Pokemon Heart Soul Adventures
Here I am!
And this chapter marks the beginning of the end for the Sevii Islands saga, as Ash and his friends meet again on Quest Island. Team Rocket is gathering all of their forces on the last of the mysterious islands, and this time, they will surely take no chances - they already have a few nasty surprises ready for our friends, and now that they know unwelcome guests are coming, they will waste no time getting well prepared to greet them. Their plans are at a critical point, just as Ash's search is... and rest assured that an heart-pounding showdown is in the works!
Again, there will be some old faces showing up in this chapter... I see that Harley's return in the latest chapter was received with a little bit of annoyance, but then again, being annoying and ridiculous is kind of Harley's hat! At least, considering how (albeit reluctantly) May just encased him in a nice pillar of ice, we can count on him at least not being a nuisance for a while! And I'll be focusing more on Ash and his friends' struggle to chase Team Rocket away from the Sevii Archipelago, at least for the next 4-5 chapters.
With that said, I think nothing more needs to be added! The showdown with the most well-known villains of the world of Pokemon is about to begin, and I can't assure you that nobody will get hurt. Perhaps this one won't be such an action-filled chapter, but the next one... oooh, boy!
Let's not waste any more time, shall we? Happy reading, and hope you will like what you read!
oooooooooo
Chapter 34 - The Last Island
Hun slowly stepped in the darkened cave, only accompanied by the steely flapping on her Skarmory's wings as she approached an heavy steel door at the end of the natural corridor, holding in one hand the very same Ruby that Archer and Petrel had stolen from Fortune Island, whose crimson luminescence acted like a weak torchlight spreading a red aura all around her. Her expression was still as cold and unreadable as it almost always was, and no excitement or pride for how close Team Rocket's plan was to fruition was visible on her face. Rather, it could be argued that she was somewhat annoyed at the fact that the other half of Team Rocket's top executives had failed to bring the Sapphire from Chrono Island.
Anyway, as long as Quest Island remained under Team Rocket's control, they still held the advantage. And as soon as they got their hands on the third and last of the gems, the Emerald, all they had left to do was take the Sapphire back from those meddling kids. Giovanni would certainly be happy to know about their success...
Almost without even knowing, the Team Rocket agent had gotten to the heavy steel door. Calmly, she slid one glove off her hand and placed the tip of her finger on a sensor placed on the side of the door, which read her fingerprint and beeped to signal that she had been admitted inside. With a low wheeze, the door slid open and allowed Hun to enter a new room, filled with strange machinery and dimly lit by a strange column of green light rising up from the center. Two familiar - to her, at least - looking men were standing close to the light, and as soon as she was in, they turned to greet her.
"Ah, very well! Our dear Hun is back!" a rather small men about in his fifties, with short and smooth black hair, and wearing beady looking glasses, dressed in a white lab coat on black clothes. "It seems to me that the mission to recover the Ruby has been successful... right?"
"Exactly, professor Sebastian..." Hun anwered as she reached the two men - the latter of which was obviously her partner in crime Attila - and showing them the firey red gem she held in her hand. "Archer and Petrel have managed to retrieve it from the ruins of Fortune Island. Luckily, those meddling trainers that intervened to stop them didn't have any luck, though they managed to slow operations down a little. It appears the trap we set up in Floe Island did not work as we wanted."
"I see. More's the pity, then." Sebastian said as he received the Ruby from Hun's hands and looked greedily at it. "But we have our chance to get rid of them once and for all, now. As we speak, we are close to recovering the Emerald as well, which means that two of three sacred gems will soon be in our hands. From there, it's all a matter of working up a plan to recover the Sapphire from wherever those meddling kids have sent it, and e're all set! I'd say, given the circumstances, we are in a pretty good position."
"And there are more interesting news, my dear Hun!" Attila stated. "Y'see, while the excavation work was going on, we... accidentally stumbled upon te resting place of a very nifty Pokemon that has been slumbering underground for who knows how long! Just imagine what this discovery might mean for us... if we were to control this Pokemon, we would have nothing to fear anymore!"
For once in a while, Hun smiled... the smile of a snake before it strikes its prey! "Really? That's very interesting, indeed... we can safely say that the advantage is ours!" the silver-haired agent stated. "Now, I reckon we will have to deal with the meddling fools that will soon try to crash our party, won't we?"
"That's never gonna happen! As soon as those rugrats show up, we teach them a lesson they are sure not to forget that easily!" Attila chuckled as he cracked his knuckles sinisterly. "Alright, prof... how long until our Sleeping Beauty Pokemon wakes up from the nap?"
"Not too long, I dare say... but if you could keep those anoying kids at bay for a while, that'd be very nice!" Sebastian answered, punching a few lines into a pocket calculator. "Anyway, they'll take a while to get to Quest Island, and they will certainly have to stop at a Pokemon Center to rest themselves and their Pokemon. We've got quite some time to prepare ourselves."
"That's good." Hun answered. "If that is the case, we might as well start now. I have no intention of being caught off guard when those Elite Four arrive."
An evil light shone into Professor Sebastian's glasses, while his thin lips curved upwards in a vicious smile...
oooooooooo
Ash had to admit, flying during the nighttime on Charizard's back, with his inseparable Pikachu in his arms, was a really exciting experience, made all the more spectacular by the marvelous starry sky hanging over them - a sky as blue as the deepest sea, dotted with countless stars that formed impressive tangles of light, the quiet sounds of the sea and the wind all around him and his companions. The fact that the climate was reasonably warm in spite of the heavy wind made the whole atmosphere calmer and more relaxed...
But sadly, even that coud not erase the knowledge that this extraordinary journey has a very serious motive behind - to discover Team Rocket's last hideout in the Sevii Archipelago, and stop the criminal cartel before they could do any more damage. Just like their arival in Fortune Island, Gary and Brock were flying on Ash's right side, on the back of Lance's Aerodactyl, while the Kanto and Johto Champion, along with Homura, was riding on his faithful Dragonite's back, who was flying on Ash's left side. Just a little behind, James and Meowth were following on board their hot air balloon. The journey had been going on for quite some time now, and they were sure they were going to reach their destination soon.
