know you hate bugs, and Paras is a bug, so I assumed..."
Misty, sighing: "Ash, I don't care much about that anymore. Venonat-I mean Venomoth showed me not all bugs are icky. I guess Pokémon bugs are better than the normal type."
Ash, delighted: "Well, if you're sure its all right.."
Misty: "Positive."
[Actually, Misty wasn't positive, but she didn't want to make Ash not do something he wanted to do. :)]
Ash, turning back to the Paras: "Then, Pokéball, go!"
The Paras had gotten back a tiny amount of strength, but Ash caught it anyway with his Pokéball. Misty winced, but covered it up. They walked back to Professor Oak's stake out. [If I wanted to rush this fanfic, I'd say they were hand in hand. They aren't, because this is going to be a loooooong fanfic. Hey, does anyone know if two people can fall in love in such a short amount of time?] The only way they knew was Ash's sense of direction.
Pikachu was up. It looked relieved when Ash and Misty came back in the door.
Pikachu: "Pika! Pika pika pika chu pik!" 'I was so worried! Next time wake me up and tell me you're leaving to go do something!' Ash and Misty, psychically sending their same words together at the same time: Sorry, Pikachu.
Pikachu wondered if they had learned how to speak to each other psychically, which of course, they had not. Pikachu checked their emotion signals and his eyebrows raised. "It" went up another notch. The best thing about his new Psychic ability was that he could snoop on them, but they couldn't snoop on him. For some reason, they couldn't hear his thoughts unless he sent them to one of them, personally, or both, at the same time, but he could hear their thoughts whenever he wanted to. Maybe it was just his being a Pokémon. He listened to the melded thoughts from Ash and Misty to draw up the story. He knew the exact story and exactly what happened, as if he had lived it himself. He knew what Misty had done, and why Ash hadn't captured Paras right away.
[I am calling Pikachu a he because I'm not sure if Pikachus have genders. I don't like calling it "it" and the manga shows Pikachu as probably a boy, though you can't be sure.]
They went to bed. After Ash and Misty went to sleep, Pikachu sat down at the foot of Misty's bed, instead of Ash's. He had enough of Ash's dreams and wanted to listen to a few of Misty's. Deep inside his head, he knew this must be wrong. He shrugged off the feeling and started watching.
******
Misty found herself inside a dark room. On the floor, was Ash, a Pokéball clutched in his hand.
Brock's voice: "He's dead."
Misty turned around to see Brock, dressed in a black tuxedo and looking grim.
Misty: "WHAT???!!"
Brock, leaning down at Ash: "He went and got himself killed. Just for trying to get into the Pokémon League."
Misty, shocked: "There must be some mistake! Where are we? Where's Pikachu?"
Brock, pointing: "Pikachu is there, in Ash's hand. We are in the domain of dead Pokémon. (Slowly, he smiled) I hate it here."
Misty, backing away: "Ash can't be dead!!! NO!! Brock, why are you smiling???!!! Ash is dead!!!"
Brock: "Because I'm not Brock."
Slowly, he face transformed into that of a young girl with pale purple eyes.
The little girl, in a small, girl voice: "Too bad. He was a good opponent. I won't get to play with him anymore."
The little girl flashed and Ash's body burned. A blackened skeleton slowly turned into real ash. Pikachu's Pokéball also disintegrated, leaving Misty alone in a dark room. Ash was dead. Pikachu was dead. Brock wasn't there.
Misty, screaming as loud as she could: "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!"
******
Misty woke up screaming to someone shaking her. She opened her eyes, saw Ash, blinked twice, and quickly hugged Ash, quietly sobbing and gasping for breath at the same time. After a while she brought herself under control and collapsed on the bed, staring at Ash as if she couldn't believe he was there, still breathing hard with sobs in her voice. He stared at her, completely caught off-guard. A song played itself in Ash's mind.
"When you feel all alone And the world has turned it's back on you Give me a moment please To tame your wild, wild heart I know you feel Like the walls are closing in on you It's hard to find relief And people can be so cold When darkness is upon your door and you feel like you can't take anymore
Let me be the one you call If you jump, I'll break your fall Lift you up and fly away with you into the night If you need to fall apart I can mend your broken heart If you need to crash then crash and burn, you're not alone
When you feel all alone And a loyal friend is hard to find You're caught in a one way street With the monsters in your head When hopes and dreams are far away and You feel like can't face the day
Let me be the one you call If you jump, I'll break your fall Lift you up and fly away with you into the night If you need to fall apart I can mend your broken heart If you need to crash then crash and burn, you're not alone
Because there has always been heartache and pain And when it's over, you'll breathe again You'll breathe again
When you feel all alone And the world has turned it's back on you Give me a moment please To tame your wild, wild heart
Let me be the one you call If you jump, I'll break your fall Lift you up and fly away with you into the night If you need to fall apart I can mend your broken heart If you need to crash then crash and burn, you're not alone
Let me be the one you call If you jump, I'll break your fall Lift you up and fly away with you into the night If you need to fall apart I can mend your broken heart If you need to crash then crash and burn, you're not alone"Pikachu was woken by Clefairy. He was shouting: "PIIIIKAAA PIIIIIII!!!" He opened his eyes, saw Ash and jumped on Ash's head, clutching Ash's hair and cried for a short time, as well.
