"Greetings," Arceus commented cheerfully, floating besides an all-too familiar projector screen. "On the recommendation of a good friend and brilliant colleague, I have decided to create a little miniseries out of analyzing certain characters - or, rather, the fandom's views of them. And what better character to analyze next than..."
Arceus then looked over at Mew, who was floating behind the slide projector. She produced a slide and was about to place it in the machine before Arceus' eyes narrowed.
"The right one," he ordered, and the Psychic Type's expression dropped. She threw aside that slide and pulled out another one from the cart the projector was one, placing it in and creating an image of Paul on the canvas besides Arceus.
"Yes; Paul-" Arceus was cut off by a sudden clap of thunder followed by the opening to Toccata and Fugue. The Alpha shot a glare in Mew's direction, who only deadpanned.
"It was either that or Keldeo's PSA joke, Arcy," Arceus could only sigh and shake his head.
"Back to the topic at hand; yes, today we will be examining Paul."
Arceus the Critic
Why is Paul so divisive?
"Though the original series certainly holds quite a bit of nostalgia for older fans, the reality is that the show had only just started, and as a result it was a bit of a jumbled mess. And so, there's a general consensus amongst most of the fanbase that the Pokémon: Diamond and Pearl series was the hallmark of the anime's quality. It certainly produced some of the most memorable side-characters, and one of the anime's most controversial characters."
Arceus nodded, levitating a baton and tapping the canvas with it as the slide of Paul was replaced with a list. "Yes; As odd as this might sound, Paul is quite the controversial character. And much like the anime rendition of Serena, the fanbase is almost completely divided into two camps on him; those who think he's a heartless blackguard who enjoys kicking Lillipups for fun, and those who feel he's a solid addition to the anime cast and a strong rival. And, like last time as well, there are good reasons for both arguments. Why don't we examine the former first?"
"Now," the Alpha continued, tilting his head towards the screen. "This side of the argument's complaints are thus; Paul is the cruelest trainer in history from his training methods and apathetic demeanor, especially shown in his disregard and even disdain for Pokémon he deems weak, not to mention his less than welcoming attitude towards other people, and as a result, is absolutely loathed by them."
Arceus nodded. "And it's not like they're wrong; Paul is indeed harsh. He's introduced as someone who looks down on Ash because Pikachu's not evolved, and only even takes interest in him because Pikachu knows Volt Tackle. He releases captured Pokémon who fail to meet his standards - the only reason he did even capture what would later become Ash's Chimchar was because it managed to single-handedly fend off so many Zangoose, after all, pushes his Pokémon to train themselves to the point of exhaustion, and is all-around brutal in both his training methods and battling style."
"His overconfidence did little to improve his image in this camp's viewpoint," the Alpha Pokémon's baton drifted down to a certain item on the list, before the picture was replaced with a still of Paul and Cynthia's battle. "After all, Paul has a penchant for fighting, and has occasionally bit off more than he can chew. His only aim is to be strong, and as a result - or perhaps to meet that very end - he's often challenged people who are far above his level; Cynthia and Brandon, to name a few, who easily crushed him. He rarely ever acknowledges when he is wrong, even after being horribly defeated, and pushes away almost anyone who tries to help him, family included, and overall comes off as being quite arrogant."
"The height of this was probably the Veilstone arc of the anime, which is, ironically, also traditionally viewed as the true start of Paul's development as a character, with the introduction of his brother - Reggie - who is the definition of an opposite if there ever was one. Across it, though he is still as cold as usual, he is also more hostile than normal - to his own brother at that, which certainly did not help his standing in this camp - and even a bit insecure, which undoubtedly made him look a bit whiny at this point."
The Normal Type titled his head upwards. "But, most likely, what cemented the majority of this camp's hatred against him was actually something that occurred earlier; episodes forty-nine to fifty-one, otherwise known as the Tag Team Tournament arc. Perhaps his characteristics here were not as strong as above, but they were better demonstrated with his refusal to even acknowledge Chimchar during a losing battle, amongst other things. They would include a complete refusal to cooperate with Ash, as he still viewed him as weak, not even caring that Ash had to take over the battle as he refused to even give any commands to Chimchar, and later releasing the Pokémon because of his performance during said battle - and not even caring that Ash was its next owner."