In fact, just a few minutes later, Pikachu squeaked and pointed to the emerging land just below them, causing the three Flying-type Pokemon to drop down a little to have a better look - just as Ash and his friends surmised, it was the island they were looking for... which looked rather different from the other islands they had been to: it was a long, narrow and rocky island filled with tall mountains, with just a small village in its northmost area, consisting of a few dozen houses among the tall rocky cliffs. For themost part, the island was dominated by a wide rocky canyon running through it from north to south, and the southmost part consisted of a small sandy beach, with a Pokemon Center placed right at the entrance of the impressive canyon. Lance nodded to himself and pointed to the beach with his hand.
"Okay, this is it! We've arrived at Quest Island!" Brock stated, pointing to what looked like a good landing place. The three Pokemon they were riding slowly began their descent, and James lowered the hot air balloon at the same time... and a couple minutes later, the party had reached the beach, and the three Pokemon landed, kicking up some sand.
"Well, here we are!" Homura said as he climbed down the back of Lance's Dragonite and stretching the kinks out of himself. "Well, this is where Team Rocket has brought that Ruby... they sure have a lot of hiding places, in these islands..."
Dragonite looked at the entrance of the canyon and let out a short, melodious call of agreement. It seemed they were in for a long and perilous search the next morning...
"Well, we've come this far." Gary said as he looked around. "As for the girls... Lance, did they tell you anything about how and where we were going to meet?"
The champion took a look at the time. "Yes, they should be here shortly..." he calmly stated. "I think we'll just need to wait about a quarter of an hour, but Lorelei told me there should be no problems about the place of the meeting. This should be it, in fact, and there's not much getting confused here."
"Pikachu! Pika pi, pika pika pikachu?" Pikachu exclaimed. The electric mouse had listened to Lance's words with a single ear, since he seemed to be busy listeningto some faraway call with the other... a mysterious, enthralling sund only he seemed to be able to hear. It was some sort of distant song, mixed with what sounded like a call for help, and it had such a sad, desperate feel to it... There was something wrong with that island, Pikachu was sure of that... but he wasn't sure he wanted to know what was that...
"Don't worry, Pikachu, I'm sure the girls are doing okay as well!" Ash cheered him up, not realizing what his best friend was feeling. "After all, miss Lorelei is with them, right? She's one of Kanto's Elite Four, and Misty and Dawn are pretty capable of taking care of themselves too!"
"Pika pi..." Pikachu squeaked with a slight smile. He had not missed the fact that, ever since their journey through Sevii Islands had started, his best friend had been paying more attention to the pretty red-haired Gym Leader. Who knew whether that meant something... But hepushed those thoughts aside, as right then Homura called for their attentionand pointed to the open sea, towards something that was approaching between a pair of water sprays. It was clearly a motor boat...
"Hey, guys, look at that! They're here even earlier than planned!" the Fire-type expert exclaimed, pointing to the approaching boat. Ash and his friends looked in that direction, and Brock took a binocular out of his backpack to get a better look. Luckily, his hopes were not dashed: the dark-skinned boy smiled to himself as he recognized Lorelei at the helm of the boat, with Misty, Dawn, Ursula, Jessie and Miyu sitting behind her. They all seemed to be in high spirits, which led Brock to think that their mission to Chrono Island had been successful.
"Yes, that's them! Miss Lorelei and the girls are here!" Brock announced, and Ash couldn't help but smile in relief. As soon as Lorelei's motor boat was close enough to the coastline, Ash, Pikachu and Gary began waving at her to signal their position, with Misty and Dawn doing the same thing a few seconds later. Only one minute later, the boat approached a small and rather neglected-looking pier facing the open sea, and Lorelei approached it and stopped there, allowing her friends to disembark. The boys went to greet them almost instantly, and Jessie, in particular, had to deal with James and Meowth almost hugging her in excitement!
"Welcome back, Jessie! Team Rocket is whole again!" the azure-haired boy exclaimed with excessive emphasis! "Oh, if only you knew... Team Rocket is just not the same without you!"
Jessie had to admit she agreed with that, and it was uncomfortable to travel without them... but she was rather put off by the excessive emphasis they were using was leaving her quite nonplussed! "Ugh... hey, hold on a sec, James! I understand, you don't have to hug me to say that!" she exclaimed, a vein popping up on her head and James hugged her in excitement!
"Heh, you know how Jamey-boy here is, Jessie..." Meowth commented. "Still, I have to say, he did a good job even without you! You should have seen how his Slugma beat up those jerks' Pokemon!"
"Heh, well... what do you know! Team Rocket does not seem to be that ineffective, when they team up with us!" Misty joked. "But anyway... yeah, we did a good job there, if I do say so myself! We even snatched some kind of gemstone from Team Rocket... a Sapphire that the Team Rocket executives wanted to use for their plans."
"As soon as we were back at the Chrono Island Pokemon Center, I sent the Sapphire to Pokemon League HQ. I was not going to run the risk of Team Rocket getting it back from us." Lorelei stated. "We will conduct some studies on that gem as soon as we have time, in order to understand what Team Rocket wanted to use it for."
Lance nodded, approving his colleague's thinking. "Yes, that was a good idea, Lorelei. However, now we have to snatch the third gem away from Team Rocket. Their main HQ is here, somewhere in this island. And I'm sure they have some nasty surprise in store for us."
As Lance and Lorelei continued discussing the situation, Ash, Brock and Gary were busy greeting the girls, while Homura was asking Miyu a few questions about what they had faced. "Well, at least you girls have had more luck that we did." Brock explained. "We had almost managed to steal the Ruby from Team Rocket, but they managed to get away at the last moment."
"Darn... well, at least you're all here, and nobody got hurt." Dawn stated, her worry seeping through her expression. "However... do we know where to look for Team Rocket here, in this island?"
"That's what we're going to think about tomorrow." Gary answered. "For now, we should head to that Pokemon Center right there, and think of resting up our Pokemon and ourselves. We have a long day ahead of us, tomorrow..."
"I'm surely not going to argue with that..." Ursula murmured as she stifled a yawn.
The team, after gathering together and checking the last few things, began walking towards the Pokemon Center... and Miyu, who had hardly spoken a word ever since the boat had arrived, turned to the canyon, staring in the darkness as if she had seen something mesmerizing only she could perceive... and her faithful Mightyena, Night Sky, seemed to be seeing the same thing...
oooooooooo
The evening had been nothing out of the ordinary. After stopping to have something to eat, the young trainers had taken up a few places to rest in the Pokemon Center, stopping there for the night.
