Wow, so this story is now a year old. That's pretty cool. Alright. So April 9th is still a bit away. So the episodes synopsis probably won't fit into this story that much at first glance. That doesn't mean I won't try to force them to work, but I might have to continue on with the AU version of this story. Oh well, let's keep on going. Now I'm not a doctor, so forgive me for just guessing on how surgery works. WARNING: SOME GRAPHIC MOMENTS WILL BE IN THIS CHAPTER. IF YOU ARE SQUEAMISH I ADVISE YOU SKIP MOST OF THE FIRST PART OF THIS CHAPTER. *POKEMON AND STEVEN UNIVERSE ARE NOT OWNED BY ME*
"Misty?" Brock asked, giving his cellmate a light shake. "Misty, can you hear me?"
What he had worried was mere dehydration at first had now escalated. What little food she was being given by the guards wasn't staying down. Feeling her forehead, Brock felt her running a high fever.
"Uh" she groaned in pain, reassuring Brock that she was still conscious.
"Hang in there Misty," he told her, "Zircon will get us out of here soon enough. Then you'll get proper medical attention."
His old friend simply gave him a nervous smirk, before clutching the left side of her gut and vomited onto the floor of their shared prison. Seeing it was the left side of her stomach she clutched in pain, a thought came to Brock.
"Misty, have you ever had your appendix removed?"
"No" she painfully answered.
He sighed in anger and annoyance "Great. I think you have appendicitis Misty."
"What's that mean?" She was just barely able to choke out through her pain.
"It means your appendix is infected. And if we don't remove it soon, it's gonna burst and you're gonna die." He explained.
She looked up at him, her face now consumed with fear. "Oh." was all she could muster herself to say.
Brock left her to contemplate her situation, by approaching the cell door to talk to the Lapis that Zircon had assigned to protect them while posing as their guard. Trying his best to remember the names Ash had given the Lapis squad, he recognized that her gem wasn't visible, meaning this one was the one whose gem was on her heel.
"Heel!" he called out to her. "Heel, I need you to do something for us."
The Lapis squad member with the cold demeanor and silent soldier opened the communication window to talk to Brock. "What do you need?" she asked with an indifferent tone.
"I need you to get as much surgical equipment as possible. Scalpels, rags, you name it. I'll also need my Chansey." he looked back towards Misty, still writhing in agony, and now fear, realizing what he was going to have to do. "Get Topaz as well. We might have to hold her down."
"Ok." was all Heel could say before going off.
With Heel off trying to find the life saving equipment, Brock went to his friend's side and tried his best to keep her calm. "She's going to get the right stuff. Then I'm going to have to perform the appendectomy."
She began to cry, moving her arm from her lower gut to around Brock. Burying her face into his shoulder, knowing full well what Brock was going to have to do to save her life.
Brock held her softly and allowed her to cry into his shoulder. "It's okay. It'll be over before you know it. I'm not gonna let you die."
After fifteen minutes, Heel returned with Topaz, and Heart, as well as a tray of only a small amount of surgical tools, which was handed to Chansey, acting as Brock's nurse.
"Is this seriously all you could get?"
"Yeah. The production of artificial gem soldiers halted after Clemont escaped. They either confiscated or destroyed most of his remaining equipment. This is probably all we're gonna get."
"Fine, Topaz, hold her down. Chansey, you know exactly what to do. Heart, I'm going to need your help too. Heel, keep watch."
"What? Why do you need me?" the more compassionate Lapis asked nervously.
Brock had in the past seen Lapis levitate Ash's coffees right out of the cup and into the air to tease him back at the barn. He had also seen Lapis move orange juice, soda, and even had once seen her move tomato sauce from Ash's face back when he cooked for them on their first actual dinner date. He knew Lapis Lazulis were more than capable of moving liquids other than water. "I need you to keep her from losing too much blood. Just keep the blood in her body."
"What's blood?" she asked innocently.
"Just make sure the red stuff stays in her body." he instructed her. "Alright Misty, I'm gonna get this started."
