Foreword: The following episode had been done because, well, I felt that I never actually do much with the eldest child of the McKenzie family, Penny. ^_^;
Also, yes. I know this is EXTREMELY late (as in close to a month late), but I have a damn good reason. *kicks Fanfiction.net*
...Well, that and I'm unfortunately losing interest in Warp Series, thanks to my latest stories, including all the one shots, The Wanderers, Waterloo, The Labyrinth Game, Karasu no Uta (viewable only on the MFC), and Harpies and Halcyons (viewable only on DeviantArt's science fiction section). I apologize to everyone who likes Warp Series; I do too still. It's just that I'm having a hard time getting myself to sit down and write episodes every week like I used to. ^_^;
And by the way, yes, I have an account on DeviantArt. For all you Deviants here, I'm tokyorose. Check it out sometime; I'm doing a lot of one-shots and originals, as well as a few angsty Sonezaki Masaki (aka Bill) fanfics here and there.
Okay, and AFTER the shameless advertising... ^_^;
***
Episode 22--
Teen Sensation
In the darkened meeting room, Lucius stood, waiting for someone to appear. His crimson eyes narrowed into the silent void until the door opened, and in walked the tall, lean man in a red robe with long, blonde hair and sapphire eyes before a teenaged girl with black hair in a braid down her back and sparkling, blue eyes (and whose body was wrapped in an orange cloak) followed. Both dropped to one knee before Lucius.
"You called for us, Master Lucius?" they asked in unison.
"Yes," Lucius replied. "I have an assignment for the both of you. First, Robin..."
The girl raised her head to look into Lucius' eyes.
"Yes, sir?" she asked.
"I want you and your psychic-type-loving supporters to go out there and hypnotize others into following Keios," Lucius instructed. "Go now, so I can speak to Jeremiah alone."
"Yes, sir," Robin replied as she stood. "I guarantee that I will not fail."
With that, she left the room, leaving Lucius and Jeremiah alone. Jeremiah lifted his sapphire eyes to look at Lucius.
"Jeremiah, I want to give you a special assignment," Lucius said. "I want you to pay a visit to Lady Aigori's secret lake and 'persuade' her to have a word in person with me. Do you understand?"
Jeremiah smiled. "Of course, Master Lucius."
"Good! Now go!" Lucius commanded.
Jeremiah stood and rushed out of the room.
~~~
To: good_times@mail.nu
From: sweetheart_starmie67@hotmail.com
Subject: ur invited!
CC:
hey, bill! how's my sweet, little bro doing? good? i thought so. no g/f yet? aw. 2 bad. lol. anyways, i just wanted to tell u and jude that the both of u are invited to a competition i'm participating in! if i win, i'll be the #1 idol in kanto AND johto!
hope u 2 r gonna be there to root me on!
luv,
penny
To: sweetheart_starmie67@hotmail.com
From: good_times@mail.nu
Subject: RE: ur invited!
CC: good_times@mail.nu
To my dearest older sister Penny:
In the everlasting words of our dear younger sister Jude...
Bite me.
With love,
Bill*1*
Jude looked over Bill's shoulder.
"Geez, and you call ME harsh," she commented.
"I hate her," he replied.
"Really? Why's that? I don't mind her."
"She's so airheaded it irks me to no end. She has quite an ego AND a temper when it's 'that time of the month.'"
"Anything else?"
"She won't leave me alone because I'm single."
"That's not something to complain about."
"It is if someone does it ever since your puberty."
Jude scoffed at this.
"What? Do you think I'm joking?" Bill inquired. "Trust me, I have recordings to prove it."
"I didn't say I didn't believe you," Jude replied with a shrug. "So, what do you think?"
Bill raised an eyebrow at her. "What do I think about what?"
"About going to her competition."
"No."
"Oh, come on! It's Penny, after all!"
"Oh. In that case, god no."
"I'll give you twenty bucks."
Bill smiled and leaned over to her. "You already owe me twenty dollars."
Jude flinched. "Damn you!"
He smiled like the Cheshire Cat but said nothing. He looked at his e-mail again and frowned. Hmm. Though Penny DID deserve it (at least, in Bill's point of view), he couldn't help but feel guilty already...
"Alright! I'll go!"
Jude laughed. "You old softie."
He narrowed his eyes at her.
~~~
And so, after leaving Apollo in charge (and after telling Ash to pretty much NOT touch anything), Bill and Jude were on their way to Celadon City, where the so-called "Teen Princess Competition" was being held. It wasn't long before the train stopped at Celadon Station, where a girl stood waiting on a platform next to two, brawny men.
She was in her late teens, no doubt, with tan skin and curly, red hair falling down to her chin and a blue streak on her left side. Her hazel eyes glittered in her flawless face, and her smile was broad and white. She wore only the latest European style, brown, platform shoes, black, knee-high socks, a short, green, plaid skirt, and a button-down, white shirt under a buttoned-up, V-neck, blue sweater. Very school-girlish. Not only this, but around both of her wrists, there were several blue and gold bracelets, her ears had golden hoops hanging from them, and around her neck, there was a gold necklace with a golden heart on it and a second, longer gold chain with a cross on it over her bosom. To top it all off, it was obvious she was wearing makeup, and on the nails of her long, thin hands, there were blue, acryllic nails glued to her true ones.
She looked up to see the passengers come off the train, so she removed her cell phone from her ear and put it back into the pink purse she wore on her shoulder. She smiled broadly as she saw Jude and Bill walk off the train. Immediately, she darted over and hugged the both of them.
"You made it!" she cried in a very England-meets-Silicon-Valley*2* voice. "I didn't, like, think you would! Especially after your e-mail, Bill! You're such a jokester! You always were!"
Bill rolled his eyes.
"Hey, Penny! Long time, no see!" Jude greeted before noticing the two, large guys behind her. "Woah. Nice guys."
Penny giggled and broke out of the hug. "They're my body guards, Hanz and Arnold."
Jude whistled.
"Not until you're older, young lady," Bill told Jude, glaring at her.
Penny laughed. "Oh, that's the same excuse you give me everytime I ask you if you've finally found yourself a real girlfriend! 'I'm waiting until they're older!'"
Bill narrowed his eyes at her.
~~~
Penny had to run to do some last-minute preparations for her act in the competition, leaving Bill and Jude to check into the hotel and unpack.
"You know, Penny's done as much for me as she had for you," Jude pointed out.
"So she did nothing?" Bill inquired.
"Nah. I mean, she cheered me up when I was feeling down," Jude corrected. "Oh. You wouldn't remember her doing that for me. You were off at the Academy then."
Bill stopped and sighed. A pang of guilt went through him. He never really lived with Jude. He started going to a boarding school when he was five years old, after psychologists discovered he was a genius, but then, Jude was two and wouldn't be able to make a lasting memory of him. From then on, it was boarding school, Pokémon training, more boarding schools, and college for Bill and nothing for Jude to learn about her brother with save for pictures and holiday visits, during which he usually holed up in his room, fiddling with his computer or reading. He realized that he hadn't been the best brother to either sister, and it was because of that simple fact that he lowered his head and stared at the wood of the dresser.
