POKEMON HEART SOUL ADVENTURES
Hello, everyone! Welcome back to your usual chapter of Pokemon Heart Soul Adventures!
Or maybe not so usual after all... in fact, at the moment, Ash and his friends are busy trying to uncover a dangerous plot to capture the Legendary Pokemon dwelling inside of Mt. Ember, and to do so, they will need to enlist the aid of an unexpected ally! And of course, there's always Team Rocket around, ready to cause trouble!
Or to get themselves in trouble, whatever the case is...
Anyway, this chapter marks the point where this story really begins to pick up the pace, and while there will surely be more relaxed episodes, this is where Ash and his friend start seeing that they've gotten themselves into an adventure of a truly epic scale! Really, it doesn't happen everyday to take part in a legend...
But enough of my rambling, and enjoy the chapter!
Oh, and on a more serious note... I'd like to dedicate this chapter to the loving memory of a friend of mine, who recently passed away. Me and my family will miss her forever, God bless her soul.
Here's to you, Maria Grace, and I hope you're now in a better place!
oooooooooo
Chapter 14 - Mt. Ember's Secret
"Phew... these mountain roads sure are tiring!" Dawn huffed, stopping just for a second to catch her breath as soon as the team made up of her, Ash, Pikachu, Brock, Misty and Gary had finished climbing up a slope. Sure those narrow mountain roads were useful, and a very impressive view could be seen from there... but fatigue was always an issue.
"After all, these are pretty much the only way we can reliably reach the mountain top." Gary commented as he adjusted his backpack on his shoulders. "Okay, guys, here we are... and it seems that the strange weather conditions Gramps spoke to us about are nowhere to be seen."
"Pika pika..." Pikachu answered, shaking his head in denial. The fact that there was nothing going on at the moment was not necessarily good news, and they all knew it.
Brock raised his always-closed eyes towards the sky: it was a bright marine blue, with several Wingull soaring above their heads and the sun shining brightly. In fact, those strange weather events they had heard about seemed to be far away from Knot Island.
"I'm sure this is no reason to drop our guard, though." the Rock-type Pokemon expert said. "I'd be willing to bet that there is someone behind these strange events, and they've only stopped for a short while. They'll be back sooner than we think..."
"In fact, if there were Legendary Pokemon at stake, this would make sense..." Ash said dubiously.
"And as soon as those guys are ready, they'll be back for another attempt." Misty continued with a nod. "Certain people will not give up on a target just because they've failed once..."
oooooooooo
"ACHOOO!" Somewhere else on Knot Island, at the same time, Jessie and James sneezed in perfect unison!
"Double bless you, guys. Maybe, if you were to keep your volume low, so that the twerps don't know we're coming, it would be better..." Meowth snarked. "We're practically underneath them... and with all the noise you're making, I wouldn't be surprised if they heard you on the other side of this stupid mountain!"
Jessie scratched her nose in annoyance. "Ugh... please, Meowth, you could do without your sarcasm, for once!" she muttered, trying to keep her voice as low as possible. After all, Team Rocket was at the moment on the track of Ash's group, following a narrow road just a little below the winding road Ash and his friends were on. Just raising their voices a little would have allowed them to be heard...
"Alright, alright, Meowth, you're right, we should have been more quiet..." Jessie admitted, somewhat grudgingly. "But still, we kinda had the feeling someone was badmouthing us..."
James sighed and tried to act as a peacemaker. "Okay, Jessie... Meowth... let's try not to be sidetracked here, okay?" he said with an accomodating smile. "The twerps are pretty much right above us, and we don't want to let them hear us, right? That way we might catch them off guard... after all, they still don't know we followed them here! At least, I hope so..."
"Well, James-boy here has a point..." Meowth admitted, noting that James seemed to have become somewhat sharper in those last few days. "Okay, guys, we have to be as silent as a grave here! At the right moment, we'll get the jump on the twerps and take Pikachu! And maybe some of their other Pokemon, why not? You can never bring too many Pokemon to the boss!"
"You're right, Meowth! I'm sure we will get a lofty bonus, after all these years of sacrifices and wandering around..." Jessie grinned... but jumped up in surprise and fear as a terrifying growl came from the road above them and almost caused the clumsy duo to fall down! The two kind-hearted criminals held tight to the stone wall near them with a surprised yelp, asking themselves what was going on up there...
oooooooooo
For their part, Ash and his friends were the ones who had been more startled by that animalistic roar... and, above all, by the appearence of a massive, clearly hostile rocky Pokemon right in front of them! The young trainers all looked in that direction, finding themselves face to face with a large animal similar to a rhinoceros, with a dry, tough and grey hide that looked like shaped stone! It was about three feet tall at the shoulder, with a short horn on its nose and a triangular head, while a series of rocky protrusions along its spinal cord, and it was advancing with prideful confidence on four stocky, clawed legs. There was no need to be Pokemon experts to know which Pokemon was that... it was a Rhyhorn, a Ground/Rock Pokemon known for its stubbornness, its dim wit... and, above all, its terrifyingly powerful charges! This partcular specimen looked somewhat old and a large scar was visible just below its horn. It probably had mistaken Ash and his friends as intruders in his territory, and had decided to remove the menace. Now, it was advancing towards them, white steam coming out of its nostrils...
Sadly for him, he was up against some first-class Pokemon trainers... and after a few moments of surprise, Ash and his friends stood on guard and grabbed one Pokeball each, as Rhyhorn lowered its head and scratched the ground with its front left paw...