He began by setting the blanket Topaz brought out and the bulky fusion gently laid her out onto the floor of the cell before holding her down on her back. Examining the little tools he had, he took a marker off the platter to highlight the area of her appendix to cut.
"What's this?" he asked when he saw a small jar filled with a gelatinous substance.
"We thought it would make the operation go more smooth." Topaz explained, "That's the stuff robonoid drones use to fix things."
"Good to know." he said placing the jar back on the platter and taking the scalpel. "Alright Heart, Topaz, get ready. Here we go Misty, just try and relax."
With as much precision he could muster, Brock began slicing at his friend's side with one smooth cut.
"AGH!" the normally fearless gym leader screamed in absolute agony in Topaz's grip. But the fusion held her down tightly.
"I'm sorry Misty."
"JUST KEEP GOING!" she screamed at him.
Heeding her order, he deepened the cut. "Uh oh. Heart, you're up." he said once the blood began gushing out of the relatively clean cut. Heart followed his command and the crimson liquid began retracting back into the cut. This confirmed Brock's theory of Lapis being capable of blood bending.
"Separate the blood so I can reach the appendix." he then said.
Heart pushed on, trying her best to block out Misty's screaming, and pushed the blood away from the wound.
With the incision finished, Brock grabbed the tongs and the set of surgical scissors off the platter. "Please get the sweat off my brow so it doesn't get into her cut." he told Heart loudly so her continued screaming and bawling couldn't drown out his voice. After Heart obliged, he looked back at his friend, now pale and sickly from the pain.
"Sorry."
With that, he jabbed the tongs deep into the nearly five inch cut and he began to pull at her intestines to find the infected organ on account he had no x ray to get an accurate location. Because there was little to no chance of blood loss, he decided to expand the cut so he could get a better look inside the intestines.
"I. Hate you so much." Misty was barely able to say through her pain, then she collapsed into Topaz's arms, passed out from the pain.
Now that he was able to locate the organ, he pulled her appendix using the tongs and prepared to amputate the dead organ using the scissors. He finally located the infected organ, and with one foul cut, the troublesome appendix was removed. He quickly pulled the disgusting organ from the cut and held it in his hand. He tossed the slimy, puss covered organ into the corner of the cell and wiped the little bit of Misty's blood off his hands using his pant legs. Now, he took the jar of robonoid fluid and prayed to Arceus that it worked on organic material, as he had no other way of cleaning or closing the wound. The green slime spilled onto Misty's skin, and to his relief, the substance worked. The surgical scar began to immediately close up. Misty however, was still passed out from the pain.
Topaz leaned into her chest and listened closely. "She's alive."
"I'm sure she'll wake up soon." he decreed.
"Are you trying your best to cause the entire base to hear us?" they all heard Blue Zircon's voice call from the outer cell door.
"Nice of you to join us. Don't mind me, just saving my friend's life." he teased her.
"Well, the job's not done yet." she explained tossing something to him. It was both of their pokeball belts. "We're getting you out of here tonight."
"What?" he asked surprised. "I thought you said we couldn't get a ship because of the enhanced security after Lars, May, Dawn and the others stole several. And you told me that some rebels destroyed the warp pad to our world. There's no way."
"No completely true. Yellow and Blue Diamond have their own personal warp pads with connections to Giovanni's offices in Kanto. It's how they meet."
"So, we're just gonna walk into the Diamond's personal quarters, and then walk into a building swarming with Team Rocket members. Forgive me for not sounding as excited as I should."
"You're not going to walk into a trap." she assured him. "As part of Blue Diamond's inner circle, I am aware of Giovanni's schedule. It's now or never, he is not scheduled in the area his warp pad right now. But your window of escape won't stay open for long. You have to go, and you have to go now."
Topaz gently lifted Misty's body onto Brock's shoulder. "Once you get to Giovanni's quarters, you're going to be on your own. Find those rebels who destroyed the main warp pad and they'll probably help you guys." she warned.
