POKEMON HEART SOUL ADVENTURES
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And... I'm back! I was very pleased to see that my latest chapter received quite a lot of visits in its first hours online already! And it seems that what happened to May and Max already has some people keeping their fingers crossed for them to come out of this unscathed! Yeah, I have to say I put them into a rather nasty situation. Though, I regret to say, I will focus more on Ash and his team's adventures for now... of course, that won't mean I will lose focus on our beloved Hoenn team, it just means you will need to have a little more patience to see what will happen to May and Max!
In the meanwhile, our team gets to their next destination, Floe Island, where Lorelei was born! Yeah, I know that means Misty will finally get to see the place where her idol was born... but there won't be much time to reminisce about that, since this chapter marks the place where the story really begins to pick up, and our heroes begin to get some insights into the evil teams' plans! And also the chapter where we get to see a few more of our old acquaintances... so get ready to rock!
Yeah, don't have much to say for this chapter... so, let's cut to the chase and get to the meat of the story, shall we? Have fun, and once again, I would be very grateful if you could leave a review! See you soon!
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Chapter 28 - Floe Island
Surely, a Dragonite tirelessly soaring over the ocean isn't the sort of things one sees everyday, and the legends that are told from generation to generation in Kanto and Johto have it that such a sight is a good omen...
However, had anyone known the reason why that particular Dragonite was, at that particular moment, flying over the Kanto seas, heading for Sevii Islands with a person many would have immediately recognized mounted on his back, they would have been very worried, and for good reason. Tightly holding to the back of his strongest Pokemon, the Kanto and Johto League Champion Lance was looking towards the horizon, using his ample and elegant cape to shield himself for the wind whipping his face. The young dragon tamer, known and respected worldwide for his courage and for his way of representing the true spirit of a Pokemon trainer, had not predicted he would have to face such a journey, and in a place that had never seemed to be that interesting, at least if one was to speak of the Pokemon living there. But he himself had to admit that what had happened in the Sevii Islands as of late was very worrying. Only a few days before, Moltres, the Legendary Bird of Fire, had been awakened for his slumber in the bowels of Mt. Ember, and had subsequently disappeared after having been engaged in battle by a couple of powerful Charizard. All had turned out for the best, but there was still much reason to be wary: whoever had dared disturb the sleep of the mighty Pokemon was bound to try again in the future, and Lance already had a creeping suspicion that, were it to be confirmed true, would have meant that the Sevii Islands were in great danger.
As if this was not enough, he also knew he had to keep an eye on several criminal activities going on there. A few days ago, a ship going from Sinnoh to Kanto had been hijacked to the Sevii Islands by a group of people whose description matched that of Team Rocket agents, and several passengers had been taken hostage by the organization. Among them was a girl called Ursula, the daughter of a rich Sinnoh family, and a contestant in the latest Sinnoh Grand Festival. At first, Lance had thought that this was rather strange - Team Rocket had been laying low for quite some time, to the point that some had even forgotten about it outright. But it seemed that Giovanni, the leader of the organization, was simply reorganizing his group and waiting for the right moment to strike. Several informants of his had been acting incognito in Kanto, Johto, Hoenn and Sinnoh, so that Giovanni could have exhaustive knowledge of the situation before moving out. And now, Team Rocket was ready to reap the fruit of their leader's long-sightedness.
"Are you alright, Dragonite?" Lance asked his champion, knowing that they had been flying or several hours now, and no matter how resistant they were, even Dragon-type Pokemon had their limits. However, Dragonite did not appear to be tired, and simply nodded his head, emitting a melodic call that sounded like a far-away song. Lance nodded, holding even tighter to his dragon friend's back. "Alright then... we'll soon be reaching Floe Island, and we'll rendezvous with Lorelei there. It was only fair that I allowed her to take part in this, as this is her native island after all..."
The kind-hearted dragon smiled and emitted his musical call once again, as he soared over the turbulent sea...
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"Hooray! Here we are in Floe Island! I was just waiting for it!" Ash exclaimed joyously, stretching as he treaded his first steps upon the sand of Floe Island's beach, the hot sunbeating on his back and arms. Pikachu had already raced ahead, running on the beach and then hopping on one paw as if playing a children's game. He stopped for a second, just enough time to call for Ash and his friends with his shrill squeaks. "Pika pi, pikachu pi! Pikachu pika chuuu!"
"Hehehee... hold on a sec, Pikachu, we're coming!" Misty answered happily as she walked behind him. Floe Island did not look as quiet and silent as Kin Island was when they had first arrived, but it seemed even more immersed in nature, with small pine woods sprouting here and there, a tall rocky hill towering over the mainland, and a beach of fine white sand extending itself for kilometers around the island. The town, a few hundred meters away from the beach, looked simple and down-to-earth, and many houses looked more like small huts or bungalows. A farm, surrounded by what looked like swarms of Flying-type Pokemon, was visible near the town, but aside from this, it looked like your run-of-the-mill town, and it was a little strange to imagine that, behind its unassuming appearence, lied the place where one of the Elite Four was born...
Not that this made Misty any less enthusiastic, as the girl joyfully looked around herself. "Hehehee... wow, guys, I can't believe it! It's like a dream to me, I get to see the place where the great Lorelei was born! Had it not been for this sudden emergency, I'd never have gotten this chance!"
Somehow, Psyduck felt like he had been called, and popped out of his Pokeball, appearing on the sand-encrusted planks of the harbor before Misty, whose good spirits took a punge!
"Psy-ay-ayyyy?"
"Ugh... I was not talking about you!" the redheaded Gym Leader muttered, a vein comically popping out of her forehead!
