I finally managed to rig a carry strap for Aerodactyl's egg and head off across the rocky plains of the mountain top. Then I started running into wild pokemon. There were about a gazilion Geodude, some Graveler, some Golem. I found Onix and Sandshrew and Sandslash.
"Hmm... Akela, which ones should I start with?" I asked the pokemon.
You're not going to try and get me to bite any of that. Akela replied. I'd break my teeth.
"No... I think I'll choose... SQUIRTLE!!" I shouted, calling it out of the pokeball.
Here I come! Squirtle called as it came out of the pokeball.
I picked out a rather largish Geodude and said. "Squirtle! Use Hydropump on those Geodude!"
Squirtle nodded. Hydropump! It pulled in and launched itself, spraying water everywhere. It hit at least three Geodude. I pulled out some of the pokeballs that I'd gotten from Hikaru's stores and threw them. The Geodudes struggled to get free, until pong, pong, pong. All three of the pokeballs went still and disappeared.
The ground began to rumble. Four onix erupted from the ground. "Uht-oh. I think we're in trouble now." I said.
Yeah... gulp... huge trouble. Squirtle took a step back.
"Kadabra! Help Squirtle out!" I called out Kadabra. "Squirtle water gun! Kadabra! Confusion!" Squirtle took out two onix and Kadabra took out the third. I found Great Balls in my pack and threw them, no use fighting for no good reason. "Greatball! Go!" I cried as I threw them. Three of the four Onix were caught and I watched them disappear to Professor Oak's laboratory.
Only one Onix left, when suddenly... Hello! Need help? Four Bulbasaur, two Ivysaur and a Venusaur came running.
Get away! The Onix growled. This doesn't concern you.
You four would have overpowered her. Venusaur replied. I would, however, have enjoyed a battle with the World Walker. But you shouldn't have come after her like that.
"World Walker, what's that?" I asked.
The World Walker is the one person who can open the gates of space and time. That one person is you, little Fera. Venusaur replied. It turned to the fourth Onix. Get out of here.
Not a chance! Rock throw!
Venusaur took the rock throw head on, then turned to face Onix. Everybody, combined solar beam!
With Venusaur in the lead, the four bulbasaur and two ivysaur began to gather sunlight. The shot took out Onix and sent him blasting backwards in an instant. I grabbed another great ball and threw it. "Greatball! Go!" The Onix struggled like a madman. But in the end... pong! It stopped. I grinned and waved goodbye as the pokeball disappeared to Professor Oak's laboratory.
And now, little one, it is my turn. My tribe of Bulbasaur and Ivysaur have waited for generations for the appearance of the World Walker. Bring us each a pokeball. We will serve you with pride. Venusaur replied. The Ivysaur and Bulbasaur bowed respectfully.
"How do you know that I'm the World Walker?" I asked, eyes round.
The Voice of the Forest brought you here. You corrected the Great Imbalance. And now you seek to grow stronger. You are the World Walker. Venusaur replied.
World Walker? I didn't like the sound of that, but I needed more pokemon for the competition. "Okay, lets see." I pulled a group of Ultraballs out of my bag and spread them out for the Bulbasaur, Ivysaur, and Venusaur. Each one of them poked the ball with a claw or a nose or a vine and disappeared inside. "Off to Professor Oak's laboratory!" I called out as they disappeared.
"I think that's enough for today don't you think?" I asked Akela.
Can I battle one of the Sandshrew or Sandslash? Begged my partner. You could catch the ones that I beat!
"I suppose so." I said thoughtfully. "Let's see..." I said thoughtfully as I looked around. "Get that Sandshrew there! There's a group of them. Use Nightshade on them!"
YEA-YAH!! Akela cried as he ran over to the group of Sandshrew and Sandslash. OOKAY!
"And don't ever do that again Akela. That was very scary. I should learn to keep my Usher CD's out of your reach."
NIGHTSHADEEE!!!!! Akela cried happily. The blast sent several sandshrew and sandslash rolling to smack against the rocks. I pulled a handful of pokeballs out of my pack, catching three sandshrew and two sandslash.