Now that Misty was able to be moved, they began marching down the hallway, Topaz holding Brock closely to keep the illusion of them still being prisoners alive. Towards the end of the hall, 6XY and Lefty joined them in their march, in their arms were both Brock and Misty's pokeballs that were confiscated.
"The coast is clear for now." 6XY warned them. "Once we get you two to the warp pad however, you'll have to be on your own. Your window of opportunity to escape will be low, but there is still a good chance for you."
"What if Giovanni actually is home?" Brock asked nervously.
"Perish the thought," Zircon told him. "I've researched his schedule carefully. Right now he is not in his office, but is attending his gym leader duties. Seems as if he wants to keep up the act. Once your there, you can just walk out the front door."
With her order over, the group reached their destination of an enormous, blue door.
"Are you serious?" Topaz nervously asked, "Are we really doing this?"
"Don't worry," Zircon reassured her. "I have special clearance."
"No matter, we're still trespassing in Blue Diamond's quarters. If we're caught we'll all be shattered for sure."
"You've got that right." they heard the whispery voice of Blue Pearl say from the shadows. "Alakazam use psychic!"
The bright pink psychic beam emitted from the pokemon and ensnared the entire group in its grasp.
"I knew there was something off about you, filthy traitor." she said approaching Zircon. "But assisting the escape of the Chosen One's friends, and dragging the entire platoon trusted to you by Blue Diamond herself into this? You're nearly as bad as Rose Quartz."
"Funny." the lawyer mocked her in her invisible prison, "As I recall, you were there when I shared my little conspiracy theory to the Diamonds. Both you and Yellow's Pearl seemed impressed enough."
Alakazam's grip tightened on them all. "And as I recall, Yellow Diamonds had enough of you, allowing Rose Quartz and the other human to escape, destroying her precious palanquin in the process. Oh, The Diamonds will probably finish you for good this time traitor."
Zircon actually laughed. "Blue Diamond never told you? Did she?"
"Tell me what?"
"That she believes me. Trust me Pearly, Yellow, White and Giovanni are all keeping her out of the loop. If anything, they're the traitors here, not me."
Alakazam now squeezed them so hard, Brock began having difficulty breathing.
"YOU LIE!"
"Pearl, enough." Blue Diamond's voice bellowed from the entrance. With her master's order, Blue Pearl followed, and had Alakazam release the group. Brock landed on the ground with a thund, as what little oxygen there was on Homeworld entered his lungs. He quickly ran over to Misty, who was still unconscious, and propped her back onto his shoulders. "They speak the truth."
Blue Pearl looked up at her master thinking she was joking at first. But the serious demeanor she put out convinced her otherwise. "Forgive me my Diamond."
"You are." she compassionately told her.
"So you're the famous Blue Diamond I've heard so much about." Brock declared in his typical, over-the-top declaration of love to her. "You truly do earn the title of Diamond for you sparkle more than the brightest star in the night- AAAAGGGGHHHH!" he suddenly screamed as Croagunk interrupted him with a poison jab to the back.
Blue Diamond looked on with confusion, but was honestly mildly entertained, and even a little flattered by Brock's outburst. "And you must be the friends of Ash that were taken." that's when she noticed Misty's state. "What's wrong with that one?"
"Her body gave out," Brock answered her standing back up. "I had to do everything in my power to save her."
"You humans continue to impress me." she confessed with a shy smile. "I gave Ash my word I'd protect you, even if my fellow Diamonds disapprove." Her face became serious and turned her attention to Zircon. "I assume what you're attempting to do is use my own warp pad to escape?"
"Yes my Diamond."
Blue Diamond looked towards Brock and Misty and sighed. "The next time you see Ash, tell him what I do today makes us even now. Go. Now."
Before Brock could even have the chance to properly thank her, or even say goodbye to Zircon and the others, Topaz pushed him and Misty onto the warp pad. The blinding light swallowed them both and Brock felt the feeling of weightlessness of being transported across space. A feeling he hadn't felt since he traveled to the Beta Kindergarten with Steven, Peridot and Amethyst. As the light faded, he was greeted to the sight of a well decorated office, complete with a mahogany desk, and a view of Viridian City from the window.