"Well, where have I seen that one before?" Brock joked as the rest of the team reached Ash, Pikachu, Misty and Psyduck. "By the way... I would like to warn you not to drop your guard just because we stopped those Team Vicious guys once. They will be back, sooner or later, and I have no idea what they will try to do."
"Do you think those criminals might be interested in other Pokemon living around here?" Dawn asked, holding her Piplup, who looked just as happy as Pikachu to have come to their new destination, despite the heat.
"We can't rule this out." Gary answered in the Rock-type trainer's place. "After all, we have no idea whether other Legendary Pokemon are hiding around here, and whether those guys know something we don't. But I'm pretty sure we'll hear from them again."
"Now, now, Gary, don't be such a spoilsport!" Ash replied. "I know we're here on a rather important mission, but nothing says we can't enjoy our time here while we're at it, right?"
"Pika pikachu!" Pikachu replied, eager to see thecity just as much as his human friends were. The group gathered together once again, as they began making their way to the city and asking themselves what was in store for them...
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"Hmmm... so, you're travellers coming from Kanto, huh?" a wizened fisherman asked Ash and his friends, who had stopped to ask for some informations. He tilted the straw hat he was wearing on his head, revealing a tan complexion and a pair of still lively dark eyes. "Well, there are quite a few interesting things around here, even though this little town of ours doesn't enjoy the hi-tech commodities of nowadays' big cities! For instance... you see that little house on the other side of the block? Well, that's where Lorelei, our local heroine, was born! It's pretty much a local attraction!
Ash and Pikachu were about to turn that way... but they were caught off guard when Misty dashed in the same direction, with the noise of a Formula One car getting revved up! Everyone sweatdropped when Misty began pacing around the house like an over-excited Pachirisu, admiring every single feature in what seemed to be a very normal house... had it not been for the fact that its walls were decorated with a wave motif, and several Water Pokemon, chief among them a Lapras, had been drawn upon them. It didn't really need a huge stretch of the imagination to understand the rest, and Ash and his team quickly reached Misty, who was still fawning like a fangirl around Lorelei's house, surrounded by a nimbus of golden stars!
"Eeeee! Will you look at that! It's fantastic! I can't believe this, I'm looking at my idol's house!" the redhead squealed, her eyes almost bugging out in excitement! She seemed to be oblivious to the external world... "Hmmm... and why is this Lapras her? Why this Pokemon and not... say, a Dewgong?"
"Lapras is a really important Pokemon for miss Lorelei..." the old fisherman explained. "After all, that was the first Pokemon she ever befriended, back when she was a little girl. Yeah, that was when she ventures into the Ice Cave and got lost! It's a mystical place encased in solid ice, deep in the bowels of that small mountain over there!" With that said, the old man pointed to the rocky hill just a little beyond the city borders.
Dawn blinked in wonder. "A cavern where the ice never melts? How is that possible, since we're very close to the Equator?" she asked.
The wizened man smiled slightly, having expected such a question. "That's just what many around here have wondered. A group of explorers was once sent in there in order to shed some light on this mistery, and well... apparently, after a fair bit of researches, they discovered that a strange artifact, which they nicknamed the Nevermeltice, was responsible for lowering the temperature of the environment and the water inside the cave to freezing levels. They dared not remove it from its place, for fear that doing so would cause the ice to melt, with potentially terrible consequences for the environment. Anyway, as I was saying... rumor has it that miss Lorelei once wandered too deep inside the Ice Cave as a child, and got lost inside of it. A Lapras living in the waters deep underneath helped her find her way out, and they've been the best of friends ever since. They've been travelling together for so many years that I've lost count..."
"It's a bit of a shame I haven't had a chance to see that Lapras in action, back when I met Lorelei..." Ash murmured to himself.
"However, things have taken a turn for the worse, as of recent days..." the old man continued on, his attitude sobering a little, his fingers stroking his short white beard. "The Ice Cave has become the hideout of a criminal group called Team Rocket, that are using it as a base of operations, taking advantage of the fact that few people have ever had the courage of exploring those freezing tunnels. I have no idea what their plan is... but I do know that this is just one of the bases they have got here in Sevii Islands! They've gotten more of them, on Quest, Fortune and Chrono Islands... and it seems that the organization recently acquired some powerful new executives, who are directing the operations."
"What? Team Rocket?" Brock exclaimed, rather surprised by the news. Not that he had forgotten how the criminal syndacate consisted of far more than just the comical Jessie and James, but they had not acted out in quite a long time. And now, they were coming back in full force... which was not good news at all, considering what had happened with Mewtwo and Celebi! After all, the Iron Masked Marauder was a former member of the organization... "We really didn't needthis... we already had quite a few problems to think about, but now I'm afraid things might have gotten out of control..."
"You already had to deal with Team Rocket, kids?" the elderly fisherman asked. "I have to say, I'm quite impressed... it is not easy to just walk away so easily after having to deal with them... I also heard that they recently began to kidnap strong trainers and force them to work for their crime syndacate, but I don't know how much of that is true..."
The news had taken a bit of a toll on everyone's good spirits, and now they just couldn't walk away pretending nothing had happened, knowing that such a menace was so close. However, their guide suggested that this was not the moment to fret over something they couldn't do much about, and they should think of finding a place where they could rest and eat something. "Well, kids... I think the best thing to do, for now, would be to rest up a little... and in any case, even if you have already had some experiences with those people, you really should not involve yourselves in Team Rocket's business... you ought to let the police and the Pokemon League deal with this."
"I guess so..." Gary answered. "And in any case, we're not exactly in the ideal conditions to fight a battle with Team Rocket, considering we've just arrived here... I think we ought to stop and get some rest as well..."