But when the time to go to sleep had come, someone was having trouble doing so... and among them was the young Sinnoh Conference winner, Ash Ketchum, who at the moment was walking along the beach he and his friends had disembarked on, his faithful Pikachu walking alongside him. He was feeling oddly nervous... which was rather strange to him, as he had faced many dangerous situations before, and had always come out of them more or less intact - excluding him pretty much dying during the whole Mewtwo debacle...
Still, he was having a pretty weird feeling now, something he did not remember ever feeling. They were not living "just another adventure", but something that was going to have more far-reaching consequences. Yes, Ash knew that was not a rational feeling, but he had never been the rational type, anyway!
"Pika pi..." Pikachu said, understanding his trainer's feelings better than anyone else aside from his mom. After all, he could relate - that uneasy feeling he was having ever since they arrived in Quest Island was not going away, and he was still hearing that strange ghostly call, desperate and threatening at the same time... and truth be told, he had no idea what to think...
"You're a little worried as well, huh, Pikachu?" the young boy rhetorically asked his best friend as he bent down to pick him up, and Pikachu squeaked his own name in assent. "Yeah, I can see what you mean... I have to admit, I'm a little nervous about the whole deal myself. It may be because we've already faced a Legendary Pokemon at Knot Island, or because I did not expect Team Rocket to make such a comeback."
"Pika pika pichu pika chu?" Pikachu asked with a shrug, to which Ash rubbed the back of his head and sighed once again.
"Yeah... that too... I was definitely not expecting Hunter J and the Iron Masked Marauder to show up once again..." Ash eflected. Those two had among been the most dangerous and despicable opponents he had ever come across, along with Grings Kodai and the Team Galactic leader Cyrus. "But I guess it's no use to reminisce about that. Should they show up again, we'll face them... and we won't be beaten, right? That's something I'm sure of, at the very least!"
"Pika!" Pikachu winked. At least, he was happy tosee that, despite his worries, his trainer and best friend still kept his positive attitude. At the two inseparable friends walked closer to the sea, accompanied by the quiet, lulling sound of the waves coming and going, the electric mouse suddenly noticed that there was someone on the beach as well, some distance away from them: a familiar red-haired girl standing in front of the sea, watching three Pokemon that were having fun among the waves. "Pika pi? Pika pika pikachu pi?"
"Huh? Sorry, Pikachu, I can't make out who..." Ash answered as he got closer to the figure and the three wading Pokemon. Under the moonlight, though, the young boy managed to get a better visual, and was a little surprised - yet still happy - to see Misty watching over her Azurill, Mantyke and Psyduck, who were frolicking in the shallow water. Or rather, Azurill and Mantyke were frolicking, and the hapless Psyduck seemed to have been dragged into it, either by having to carry Azurill on his back, or by being a "volunteer" for Mantyke's attempt at taking flight! In both cases, the results were debatable...
"Psy, ay, ayyy..." Psyduck murmured as he plunged back into the water after akking yet another ill thought-out attempt at grabbing Mantyke's tail as she soared above the water!
"Hey, Psyduck, it was you who went out of the Pokeball without me calling you out!" Misty stated, too used to the psychic duck's antics to really get angry at him. "And when Azurill and Mantyke asked you to play with them, you were willing to go with them, right? Or is it just me?"
It wasn't just her, and all Psyduck could do was to sigh and resign to his role as a reluctant baby sitter. This, just a moment before Azurill jumped on his back once again, with enough enthusiasm that the psychic duck lost his footing and fell in the water face first, as the small Pokemon seemed to really enjoy himself!
"Psyyy..."
"Azu, azurill!"
"Mantyke!"
Misty smiled and shook her head, before noticing Ash and Pikachu getting closer, and turning to them in surprise. "Huh? Oh, Ash! Pikachu! Imagine seeing you up and about at this time! Why are you here?"
"That's pretty much the same thing I could ask you, Misty... We thought you were sleeping in the Pokemon Center's hall along with the others." Ash answered, motioning to the Center. "Oh, well... anyway, we just couldn't get a wink of sleep, so we decided to take a stroll outside. And so... her we are! Just when you were letting your Pokemon out a little, I see..."
"Yeah..." Misty answered, taking an affectionate glance at her Pokemon. Azurill and Mantyke were playing tag in the shallow water, leaving Psyduck to catch his breath. "With all that happened, I haven't had a chance to let them out of their Pokeballs so often, and I thought they deserved to get out and play a little... just look at how much fun they're having, they are just like kids!"
"Pika, pika!" Pikachu exclaimed. Deciding that, after all, he was not too old to enjoy such silly pastimes, the electric mouse stepped into the water and reached Azurill and Mantyke, who were happy to let him join!
"Hehehee... yeah, and Pikachu seems to appreciate it as well!" Ash commented as he watched his starter Pokemon joining Misty's newcomers. Feeling a twinge of envy towards the young Pokemon and Pikachu because of their light-heartedness, Ash sighed and turned to Misty. Again, he could feel that strange feeling he had begun to have each and every time he was alone with his oldest travelling companion. He wasn't sure how to call it, but it was sure pleasant... something that made him feel well, better than he usually felt talking with, say, Brock, Gary, May or Dawn. Though he still had no idea what that could be, and he was sure it wasn't just because he was happy to see her after all this time. There was something about Misty's motherly behaviour towards Azurill and Mantyke, about her good-natured ribbings of Psyduck, that gave Ash a feeling of strength and kindness at the same time...
"Say, Misty..." he said, getting a little closer to his friend. "Would you ever have imagined that our trip to Sevii Islands would have been like this? I mean, getting caught in so many adventures, and facing so many battles... we ended up facing a bigger problem than we could ever imagine!"
"Yeah... trouble seems to follow you wherever you go, Ash Ketchum!" Misty joked, letting out a sarcastic giggle. "But you know what? I'm perfectly fine with it! See, I really missed the days when I travelled along with you and Brock, and while being Cerulean City's Gym Leader has given me quite a lot of satisfaction, well... After all, I suppose what I really love is being able to travel and see the world... and hey, after all, had I remained home, when would I have seen such a beautiful sky? Take a look at it, it's wonderful!"
Ash, Pikachu and the other Pokemon looked up to the clean, star-filled sky. It was a truly unbelievable sight, made even more impressive by the immaculate beach upon which they were standing, and the quiet sound of the waves. For a few seconds, Ash stood silent, enjoying the moment...
"You know, Misty... I missed you a lot as well!" Ash stated, turning to look at the redhead in her eyes as his cheeks felt warm once again. "Sure, I made friends with lots of people... and both May and Dawn have been great travelling companions... but I always thought there was something missing without you... you know what I mean?"
