Mountainside: The Legend instantly stood up all business after his brief emotional breakdown.
"Come we have work to do," he said rummaging through a nearby cabinet. Kylie looked at him shocked as she put the photo down with thousands of questions buzzing in her head.
"Don't ask them, everything about this project's history is classified anyway," said The Legend looking through some paperwork. "And no, even the situation we're in doesn't overrule that decision either. I shouldn't have even told you about the incident at the lab, but you'd have found out sooner or later. Finding that warhead is our only priority."
Kylie just remained silent as her military training took over and she nodded curtly.
"So what are you looking for?" she asked.
"I'm checking to see if Giovanni stole any documents when he took the warhead. If something is missing it might provide clues as to his plans regarding deployment of the warhead," responded The Legend.
"Why would Giovanni want to deploy the warhead?" asked Kylie.
/Flash/;
"I'll rule them, I'll rule them all!" shouted Giovanni triumphantly over The Legend's fallen form.
/Flash/;
"One can only wonder," responded The Legend mysteriously.
"So what can I do?" asked Kylie.
"Over on the far wall is an extremely dusty computer with a tape recorder sitting on it. Flip it on and scroll through the readouts of the various dates and find the last entry where the motion sensors detected something in here. Punch it up and then call me over so we can look at it," said The Legend putting the top back on a massive cardboard box before looking through another one. Kylie walked over to the computer and pushed off some of the cobwebs off before accessing the old Apple Computer with a Betamax Recorder on top.
"How old is this place?" asked Kylie coughing on some dust.
"Old enough," responded The Legend taking out a piece of paper and have it crumble apart in front of him. He shook his hand to free the remains before continuing on through several more pages.
"Is it true that you were in the far flung future?" asked Kylie looking back at him. The Legend nodded.
"What was it like?" asked Kylie.
"It wasn't," responded The Legend as the scenes of desolation he saw filtered through his consciousness.
"You're not being very helpful," responded Kylie indignantly.
"As I said before, finding that warhead is our top priority," said The Legend unsympathetically. "Smalltalk can wait for when the world isn't hanging in the balance."
Silence ensued as The Legend continued looking through the files as Kylie began tapping on the computer as she read the various video entries.
"If I was a Pokemopolitan, would you kill me?" she asked finally after a good half-hour had passed of silence.
"Yes," responded The Legend immediately.
"But what if I promised that I would never harm any Pokemon?" asked Kylie.
"Wouldn't make a difference, to kill would be in your blood," said The Legend.
"You couldn't possibly be able to prove that," said Kylie.
"No," The Legend agreed. "But it's what I've chosen to believe."
"And how does that make you better than the Pokemopolitans who sacrificed the Mew?" asked Kylie.
"It doesn't. But as they go to hell so too do I. I intend to experience eternal damnation so I can once again see the people who killed my species suffer for their crimes," said The Legend darkly as his eyes slowly glowed red again. Kylie shivered as The Legend turned away from her and the moment passed, but Kylie began having serious doubts about which was worse, The Legend of the warhead.
"It's me," responded The Legend. "And pray you never find out why."
"Quit reading my thoughts," Kylie growled.
"Very well," responded The Legend walking across the room to examine some scientific equipment.
"Wait I think I've got something," said Kylie. "About five years ago the motion sensors were tripped according to this."
"Punch it up," said The Legend walking over to her. Kylie pressed a couple buttons and an image popped up of the lab. An instant later several members of Team Rocket filed in and began searching through the place.
"But how did they get in? There's been no sign of forced entry," said Kylie confused. The reason became abundantly clear a moment later when a startlingly familiar creature appeared in front of the camera.
"What the hell?" asked Keira as 'The Legend' appeared on the screen. The Legend beside her groaned and held his head low as the other Legend walked over to a door and opened it up with his powers and the team left the room headed for the launch silo.
"I notice you don't seem surprised," said Kylie.
"What's to be surprised about, this is hardly the first time Giovanni's tried to destroy my slim reputation," responded The Legend.