"Hey, Bill?" Jude addressed. "Are you okay?"
He sighed again. "I'm sorry, Jude."
"Sorry?" She cocked her head. "For what?"
"For not being around when I should have," he replied. "I should have been home during all these years, protecting you and helping you like a decent older brother should."
"Isn't that what you're doing now?"
"It's not enough."
"Well, yeah it is," Jude responded.
He turned around, now leaning on the dresser and giving her a blank look.
"Listen, you've been protecting me more than any other older brother around," Jude said. "And you've been giving me enough good advice to last a lifetime! I'll be damned if that doesn't qualify as enough!"
She was about to say something else when something in her backpack beeped. She walked over to it and took out her COM device, staring at it with a surprised glance.
"You're not going to believe this," Jude said, "but you've got a shift."
"Me?" Bill blinked. "Why would Zero send you a shift that has to do with me, rather than send it to Ziggy?"
Jude shrugged. "I dunno. She hasn't sent the mission details yet."
"Hmm..."
With that, Bill shifted out.
~~~
A black haired girl in a complete, pink outfit leaned against the wall with several punk-looking young men. Her crystal-blue eyes narrowed at each one of them.
"So," she said. "There's going to be a lot of people in the audience tonight, especially since it's down to just me and one other girl. The tension is high, and everyone's paying close attention to our acts. That's when you slip in some hypnotic waves as Hypnos and Drowzees and take control of the entire crowd! Master Lucius will be highly impressed."
"You got that right, Robin," the leader of the punks replied. "They won't know what hit 'em!"
"And by the way," Robin added before leaving. "Hypnotize the judges into letting me win. I'd like the pleasure of being crowned Kanto and Johto's top teen idol."
"You've got it, Robin!" the boys responded in unison.
Robin walked a few steps away before pausing again. She craned her neck, as if to look for something far away, and closed her eyes. After a few moments, she smiled.
'Another shifter is around. A strong one,' she thought. 'If it's the Prime, then Master Lucius will indeed enjoy our show...'
~~~
"Wigglytuff! Pay attention!"
Bill opened his eyes and found himself face-to-face with a balding man with a long nose, stern, brown eyes, and a black mustache and beard.
{W-What?} Bill blinked.
The man sighed. "Let's go through the act one more time. Do exactly as I say, and try not to screw it up this time! Your owner wants this to be perfect by tonight!"
{Uh... uh... I-I, uh...} Bill blinked, watching the man in confusion.
The stranger straightened up and backed over to a CD player, where he pressed play.
"Remember, when Penny sings this, start dancing!"
Penny's voice floated through the air along with a techno beat.
"Can't seem to get my mind off of you
Back here at home there's nothing to do
Now that I'm away
I wish I'd stayed
Tomorrow's a day of mine that you won't be in..."*3*
"Wigglytuff!" the choreographer began to clap his hands. "Alright, Wigglytuff! Hop back, hop back, Jump up! Tap foot, tap foot, tap foot! Hop forward, hop forward, slide forward!"
{Gah!} Bill's eyes widened as he attempted to follow the directions the choreographer gave.
The dance continued as the choreographer shouted directions above the music. Bill did his best to follow, wishing he had paid more attention to the dancing lessons his mother had given him, especially when the choreographer shouted moves only a true dancer would understand.
The music stopped abruptly as Bill tripped and fell forward. The choreographer had stopped the CD.
"Ugh! You've gotten WORSE since the last time we took it from the top!" he snapped.
{That's because I'm not a dancer,} Bill responded with a groan as he sat up.
The choreographer sighed. "You know what? I don't care. Take five while I try to talk to Penny about leaving you out of the act. Ever since she had you evolve, you've been only a clumsy furball."
Bill sighed with relief as the choreographer stomped off. {No more dancing. That just made my day.}
He was alone in the dance rehersal room, listening to the sounds of the band and Penny practicing in another room.
{Why am I here...?} he asked himself. {Ziggy!}
Instead of the cheerful hologram he knew as Ziggy, he heard Jude's voice.
"Hey, Bill! Can you hear me?"
{Yes, Jude,} he replied. {Why aren't you here in hologram form? No, wait, I have a better question -- why are you contacting me at all? What about Ziggy?}
"I'm not appearing to you in hologram form because I'm getting ready for the competition tonight, so I'm only half dressed," Jude explained. "You remember Penny's dress code, right? Ugh! I don't think I'm going to be able to live with myself after this. I don't wear pink, dammit! I mean, what's wrong with just plain, old black?"
{Jude?}
"What?"
{What about Ziggy and my mission?}
"Oh! Right!" Jude paused. "Well, Zero wants us to work together to help our dear older sister, so she's having me keeping in touch with you, rather than Ziggy, who's already helping Ash with some mission involving a Crobat and a vampire wannabe."
{Okay...} Bill stood up and began to pace. {Alright, so what exactly do I have to do?}
"Like I said, you're here to help Penny," Jude told him. "You see, she HAS to win the competition, or, let's just say if she's a washup, she'll make a nice whore in the lousy districts of Goldenrod City."
{Jude!}
"What? It's true!" She paused and continued. "Anyways, her rival, Robin Valentine, is going to attempt to sabotage tonight's competition. You've got to keep her from doing it. Not only that, but Zero says something about a member of High Rise Circle making an appearance tonight. Know anything about that?"
{I know a little bit about High Rise Circle, but nothing significant.}
"Oh. Well, it was worth a try. Good luck!"
She severed the link between them.
{I have to help Penny,} he said with a sigh. {Oh, boy. This will be one of my less-enjoyable missions...}
"Oh, come on, Jack! She can't be THAT bad!"
Bill stiffened, hearing Penny's voice not too far away.
"See for yourself, Penny!" Jack replied, guiding her into the rehersal room. "Alright, Wigglytuff! Let's take it one more time from the top!"
Jack the choreographer with the black beard and mustache walked over to the CD player and pressed play.
{Oh, great!} Bill sighed with sarcasm as he began to follow the steps he remembered... rather badly, though.
Eventually, he tripped again, winding up, once more, flat on his face.
"Hmm," Penny muttered, watching her Wigglytuff get back on its feet. "I see what you mean."
And to Bill's dismay, she bent down and hugged his host. Tightly.
"You must be tired," Penny said. "I mean, you've been working hard to help me get to the finals. Would you like a break and sit this one out, sweetie?"
{Please!} Bill replied, nodding vigorously, ignoring the fact that Penny called him "sweetie."
Penny let go, to Bill's relief. She stood up and shrugged.
"Okay then," she responded, noticing Bill's nod. "I'll just have the Jigglypuff dance. There won't be much of a change, would there, Jack?"
