Chapter 4
Shadow
Ash ran around a corner just in time to avoid being seen by the Team Rocket member. He peeked back to see him leading Misty and Vivi down the hall. And it was not just them. Girls were streaming out of their rooms and into the hallway, all led by their captors. Something was definitely up. Ash waited until the hall was clear, and then followed. Suddenly, he heard a sound behind him. But there was nowhere to hide, and he had surely been seen. Ash turned around to face certain discovery.
"Miss Misty, where are we going?" Vivi asked.
"I'm not sure." Misty answered.
"Are you sure Ash will be able to rescue us?"
"Of course!"
"How do you know?"
"Well . . . because I believe in Ash. Sometimes he's lazy and self-centered, but when it really matters, he always comes through."
But Misty could tell by the expression on Vivi's face that it was not the answer she was looking for. She quickly thought of something else to comfort the young girl.
"Don't worry, Vivi," she said, "Team Rocket is no problem for Ash. He's handled them plenty of times. One time, he even saved the whole world!"
"Really?" Vivi said as her eyes grew large.
"Really." Misty laughed.
"How?"
This time, Misty's story was about an evil Pokemon collector, who upset the balance of nature when he tried to capture the three legendary birds. The rain fell and the wind blew, and it seemed that it would never stop. Soon, the Earth would be flooded, and no one would escape. But then, the Chosen One appeared, and restored balance when he placed the orbs in their rightful places.
"Ash was the Chosen One." Misty said. "It was really dangerous, but he was brave. He didn't give up no matter how hard it was. And Ash'll do anything he can to help us, I promise."
"But that's just a story, right?" Vivi asked.
"Nope. I know it's kind of hard to believe, but it really did happen."
"But . . ."
"But what?"
"Nothing." Vivi said.
But she was very confused. She had heard that story before. In fact, it was Misty who had told it to her. It was part of the story about the Princess and her friends. That was just a fairy tale. But now Misty was saying that it had really happened, to one of her friends, no less. It just did not make sense. But Vivi did not have long to think about it, because she and Misty were arriving at their destination.
"Ash! There you are!" May exclaimed.
"May!" Ash said. "You scared me! I thought you were Team Rocket!"
"Sorry." May giggled.
"Did you find Misty?" Brock asked.
"Yeah, she's fine." Ash replied.
"Told you." Brock said.
"Where is she?" May asked.
"Well, she was right here, but then Team Rocket came and . . ."
"So where did they go?" Asked Max.
"I'm not sure, but they took everyone else with them."
"There were a lot of girls here though." Max said. "It shouldn't be too hard to find them. "Which way did they go?"
So Ash led the way down the hall in the direction he had seen everyone go. Soon, they came upon a huge room. Its stone walls were bare, and the high ceiling was the same, except for two chandeliers that dangled from it. There were four arched windows, but they were covered in dirt and impossible to see through. But though the room itself was bare, it was packed with people. On the left side of the room stood all of Team Rocket, and on the right, the kidnapped girls.
"What's going on here?" Ash whispered.
But it was evident from the nervous chatter that filled the air that no one really knew.
All of a sudden, the room fell silent. From their hiding place near the doorway, Ash and the others could see Giovanni, Team Rocket's leader, step in front of the crowd from seemingly nowhere. He exuded an air of nobility and wealth, even in his tacky orange suit. His black hair was slicked back, and he wore a menacing smile on his face.
"Welcome." He said. "I suppose you are all wondering why I have called you all here, not to mention why I had you bring me all these lovely young ladies. But first, I would like you to meet someone."
Then Giovanni pulled from his pocket a small glass orb. Within it shone a mysterious black light. Giovanni held the orb up for everyone to see.
"What's he talking about?" Ash asked. "I don't see anyone."
"This," Giovanni said, "is the black mage, Shirakiku. She lived over five-hundred years ago, and devoted herself to the study of dark magic. She had all sorts of abilities; summoning demons, controlling the dead, and controlling the minds of the living. Shirakiku became very powerful, and after a time, her skill in magic caught the attention of a great warlord. He sought her out, and hired her to use her magic against his enemies. None could stand against Shirakiku's magic, and the warlord became very wealthy and powerful. But he paid a price for his wealth. Or rather, Shirakiku did. The warlord became obsessed with his money and land. His greatest fear was losing it, and he trusted no one. He recognized Shirakiku's vast power, and came to fear her above all else. And so one night, he had his servants murder her in her sleep."
