Gijinka Renamon:
I have an idea for how they can get into the ranks of the resistance.
KingofCrossovers:
I made the assumption that the Digidestined knew they had little choice in the matter. If they became too concerned, they might become unwilling to kill at all, which is necessary in order to free the Pokemon World.
Ninetalesuk:
Soon...
AnT:
I didn't know that, actually. I can at least have her doing the occasional narration.
Phintai13:
I read your story. Didn't you see my review?
Disclaimer:
Toei and Bandai own Digimon, and Nintendo owns Pokemon.
The Stones of Doom
By: RB3
Chapter 15: Project Revolution
The Johto Team woke up in to a brilliant dawn in the Mahogany Pokemon Centre. The sky was clear and a lovely azure blue. The sun was a golden yellow, and its light sparkled as it hit the steel buildings of the town. The sunlight woke Misty up and she took a morning shower to start the day. Being a Water Pokemon trainer, Misty was most comfortable in or around water. As the water hit her bare skin, she felt refreshed and let out a sigh of relief.
She dried herself off with a towel and wrapped a second one around her wet hair. She finished the rest of her morning routine and joined Joe, TK, Mimi and Ash for breakfast. The Centre served delicious golden brown pancakes that morning. Misty took a bite, and the sweet taste of maple syrup filled her mouth. Pikachu tried a small slice of pancake and loved the taste as much as Misty did.
"So we're going to the Lake of Rage after breakfast?" asked Misty.
"Yeah," replied Joe.
"You're not going to the Gym yet, Ash?" asked Misty.
"Not yet. I have to take care of the Stones of Doom first. I have to be responsible," admitted Ash. "I go there later."
"Well there's a first," muttered Misty sarcastically.
"I'm afraid the Gym's going to be closed for quite awhile," informed Nurse Joy, who had overheard their conversation.
"Really?" asked Ash. "Why?"
"Didn't you hear the news?"
"No, what happened?"
"The Gym Leader, Pryce, is at the hospital."
The Johto Team gasped. "The hospital? Is he alright? What happened?" asked Ash.
"A rampaging Gyarados attacked the town last night," replied Joy. "That Gyarados had hospitalized many people and Pokemon before Pryce managed to defeat it. It shot Pryce through a concrete wall and broke many bones in his body. He's a hero."
Mimi was shocked. "That's so horrible... But I'm glad he's alive!"
"Yeah, but it gets even stranger," said Joy. "You know that Gyarados? It had black scales instead of blue ones. The authorities are studying the creature, but they are baffled as to what caused it to be that way. There are rumours going around that this was because of Kanto performing genetic experiments on Pokemon."
Nurse Joy's mention of the Black Gyarados got the Johto Team thinking. "Nurse Joy do you know which hospital Pryce is staying at?" asked Ash.
"Yeah, the North Mahogany Hospital."
****************************************
The Johto Team paid Pryce a visit, and he was happy to see strangers care so much. They went north to find that area of Mahogany in ruins. Most of the damage appeared to be caused by a beam of some kind, most likely Gyarados' Hyper Beam attack. A few buildings had collapsed, and there was a flurry of activity by the local authorities to clean up. The team remarked how powerful the Black Gyarados was to have caused so much damage. They pressed on and reached the forests out of town. The forests were beautiful and green, and the air was fresh.
May pretended to be a narrator of a documentary. "...And the Johto Team marches northward in search of the next Stone of Doom. What will they find at the Lake of Rage? Excitement and adventure? Ugly, multi-eyed monsters? New friends who will join them? Perhaps new loves?"
"You don't need to be so melodramatic," said Joe.
Biyomon looked up at the sky. "It's getting late. We should set up camp soon."
The sun turned a crimson shade as it descended below the horizon. The stars and the full moon could be seen as the once azure sky turned a jet black. The team found a clearing in the forest where they set up camp for the night. Joe, Ash, and Sora pitched up a series of tents for the whole group to sleep in. Torchic breathed her flames onto a pile of kindling and a campfire ignited. May threw in some nearby logs and held the palm of her hands to receive the heat.
"Ick! These logs are so dirty!" complained Mimi, as she dropped a log of firewood.
"We need more firewood than that," said Joe as he hammered a stake into the ground.
"I can't believe I touched that log! Would you trade jobs with me Joe? Please?"
Joe sighed. "Oh, alright." Joe walked off into the forest as Mimi began hammering.
May threw the log into the fire and began to fan the flames. The campfire lit up nice and bright, casting a warm glow around the centre of the camp. Ash finished setting up his tent and joined May beside the fire. He basked in the heat, warming himself up after being chilled by the night wind. The two struck up a conversation about Hoenn and May's first steps into the world of training Pokemon.
Ash couldn't contain his laughter. "Ha ha ha! It sprayed you in the face? Ha ha ha!"
May frowned. "That's why I didn't pick Mudkip. Treecko was too scary, so I went with Torchic instead. How did you start your journey?"
Ash stopped laughing. "Well, I kind of woke up late that day."
"Kind of?"
"Okay, okay, I overslept!" admitted Ash.
"I take it that Pikachu wasn't your first choice."
"Yeah. Everyone else got there earlier and took all the other Pokemon. Pikachu was the only one left. We had a little trouble getting along at first, but the two of us became best buddies."
"When did you meet Misty and Brock?"
"I met Misty just before I got to Viridian City. Pikachu got hurt trying to protect me from some Spearows. I took her bike to get to the Pokemon Centre, but I kind of damaged it on the way. She was mad. She tagged along just to get me to repay her for that bike."