She looked at Jack. He smiled.
"No problem," he told her.
"Good!" Penny replied as she skipped away.
Bill sighed in relief.
~~~
With nothing better to do, Bill wandered about the amphitheatre where the artists practiced and would be playing that night in the competition. He was trying to find this "Robin" girl he was supposed to keep an eye out for, but he found nothing instead. He groaned in frustration.
{Time is running out, and I can't find Robin anywhere,} he muttered to himself.
Suddenly, he heard someone laughing behind him. He turned to see a dark-haired girl with bright, blue eyes standing there, staring at him with a smile.
"So, you're the shifter I've been sensing," she said.
Bill stared with her with wide eyes. How did she know that he was a shifter...?
She laughed. "I'm a powerful one myself; I've gotten to the point where I can sense when another powerful shifter is present." She bent down. "Are you not that infamous little novice I've heard so much about? One known as the Prime? ...One who calls himself Bill? Ooh, please say that you are! I'd be very much disappointed if I was wrong..."
{Who are you...?} Bill managed to inquire.
She laughed again. "I asked you first, but I'll be glad to answer. My name is Robin Valentine. I serve Lucius, the new leader of High Rise Circle, and I have been given permission to destroy the Prime if he ever appeared." She stood up. "I could destroy you here and now, but I have bigger plans. Come to the competition tonight and listen carefully. You may find that you like my song..."
She turned and began to walk away.
{Wait!} Bill called out. {I'm afraid I can't let you leave!}
Robin turned her head and looked back at him. "Do you honestly think you stand a chance against ME? In a Wigglytuff's body? Sweetie, you can't even stand up to my underlings. Challenge me again when you've got more strength than that..."
{Nonetheless, I--}
Robin interrupted as her eyes flashed at him.
"Perhaps I forgot to tell you, each member of High Rise Circle has his or her own element he or she commands," Robin explained. "Call it a type specialty. And my specialty happens to be psychic..."
The last thing Bill saw was a flash. Other than that, he found himself nestling into the darkness of his dreams.
~~~
"Bill! Bill! Are you there!?"
{W-What...?}
Bill opened his eyes, finding himself in the backstage hallway where he encountered Robin. Somewhere in the distance, he heard his sister's voice singing the beginning of the song.
{Oh no!} he cried out with a gasp. {Jude! What time is it!?}
"8:05," she responded. "Fifteen minutes after I snuck into a girl's bathroom to try to get you! Where are you, and what happened!?"
{8:05...!} Bill shook his head and stood up. {There's no time for me to explain. I've got to find Robin!}
As he ran about behind the stage, he listened to Penny's song.
"A week without you
Thought I'd forget
Two weeks without you and I
Still haven't gotten over you yet...
"Vacation -- all I ever wanted
Vacation -- had to get away
Vacation -- meant to be spent alone
"Vacation -- all I ever wanted
Vacation -- had to get away
Vacation -- meant to be spent alone..."
There was a musical interlude before Penny repeated. She was nearing the end of her song, which meant that Bill was low on time. He had to find Robin before she went out on stage!
Unfortunately, the back was crowded with people and equipment, and from a Wigglytuff's view point, he couldn't see a Ho-oh if one happened to be in the crowd.
And even worse, the song just ended. The crowd on the other side of the curtain burst into cheers.
{Great,} Bill muttered to himself in sarcasm before he stopped. An idea came into his mind. {Perhaps there's still time!}
He pushed through, just near the end of the curtain. He peered out, just as he saw Robin and her crew setting up. Three Drowzee got in place in front of her as the crew finished setting up.
"And now, ladies and gentlemen, I bring to you a crowd favorite -- Robin Valentine, with Duvet Cyberia!"*4* the announcer called out with enthusiasm.
An odd beat and tune flowed out of the speakers. Bill stood in the wing, watching to see what was about to happen. Robin took a deep breath and began the vocal part of the song.
"I am falling
I am fading
I am down, and
Help me to breathe
I am hurting
I have lost it all
I am losing
Help me to breathe..."
Bill looked at the Drowzee and immediately looked away with a startled gasp. That wasn't any ordinary dance they were performing... It was part of an attack! Hypnosis!
He moved to glance up at a large screen behind Robin. There, the Drowzee were pictured, still dancing, still putting their unsuspecting audience under their control.
{So that's what Jude meant by "sabotage"!} Bill looked at Robin. {I'll have to put an end to this!}
He stopped, realizing that he couldn't just rush out there. He could be caught up in the psychic tactics himself. He had to do something first to stop the Drowzee from using Hypnosis. But what...?
He looked up to see lights above the stage. His eyes drifted to a catwalk nearby, then to a ladder leading to the catwalk. Another idea came to his mind...
Robin was getting into the second verse as Bill pushed through the crowd back stage before climbing up the ladder. As she sang on, he carefully made his way to a stage light above a spot directly behind Robin a few steps. She went into the chorus as he backed up and rammed himself against the light with Body Slam. It was loose, but it didn't fall.
A musical interlude came. As Robin and her Drowzee danced, she spoke to the audience.
"When you all awake, you will all be under my control... at my disposal... at all times. You will serve--"
At this point, Bill used another Body Slam, throwing himself at the light with all he had. The nuts that secured it popped out and fell to the stage along with the light itself. The Drowzee stopped, startled by the sudden crash and losing control of their audience, allowing to simply slip into slumber. Apparently, the people back stage did so as well, also effected by the Drowzee's hypnotic powers.
"Who did that!?" Robin demanded as the music stopped. "Who was the idiot who let the light fall!?"
Bill tiptoed back to the ladder, but, unfortunately, just as he was almost there, he slipped and fell off the catwalk, plummeting towards the stage and landing with a loud thump.
He moaned as he sat up and rubbed his head. {I'm never doing THAT again...}
"You!" Robin yelled, spotting Bill. "So, the little shifter wants to play again!"
Bill stood up. {I won't let you control these helpless people! As a shifter, it's my duty to protect them from people like you!}
"I've heard enough from you, pinky!" Robin snapped. "You stole my spotlight, and I'll make you pay for it! Go, my psychic servants! Put him under our control! I want to have a little fun with him later!"
The three Drowzee turned to him and lifted their hands, preparing to use Hypnosis all at the same time. But before they could, Bill had another thing in mind. He opened his mouth and used Sing, praying that it would put the Drowzee to sleep before they did so to him.
Luckily, someone in Heaven was looking out for him, and two of the Drowzee dropped to the polished wood of the stage, sound asleep. As for the other Drowzee, it remained unphased and attempted to use Hypnosis on Bill. He looked away and blindly used Pound, only managing to graze the Drowzee.
"Jake! Get him!" Robin ordered.
{Jake? What an unusual name for a Pokémon,} Bill commented as he went for Drowzee with another Pound.
Jake dodged it and replied, {It isn't such a weird name if you're not a Pokémon.}
Jake aimed his own Pound at Bill. The Wigglytuff dodged.