The pokeballs disappeared. I hugged Akela and grinned. "Thank you buddy." I looked around, not a wild pokemon in sight. "I think we scared them off." I made a tsk noise. "I think, pooka, that you scared them all away."
I thought my name was Akela. Akela said, blinking in fake confusion.
"You know perfectly well what I..."
"PREPARE FOR TROUBLE!!!" Jessie practically leapt over the nearest rock, followed by James and Meowth.
I sighed, better let them get it over with.
"Make it double!"
"To protect the world from devastation!"
"To unite all peoples within our nation."
"To denounce the evils of truth and love."
"To extend our reach to the stars above."
"Jessie!" Jessie struck a dramatic pose, carrying two fans, one in each hand. Both fans were black with a big red letter 'R' on them.
"James!" James stood back to back with Jessie. He struck an equally dramatic pose with identical fans.
"Team Rocket blasts off at the speed of light!"
"Surrender now or prepare to fight!"
"Meowth! That's right!" Meowth tumbled into position between Jessie and James.
And Wobbuffet too! Wobbuffet volunteered, coming out of his pokeball.
"Jessie, how are you doing lately?" I asked pleasantly. It wasn't Jessie and James that I hated, nor any of the grunts. It was Giovanni that I deplored so. I walked over and gave Jessie a friendly hug.
Surprised, Jessie returned it. "Well, for one thing, since I thought you had gone twerp on us I didn't think you'd be this friendly."
"It's not you I hate. It's Giovanni." I told her. "So what's up?"
"The usual. We were gonna try and steal the twerps pikachu, but we can't get in with so many people about, so we were gonna try a disguise. Only we couldn't figure out what disguise to use."
"Tell you what." I said, twirling an empty pokeball on the tip of my finger. "I'll help you catch some new pokemon if you'll leave Ash and company alone for the next week. Have we got a deal?"
Jessie, James, and Meowth grouped together in a huddle. They whispered to teach other and then turned back to me. "You've got yourself a deal." Jessie agreed.
I spit into my right hand and held it out to Jessie, then to James. Jessie spat into her left and shook mine. Then James spat into his left hand and shook my right hand.
"Right then, let's get moving!" I grinned. "See right there." I pointed. "Those are tracks. Those may very well have been left by some of the Sandshrew that escaped Akela. So, let us follow." Akela, IS it a Sandshrew?
Naw, it's Nidoran tracks, a male and a female. Akela corrected.
"Akela says that they're Nidoran tracks." I corrected myself aloud. "A male and a female. In that case, there's enough for each of you to have one." We were moving briskly now, towards a cave under a ledge. I knew that cave. It was probably a warren from some rock pokemon ages ago. But sometimes pokemon took refuge there if they were being chased.
"OOOH a Nidoran." James squealed. "I want the male. I'll get my own Nidoking when it grows up!"
"Oh fine, I'll take the female." Jessie rolled her eyes.
"Right, the first thing to learn about catching pokemon is type matching. You rockets rely very heavily on poison pokemon, or so I've been told."
"That's true." Jessie nodded.
"Poison pokemon are just fine for most captures, but they have one major weakness, psychic pokemon." I explained. "Since I have a Kadabra I'll be able to use it to capture the Nidoran. You'll throw the pokeballs of course." I nodded at them both. "Now, be quiet as we approach."
I crept up to the burrow and heard the Nidoran muttering to each other, as well as other pokemon. What's going on out there?
Is it clear?
Are the monsters gone?
What's happening in there?
I dunno, Nidolady can you poke your head out?
I silently called out Kadabra. Kadabra. I whispered in telepathy. Can you lift out whatever pokemon are in there?
Okeedooky. Kadabra nodded. Confusion.
A nidoran male, a nidoran female and a chikorita came out of the cave. "You guys get the nidoran. I'll capture the chikorita." I grinned. "Kadabra, set them down and prepare for battle."
When I battle, I get a sort of tunnel vision. I don't notice anything else except what's happening in the battle. So as Jessie and James pulled out Wobbuffet and Wheezing, I called to Akela to join in the battle. "Akela, crunch attack!" Akela snapped at Chikorita's legs, finally getting a grip by the leaf on his head, Akela whipped Chikorita around and slammed him into the ground. "Right, now use howl!" Akela let out a loud howl that had to be heard all the way out at the plateau.
