Chapter 29 3 New PULSES

Ash and Pikachu are rushing towards the Peridot Ward until Cain arrives at Jasper Ward. Both of them bump with each other, and Cain quickly gives Ash a hug.

Cain: Ash! I was so afraid I'd miss you.

Ash: (Quickly breaks the hug and shakes him from his shoulders) Cain, tell me, the others, they're captured by Team Meteor, right?

Cain: Do you already know what happened? (Turns to the Police Station) Ah, why don't we take this inside? We're not alone.

When they get inside the Police Station, they also find Amaria there. When Ash sees Amaria, he pales a little as he thinks about the scene that happened in Shade's Gym, about herself jumping off from a waterfall. He is not sure if he should mention this to her, but he feels like he shouldn't do it or else more people will be in danger.

Cain: Amaria! Any progress?

Amaria: (Annoyed as she's checking the data) Not yet... So I'm glad at least you've had some luck. (Notices Ash) Oh! Ash! You're here as well.

Ash: Good to see you again, Amy. But what happened?

Cain: When Meteor showed up, Anna tossed me this weird chip and told me to run for it. I didn't know what to do with it, so I was lucky that I ran into Amaria almost immediately. Frankly, I have no idea where it even came from.

Ash: (Widens his eyes) Corey told me that he left a data chip in the Ruby Ring. Maybe that's the chip!

Amaria: Currently I'm just trying to get anything off of it... This stuff isn't exactly my strong suit. That's okay though; they should be here any second...

?: A good performer never misses their cue!

As they turn around, they find Ace in front of them, much to their surprise.

Cain: Wait, Ace?!

Ace: (Bows at them) Center stage and in the spotlight!

Cain: (Steps in front of Ash and Amaria) Why here- now!? I'll back you up, Ash-

Amaria: (Stops Cain) No, it's okay.

Cain: (Turns to Amaria) What do you mean, "it's okay"? You were at Rhodochrine- They're with Team Meteor!

Ace: Correction- I WAS with Team Meteor.

Cain: (Confused) What?

Amaria: Ace saved my life.

Ash: Hold on, wait; can we talk about this?

Amaria: I suppose I should explain... After I made an opening for Ash and Borealis to escape, I faced off against that woman. Lin- That's her name. The battle was... In a word, embarrassing.


(Flashback)

In Rhodochrine Jungle, Lin stares at Amaria, whose Lapras is defeated by Hydreigon.

Lin:This is a Gym Leader? This is the best that can be expected?

Amaria: I- I don't understand...

Lin: You don't understand.

Amaria: How was it over so quickly...?

Lin: What is there to question? You are weak. That is all.

Amaria: No, I- (Being slammed by Lin's Hydreigon to the tree)

Lin: You are powerless. (Walks towards her) Surrender the bracelets.

Amaria: (Confused) Wait- what?

Ace: Ah, I was wondering about those.

Amaria: These were- a gift. I won't just give them to you-

Lin: (Grabs her by the neck) You will give them up willingly. There is no other option.

Amaria: S-stop it-

Ace: (Steps in front of Lin and lets Amaria free) That's enough.

Lin: (Stares at Ace) Just moments ago, you chastised another for protecting an enemy. Are a few stray seconds all it takes to break your spirit?

Ace:I expect loyalty to the family, not needless cruelty. You've taken it too far already. For now, we capture her WITHOUT harming her. As your superior, that's an order.

Lin: ...Understood. As the superior officer, that order... Will be your last. (Leaves)

(Flashback Ends)


Ace: ...And that's the story of how I was fired! By the time I dragged her to the base, it was already too late.

Amaria: In the end, they helped me escape. That woman... was not going to stop. I think it's very possible they saved my life. And, as you can see, I still have both of the Sapphire Bracelets.

Ash widens his eyes as he sees the items, it is actually one of the keys like the Ruby Ring and Amethyst Pendant.

Amaria: I don't understand why these are so important, but...There's no doubt in my mind that Ace has earned our trust.

Cain: Huh...

Ace: (Clench his fists) They wasted no time in replacing me. For years, I'd toiled- slaving over a steaming command line console for their ambitions! And for what?! To be cast aside like the ticket to last week's show!

Cain: ...Command line?

Ace: Agent Ace, master magician and technological systems extraordinaire, at your service~!

Cain: Those two things don't exactly go together...

Ace: Ah, so the layperson would think! And yet what are each but an amalgamation of mysteries? Ever-powerful to the public eye, and yet to the practitioner, but a simple system of logic and processes! If you ask me, the 'black' in 'black magic' is just the background of the command prompt window.

Cain: Uh... huh.

Ace: But where was I? Oh- yes, dramatically moping. Woe is me, ever am I cast asunder by the masters I once served- and blah, blah, blah... The point is they kicked me out on the curb and filled the position in the same breath. Apparently, the new girl is just going by "T" for now. How banal! How dull! How utterly whatever! (Turns to Amaria) So anyway, what's this about a data chip?