"Okay, guys, be very careful..." Brock advised. "When a Rhyhorn starts charging, it can be extremely dangerous, but it can't change direction so easily. We can use this to evade it or knock it out!"
"My Water Pokemon are standing ready!" Misty said... one second before Psyduck popped out of his Pokeball once again!
"Psy, ay, ayyyy..." the psychic duck quacked, causing Misty to start developing an headache herself!
"Ugh... I really don't know who's more of a bonehead between you and that Rhyhorn!" the redhead muttered as Dawn and Gary sweatdropped. Misty embarassedly recalled Psyduck and tried to call a Pokemon who could handle the problem more effectively, such as Starmie...
But the trainers were denied whatever options they had in mind. A glowing sphere of black energy, coming from who knows where from above them, sped towards Rhyhorn and struck it head-on, causing it to moo in pain! As Ash and his friends stepped backwards in surprise, the rocky-skinned beast looked up to see who dared challenge him... and it grunted again, blowing more steam from its nostrils, as it saw a Drifblim floatin listlessly in the air above it, with a Gengar and a Dusknoir flanking him on both sides. All three were glaring menacingly at Rhyhorn...
"What...? Where... do those Pokemon come from?" Misty asked herself. "And... there are two of them I don't recognize! What are they?"
"The ballon-shped one is a Drifblim, a Ghost/Flying Pokemon wholets itself be carried by the wind... and the other is a Dusknoir, a Ghost Pokemon who, strangely enough, is incredibly strong physically." Ash exclaimed, ecognizing the two Sinnoh Pokemon. "But I have no idea who could own such powerful Pokemon..."
Nobody had missed the fact that they were powerful, in any event... even the rather stupid Rhyhorn understood that it was outmatched, and after trying to make a stand for one last time, in an attempt to at least save face, then it slowly backed away... and finally grunted in resignation and retreated. The Ghost Pokemon and the small group of trainers watched him go, with Gengar chuckling ominously in a taunting manner.
"Well, that's what I would call a last-minute intervention." Gary said, his Pokeball still in his hand. Pikachu himself didn't seem convinced that the three Ghosts were well-intentioned, and was standing near Ash, ready to unleash a Thunderbolt if they had proved hostile. "Who sent those Pokemon anyway? They sure aren't wild ones..."
"Indeed, those are my Pokemon!" A female voice answered, belonging to a small figure walking up beside Drifblim right then. Everyone narrowed their eyes to take a better look at the woman standing with her back to the morning sun... but she didn't wait for them to take a good look, and after motioning for her Pokemon to follow her, she nimbly leapt down, landing on her feet in front of Ash and his friends: she was a pretty girl of about twenty years of age, somewhat short but still well-proportioned, wearing nothing more than a two-piece blue Hawaiian costume, with white flowers decorating the bottom half, and a pink ankle bracelet. Dark-skinned, with short dark hair kept in a rather messy boyish style and two large pink flowers on the sides of her head, she had shining green eyes, contrasting with her islander looks, and the fact that she was walking barefoot on stones didn't seem to bother her in the least.
"However, with your permission, I'll be the one asking the questions here. This place has been chosen by a sacred Pokemon as his resting place." the mysterious girl said. "And if you're here to disturb his sleep, well... I'm afraid I'll have no other choice but to force you away. Tell me, then... why are you here?"
"Er..." Ash began, somewhat intimidated by the three ghosts floating down and placing themselves beside their trainer, like bodyguards. If the girl's intention was to look formidable, she was managing it all too well. "Actually... no, we didn't even know there was a sacred Pokemon resting here... we wanted to know more about certain strange events happening around here! You tell her that, Brock..."
But as he turned to his old friend, Ash noticed that he was not going to be any help - he was too busy being hypnotized by the newcomer's exotic beauty, and was watching her with his mouth hanging open and pink love hearts floating all around him!
"There we go again..." Dawn murmured, as Misty reached forward and yanked Brock away from the girl by holding him by an ear!
"Sigh... I apologize for my friend here..." Misty muttered, as Brock was snapped out of his trance with a pained groan! "Anyway... we're from Kanto, aside from my friend Dawn here, who's from Sinnoh." she went on, motioning at Dawn with her head as the blue-haired girl waved politely at the newcomer. "We were sent here by Professor Oak, who was worried because of strange events happening around here, and elsewhere in the world. I guess you already know of the strange weather in the more recent days..."
The island girl became more serious. "Hmm... so you're from Kanto, and you come on a commission from prof. Samuel Oak? Okay then, guess I can trust you in this case... Actually, I'm here for the same reason. These weather anomalies are all the work of a group of ruthless Pokemon hunters who are trying to awaken the Pokemon sleeping inside this volcano. Team Vicious, that's the name they go by."
"Team Vicious? Oh, man, not another criminal group..." Ash muttered as he shook his head. Still, as he said that, he could not shake the feeling that he had already heard that name before... it was a memory buried somewhere in his mind. "And I guess they want to control this Pokemon... and others... for their interests!"
"Exactly." the girl answered. "Long story short, those guys came a few days ago here and started scouting Mt. Ember in a suspicious way. My Ghost Pokemon..." she motioned to Gengar, Drifblim and Dusknoir "...kept them under their eyes for a lot of time, until they attempted to strike, and that's when we faced and beat them. But they'll be back, they're not the kind of people who give up that easily."
