AN: Hey everyone, I have the next chapter here. Sorry for the delay, I wanted to have this chapter by the end of the month for Ruby's birthday, but I was in a block for a bit. Still wanted this one out before gen nine came out. This chapter is short but was a lot of fun once I had it going. I get to make a few cameos of some very beloved characters. Hope you enjoy this chapter, leave a review with your comments and questions, and have a nice day.
See the most recent Save State Chapter for Cover Art details.
Chapter 48 – Tale of Red Riding Ruby Rose
An oven door opened as Ruby pulled out a batch of freshly back cookies. After placing them on a metal rack to cool down, she walked over to the couch. There, Summer rubbed the head of a wheezing Rosa, who held her stomach in pain, "Uhhh, too much cookie dough." Rosa spoke with a grown, "But it was so good."
"I think your friend needs to rest a bit," Summer commented, "I'll watch her while you go deliver the batch of cookies."
"Okay, I'll run them over," Ruby spoke, "Or maybe I could just have Arcanine give me a ride."
"I have another idea." Summer spoke as she stood up, "Follow me." She said as Ruby and she went outside. In walking around the house, the white rose woman showed her daughter a red bike, "You can take this if you want.
"Oh cool!" Ruby said in awe as she went over to the bike, "The last time I was on one of these was when Dad bought one for Yang when we were kids."
"I'm glad he taught you two to ride them." Summer responded.
"Yeah, but I think Yang took a liking to them more than I did." Ruby said with a giggle, "Are you sure I can take this?"
"Of course, I got this bike from the shop after I was given a voucher," Summer responded before walking away, "You take it for a spin while I get the basket ready."
"Okay!" Ruby said as she got on the bike. In riding it around, she had a smile on her face as she rode through the town, "Hehehehe, this kind of fun." She said before her head started to get pulled back, "Huh?" At the same time, Summer walked out to see Ruby bent back, her cape caught in the back spokes of the bike, "Mom help!" she called out as Summer rushed over in a panic.
Meanwhile.
Roman and Anabel were to the west end of town, passing a sign that said Route 22. They continued to walk while approaching a small building. Upon entering, a set of guards were blocking the opposite doorway. Anabel approached them and showed an ID and metal embalm. The guards nodded as they let her pass, followed by Roman, who tipped his hat while exiting.
They emerged towards a crude path towards a small mountain surrounded by stone pillars, "This is the route towards Victory Road. A final challenge of trainers from this region before they would challenge the Elite Four and Champion."
"Didn't ask, but okay," Roman responded.
"In any case, there are trainers that would have spotted who were looking for," Anabel responded, "So we need to search off the beaten path." She said before walking towards the nearby forest. Roman sighed as he followed. The two made their way through part of the woods. However, lurking above was a massive purple snake. It hissed before locking onto the orange-haired criminal. Suddenly, Anabel gasped, "Look out!" she said as she turned back to Roman.
"CHAR!" the massive purple snake Pokemon spoke as its jaw unlocked, and fangs aimed to lock down. However, its bite could not be complete as the cane was set vertically in its mouth, "Char?" it said in confusion as Roman smirked.
However, the tail of the massive purple snake Pokemon began to coil around him, "Oh, that's how you want to do it?" Roman said as he grab a Pokeball, "Two can play at that game, Grapploct!" he said as he through the friend ball, causing the blue octopus Pokemon to emerge and reformed around the massive purple snake Pokemon, binding it in an Octolock. However, this also squeezed Roman more, "GAAAAHHHH!"
"CHAAAA!" the massive purple snake Pokemon screamed as well before letting go of Roman. It slithered away as Grapploct let go.
Anabel walked over to the wheezing Roman, "You have quite the survival instinct." She spoke with her arms crossed, "Most people do not do so well in an encounter with an Arbok."
"Thanks…Wait, that thing is just called Arbok!?" Roman commented as he stood up, "Whatever, and you could have done more than warn me of that thing."
"I wasn't warning you of the Arbok," Anabel spoke, "I was warning you of the Pinsir."