"I... I think so..." Misty answered, smiling shyly as she used the tip of her shoe to draw tracks in the cold sand. There was something odd about the whole situation... the two of them felt like they were about to take their first step into an unfamiliar territory, and they were hesitating about getting off the paved road...
"Er..." Ash finally said after clearing his voice. "Well, we'd better get back inside, don't you think? We'll be facing a very tough day tomorrow..."
"I... I guess so..." Misty said, equally embarassed about the whole deal. "And as for Azurill and Mantyke, well... guess it's time for them to rest a little as well, right?"
Ash nodded, breathing slightly in relief. At least for now, he had avoided the most embarassing part...
Close to him, Psyduck looked at Pikachu inquisitively... and the yellow mouse just shrugged and smiled, as if saying that this was normal behaviour for Ash and Misty...
oooooooooo
But Ash and Misty were not the only ones who had trouble sleeping, that night. Sitting on a bench just outside the Pokemon Center, a familiar blue-haired young coordinator and her inseparable Piplup were watching the starry sky, trying to spend some time together in peace and quiet, thinking about what had happened lately.
"Well... here we are, Piplup!" Dawn commented after taking a sip from a can of soda she was holding on one hand, while petting her penguin-like Pokemon with the other. "I certainly would never have thought we would have gone through such an incredible journey, when we first set foot out of Twinleaf Town! I sure never thought it would be so eventful, and that we would meet so many great people and have such great experiences! I think... the same can be said for you, right?"
"Piplup, pip!" Piplup chirped, glancing at the stars above him. He couldn't help but agree with his trainer... sure, things hadn't started off that well, but with time and experience, they had managed to come to good terms with each other, and now they were the best of friends. "Pip piplup, piplup?"
"Yeah... and we even got to see Legendary Pokemon, and helped Ash save the world from Team Galactic! And now, well... here we are, trying to stop two more criminal organizations! And we even found out that J is still alive... yeah, life sure is unpredictable, isn't it? And I sure wonder what Kenny, Zoey and the others are doing, right now..."
"Well, well... if it isn't you, Dee-Dee! Penny for your thoughts?" said a well-known haughty voice, coming from her side. The blue-haired girl winced as she recognized Ursula approaching from a narrow road along the Pokemon Center's side, herself holding a can of soda in one hand and looking at her in a somewhat mocking manner.
"Oh... it's you, Ursula..." Dawn stated, still not completely sure what to make of her drill-haired rival. Sure, she had helped them out back at Chrono Island, and Dawn actually wanted to be able to talk to her without suspicion, but sometimes, Ursula made it difficult to do so. "What brings you here?"
"Piplup?" Piplup asked, narrowing his eyes at Ursula.
Ursula sighed, her previous arrogant expression softening somewhat. "Well, let's just say I couldn't sleep as well." she answered simply. "And I just happened to run into you, while you were watching the stars. Plus, it was as good a time as any to have my Jigglypuff go for a walk."
The pink round Pokemon popped up from behind the drill-haired girl and waved at Dawn and Piplup. "Jigglypuff!" she exclaimed, as Dawn and Piplup waved back at her.
"Okay, I see..." Dawn answered, falling silent immediately after as Ursula stood with her back to the wall of the Pokemon Center, taking another sip of her drink. For quite some time, the two rivals simply stood there, without saying a word... and in fact, neither of them was certain about what to say, although Ursula would have died before admitting that. There was an air of strangeness about the whole situation, and Dawn was feeling like time was standing still... she just wished anyone would make a move to defuse that awkward feeling...
Finally, Dawn decided to go for it. "Say, Ursula..." she ventured, gaining her rival's attention.
Ursula sighed, as if in annoyance. "Hm? What is it, Dee-Dee? If you haven't got anything intelligent to say, just keep your mouth shut, okay?"
"Hmph! Excuse me for trying to be friendly!" Dawn retorted in annoyance. "I was just trying to be nice, and you react like some spoiled brat!"
"Okay, okay... I'll admit that was out of line..." Ursula corrected herself. "Still, Dee-Dee, I would like to make one thing clear, in case it wasn't already... I am not interested in becoming friends with you or any of your bunch, is that clear? I am grateful to you for rescuing me, and I will help you taking down these Team Rocket clowns, but that's about it! I still consider you my rival, and my objective is still to defeat you and win the next Sinnoh Grand Festival."
Dawn sighed. "I know that... I just wish it wasn't so personal to you!" she answered. "I mean, really... I am friends with Kenny and Zoey, even though we found ourselves on opposing sides of many competitions... I wonder why it can't be the same for us two!"
"Jiggly... puff?" Ursula's Jigglypuff seemed to ask in wonder, as her trainer stood in silence, frowning in doubt. She seemed to be asking herself what the point of that question was... and after remaining silent for a little while, Ursula decided to evade the question, not having the time or the will to answer just now.
"Okay... look, Dee-Dee, we're simply too different to be friends, okay?" she said with a shrug. "I have gotten to have some respect for you, as you cannot have won the Sinnoh Grand Festival on luck alone. And you saved me from Team Rocket, so that's another thing I have to hand to you. But we don't necessarily have to be friends, alright? As soon as this is over, we will go back our separate ways and train our Pokemon for the next time we meet. And I fully intend to defeat you and become the top coordinator in Sinnoh, remember that! Well, with that said... Jigglypuff and I will be back on our way, and then we're going to get our beauty sleep. See you tomorrow, Dee-Dee."
With that, Ursula motioned for her Jigglypuff to follow her, and the round pink Pokemon, after waving to Piplup and getting a wave of the penguin's flipper in return, jauntily followed after her. In a few seconds, the two had disappeared behind the Pokemon Center's corner, leaving Dawn and Piplup to ponder by themselves over that unpredicted nighttime encounter.
Piplup looked quizzically at his trainer... who simply smiled back and winked to him, trying to assuage his worries. "Heh... No need to worry, Piplup! I'm not letting her get to me! For now, the important thing is to stop Team Rocket... and after that, we'll resume our training and make sure we won't get beaten! It will be alright, trust me!"