"Brock?" he heard Misty's weak voice ask on his shoulders. "Where are we?"
"Zircon got us out. Here, sit." he ordered her, gently resting her into the leather chair that say behind the desk. Pulling her red shirt under her cream colored top up, he saw the robonoid fluid did the trick, her surgical scar was gone. He then turned his attention to the large cabinet behind the chair. "Knowing Giovanni, ah ha!" he exclaimed once he located what he was looking for. A crystal bottle filled with aged brandy. "Drink, you'll need it."
Misty accepted the nearly $40,000 bottle and took a big swing. "Ah" she hacked from the burn it gave her as it slid down her throat. Brock then took a swing of his own before taking Misty out through the front door.
"Where are the guards?" she asked seeing the empty hallway.
Brock didn't care about that. What was truly bugging him as he escorted Misty down the hall towards the elevator was why Blue Diamond showed compassion towards them. Ash had told him all about his own interaction with Blue Diamond back when he, Steven and Lars were taken, however he had no idea what she meant by them "being even".
The elevator dinged and the two were able to enter the shaft, where Brock pressed the button to the first floor. After the elevator reached its destination, he was surprised it brought them not to a lobby, but to what appeared to be a basement. Before he tried to find the floor that lead to the it to the exit, a bright light towards the end of the hall caught Brock's attention. Following it with his supported companion by his side, they were greeted to two enormous chambers with the source of light being from the large pipes connecting them to a central consul. In the center where the pipes were connected to, was a suit of armor.
"What's supposed to be in these?" Misty asked.
"I don't know, but whatever is, it looks like that it's going to power that armor." the consul connected to the armor had a computer monitor and was turned on. The display had a file on the screen labeled "Power Source", which Brock selected. Both saw a simulation of the very same chambers in front of them, where in the one to the right was Xerneas, and in the left was Yveltal. Both pokemon were subject to electric shock as their power was being sapped by the chamber to power the suit of armor.
"I think we've just found out Giovanni's secret weapon."
"There's more files." Misty pointed out. After Brock selected it, they saw the tab below it was the blueprints to the armor itself, as well as the biological schematics of a pokemon they were both very familiar with.
"Listen to this." Brock read the blueprints. "Subject was designed specifically for the operation of Project Mewtwo. Using the power of the shard of Pink Diamond, Project Mewtwo has now become Operation Rocket Diamond. See corresponding file for reference." He followed the instructions and found the file labeled "Operation Rocket Diamond."
"Oh. My. Arceus." Misty said shocked. "This is his plan. Team Rocket is taking Xerneas and Yveltal to power this thing for Giovanni to control Team Flare's weapon to serve Homeworld's desire for destruction."
"But Giovanni doesn't want to be the Diamond's lackey" Brock continued. "And using Team Galactic's world transporting technology combined with Homeworld's own warp pads."
"He's going to try and take over our world, Homeworld, and Steven's world all at once." Brock finished her sentence before turning back towards her. "We've gotta get out of here."
"Where are we gonna go?"
"We'll find those rebels who destroyed Homeworld's main warp pad." he explained as he took her back to the elevator. "If we can't, then we'll find Professor Oak and try to find a way back to Steven's world and warn Ash and the others."
Trying every single floor, Brock was finally able to find the floor that lead to the lobby of the Viridian Gym. Having to cross the gym arena, Brock stumbled across the battlefield with Misty in tow. Nearly halfway across, the lights to the arena all turned on at once, and from the upper level, they heard slow, sarcastic clapping.
"Welcome to the Viridian Gym." Giovanni's charismatic tone echoed down to them "You'd think I wouldn't notice trespassers in my own gym would you?" He then stood from the leather chair he sat in, and literally leapt over the edge onto the opposite side of the battlefield. "Do you also think I'd actually let you both leave?"
"Misty, let me handle this."