"What about Brock?"
"He used to be the Pewter City Gym Leader. His long lost father came home and took care of his brothers and sisters while he traveled with us to become a Pokemon Breeder."
"You three must have had a lot of adventures!" remarked May.
"Yeah," replied Ash.
May stared into Ash's eyes dreamily and blushed. "You know, Ash..."
She smiled shyly, and inched her way closer to Ash's position. Suddenly, a stream of water blasted May in the face. She fell onto her back, and Ash jumped onto his feet. He thought they were under attack, until his eyes followed the water to Staryu and Misty. His jaw dropped in shock and denial. Misty was the one who attacked them? He couldn't believe what he was seeing.
"Misty what was that for?" asked Ash demandingly. Misty turned her nose up and let out an indignant "humpf."
May had seen Misty's reaction and was furious. "You did that on purpose!"
"So I did. What're you going to do about it?" dared Misty.
May growled. "I asked if you were jealous and you lied to me! I'm a usually a nice person but don't push me!"
Joe ran back to the camp in the hurry. "What's going on?" he asked trying to make himself heard over Misty and May's screaming.
"Misty and May were having an argument," replied Biyomon.
Joe was surprised. "That's it? What would they have to argue about?"
"It looks like Misty is jealous of May," replied Palmon.
"Ah, love!" remarked Gomamon.
Misty and May began a tug-of-war on Ash's arms. "Keep your hands off!" screamed Misty.
"NO! Keep YOUR hands off!" snapped May.
Ash felt like his arms were being pulled out of their sockets. "Hey guys, cut it out! That hurts!"
A battle of words became physical as Misty tackled May to the ground. The two girls began to pull on each other's hair. The Digidestined had seen enough, and Joe and TK threw their bodies between the two girls to break up the fight. At the same time, Sora pulled Misty away and Mimi did the same to May. Both trainers continued to scream at each other, struggling to break free. Unknown to everyone, several round objects descended into the camp. They hissed as they released a trail of white vapour behind them. The Johto was drowned in gas and everyone collapsed.
****************************************
An unknown amount of time passed and the Johto Team woke up to the sight of a prison. The walls were a drab metallic grey, but surprisingly clean. A set of solid steel bars, and a tightly locked door confined them within. Ash reached for a Pokeball, but his arms were tied by some sort of metal ring. It mattered little since he didn't even have his Pokeballs in the first place. The Johto Team realized their monster partners were missing!
"Nice work, Misty! Now we're in jail!" shouted May.
Misty got into May's face, sandwiching Ash between the two girls. "Me? You're the one who was trying to move in like a vulture!"
Ash was becoming quite uncomfortable and managed to squeeze out of the girls' way. He backed into the huddle of Digidestined. "What's going on with Misty and May?"
"You really don't know?" asked Sora incredulously.
"No!" admitted Ash.
"They're in love with you!" said Sora.
Ash's jaw dropped. "In love... with... ME?" Ash fell speechless.
The door to the prison opened and a pair of men walked in. "Shut up!" shouted one of the men.
This man had a muscular build which made him look like a tough guy. He had tanned skin and a head of brown hair. The man wore a grey jacket with a bright red "R" emblazoned on it. The Pokemon trainers recognized him as being a member of the Team Rocket, a notorious crime syndicate based around the sale of Pokemon. They came to the conclusion that they were in a Team Rocket base of some kind. In fact, this man was the head of the base, Tyson.
The second man was thinner and less muscular. He looked more like a scientist due to his white lab coat and glasses. He had greying black hair, and an equally greying goatee. He also looked somewhat unscrupulous. From his presence, the trainers concluded that this base must also be a lab. They wondered what kind of nefarious research was being conducted here. The scientist was named Sebastian, and he was the head scientist in this lab.
"Team Rocket!" said Ash and Misty.
"What did you do with Palmon?" demanded Mimi.
"Sebastian has put your Pokemon and Digimon to good use for Team Rocket."
"You better not hurt them or I'll..." threatened Ash as he struggled to pry the ring open.
"...Or you'll do what?" asked an unknown figure entering the room. As the figure approached, the shadows seemed to part and revealed its goat-like face.
The Johto Team was shocked. "Mephistomon!"
"Meet Team Rocket's biggest business partner," said Tyson.
Misty was appalled. "You talk as if Pokemon and Digimon are some sort of commodity!"
Tyson smiled. "Pokemon and now Digimon are big business for Team Rocket. We sell to the highest bidder, and that is Mephistomon!"
Ash turned to Mephistomon for answers. "Why are you doing this? What do you have you have against us?"
"Nothing at all. My grievance is with the Sovereigns," replied Mephistomon.
Joe was in disbelief. "Then why cause all this suffering?"
"Simple, I intend to make them pay for all the suffering I endured while imprisoned in the Dark Area! To do that, I need great military power, and this world can provide me with everything I need!" Mephistomon gazed at everyone then locked eyes with Misty. She was unnerved by the way he looked at her. "She will do nicely... Open the cell!"
Tyson press a button on a remote control. Mephistomon took a deep breath before exhaling a cloud of inky black gas into the cell. The Johto Team writhed in pain as the gas made contact with their skin. They didn't hear the grinding of the door sliding open. Once the gas cleared they found that Misty was gone! They were terrified for her safety, but little did they realize the consequences of this act.
****************************************
"I'm so hungry," groaned James. "Did the twerps have to wander so far out?"
"This is ridiculous," complained Jessie.