The little blue penguin stood silent for a moment... then, he held up one flipper-like wing and chirped as if saluting! "Piplup!"
oooooooooo
The rest of the night, after everyone had gotten back to sleep, was uneventful. As soon as they were woken up by the first rays of the sun, Ash and his friends (and not-so-friends) had stopped at the Pokemon Center for a while, just enough time to have breakfast and get ready for the day... and after checking that their Pokemon teams were ready, they had taken their leave, starting their journey towards the greatest natural wonder of Quest Island - the place called Sevault Canyon, and the mysterious Tanoby Ruins situated in the north-west part of the island, lying underground in wait for someone daring enough to explore them. Ash was the last one to leave the Pokemon Center behind, after taking one last scrupolous look at the team he had selected for this expedition.
"Alright, let's make a little resume... Aside from you, Pikachu, I have taken Infernape, Sceptile, Buizel, Donphan and Staraptor! Yes, I think they can do as a team!" he stated. He was regretful for having asked Charizard, Torterra, Meganium and other Pokemon he was familiar with to stay behind, but they seemed to be understanding enough, especially since Ash had promised them he would recall them in his team as soon as possible.
As Pikachu watched his trainer hook the Pokeballs to his belt, he noddded in approval and motioned to the exit of the Pokemon Center, in order to remind him that his friends were waiting outside. "Pikachu! Pi, pikachu pi, pika pikachu?" he asked, causing Ash to chuckle briefly.
"Hehehee... I know, Pikachu, I know!" the young champion answered as he finished placing the last of his Pokeballs. "And... as for the rest, the one I had with Misty the other day was a simple conversation between friend, okay? Don't... er... don't try to see something there wasn't!"
"Pikachu..." the electric mouse answered with a knowing shrug...
Nurse Joy came up from behind her counter to give Ash one last warning before he and his friends embarked into the new adventure. "Well, I sure am pleased to see that you have a well-trained team... I think you're going to need thm all, for the adventure you and your friends are about to have! Do be careful... Sevault Canyon is a very dangerous place, and some very suspicious people have been seen in the proximities of the Tanoby Ruins. Don't underestimate them, okay?"
"Thanks, Nurse Joy.. yeah, we know that, but we are here precisely to discover what those people are trying to do, and try to stop them." Ash answered, turning serious. "We'll still try to be careful, anyway."
"Good... then, I guess I have nothing else to add!" the pink-haired nurse concluded. "I can only wish you the best of luck... I know you are great friends and your Pokemon are strong, but you can never be too careful."
"Thanks, Nurse Joy! We'll remember that!" was Ash's answer. Pikachu straightened himself snd placed his hands on his hips, as if saying he was ready for everything... and after saying their last goodbye to Nurse Joy, the two friends walked outside and joined the rest of the team outside the Pokemon Center.
"Oh, here comes our Ash!" Misty exclaimed, as she saw the boy and his Pikachu walking out.
"A few minutes late, but I had kinda anticipated that..." Gary snarked, a knowing smile on his face.
Ash cleared his throat as he looked around, seeing Ursula trying to fan herself with her hand in order to stave off the heat, and Jessie looking at him impatiently. "Sorry, guys, I was trying to pick the ideal team for this mission... anyway, sorry for being late! If everyone is ready, we can be on our way!"
"Yes, I guess everybody is ready!" Brock said as he gave Ash a thumbs-up. "In fact, we were just waiting for you..."
"And let me tell you this, twerp, you've come just in time before I lost my patience!" Jessie muttered, combing her long fucsia hair. "I was getting all hot and sweaty waiting for you..."
"If you have time to whine, you have time to concentrate on the mission." Miyu told her in a deadpan voice, before pointing to a ruined road that, starting from the beach, entered into a small forest of palm trees and other examples of tropical vegetation. "Alright... then, follow me along that road. I know of a secret passage that goes through the forest and will bring us to the Tanoby Ruins. I'm sure Team Rocket knows nothing of it... we'll have this advantage on them, at least!"
The rest of the team agreed with the Dark-type specialist, who let her faithful Mightyena out of her Pokeball. Night Sky sniffed the air around her and barked twice, inviting the rest of the team to follow...
oooooooooo
It was unbearable.
It just couldn't stand being enclosed in that narrow space... at least not when he felt that, outside that cold shell, the place it truly belonged to was beckoning irresistibly. How much time had passed ever since he was enclosed there... and how did he end up in there, to begin with? Everything was so murky... it could still remember how, as it was floating in timelessness, it had suddenly felt a terrible force pulling it downward, like some irresistible current it could do nothing against... and there was that hideou feeling of everything bursting into flame around it, that all-encompassing red... and then...
The Pokemon once again felt someone approaching its coccoon, and instinctively went back to its dormant state, hoping against hope that the unwelcome guests would just leave it be. It restrained itself from grunting in annoyance as it felt one of them placing an hand on its coccoon...
oooooooooo
"So... that's where our, let's say, honored guest, has retreated to after crash-landing here, huh?" Archer commented, his gloved hand slowly and methodically sliding upon the smooth grey surface while Prof. Sebastian kept pressing buttons on a nearby console, and the other three executives kept watching wordlessly. "How are the experiments to awaken him doing, Professor? And while we're here, have you made any progress in your search for the Emerald?"
Sebastian adjusted his glasses and smiled in satisfaction before answering. "At the moment, the subject has remained in a quiescent state, but we are confident we will soon be able to awaken him. The main problem lies in this creature's peculiar physiology and psychology, but as soon as we're able to gain a more complete understanding of it, we will have the creature in our hands! At the moment, I have managed to create a device with which to control the creature's behaviour upon awakening, so we're safe in any event. As for the Emerald, I have good news in that regard as well. Attila, if you please..."
"Of course I do, Prof!" the blond Team Rocket thug answered, entering the room from a side room, the stoic Hun right behind him. As the four Team Rocket executives turned in their direction, Attila brought up one arm, with which he was holding a map with several colored dots signed upon it. "We have located the room where our treasure lies, and it's just a matter of time before we reach it and grab it! After that, we will only have to get the Sapphire back, and it will be done! Three of the world's most powerful Pokemon will be in Team Rocket's hands!"
"Don't get too cocky, Attila." Hun reminded him. "I should remind you that we've completely lost track of the Sapphire, and without it, our plan will amount to nothing in the end. And I don't think those girls have kept the Sapphire with them. Lorelei will probably already have sent it to the Kanto League HQ, where it's out of our reach."
"Alright, Hun, alright... Let's cross our bridges when we come to them, okay?" the sunglasses-wearing blond answered with a shrug. "So, let's focus on the current situation. We need to find the Emerald and take out those nosy kids!"