"Pikachu..." the electric mouse squeaked, rubbing his stomach in hunger. And Ash certainly couldn't blame him...
"Well, I guess you're right... okay, guys, let's just stop somewhere and have something to eat." the young Sinnoh champion proposed. "We'll think of what to do later on... though, if you ask me, we should at least take a look at what's going on in the Ice Cave."
"I couldn't agree more, Ash..." Misty answered. Sometimes, Ash's temerity could annoy her, when it went into recklessness territory, but she also thought it was one of his best qualities - never expect Ash Ketchum to back down when there was a challenge to deal with, and this was one of the things she always respected of him...
"I agree as well... though I'm afraid it won't end so simply..." Dawn sighed. "Mister... we are thankful for you lending us a hand, it wa very kind of you!"
"No problem, kids, it's all in a day's work for me!" the old man answered. "Now, just promise me you'll be careful, and you won't try to bite off more than you can chew! See you soon, kids, and hope you will like your stay in Floe Island!"
"We have no doubts about that, mister! See you soon!" Brock said as the team waved goodbye to the old man, then started searching for a place where to eat something. The islander watched them walk away, hoping to himself that those kids knew what they were up against should they decide to oppose Team Rocket and their plans...
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In the huge and elegant mansion belonging to the organization's boss, Giovanni was looking at several images flashing on a computer screen in front of him, a dark scowl on his hard face. Images of Floe Island were being shown on his window... all images that the micro-camera Domino had placed on Ash was recording and transmitting back to him. So, it seemed those meddling kids were going to throw some mud in his plans once again... for some sort of ironic twist of fate, after not having to deal with them for so much time, they popped out again to make trouble for him, and for his most ambitious project. It was a good idea to immediately take precautions, and luckily, he knew just who to ask in such cases...
"Hmm... alright then, I guess the kid gloves have to be off for this one." he toldhimself, before pressing a red button on his left side, contacting other members of Team Rocket. "Giovanni here. I need to speak with the director of personnel, right away."
"Yes, sir... speaking!" a woman''s voice on the other side answered. "How can we be of assistance to you?"
"I need to know whether Attila and Hun have been assigned to the Sevii Islands team, under Archer's leadership." Giovanni answered. "I might soon find myself needing their aid to get rid of some annoyances."
"Hold on a second, sir, I'll check it out..." the woman answered. Giovanni nodded and stood in wait as the secretary began flipping through her documents... and the answer to his question came even earlier than he anticipated! "Yes, sir... I just found the register! I can confirm that Attila and Hun are in Floe Island as we speak. Do you wish for me to contact them now and give them a message from you?"
"I do." Giovanni nodded. "We are finding ourselves facing an unexpected, and possibly troublesome, problem, and I need to be able to count on them, as they are among the most reliable of my agents."
"Right away, Giovanni, sir..." the woman concluded. "I will contact the Floe Island base soon, and give them instructions to move out as soon as they are ready."
"See to it that the trainers that just arrived in Floe Island be removed as soon as possible." Giovanni continued. "I will send you the necessary data via my computer, but most of them are old acquaintaces of our organization. It shouldn't be difficult to locate them, especially since I had Domino put a detector on one of them. I expect a good job from Attila and Hun, so warn them not to disappoint me."
"Of course, sir. Trust on us." the woman answered before the communication ended, and Giovanni turned to his PC screen, where a blinking icon was warning him of an incoming message from Domino. It was certainly news concerning the situation in Sevii Islands, so it had to be urgent news, and the mob leader quickly opened the message and read it. His confident attitude darkened as he got the bad news - it appeared that a few of Kanto' Elite Four had already mobilized in reaction to the alarming news coming from that place. He had ignored the intervention of Phoebe, that Elite Four member from Hoenn, since she obviously did not know about Team Rocket's involvement in the matter... but the same could not be said about the two that, according to his best undercover agent, were on their way to Sevii Archipelago.
"And one of those is also native to Floe Island, so it's also personal for her... tch, just what we didn't need." the Team Rocket boss muttered to himself. "Even with my new executives, Attila and Hun on the place... we certainly can't compare with trainers the likes of Lance and Lorelei. Alright, then, let's try to salvage what we can. If my men could just bring me what we're searching for, a partial success would still be a step forward for us. Alright, let's see about this..."
With that, Giovanni immediately got to his PC and began writing, hoping to himself that he was still on time to salvage the situation...
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"So, guys, what do you think of that? It seems to me Pikachu and our Pokemon are quite enjoying the local food!" Ash said, smiling widely as he looked at Pikachu and the other Pokemon stuff their faces with what looked like seafood-flavored ramen, gulping down huge masses of noodles at the time! The small restaurant Ash and his friends had stopped by was a rather down-to-earth place, but it still had a jolly atmosphere about it, where it was possible to taste specialities of Johto cuisine while sitting at low tables in ilex wood. Of course, all the trainers were grateful to Brock for having chosen the best place to stop at, and Pokemon like Charizard and Dawn's Mamoswine were showing to be very appreciative of local cuisine, at least judging by the whole lot of empty dishes stacked beside them!
"Pikachu!" Pikachu squeaked, flashing a thumbs-up sign to his trainer. "Pika pi, pikachu pika pi!"
Misty sucked a few noodles from her chopsticks and chewed slowly, trying to enjoy the flavor as much as she could. "Hmm, this is real seaside cuisine!" the young Gym Leader commented. "You really chose the right place, Brock!"
Dawn clicked her chopsticks together and winked, before munching on a piece of roasted eel. "Yeah... I do think the Sevii Islands should make themselves known a bit more, they're a great place to spend a quiet vacation in! Especially since there's going to be a new Pokemon League here... it should gather quite a few interested fans!"