The Team Rocket trio had finally gotten back onto the trail of Ash and friends after they left the Digital World. They managed to track them down all the way to the Lake of Rage north of Mahogany Town. So far, they have yet to actually see Ash's group moving through the wilderness. Meowth looked ahead and spotted a large building with a curved roof. It was beside a beautiful lake with crystal clear blue water.
Meowth pointed at the structure. "Hey look, a barn house!"
"Where there's a barn house, there's a kitchen! Where there's a kitchen, there's FOOD!" exclaimed Jessie.
The trio rushed into the building and encountered a long hallway lined with statues of Persian. "All I see are Persians. Where are the provisions?" asked James.
"We have to find the kitchen first," replied Jessie.
Meowth looked around, as though suspicious of his environment. "I have a funny feeling that we're being watched!"
"I don't see how," said Jessie as she scanned the room.
"All I see are Persian statues," said James as he admired one of the statues. "Granted, they're a very good likeness."
Suddenly, a wall of metal bars shot out of a groove in the ground before them! The Team Rocket trio was caught completely off guard. They turned to run the other way, only to be blocked by a similar wall! They tried to force the bars apart, but the steel was too strong for them to bend barehanded. Tyson and a squad of grunts approached to inspect the intruders to his lab.
"We're innocent I tell you!" begged Meowth.
"We were framed!" begged James.
"Enough!" shouted Tyson. "You three have a lot of nerve to break in here!"
Jessie remarked the red "R" emblem on the jackets of Tyson and his grunts. "You're Team Rocket!"
"That's right!" replied Tyson. "...And it looks like you are too." Tyson turned to one of his men. "Well, are they?"
"I checked the database and sure enough, they're legit," replied the grunt. "They're Jessie, James, and a Meowth. They were recently demoted to rookie, and are making zero contribution to the team."
"Now hold on a minute!" replied James indignantly. "We're at least one to two percent worthwhile!"
"Yeah, we put the 'rock' in Team Rocket!" chimed Meowth.
"It says here they'll do anything for food," continued the grunt.
"Maybe we can make use of them," pondered Tyson. "Show them to the mess hall and give them a good meal."
"Oh, thank you!" replied the trio.
The grunts showed the three to the mess hall where the trio wolfed down bowl after bowl, and plate after plate of food. After several minutes, Tyson and Sebastian entered. "That's enough for now. Time to earn your keep!" said Tyson.
"Okay, what do you want us to do?" asked James.
"Who's that man beside you?" asked Jessie.
Tyson introduced his partner, Sebastian. "This is Professor Sebastian. He's the driving force behind Project R."
"Project R stands for Project Revolution," continued Sebastian. "Let me ask you, Meowth, how did you learn to talk?"
Meowth narrated his story about his unrequited love for Meowsie. "Why do you ask?"
"In layman's terms, Project R will elevate Pokemon and Digimon to an unheard of level," replied Sebastian. "It will put Team Rocket at the head of Pokemon science! Imagine a Pokemon being born able to talk like you can! Wouldn't you like to have the strength of a Machamp, or the brain power of an Alakazam? Project R will make all of these dreams become reality!"
"Wow!" remarked James. "Where do we fit into this?"
"We could always use more workers on our project," said Tyson. "Do a good job, and you can get a big fat bonus alongside your salary!"
"What are we waiting for?" asked Jessie, barely able to contain her excitement. "What's our first job?"
Tyson smiled. "Eager to begin, eh? We need some people to help get some DNA samples from some Ekans and Tentacruel in our lab. Sebastian will tell you more."
****************************************
Meanwhile, another person was investigating the attack on Mahogany by the Black Gyarados. He was a government agent who was tasked with patrolling the wildness for crimes against Pokemon and the environment. He was a young man about seventeen or eighteen years old. His head was covered with fiery red hair. Unlike a typical agent, he wore a black and red jumpsuit and a matching black cape. This man was Lance, one of the Elite Four, and thus one of the mightiest Pokemon trainers in the world.
Lance specialized in Dragon type Pokemon, and was seated on the back of such a Pokemon. Its orange scales were hard and felt cool to the touch. The Dragon Pokemon was a Dragonite, a Pokemon that was often associated with Lance. Dragonites were among the most powerful species of Pokemon, just below the Legendaries in sheer strength. He and his partner were flying northwards and following the river.
Though it was night, Lance was able to spot a set of unfamiliar buildings at the north edge of the Lake of Rage. He wisely decided to approach the rest of the way on foot, using the vegetation and darkness as cover. He took refuge inside of a hangar after evading several Team Rocket patrols. A guard wandered by the doors and Lance snatched him from his post. He gave a swift karate chop to the back of the guard's neck and stole his uniform. As Lance left the hangar, he cleaned his newly acquired shades.
Lance entered the main building, which almost looked like a hangar. It had the trademark red "R" of Team Rocket emblazoned on its side. He casually walked past the guards who dismissed him as a Team Rocket grunt. The hallways were made of grey metal, and little was done to lighten up the drab, lifeless scenery. Lance came upon an office area where the workers processed the hideout's paperwork.
Lance's eyes darted from door to door in search of something. "Where's the filing room?"
His eyes locked onto a set of cabinets behind the window of a door. A keypad was beside the door, and it controlled the electronic lock on the door. After scanning for wandering guards, Lance pulled out an electronic tool resembling a small screwdriver. Upon pressing a button, it released a small electromagnetic pulse which scrambled the keypad. The door popped open and Lance stepped in.
Lance read and photographed several sensitive documents. "My God!"