"You're right. If I know them, they won't have given up that easily." Ariana commented. "Proton, Petrel, you have set up those extra patrols, right?"
"Of course, Arian! I'm positive we won't get caught off guard, no matter how those kids try to get close to us!" Proton answered. "And now... while our esteemed Professor takes care of our... guest... we should go back to supervising the operations to recover the Emerald. As for the hostages that are still in our hands, they've been safely placed in the innermost part of this base, and they shouldn't give us any problems!"
"Good." Sebastian said, a disquieting light shining on his glasses. "Then, all I need to do now is wish you good luck, and hope that our operations end in success!"
Archer smirked, convinced that pretty soon, Team Rocket would elevate itself to the most powerful organization in the world. With those gems and that mysterious Pokemon in their hands, Team Rocket would surely become a force to be reckoned with...
oooooooooo
"Okay, the Tanoby Ruins shouldn't be that far away now. We just need to follow the river up to its source, and we should be done." Miyu said, pointing to a small, graceful stream of water flowing from between a pair of huge rocky cliffs, as if it was showing them the way to follow. In fact, up until that point, the team of trainers had been following the river ever since they had come across it, deep in the heart of the sub-tropical forest. From time to time, the appearence of a few wild Exeggcute or Paras made the journey more lively.
"That's good." Lance said, keeping his eyes on the tallest peaks. "Anyway, maybe we should send one of our Pokemon to scout ahead. We cannot discount the possibility of Team Rocket having prepared an ambush."
"Well, I can think of that!" Ash exclaimed as he whipped out a Pokeball. "I have just the right Pokemon for the job! Staraptor, come out!"
"STAAAAAAR!" the huge raptor bird screeched, spreading his wings as he took flight, and then descended towards Ash, who greeted him with a smile.
"Glad to see you too, Staraptor!" the young boy greeted him back. "Look, we need some help with something... could you go take a look in that direction, towards the river's source? We're afraid Team Rocket might have a trap ready for us..."
The grey-and-black raptor bird nodded and flew to the horizon, using his keen sight to scrutinize the land under him. For several minutes, as he tried to reach the highest points of the canyon, all Staraptor could see were a few wild Pokemon, the kind that could be expected to be seen in sub-tropical regions... but, as he was unconvinced about the whole situation, and knowing that some could have been suspicious of seeing a Sinnoh Pokemon around there, he decided to gain more altitude and observe for a safer position. Soon, the quiet river was substituted by the harsh, rocky little road climbing along the walls of the canyon, interspersed with the remains of ancient buildings... which was surely a sign that the Tanoby Ruins were close by! The Normal /Flying type was too far away to be certain about it, but he could swear he had seen some sneaky shadows among the rocks, emitting a strange aura. Staraptor had never seen anything like it, and he had to say he was not sure he liked it...
Anyway, Staraptor decided to focus on the more immediate problem and went back to flying in circles around the rocky cliff, trying to see as much as possible before he flew back to his trainer. Going a little further, he could see a few small groups of Rocket grunts wandering amon the narrow roads and the stone formations, clearly on the lookout for intruders. Along with these small groups, there were some strange machineries that Staraptor could not identify... but he had seen all he needed to know, and after making sure he was not being watched, Staraptor turned back and backtracked, getting back to Ash in a matter of a few minutes. The young boy and his Pikachu waved at him as he descended, and Staraptor landed in front of them with an high-pitched screech.
"Wow, he sure was fast..." Misty commented, unfamiliar with the elegant Pokemon's speed.
"Hehehee... well, after all, Staraptor was one of my best Pokemon during the Sinnoh League!" Ash answered as he stroked Staraptor's head. "Anyway, Staraptor, have you seen what those Team Rocket guys are up to?"
"STAR! RAPTOR!" the proud Pokeon screeched, pointing to the zone he had flown over with one of his wings. Meowth listened attentively, making sure not to miss even a single word.
"Hmm... from what he's sayin', seems there's quite the surveillance up there..." the feline Pokemon meowed. "And he thinks there could be more of it! Afraid there's no way to avoid them, we need to find the shortest way to reach their base, and take those clowns off guard."
Miyu frowned and rubbed her forehead. This was something she hadn't predicted... Team Rocket had come better prepared than she had thought, and even the road she had counted on was not that reliable any more. Luckily, she was not the only one to be able to think of good ideas: after taking some time to think, Brock cleared his voice and spoke up.
"Well... this does make things a little harder on us, but if we play it smart, we might be able to sneak inside their HQ the way they least expect!" the dark-skinned young man stated, a plan already forming in his mind.
"What are you planning?" an unconvinced Ursula asked. Things were getting more complicated than the rich heiress from Sinnoh would have liked...
"It's an idea I just had, and if anyone has better ones, then I'm all ears..." he answered. "But still... Staraptor, does any of Team Rocket's patrol squads take a long path, that you know of?"
The bird of prey shook his head, ignoring the answer, but that did not seem to daunt Brock. "Never mind... even if the squads aren't away from the HQ for long, we can always make them... guys, you do have Pokemon who can confuse their opponents, right?"
"Yes, we have a fair number of them, in fact..." Gary affirmed, thinking of Miyu's Umbreon and his own, Brock's Crobat and a few more. The young researcher smirked, having begun to understand. "Are you thinking what I think you're thinking?"
"And... what is he thinking, pray tell?" Jessie asked with an exasperated sigh. "I'd like to know that myself..."
"I'll tell you now..." Brock answered as he motioned for them to get closer, so he could explain everything.
oooooooooo
"Phew... man, it's freaking hot in here! I'm sweating bullets, and thes black clothes don't help!" a Rocket grunt, irritated by the intense heat, lamented. His and his partners' situation was not helped by the fact that they were patrolling a large plateau under the rays of the burning sun. "Why did we have to end up here for our patrol turn?"
"Stop complaining, Luke, it could have been even worse!" one of his partners fired back. "We could have ended up doing the patrol on the river baks! And if the plan goes without a hitch, this is the last day we spend roasting ourselves in this place!"
"Yeah, yeah... I know the drill!" the first Rocket grunt muttered in annoyance. "The fact remains that I'd love to get away from this furnace and cool down a little in my beautiful Viridian City... oh well, at least we're getting in the shade now..."
The small group of grunts was, in fact, approaching a ruined shrine that would have offered them some relief from the burning sun... and while Luke's companions criticized him for lamenting about the heat, they weren't going to complain about having a chance to rest in the shade! So, after cleaning some sweat from their foreheads, the five-grunt group approached the entrance of the ruined shrine...