{So you're a shifter?} Bill concluded. {Why do you bother serving someone like Robin?}
Bill rushed forward, trying to use Body Slam, but only missed and tumbled a few feet away until he was flat on his back on the stage. Jake put one foot on Bill's stomach and stared straight into his eyes.
{Why wouldn't I?} Jake inquired. {She promised to give me fame and fortune.}
Jake prepared to use Hypnosis, only to be struck in the face by Bill's Pound. Jake stumbled back, and soon, both shifters were back on their feet.
{Don't you know that's a lie?} Bill asked. {Robin won't give you anything except grief! There will not be any satisfaction in your life unless you do the right thing -- use your powers to help people, rather than to harm them like you have with all these people.} He stopped to motion at the sleeping crowd.
{I'm not harming them,} Jake countered as he used Pound again. {Besides, the right thing! Hmph! Robin told me you were into clichés...}
Bill took the hit and retaliated with Doubleslap, after which he backed away.
{Doing the right thing is not a cliché,} he said.
{Whatever,} Jake muttered. {Be a good guy. They always say that good guys finish last anyways.}
Jake's eyes flared up as he began to try Hypnosis again. Bill immediately shut his eyes and opened his mouth, attempting another Sing. The two fought with sleep attack versus sleep attack until one of them fell.
Bill slowly opened his eyes to see Jake, fast asleep, a few feet in front of him. He grinned in victory, but immediately stopped and frowned.
{I'm sorry, Jake,} he murmured. {I can tell you were only misled by Robin.}
Suddenly, he heard a frustrated scream. He turned around to see Robin, shaking her head vigorously.
"No, no, no, no!" she yelled. "This isn't supposed to happen! Damn you, Bill McKenzie! You haven't heard the last of me!"
With that, she teleported away, leaving her sleeping underlings behind. Bill turned back to them to see Zero standing among them. She smiled at him.
"You fought well, dear Angel," she complimented. "Using the Cosmos Stone, I've purified these poor souls and sent them back to their respective bodies. There's no need to worry about them."
{Thank you, Zero,} Bill responded before pausing. {...Lady Aigori.}
"It doesn't matter now; you may call me what you wish," she told him gently. "But Bill... Don't fear for the future. No matter what happens, I'll be watching you."
He gave her a strange glance as she disappeared. He looked out towards the sleeping audience and gave a small cry.
{Oh geez! I'd better shift back before they wake up!} Bill exclaimed to himself.
With that, he shifted out.
~~~
"And because of Robin Valentine's mysterious absence, the winner of the contest is Penny McKenzie!" the announcer cried out, motioning to Penny, who stood proudly on stage. "As an encore performance, she'll sing her rendition of the oldie, 'Aitsu'! Here's your new teen idol, everyone!"
The song began and the crowd erupted into wild cheers. In one of the wings, Bill and Jude stood, watching all this, with Jake and the other two shifters behind them.
"You know, that wasn't a bad shift," Jude commented.
Bill smiled at her. "Thank you."
"And thanks for all you did to help us get a second chance," Jake said. "There's not much we can do to repay you, but I hope the three of us will come in handy for you sooner or later."
Bill grinned and nodded at them. "I'm glad to hear that."
With that, the five turned back to listen to Penny.
"Nani o suru no mo aitsu no koto kangaete shimatte boku ga
Aitsu de ippai ni naru
Tonikaku ima wa aitsu ga ite kurenai to boku wa nanimo dekinai
Aitsu ga boku no naki ni...
Iru iru iru iru iru iru iru!"*5*
"You know," Bill said as he listened to Penny's song. "Perhaps a part of Wigglytuff is still in me, or perhaps it's this song, but Penny doesn't seem that annoying anymore..."
"Or maybe you liked her all along," Jude suggested, obviously joking.
'Hmm. Maybe,' Bill thought as Penny's song ended and she took her bows.
~~~
It was nighttime. Lady Aigori*6* sat alone, on a rock in the middle of her lake. She was waiting for something...
Suddenly, a Moltres lit up the sky, surrounded by several Charizards. On the Moltres' back, Jeremiah sat, smiling down at Lady Aigori with a mischievous glance.
"I know why you came here," Lady Aigori said quietly.
"Really? Why's that, Aigori?" Jeremiah inquired.
Lady Aigori looked down at the waters. "You want to take me away again."
"Very good." Jeremiah held out his hand. "Do you want to go willingly?"
Lady Aigori stared up at him with a deep gaze for several minutes before shaking her head.
"Too bad," Jeremiah snapped as he whipped out a ball.
He threw this ball at Lady Aigori. It struck her and turned into two golden loops that wrapped around her, binding her arms and legs. She gave a small yelp as one of the Charizards picked her up and carried her away, following the Moltres and the other Charizards.
Reno ran forward, panting after running all the way up the mountain to reach Aigori's Spring. He watched in dismay as the fire Pokémon left, carrying the white-clad girl in their claws.
"Lady Aigori," he mumbled. "Another piece of the prophecy is fufilled. I've got to tell the Prime!"
He whipped out the PokéBall containing Dragonite and turned to face the northeast.
"We have so little time left," Reno muttered before summoning Dragonite and riding off into the night.
***
End episode 22*7*
---
Footnotes:
*1*: As you can see, Bill's not too fond of Penny. ^_^; (I took him out of character for a bit there, but he's not even supposed to REMOTELY like her.) And by the way, the "good_times" is in reference to a computer virus. ^_^
*2*: As in, British Valley Girl. Yep. I know. Ouch. THAT'S an insult to Great Britain...
*3*: Yep. It's "Vacation" by the Go-Gos. (I'm not that great at writing decent songs, so I just borrowed from real songs. ^_^;)
*4*: This would be the theme song to Serial Experiments Lain (one hell of an anime, I must add). I have no shame. ^_^;
*5*: "Aitsu" by dicot, also the beginning theme to the anime GALS! (It's supposed to be a joke. Penny, if she was in Japan, would be a kogal/gal, especially since she's modeled after kogal extraordinaire and main character of GALS!, Kotobuki Ran. ^_^) Yep. Didn't feel like translating the lyrics. But if you're really wondering what they say, it's, "No matter what I try to do, I always end up thinking of her./I'm crazy about that Gal./The way things are now, I can't operate unless she's by my side./That Gal has taken over/My mind, my mind, my mind, my mind, my mind, my mind, my mind!" (Thanks to AnimeLyrics.com for that!) It's not supposed to be a reference to homosexuality; that's just what the song says. (Eh. A girl sings it, though. Go figure. =/)
*6*: Yes, since now the focus character is calling her this, so will the narrator. ^_^
*7*: And thus ends the episode that was put on hold for so long. ^_^; I apologize again for all the hiatuses. As for the episode itself, it would have been longer and a bit more interesting (building upon Bill and Penny's relationship), but I kinda got sidetracked and wound up with this. =/ Sorry! ^_^;
Also, yes. I know this is EXTREMELY late (as in close to a month late), but I have a damn good reason. *kicks Fanfiction.net*
...Well, that and I'm unfortunately losing interest in Warp Series, thanks to my latest stories, including all the one shots, The Wanderers, Waterloo, The Labyrinth Game, Karasu no Uta (viewable only on the MFC), and Harpies and Halcyons (viewable only on DeviantArt's science fiction section). I apologize to everyone who likes Warp Series; I do too still. It's just that I'm having a hard time getting myself to sit down and write episodes every week like I used to. ^_^;
And by the way, yes, I have an account on DeviantArt. For all you Deviants here, I'm tokyorose. Check it out sometime; I'm doing a lot of one-shots and originals, as well as a few angsty Sonezaki Masaki (aka Bill) fanfics here and there.