This hideout was actually a lab that held various experiments on elevating the power of Pokemon and Digimon. Each species had their hurdles to overcome in order to reach their full potential. Pokemon had great versatility, but lacked raw power. In the Digimon case, the converse was true. They had the potential to grow more powerful than Pokemon due to Digivolution. However, there was a limiter placed on Digimon by their Sovereigns. This limiter prevented access to the highest level, Mega, thus no Digimon could go higher than Ultimate level.
These problems led to the research in the Lake of Rage lab. These experiments used a mystical artefact, a Stone of Doom called the Fires of Hatred. Earlier experiments resulted in corrupt black Pokemon like the Black Gyarados. Later ones sought to exceed the Black Pokemon, and resulted in the creation of powerful chimeras. All creatures resulting from these experiments had a hateful, vicious nature that exceeded that of a Gyarados.
Lance was appalled to discover all of this. From memos, Lance discovered that Kanto had been funding this operation for a long time. The rumours of Kanto's genetic experiments on Pokemon were true. These experiments were not just unethical; they were flagrantly illegal and immoral. The worse part was that Team Rocket conducted some of their experiments on humans. He had to get this abominable place shut down as soon as possible. He continued reading to learn more about the lab.
Lance flipped through the scientific reports on different species of chimeras. One species of note was the Medusa. It was a Tentacruel with several Ekans grafted onto its body. It had the ability to speak any language like a Digimon, and moved by floating in the air. Medusa was a Water and Poison type like Tentacruel, and had appropriate abilities. It also had the ability to use beam attacks like Hyper Beam and Ice Beam. It was much stronger than a Tentacruel and an Ekans put together.
The other species of note was the insidious Doppelganger; a human-Ditto hybrid. Unlike the others, Doppelgangers were made with Hypocrisy, and not Hatred. They were shape-shifters that could not only assume the form of any Pokemon, but also that of any human as well. Lance discovered that Doppelgangers had replaced members of Johto's government! Their leader was impersonating the President of Johto, but fortunately, only five existed. After snapping photos of the documents, he covered his tracks and left to explore further.
Lance entered a new area and was greeted by the sight of strange equipment. There were several machines that resembled giant blenders. Each machine consisted of a control box on the bottom, with a cylindrical glass column clamped on top. The air was filled with a pungent scent and Lance plugged his nose in disgust. He concluded the smell to be from the green liquid in the columns. Lance had found the lab he was looking for, and snapped pictures for police intelligence.
He could see an object suspended within each of the columns, and moved closer to get a better view. It was a Tentacruel! It was completely immobile, as though in a state of suspended animation. There were other species of Pokemon there, including three which he recognized as the Legendary Bird trio of Moltres, Articuno, and Zapdos. Lance noted that there were Digimon specimens there as well. This room acted as a storage facility for all the specimens used in Team Rocket's experiments.
Lance saw Rocket goons filling a column with the green preservative. "Watch it James! You're going to spill that stuff!" said the female Rocket.
"Yeah, Tyson was furious when you spilled it the last time!" scolded Meowth.
"Sorry," replied James. "Hey! Why am I the only one who's working?"
Tyson interrupted the trio's argument. "You three, get back to work!" He turned to Lance. "Show's over! Get those canisters to the back!"
"Yes sir!" replied Lance.
Lance grabbed some canisters lying on the side and entered the rear. He was greeted by the sight of several plastic vats. Each vat contained an unknown creature suspended in green fluid. One such vat contained a fearsome humanoid creature with the body and head of a Machamp. It had a pair of sharp horns protruding upwards. Its large cloven feet like that of the bull-like Tauros. Its wings had bright, fiery orange feathers, but Lance didn't recognize what creature they came from. He took a sneak peak at the clipboard and discovered the creature's name; Balrog.
It was concentrated around a vat at the back of the room. As Lance walked by, he glanced at the experiment. A beautiful sixteen year old girl was suspended in the vat naked. Her eyes were closed, as though she was in a catatonic state. There were scars from surgery across the areas below her waist. A scientist climbed up to the top and focused some kind of metallic emitter into the vat. The emitter was wired to an unknown device that was powered by a statue made of a strange black gemstone. It looked like a flame with an evil, hate-filled visage.
The operator, Sebastian, pressed a button and the emitter began to hum lightly. Instantly, the girl underwent drastic physiological changes. Her legs began to turn into the gleaming, scaly tail of a violet snake. Her skin turned a lifeless grey, as though the blood had been drained from her veins. Her hair turned a deep shade of violet, as gills formed on her neck, and four more arms grew out of her body. Despite these unusual changes, the girl still possessed a dark beauty about her.
****************************************
Back in the specimen room, Team Rocket noted a pair of figures entering their room. "What is the status of Balrog?" asked Mephistomon.
"We are progressing quite nicely. We can send Balrog over for conditioning as soon as tomorrow," replied Tyson.
Mephistomon was satisfied. "Good! I expect to see them on the field of battle soon. I'm leaving to oversee the development of our new weapon. Continue your work!"
"Thank you, sir!" replied Tyson. Mephistomon vanished in a cloud of black vapour.
James as he glanced over at Tyson. "Who was that speaking to Tyson?"
"I don't know, but he looks like a Digimon," noted Jessie. "He doesn't look like any Pokemon I know of." She noticed a shiver of fear running down Meowth's spine. "Are you okay, Meowth?"
"I'm fine, just scared!" replied Meowth. "I feel pure evil coming from him!"
"I don't feel anything," admitted Jessie.
"Same here," said James.
"You guys don't feel anything 'cause you're human, but I'm a Pokemon, and we can sense things you can't. He's bad news for all of us!"