/Flash/;
The Legend stumbled into the conference room bleeding and bloody as the remains of Mewtwo's psychic amplifier crumbled off of his body. As he entered the room, it was in stark contrast to the outside where fire and explosions reigned supreme. Here it was peaceful with only one individual standing in the center with his back to him at an angle.
"Hello Legend," said 'The Legend' that was already in the room. "Surprised to see me?"
"Not really. Whoever you are," responded The Legend.
"I'm you," responded the imposter.
"Doubtful. Each individual gives off of a unique psychic signature and you are not giving off the one that corresponds to me. You can copy my form but you can't copy my essence," responded The Legend smugly.
"Perhaps not," the other Legend agreed. "But I can still destroy you all the same."
'The Legend' promptly summoned up a wave of psychic energy and blasted it at The Legend.
/Flash/;
"So who is that?" asked Kylie.
"It's not important, but at least it proves that Giovanni stole the warhead before I got catapulted into the future or else he wouldn't have used that imposter," said The Legend. "That really helps clear up part of the timeline…provided I don't think too hard and confused myself."
"What do you mean?" asked Kylie.
"They didn't tell you?" asked The Legend. "Figures."
"Tell me what?" demanded Kylie.
"We're not just dealing with space, we're dealing with time as well," said The Legend.
"Time travel…wonderful," said Kylie annoyed before pointing to the monitor as Team Rocket left with 'The Legend'. "So is that you from another time frame?"
"No," said The Legend shaking his head. "But in the overall view of things it's a small point right now. The rest of your team is dead."
"What?" said Kylie as if she'd suddenly been hit with a sack of bricks. "How could you possibly know that?"
"Because if they went to go attack Team Rocket and Giovanni had 'that' at his disposal then they're dead," said The Legend.
"But they haven't attacked it yet! We have to go help them," said Kylie getting ready to leave.
"We can't help them," said The Legend bluntly.
"Why not?" asked Kylie.
"They're expendable. We all are expendable, you know that. That is why we cannot help them," said The Legend darkly. "And if were to do so, we would fail and then the world would be plunged into darkness by Giovanni."
Kylie stopped and paused at that statement before whirling on him angrily.
"You know that I am right," responded The Legend crossing his arms. Kylie finished packing her equipment and grabbed her bag and slung it over her shoulder.
"So what now?" she asked all business. "Do we check the silo?"
"There's really no point because the best you'll pick up is the occasional speck of chroniton radiation, but if you want to go ahead," said The Legend.
"So you can't travel through time?" asked Kylie as she advanced down the hallway towards the silo.
"Unaided, no," said The Legend.
"But you clearly have the means so why not go back to the beginning and stop all this?" said Kylie.
"Because I can't," said The Legend distantly. "Once something is already in motion it cannot be stopped so easily."
"I can't read minds but I'm getting the sense that you've tried something like this before," accused Keira. The Legend nodded.
"Yes and it only made the situation worse," he said.
"So what happened?" asked Keira curious.
"Pray you never find out," said The Legend as his eyes took on a tinge of red. Kylie shuddered as the two entered into the single missile silo which was completely empty. Kylie took out a portable scanner and began scanning the remains.
"Definitely evidence of chronitons," said Kylie reading the device.
"Then that shows that Giovanni lacks a matter transporter," responded The Legend.
"Or not," Kylie pointed out.
"For sanity's sake let us assume that everything we see is the truth. Case in point Giovanni is one for deception, yes, but he is always one to flaunt his new toys. If he had a matter transporter he would've used it just to show he had it and make us 'tremble' if you will. No, he had to move the warhead to another time when this mountain wasn't here and then transported it to another location and then returned it to the future," said The Legend.
"How'd he move it through a time?" asked Kylie.
"With a Celebi," responded The Legend. Kylie nodded as she completed her scan.
"I'm surprised they'd leave chronitons behind though," said Kylie as she put her scanner into a pocket on her jacket.