Okay, and AFTER the shameless advertising... ^_^;
***
Episode 22--
Teen Sensation
In the darkened meeting room, Lucius stood, waiting for someone to appear. His crimson eyes narrowed into the silent void until the door opened, and in walked the tall, lean man in a red robe with long, blonde hair and sapphire eyes before a teenaged girl with black hair in a braid down her back and sparkling, blue eyes (and whose body was wrapped in an orange cloak) followed. Both dropped to one knee before Lucius.
"You called for us, Master Lucius?" they asked in unison.
"Yes," Lucius replied. "I have an assignment for the both of you. First, Robin..."
The girl raised her head to look into Lucius' eyes.
"Yes, sir?" she asked.
"I want you and your psychic-type-loving supporters to go out there and hypnotize others into following Keios," Lucius instructed. "Go now, so I can speak to Jeremiah alone."
"Yes, sir," Robin replied as she stood. "I guarantee that I will not fail."
With that, she left the room, leaving Lucius and Jeremiah alone. Jeremiah lifted his sapphire eyes to look at Lucius.
"Jeremiah, I want to give you a special assignment," Lucius said. "I want you to pay a visit to Lady Aigori's secret lake and 'persuade' her to have a word in person with me. Do you understand?"
Jeremiah smiled. "Of course, Master Lucius."
"Good! Now go!" Lucius commanded.
Jeremiah stood and rushed out of the room.
~~~
To: good_times@mail.nu
From: sweetheart_starmie67@hotmail.com
Subject: ur invited!
CC:
hey, bill! how's my sweet, little bro doing? good? i thought so. no g/f yet? aw. 2 bad. lol. anyways, i just wanted to tell u and jude that the both of u are invited to a competition i'm participating in! if i win, i'll be the #1 idol in kanto AND johto!
hope u 2 r gonna be there to root me on!
luv,
penny
To: sweetheart_starmie67@hotmail.com
From: good_times@mail.nu
Subject: RE: ur invited!
CC: good_times@mail.nu
To my dearest older sister Penny:
In the everlasting words of our dear younger sister Jude...
Bite me.
With love,
Bill*1*
Jude looked over Bill's shoulder.
"Geez, and you call ME harsh," she commented.
"I hate her," he replied.
"Really? Why's that? I don't mind her."
"She's so airheaded it irks me to no end. She has quite an ego AND a temper when it's 'that time of the month.'"
"Anything else?"
"She won't leave me alone because I'm single."
"That's not something to complain about."
"It is if someone does it ever since your puberty."
Jude scoffed at this.
"What? Do you think I'm joking?" Bill inquired. "Trust me, I have recordings to prove it."
"I didn't say I didn't believe you," Jude replied with a shrug. "So, what do you think?"
Bill raised an eyebrow at her. "What do I think about what?"
"About going to her competition."
"No."
"Oh, come on! It's Penny, after all!"
"Oh. In that case, god no."
"I'll give you twenty bucks."
Bill smiled and leaned over to her. "You already owe me twenty dollars."
Jude flinched. "Damn you!"
He smiled like the Cheshire Cat but said nothing. He looked at his e-mail again and frowned. Hmm. Though Penny DID deserve it (at least, in Bill's point of view), he couldn't help but feel guilty already...
"Alright! I'll go!"
Jude laughed. "You old softie."
He narrowed his eyes at her.
~~~
And so, after leaving Apollo in charge (and after telling Ash to pretty much NOT touch anything), Bill and Jude were on their way to Celadon City, where the so-called "Teen Princess Competition" was being held. It wasn't long before the train stopped at Celadon Station, where a girl stood waiting on a platform next to two, brawny men.
She was in her late teens, no doubt, with tan skin and curly, red hair falling down to her chin and a blue streak on her left side. Her hazel eyes glittered in her flawless face, and her smile was broad and white. She wore only the latest European style, brown, platform shoes, black, knee-high socks, a short, green, plaid skirt, and a button-down, white shirt under a buttoned-up, V-neck, blue sweater. Very school-girlish. Not only this, but around both of her wrists, there were several blue and gold bracelets, her ears had golden hoops hanging from them, and around her neck, there was a gold necklace with a golden heart on it and a second, longer gold chain with a cross on it over her bosom. To top it all off, it was obvious she was wearing makeup, and on the nails of her long, thin hands, there were blue, acryllic nails glued to her true ones.
She looked up to see the passengers come off the train, so she removed her cell phone from her ear and put it back into the pink purse she wore on her shoulder. She smiled broadly as she saw Jude and Bill walk off the train. Immediately, she darted over and hugged the both of them.
"You made it!" she cried in a very England-meets-Silicon-Valley*2* voice. "I didn't, like, think you would! Especially after your e-mail, Bill! You're such a jokester! You always were!"
Bill rolled his eyes.
"Hey, Penny! Long time, no see!" Jude greeted before noticing the two, large guys behind her. "Woah. Nice guys."
Penny giggled and broke out of the hug. "They're my body guards, Hanz and Arnold."
Jude whistled.
"Not until you're older, young lady," Bill told Jude, glaring at her.
Penny laughed. "Oh, that's the same excuse you give me everytime I ask you if you've finally found yourself a real girlfriend! 'I'm waiting until they're older!'"
Bill narrowed his eyes at her.
~~~
Penny had to run to do some last-minute preparations for her act in the competition, leaving Bill and Jude to check into the hotel and unpack.
"You know, Penny's done as much for me as she had for you," Jude pointed out.
"So she did nothing?" Bill inquired.
"Nah. I mean, she cheered me up when I was feeling down," Jude corrected. "Oh. You wouldn't remember her doing that for me. You were off at the Academy then."
Bill stopped and sighed. A pang of guilt went through him. He never really lived with Jude. He started going to a boarding school when he was five years old, after psychologists discovered he was a genius, but then, Jude was two and wouldn't be able to make a lasting memory of him. From then on, it was boarding school, Pokémon training, more boarding schools, and college for Bill and nothing for Jude to learn about her brother with save for pictures and holiday visits, during which he usually holed up in his room, fiddling with his computer or reading. He realized that he hadn't been the best brother to either sister, and it was because of that simple fact that he lowered his head and stared at the wood of the dresser.