I have an idea for how they can get into the ranks of the resistance.
KingofCrossovers:
I made the assumption that the Digidestined knew they had little choice in the matter. If they became too concerned, they might become unwilling to kill at all, which is necessary in order to free the Pokemon World.
Ninetalesuk:
Soon...
AnT:
I didn't know that, actually. I can at least have her doing the occasional narration.
Phintai13:
I read your story. Didn't you see my review?
Disclaimer:
Toei and Bandai own Digimon, and Nintendo owns Pokemon.
The Stones of Doom
By: RB3
Chapter 15: Project Revolution
The Johto Team woke up in to a brilliant dawn in the Mahogany Pokemon Centre. The sky was clear and a lovely azure blue. The sun was a golden yellow, and its light sparkled as it hit the steel buildings of the town. The sunlight woke Misty up and she took a morning shower to start the day. Being a Water Pokemon trainer, Misty was most comfortable in or around water. As the water hit her bare skin, she felt refreshed and let out a sigh of relief.
She dried herself off with a towel and wrapped a second one around her wet hair. She finished the rest of her morning routine and joined Joe, TK, Mimi and Ash for breakfast. The Centre served delicious golden brown pancakes that morning. Misty took a bite, and the sweet taste of maple syrup filled her mouth. Pikachu tried a small slice of pancake and loved the taste as much as Misty did.
"So we're going to the Lake of Rage after breakfast?" asked Misty.
"Yeah," replied Joe.
"You're not going to the Gym yet, Ash?" asked Misty.
"Not yet. I have to take care of the Stones of Doom first. I have to be responsible," admitted Ash. "I go there later."
"Well there's a first," muttered Misty sarcastically.
"I'm afraid the Gym's going to be closed for quite awhile," informed Nurse Joy, who had overheard their conversation.
"Really?" asked Ash. "Why?"
"Didn't you hear the news?"
"No, what happened?"
"The Gym Leader, Pryce, is at the hospital."
The Johto Team gasped. "The hospital? Is he alright? What happened?" asked Ash.
"A rampaging Gyarados attacked the town last night," replied Joy. "That Gyarados had hospitalized many people and Pokemon before Pryce managed to defeat it. It shot Pryce through a concrete wall and broke many bones in his body. He's a hero."
Mimi was shocked. "That's so horrible... But I'm glad he's alive!"
"Yeah, but it gets even stranger," said Joy. "You know that Gyarados? It had black scales instead of blue ones. The authorities are studying the creature, but they are baffled as to what caused it to be that way. There are rumours going around that this was because of Kanto performing genetic experiments on Pokemon."
Nurse Joy's mention of the Black Gyarados got the Johto Team thinking. "Nurse Joy do you know which hospital Pryce is staying at?" asked Ash.
"Yeah, the North Mahogany Hospital."
****************************************
The Johto Team paid Pryce a visit, and he was happy to see strangers care so much. They went north to find that area of Mahogany in ruins. Most of the damage appeared to be caused by a beam of some kind, most likely Gyarados' Hyper Beam attack. A few buildings had collapsed, and there was a flurry of activity by the local authorities to clean up. The team remarked how powerful the Black Gyarados was to have caused so much damage. They pressed on and reached the forests out of town. The forests were beautiful and green, and the air was fresh.
May pretended to be a narrator of a documentary. "...And the Johto Team marches northward in search of the next Stone of Doom. What will they find at the Lake of Rage? Excitement and adventure? Ugly, multi-eyed monsters? New friends who will join them? Perhaps new loves?"
"You don't need to be so melodramatic," said Joe.
Biyomon looked up at the sky. "It's getting late. We should set up camp soon."
The sun turned a crimson shade as it descended below the horizon. The stars and the full moon could be seen as the once azure sky turned a jet black. The team found a clearing in the forest where they set up camp for the night. Joe, Ash, and Sora pitched up a series of tents for the whole group to sleep in. Torchic breathed her flames onto a pile of kindling and a campfire ignited. May threw in some nearby logs and held the palm of her hands to receive the heat.
"Ick! These logs are so dirty!" complained Mimi, as she dropped a log of firewood.
"We need more firewood than that," said Joe as he hammered a stake into the ground.
"I can't believe I touched that log! Would you trade jobs with me Joe? Please?"
Joe sighed. "Oh, alright." Joe walked off into the forest as Mimi began hammering.
May threw the log into the fire and began to fan the flames. The campfire lit up nice and bright, casting a warm glow around the centre of the camp. Ash finished setting up his tent and joined May beside the fire. He basked in the heat, warming himself up after being chilled by the night wind. The two struck up a conversation about Hoenn and May's first steps into the world of training Pokemon.
Ash couldn't contain his laughter. "Ha ha ha! It sprayed you in the face? Ha ha ha!"
May frowned. "That's why I didn't pick Mudkip. Treecko was too scary, so I went with Torchic instead. How did you start your journey?"
Ash stopped laughing. "Well, I kind of woke up late that day."
"Kind of?"
"Okay, okay, I overslept!" admitted Ash.
"I take it that Pikachu wasn't your first choice."
"Yeah. Everyone else got there earlier and took all the other Pokemon. Pikachu was the only one left. We had a little trouble getting along at first, but the two of us became best buddies."
"When did you meet Misty and Brock?"
"I met Misty just before I got to Viridian City. Pikachu got hurt trying to protect me from some Spearows. I took her bike to get to the Pokemon Centre, but I kind of damaged it on the way. She was mad. She tagged along just to get me to repay her for that bike."