"Even Pokemon have to obey the laws of physics, no matter how ridiculous they may seem," said The Legend as the two left.
"So this was a dead end, what now?" asked Kylie.
"It wasn't exactly a dead end because Giovanni's goons made off with a copy of target sites that were researched by us for maximum exposure should the warhead ever be launched. So if Giovanni's smart he'd use one of those to detonate the warhead," said The Legend offhand.
"Why would you find locations to bomb in this country?" asked Kylie disgusted.
"Classified," responded The Legend.
"Bullshit!" shouted Kylie. "Why?"
"Classified," repeated The Legend harshly. "You do not need to know to successfully complete this mission."
"Like hell I don't!" shouted Kylie.
"Drop it or I wipe your memory clean," The Legend growled causing Kylie to take a step back.
"You're a bastard," she said as he walked off.
"I never said I wasn't," responded The Legend as they entered into the main room as Kylie briefly yawned.
"You had better get some sleep," he advised sitting down cross-legged. Kylie nodded reluctantly as she unrolled her sleeping bag on the ground.
"You want first watch or second watch?" she asked getting in.
"I don't sleep," responded The Legend closing his eyes deep in thought.
"You must sleep," Kylie insisted. "You said all Pokemon have to obey the laws of physics."
"They do," responded The Legend. "Aside from regular bouts of forced unconsciousness, the last time I intentionally fell asleep was 300 years ago and that was just so I could remember what it was like having not slept before that for a 1000 years."
"Not having a regular sleep cycle must wear down on your sanity," Kylie grumbled zipping herself in. The Legend nodded solemnly.
"It has and it's made me make some very poor choices, one very poor decision in particular, and that is why I became worse than the Pokemopolitans," The Legend whispered to himself. Kylie barely heard him as she drifted off to sleep but her last conscious thought was wondering just what that decision was.
Morning: Kylie unzipped her sleeping bag to see The Legend looking through a book with a pair of reading glasses on.
"Morning," she mumbled still sleepy as she rubbed her eyes and tried to smooth out her frizzy hair. The Legend nodded before setting the book down.
"The same," he responded.
"What are you reading?" Kylie asked. The Legend held up the book which read: The History of Pokemopolis by Professor Eve.
"Child Prodigy right?" asked Kylie as The Legend flipped the book around to reveal a young girl on the back waving happily as an ancient temple stood behind her embedded in a rock wall.
"She has no idea what she's getting herself into," responded The Legend putting the book away.
"So why don't you stop her?" asked Kylie.
"Part of me wants to while the other half still holds out hope that she'll discover the truth," responded The Legend. "And that other half is all that remains of my master's imprint on me and I can't bring myself to destroy it."
"So why read up on Pokemopolis?" asked Kylie.
"It's where we're going to next," said The Legend standing up.
"Because of the rock mural?" asked Kylie taking out an MRE. The Legend nodded.
"Someone painted a picture of that warhead 3000 years ago and I intend to find out why," said The Legend.
Team Rocket HQ: A Hitmonlee stood frozen in pain as an invisible grip was slowly squeezing the life out of him.
"Enough of this farce," said Giovanni stepping out of the shadows. "Destroy him."
The Hitmonlee roared out in pain before dropping to the ground dead on top of his other team members.
"Pathetic," said a second individual stepping out from the shadows with the guise of The Legend.
"Alpha Flight was the best that the government ever had and I had them destroyed. To think they could ever come up with something just as good was a mistake on their part," responded Giovanni.
"There is still The Legend however," responded 'The Legend'.
"Yes and he is perhaps our greatest threat right now," said Giovanni pensively.
"Let me destroy him now!" said 'The Legend'.
"No!" shouted Giovanni. "If you fight him now you will loose, I have no doubt of that."
"He is weak from his ordeal in the future. Now is the perfect time to destroy him once and for all," growled 'The Legend'.
"You should not underestimate him. I did and it was one of my greatest mistakes," said Giovanni. "I thought I could eliminate him in the future with Blue Squad and I failed. He eliminated all of them and killed your future counterpart no less before practically killing me. If not for that Celebi who knows what would've happened."