"I can see that..." Gary answered. "Well, in fact, in a previous occasion, strange weather events were linked to the fact that someone tried to capture the Legendary Birds, Articuno, Zapdos and Moltres, and use them to summon another Legendary Pokemon."
"Yeah, that was Lugia... I wasn't with Ash and Misty then, but Ash told me about that, and I kinda got an idea..." Brock cleared up, now shaking his girl-induced trance off. "And... you think this Team Vicious wants to do the same now?"
"No doubt about it, and they're well organized as well." the dark-skinned girl pointed out as she dusted her dress. "I don't know who's the leader, but I do know that the group on this island is led by a notorious Pokemon hunter... of course, not the good kind of notorious! I guess you already heard of Pokemon Hunter J, right?"
"PIKAAAA?" Pikachu squeaked in alarm and surprise.
Dawn widened her eyes. "What? Miss... you mean... that woman is still alive?" she exclaimed.
"Hunter J..." Misty said, wondering what Ash, Pikachu, Brock and Dawn were shocked by. "Yeah, I heard about her. Rather than an hunter, she's pretty much a mercenary and a Pokemon kidnapper who would do any job, no matter how dirty, for the right pay. Yeah, I heard about her, and not well at all... but I also heard she had perished in a blast just a little before the Sinnoh Conference had begun, in mysterious circumstances. Guys, do you happen to know more about this?"
"Of course we do!" Ash answered angrily, a fist clenched in front of himself. He could never forget those moments... "We have seen J's flying machine blow up after being hit by the Lake Trio's Future Sight... I have no idea how that woman could survive!"
"And anyhow, Misty... believe me when I say that woman more than earned her reputation!" Dawn said. "I've never seen anyone that brutal and ruthless..."
"I see you already know who we're dealing with..." the dark-skinned girl answered. "Well, at least you know what to expect... hold on a second here, kiddo! Did you just said you saw that woman's flying vehicle explode? Let me guess, are you the winner of this year's Sinnoh Conference?"
"Ehm..." Ash was quite surprised by such a direct question. "Actually... yes, I am... but what does this have to do with... How do you know?"
The island girl giggled. "Hehehee... you know, one of the perks of being an Elite Four is that you're one of the first to know such things!" she revealed, much to everyone's surprise. "Exactly... my name is Phoebe, and I'm one of Hoenn's Elite Four. As you can see, Ghost Pokemon are my field of specialization. I trained in Mt. Pyre, in a remote Hoennn region, to be able to communicate with Ghost-type Pokemon, and now I've come because I sensed that something was upsetting the balance here! So... here I am, talking with you! We seem to have the same goal, after all! Hehehee..."
"An Elite Four from Koenn? That does explain a lot..." Gary affirmed. "Well, what can we say, miss Phoebe, we are very pleased to meet you... but at the moment, we have a somewhat urgent maatter to think about. We have to stop J and her minions, as soon as they come back for more..."
"Exactly..." the Elite Four answered. "My other Pokemon are patrolling the zone around Mt. Ember, so thar we'll be ready for when the intruders come back, but one can never be..."
Phoebe stopped short, her eyes widening and her body stiffening, and for a second, Ash and his friends feared she wasn't feeling well. "Miss Phoebe, what's the matter?" Misty exclaimed.
"DUUUUSK?" Dusknoir howled - despite not even having a visible mouth - as Drifblim and Gengar floated down to assist their mistress. Luckily, she was back on her feet in a few seconds.
"I'm... okay, everyone! Thanks for the concern." Phoebe answered. "It's just that... I just received a telepathic message from my Banette! Apparently, she and her friends just found J's flying machine approaching Knot Island once again. They seem to be on the other side of this mountain, and they're about to enter the maze of galleries digging through Mt. Ember!"
"Cripes, already back?" Misty exclaimed as she and Phoebe recalled their Pokemon. "A... telepathic call? One day, miss Phoebe, you will need to explain to me how that works... but for now, we have to stop those guys!"
"Still, they're on the other side of the island..." Brock noted. "Can we reach them in time?"
Phoebe winked astutely. "No worries, I and my Pokemon have been here for quite a few days already, and we know a thing or two about this island! Being able to speak telepathically with my Pokemon helps..." she answered serenely. "I know a few ways around here that can bring us to the other side of the mountain and get the jump on those criminals. I just hope your Pokemon are up for a fight..."
"Pika pika chu!" Pikachu answered with an energetic nod, before turning to Ash, Misty and the others. "Pika pi! Pikachu pi! Pika pika chu?"
Ash smiled brightly and gave a thumbs up to his best friend, who answered with a similar gesture. "Heheheee... of course we're ready, Pikachu! J won't escape this time!"
"Excellent!" Dawn concluded. "Then, let's go now! Miss Phoebe, we're on your side! Just tell us where to go..."
oooooooooo
A few metres below, on the narrow road climbing the side of the mountain, Team Rocket had been listening to the whole conversation... and they were finding themselves making some last-minute adjustments to their plans.
"Hey, guys, you heard that, didn't you? I'm afraid we're biting off more than we can chew here..." James murmured. "Not only is that woman, J, still alive... and as a trainer, she's stronger than the two of us put together... but we have an Hoenn Elite Four on our hands! She isn't an opponent we can face..."
Albeit begrudgingly, Jessie had to agree with James. "Tch... you're right, we can't face her head-on..." The fucsia-haired girl admitted. "We have to count on surprise and subtelty, if we want to get Pikachu..."