Arceus' eyes shifted to the side for a split-second. "And I would be lying if I said that the irony that Chimchar would later prove crucial in Ash's ultimate triumph over Paul wasn't enjoyable."
"Regardless," the Alpha cleared his throat. "To sum up this camp's argument; Paul is cruel, apathetic, arrogant, power-hungry and an altogether terrible person that deserves to be crushed at every possible chance as punishment for his near-draconian methods."
"Now, much like with Serena, many aspects of Paul that make some angry have made others like his character," Arceus began. "Yes; to start off, his training methods have actually won him quite a few fans as well. The reasons vary, but most commonly they are that they add realism to the show - after all, the anime has indeed shown that there are trainers that are harsh, and this only furthers that angle by having one of the most important characters act in such a way rather than just being an one-episode villain - and they make Paul a more believable and challenging rival whose conflict - both internal and with Ash - was one of the main reasons Diamond and Pearl was as good as it was."
"And they would be right in that respect as well; this side of the argument does indeed have a strong point in pointing out that Paul is not as much of a flat character as he seems. Constantly living in the shadow of his older brother and pressured by the expectations set upon him, he feels he has to become stronger to actually be distinctive. And so, to attain that, he trains his Pokémon the only way he knows how; harshly, and an undeniable fact is that his methods did produce the desired results - and perhaps not much love from his team, but a strange respect as well. And while most of the former camp's hatred to Paul was well solidified before the Veilstone arc, the backstory it provided for him was welcome for fans who were still undecided or liked him as a character."
The Normal Type tilted his head to the side, and the image of the canvas was replace with one of Paul and Brandon's battle. "And in true Sinnoh fashion, Paul's character only continued to grow after Veilstone. While the change was gradual, his constant battling with Ash slowly challenging his perceptions of strength and training, especially after getting smacked down by Cynthia, what can be attributed as being the most pivotal moment for him was his battle with Brandon, who had also defeated Reggie; the one who Paul had been living in the shadow of for so long. By the time of the Sinnoh League, Paul's methods had considerably softened - though they were by no means soft - and he had stopped valuing power alone, perhaps even coming to view Ash as some kind of friend."
Arceus nodded. "And, another point this camp makes, one I think both sides can agree on, is that Paul was also Ash's best rival. While Gary was undeniably a challenge for Ash; prideful, knowledgeable, and certainly more than a match for whatever Ash could throw his way, their rivalry was based almost solely on a personal level. But for all of his cockiness, Gary was not particularly mean-spirited or harsh to his own team, whereas Paul was able to counter Ash on a methodological level, establishing a much stronger conflict and level of suspense. The fact that neither trainer managed to particularly triumph over the other until the Sinnoh League only further served this; in fact, Ash realized he had to ratchet up his own training if he wanted to defeat Paul, whereas Paul slowly became kinder to his own team over the course of the anime, does indeed show that they bounced off each other like proper rivals - and as a result, it only furthers Paul's status in this camp's view."
"Another argument from this camp is that Paul, essentially, is not that different in how he treats his Pokémon from how most people play the games," Arceus made a motion akin to shrugging. "And while I doubt most people are as intentionally hard as him, it can indeed be argued the Paul was indeed grinding EV's and IV's and searching for Pokémon with specific natures."
The Alpha Pokémon's face lowered as he pointed at the projector screen again, a shadow drawing itself over his eyes. "Another reason for Paul's boon in popularity, silly as it might seem, is that he was really the first 'true' bad boy Pokémon made. And as a result, Ikarishipping is the second most popular anime pairing not involving Ash after Contestshipping, and one of the most popular overall. I don't feel I need to extrapolate on this point any further."
Arceus coughed uncomfortably. "Yes, well, to sum up most this camp's argument; Paul, harsh or not, is indeed a solid addition to the anime as a fleshed-out rival and strong foil to Ash, who presents a consistent challenge and added both realism and conflict to Sinnoh's anime, himself being one of the reasons why it was so good."