"Hey, Bill?" Jude addressed. "Are you okay?"
He sighed again. "I'm sorry, Jude."
"Sorry?" She cocked her head. "For what?"
"For not being around when I should have," he replied. "I should have been home during all these years, protecting you and helping you like a decent older brother should."
"Isn't that what you're doing now?"
"It's not enough."
"Well, yeah it is," Jude responded.
He turned around, now leaning on the dresser and giving her a blank look.
"Listen, you've been protecting me more than any other older brother around," Jude said. "And you've been giving me enough good advice to last a lifetime! I'll be damned if that doesn't qualify as enough!"
She was about to say something else when something in her backpack beeped. She walked over to it and took out her COM device, staring at it with a surprised glance.
"You're not going to believe this," Jude said, "but you've got a shift."
"Me?" Bill blinked. "Why would Zero send you a shift that has to do with me, rather than send it to Ziggy?"
Jude shrugged. "I dunno. She hasn't sent the mission details yet."
"Hmm..."
With that, Bill shifted out.
~~~
A black haired girl in a complete, pink outfit leaned against the wall with several punk-looking young men. Her crystal-blue eyes narrowed at each one of them.
"So," she said. "There's going to be a lot of people in the audience tonight, especially since it's down to just me and one other girl. The tension is high, and everyone's paying close attention to our acts. That's when you slip in some hypnotic waves as Hypnos and Drowzees and take control of the entire crowd! Master Lucius will be highly impressed."
"You got that right, Robin," the leader of the punks replied. "They won't know what hit 'em!"
"And by the way," Robin added before leaving. "Hypnotize the judges into letting me win. I'd like the pleasure of being crowned Kanto and Johto's top teen idol."
"You've got it, Robin!" the boys responded in unison.
Robin walked a few steps away before pausing again. She craned her neck, as if to look for something far away, and closed her eyes. After a few moments, she smiled.
'Another shifter is around. A strong one,' she thought. 'If it's the Prime, then Master Lucius will indeed enjoy our show...'
~~~
"Wigglytuff! Pay attention!"
Bill opened his eyes and found himself face-to-face with a balding man with a long nose, stern, brown eyes, and a black mustache and beard.
{W-What?} Bill blinked.
The man sighed. "Let's go through the act one more time. Do exactly as I say, and try not to screw it up this time! Your owner wants this to be perfect by tonight!"
{Uh... uh... I-I, uh...} Bill blinked, watching the man in confusion.
The stranger straightened up and backed over to a CD player, where he pressed play.
"Remember, when Penny sings this, start dancing!"
Penny's voice floated through the air along with a techno beat.
"Can't seem to get my mind off of you
Back here at home there's nothing to do
Now that I'm away
I wish I'd stayed
Tomorrow's a day of mine that you won't be in..."*3*
"Wigglytuff!" the choreographer began to clap his hands. "Alright, Wigglytuff! Hop back, hop back, Jump up! Tap foot, tap foot, tap foot! Hop forward, hop forward, slide forward!"
{Gah!} Bill's eyes widened as he attempted to follow the directions the choreographer gave.
The dance continued as the choreographer shouted directions above the music. Bill did his best to follow, wishing he had paid more attention to the dancing lessons his mother had given him, especially when the choreographer shouted moves only a true dancer would understand.
The music stopped abruptly as Bill tripped and fell forward. The choreographer had stopped the CD.
"Ugh! You've gotten WORSE since the last time we took it from the top!" he snapped.
{That's because I'm not a dancer,} Bill responded with a groan as he sat up.
The choreographer sighed. "You know what? I don't care. Take five while I try to talk to Penny about leaving you out of the act. Ever since she had you evolve, you've been only a clumsy furball."
Bill sighed with relief as the choreographer stomped off. {No more dancing. That just made my day.}
He was alone in the dance rehersal room, listening to the sounds of the band and Penny practicing in another room.
{Why am I here...?} he asked himself. {Ziggy!}
Instead of the cheerful hologram he knew as Ziggy, he heard Jude's voice.
"Hey, Bill! Can you hear me?"
{Yes, Jude,} he replied. {Why aren't you here in hologram form? No, wait, I have a better question -- why are you contacting me at all? What about Ziggy?}
"I'm not appearing to you in hologram form because I'm getting ready for the competition tonight, so I'm only half dressed," Jude explained. "You remember Penny's dress code, right? Ugh! I don't think I'm going to be able to live with myself after this. I don't wear pink, dammit! I mean, what's wrong with just plain, old black?"
{Jude?}
"What?"
{What about Ziggy and my mission?}
"Oh! Right!" Jude paused. "Well, Zero wants us to work together to help our dear older sister, so she's having me keeping in touch with you, rather than Ziggy, who's already helping Ash with some mission involving a Crobat and a vampire wannabe."
{Okay...} Bill stood up and began to pace. {Alright, so what exactly do I have to do?}
"Like I said, you're here to help Penny," Jude told him. "You see, she HAS to win the competition, or, let's just say if she's a washup, she'll make a nice whore in the lousy districts of Goldenrod City."
{Jude!}
"What? It's true!" She paused and continued. "Anyways, her rival, Robin Valentine, is going to attempt to sabotage tonight's competition. You've got to keep her from doing it. Not only that, but Zero says something about a member of High Rise Circle making an appearance tonight. Know anything about that?"
{I know a little bit about High Rise Circle, but nothing significant.}
"Oh. Well, it was worth a try. Good luck!"
She severed the link between them.
{I have to help Penny,} he said with a sigh. {Oh, boy. This will be one of my less-enjoyable missions...}
"Oh, come on, Jack! She can't be THAT bad!"
Bill stiffened, hearing Penny's voice not too far away.
"See for yourself, Penny!" Jack replied, guiding her into the rehersal room. "Alright, Wigglytuff! Let's take it one more time from the top!"
Jack the choreographer with the black beard and mustache walked over to the CD player and pressed play.
{Oh, great!} Bill sighed with sarcasm as he began to follow the steps he remembered... rather badly, though.
Eventually, he tripped again, winding up, once more, flat on his face.
"Hmm," Penny muttered, watching her Wigglytuff get back on its feet. "I see what you mean."
And to Bill's dismay, she bent down and hugged his host. Tightly.
"You must be tired," Penny said. "I mean, you've been working hard to help me get to the finals. Would you like a break and sit this one out, sweetie?"
{Please!} Bill replied, nodding vigorously, ignoring the fact that Penny called him "sweetie."
Penny let go, to Bill's relief. She stood up and shrugged.
"Okay then," she responded, noticing Bill's nod. "I'll just have the Jigglypuff dance. There won't be much of a change, would there, Jack?"
She looked at Jack. He smiled.
"No problem," he told her.