Amaria: Apparently it's important, but I have no idea how to open any of these files...

Ace: Ah, step aside! There's magic to be worked here! (Goes to the computer and types on some things)

Cain: You're really just going to turn around and help us?

Ace: Quite right, little hero! You'll find I'm a bit of a wild card~ I'll admit it's not entirely selfless; I'd rather be out and about fighting the good fight than rotting backstage in some cell. You know how the police are, with their "deals". (Turns to an officer) Isn't that right, Officer Gavin~?

Officer: (Flinches) Your information had better be good.

Ace: My information is the BEST! (Turns back to them) You'll have to forgive his attitude, of course. The boys in blue are really hurting for some leads now that boring old Borealis is out of the business. The old boy had been dogging them for months, and it's not as if we haven't kept them busy in recent times. Aha! 1- 2- And- poof! Your files forgot how to be encrypted, and learned to spread their glorious truths to the world!

Amaria: (Looks into the computer with surprise) How did you do that?

Ace: I just unzipped them. (Noticing Amaria glaring at him) Kidding~ They are yours to explore! I recognize much of this as the very same data I purged from Mosswater. I should've guessed that snake had a backup. He must've been planning to turn tail long before the curtain closed for proper. And now I'm here. Funny how things work out.

Amaria: (Looks into the data) Three other PULSEs...?

Ace: Hm? Three?

Amaria: It says here that there's three more plans underway immediately.

Ace: That's... curious.

Amaria: They're setting one up at Apophyll Beach... There's one... in Byxbysion Wasteland?

Cain: (Widens his eyes at the mention) What?

Amaria: And one... In the Peridot Ward of Reborn City. But that's just down the stairs- (Turns to Ace) You knew about this?

Ace: Some of it. Surprisingly, not all! I wonder what else they've kept from me...

Cain: Hold on- Before anything, what about the kids? I was hoping Anna had hidden some clue on how to rescue them here- But what are we going to do about them?

Ace: If you want my opinion on the matter-

Cain: And I'm not sure if I do-

Ace: Don't worry about it!

Ash: Five kids just got kidnapped by your former terrorist organization and you're saying "don't worry about it"?

Ace: I was dismissed, but I've still been listening in on their correspondences~ Turns out that without me, they aren't so big on cybersecurity. The kids are being held for that old doctor from the Lapis Ward. It's not the most pleasant circumstance, but he has strictly forbidden them from being harmed. They'll be safe.

Amaria: The more pressing matter is the safety of the people. Those PULSE Tangrowth machines ruined entire wards! If there's another one in the city, we can't just ignore it!

Ace: Reasonable. The factory it's housed in isn't far from here. If you'd like, I can show you how to break-in.

Amaria: Let's not waste any time. All of us together- are you with me?

Ace: I'm happy to be the Ace up your sleeve~ Besides, I have some questions of my own I'd like to get answers for.

Cain: I'm worried, but... Let's do it. The sooner we shut down those PULSEs, the sooner we can save the others.

Ace: Then let's reconvene at Blacksteam! It's the factory nearest here, just a jaunt down the stairs and off to the side. Bring your Ace game ~

Ash sighs as he decides to call his mother and Ame so that they will know what's going on. When he dials the Poke Gear, Delia is the one that gets the call.

Delia: Ash! Did you bring the kids to safety yet?

Ash: No, Mom. Turns out that the doctor has teamed up with Team Meteor, and they have brought those children into custody once more.

Delia is surprised and angry, hearing that her three children are being captured again.

Ash: But don't worry, Mom. I don't think they will be harmed right now. However, we also found out about three more PULSES. One of them is actually in Peridot Ward, so we'll be getting there to stop it.

Delia: I see...but where did you get that information from?

Ash decides to tell Delia about how they got a data chip from Corey, and how Ace helped them open the data.

Ash: Even still, I'm not going to trust Ace just yet. After all, I find everything too suspicious.

Delia: Indeed. And you said that Amaria has the Sapphire Bracelets, right? You have to make sure that they aren't taken by Team Meteor.

Ash: Of course...but...Mom. Before learning about their capture, I got my fourth Gym Badge from Shade...

Delia: (Widens her eyes) Shade? You won against him?

Ash: Yeah. But he showed me four visions related to four deaths...somehow I would be a part of it. The one with Corey has happened, I was sacred...

Delia: Ash, you'll be fine, I'm sure you can go through all of this. I know you don't like seeing people being killed, but in this Reborn Region, you'll have to survive no matter what.

Ash nods as they talk for some more before ending the call, and then he rushes to find Cain and the others for the Blackstream Factory.


Here is a new chapter, and Ash is right to be suspicious about Ace. Maybe he is a double agent, or maybe he really defects Team Meteor because of Lin. As for the three PULSES in the three places, I am sure that all of you know what it means. I hope you like this chapter and the next chapter will be the infiltration of the Blackstream Factory.