"An... you already have an idea, by chance?" Meowth asked. He wasn't sure whether he wanted to hear a yes or a no...
"Well, not for now...but I'm sure I'll think of something!" Jessie answered, without losing her trademark confidence. Meowth mentally kicked himself - he had to know that would be the answer! "First off, guys, let's keep on this road! As long as the twerps don't know we're here, we've got an advantage on them, right? We'll follow them and, when they least expect it, we pop out and take Pikachu! Piece of cake! And we won't even have to face J and that spooky Elite Four chick!"
"I'm not sure this will end up well, Jessie..." James sighed, as the goofy criminal trio walked towards a rough-looking ramp of natural stone stairs, that seemed to be going right where Ash and his friends were headed to. Despite its look, it was resistant enough to allow the three of them to safely cross...
"Oh, quit being so wishy-washy, James! No pain, no gain, right?" Jessie repriminded her more timid companion. "We just need to play our cards right, and we'll come out on top!"
Meowth sweatdropped. "Why do I have this feeling we'll get a nasty surprise dropped on our heads?" he muttered to himself.
oooooooooo
On the other side of the island...
"So, navigator? How long till we are able to descend?" J asked, her voice sounding more like an order than a question. "I think you're taking far too long to have this machine land, so get a move on!"
The navigator, another Team Vicious member who was somehow trying to stabilize the huge vehicle at it descended, gulped nervously, not wanting to risk J's rage. "Er... I'm sorry, miss, but it's not as easy as it may seem! I have to stabilize the vehicle during landing, and take care not to hit the walls... or else, our engines could be seriously damaged!"
In fact, the place was not exactly ideal for landing, with its sheer walls of stone dropping down into a turbulent sea. There was very little place for maneuvering, but this hardly seemed to matter to J and her minions, and the vile huntress only gave the ill-fated navigator more pressure to deal with.
"Well, you were chosen as a pilot because you were the one with the most experience, right?" she stated impatiently. "So, try to find a way."
The pilot tried to protest, but he saw that it was pointless trying to argue with her... so he just grit his teeth and went back to work, always feeling the grey-haired woman's glare upon him, even behind her trademark visor...
Finally, after a few tense minutes, J's flying vehicle stopped, and its engines turned off with a low buzz. The huntress nodded in approval, then raised her hand to call for her minions' attention.
"Very well. I can see you're all ready at this point." she declared as soon as her numerous underlings gathered in front of her, a few moments after. "You well know the orders. Our mission is to penetrate Mt. Ember and reach its innermost chambers, where Moltres lies sleeping. Once we have awakened him, we will all return to the airship and use the onboard weapons to capture him. Such a Pokemon is well beyond the capabilities of pretty much any trainer in our group... but once we've captured him, our mission will be completed. If anyone tries to interfere, eliminate them without mercy. Failure will not be tolerated, do I make myself clear?"
"Of... of course, Miss J!" her minions exclaimed in unison. J briefly smirked in satisfaction, as a door on her airship's side slid open, connecting with the entrance to a cave in the rocky wall's side. The huntress grabbed a strange Pokeball out of her belt - a black orb with violet streaks across its surface - and regarded it with grim satisfaction. The orb seemed to exhale a palpable feeling of cold and darkness, as if there was something inherently... wrong... about it.
"Then, I have no need to add anything else." J concluded. "We can start the operation. I trust we will meet with success this time."
"Yes, madam!" the other Team Vicious members exclaimed, fearing the consequences of failure...
oooooooooo
Travelling to the other side of the mountain hadn't been as difficult as Ash and his friends had feared, though it certainly hadn't been easy. Phoebe was leading them through a complex maze of stone walls, bushes, plants and small holes, and they all had to keep their eyes open to avoid mishaps...
"Ow! Man, it's not exactly what I'd call an easy road..." Ash commented as he nrrowly dodged a low branch of a tree. "Anyway, miss Phoebe... can I ask you something? What kind of Legendary Pokemon does lie in this volcano? Obviously, it will be a Fire-type, but as for the rest..."
"Yes, I do know..." Phoebe answered. "It's Moltres, the Fire Titan! One of the most notorious legends in the whole Kanto continent, am I correct?"
Ash's eyes widened slightly. Of course he knew about Moltres... he had met him face to face, in fact, back when he, Misty and Tracy had had to deal with the crazed collector Lawrence the Third... but how had Moltres ended up there, on Mt. Ember? The only reason he could come up with was that Moltres had chosen that place to rest after the collector's defeat, in order to rest and avoid being disturbed.
"Exactly... Moltres is one of Kanto's three Legendary Birds, together with Articuno and Zapdos... and it does make sense that he'd choose a live volcano to find shelter." Brock commented. "So, now, those mysterious guys led by J are trying to find and capture him..."
"We have to stop them!" an alarmed Dawn exclaimed. "It will be a big problem if they were to get such a strong Pokemon! Miss Phoebe, do you have any idea where to go from here?"
"They will certainly try to reach the heart of the volcano." the island girl answered assuredly. "That's where Moltres has probably taken shelter. Should those criminals disturb him enough, the Fire Titan will awaken and take flight again. And at that point... well, I'm pretty sure they have thought of some device to take Moltres prisoner or control him."
Pikachu grit his teeth. "Pika pika, pikachu pi pikachu..." he said worriedly.