"That's what I'm hoping..." Gary said, before recalling the more urgent issue. "Anyway, everyone... let's focus on the matter at hand for now, which is, of course, Team Rocket. In any event, we need to make sure they don't cause any more trouble to this island."
Pikachu, having finished his cup of fish-flavored ramen, climbed up on the table, standing near Ash in order to listen more carefully to what Gary had to say. And Dawn's Buneary, recognizing a good chance to stay close to Pikachu, did the same and got close to the electric mouse!
"Buneary!" the cute bunny Pokemon said, cuddling close to the amazed yellow mouse and ignoring the involuntary discharges of static energy coming from his short fur. Both Ash and Dawn chuckled at the funny scene, and at Pikachu's slight embarassment, before concentrating on the current situation, and on the map of Floe Island that Brock was holding on the table in front of them. "Alright, guys... you got any idea of what we could do? I don't think we have many ways of getting inside the Ice Cave... do we even know where to enter from, just for starters?"
"Well, we could get an idea of what to do from here..." Brock stated, keeping his voice low so that the other clients could not hear him. "There are some winding roads around the rocky hill that should take us close enough to the Team Rocket headquarters without them noticing. However, I suspect Team Rocket might have taken precautions about that, so we need to be careful even in that case..."
"And now that I think of it, Jessie, James and Meowth have been strangely misssing lately..." Ash mused aloud. "And if I know them as well as I think, it's not because they have given up... we'd better be on our guard!" He interrupted himself and looked around in wonder as he noticed Misty, Dawn and Gary looking at him as if he had said that Magikarp was the strongest Pokemon ever! "Huh? Well, what's the matter? Can't one say that we should be careful, since we're in a rather difficult situation?"
"Sheesh, I sure must have missed quite a lot!" Misty stated. "I seem to remember that the Ash Ketchum I travelled with when we were kids would have simply charged head on, and to heck with the consequences!"
"Well, he wasn't that much better when he was with me!" Dawn stated ironically. "I'm glad to see all those experiences taught him some self-preservation instinct!"
"PIKA PIKA!" Pikachu spoke in defense of his trainer. "Pika pi, Pikachu! Pika pikachu pika pikachu!"
"Well, Pikachu does have a point..." Brock answered, rubbing his temple with a slight smile. "Anyway, Ash is right when he says that we need to be careful. You do remember what that old fisherman told us, right? He said that Team Rocket has begun capturing trainers and forcing them to work for us. They might have hostages here, and if this is true, we need to be careful not to involve them..."
"You're right..." Misty stated. "Well, for starters, I think we should..."
A deafening blast interrupted the red-haired Gym Leader the moment something huge and incredibly heavy violently slammed on the inn's wall, toppling tables and chairs, and causing several customers to go sprawling on the ground! With a brief frightened yell, Dawn turned in that direction... and she saw that a part of the wall had crumbled, and two ominous-looking figures were standing among the dust kicked up... when they saw that the newcomers were wearing the trademark Team Rocket uniforms, Ash and Pikachu were expecting them to break out in triumphant laughter and start declaiming their ever-present motto, when he saw that something was definitely out of place: one of them, in fact, was a large and well-built man that looked nothing like the lithe James. More to the point, they did not waste time with introductions or ridiculous mottos and immediately got down to business!
"Sorry for interrupting your meal." the smaller figure, clearly a woman, said in a cold voice as she stood near a colossal Steelix. "But we know for certain that Ash Ketchum and his friends are here."
"We've come to take them. Nobody bugs us, nobody gets hurt! Is that a deal for ya?" the large man said in an ironic, almost mocking, voice which sharply contrasted with his colleague's. Fluttering in the air beside him, standing by for orders, was a ferocious-looking Skarmory. The dust was wiped away a few moments later, allowing Ash and his friends to see who they were dealing with: the large man was blond, with spiky hair and a somewhat tan complexion, wearing blue-tinted sunglasses, while the woman had long silver hair, pale skin and sported a cold yet self-assured countenance. It was clear as day that they were much more dangerous than the Team Rocket Ash and his friends were used to...
"Who... who are those guys?" Dawn wondered out loud as she looked somewhat fearfully at the newcomers. The man with the Skarmory took notice immediately of the blue-haired pre-teen that had spoken, and immediately saw that the group she was a part of also had a Pikachu and a Buneary, just as his superiors had told him!
"Well, what do you know!" he exclaimed. "The little fishies are falling in the net all by themselves! So, kids, I take it you're the rugrats that made fools out of Team Vicious back in Knot Island, huh? You sure know how to set up the fireworks, don't ya?"
"You are to come with us without objections." the woman cut the discussion short, not in the mood for her partner's attempts at being funny. "Should you refuse, we will be forced to use violent means."
"Oh, really? Well, sorry about that, but we're not going to hand ourselves over to people like you!" Ash fired back hotly, with Pikachu already standing by his side.
The blond man chuckled sinisterly. "Y'see, kids, when my partner here said we would have used force, she didn't mean to say she was going to use it on you..." he stated, as the customers began dispersing in fear. With a sudden lunge, that many would have thought impossible of such an heavy creature, his Steelix extended his tail and grabbed a pair of boys, who had been too slow in getting away, in its metal coils, wrapping their arms in a lethal embrace! The ill-fated boys shouted in fear and tried to wriggle free, but the metal serpent's strength was far beyond that of any human, and they couldn't hope to get away. "We're going to reiterate our question. So, do you plan on coming with us, or we have to use force to convince you? Decide fast, ladies and gentlemen, this is a limited offer!"