"What about Brock?"
"He used to be the Pewter City Gym Leader. His long lost father came home and took care of his brothers and sisters while he traveled with us to become a Pokemon Breeder."
"You three must have had a lot of adventures!" remarked May.
"Yeah," replied Ash.
May stared into Ash's eyes dreamily and blushed. "You know, Ash..."
She smiled shyly, and inched her way closer to Ash's position. Suddenly, a stream of water blasted May in the face. She fell onto her back, and Ash jumped onto his feet. He thought they were under attack, until his eyes followed the water to Staryu and Misty. His jaw dropped in shock and denial. Misty was the one who attacked them? He couldn't believe what he was seeing.
"Misty what was that for?" asked Ash demandingly. Misty turned her nose up and let out an indignant "humpf."
May had seen Misty's reaction and was furious. "You did that on purpose!"
"So I did. What're you going to do about it?" dared Misty.
May growled. "I asked if you were jealous and you lied to me! I'm a usually a nice person but don't push me!"
Joe ran back to the camp in the hurry. "What's going on?" he asked trying to make himself heard over Misty and May's screaming.
"Misty and May were having an argument," replied Biyomon.
Joe was surprised. "That's it? What would they have to argue about?"
"It looks like Misty is jealous of May," replied Palmon.
"Ah, love!" remarked Gomamon.
Misty and May began a tug-of-war on Ash's arms. "Keep your hands off!" screamed Misty.
"NO! Keep YOUR hands off!" snapped May.
Ash felt like his arms were being pulled out of their sockets. "Hey guys, cut it out! That hurts!"
A battle of words became physical as Misty tackled May to the ground. The two girls began to pull on each other's hair. The Digidestined had seen enough, and Joe and TK threw their bodies between the two girls to break up the fight. At the same time, Sora pulled Misty away and Mimi did the same to May. Both trainers continued to scream at each other, struggling to break free. Unknown to everyone, several round objects descended into the camp. They hissed as they released a trail of white vapour behind them. The Johto was drowned in gas and everyone collapsed.
****************************************
An unknown amount of time passed and the Johto Team woke up to the sight of a prison. The walls were a drab metallic grey, but surprisingly clean. A set of solid steel bars, and a tightly locked door confined them within. Ash reached for a Pokeball, but his arms were tied by some sort of metal ring. It mattered little since he didn't even have his Pokeballs in the first place. The Johto Team realized their monster partners were missing!
"Nice work, Misty! Now we're in jail!" shouted May.
Misty got into May's face, sandwiching Ash between the two girls. "Me? You're the one who was trying to move in like a vulture!"
Ash was becoming quite uncomfortable and managed to squeeze out of the girls' way. He backed into the huddle of Digidestined. "What's going on with Misty and May?"
"You really don't know?" asked Sora incredulously.
"No!" admitted Ash.
"They're in love with you!" said Sora.
Ash's jaw dropped. "In love... with... ME?" Ash fell speechless.
The door to the prison opened and a pair of men walked in. "Shut up!" shouted one of the men.
This man had a muscular build which made him look like a tough guy. He had tanned skin and a head of brown hair. The man wore a grey jacket with a bright red "R" emblazoned on it. The Pokemon trainers recognized him as being a member of the Team Rocket, a notorious crime syndicate based around the sale of Pokemon. They came to the conclusion that they were in a Team Rocket base of some kind. In fact, this man was the head of the base, Tyson.
The second man was thinner and less muscular. He looked more like a scientist due to his white lab coat and glasses. He had greying black hair, and an equally greying goatee. He also looked somewhat unscrupulous. From his presence, the trainers concluded that this base must also be a lab. They wondered what kind of nefarious research was being conducted here. The scientist was named Sebastian, and he was the head scientist in this lab.
"Team Rocket!" said Ash and Misty.
"What did you do with Palmon?" demanded Mimi.
"Sebastian has put your Pokemon and Digimon to good use for Team Rocket."
"You better not hurt them or I'll..." threatened Ash as he struggled to pry the ring open.
"...Or you'll do what?" asked an unknown figure entering the room. As the figure approached, the shadows seemed to part and revealed its goat-like face.
The Johto Team was shocked. "Mephistomon!"
"Meet Team Rocket's biggest business partner," said Tyson.
Misty was appalled. "You talk as if Pokemon and Digimon are some sort of commodity!"
Tyson smiled. "Pokemon and now Digimon are big business for Team Rocket. We sell to the highest bidder, and that is Mephistomon!"
Ash turned to Mephistomon for answers. "Why are you doing this? What do you have you have against us?"
"Nothing at all. My grievance is with the Sovereigns," replied Mephistomon.
Joe was in disbelief. "Then why cause all this suffering?"
"Simple, I intend to make them pay for all the suffering I endured while imprisoned in the Dark Area! To do that, I need great military power, and this world can provide me with everything I need!" Mephistomon gazed at everyone then locked eyes with Misty. She was unnerved by the way he looked at her. "She will do nicely... Open the cell!"
Tyson press a button on a remote control. Mephistomon took a deep breath before exhaling a cloud of inky black gas into the cell. The Johto Team writhed in pain as the gas made contact with their skin. They didn't hear the grinding of the door sliding open. Once the gas cleared they found that Misty was gone! They were terrified for her safety, but little did they realize the consequences of this act.
****************************************
"I'm so hungry," groaned James. "Did the twerps have to wander so far out?"
"This is ridiculous," complained Jessie.