"This is my fight too Brock." she said struggling to stand next to him. "Ash, Lapis, Steven, everyone I care about, I'm fighting for."
"Then let's do it. Steelix! Let's go!"
"Starmie! Join him!"
"Very well then, Kingler, go!"
"Steelix, dragon breath!"
"Starmie, use swift!"
"Kingler, use protect! Then crabhammer on Steelix!"
All three pokemon followed their master's orders perfectly, and the attacks were stopped by the protect. Kingler then charged at Steelix, ready to deal its powerful attack.
"Earthquake!"
"Starmie, protect!"
Starmie protected itself as Steelix began to shake the ground to attack the water type.
"Finish him off with swift Starmie!"
The already disoriented Kingler was then struck by the attack before it could even respond. Giovanni sighed in annoyance, returning Kingler without a single word. He then summoned his Machamp.
"Low sweep on Steelix, Machamp!"
The four armed pokemon charged to the enormous Steelix with intent to harm.
"Steelix, stone edge!"
"Tag team with water gun Starmie!"
The two attacks combined into a storm of water and stone, taking down Machamp directly at once.
"This has been so easy, I almost forgot you're a gym leader Giovanni." Misty taunted him.
Returning his Machamp, a conniving smile grew on Giovanni's face. "Do you know what? Pokemon battles are a little, below me now. I'm not sure if the Chosen One informed you of my improvements?" he asked parting his shirt to expose the jagged shard of Pink Diamond in his chest. To Brock and Misty's shock, he began slowly walking across the field towards them.
"Steelix, earthquake!"
The ground once again trembled, but Giovanni kept his stance, and finally reached Steelix. He completely lifted the steel type off the ground, and threw it across the room. He then charged Brock himself.
"Misty, run!" he screamed as he tried to fight off the Team Rocket leader with his bare hands. The diamond powered Giovanni's enhanced strength was far too much however, and he lifted Brock similarly to how he lifted Steelix, and threw him to the ground.
"Starmie, hydro pump!" she screamed desperately.
The powerful water attack struck Giovanni head on, but he simply brushed it off and charged her.
"I'm more powerful now than Mewtwo or Pink Diamond ever were. I don't need pokemon now to crush you. I am Pink Diamond now feeble girl. And my reign is almost here. And I will crush the Chosen One, that little, fat kid the other Diamonds are so scared of, and anyone else who gets in my way!" He finished his speech by smashing his head into Misty's face with enough force to render her unconscious. With both the gym leaders recaptured, Giovanni clapped his hands to summon his Black Pearl. "Take these two to Jasper. She'll know how to properly take care of them."
Through the damp and dark cave of the Dragon's Den within the Johto Region, the aspiring dragon type pokemon master Iris slowly trekked.
"Xew, Axew?" the smaller, dragon type pokemon sitting on her shoulder asked in an impatient tone.
"I know Axew." she answered him in an equally impatient tone. "Look, Clair told me the Dragon Holy Land was towards the end of this cavern. You heard what happened on Mount Coronet, pokemon sanctuaries are in danger, as a dragon master, it's my duty to protect this place."
A bright light came from the end of the tunnel, which Iris knew was her destination. Hiking through the entrance, she was greeted the the beautiful, open and vast forest. Water type pokemon splashed openly in the lake, a variety of pokemon played across the forest, and flying type pokemon flew openly in the sky above.
Putting the beautiful spectacle aside, she walked along the side of the cliff that protected the sanctuary to ensure the dragon pokemon breeding ground was safe. Climbing up the cliff, she finally found it. Across the top of the mountain were hundreds, perhaps even thousands, of nests filled with eggs.
"Get ready Axew, we're about to see a once in a lifetime thing."
Almost as if on cue, the eggs began to glow, indicating they were about to hatch. Then to Iris's surprise, another glow appeared in the sky above. Looking up in absolute awe, she saw the creator pokemon Xerneas appear before the eggs, casting an aura towards them as it brought life to the creatures inside, Once the Gible, Bagon, Axew, and Goomy had hatched, Iris watched the life enter them thanks to the power of Xerneas.