"Darn..." Gary muttered, stepping away as he tried to grab his Arcanine's Pokeball. Sadly, there was not much they could do without risking the hostages' lives. "You're from Team Rocket, huh? What are you doing on this island, and what are your plans?"
"We're not to answer that. We are the ones asking the questions here." the woman answered. "So, what will it be? Yes or no?"
Ash angrily grit his teeth, not knowing what to do. Pikachu lit up his cheek pouches as Misty, Dawn, Gary and Brock all tried to grab their Pokeballs. They knew they had to attack swiftly in order to free the hostages from Steelix's grab, but they weren't sure when to make their attempt.
"This is bad... yes or no..." Misty murmured to herself. This would have gone on for who knows how long, had something unexpected come to the kids' help inthe form of a sudden and powerful Bubblebeam attack that came from behind Steelix and hit the Steel/Ground type in the back of his head, causing him to roar in pain as some joints rusted in place. He relinquished his hold on the two boys, who were able to wriggle free and run away as Steelix was recovering, while the tw Team Rocket agents were only able to gape in amazement! Ash and his friend turned that way as well, just in time for a powerful Psychic attack, in the form of a glowing pink sphere of energy, to hit Skarmory and throw him against the wall of the inn! The steely raptor shrieked and thrashed, and somehow managed to keep aloft, but the advantage of surprise was gone, and now the two criminals were facing another opponent, one who seemed to be a lot more of a match for them: a beautiful woman of no more than thirty years of age, with long and shiny fucsia hair, and shining looking glasses, her expression severe and as cold as ice! She was wearing a red short-sleeved shirt that showed off her forms well enough, a violet high-cut skirt and black high-heeled shoes... and as she walked to the two Team Rocket members, several inhabitants of the small island were looking at her in wonder and relief, as if a local heroine had just come to chase away the evldoers! The truth wasn't all that far off, of course...
"Hey, hold on a sec..." the blond guy grunted, his previous bravado replaced with uncertainty and wariness...
"You are..." the woman murmured, stopping before completing her sentence, as if saying that the rest was obvious. Misty was the first to look in that direction, and her eyes widened in amazement when she recognized her idol!
Lorelei, one of Kanto's Elite Four, had just arrived, and she seemed ready to personally deal with the two evildoers! A Dewgong and a Slowbro were accompanying her, ready to attack again in case the Team Rocket agents tried something funny.
"Oh, dear, I can't believe it!" Misty exclaimed in giddiness, sparks and hearts floating all around her! "Guys, now this is what I call a lucky break! We're going to witness the great Lorelei in action!"
Ash sweatdropped comically. "I see that your admiration towards her hasn't waned after all this time, Mist..."
The Elite Four member stopped some distance away from the two Team Rocket members and looked at them with icy calm, hands on her hips. "Hm. Attila and Hun, agents working for Team Rocket. Your infamy precedes you even here in the Sevii Islands. I'm sorry, but I cannot allow you to cause problems to my countrymen. Therefore, I need to ask that you kindly remove yourselves from here. Refuse, and I will be forced to use less pleasant methods." she stated, with such convinction that even the two criminals looked somewhat awed by it. After all, they both knew they were no match for an Elite Four...
"Tch... well, that's a surprise, the heroine has come to save these brats..." Attila growled caustically. "Well, Hun, I'm afraid we're out of the picture with this!"
"I agree." the woman admitted bitterly. "We cannot stand up to an Elite Four member by ourselves. Alright, we'll retreat for this once... but we won't let it end that easily! Abra, Teleport!"
Hun opened a Pokeball she had, and let out the small Psychic-type Pokemon, who immediately concentrated and caused Attila, Hun, their Pokemon and himself to vanish in a small display of light. Lorelei was dazzled for a split second by the flash, and sighed in disappointment - she had hoped to apprehend those scoundrels in order to question them, but that option had just flown out of the window. Well, no matter... what really was important was the fact that Attila and Hun had not managed to capture those kids...
She had little time to dwell on that though, as her fellow citizens immediately began applauding and congratulating her in loud voices, praising her intervention!
"Yahooo! You were great, Lorelei!"
"Just as expected from our local heroine!"
"Serves those scoundrels right!"
"Oh, dear..." Lorelei tried to hold off thecrowd with a modest smile. "Now, now, everyone... I just did wat needed to be done! By the way, about the kids that those brutes were threatening... where are they? Are they alright? There are no injured, right?"
"Yes... yes, miss Lorelei, they're alright! Even thanks to your intervention! And luckily, nobody got hurt in this!" a woman answered, pointing to the group of teenagers (and one pre-teen) that had been the Team Rocket agents' targets, and then to the two boys that had been captured by Hun's Steelix. "Thank you very much..."
"Miss Lorelei! I never thought we would meet again this way!" the enthusiastic voice of a teenaged boy exclimed, as the owner of said voice approached Lorelei. The Kanto Elite four recognized a few of the teens present in that group, but she was sure she had never seen the older teen with the dark skin and the perpetually-closed eyes, the boy with the messy reddish hair, or the blue-haired pre-teen with the white beret and the Buneary by her side.
"You were outstanding, miss Lorelei!" Misty exclaimed, her hands together and several pink hearts flying from all around her! "Your Dewgong and Slowbro were magnificent, really! They chased away those two... I always said you were the best!"
"Er... okay, Misty, we already knew that you were a huge fan of hers..." Dawn commented with a nervous giggle. "But don't you think you're going a little too far?"