"The wha-" Roman was saying until he saw two barbed mandibles at the sides of his neck. A line of sweat ran down his face as he realized a massive brown stag beetle. Before he could think of a way out, he knew the pincers would slice his head off like a guillotine. And he could only watch as that move was about to be used. Suddenly, the Pincer was struck in the back by a Brick Break from Grapploct. The force of the impact did not stop Guillotine from happening as Roman's hat fell to the ground. However, his head remained attached and over his shoulders as he fell forward. The orange-haired criminal gasped for air before reaching for his hat, then looked back to the blue octopus Pokemon, "Thanks, that one was close."
"Grap," Grapploct said with a nod before looking back to Pinsir, who was glaring with a rib cage-like mouth, "Grapploct!" the blue octopus Pokemon taunted as she coiled one of her tentacles.
"I think she wants to take this one on the sole." Anabel commented, "The Pokemon has about as much arrogance as its trainer."
"I teach them well," Roman said to Anabel before looking back to Grapploct, "Okay, you take care of this nightmare of a bug." He said before picking up his hat and placing it back on his head, "We'll be back."
"Grap," Grapploct nodded while keeping eye contact with Pinsir. The stag beetle Pokemon readied its pincers to charge as the blue octopus Pokemon relaxed its tentacles.
Roman then caught up to Anabel as they walked away, "Hey, you seemed pretty casual about me about to lose my head back there?" he asked.
"Grapploct saving your life without my intervention was her idea. As I said to you before, I can communicate with Pokemon." Anabel responded with a smirk, "Telepathically, that is."
"Huh, and here I thought you were just gonna keep repeating their name over and over again?" Roman responded, "So, can you read my mind?"
"If I could, you would never know." Anabel commented, "Now, let's focus."
"Roger," Roman said with a sigh as they continued through the woods.
Meanwhile.
Summer handed Ruby her red hood back, "There, I shorted the cape and used the extra fabric to line the hood more." The white rose woman said as her daughter quickly put on her altered clothes, "Now it shouldn't hit the back wheel."
"Thank you," Ruby said as she pulled the hood up, "It's cozy now, I might have my hood up more often." She said before getting on the bike, "Okay, I'm off to go see…who am I seeing again?"
"He is Professor Oak; you'll find his research facility in Pallet Town." Summer said as she handed Ruby a basket of cookies, "If you give him these and tell him who you are, he should help you. He's an old friend, so you can count on his wisdom."
"Got it, I'm on my way for real this time!" Ruby said before riding her bike down the town.
"We'll catch up with you soon," Summer called out as she saw Ruby wave back. She had a soft smile on her face as she went back into her house, seeing Rosa on the couch still.
"Did Ruby leave with the cookies?" Rosa asked as Summer nodded, "I see, I wish I could have had one more before she left with them." She said before hugging her stomach.
"I think you had enough with all that dough." Summer responded as Rosa groaned.
On the route to Pallet Town, Ruby hopped the short hills before making it down a dirt road, "I think I get now why Yang wanted a bike so badly." She said to herself as she continued, starting to see houses in the distance, "Wow, that did not take long." The red-hooded girl said before seeing one house in the distance.
It was a white house with a red roof, as well as a Pokemon in an apron and broom, "Mime. Mime. Mime." The Pokemon said as it cleaned.
"Hey, it's that Pokemon I saw in the Spikemuth gym." Ruby recalled, remembering running into its barrier, "Why is it clean-" she was thinking while running over a jagged rock, causer her control on the handle to falter, "Uh oh!" Ruby said as her bike wheel twisted, and she was flung over the handlebars. She gasped as she was about to land face first, but did not, "…Eh?" Ruby said as she was covered in a blue aura, hovering in the air along with the bike and basket. She then looked over to the housecleaning Pokemon.
"Mime," the Pokemon focused his psychic powers, then gently set everything safely on the ground, "Mime." He sighed in relief.
"Thanks, that would have been a nasty fall." Ruby responded, "I should probably have asked for a helmet." She said before checking the basket and bike, "Everything else looks good, thank you again."
"Mr. Mime." The housecleaning Pokemon said with a smile before it was offered a cookie, "Mime?"
"Here, they're really good." Ruby responded as Mr. Mime took the cookie, "I need to get going, so bye." She said before riding off.