The Team Rocket trio had finally gotten back onto the trail of Ash and friends after they left the Digital World. They managed to track them down all the way to the Lake of Rage north of Mahogany Town. So far, they have yet to actually see Ash's group moving through the wilderness. Meowth looked ahead and spotted a large building with a curved roof. It was beside a beautiful lake with crystal clear blue water.
Meowth pointed at the structure. "Hey look, a barn house!"
"Where there's a barn house, there's a kitchen! Where there's a kitchen, there's FOOD!" exclaimed Jessie.
The trio rushed into the building and encountered a long hallway lined with statues of Persian. "All I see are Persians. Where are the provisions?" asked James.
"We have to find the kitchen first," replied Jessie.
Meowth looked around, as though suspicious of his environment. "I have a funny feeling that we're being watched!"
"I don't see how," said Jessie as she scanned the room.
"All I see are Persian statues," said James as he admired one of the statues. "Granted, they're a very good likeness."
Suddenly, a wall of metal bars shot out of a groove in the ground before them! The Team Rocket trio was caught completely off guard. They turned to run the other way, only to be blocked by a similar wall! They tried to force the bars apart, but the steel was too strong for them to bend barehanded. Tyson and a squad of grunts approached to inspect the intruders to his lab.
"We're innocent I tell you!" begged Meowth.
"We were framed!" begged James.
"Enough!" shouted Tyson. "You three have a lot of nerve to break in here!"
Jessie remarked the red "R" emblem on the jackets of Tyson and his grunts. "You're Team Rocket!"
"That's right!" replied Tyson. "...And it looks like you are too." Tyson turned to one of his men. "Well, are they?"
"I checked the database and sure enough, they're legit," replied the grunt. "They're Jessie, James, and a Meowth. They were recently demoted to rookie, and are making zero contribution to the team."
"Now hold on a minute!" replied James indignantly. "We're at least one to two percent worthwhile!"
"Yeah, we put the 'rock' in Team Rocket!" chimed Meowth.
"It says here they'll do anything for food," continued the grunt.
"Maybe we can make use of them," pondered Tyson. "Show them to the mess hall and give them a good meal."
"Oh, thank you!" replied the trio.
The grunts showed the three to the mess hall where the trio wolfed down bowl after bowl, and plate after plate of food. After several minutes, Tyson and Sebastian entered. "That's enough for now. Time to earn your keep!" said Tyson.
"Okay, what do you want us to do?" asked James.
"Who's that man beside you?" asked Jessie.
Tyson introduced his partner, Sebastian. "This is Professor Sebastian. He's the driving force behind Project R."
"Project R stands for Project Revolution," continued Sebastian. "Let me ask you, Meowth, how did you learn to talk?"
Meowth narrated his story about his unrequited love for Meowsie. "Why do you ask?"
"In layman's terms, Project R will elevate Pokemon and Digimon to an unheard of level," replied Sebastian. "It will put Team Rocket at the head of Pokemon science! Imagine a Pokemon being born able to talk like you can! Wouldn't you like to have the strength of a Machamp, or the brain power of an Alakazam? Project R will make all of these dreams become reality!"
"Wow!" remarked James. "Where do we fit into this?"
"We could always use more workers on our project," said Tyson. "Do a good job, and you can get a big fat bonus alongside your salary!"
"What are we waiting for?" asked Jessie, barely able to contain her excitement. "What's our first job?"
Tyson smiled. "Eager to begin, eh? We need some people to help get some DNA samples from some Ekans and Tentacruel in our lab. Sebastian will tell you more."
****************************************
Meanwhile, another person was investigating the attack on Mahogany by the Black Gyarados. He was a government agent who was tasked with patrolling the wildness for crimes against Pokemon and the environment. He was a young man about seventeen or eighteen years old. His head was covered with fiery red hair. Unlike a typical agent, he wore a black and red jumpsuit and a matching black cape. This man was Lance, one of the Elite Four, and thus one of the mightiest Pokemon trainers in the world.
Lance specialized in Dragon type Pokemon, and was seated on the back of such a Pokemon. Its orange scales were hard and felt cool to the touch. The Dragon Pokemon was a Dragonite, a Pokemon that was often associated with Lance. Dragonites were among the most powerful species of Pokemon, just below the Legendaries in sheer strength. He and his partner were flying northwards and following the river.
Though it was night, Lance was able to spot a set of unfamiliar buildings at the north edge of the Lake of Rage. He wisely decided to approach the rest of the way on foot, using the vegetation and darkness as cover. He took refuge inside of a hangar after evading several Team Rocket patrols. A guard wandered by the doors and Lance snatched him from his post. He gave a swift karate chop to the back of the guard's neck and stole his uniform. As Lance left the hangar, he cleaned his newly acquired shades.
Lance entered the main building, which almost looked like a hangar. It had the trademark red "R" of Team Rocket emblazoned on its side. He casually walked past the guards who dismissed him as a Team Rocket grunt. The hallways were made of grey metal, and little was done to lighten up the drab, lifeless scenery. Lance came upon an office area where the workers processed the hideout's paperwork.
Lance's eyes darted from door to door in search of something. "Where's the filing room?"
His eyes locked onto a set of cabinets behind the window of a door. A keypad was beside the door, and it controlled the electronic lock on the door. After scanning for wandering guards, Lance pulled out an electronic tool resembling a small screwdriver. Upon pressing a button, it released a small electromagnetic pulse which scrambled the keypad. The door popped open and Lance stepped in.
Lance read and photographed several sensitive documents. "My God!"