Lorelei, who had seemed ice-cold and frigid while standing up to Attila and Hun, immediately turned to a warmer tone, smiling kindly to the trainers. "My, this is a surprise indeed. I never thought I would see you again in such an occasion, and I can see you've brought some new friends with you as well." she greeted, while looking carefully at each member of the team. "Well, I'm very honored you've come visit my birthplace, though I wish we were able to meet under more favourable circumstances... huh?"
Brock, seemingly forgetting that he and his friends had been about to be kidnapped, approached Lorelei with a gentlemanly demeanor, holding her hand and talking in a warm, charming voice! "There is no need to apologize, kind lady..." he affirmed, looking straight in her eyes in his latest attempt to impress a girl! "On the contrary, I count myself lucky for being able to share such an happening with you. I would be very grateful if you'd honor me..."
*FLAAAASH!*
"Croagunk!"
*STAB!*
"AAAAARGH!" Brock screamed, dropping to the ground in a daze as soon as Croagunk popped out of his Pokeball and Poison Jabbed him in the buttocks! Soon after, Misty went to retrieve the ladykiller-wannabe, dragging him away by the ear!
"I apologize for my friend as well, miss Lorelei!" Misty said, showing her best commercial smile! "It's an habit of his, whenever he sees a pretty girl that's not me... but Croagunk and I can handle this! Thanks for the help, Croagunk..."
"Croa!" the toad Pokemon gave a thumbs-up, never losing that toothy smile of his.
Lorelei blinked twice in surprise, then cleared her voice and resumed speaking. "A-hem... I see that! As I was saying... it's a pleasant surprise to see you again! I still remember when we met in Mandarin Island... though I see there are some new faces around here."
"That's true... it's a little long to explain, but we've come here to try and discovered what's going on with some strange recent happenings. First off, we've had weird weather in Knot Island and in the oceans between Hoenn and Sinnoh... and we are afraid there's something sinister behind all of this! We're not sure what it is exactly, but..." Ash answered. "By the way, that's my friend Gary, and he's from Pallet Town just like me... the guy with the Croagunk is Brock, an old friend of mine from Pewter City... and finally Dawn, a friend of mine from Sinnoh!"
"We're honored to meet you, miss Lorelei." Gary greeted with a small bow. Brock lifted an arm, even though he was completely stiff from the Poison Jab, and murmured what could reasonably sound like a greeting!
"I'm very honored as well, miss Lorelei!" Dawn answered gently.
Lorelei nodded to all of them. "The pleasure is all mine, everybody! Yes, I heard about these strange phenomena as well, and I know for certain that the Hoenn Pokemon League had already sent one of their own Elite Four to do some investigations." she answered. "Anyway, the Kanto Pokemon League is mobilitizing as well. At the moment, we're keeping an eye out for Team Rocket, who we know has estabilished some operating bases in this island, as well as Chrono, Fortune and Quest Islands. And it's not just about kidnapping trainers... I heard that they're also trying to get their hands on a particularly powerful Pokemon resting in Quest Island, though we are still unclear on its identity. We think both Team Rocket and the other organization, Team Vicious, have their eyes set on that Pokemon, for motives that, while still nebulous, surely can't be anything good."
"Then, it's even worse than we thought..." Gary murmured. "We have to try and stop them before they can find this Pokemon..."
"Pika pikachu! Pikachu pika chuu..." Pikachu affirmed.
Lorelei nodded with a small sigh. "You're right about that... but if you really wish to help me taking on Team Rocket, I'd suggest you come with me. I'm nt the only one who has decided to move, as this is a matter that concerns pretty much everyone... both in the Kanto League, and in the League that's soon to be founded in the sevii Archipelago."
"Yeah, we heard about that..." Ash mused. "They've sent some of their trainers as well, I take it..."
"Yeah, and one of the soon-to-be Gym Leaders noticed your fighting prowess back at Knot Island..." Lorelei went on as she began guiding the group through the streets. "Just follow me, and I'll introduce you to a couple of trainers that have accepted to help us stop those criminals... and you'll also get a chance to meet an old friend of yours!"
The young Elite Four winked at Ash and his friends, who asked themselves what exactly did she mean by that... but they did not ask further, and began following her to the place she was speaking of, followed by the encouragement of several Floe Island inhabitants...
oooooooooo
"And that concludes our report, commander Ariana." Attila stated, standing on attention in front of Archer and the only female among Team Rocket's new executives. "Lorelei, one of Kanto's Elite Four, is on this island, and it won't be long before she comes to ruin our operations. If we are to keep this operation intact, we need to immediately evacuate the hideout and give up the NeverMeltIce. None of us are a match for a member of the Elite Four."
"I have no doubt about that, Attila." Ariana answered, thoughtfully rubbing at her chin. "It was most unfortunate that our operation has been discovered so early. And yet, I think it's still too early to speak of abandoning the plan. A recent report from our other hideouts in Sevii has informed me that our operators are getting close to the other targets we are searching for... and if we do things right, we might kill two Pidgey with one stone. Lorelei and the other Elite Four members might be too tough for us to defeat in a straight-up Pokemon battle... but nobody ever said we have to face them this way, if you know what I mean."
Attila frowned uncertainly, while Archer smirked nastily and nodded in approval, having rightly guessed what his underling was trying to say. "Of course... that's a great idea, Ariana! Since Lorelei likes Ice-type Pokemon so much, we'll make sure she stays with them... for the rest of time! Truly a fitting end for an Ice master... Attila, Hun! You two take your positions, we have to be ready to meet with Lorelei and the other intruders as soon as they arrive!"
"Yes, sir!" the two criminals answered at the same time. They still weren't sure what their leader had in mind, but it wasn't their nature to discuss an order, and Archer was competent enough to have earned their respect.