Chikorita winced, then extended it's vines. The first one wrapped around Akela's mouth, the next around his front legs, lifting him into the air. "LOOK OUT!" I cried as Chikorita slammed him into the ground. "Akela nightshade!" I ordered.
A long thin jet of black light spewed from the corners of Akela's mouth. Chikorita let go, but not fast enough to dodge the attack. "Now hyperbeam!" It was a shot in the dark. Did Akela even KNOW Hyper beam? I knew Mightyena could learn Hyper Beam. But in the game it had to be taught by TM.
I got it! Akela gathered energy in his mouth. Chikorita crouched, ready to dodge. But Akela sustained the beam, following Chikorita until it scored a hit.
Chikorita was blown back into a tree. Eyes in curlicues, it fell. I grabbed a great ball from my pack and shouted. "Greatball! Go!" Chikorita disappeared into the ball with a pong
I walked over calmly. "I got it! I caught Chikorita!" I brandished the ball at Akela before it disappeared to Professor Oak's laboratory.
Next to me, I heard similar exclamations of surprise as Jessie and James picked up their own balls, having captured the Nidoran they'd wanted.
Jessie clipped Nidoran female's pokeball to her belt. Then she extended a hand. "That was a good battle Fera. I hope we can go catching again sometimes."
"Remember, leave Ash alone for a week." I said, shaking first Jessie's then James', then Meowth's hands.
"Alright." They agreed.
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!#######$$$$$$$$$&&&&&&&
"YOU DID WHAT??" Brock, Misty, Ash, Gary and Pikachu demanded.
"I told you. We had a deal. I help them catch new pokemon, they leave Ash alone for a week. They'll probably tail us all the way to Pallet Town, but they won't strike for at least a week." I said, lifting my chin defiantly.
"And how do we know we can trust their word?" Ash asked.
He does have a point Akela commented as he and Celebi shared a bowl of pokemon food. We don't know whether or not they'll keep their word.
If they do, I'll take care of them. You forget, psychic pokemon have an advantage over poison types. Mewtwo pointed out.
We were in my quarters. Mewtwo was ironing his traveling cloak and the outfit that he wore when he transformed into his human form, a lowly trainer named Taka. Mewtwo's friends, Bulbasaur 2, Charmander 2, Squirtle 2, Meowth X, Dragonite X and Pikachu X were gathered around their own meal bowls.
"Mewtwo, have you given your DNA for the files?" I asked.
I will NOT be violated for the sake of science. Mewtwo shook his head. I do NOT approve of the Professors' project to bring pokemon that were extinct back to life.
"What about the legendary pokemon that are still living?" Ash asked. "For them, their species entire existence may depend on this whole project, their whole legacy!"
What they do is their business. If they want to become test tube subjects then that is fine with me. Mewtwo slipped his ball belt around his waist.
Just because they are happy with celibacy doesn't mean that all of us are. Pikachu X pointed out. If I could only find the right mate, you know, a lot of ladies like a Pikachu with alternate markings. Pikachu X said with a smirk.
I wouldn't mind a Pikachu with alternate markings either. Pikachu whacked Pikachu X playfully over the head with his tail.
Right here right now. Pikachu X said, with a little leer.
That was when I noticed it. Articuno hummed happily. The eggs, they're hatching!
She was right, all of our fossil eggs were rocking back and forth in their slings. "Alright!" Ash grinned.
I pulled the egg into my lap. "Remember, they imprint on the first person they see."
They nodded. "Right." We each picked up our eggs.
Lines began to appear in Aerodactyl's egg. A piece broke off, and a muzzle poked up through the hole. "Come on cutie, that's the way." I said, encouragingly. "Good Aerodactyl."
Aerodactyl crooned low in his throat and with one decisive blow of his muzzle broke free. The little pokemon shook himself free of egg shards and amnion fluid, eyes fluttering. "Hello little one." I said, stroking his head.
The pokemon purred. Mommy. It crooned.
Yes little one. I told it.
Hold me. It said, snuggling against my chest.
And I did.