"And," Arceus stopped for a second to give a small nod to Mew, who powered down the projector. "Much like with Serena, both camps have valid points and reasons for their opinions - some of which I'm certain I've missed - and those would be the basics of them and the reasons behind them."
Arceus sighed melodramatically as he turned around, eyes glancing upwards. "Ah, the golden age of the anime..."
Mew only raised an eyebrow as Arceus used his powers to project the clichéd effect that happens whenever someone transitions into a flashback.
"I daresay," Arceus, clad in a tailcoat and ruff, began in a stereotypical nobleman's accent. "I believe it is almost time for the latest episode of Pokémon to be on."
Mew, who was wearing an oversized powdered wig and dress, only crossed her arms and scowled as Arceus turned around to the analog television behind them.
"Do I really have to wear this stupid wig, Arcy?" The Alpha Pokémon shot a look behind him, accent melting into a more familiar deadpan.
"It's necessary for the flashback," Mew threw her paws into the air.
"C'mon! This thing's so big I have Pidoves nesting in it!" her swift motion caused the wig to shake, and a Pidove fell out, motionless as it hit the ground.
"Had," Mew clarified, sparing a glance down at the Flying Type before looking back up at Arceus. "Don't we have anything else we can use for filler?"
The Alpha Pokémon sighed. "Well, I do suppose I have something lying around that we can use..."
"Hm, deja vu..." Arceus muttered as he used his powers to create the same effect again.
Mew muttered something as she floated away, while Arceus cleared his throat and turned around. "And because I do oh so hate short chapters, here's a short, little parody for you."
Arceus the Critic
Pokémon Mystery Theater: Destroyers of Time
(Or, A Parody of XY080 - Rotom's Wish)
The sun was beginning to set over Kalos, casting a vibrant orange hue over a windy mountain path that hosted four young travelers.
"Our heroes are back on the road to Anistar City, as Ash-" Ash stopped walking at the voice, staring up perplexedly at the cloudy sky. Everyone else stopped and turned back at the sight, Clemont raising en eyebrow.
"Uh, Ash?" the raven-haired trainer's eyes were still firmly fixed on the sky. "Any reason we stopped?"
Ash blinked self-consciously and looked back at his friends, smiling sheepishly. "Sorry guys, I thought I heard something."
"He's doing it again..." Bonnie whispered to Clemont. The Gym Leader just bonked her on the head while they resumed their trek.
"The sun's almost setting, huh..." Ash commented offhandedly, Pikachu crying out its name in agreement. Bonnie raised her arms in excitement, face breaking out into a wide smile.
"Camping! I know; let's play Pokémon impressions again!" she said enthusiastically. Serena nodded in agreement.
"Good idea," the blond looked down for a second. "Though I sure wish I could've taken a shower today..."
And as if on cue, the dark clouds overhead suddenly became darker, sending down a torrent of icy rain.
"Wish granted..." Clemont muttered as the four quickly increased their pace. Serena started fumbling with her Pokédex, and after randomly pressing a few buttons an image of a hotel popped up on the screen.
"There's a luxury hotel nearby!" she exclaimed. Clemont tossed a disbelieving look over his shoulder.
"A luxury hotel in the middle of nowhere? Are you sure that thing's reliable?" Serena's lips curled into a slight scowl.
"Of course it's reliable!" and then she was forced to drop the device as it broke out in sparks from all the water. Clutching her hand, Serena shot a murderous glare at the machine before carrying on.
"More reliable than anything you've made, anyways," she muttered.
The four then quickly ran in the direction Serena pointed them to, and before long they stumbled upon the massive hotel.
"Our clothing's dry?" Ash wondered as they wandered into the lobby.
Serena, though, was far more taken aback at the sight before them.
"This is a hotel!?" the lobby was in complete shambles; pieces of trash strewn about, potted plants dying or spilling onto the dirty marble floors, the statue in the center of the room looking like it could crumble at any second. Serena took another cautious glance around. "Right?"
"They might just not be open for business?" Clemont offered.