Then Giovanni paused for effect. There was not a sound from the crowd, but all wondered what this tale had to do with the current situation.
"Fortunately," he continued, "Shirakiku had long known of the warlord's fear, and had sealed her soul inside her most precious belonging, this orb. Although it is fragile, it was formed from the tears of the gods, and thus had the spiritual power to sustain her soul for all these years. Over time, the orb was lost and forgotten, but the legend of the mysterious Shirakiku prevailed. I first heard it when I was a boy, and for years, I tracked down the orb. At last, it is finally in my possession."
Suddenly a voice spoke up to ask what everyone wanted to know. It was Meowth.
"That's a real interestin' story, Boss," he said, "but what's it got to do with us?"
"Silence, fool!" Giovanni yelled. Meowth, Jessie, and James cowered where they stood.
"Patience! I will tell you when I'm ready!"
Giovanni then straitened up and regained his composure.
"Now then, I have long searched for this orb, because with Shirakiku's power, Team Rocket will rule the Earth! No one will be able to stop us! But Shirakiku is powerless while she remains inside the orb. Which is why I needed all these young women. Shirakiku needs a body with a sensitivity to the spiritual world in order for her to be able to work her magic. She will choose one of these girls to be her new body."
A collective gasp swept through the crowd. Every girl was terrified that she would be the one chosen, and the members of Team Rocket were sure that their boss had gone mad. Giovanni sensed this, but he was unfazed. He took out a Pokeball and threw it to release a purple ghost Pokemon.
"I found this Haunter along side the orb." He said. "It was Shirakiku's favorite Pokemon and only companion. As you know, Haunter is a Ghost Pokemon, and therefore it is able to identify people with a sensitivity to the spiritual world." He turned to the Haunter. "Are you ready?" He asked it. The Haunter nodded and began focus on the crowd of girls.
"Miss Misty, I don't like this." Vivi said as she tugged on Misty's hand. "That Pokemon is scary!"
Misty forced a smile. "Don't worry, Vivi." She said. "This'll all be over soon."
She only hoped that she was right.
Haunter's eyes began to glow red. From its perspective, every girl had a light-blue aura which indicated her amount of spiritual power. Most of them had auras too feint to ever be its master's vessel, but one girl's aura shone bright and clear. Haunter grinned a malicious grin and floated over to her.
Vivi began screaming when she realized that the scary Pokemon was coming toward her.
"No! Get AWAY!" She screamed.
Misty could feel her heart pounding and her knees buckling, but she knew that she could not show any fear, lest she upset Vivi even further. She put her arm around the child's back and pulled her closer to herself.
"She's only a child, leave her alone!" Misty yelled.
Haunter just laughed wickedly as it continued its approach. Vivi whimpered as Haunter came closer and closer. Finally, it stopped right in front of Misty's face, and pointed at her with its huge purple hand. Misty gasped in realization.
"Is this the one?" Giovanni asked.
Haunter turned back to him and laughed a gleeful reply.
"Very well." Giovanni said "The rest of you will be escorted back to your rooms."
Ash and the others dashed into a closet as the all the other girls allowed themselves to be led back down the hall. The girls were absolutely silent. They had not yet taken in the scope of what had just happened. All of them felt sorry for Misty, but were also glad that they had not been chosen. Only Vivi remained, still clinging to Misty's side.
"Vivi, didn't you hear?" Misty said. "You can go back to your room now."
"But what about you?" Vivi asked.
"I have to stay here for a little while longer, but I'll see you later, ok?"
"But I don't wanna be by myself!"
"Vivi, you're a big girl, right? You'll be fine. I promise I'll see you in a little while."
"Well . . . ok." Vivi said hesitantly.
She followed the others out the door. She did not want to go, but Misty was right, she was a big girl now, and she had to be brave.
Misty watched to make sure that Vivi had left. When she was sure that she could not hear, she spun around to confront Giovanni.
"You're crazy," she yelled, "if you think I'm gonna hand my body over to some dead magician!"
"My dear, you should be honored." Giovanni said calmly. "Most girls would be delighted at the chance to serve such a great leader."
"Well, get one of them, because I'm not doing it!"