"Why did he not kill you when he had the chance?" asked 'The Legend'.
"I suspect because he wanted to know the location of the warhead. You've been informed of what he planned to do with it until I stole it out from under him," Giovanni pointed out. "But his plans are so dim. Mine are much grander and thanks to the warhead possible."
'The Legend' just tipped his head before backing out and heading off as Domino appeared.
"We've found him, he's apparently headed for Pokemopolis along with the remaining team member this team that we defeated," she said handing over a surveillance photo of The Legend and Kylie tracking across the desert of Orre.
"Send Units 2 and 3 to deal with him," ordered Giovanni.
"But they're no match-," began Domino.
"That is the point. I want to remind The Legend that we're watching him," said Giovanni and with that he was gone leaving Domino alone.
"This is a mistake, this is all a mistake," she thought before leaving as well.
Orre: "So why do you wear reading glasses?" asked Kylie.
"Sign of my age I guess. My vision's been slipping lately so I figure glasses for reading is the best way to slow that slippage," said The Legend.
"Slipping by how much?" asked Kyle.
"By .2 ever 1500 years," said The Legend. Kylie shot him a look.
"Forgive me for taking my health so seriously," said The Legend narrowing his eyes at her. "But even though Napoleon once told me 'a strong will can fuel a frail physique' I still find it hard to believe him."
"You knew Napoleon?" asked Kylie doubtful.
"I've been alive for 3000 years so I've met quite a few people in my day and age," said The Legend.
"And what were you doing in France anyway?" asked Kylie.
"Well I'd just participated in starting the French Revolution so I figured I'd stick around and see how my handiwork played out," said The Legend.
"YOU STARTED THE FRENCH REVOLUTION!" shouted Kylie.
"I didn't start it, I just helped it along," said The Legend with a brief grin.
"Why?" Kylie asked astonished.
"The place was running rampant with Pokemopolitans and I knew that in the ensuing panic and chaos I could eliminate them with no problem whatsoever," said The Legend.
"You overthrew an entire government just for some sadistic blood oath?" said Kylie in shock.
"All I did was help the revolution along but I did not start it nor did I have anything to do with it once it was started," said The Legend. "Besides truth be told I didn't end up killing most of my quarry anyway, they were eliminated in the bloodshed that followed the revolution when the people of France turned on each other."
"And what other historical events have you been apart of?" demanded Kylie.
"The Russian and American Revolutions come to mind," said The Legend. Kylie's jaw dropped at that statement.
"Yeah I was surprised too because normally I don't get involved with human affairs, but it was a weird couple centuries," admitted The Legend.
"What about the events leading up to World War II?" Kylie accused. The Legend held up his hands.
"No, God no, I had nothing to do with that. Immediately after the Russian Revolution I headed East to eliminate a Pokemopolitan who had somehow wound up studying Eskimos in Alaska. As I was moving in for the kill I got trapped in an avalanche and wound up frozen in suspended animation until the 1970s when I was unwittingly freed by some research team," said The Legend shivering briefly.
"So when did you find time to work on the Verteron Project?" asked Kylie. The Legend laughed lightly at that comment before sighing.
"Classified," he responded. Kylie was about to respond when the wind kicked up flinging sand everywhere as a pair of black helicopters roared by overhead before spinning around and facing them.
"Hmmmm," said The Legend looking at them bored.
"What's going on?" asked Kylie reaching into her jacket for her standard issue pistol.
"Not much, it just seems that Giovanni wants to remind us that he's still keeping an eye on us," said The Legend as if discussing the weather. Kylie quickly took out her gun and aimed it at the helicopters.
"There's really no need for that, I can certainly handle these goons. Not as to say things won't get more hairy in the future it's just that this is Giovanni's way of saying we're still far from the truth. Once we know more then he'll sic the bigger guns on us," said The Legend. Kylie was about to respond when the two helicopters opened fire on them.