And were almost immediately met with Crobat's unfurled wings and glowing eyes as Brock's bat-like Pokemon targeted them with his dreaded Confuse Ray! The head grunt jumped back in fright, just a split second before a multicolored beam reached him between the eyes, causing him to take on a stunned expression!
"What? What's going...?" another grunt started to say, just a little before two Umbreon popped out of literally nowhere and launched a simultaneous Confuse Ray at both him and the grunt to his side. The two remaining soldiers instinctively tried to reach for their Pokeballs, but they could do nothing as Lorelei's Lapras, keeping herself well hidden behind the wall of the crumbling temple, hit them with another such attack, leaving them stunned and swaying as if they were drunk. Unable to control their own movements, the Rocket grunts stumbled away from their zone of competence, and reached a group of bushes... from which Ash's Infernape popped up without warning, knocking them out with a couple of well-placed hits. One after the other, the Rocket grunts had been taken down, and Infernape looked at his own fist in satisfaction before motioning for his trainer to come out of hiding.
"Excellent job, Infernape!" Ash congratulated him, as he and his numerous team came out of the bushes they had hidden among. "Okay, now we have five downed Team Rocket agents... and there's twelve of us. What do we do?"
"Well, we don't all have to disguise ourselves..." Brock stated, as he and Homura began dragging the defeated grunts in the bushes. "Now, I'll explain what I was thinking of doing..."
oooooooooo
Sebastian and his most faithful attendants were back at work around the strange coccoon inside of which lay the mysterious Pokemon they were trying to awaken... and judging from the scientist's intent expression, it seemed they had taken some significant steps forward, and the mysterious creature was only minutes away from awakening...
Therefore, when his personal comm. device emitted a shrill sound, Sebastian could not hide his annoyance for having been interrupted in such a moment. With a groan, he grabbed the comm. device and answerd the call. "Yeah, what is it? Sebastian here... I thought I had told you I didn't want to be called upon if not for very important reasons..."
"I apologize, Professor, but that's exactly the case..." a female voice answered from the other side. "A patrol just came back... it appears they have caught some of those trainers who annoyed us back at Chrono and Fortune Island... they are bringing them here as we speak!"
Such news were more than welcome to the Team Rocket scientist, whose eyes immediately lit up behind his looking glasses. And even Attila and Hun smirked in approval. "Ah, that's excellent news! In that case, you can just throw them in the brig now. I'll decide what to do with them later on... though, frankly speaking, I hope they will accept to join us!" he affirmed. "Very good... do you happen to know if there are more of those brats around?"
"There are... it seems our men have not managed to catch Lorelei and one of the aspirant Gym Leaders of the upcoming Sevii League... they were just too strong for our men to handle. Furthermore, we are certain that more of them have not shown up, and will probably try to attack us later. We'll keep our guard high, and try to catch them by surprise and capture them as soon as we can."
"Good. Call me back as soon as you've captured them... and not before, is that clear?" the evil scientist answered, before ending the call and turning to his two subordinates. "Things are looking up, it seems! Some of those brats who annoyed us for so long are now in our hands, and the others should follow shortly! We still must be careful, but we're clearly at an advantage for now!"
"Glad to know that, professor." Hun stated. "If that is the case, I will take a look at what the excavation group is doing. They should have almost reached the Emerald as we speak."
Sebastian smirked, never averting his glance for the coccoon he was working on. "Please do. And if there are important news, update me on those as well. Attila, you will support the patrols at the higher levels... no sense taking chances now that we're one step away from our objective."
The muscular man nodded and put a fist to his chest. "Will do, prof!"
oooooooooo
The Rocket grunt in charge of the prison block sighed and put his comm. device away, then made way for the five grunts who were bringing along several prisoners: Ash, Pikachu - who was lying in his trainer's arms, as if he was fainted from a previous fight -, Misty, Jessie, James, Meowth and Miyu. "Alright, you can come in... We still have a few free cells, thanks to these brats and their little friends... just put them where you find a place! By the way, have you taken their Pokeballs, just in case?"
"Of course." the tallest of the grunts answered, with a firm, almost commanding voice. "Do you think we are beginners, or something?"
"Er..." the grunt murmured, understanding he had asked a stupid question. He coughed his embarassment away and pointed to the innermost part of the Team Rocket HQ, towards a corridor with steel walls that brought to the prison block. "Yeah... right, I'm sorry... anyway, please... put the prisoners away! And... thanks for solving this problem for us!"
"A pleasure." the taller grunt answered with a vaguely ironic tone as his group began walking towards their destination. The grunt stood to attention and saluted... and just then, he noticed a strange thing: several of the other grunts were keeping their head low as they escorted the prisoners, as if they didn't want the Rocket to see their faces. Anyway, he didn't think much of it, and he was not going to make an idiot of himself again...
"And why does it seem to me that some of them are kinda... short?" he asked himself. "Well, it does seems strange to me, but I'd rather not ask too many questions..."
As soon as the Team Rocket grunts, after walking through the sterile, empty-looking corridor, had reached the sliding door to the prison block, the tallest of them took out a magnetic card from his uniform and slid it in a slot beside thedoor, causing it to open with a low hiss. The grunts pushed Ash, Misty, Miyu and the Rocket trio inside, causing several heads - of both Rocket grunts and prisoners - to turn their way.
"Well, this is going to be your home for a while." the tallest grunt said, fiercely glaring at Ash and his friends. "Try not to get too attached to it, though. It's not going to remain that way for long! You've caused quite a few problems to Team Rocket, and we'll make sure you understand that you mustn't do it again. As for the three turncoats..."
"Hey! We are not turncoats, you jerk!" Jessie shouted all of a sudden, surprising those around. "We still work for our boss Giovanni! It was those four clowns who betrayed us and left us for dead, and we're gonna make them pay for that!"
Misty grit her teeth, wishing she could just grab her mallet and whack Jessie upside the head for being stupid...
"Say whatever you will, traitor! In any case, you will pay for opposing our leader Archer! You should know that you're interfering in Team Rocket's path to greatness!" another grunt, a female one, answered, before turning to a guard who was watching them in annoyance. "You! You're responsible for this section, right?"
"Yeah... it's me..." the prison guard, a muscular yet rather short man upon whom the Team Rocket uniform looked extremely tight, answered. He was nervously playing with with some keys, creating an annoying metallic clink. "And that would be Ash Ketchum, the kid who gave us so much trouble? Doesn't seem anything to write home about..."