"Good!" Penny replied as she skipped away.
Bill sighed in relief.
~~~
With nothing better to do, Bill wandered about the amphitheatre where the artists practiced and would be playing that night in the competition. He was trying to find this "Robin" girl he was supposed to keep an eye out for, but he found nothing instead. He groaned in frustration.
{Time is running out, and I can't find Robin anywhere,} he muttered to himself.
Suddenly, he heard someone laughing behind him. He turned to see a dark-haired girl with bright, blue eyes standing there, staring at him with a smile.
"So, you're the shifter I've been sensing," she said.
Bill stared with her with wide eyes. How did she know that he was a shifter...?
She laughed. "I'm a powerful one myself; I've gotten to the point where I can sense when another powerful shifter is present." She bent down. "Are you not that infamous little novice I've heard so much about? One known as the Prime? ...One who calls himself Bill? Ooh, please say that you are! I'd be very much disappointed if I was wrong..."
{Who are you...?} Bill managed to inquire.
She laughed again. "I asked you first, but I'll be glad to answer. My name is Robin Valentine. I serve Lucius, the new leader of High Rise Circle, and I have been given permission to destroy the Prime if he ever appeared." She stood up. "I could destroy you here and now, but I have bigger plans. Come to the competition tonight and listen carefully. You may find that you like my song..."
She turned and began to walk away.
{Wait!} Bill called out. {I'm afraid I can't let you leave!}
Robin turned her head and looked back at him. "Do you honestly think you stand a chance against ME? In a Wigglytuff's body? Sweetie, you can't even stand up to my underlings. Challenge me again when you've got more strength than that..."
{Nonetheless, I--}
Robin interrupted as her eyes flashed at him.
"Perhaps I forgot to tell you, each member of High Rise Circle has his or her own element he or she commands," Robin explained. "Call it a type specialty. And my specialty happens to be psychic..."
The last thing Bill saw was a flash. Other than that, he found himself nestling into the darkness of his dreams.
~~~
"Bill! Bill! Are you there!?"
{W-What...?}
Bill opened his eyes, finding himself in the backstage hallway where he encountered Robin. Somewhere in the distance, he heard his sister's voice singing the beginning of the song.
{Oh no!} he cried out with a gasp. {Jude! What time is it!?}
"8:05," she responded. "Fifteen minutes after I snuck into a girl's bathroom to try to get you! Where are you, and what happened!?"
{8:05...!} Bill shook his head and stood up. {There's no time for me to explain. I've got to find Robin!}
As he ran about behind the stage, he listened to Penny's song.
"A week without you
Thought I'd forget
Two weeks without you and I
Still haven't gotten over you yet...
"Vacation -- all I ever wanted
Vacation -- had to get away
Vacation -- meant to be spent alone
"Vacation -- all I ever wanted
Vacation -- had to get away
Vacation -- meant to be spent alone..."
There was a musical interlude before Penny repeated. She was nearing the end of her song, which meant that Bill was low on time. He had to find Robin before she went out on stage!
Unfortunately, the back was crowded with people and equipment, and from a Wigglytuff's view point, he couldn't see a Ho-oh if one happened to be in the crowd.
And even worse, the song just ended. The crowd on the other side of the curtain burst into cheers.
{Great,} Bill muttered to himself in sarcasm before he stopped. An idea came into his mind. {Perhaps there's still time!}
He pushed through, just near the end of the curtain. He peered out, just as he saw Robin and her crew setting up. Three Drowzee got in place in front of her as the crew finished setting up.
"And now, ladies and gentlemen, I bring to you a crowd favorite -- Robin Valentine, with Duvet Cyberia!"*4* the announcer called out with enthusiasm.
An odd beat and tune flowed out of the speakers. Bill stood in the wing, watching to see what was about to happen. Robin took a deep breath and began the vocal part of the song.
"I am falling
I am fading
I am down, and
Help me to breathe
I am hurting
I have lost it all
I am losing
Help me to breathe..."
Bill looked at the Drowzee and immediately looked away with a startled gasp. That wasn't any ordinary dance they were performing... It was part of an attack! Hypnosis!
He moved to glance up at a large screen behind Robin. There, the Drowzee were pictured, still dancing, still putting their unsuspecting audience under their control.
{So that's what Jude meant by "sabotage"!} Bill looked at Robin. {I'll have to put an end to this!}
He stopped, realizing that he couldn't just rush out there. He could be caught up in the psychic tactics himself. He had to do something first to stop the Drowzee from using Hypnosis. But what...?
He looked up to see lights above the stage. His eyes drifted to a catwalk nearby, then to a ladder leading to the catwalk. Another idea came to his mind...
Robin was getting into the second verse as Bill pushed through the crowd back stage before climbing up the ladder. As she sang on, he carefully made his way to a stage light above a spot directly behind Robin a few steps. She went into the chorus as he backed up and rammed himself against the light with Body Slam. It was loose, but it didn't fall.
A musical interlude came. As Robin and her Drowzee danced, she spoke to the audience.
"When you all awake, you will all be under my control... at my disposal... at all times. You will serve--"
At this point, Bill used another Body Slam, throwing himself at the light with all he had. The nuts that secured it popped out and fell to the stage along with the light itself. The Drowzee stopped, startled by the sudden crash and losing control of their audience, allowing to simply slip into slumber. Apparently, the people back stage did so as well, also effected by the Drowzee's hypnotic powers.
"Who did that!?" Robin demanded as the music stopped. "Who was the idiot who let the light fall!?"
Bill tiptoed back to the ladder, but, unfortunately, just as he was almost there, he slipped and fell off the catwalk, plummeting towards the stage and landing with a loud thump.
He moaned as he sat up and rubbed his head. {I'm never doing THAT again...}
"You!" Robin yelled, spotting Bill. "So, the little shifter wants to play again!"
Bill stood up. {I won't let you control these helpless people! As a shifter, it's my duty to protect them from people like you!}
"I've heard enough from you, pinky!" Robin snapped. "You stole my spotlight, and I'll make you pay for it! Go, my psychic servants! Put him under our control! I want to have a little fun with him later!"
The three Drowzee turned to him and lifted their hands, preparing to use Hypnosis all at the same time. But before they could, Bill had another thing in mind. He opened his mouth and used Sing, praying that it would put the Drowzee to sleep before they did so to him.
Luckily, someone in Heaven was looking out for him, and two of the Drowzee dropped to the polished wood of the stage, sound asleep. As for the other Drowzee, it remained unphased and attempted to use Hypnosis on Bill. He looked away and blindly used Pound, only managing to graze the Drowzee.
"Jake! Get him!" Robin ordered.
{Jake? What an unusual name for a Pokémon,} Bill commented as he went for Drowzee with another Pound.
Jake dodged it and replied, {It isn't such a weird name if you're not a Pokémon.}
Jake aimed his own Pound at Bill. The Wigglytuff dodged.