Professor Oak, who had been watching the scene: "Wow. Ash, you seem to be well-loved here. (Seeing Ash and adding hastily) I mean, by Pikachu of course."
Ash looked into Misty's wet eyes. Then up at Pikachu pulling his hair out.
Ash: "Misty, Pikachu, what's wrong?"
Misty looked at Pikachu, and finally noticed how he looked.
Misty, speaking psychically to Pikachu, who could sense her mixed feelings: ^Don't tell him. He doesn't know about me and probably doesn't want to know.^
Pikachu, looking pale and speaking back: ^Right.^
Misty left, going to the bathroom to wash up. Pikachu decided to bend his word.
Pikachu, thinking psychically to Ash: ^Watch close, Ash. This is what I saw and heard...^
Pikachu showed Ash the whole dream. Ash looked slightly flushed. Pikachu had substituted him for Misty in the dream, though in his dream he was part of Misty, not himself. And the Pokéball was gone.
Ash: "Man! No wonder you got worked up. Don't worry, I won't ever leave. Now I wonder what made Misty so scared?..."
Pikachu sweatdropped. Misty just then decided to come back in.
Misty, looking like she had cleaned herself up a bit: "Ash? Professor Oak said it was time for his surprise now. He was in the hall, heading that direction. (Pointing) We should go."
Ash: "Right."
Ash sent Charmander, not wanting it to miss this. It gave him a thumbs-up.
******
Prof., looking flustered: "Here, come watch!"
The Professor was on top of a cropping of stone that overlooked a vast room, filled with about two hundred Clefairy. And the biggest surprise were all of the Clefable in there too. In the center was a huge rock.
Misty, awed: "Professor, is that...?"
Professor Oak, nodding: "Yes, that is the Moon Stone. Various pieces of it have been found by humans over periods of time. About three years ago, a scientist name Seemore found its resting place. The Clefairy destroyed the rock and one fourth of the Clefairy in the entire world became Clefables. Then, it seems they built spaceships with everyday things we use around the house and flew all over the world, never into space, where they meant to go. Now they are trying to build a spaceship out of the pieces of the Moon Stone. If they succeed, they will depart this world and no one will ever see a Clefairy or Clefable again. Actually, only Seemore and ourselves have ever even seen Clefable before. No one has one. Hardly anyone has a Clefairy. It has been checked at Pokemon.com."
Ash, in wonder: "Wow. We arrived just in time. About how many pieces do they need, now?"
Prof., pointing at a particularly big rock: "They need to fit in that big piece over there, then they're done."
Misty, puzzled, pointing at a large pile of Moon Stone pieces: "But what about the rest of those shards? You can see a great many of them."
Prof., rubbing his chin: "It is my conclusion that those pieces are extra, that they will give to the world to evolve their Pokémon. Like Jigglypuff."
Misty: "Oh."
They watched in silent fascination. The Clefable were picking up the biggest piece and lugging it towards the ship, which was crowded around with Clefairy, in with silent anticipation.
A Clefairy walked up to Ash and the group. Pikachu recognized that it was the one that had saved them before. He told Ash.
Ash, sadly: "Goodbye, Clefairy."
Clefairy, looking startled: "Clef? Clefair fairy?" 'Huh? Aren't I going with you?"
Ash, looking surprised: "Well, I thought you were leaving with the other Clefairy."
Clefairy, looking relieved: "Clefairy, fairy clefairy fairy." 'Nope, I'm one of the few chosen to stay behind and watch over Earth.'
Pikachu, thinking: If anyone is ready and able to watch over the Earth, its us Pikachus.
Ash, eyes lighting up: "Well, okay. Great!"
The Clefairy sat by them and watched the Clefable tugging the piece into place. Suddenly, they stopped and looked up at the top of the stone. Two figures clothed in shadow [this is weird, because there was a crack in the tunnel (which made a light source) just above the rock] were standing on the stone.
A familiar voice: "Prepare for trouble!"
Another familiar voice: "And make it double!"
Ash, disgusted: "Oh, its Team Rocket, again!"
Prof., angry: "Whoever they are, they are interrupting in a natural spectacle of Pokémon intelligence."