Ash felt a brief impulse of rebellion, but wisely decided to swallow his pride... and Lance proceeded to defend him anyway. "You should know that there are a lot of great trainers around. Don't judge a book by its cover... and remember that this boy won the Sinnoh Tournament only a few weeks ago. That should tell you everything you need to know."
"Okay, okay..." the muscleman muttered. "Well then, let's place them in separate cells and keep their Pokemon away from them. By the way, have you heard of prof. Sebastian's new orders?"
"No... why is that? Any news?" another of the group that kept Ash and his friends imprisoned. Again, this grunt had a female voice...
"It seems they've almost gotten the Emerald, and the Pokemon they have found in the underground tunnels is about to awaken. Prof. Sebastian's experiment was a roaring success... that guy is a freaking genius, even though he creeps me up!" the guard chuckled sinisterly. "So, we should soon be able to get to the next part of our plan, provided nothing unexpected happens."
The tallest grunt smirked astutely. "Really? Well, then... I'm afraid I have to tell you that something unexpected will happen... right now!"
"Huh?" The guard asked incredulously... but he was unable to say anything else as he was struck under the chin with a vicious punch that lifted him clean off the ground and caused him to land in a stunned heap a little farther away! His aggressor quickly threw his Team Rocket uniform away, revealing an ample black mantle and fiery red hair in a flamelike hairstyle!
"Thanks for telling us where to find this Sebastian person." Lance told the downed grunt. All those who were with him quickly shed their disguises,revealing themselves as Gary, Brock, Dawn and Ursula, and those who had until a second earlier played the prisoner role quickly grabbed their Pokeballs, while Pikachu stood up and charged his cheeks!
Team Rocket was taken by panic and surprise, while Ash and his friend were letting their Pokemon out! Sceptile, Buizel, Donphan, Starmie, Psyduck (again, not called voluntarily...), Dragonite, Mamoswine, Carnivine, Seviper and Gabite all popped up around the team, as the grunts dispersed amongst screams of fear, or somehow tried to get to their Pokeball to react to the unexpected attack! But there wasn't much they could do, and in fact, they could only send out some low-level Pokemon,who were obviously no match for their experienced opponents.
"Dragonite, that's the right moment!" Lance ordered, and the orange-skinned Dragon / Flying type nodded, took a deep breath, and breathed out a powerful blue flame, aiming it towards the ceiling! The blow blasted through the ceiling and reached the skies above like a firework, and the Team Rocket agents screamed in panic, while the people who had been put in the cells, who had been quiet and resigned up until a few moments earlier, cheered in joy at te unexpected rescue and began loudly rooting for Ash and his team! Of course, the young boy and his friend didn't need to be cheered on, and they quickly retrieved the keys from the stunned guardian in order to free the hostages...
oooooooooo
On the outside, Lorelei and Homura saw Dragonite's bright flame soaring in the sky and exploding, immersing it in a quick shower of bright colours!
"Looks like they're having a party, in there..." Homura commented, as if he was speaking of the weather. "Well, what about it, miss Lorelei? Shall we join the party and have some fun?"
"I believe that would be advisable, yes." the Elite Four answered, sliding her glasses in place as she was used to do when it was time to get down to business. "Our friends are surely doing a lot of damage from the inside, but they will probably need our aid..."
oooooooooo
Up until a second earlier, Sebastian was in a good, possibly even ecstatic, mood. After all, the mysterious Pokemon he had gotten his hands on was about to awaken, and his experiment was going well. He was convinced nothing, at this point, could rain on his parade...
However, a grunt coming in with dire news had ruined his jolly mood, telling him that the same trainers they had thought captured and neutralized had caught them off guard... and now, they were wreaking havoc in the prison block, putting the whole operation in jeopardy!
"What... what did you say?" Sebastian exclaimed, losing his calm demeanor for a few shocking instants. Sebastian never lost his cool except when the situation was taking a drastic turn for the worse... which was exactly what was happening then! "How... how did those brats manage to fool us all? Did our guards have the wool over their eyes or what? We actually... let them pass as if we were inviting them to a wedding?"
"We... we are incredibly sorry about that, professor Sebastian!" the hapless grunt stammered back, his knees buckling at the sight of the coccoon as it began shaking and pulsating with life. "They had us all fooled... they had disguised themselves, or were playing the part of prisoners... and we actually fell for it hook, line and sinker! We are sorry about it!"
"If 'we're sorry' was enough to make things right... you wouldn't be in half the trouble you are in right now! You do understand that you're mucking up the whole plan, don't you, you fools?" the evil scientist raged. "Recall Attila, Hun and our four executives, and gather all the grunts you can manage! Don't let them get away, or I won't be kind on you!"
"Yes... o-of course!" the grunt stammered... and just then, Sebastian's instruments beeped in alarm, causing the scientist's rage to abate somewhat. As he turned to the coccoon, his angry expression turned to one of surprise... and then, one of joy and satisfaction as he saw fissures beginningt appear over the coccoon's surface, and a strange, innatural white light, iridescent colours fluctuating around it, erupt from the inside of it!
"What now...?" Sebastian began asking... and a victorious grin spread on his face as a strange shape made its way through the shell! "Finally! That was just what I was waiting for! Looks like those kids have come just in time for me to give them a sample of Team Rocket's newfound strength! This will be one for the history books! Hahahahahaaaaa!"
oooooooooo
Around the Tanoby Ruins, a multitude of threatening and disquieting black Pokemon, their bodies resembling alphabet letters with a single unblinking eye in the middle, began awakening, sliding out of the shadows...
oooooooooo
And at the same time, on a large flying machine heading to Quest Island...
Hunter J smirked as her target appeared on the radar, and several Team Vicious grunts gathered around her in order to see what was going on. This time, she was convinced that her target would not escape... and if those brats were still around, she would make sure they would not be a nuisance any more...
oooooooooo
TO BE CONTINUED...
Author's Note: And the battle for Quest Island continues! How will it end? You can be sure that next chapter will be filled with action!
I particularly like the Dawn and Ursula scene at the beginning... will it hint to better relationships between our heroines? Hehehee, that's what we're going to see soon, but rest assured there is a point toal of this!
Anyway, that's about it! I apologize for the lateness, and hope this chapter makes up for it! And no, it's not an April's Fool!
Hope you enjoyed, and please review!