"Mime!" the housecleaning Pokemon said with a wave before looking back at the cookie, "Mime?" he said before taking a bite, causing his eyes to gleam, "MIME!" he said before having a sugar rush, then began cleaning at high speed, "MR. MIME!"
Ruby continued her path as she looked at all the other houses but saw one that caught her eye. It was on a small hill with a stone stairway and gate. The house itself was cylindrically shaped with a windmill beside it, "That looks like the place a professor would live." Ruby said as she rode up, parked her bike, then saw the gate was open, "Hm." She noted before walking through the gate, the basket in her hands. The red-hooded girl made it to the door and rang the bell. She waited a bit, hearing some frantic shuffling.
Eventually, the door opened with a young man with greyish hair was seen. He wore a white lab coat over a red shirt and khaki pants, "Well, hello there." He said with a line of sweat on his face, "I wasn't expecting a guest at this hour."
"I'm sorry, but are you Professor Oak right?" Ruby asked, "You're a bit younger than I thought."
"Oh, why thank you. I moisturize regularly." He said before clearing his throat, "But I am indeed Professor Oak."
"…Uh huh." Ruby nodded, "Okay, can I come in?"
"Well, I am very busy right now and," Professor Oak said before sniffing the air, "Wait, do I smell cookies?"
"Yes, they're freshly made by-" Ruby was saying before Professor Oak stole the snakes.
"Gimme!" Professor Oak said before chomping down on each cookie, "YUUUMMM!"
"Hey, did your voice just change?" Ruby responded, then focused in.
"Uh, no, you're just hearing things?" Professor Oak responded.
Suddenly, a new voice was heard, "James, don't horde them all to yourself." The voice spoke in a female tone, "Give some here!"
"Quiet, and don't use my real name." Professor Oak spoke before looking back to Ruby, "As I was saying, I am indeed the real-" he was saying until realizing Ruby looked at him with half-open eyes, "Uh…We're closed." He said before shutting the door on the red hooded trainer.
However, Ruby dashed in before the door closed. In seeing the inside, she noticed a man dressed as Professor Oak tied up in the corner, "MMMM!" his scream was muffled as Ruby gasped.
"What's going-" She was saying before something metal hit the back of her head. She then fell over, her vision blurry as the sight of three individuals was seen as the last image she remembered.
A short while later.
"…Uh," Ruby awakened to the sight of Professor Oak and two others devouring all the cookies in the basket. One was a young woman with long violet-red hair styled like a massive hook. She wore a white top and skirt over black thigh-high boots and arm's length gloves. On her chest was a red R symbol The other was feline Pokemon with a gold coin on his forehead, "Hey, what gives!?" Ruby called out, "Who are you?"
"Oh, who are we?" the Professor Oak imposter said before pulling off his disgust. He was revealed to have bluish hair and a male version of the young woman's attire also having a red R symbol, "I suppose we should introduce ourselves properly."
"Yes," the young woman said before finishing another cookie, "And there is only one way."
Ruby gritted her teeth before the lights went out. She gasped before a spotlight shined on two individuals accompanied by ominous music being played from somewhere.
"Prepare for trouble," The red-haired woman sang.
"And make it double," The blue-haired man added while holding a rose.
"To protect the world from devastation," She added.
"To unite all people within our nation," He continued.
"To denounce the evils of truth and love," She declared with her right arm extended.
"To extend our reach to the stars above." He said while pointing to his rose.
"Jessie," The red-haired woman introduced herself.
"James," the blue-haired man revealed his true name.
"Team Rocket blast off at the speed of light." Jessie proclaimed.
"Surrender now or prepare to fight!" James spoke as the feline Pokemon posed between the two.
"Meowth! Dat's right!" the feline Pokemon concluded the motto.
"…What?" Ruby responded, causing the three to fall to the floor.
"Are you kidding me, did you not hear our motto!?" Jessie said in an offended voice.
"Seriously, some people these days have no sense of class," James added tossing the rose away.
"Yeah, what's a guy got to do to get some respect around here." Meowth said before seeing Ruby gawking at him, "Something da matter?"
"You're talking?" Ruby asked, "I thought it was from the blow to the head, but you're a talking Pokemon!?"
"Surprised." Meowth said with a raised chin, "I'm smarter than the average Meowth."