With that, Misty turned and ran toward the door. She did not get very far, however, before the two Team Rocket members guarding the door rushed forward and grabbed her by her arms.
"You let her go!" Ash yelled.
He was not exactly sure what had just happened. One moment, he was crouching near the doorway, watching the goings on, and the next thing he knew, he was standing in the middle of it all. But he did not have time to wonder how he got there.
"Ash, what are you thinking?" Brock called as he and the others rushed out.
They were in the middle of Team Rocket's base, and every Team Rocket member there was probably being alerted. But Ash had already given them away, so there was no point in remaining hidden. May and Max were eager to help Misty, but they agreed with Brock that Ash had been too impulsive. They could only hope that Ash had some sort of plan.
"Ash!" Misty called. "You guys!"
She had been getting worried, but now everything was going to be all right. She knew she could count on her friends to rescue her.
"How rude." Giovanni said indignantly. "You're interrupting a very important ceremony."
"You let her go right now!" Ash retorted.
"I'm afraid I can't do that. You're wasting your time. If you leave now, I'll let you go free."
"Now way!" Ash yelled. "Torkoal, go!" He called as he threw a Pokeball.
The fire Tortoise appeared before Ash and called out its name.
"Pika . . ." Pikachu said, disappointed at having not been chosen.
"Sorry, Buddy." Ash said. "But if you use your electric attacks, you'll shock Misty too."
"Torkoal, use your body slam!"
"Well, if you insist on being so stubborn, I'm afraid I have no choice. Haunter, take care of this nuisance."
Haunter was more than willing. It had been a long time since it had battled. Once again, its eyes glowed red, but this time, it froze Torkoal in midair. A confusion attack. Torkoal cried out in pain as Haunter threw it against the wall.
"Torkoal!" Ash called to it. "Return!"
As soon as Torkoal had disappeared, Ash reached for another pokeball. But it was already too late. Haunter was focusing its confusion on Ash now, and he could not move at all.
"Ash!" Misty called, this time in desperation.
May and Brock started to go for their pokeballs, but they too, ended up frozen in place, Max along with them.
"What's going on!" Misty yelled. "How can that Haunter use Confusion on all of them at once!"
"You underestimate it." Giovanni said. "It trained under one of the most powerful magicians in the world. Its abilities are much stronger than those of an ordinary Haunter."
Just then, several Team Rocket members rushed in.
"What's going on here!" One of them demanded.
"Apprehend these intruders!" Giovanni yelled. And then, in a gentler tone, he said to Misty "Now, Miss, you can choose not to cooperate. But I would hate to think of what would happen to your little friends if you don't."
"No, they don't have anything to do with this!" Misty answered.
"If you don't want them harmed, then I suggest that you do as I say. There is no need for violence."
Misty glared angrily at Giovanni, but there was nothing she could do. She hung her head in silent agreement.
"No, Misty, don't! He's lying!" Ash called as Team Rocket grabbed him.
"I don't have any choice, Ash!" She yelled back. "Maybe he's lying, and maybe he's not. I can't risk losing you!"
"Good girl." Giovanni said.
Ash froze again, but this time, it was not because of Haunter. He could not believe that Misty had just said that. He knew that she cared about him, but she never admitted it. And he did not want her to sacrifice herself for his sake. But then, it was not just him she was worried about. There were also Brock, May, Max, and Pikachu. Still, it was not right. But there was nothing they could do as Team Rocket led them down the hall and threw them in a room.
"Come back here, let us out!" Ash screamed as he banged fiercely on the door. "You can't do this!"
"Ash, stop it." May said. "That's not helping anything."
"I know, but I can't just sit here and do nothing."
"We need to come up with a plan, Ash." Brock said. "That's what we should've done in the first place."
"I'm sorry. I don't know what happened, I guess when Team Rocket grabbed Misty, I just kinda snapped."
"It's ok, Ash." May said. "I understand."
"What do you understand?"
"She means that what's done is done, and right now, we should just concentrate on getting out of here." Said Max wisely.
"Right." Brock agreed. "Let's brainstorm. The door is locked, there are no windows, what's left?"
May looked around the room for a moment.
"I know!" She burst out. "The air vent!"
"Uh, May, don't you think that's a little small?" Ash asked.
May did not answer but grinned evilly at Max.
"Oh, no, I'm not going in there!" He said as he backed away from his sister.