"They sure can't clean..." Bonnie muttered as they walked up to the counter, her brother letting out a tired sigh as he walked up to the desk. Clemont looked around for a second before he spotted someone in a bellhop uniform who was busy filling away something underneath the desk.
"Uh, hello?" the Gym Leader from Lumiose asked uncertainly. "We'd like a room for tonight, please."
The bellhop, an older man whose tired eyes peeked at them behind a pair of round glasses, looked up. "Huh? Customers? I haven't seen customers since ninety-two..."
Serena and Bonnie exchanged nervous glances while the bellhop gave a warm smile. "Welcome to Faulty Towers, I'll take you to your rooms."
As the five were walking into a nearby hallway, one of the lights adorning the wall flickered for a few seconds. The bellhop looked up in confusion. "Rotom?"
Ash stepped forward in surprise. "Rotom!?"
The man spun around with a nervous smile. "Oh don't worry, it was nothing. We're called Faulty Towers for a reason."
While the bellhop carried on, Bonnie noticed a picture hanging near the lamp, depicting a scruffy-looking man and a Krookodile posing in front of what looked like a battlefield.
"What's this?" the youngest member of the group wondered aloud. The bellhop turned back around.
"That? Oh, that's just a picture of the day this hotel opened," the five the carried on, until the bellhop reached a certain room, opening the door for them.
"Goodnight," he said with a soft smile as he passed the keys into Clemont's hands before heading off. The four trainers then entered the room, Bonnie quickly jumping on her bed while Ash and Clemont placed their bags down.
"No double..." Serena muttered disappointedly as she sat down on one of the beds.
"Hey guys, wanna have a Pokémon battle?" Ash asked. Serena and Clemont both looked up in confusion.
"Where?"
"It's pouring outside, Ash," the trainer from Pallet town refused to let that dissuade him.
"Well you remember that picture? There's a battlefield on it!" Serena put a finger to her chin.
"Well, I guess. It's not like we have a long walk ahead of us tomorrow or anything..."
"Great!" Ash exclaimed before bolting out of the room, the other three following. Before long they stumbled upon the battlefield, which was nearly as dirty and disheveled as the lobby; graffiti completely adorned walls that looked like they had not been cleaned in years, and the battlefield itself was worn down from years of neglect. Ash realized that they had also just caught the tail end of a battle, as the man from the picture - having aged quite noticeably - including having grown a small beard, donned glasses and letting his long hair become even more shaggy - but looking no less shady - and his Krookodile were in the middle of crushing some businessman's Pangoro. They finished the battle with a point-blank Hyper Beam, the business man tearfully recalling his Pokémon while the equally scraggly ref - and it was then that Clemont realized almost everyone else in the crowd looked like trouble - shouted.
"Pangoro is unable to battle; the winner is the hotel owner, Mantle!"
"Since when did Geddy Lee own a hotel?" Bonnie wondered as Mantle sauntered over to the businessman.
"As per our deal, I'll take your Pangoro," he said sinisterly as he snatched the Pokéball out of the man's hand, peering at him from behind his glasses. Ash gaped in shock while the businessman started pleading with mantle between his wheezes.
"I beg of you! Please! Pangoro's been my partner for twenty years!" unfortunately for him, two of Mantle's nearby thugs came and hauled him away.
"They had a bet on the battle..." Clemont muttered sadly. Ash's hand clenched into a fist.
"That's not right!" Bonnie nodded.
"I'm pretty sure it qualifies as racketeering," before Clemont could ask his sister how she knew what racketeering was, Ash bolted off into the ring.
"Hold it!" Mantle and his Krookodile turned to face Ash as he ran up to them with Serena and Bonnie. Ash stopped, took off his hat, combed his hair back, and then pointed an arm out at the man in the green suit. "You can't do that! Give him his Pokémon back now!"
It was then that the two goons from before ran up to Mantle's side.
"Who is this guy?" one asked, teeth bared. The other, heavyset one, put a hand to his chin.
"Yeah, I swear I've seen him somewhere before..." Mantle just shrugged off the commentary.
"Look kid," he began, holding out a hand for emphasis. "The deal is that the loser has to give his Pokémon to the winner."