"In the meantime, we'll begin evacuation, and we'll take as many hostages with us as we can." Ariana went on. "This unprecedented event will cause a few annoyances, but it shouldn't be able to damage our plans beyond a certain extent! We'll immediately begin the operations... time is of the essence here!"
"Yes, ma'am... and what about those two fools and their talking Meowth?" Hun asked, more out of curiosity than because she actually cared.
Archer shrugged. "As they say, you can't make an omelette without breaking a few eggs, and those three weren't exactly valuable pawns. We'll use them to entertain our guests... we just need them to buy us some time, so we can escape safely. We'll get rid of quite a few annoyances this way."
"Good." Ariana said, clearly satisfied with that. "I like it when annoyances are dealt with swiftly. I just hope we don't find ourselves facing more of those. You two can go. Leave the rest to us."
Attila and Hun saluted and walked away, towards the section where the hostages' cells were located...
oooooooooo
"Alright, guys, we're almost there!" Lorelei said as she guided her guests through a small maze of narrow roads, until they reached a small plaza right behind a Pokemon Center. Ah, Pikachu and their friends, however, were left quite puzzled when they discovered that it was a dead end, and began asking themselves just what did the Elite Four member have in mind, and where she was taking them.
"Hmmm... with all due respect, miss Lorelei, I'm not sure I'm really convinced." the young Sinnoh champion commented. "I mean, this doesn't seem it's going anywhere... are you sure you haven't gotten lost?"
"What on Earth do you think you're saying, Ash?" a rather annoyed Misty repriminded him. "Could you please learn to turn your brain on before opening that mouth of yours? Miss Lorelei was born on this island, of course she knows where to go!"
"Well, excuse me for asking where on Earth we're going, Misty!" Ash replied, somewhat bitterly. He had forgotten how stingy Misty could be whenever she started acting as if she knew better, and she hadn't lost that part of her personality in the three years they hadn't seen each other!
Pikachu, feeling himself develop an headache that would make Psyduck proud, shook his head and called the two squabbling teens back to attention by making his cheek pouches crackle. "Pika pi, pikachu pi!" the electric mouse squeaked.
Luckily, as they heard Pikachu's voice, Ash and Misty immediately stopped and looked at each other in embarassment. "Er... you're right, Pikachu... and sorry, Ash, I shouldn't have snapped at you now that there are more important things to worry about. So, miss Lorelei... where is this place you've used to gather together?" the red-headed Gym Leader asked.
"Pika..." Pikachu sighed, happy about having averted a pointless squabble that could have drawn some unwanted attention on them. Then, the Electric-type Pokemon turned to the wall Lorelei had approached, as there was something that didn't really convince him about that. "Pika pika pikachu?"
Lorelei smiled kindly. "Well, this is kind of a secret. We of the Kanto Pokemon League have organized this just in case there were problems like the one we're facing now." she affirmed as she placed her delicate hand on a stone tile, in the crude stones of the wall. "You're among the few I will trust with this secret."
"Secret? What's this all..." Dawn started to say before Lorelei pushed a seemingly invisible tile on the wall. With a dull sound of stone scraping on stone, a rectangular section of the wall immediately began sliding sideways, revealing a ramp of stairs going downwards, in the underground tunnels of Floe Island, to the surprised eyes of the team! The blue-haired girl widened her eyes in surprise when Lorelei stepped aside and motioned for them to enter!
"Please, be my guests!" she said, with the same seraphic calm she would have used to invite them to having a tea in her living room! "It might not be the greatest of accomodations, but it's a good start for the planning of our... let's say, counterattack! Come on, follow me!"
Lorelei began descending the stairs, motioning for the young trainers to follow her... and one at the time, the members of Ash's group followed her in the dank, uncomfortably warm corridor, completely empty except for a few lamps hanging off the walls. Pikachu and Piplup held close to their respective trainers, being as careful as they could . They could hear the sound of the stone wall sliding back in position before the passageway closed behind them... and after a short yet disconforting walk down the stairs, the team reached a large wooden door in a stone wall right in front of the stairway. Lorelei approached the door and knocked twice, then once, and finally twice again... and the large door opened with a creaking sound, allowing the team to enter!
"That was just a... code, let's put it like that, for identification." Lorelei told her teenaged friends. "Now... I shall introduce you to the current members of our anti-Rocket group! Though I think you already know one of them."
"Well, you're back on time, Lorelei!" A male voice, that Ash, Misty and Brock knew for sure they had already heard, with a confident yet kind tone to it, greeted the ice mistress. "So, have you managed to find our young friends?"
"Of course I did, Lance!" she answered, adjusting her glasses as her eyes got accustomized to the different lighting. As Ash and his friends entered the large room, most of them remained flabbergasted when they saw just who had spoken earlier... it was none other than Lance the Dragon Trainer, the strongest trainer in all of Kanto and Johto, standing near a large rectangular table, next to two trainers Ash and his friends had never seen before! Ash, Misty and Brock had already met the Kanto and Johto Champion during a trip to the Lake of Rage, in the midst of their Johto journey, and he had helped them calming down an enraged Shiny Gyarados and blow a Team Rocket plot to kingdom come... and not only that, Ash and Brock had met the legendary trainer once again during the deciding battle against Team Magma and Team Aqua, when Groudon and Kyogre were about to be awakened!