"But you have to!" She said. "What about Misty? We have to help her! Come on, don't be selfish!"
"I can't believe I'm doing this!" Max muttered to himself as he crawled through the ventilation shaft. The plan was for him to find his way out of the room through the air ducts and then come back and free everyone else. And it was going to be a lot harder than it sounded. Max was lamenting his bad luck when he suddenly realized he was falling. He screamed as he came crashing down a bunk bed. He looked up and saw the vent cover still swinging from its hinges.
"What are you doing here?" Someone said.
"Vivi?" Said Max, recognizing the voice. "I was trying to escape through the vents, but I guess I was careless. Sorry if I scared you."
"That's ok. I'm glad you're here. I don't like being by myself in this place. 'Specially not after seeing that Ghost."
"I can't stay here though, Vivi. I still have to get out of here."
"No, don't go! It's scary being alone in here!"
"Hey, I know, why don't you come with me?" Max said.
"I can't. Miss Misty promised me that she'd be back soon, so I have to wait for her."
"Ash and May and Brock and I are trying to help Misty escape. Come on, you'll see her if you come with me."
So Vivi climbed up to the top bunk and followed Max as he crawled back into the vent. It was a little scary in there, but at least she was not alone anymore.
"Hey, Max." She said.
"What?"
"I was thinking while I was in there, and I think I finally figured out why these bad people want Miss Misty."
"Huh? Giovanni already explained. Remember the story about Shirakiku?"
"Yeah, that was a weird story, but I didn't really understand it all. So listen, Miss Misty told me all these stories about a princess, and a boy who could talk to Pokemon. But I don't think that they're just stories. I think that Miss Misty is really the princess! And Team Rocket is trying to hold her for ransom or something."
Vivi was too young to really grasp what was going on. She did not make the connection between Giovanni's story and what was happening. But Max persisted.
"That's ridiculous! I've known Misty longer than you, and I think I would know if she were a princess."
"No, you wouldn't. I think it's supposed to be a secret."
Max sighed and conceded. Vivi thought that Misty was a princess, and she was not going to be convinced otherwise. And maybe it was better that she did not know what was going on. The truth was scarier than her version.
Finally, the ventilation shaft came to an end, and Max carefully opened the door. No one was coming, so he crawled out and helped Vivi out. It was not hard to find the right room, since Max had already been that way once. The doors only locked from the inside, so the rest was easy.
"Great job, Max!" May said as she entered the hallway.
"Whatever." Max mumbled.
The group was worried that they would stumble upon a Team Rocket member, but the hall was deserted. There was only one place they could be.
Misty, still held by the two Team Rocket members, looked around the room nervously.
"What are they going to do to me?" She thought.
She did not know what was going to happen to her, and it terrified her. Thinking of Ash calmed her a little, but she was still very afraid.
"I wish he were here with me."
All the Team Rocket members had returned, and were now waiting impatiently. Finally, Giovanni took the stage.
"Before we begin," he said, "I would like to say that whoever it was that brought this girl to me will be handsomely rewarded. You can count on a promotion. And to the rest of you, I have it in my records, lying about it is pointless."
Butch and Cassidy grinned widely, while Jesse and James grimaced at being outdone by their rivals.
"Now, let us start the ceremony."
Giovanni called out Haunter once more, and it floated readily by his side.
"Haunter, use hypnosis on that girl."
Haunter gazed deeply into Misty's eyes, but she turned her face away and closed them.
"Need I remind you of our little deal?" Giovanni asked innocently.
He knew he had her. Misty gasped, but then turned back toward Haunter and took the attack. She soon fell fast asleep, and she slouched over between the two Team Rocket members.
"Now, Haunter, remove her spirit from her body."
Hypnosis was a common attack, but this was practically unheard of.
"Can it do that?" Jesse whispered to James.
"How should I know?" James shrugged.
But it could indeed. Haunter placed a hand on Misty's head, and though no one could see it, pulled her soul away from her, a ghostly pale blue figure with Misty's form. The spirit of the girl floated unconscious beside Haunter
"Very good, Haunter." Giovanni said. "And now for the final step."
He himself approached Misty this time, and placed in her hands the glass orb. The strange light inside of it grew brighter, and then it began to flow out of the orb and into Misty's body. The black light glowed from within her for a few moments, and then just disappeared. Giovanni smirked as she awoke.