Jesse and James stepped into the light, James holding his customary blue rose and Meowth nowhere to be found. This made Ash, Misty, and Pikachu more than a little nervous. Jesse, James, and Meowth may have been defeated by Ash and Brock before, but they were nonetheless crafty, and with Meowth nowhere to be seen...
Jesse: "To protect the world from devastation!"
James: "To unite all peoples within our nation!"
Jesse: "To denounce the beauty of truth and love!"
James: "To extend our reach to the stars above!"
Jesse: "Jesse!"
James: "James!"
Jesse: "Team Rocket, blast off at the speed of light!"
James: "Surrender now, or prepare to fight!"
Ash, shouting at them: "Leave these Clefairy and Clefable alone! They didn't do anything to you!"
Jesse, eyes narrowing: "Oh, but they did! They hid this ship from Team Rocket for three full years!"
James, throwing a Pokéball: "Koffing, go! Smokescreen attack, now!"
Knowing what was happening, Ash sprung into action.
Ash: "Go, Butterfree! Whirlwind attack!"
The smoke sprang out of Koffing's mouth, and Butterfree blew it away. But by the time it was gone, the Clefable looked dazed and they saw the entire ship had left the building. Misty saw a hole in the wall to the left.
Misty, pointing: "Ash, there!"
Ash, shouting to no one in particular: "Follow them!"
He started running at the fasted continued running speed he could go (down a hill cluttered with vegetation) [about 30 MPH] out of the hole in the wall. Pikachu jumped on his head as he did. Misty was left behind, hoping they would be all right. Suddenly, all of the Clefairy started pointing their finger this way and that and chanting their name. She had an uncontrollable urge to move her head in those directions, and did so. She saw the Professor Oak was doing the same.
Prof.: "Misty is your name, correct?"
His voice sounded as if it was coming from this way, then that way, then this way, etc....which was understandable, considering what was happening.
Misty, sounding a little frightened: "Right."
Prof., calmly: "This is the Metronome. Do not be alarmed. It is usually harmless. Their combined efforts will make them do whatever they want to do."
Ash was following Team Rocket, overtaking them quickly. They were sliding down the hill on some sort of platform holding the Moon Stone.
Brock saw them too. They were making quite a ruckus. Then he saw Ash, running at impossible speed after the contraption, gaining on it. He could barely see Pikachu hanging out of Ash's backpack. It was time for him to help.
Brock, throwing a Pokéball: "Go, Onix!"
Onix appeared, huge.
Brock, pointing at the platform: "Onix, stop that moving thing from moving."
Onix followed these simple instructions. It barreled into the ground.
Ash felt a tremor and saw a huge head bursting out of ground in front of Team Rocket.
Ash, thinking: ^Hey! That must be Brock! He found us! Or did we find him?^
Pikachu, psychically to Ash: ^Who cares? Let him help and stop running, please.^
Ash, screeching to a twenty-foot dust slide halt: "Okay. Go, Farfetch'd! Razor Wind!"
[Pidgeotto and Farfetch'd came back after a fruitless search. Just wanted to put that in. :I)
Farfetch'd popped out and stirred up a small but very fast wind. Then it threw its stick into the cyclone and blew it towards Team Rocket. As it swept them off the spaceship, battering them with the celery stick, Ash and Brock could hear them shouting.
Jesse, James, and Meowth: "Team (ugh!) Rocket (ouch!) is (umff!) blasting (ow!) off (get that thing away from us!) agaaaainnnn.(oof!)"
Ash and Brock walked up to each other and slapped hands.
Ash, cheering: "You did it man!"
Brock: "Yup! Onix is the best, she was my first Pokémon."
Ash, looking at the Moon Stone and sweatdropping: "How are we going to get this thing back to the Clefairy and Clefable?"
Brock, shocked: "HUNH? Clefairy?? Clefable???"
Ash, putting his hand on the back his head and smiling: "Oh, that's right. You weren't there."
Brock had Onix push the spaceship up the hill. Ash and Brock talked about all of their experiences while they were apart. Brock seemed amazed, but, a good listener, didn't interrupt. He interrupted at the end.
Brock, counting off his fingers: "...So when your girlfriend, Misty, woke up, you went right back to sleep? Doesn't make any sense."
Ash, irritated: "Brock, for the final time, Misty is not my girlfriend. She's-"
Brock, sighing: "Ash, I'm going to drop it. Tell me when I can say it and its more than half-true."
Ash, still irritated: "Brock, that's never going to happen!"
Brock, folding his hands across his chest: "Ash, you've saved her, what, six times? Anyway, answer my question."
Ash, nettled to the point of bursting: "No, you got it mixed up. I never went to sleep in the first place, I stayed up and went to look for Pokémon. I almost captured a Paras, but I knew Misty hates them {Brock: "Aha!"} (glaring at Brock)...so much that she would start chaos. But she came looking for me and found the Paras lying defeated, and told me to capture it. Then we went to sleep, Misty woke up from some nightmare, and we went to the Clefairy meeting or whatever it is."