"Lance!" Misty exclaimed as the team entered the room and looked around. Just then, the two unknown trainers sitting at the table stood up - a boy and a girl, the former dressed like a professional biker, with a red suit decorated with orange flames, and a 15 drawn on his chest and back, scarlet gloves and white boots, and wearing a yellow helmet on the back of which a rising sun could be seen drawn. His face was half-hidden, but his confident, sky-blue eyes were still visible, and Ash could see, as he came a little closer, that he had what looked like a lightning tattooed on his cheekbone. In other words, he seemed like a passionate and fiery individual, which was further compound by the vivacious Arcanine that was following him, and that was now standing at attention, wagging his bushy tail!
The girl, on the other hand, was a dark-looking beauty, a few years older than Ash, with an elegant Gothic Lolita dressing style: she was dressed almost completely in black, with some white highlights on her skirt, and her pure white socks sharply contrasted with her black shoes. Even her long, smooth hair was black, highlighting the red ribbon decorating it, while her eyes were dark and piercing, with a rather pale complexion that looked out of place for someone who lived near the Equator. She, too, had a Pokemon already out - a proud-looking Mightyena, with pitch-black fur and a sharp gaze.
"Hmm... I have to say, I never thought I'd meet the ones who have defeated Moltres a few days ago so soon." the girl said, looking at Ash and his friends as she petted her Mightyena. "I have to say, I was quite impressed with your performance back then."
"This coming from you, Miyu... it means a lot, huh?" the biker answered as he took his helmet off, revealing long, almost shiny blond hair that cascaded until halfway across his back - he was a really handsome person, enough to leave Misty and Dawn amazed for a few seconds! "Hehehee... to elaborate, my friend Miyu, here, isn't exactly generous when it comes to complimenting people! Guess it comes with the territory of being an aspiring Dark-type Gym Leader... it's not quite like training the fierce and passionate Fire-types, right, Arcanine?"
"NINE!" the canine Pokemon barked, his fur emitting flames for just a second.
Lance chuckled politely, before clearing his throat and greeting the group of young trainers. "Well, Ash... looks like our ways cross again!" he affirmed. "Of course, I would have rather met you again under more favourable circumstances, but that's just the way it is... anyway, I'm glad to have met you again, and to see that there are some new people with you. I suppose you must be Gary Oak... Professor Oak's grandson, right?" he asked, referring to the young researcher.
"That's me..." Gary politely answered. "I have heard a lot about you and your skill, Lance, and I am lad to make your acquaintance as well."
"As for me... my name is Dawn, and I come from Sinnoh!" the blue-haired girl introduced herself, holding her Piplup in her arms. "And... this is my partner, Piplup! We're very glad to see you too... and we hope to be of some help as well!"
"Piplup! Piplup!" the cocky penguin Pokemon chirped in response.
"Oh, right, I have heard of you as well... after all, I did follow the Sinnoh Grand Festival myself." the Dragon-type expert answered. "Still... welcome to all of you! The ones you see with me and m colleague Lorelei are two of the future Gym Leaders of the upcoming Sevii League, currently waiting for official registration. Miyu, Dark-type expert, and Homura, Fire-type expert."
"Charmed!" the blond guy named Homura introduced himself.
"Honored to meet you as well." Miyu greeted with a small nod. "So the rumours about your prowess weren't exaggerated, Ash Ketchum. You really are as strong as I heard, for taking on Moltres and come out in one piece."
"Er... thanks, I guess!" Ash thanked, secretly feeling proud of having been recognized for his successes for once. After all, most new trainers he met tended to remember him for competitions he had lost... "But how do you know about me and my friends meeting Moltres?"
Miyu smiled slightly. "My Mightyena, Night Sky, and I were there when it happened. We were investigating those Team Vicious guys, and we happened to be present when Moltres broke free of Mt. Ember. We were going to come and help too, but when we got close, you and your friends had already defeated that beast... and we were boh amazed at that, right, Night Sky?"
"Might!" the Mightyena barked.
"I see... that aside, I guess you already know the reason why we organized all of this. It's all in order to chase Team Rocket away from this island, and the Sevii Island in general." Lorelei explained. "We already know that they have found themselves an hideout in the Ice Cave, deep inside this island's bowels. What we need to do now is get inside their base, free the hostages and keep Team Rocket from stealing the NeverMeltIce, the artifact that keeps the cave at freezing temperatures."
"We have no idea what Team Rocket wants to do with it... but if they do manage to steal it, the ice would soon melt because of the high temperatures, and this island's ecosystem would be greatly damaged." Lance added. "We already have worked out a way to reach their hideout, but until now we didn't have the numbers needed to pull off anattack, at least not until you came here. He sighed, looking at Ash and his friends... and the black-haired trainer sighed himself and smiled. After all, he thought, wherever he went, trouble found its way to him, and he would have helped out anyway.
"Of course I will help!" he said, glancing at his friends and receiving approving nods from all of them. "So, Lance... what do you propose we do?"
The dragon tamer scratched his chin thoughtfully. "Admittedly, my plan isn't completely foolproof, but in the end, I think it's also the most convenient one." he affirmed. "You should know that..."
oooooooooo
TO BE CONTINUED...
Author's Note: With this chapter, several well-known characters reenter the scene: Lorelei, Lance, Attila, Hun (from the Legend of Thunder episodes)... and of course, my two OC trainers, Miyu and Homura! Anyone noticed how there is a total absence of Dark-type Gym Leaders, even in Generation V games? We have Karen of Johto's Elite Four, but other than her... nope, I got nothing.
You've already glimpsed at Miyu and her star Pokemon, the Mightyena Night Sky, in the Knot Island chapters, and I hope she will be an interesting character! About time someone recognized Ash's successes as well, huh? If only the writers weren't insisting that Ash is a weak trainer who only lucks out from time to time...
Okay, I'm rambling. Shutting up now... and I hope you've enjoyed this chapter! See you soon, everyone!