"In any case, you found out about our brilliant plan," James spoke, seeing Professor Oak still in the corner tied up, "We ambushed the old man when he was home alone and steal all his Pokemon stored here." He said before turning back to Ruby, "But you had to show up to make things complicated."
"Tsk," Ruby said as she reached for one of her Pokeball, but then gasped.
"Looking for these?" Jessie said as held five pokeballs, "Thanks to you, our hall got a lot bigger," she said before tossing them into a massive bag of other pokeballs, causing James to pick it up and carry it over his shoulder.
"And our bellies a lot fuller." Meowth said as he ate another cookie from the basket, "In any case, we only stayed so we could do our theme song."
"So long Loser!" Team Rocket said before running out the door, taking the pokeballs and cookies with them.
"Hey, get back here!" Ruby called out, then looked at her bindings, "Come on, I need to break free. Think, think, think!" she said before looking around, searching for something to cut the binding. However, nothing seemed like it would work, "Come on, huh?" Suddenly, her eyes caught the rose James discarded. In looking at it, the thorns seemed unusually sharp. Ruby then rolled over to the rose, grabbed it from behind, and began to use the thorns to cut at the binds. Eventually, the bindings broke, "Yes!" Ruby cheered before untying her legs, then went over to the real Professor Oak, "Are you okay?" she said after taking off the tape on his mouth.
"Yes, I'm fine." Professor Oak responded, "But the Pokemon, they're-"
"Don't worry, I'm on it," Ruby said as he finished untying him, then rushed out the front door. She looked around for a sign of where Team Rocket had gone, then noticed something in the sky. It was a hot air balloon in the shape of Meowth's head, "No you don't!" Ruby said before rushing down the stairs and getting on her bike, riding down the road as she followed the hot air balloon. However, she was soon getting out of breath and knew the distance gained was not going to be enough.
Suddenly, she realized she saw the house she passed along the way. Outside, Mr. Mime was seen to have a smile on his face, "Mr. Mime." The housekeeping Pokemon said with a smile at the clean house, but then saw something in the corner of his eye, "Mime?" he said as Ruby rode towards him.
"Hey, I need a hand again!" Ruby called out, "Can you make me some barriers!"
In the sky, Team Rocket enjoyed more of the cookies from the basket, "These are so scrumptious!" Jessie spoke, "We should have gotten the recipe from her before leaving."
"Oh well, no use crying over spilled milk." James commented, "But milk would go great with these."
"I think we still have some in the-" Meowth was saying before seeing something in the corner of his eye, "Huh?" he said before Jessie and James turned as well. They saw Ruby rode her bike through the sky on her way towards the hot air balloon, a look of focus in her eyes, "WHAT!?" Team Rocket all screamed in horror, "HOW!?"
Under Ruby's wheels, Barrier after Barrier was formed by Mr. Mime on the ground, "Give me back those Pokemon!" she declared before ramming into the back of the head of the Meowth hot air balloon, breaking through the canopy as the hot air escaped. Team Rocket hugged themselves in fear as the basket fell.
After the hot air balloon hit the ground, silence fell over the area. However, Ruby slowly descended on her bike while were covered in a blue aura. Upon hitting the ground, the aura faded. A far distance away, Mr. Mime fell to his knee, out of breath.
Suddenly, the convoy moved as Team Rocket emerged. "You recked our blimp!" Jessie shouted in rage, readying a Pokeball.
"You're gonna pay dearly for that!" James added as he gritted his teeth, holding a Pokeball.
"I'm not leaving until I get those Pokemon back." Ruby responded, "No matter what, I will defeat you!"
"Spoken like a true twerp," Meowth said as his claws extend. "And now, you're in for a real fight."
AN: There you go, Ruby finally gets to live the fairytale she was based on. I did like giving her the bike to have some fun. Roman's side of the story is short here but will get longer next chapter with who he runs into. While Ash most likely will not make a cameo, at least his father does. More than that, we get the showcase of Team Rocket's trio of Jessie, James, and Meowth! They are a joy to write, and I had to do the motto here. I will say, the ending parts of the chapter was cool for me to come up with. Let's see if Ruby's quick thinking will continue as she goes up against trainers without her own Pokemon at her side. That is all for now, thanks for reading, and hope to see you in the next chapter.