This hideout was actually a lab that held various experiments on elevating the power of Pokemon and Digimon. Each species had their hurdles to overcome in order to reach their full potential. Pokemon had great versatility, but lacked raw power. In the Digimon case, the converse was true. They had the potential to grow more powerful than Pokemon due to Digivolution. However, there was a limiter placed on Digimon by their Sovereigns. This limiter prevented access to the highest level, Mega, thus no Digimon could go higher than Ultimate level.
These problems led to the research in the Lake of Rage lab. These experiments used a mystical artefact, a Stone of Doom called the Fires of Hatred. Earlier experiments resulted in corrupt black Pokemon like the Black Gyarados. Later ones sought to exceed the Black Pokemon, and resulted in the creation of powerful chimeras. All creatures resulting from these experiments had a hateful, vicious nature that exceeded that of a Gyarados.
Lance was appalled to discover all of this. From memos, Lance discovered that Kanto had been funding this operation for a long time. The rumours of Kanto's genetic experiments on Pokemon were true. These experiments were not just unethical; they were flagrantly illegal and immoral. The worse part was that Team Rocket conducted some of their experiments on humans. He had to get this abominable place shut down as soon as possible. He continued reading to learn more about the lab.
Lance flipped through the scientific reports on different species of chimeras. One species of note was the Medusa. It was a Tentacruel with several Ekans grafted onto its body. It had the ability to speak any language like a Digimon, and moved by floating in the air. Medusa was a Water and Poison type like Tentacruel, and had appropriate abilities. It also had the ability to use beam attacks like Hyper Beam and Ice Beam. It was much stronger than a Tentacruel and an Ekans put together.
The other species of note was the insidious Doppelganger; a human-Ditto hybrid. Unlike the others, Doppelgangers were made with Hypocrisy, and not Hatred. They were shape-shifters that could not only assume the form of any Pokemon, but also that of any human as well. Lance discovered that Doppelgangers had replaced members of Johto's government! Their leader was impersonating the President of Johto, but fortunately, only five existed. After snapping photos of the documents, he covered his tracks and left to explore further.
Lance entered a new area and was greeted by the sight of strange equipment. There were several machines that resembled giant blenders. Each machine consisted of a control box on the bottom, with a cylindrical glass column clamped on top. The air was filled with a pungent scent and Lance plugged his nose in disgust. He concluded the smell to be from the green liquid in the columns. Lance had found the lab he was looking for, and snapped pictures for police intelligence.
He could see an object suspended within each of the columns, and moved closer to get a better view. It was a Tentacruel! It was completely immobile, as though in a state of suspended animation. There were other species of Pokemon there, including three which he recognized as the Legendary Bird trio of Moltres, Articuno, and Zapdos. Lance noted that there were Digimon specimens there as well. This room acted as a storage facility for all the specimens used in Team Rocket's experiments.
Lance saw Rocket goons filling a column with the green preservative. "Watch it James! You're going to spill that stuff!" said the female Rocket.
"Yeah, Tyson was furious when you spilled it the last time!" scolded Meowth.
"Sorry," replied James. "Hey! Why am I the only one who's working?"
Tyson interrupted the trio's argument. "You three, get back to work!" He turned to Lance. "Show's over! Get those canisters to the back!"
"Yes sir!" replied Lance.
Lance grabbed some canisters lying on the side and entered the rear. He was greeted by the sight of several plastic vats. Each vat contained an unknown creature suspended in green fluid. One such vat contained a fearsome humanoid creature with the body and head of a Machamp. It had a pair of sharp horns protruding upwards. Its large cloven feet like that of the bull-like Tauros. Its wings had bright, fiery orange feathers, but Lance didn't recognize what creature they came from. He took a sneak peak at the clipboard and discovered the creature's name; Balrog.
It was concentrated around a vat at the back of the room. As Lance walked by, he glanced at the experiment. A beautiful sixteen year old girl was suspended in the vat naked. Her eyes were closed, as though she was in a catatonic state. There were scars from surgery across the areas below her waist. A scientist climbed up to the top and focused some kind of metallic emitter into the vat. The emitter was wired to an unknown device that was powered by a statue made of a strange black gemstone. It looked like a flame with an evil, hate-filled visage.
The operator, Sebastian, pressed a button and the emitter began to hum lightly. Instantly, the girl underwent drastic physiological changes. Her legs began to turn into the gleaming, scaly tail of a violet snake. Her skin turned a lifeless grey, as though the blood had been drained from her veins. Her hair turned a deep shade of violet, as gills formed on her neck, and four more arms grew out of her body. Despite these unusual changes, the girl still possessed a dark beauty about her.
****************************************
Back in the specimen room, Team Rocket noted a pair of figures entering their room. "What is the status of Balrog?" asked Mephistomon.
"We are progressing quite nicely. We can send Balrog over for conditioning as soon as tomorrow," replied Tyson.
Mephistomon was satisfied. "Good! I expect to see them on the field of battle soon. I'm leaving to oversee the development of our new weapon. Continue your work!"
"Thank you, sir!" replied Tyson. Mephistomon vanished in a cloud of black vapour.
James as he glanced over at Tyson. "Who was that speaking to Tyson?"
"I don't know, but he looks like a Digimon," noted Jessie. "He doesn't look like any Pokemon I know of." She noticed a shiver of fear running down Meowth's spine. "Are you okay, Meowth?"
"I'm fine, just scared!" replied Meowth. "I feel pure evil coming from him!"
"I don't feel anything," admitted Jessie.
"Same here," said James.
"You guys don't feel anything 'cause you're human, but I'm a Pokemon, and we can sense things you can't. He's bad news for all of us!"