"Yeah, I know, Pikachu..." his trainer answered. "More calamities would hit Sevii Islands! We have to stop them before they get to Moltres! So, let's not waste time! If we catch them off guard now, we'll take care of the problem before it comes up!"
"Wow, our Ash actually made sense, for once!" Misty giggled with amused sarcasm. "Tell me, Mr. Sinnoh champion, did all that travelling develop even your reasoning capabilities as well?"
Ash pouted comically. "Hmph! You're sooooo very funny, Misty! For your information, my brain has always been the same!" he exclaimed. "It's just that... well... y'know, I usually think actions speak louder than reasonings! That's all!"
Dawn, Brock, Gary and Phoebe chuckled briefly. Even from those few moments, the Hoenn Elite Four member could get an idea of what kind of people those Kanto trainers were, and that they were bound by a sincere friendship time had not damaged at all... a bod that went beyond their common love of Pokemon...
"Okay, okay... jokes aside, I think your friend is right, we need not waste any more time here." Phoebe finally said. "Okay then, follow me. I know a path that, from here, should be able to take us all the way to the heart of the volcano! Be careful, though, the heat will get more and more unbearable the more we approach..."
"Hold on!" Gary interrupted by raising a hand. "Hold on a second, guys? Can you hear this? It's sort of like... a distant buzz, don't you think so?"
"Hm? What do you..." Dawn answered, an hand near her ear as she strained to hear what Gary was talking about. All fell silent and listened carefully, only to discover that Gary was in fact right... even if only faintly, a distant buzz of engines could be heard, and it wasn't hard to imagine what could have caused it...
"Oh dear... guys, Gary's right! There IS something strange around here..." the blue-haired girl affirmed. "You can hear this, can't you?"
"Yeah... they must have stopped somewhere near the coastline..." Brock said as soon as the noise of the engines died down. "That means that, if we take theriht direction, we can intercept them before they reach the inner part of the mountain. That would be the ideal scenario, if only we knew where to look for them."
"Hmm..." Phoebe started to think about that, when another trio of Ghost-type Pokemon popped up out of nowhere, all from a different direction. A Rotom, crackling with electricity; a Banette, who was grinning cheekily; and an elegant Mismagius, descending down from the sky like some sort of dark fairy. "Oh, here are my other Pokemon! I was just asking myself where they had been... So, guys, have you seen those scoundrels anywhere?"
"Rotoooom?" the electric spectre asked suspiciously, motioning at Ash and his friends, but Phoebe told him there was nothing to worry about.
"These guys are on our side, Rotom!" the island girl told him. "They're here to help us against J and Team Vicious, and to stop them from capturing this volcano's sacred Pokemon!"
"What strange Pokemon..." Misty said, looking at the ghostly trio with wonder. "I already saw a Banette, and the bigger one must be a Misdreavus evolution... but that little Rotom guy, I never saw that before!"
"Well, it's quite a rare Pokemon, in fact..." Dawn explained to her newest friend. "It's a Ghost / Electric Pokemon that can take possession of various electronic devices, and use them to vary his own appearence and his combat abilities."
"Really? Wow, there sure are a lot of strange Pokemon around..." Misty commented as she kept looking at Rotom, as the latter floated around his trainer.
"Anyway, guys, to go back to my question... have you seen where J and her men are at?" Phoebe asked. "We need to stop them, before they can awaken Moltres..."
"Banette!" Banette answered, pointing to the entrance of a cavern with one of her clawed hands. It looked like it would take them straight in the innermost parts of the volcano...
"Hmm... okay, so if we go there, we can take those guys by surprise. Sure, it does seem quite risky, going in the dark like that..." Ash commented as he took a good look at the entrance.
"That's true, but it's not like we have much of a choice, at this point..." Brock said. "Alright... miss Phoebe, you know this place better than the five of us put together, I guess. Could you please lead the way? Our Pokemon will help you as much as they can..."
"No problem, just follow me!" the Ghost expert answered after recalling Banette and Mismagius in this respective Pokeballs, leaving her Rotom out. The electric ghost floated near his trainer, and as soon as the team began their descent in the darkness, he used a Flash attack, casting a bright yet eerie light everywhere around him. "Great job, Rotom! You're really the best when it comes to dungeon exploring, aren't you? Hehehee..."
"Rotooom!" the strange Pokemon answered with a bright smile. Brock nodded and decided that he might as well make himself useful, calling one of his strongest Pokemon.
"Okay, guess I can help out as well..." Pewter City's former Gym Leader decided. "Come, Crobat! We need your help!"
The Pokeball snapped open, and out came the monstrous yet friendly giant bat, soaring in front of Ash and his friends with a shrill call! "Sorry for bothering you, Crobat..." Brock told him. "But... we kind of need your help here not to get lost in this maze! Could you use your Supersonic attack to help us out?
"Crobaaaat!" the Flying / Poison Pokemon screeched, majestically spreading his four wings. Despite the rather narrow place, Crobat was able to fly around without problems, and he ddn't seem to be too concerned about the walls and the ceiling. In fact, just a second later, the huge bat turned in the direction Rotom was floating towardsand, leaving the electric ghost behind himself as not to risk hitting him with his attack, took a deep breath and let out an incredibly high-pitched scream that hit the walls of the cavern and bounced upon them. Then, by simply taking care of the time the soundwaves took to go back, Crobat could guess which ways were dead-ends and which weren't. With a small nod, Crobat used one of his secondary wings to point at a small path on the team's left side.