{So you're a shifter?} Bill concluded. {Why do you bother serving someone like Robin?}
Bill rushed forward, trying to use Body Slam, but only missed and tumbled a few feet away until he was flat on his back on the stage. Jake put one foot on Bill's stomach and stared straight into his eyes.
{Why wouldn't I?} Jake inquired. {She promised to give me fame and fortune.}
Jake prepared to use Hypnosis, only to be struck in the face by Bill's Pound. Jake stumbled back, and soon, both shifters were back on their feet.
{Don't you know that's a lie?} Bill asked. {Robin won't give you anything except grief! There will not be any satisfaction in your life unless you do the right thing -- use your powers to help people, rather than to harm them like you have with all these people.} He stopped to motion at the sleeping crowd.
{I'm not harming them,} Jake countered as he used Pound again. {Besides, the right thing! Hmph! Robin told me you were into clichés...}
Bill took the hit and retaliated with Doubleslap, after which he backed away.
{Doing the right thing is not a cliché,} he said.
{Whatever,} Jake muttered. {Be a good guy. They always say that good guys finish last anyways.}
Jake's eyes flared up as he began to try Hypnosis again. Bill immediately shut his eyes and opened his mouth, attempting another Sing. The two fought with sleep attack versus sleep attack until one of them fell.
Bill slowly opened his eyes to see Jake, fast asleep, a few feet in front of him. He grinned in victory, but immediately stopped and frowned.
{I'm sorry, Jake,} he murmured. {I can tell you were only misled by Robin.}
Suddenly, he heard a frustrated scream. He turned around to see Robin, shaking her head vigorously.
"No, no, no, no!" she yelled. "This isn't supposed to happen! Damn you, Bill McKenzie! You haven't heard the last of me!"
With that, she teleported away, leaving her sleeping underlings behind. Bill turned back to them to see Zero standing among them. She smiled at him.
"You fought well, dear Angel," she complimented. "Using the Cosmos Stone, I've purified these poor souls and sent them back to their respective bodies. There's no need to worry about them."
{Thank you, Zero,} Bill responded before pausing. {...Lady Aigori.}
"It doesn't matter now; you may call me what you wish," she told him gently. "But Bill... Don't fear for the future. No matter what happens, I'll be watching you."
He gave her a strange glance as she disappeared. He looked out towards the sleeping audience and gave a small cry.
{Oh geez! I'd better shift back before they wake up!} Bill exclaimed to himself.
With that, he shifted out.
~~~
"And because of Robin Valentine's mysterious absence, the winner of the contest is Penny McKenzie!" the announcer cried out, motioning to Penny, who stood proudly on stage. "As an encore performance, she'll sing her rendition of the oldie, 'Aitsu'! Here's your new teen idol, everyone!"
The song began and the crowd erupted into wild cheers. In one of the wings, Bill and Jude stood, watching all this, with Jake and the other two shifters behind them.
"You know, that wasn't a bad shift," Jude commented.
Bill smiled at her. "Thank you."
"And thanks for all you did to help us get a second chance," Jake said. "There's not much we can do to repay you, but I hope the three of us will come in handy for you sooner or later."
Bill grinned and nodded at them. "I'm glad to hear that."
With that, the five turned back to listen to Penny.
"Nani o suru no mo aitsu no koto kangaete shimatte boku ga
Aitsu de ippai ni naru
Tonikaku ima wa aitsu ga ite kurenai to boku wa nanimo dekinai
Aitsu ga boku no naki ni...
Iru iru iru iru iru iru iru!"*5*
"You know," Bill said as he listened to Penny's song. "Perhaps a part of Wigglytuff is still in me, or perhaps it's this song, but Penny doesn't seem that annoying anymore..."
"Or maybe you liked her all along," Jude suggested, obviously joking.
'Hmm. Maybe,' Bill thought as Penny's song ended and she took her bows.
~~~
It was nighttime. Lady Aigori*6* sat alone, on a rock in the middle of her lake. She was waiting for something...
Suddenly, a Moltres lit up the sky, surrounded by several Charizards. On the Moltres' back, Jeremiah sat, smiling down at Lady Aigori with a mischievous glance.
"I know why you came here," Lady Aigori said quietly.
"Really? Why's that, Aigori?" Jeremiah inquired.
Lady Aigori looked down at the waters. "You want to take me away again."
"Very good." Jeremiah held out his hand. "Do you want to go willingly?"
Lady Aigori stared up at him with a deep gaze for several minutes before shaking her head.
"Too bad," Jeremiah snapped as he whipped out a ball.
He threw this ball at Lady Aigori. It struck her and turned into two golden loops that wrapped around her, binding her arms and legs. She gave a small yelp as one of the Charizards picked her up and carried her away, following the Moltres and the other Charizards.
Reno ran forward, panting after running all the way up the mountain to reach Aigori's Spring. He watched in dismay as the fire Pokémon left, carrying the white-clad girl in their claws.
"Lady Aigori," he mumbled. "Another piece of the prophecy is fufilled. I've got to tell the Prime!"
He whipped out the PokéBall containing Dragonite and turned to face the northeast.
"We have so little time left," Reno muttered before summoning Dragonite and riding off into the night.
***
End episode 22*7*
---
Footnotes:
*1*: As you can see, Bill's not too fond of Penny. ^_^; (I took him out of character for a bit there, but he's not even supposed to REMOTELY like her.) And by the way, the "good_times" is in reference to a computer virus. ^_^
*2*: As in, British Valley Girl. Yep. I know. Ouch. THAT'S an insult to Great Britain...
*3*: Yep. It's "Vacation" by the Go-Gos. (I'm not that great at writing decent songs, so I just borrowed from real songs. ^_^;)
*4*: This would be the theme song to Serial Experiments Lain (one hell of an anime, I must add). I have no shame. ^_^;
*5*: "Aitsu" by dicot, also the beginning theme to the anime GALS! (It's supposed to be a joke. Penny, if she was in Japan, would be a kogal/gal, especially since she's modeled after kogal extraordinaire and main character of GALS!, Kotobuki Ran. ^_^) Yep. Didn't feel like translating the lyrics. But if you're really wondering what they say, it's, "No matter what I try to do, I always end up thinking of her./I'm crazy about that Gal./The way things are now, I can't operate unless she's by my side./That Gal has taken over/My mind, my mind, my mind, my mind, my mind, my mind, my mind!" (Thanks to AnimeLyrics.com for that!) It's not supposed to be a reference to homosexuality; that's just what the song says. (Eh. A girl sings it, though. Go figure. =/)
*6*: Yes, since now the focus character is calling her this, so will the narrator. ^_^
*7*: And thus ends the episode that was put on hold for so long. ^_^; I apologize again for all the hiatuses. As for the episode itself, it would have been longer and a bit more interesting (building upon Bill and Penny's relationship), but I kinda got sidetracked and wound up with this. =/ Sorry! ^_^;