Just as she let the majesty of the sight, her good feeling was interrupted by the sound of a small explosion, and a grappling hook grabbed the life pokemon's neck.
"What the!?" she exclaimed as Xerneas screeched in pain and fear amid the now panicking and screaming of the local pokemon.
Out from the shadows, a tank appeared from where the hook grabbed it. Standing above the tank, was an older woman with silver hair and a long, black trench coat. On her face was a set of glasses over her face, and strangely enough, a crack rang along her face. Iris recognized her from news reports as the pokemon hunter known only as J.
Hunter J hadn't noticed Iris's presence and continued her advancement on the legendary pokemon. "You, Amethysts, restrain the mouth." she commanded.
Iris watched as three tall, purple skinned women ran from the tank and charged Xerneas. But the life pokemon was not giving up without a fight, and smashed its horns into them in a megahorn attack, causing them all to poof. Seeing that Xerneas wasn't done fighting, J summoned her Drapion.
"Cross poison." she calmly ordered.
The poison type pokemon attacked the fairy type and it drastically weakened the pokemon. And at this point, Iris had enough.
"Leave Xerneas alone!" she exclaimed summoning Dragonite. The extremely hostile pokemon immediately knew it was ready for a battle and tried to rush with a dragon rush without even getting an order from his trainer.
"Poison sting."
Drapion arched its tail back, and allowed Dragonite to rush into him. Jabbing his poisonous tail into Dragonite's neck. Dragonite however, wouldn't allow himself to lose, and tried another uninstructed thunder punch attack. But the poison was far too powerful, and before he could even strike, he collapsed.
"Dragonite, return!" she commanded, retreating the pokemon. Now that J was looking straight at her, she realized the crack along her face was actually a porcelain mask, one that a person with traumatic injuries to their face would wear, giving her an even more intimidating face. She quickly turned to Xerneas, who gave Iris a look as if they were trying to implore her to escape. And seeing even more Amethysts appear from the tank to challenge her, the normally stubborn trainer knew when the fight was pointless, and using her quick and nimble feet, she ran up the mountain side and out the way she came.
"XEW!" her beloved Axew tried to fight to get back to help Xerneas. But Iris continued to run down the mountain slope back towards Blackthorn City.
"CLAIR!" she exclaimed forcing open the door to Blackthorn City's Gym and approaching the dragon type gym leader who had given her the instructions to the Dragon's Den in the first place.
"Iris, what's wrong?"
After she explained what she had just witnessed, as well as her cowardence, Clair had to take a few moments to process what this meant.
"With Xerneas gone, the entire balance between themselves and Yveltal will be put into jeopardy. This is something that goes far above ourselves Iris, I will take this to the elite four. In the meantime, you need to lay low." she said basically pushing her out the door.
"I can't just sit and do nothing!"
"Iris, if this is related to the destruction of Mount Coronet and the disappearances of pokemon trainers, then this could be something you shouldn't get involved in. Let the professionals handle it."
She had heard about the destruction of Mount Coronet, but the part about disappearing pokemon trainers was news to her. "Trainers are disappearing?"
"Yes. Including some high profile ones. The gym leaders of Vermillion City in Kanto and Lavaridge Town in Hoenn. And Cynthia."
The reality of the situation began sinking in, "If that's the case, I'd better tell Ash and Cilan."
Clair looked at her with a look of empathy. "Iris, Ash was one of the first to vanish. I'm sorry, but I must get to the Indigo Plateau to tell the others. Keep safe, and call me if you encounter anything else."
With that, Iris was now alone in the streets of Blackthorn City. But she knew one thing, Ash, Xerneas and the others who have she assumed been taken, needed her help. Summoning Dragonite and healing his poisoning, she mounted him.
"Alright Dragonite, Ash needs our help, and it looks like we're on our own. We've got to get to Unova and find Cilan." With that, she flew off to get to Unova to try and find their friend.