"Great job, Crobat! This way, we can reach J and her men in a snap!" Misty praised him, before following her friends in the passage...
oooooooooo
"Phew... wow... hey, Jessie, let me just say that it wasn't such a great idea to go this way! I'm afraid we got lost..." poor James murmured, leaning on a wall, as he dabbed his sweaty forehead with an handkerchief. To walk through those heated passages was murder, and they didn't seem to know where the way out was...
"N... Now, come on, James! Don't say such stupid things!" the fuxia-haired young woman exclaimed, without sounding too convinced. "I know perfectly well where we're going! Now... er... if only we could get past these... hmm... slugs?"
Jessie stopped for a second as what looked like small puddles of red-hot lava began filtering through the passages in the walls of the cavern they were in - it was obvious that they weren't lava puddles, though, but rather slug-like Pokemon with a pair of huge, droopy-looking eyes regarding Team Rocket with a vaguely surprised expression. Without a doubt, it was a group of Slugmas, Pokemon known for their slowness and for the fact that they thrived in volcanic areas...
"You mean these Slugmas, right?" Meowth said. "If ya trust me, they don't look like they'll give us trouble. Please notice how smart they look..."
James sighed in relief. "Well, that's good..." he said, as the Slugmas began slithering away, uninterested in tangling with them. "At least this time we get away clean... but we still have to find our way out of here..."
"No problem, James, it's all under control!" Jessie said. "You only have to follow me, and I'll bring you out of here before everything is said and done!"
"Yeah, this is like the fifth time we hear that..." Meowth snarked. He knew all too well how things usually ended up for them, and he wasn't sure that this trip through Mt. Ember's galleries would be any different.
"Now, now, I just had to get a few pointers, that's all!" Jessie replied. "Now quit your bellyaching and let's try to get away from... Ouch!"
"Careful, Jessie!" James exclaimed when he saw his partner-in-crime tripping over a round black rock that seemed to have been strategically placed in the way! Jessie flailed her arms about for a few moments, thankfully regaining her balance just in time, and kicked the half-hidden rock in frustration.
"Grrr... you stupid stone! Did you really have to end up here, of all places?" Jessie growled. As soon as she said that, though, a pulsating vein appeared on the rock's surface, and the girl stepped backwards in confusion as a soft, crimson red body flowed out of a small fissure in the lower side of the stone... anda pair of burning red eyes, each one placed at the end of a short stalk, glared at her with resentment. Even the Slugmas, who until then had been calm and unconcerned, were showing irritation at Jessie's reaction...
"Ooops... Jessie, I'm afraid you just kicked a Magcargo..." James murmured. The gigantic lava snail had just come out of her shell, in which she had been napping, and she hadn't been pleased with Jessie's outburst... and especially her kick! A crimson flame erupted on the giant snail's rock-hard shell, as if to express her irritation...
"Oh... er... hehehee... good evening, miss Magcargo!" Meowth tried to salvage the situation, although the firey mollusks didn't seem too interested in talking this over. "Y'see... I and my friends are only here in passing... and, with your permission... we'll kindly take our leave from this place... no hard feelings, right? See ya... AAAAAARGH!"
Magcargo's answers to the feline Pokemon's clumsy apologies was to open her toothless maw wide and shoot a Flamethrower, hitting the cat Pokemon's tail and setting its tip on fire! Meowth jumped up at least three feet in the air and immediately started to flail his tail around to extinguish the fire. Then, as all the lava slugs began slithering down the walls and heading towards them, Team Rocket wisely thought that discretion was the better part of valor and began running away!
"Aaaaaieeeee! Why does it always have to be this way! I can't stand it anymore!" an exasperated Jessie screamed, keeping her head low as to dodge the Lava Plume attacks the firey Pokemon were throwing at them!
"Less talking, more running, please!" James exclaimed, with stylized rivers of tears comically flowing down his cheeks. "I don't wanna become barbecueeeee!"
"My poor tail is on fireeeeee!" Meowth whined as he kept blowing on the tip of his tail! All the Slugmas and their Magcargo leader tried to slither after them, but their slowness allowed Team Rocket to easily get away, and after blowing one last Flamethrower attack out of frustration, Magcargo grunted, as if saying 'serves you right', and motioned to her "little sisters" to follow her back to their hideout...
oooooooooo
With an high-pitched whistle, Crobat pointed to a larger corridor in front of the team, and Brock nodded and smiled at him to compliment him on a good job, while Phoebe motioned to Ash and the other trainers to follow her inside. "Okay, guys, I guess this is the place! Get your Pokeballs ready, I don't think J and her minions are too far away from here." the Ghost-type trainer whispered. "We have to strike while we have the advantage."
"No worries, Phoebe. We'll stop those guys, and we'll keep them from catching Moltres." Misty said. "Provided Psyduck doesn't pop up uninvited again... I swear, I'll have to tell that silly duck a thing or two, someday..."
"Keep focused, everyone, we're almost there..." Gary reccomanded as he saw Rotom and Crobat stopping in midair. Pikachu approached the sparkling spectre and the giant bat, his ears perked up and read to catch even the slightest noise... and he managed to hear unknown voices and chattering coming the room they were about to enter! They were too far away for him to hear what they were saying... but it took no genius to understand those were J and her henchmen!
