Chapter Nine: Darkness

Lavaridge, ca. 2509

The sky was red at sunset, with gray-black fat ribbons of clouds stretching across the heavens as the winds blew away the volcanic soot-filled air. The layer of ash on the ground didn't bother the sweaty throngs of competitors - they had swarmed in the streets like hordes of Beedrill in order to catch a glimpse of prized pokemon. Music had been blaring in certain areas of town to keep everyone pumped up - and to keep the crowds from suffering through a song by any of the young Jigglypuff found in some woods a few hours earlier. Musicians were aided in their endeavor by enlisting the help of six Loudreds, their gigantic speaker-like ears and gaping mouths rumbling the air in an uproar matched perfectly by the cheers (and grumbles) of the crowd.

All eyes were glued to a hardwood ebony-colored stage as the reddish-gold sun finally set, a quartet of Alakazams using their powers to create bright lights shining toward the solitary microphone in anticipation of the speaker who just arrived by limousine. He smiled as he walked confidently toward the microphone, quickly running his fingers through his slicked-back, graying-black hair.

Jennifer and Tracey stood near two of the flashing Alakazams, having pushed and shoved their way through a restless group of angry pokemon hunters. Tracey tried to hide the goosebumps forming on his skin. He knew Ash and his friends were in town, and Ash was not the kind of trainer to ignore a call for this kind of competition. Sure enough, Tracey spotted Ash with Brock. Beside them were a young girl with long brown hair falling out of a red bandana and a boy with black hair and glasses. He noticed Ash and Brock's eyes widen as they stared at the speaker. Tracey found that odd - they couldn't know Giovanni - but then he realized that Ash had an Earth badge from Viridian. Tracey sighed. He still felt nervous about revealing his mission to Ash.

They would reconsider thinking of him as some sissier version of Brock.

"Welcome to Lavaridge, the hottest spot in all of Hoenn! Congratulations - you're the elite in the great Legendary Competition!" boasted Giovanni, his arms raised in an "I'm not a crook"-Nixonian pose.

His father was here - expecting him.

"Tonight you compete for the legendary Celebii!"

The crowd exploded with shocked approval. To think, a chance to own one of the most powerful pokemon on Earth! Sure, it had some disadvantages and using legends was considered bad form in competitions - but it wasn't like anyone actually OWNED any.

Now was the chance.

Ash and Brock gasped. They looked at each other, torn between two emotions: excitement over the prospect of having such a powerful pokemon on their team, and disgust that someone would be so mean as to catch a poor creature who had not so long ago been the target of a Team Rocket capture.

Tracey glanced back at his father.

Game time.

Jennifer leaned toward Tracey, flinching in the uproar, "What's a Celebii?"

Tracey leaned toward Jennifer and shouted, "A time-traveling pokemon! It's one of the most powerful pokemon on the planet!"

Jennifer stood there, alternating glances between Tracey and the announcer, feeling the stares of a teenaged boy nearby with short spiky black hair and squinty eyes and an orange and brown top. She knew she looked like a criminal the police had recently caught. She wondered if people here ever turned into lynch mobs. She stayed close to Tracey. He was just a kid himself, but he was someone she knew now and that brought her the minimum feeling of safety. "Why would anyone need that kind of power?" she asked.

Tracey looked at her in disbelief. This woman really was from another world.

"And now, before the competition gets under way," shouted Giovanni, gesturing toward Tracey, "... everyone, attention please! A young man is here to announce the rules: Tracey Sketchit - a native of the Orange Islands, an assistant to the (ahem) beloved Professor Oak of Pallet Town in Kanto! Please give him your full attention!"

Tracey gulped as he stepped onto the stage, trying to hide the sweat on his palms from his powerful father. Where was Misty when he needed her? Misty could always be counted on to yank your ear and tell you to get over what ever problem-du-jour bothered you. He admired her gift of perspective - except when it came to Ash Ketchum.

How could he share his love with TWO girls, though?

Kanto, ca. 2506

Tracey stared intently at the file pulled up onto the computer screen. Venonat's stun spore took care of the power plant employees, who never suspected such a powerful attack from a bug-eyed purple cotton ball with antennae. Tracey's brand-new Marrill, meanwhile, listened with its sharp hearing skills for possible - inconveniences.

The files this plant had on the Legendary Zapdos were amazing. Giovanni was tracking the mission of a collector who planned on, well, collecting the Legendary Birds. Tracey's assignment was to find out if that was a feasible plan without irritating repercussions. Supposedly, as Tracey reported to his father, it was a REALLY bad idea. Such a disappointment.

"Marrill!" the tiny blue and white round pokemon cried.

Tracey quickly completed the download on a disk and was about to turn when a sharp pain stabbed him in his right shoulder. He stumbled, then looked behind him despite the growing pain shooting through his nervous system.

A small young woman in a black Team Rocket uniform stood in the doorway to the power plant's computer room, her long blond curls framing an angelic but devious face.

"Stop what you're doing!" she sneered, "and face the might of the Black Tulip!"

Great, thought Tracey. The problem with keeping his identity secret from Team Rocket was that morons like this hassled him. "You ... unh ... have no idea who you're dealing with," Tracey grunted.

"Oh, I'm not worried about that," the Black Tulip laughed. "I'm an elite member of Team Rocket, and I know YOU'RE in my way!"

Any time now, Tracey thought as he managed to yank the paralyzing flower from his back. His pokemon would give this upstart something to think about.