Brock: "Oh."
They were up the hill. Onix didn't seem tired yet, so Brock had her start pushing it back through the wall. Ash jumped in first and motioned for all the creatures in there to step back.
They were all chanting at the far side of the room. Professor Oak and Misty were waving their heads back and forth, in time with the rhythm. They weren't in the way.
Onix lugged the ship into the room.
Brock: "Good girl, Onix! Return and I'll give you a treat, later."
Onix was sucked inside. The Clefairy and Clefable suddenly heightened the pitch of the lyrics. Misty and Professor Oak stopped waving their heads. Then the Clefairy and Clefable all flashed.
Ash, surprised: "What?!"
The ship started humming, and the Pokémon's flashing stopped. The Moon Stone became an actual spaceship, with actual steel sidings and engines. The Clefairy and Clefable boarded and sealed the hatches. Ash's new Clefairy stood by him, watching the spectacle with satisfaction. Misty, Brock, and Professor Oak all stood slightly behind Ash, who stood behind Clefairy. It waved its fingers and engines started to roar to life. It waved them three more times and the ship blasted off, leaving them in, strangely, a purple smoke with the scent of wildflowers.
Misty, after coughing a bit: "Isn't it wonderful?"
Prof.: "It sure is."
They watched the Clefairy Ship until it sailed above the sky, under the stars.
******
Ash: "Well, Clefairy, we part now. Here."
Ash put the Pokéball on the ground. Clefairy tapped it and disappeared in red light. It shimmered and disappeared.
They were outside on the other side of the mountain, where Professor Oak had kept a helicopter to go home in. Ash, Brock, and Misty were all set. Ash had his chosen Pokémon for battle at the Cerulean Gym. Misty seemed very nervous to the guys, but handled herself well. Ash had gotten the four biggest Moon Stones as recompense for his service.
[Ash has these Pokemon, right now: Charmander, Pikachu, Butterfree, Paras, Pidgeotto, and Mankey. At Professor Oak's, there are these of his: Beedrill, Zubat, Fearow, Clefairy, Venomoth, and Farfetch'd. By the way, he will probably always have Charmander, Pikachu, and Butterfree in his main party, and they are his main Pokemon, like Ritchie's are. :)]
Ash: "Thanks, Professor Oak. You've done so much."
Professor Oak, shaking Ash's hand: "Thank you, Ash. Without you, the Clefairy wouldn't have been able to go...well, home."
The Professor got into his copter and lifted off. Ash, Misty, Brock, and Pikachu waved as he zoomed off into the distance.
Ash: "Let's go. I'm tired of walking instead of biking."
They found their bikes where the loaders left them and hopped on. A few minutes later, they came to a sign.
Brock, curious: "Hey, someone wrote on this sign."
Misty: "Kids usually write ridiculous things on signs like this. What's it say?"
Brock, reading the letter: "It says: 'Gary was here. Ash is a loser!' "
Ash, gritting his teeth: "Man, he's still ahead of me!"
He took off at a pretty fast speed. Then he slowed down considerably so Misty and Brock could run alongside. Misty was still downcast as she ran as hard as she could besides Ash.
Narrator: "Well, so ends a typical in the life of Ash Ketchum. Misty is getting as yet even more mysterious as time passes, and Ash has three new Pokemon. Will the future bring pain, embarrassment, or peace? Or a bit of all three?"
James popped in.
James, frustrated: "When are we going to get our own fanfic, Mr. Flareon, sir?? This stinks! I don't LIKE getting battered and beaten almost every episode! You made the twerp get super powers, why can't me and Jesse and Meowth get them??"
Flareon, rolling his eyes: "I did not give Ash super powers, James. He's just really strong, smart, and talented. And he has a courteous, polite, kind personality. I don't think that makes him a super hero."
James, looking indignant: "So why can't I be really strong, smart, talented, courteous, polite, and kind??"
Flareon, raising his eyebrows: "Hey, you can do some pretty cool stuff in the show, ya know. I mean, you can jump from a ninety-foot high platform and land perfectly, you can do all these other crazy acrobatic skills, you're funny, you can be very empathetic...heck, you're my second favorite character!"
James, grumpily: "I still want super strength..."
Flareon, sighing: "Let me think about it, okay? End fic!"
Next, the battle for the Cascade Badge. Will Ash be victorious? Will Ash fight Misty? Will Ash win with only Pikachu? Will Ash get a new bike? Will Brock do what he did in the TV show, and say he has some *stuff* to do while Ash battles, of which he says nothing about later or any other time? Does anybody really care? Am I asking too many questions?
{:FLAREON:}