"What's the matter, Pikachu? Is that... those people?" Ash asked his best friend. Pikachu nodded and squeaked a warning to his trainer, who grit his teeth and motioned for the others to follow him, as the time to act was now! The team of trainers quickly came out of the corridor they were in and approached J and no less than eight mysterious individuals dressed in uniform and gas mask who were gathered around the evil huntress, listening to her instructions! The team's unexpected appearence had the group of criminals turn their way with a start.
"Hold it! What are you trying to do?" Ash exclaimed, he and Pikachu stepping up first.
"Pika pika!" the electric mouse's cheek began to crackle with electricity, as he stood ready to unleash a Thunderbolt on the enemies...
"Ash Ketchum... you again." J murmured annoyedly after a brief moment of surprise. "Looks like every job I accept, you and your little friends are there to make things difficult for me... and you've even brought new people to the party this time, how nice." She glared at Misty, Gary and Phoebe, who were standing ready with their Pokeballs.
"Now that we know you're involved, we cannot just let you do as you please!" Dawn shot back. "We can't allow you guys to catch this island's Legendary Pokemon! You've done enough damage as it is!"
"Business is business." J said simply, as she studied the six trainers in front of her. There were three she knew nothing about, and one of them was obviously the girl who had given her men grief...
"Really? And... who gave this particular job, to call it this way, to you?" Phoebe shot back, trying to put up a threatening front. Hard to look intimidating when you're barely five feet tall and only dressed in an Hawaiian-like costume...
Smirking slightly, the older woman spun a black Pokeball around in her hand. "This hardly matters now, don't you think? A professional never reveals details on her employer, anyway." she answered. "And in any case, that's the last thing you have to worry about."
"If I may, miss J... I'd like to add something myself! I've still got a beef with some of these kids!" one of the eight minions exclaimed all of a sudden. Brock looked at him as he stepped out of the ranks and walked towards them... there was something oddly familiar about that guy, whose face was hidden by his helmet, but Brock wasn't sure what...
"Hmm... so you and them go way back, huh? Be my guest..." the mercenary woman said as she smirked in amusement.
"If I recall correctly... you three..." the masked guy pointed to Ash, Misty and Brock, ignoring the confused Gary, Dawn and Phoebe. "You three ar the fools who humiliated me way back! Its been four years since then, but it's like it was yesterday to me! I never forget an humiliation... and I don't forget the faces of those who pulled my leg, either!"
"Really? We have forgotten all about it, instead!" Misty shot back, that guy's behaviour already getting on her nerves. "If you have something against us, why don't you say it to our faces, instead of talking in circles?"
The uniform-wearing boy chuckled and began taking his helmet off. "Heheheee... yeah, I guess what I just said means very little to you... then, allow me to refresh your memory! Let's see if you can recognize me!"
As Dawn blinked in puzzlement and Phoebe wrinkled her nose, the boy - who seemed to be only a little older than Ash - took off his helmet, revealing a smirking young face framed by shoulder-long, faded blue hair, and slanted eyes giving him even more of a snobbish appearence. Immediately, Pikachu raised his ears and squeaked in surprise... and Ash, MIsty and Brock widened their eyes a second later!
"Hold... hold on a sec!" the flabbergasted Ash exclaimed. "I can't believe this! You are... you are..."
The blue-haired boy grinned maliciously as the trio looked at him in shock, and took another step forward...
"Er... good question, who are you?" Ash asked dumbly, completely spoiling all dramatic tension!
The blue-haired guy stopped cold and his jaw dropped in awkwardness, as Misty, Dawn and Phoebe facefaulted, and a huge sweatdrop poured down the back of Brock and Gary's heads! Even the normally stoic J looked somewhat puzzled...
"W-what?" the Team Vicious boy asked. "What do you mean you don't remember me?"
"I mean I don't remember you, that's what!" Ash answered naively. "I mean, so much time went by since we met... if we even met at all, 'cause I do think there's something familiar about you..."
Pikachu stood up and started squeaking in exasperation. Sure, Ash was his best friend and trainer, but he could be really dense at times! "Pika pi! Pika chu, pika pika... chuuu! Pikachu!" he exclaimed, frantically moving his arms towards the blue-haired guy.
"Er... what?" Ash asked incredulously. "Pikachu, are you saying that this guy is..."
"Of course he is, Ash, you doofus!" Misty exclaimed, standing up and playfully smacking Ash upside the head. "He's the scoundrel who abandoned Charmander, don't you remember? The one we met just after Brock joined us!"
"WHAT? IS... is that really you?" Ash exclaimed as he pointed his finger at the Team Vicious agent, who chuckled lowly, glad to have been recognized. "Damien? That two-bit trainer who got a lesson from his Charmander and my Pikachu?"
"Yeah, that's me! Surprised to see me, Ash Ketchum?" Damien mocked him. "Frankly, I thought you'd recognize me earlier, but apparently, you have little use for your brain! And you have no idea how much I've changed since we met!"
"Really?" Brock asked rhetorically. While still calm, he looked quite angry and indignant, which was something Ash was not used to see on his rational friend's face. "You claim you're different from last time? I still see an immature and insensitive brat who always takes the easy way out to become a trainer. So tell me, how have you changed?"
"Hah! I knew you couldn't understand!" Damien shot back. "Back when I was a trainer, I had to waste my time having my Pokemon practice every day, and keep track of too many things... and all this running around challenging Gyms and collecting Badges! Bah, I have better things to do! I did a smart thing joining our boss... he gave me powerful Pokemon I could never have any other way! I have become a first-class trainer without even breaking a sweat!"