Any minute now.

"Where is my pokemon?" Tracey growled, realizing his speech was just beginning to slur.

The Black Tulip laughed. "Oh, I've taken care of them."

"I ... will ... make ... you ... s ... sorry," he promised, feeling too dizzy to sit up any longer.

She smiled as she walked up to the slouching boy, planting her white boot on his shoulder and pressing down hard. "They always say that sort of thing before losing consciousness."

A rumble traveled through Tracey's body. He fought the desire to pass out, staring intently at his attacker.

He could tell a shiver had gone through her, too.

Suddenly, the ceiling came crashing down, pinning them to the floor underneath wood and metal and broken fluorescent lighting. As Tracey lost consciousness just inches from the Black Tulip's face, he heard her grunt and scream into a small black communication device "Get your ... unh ... lazy butt over here and GET ME OUT!"

He could have sworn he heard his father respond.

He was coming.

But what kind of machine or pokemon could lift a couple hundred tons of concrete?

Lavaridge, ca. 2509

As Tracey announced the rules for the contest, he wondered why, after Tracey had - reclaimed - the GS ball from Kurt in Johto, Giovanni couldn't remember ever saving his son from the Kanto power plant north of Lavendar Town. Tracey could remember being airlifted, seeing a strange pokemon with machines all over it. Now, even Domino couldn't remember being rescued from a building damaged by an earthquake.

"Finally," Tracey concluded, "we come to the most important part of any contest - the trophy! Let's take a look at what you're gonna win!" He pushed the release button of a small pokeball.

"NO, YOU IDIOT!" screamed Giovanni from behind.

The crowd gasped. Tracey, shocked that Giovanni would yell at him in such a way, let down the pokeball and stared at it in disbelief. The ball was black and silver, not the GS ball he was expecting. He glanced up at a shining pink ball of light and silently cursed to himself.

WHAM!

Tracey and Giovanni flew back, the crowd stumbling, falling, running, staring, cheering, screaming. Mew panted nervously, confused, yet grateful to be out of that stupid thing. This was the first time she had been captured - and she was going to make certain this was the LAST time. She glanced at the crowd, sensing their reasons for being here. Pokemon hunting? A contest? Could people be so heartless?

Mew's barrier stopped an electric arc from frying her fur. A small yellow mouse-like pokemon with a lightning-shaped tail sat on a young boy's shoulders as it let loose with another crack of electricity.

All Mew could see was a throng of hateful creatures - staring at her in awe or terror. Mew could feel the greed in the humans' hearts - and she finally understood what Earth wanted from her.

Mew gathered all her energy, her bright pink energy ball growing to the size of a hot air balloon. She saw the people drop like lead as she took in the life energy of everything for a mile. She saw the young man who captured her struggle as he opened the infernal gold and silver ball that held Celebii. She saw the green winged fairy pokemon glance at Mew and disappear in a ball of light.

Celebii would NOT be exploited again.

Outside the Pokemon Center, away from the fleeing/falling crowds, Professor Hale, his long graying hair covering his strong, determined face, gripped his young daughter Molly as she began to gasp and faint, the air around them becoming - how to describe it- deader by the second. Just as he found he could not take in another breath, he saw a flurry of Unown fly out of Molly's pockets, chanting in their sing-song rhythm.

If they survived this, he'd ... talk to her ... very … sternly ...

Jennifer, lying on the ground in front of the stage, her chest heaving, her eyes rolling, felt the power emanating from this new pokemon. As the bright pink light shined above her, she remembered seeing something like it as she lay bloody on an outcrop in Peru.

"J ... Jewel," she whispered as darkness overtook her.

Hoenn, ca. 2509

High atop the Sky Pillar, where every region could be seen with crystal clarity, Mewtwo and Rayquaza leaned against some columns as the wind whipped around them, staring at the chaos as Mew sucked the life of Lavaridge.

Mew? Rayquaza asked. Isn't Mew in Johto?

Mewtwo stood motionless. By now Rayquaza had become used to his new friend's delayed responses. Mew is no longer in Johto, Mewtwo finally responded. She is headed for Lavaridge to investigate the trouble there. He looked to the floor, shuffling his feet. It is a mistake. All psychic pokemon are now at risk - especially me.

Rayquaza stared at the tall white pokemon, certain that he saw slight traces of that feeling you get when you know you're going to die.

I shall summon the Powerful Ones. We will stay here where we're safe, offered the guardian of Sky Pillar.

Mewtwo smirked, shrugging his shoulders imperceptibly in resignation.

Mew arrived just in time to see a younger version of herself steal the energy of all the people and pokemon around her. Mew powered up, sending a giant blast of psychic energy toward her misguided double.

It bounced off harmlessly.

The younger Mew glared in the direction of the blast's origin, her coat turning velvet midnight black, like a panther's pelt. The present-day Mew gasped in terror as she spotted swarms of tiny black and white pokemon swirl around the black form of Mew.

The ancient Origin had become the only Dark Legendary with the help of the Unown. The Unown, trying to help their friend Molly stay alive, had unwittingly been hijacked by the powerful will of Mew, their reality-changing powers now under the control of a pokemon destined to bring the world to darkness.

Dark Mew, as strong as she wished.

The elder Mew felt her heart sink. The most powerful Legendaries were psychic - a distinct disadvantage in this conflict. No existing fighting or bug pokemon would last a second in battle, either.

Mew needed Celebii.