Damien's rant visibly disgusted Ash, who almost turned his head the other way. "Tch... yeah, such a great hero you are... you skipped all the hard work!" he commented. "I guess you fell very proud of yourself, don't you?"
"And I don't remember your Pokemon doing much against my Ghosts, anyway..." Phoebe snarked with a pleasant smile on her tanned face. "They couldn't even raise a finger to them..."
This actually managed to take Damien's arrogant smile away for a second. "Tch... yeah, maybe so, but it won't happen a second time! I know your tricks, girl, and I've got reinforces to back me up! So... we're going to give your stupid Ghosts a run for their money!"
"Not so fast, dude!" Misty exclaimed, holding a pair of Pokeballs. "Don't forget we're here as well! And we're no slouches, though we aren't in miss Phoebe's league!"
"Exactly!" Dawn continued. "So don't underestimate us, that would be a great mistake!"
"Hmmm... but how interesting!" J commented haughtily. "Looks like your friends and my men have decided to settle thngs their own way. Well, who am I to intrude? Therefore, I leave you to your little Pokemon battle, while I go for the big prize."
That said, the huntress pressed a button on the device on her left wrist... and a huge cloud of white smoke shot out from it, catching everyone off guard! J took advantage of the confusion to run away, right into another passage, whieAh futilely tried to wave the smoke away!
"Oh no, she's getting away... once again!" Dawn exclaimed.
Brock was quick to act, before J could put too much distance between her and them. "Quick, Crobat! Use your Whirlwind to blow the smoke away!"
"Crobat!" the giant bat answered as he began furiously beating his wings, raising a powerful wind that dispersed the cloud of smoke in a few instants... but still, J had bought herself enough time to escape and further penetrate into the inner chambers of the volcano.
"Darn... Ash, come with me!" Phoebe exclaimed. "We'll chase down that woman before she can awaken Moltres!"
"Pikachu!" Pikachu agreed, speaking for his trainer as well. Ash nodded as well, then turned to his friends to see if they were going to be alright.
"Don't you worry, Ashy-boy! We're staying here to give these losers a good bit of schooling!" Gary said confidently. "You try not to get beaten, okay? That would be quite sad, in front of an Elite Four..."
"Ugh... thanks, Gary, I could do without your sarcasm, you know..." Ash murmured. "Are you sure you can handle this, guys?"
"No worries, Ash, we've got this in the bag!" Misty answered as she winked at him. One of the Team Vicious goons in front of her had let out a Linoone, while Damien, sporting another of his smirks, had sent out an Hypno. "Okay, I'll take care of these two myself! Misty calls... Gyarados and Starmie!"
"Pachirisu! Buneary! It's time to fight!" Dawn exclaimed. The electric squirrel and the bunny popped out to face a Raticate and a Dunsparce.
Gary nodded and spun a Pokeball on his fingertip. "Okay then... guess it's my turn now! Then, I choose... Arcanine and Kingler! Come on!" he exclaimed, calling two of his strongest Pokemon to face a Kirlia and a Pelipper.
"And I'm the last one." Brock commented. Crobat was already out of his Pokeball, ready to face his opponent's Purugly. "Okay, then... Steelix! Give Crobat a hand!"
The huge steel serpent popped up in front of Brock and stood on guard, ready to face his opponent's Magneton.
"Heh, I see you've been doing your homework..." Damien exclaimed mockingly. "But that still won't save you! Dunno if you've noticed, but we are more numerous! You stand no chance!"
Gary shrugged nonchalantly. "If you think numbers are all that matters in a Pokemon battle, I wonder how you made it this far..." he commented. "But since you like to gloat, why don't you show me what you can do?"
"Ash, you and miss Phoebe go stop that J woman! We'll catch up with you later!" Misty said to her crush. "And make sure you give her the what-for!"
After hesitating for just a second, Ash nodded and followed Pikachu, Phoebe and Rotom in the corridor through which J had escaped. "Okay, guys! Good luck, and be careful!" he told his friends, before Phoebe motioned for him to hurry up. Soon, th four of them had ran after J, leaving their friends to deal with Damien and the other Team Vicious members.
"Hmmm... a two-on-one, huh?" the redheaded Water Pokemon expert commented cheekily. "Doesn't sound like a fair fight to me... these jerks have no chances!"
"I agree, our Pokemon will walk all over them!" Dawn agreed. "No need to worry!"
Damien chuckled nastily at that. "Hehehee... getting a little cocky, aren't we? Team Vicious is the most powerful Pokemon organization ever to exist! Soon, Team Rocke, Team Aqua, Team Magma and even Team Galactic will be forgotten! You picked the wrong opponent, kids!"
"Team Vicious?" an unimpressed Gary commented. "You criminal gangs always have the strangest ideas for your names... but I don't really care! You're going down! Arcanine, Kingler, stand ready!"
The firey canine and the gigantic crab nodded, as they and all the other Pokemon stood ready for the fight...
oooooooooo
TO BE CONTINUED...
Author's Note: The dice has been cast now. Ash and Phoebe are about to get into a difficult battle with the dreaded Hunter J as Misty and the others face Damien and the rest of Team Vicious, with the legendary Moltres on the line! And will Jessie, James and Meowth manage not to become crisps by the time all is said and done? Once again, for all answers, I ask you to wait for the next chapter, which I hope to publish as soon as possible! I have a few stories to catch up on, but I will also keep working on this one... so keep your fingers crossed!