"Doing that is wrong!" Bonnie nodded.
"And illegal. I'm really surprised no one's reported them yet," Mantle held up a Pokéball.
"Maybe. But a promise is a promise. Now let's talk," he leaned in, a shadow drawing itself across his face. "Pikachu."
Pikachu flinched. "Pika!?"
Mantle nodded. "Yes, you. Lovely weather today, isn't it?"
Pikachu blinked in confusion scratching one of its ears. "Pika?"
"Exactly. You always seem to know what to say," Pikachu smiled sheepishly.
"Pika," Mantle laughed.
"You can say that again," Mantle was about to say something else until one of his goons elbowed him. He blinked and scratched the side of his cheek. "Uh, right. Where were we?"
"You were about to threaten us," Serena offered. Mantle blinked again.
"Oh, that, right. Thanks," he said with a small smile before leaning forwards again, meeting Ash's gaze. "If you beat me, I'll give that trainer his Pangoro back. Of course, if you lose, I get Pikachu."
Mantle then stepped back and put his hands together. "And I'll take you home and love you and feed you and pet you..."
Ash scowled. "No way am I doing that!"
It was then that he noticed that one of Mantle's goons had stepped behind him. "You scared? Cause Mantle'll squish you like an olive."
Bonnie perked up at the word. "Oh, I love olives! They're my favorite fruit!"
Clemont cleared his throat. "Olives are a vegetable, Bonnie."
"It's a fruit!" Bonnie retorted, arms crossed.
"No, I think it's a vegetable," Ash commented.
"Really?" Serena wondered. "I always thought it was a fruit, but if you say something it must be true, Ash."
"That's only because he's too dumb to lie," Bonnie muttered while the debate spun out of hand around her.
"But olives grow on trees, right?" one of the goons said. "And I don't know any vegetables that grow on trees."
"I've heard of an Olive Garden but not an olive tree," another one replied.
"But they're attached to branches!" Bonnie shouted.
"That doesn't make it a fruit, Bonnie," Clemont replied, adjusting his glasses. "It could have come off a vine."
"But that doesn't mean it did, either," one of the goons snapped back.
"Sure, but keep in mind that vegetables-" Clemont began, only for Serena to cut him off.
"But wouldn't it be a vegetable," Serena pursed her lips in thought. "Vegetables don't have pits, so-"
"STOP!" Mantle shouted, nearly pulling out his unruly hair. Everyone turned to face him. "This is a holdup, not a botany lesson!"
"Now," the man growled, and the goons surrounding the four kids suddenly became more menacing. "You don't have a choice! Prepare to-"
It was then that the lid to a nearby trashcan flew into the air and a sudden gust of wind kicked up the litter in the room, sending it in the direction of Mantle and his minions. In the middle of the chaos, Rotom took the chance to shoot out of the trashcan and gesture for Ash and his friends to follow it. Mantle growled as they made their grand escape, the wind somehow not effecting them but still keeping him and his goons pinned.
"Darned Ghost Type pest," the hotel owner muttered. "I knew I should have gave them a call while they were still in business..."
The wind then died down and Mantle saw his chance. "After them!"
Seconds later, two goons were busy scouring one of the hallways.
"Man those kids run fast," one muttered, not even bothering to looking in the storage room with the open door right behind him. Instead, he turned around to his heavyset companion, who was struggling to keep up.
"Hurry up, Mitchell!" his compatriot staggered over to his side through his wheezes.
"I-I'm trying..." he muttered, gasping for air while the more fit of the two took off again. "I didn't even get to finish my orange..."
"Mitchell!" the portly one picked up the pace and pursued the other goon, thorough inspection of the hallway complete, and Ash finally realized he should close the doors to the supply closet.
"Wow, this place is nicer than the lobby," Serena muttered, taking a cursory glance around.
"Thanks, Rotom," Ash said, turning around to face the Pokémon. The Ghost Type gave a quick reply in its language, leaving the four kids confused.
"I wonder what Rotom is saying?" Serena's comment voiced their collective thought. In response, Rotom went into a nearby television through its plug, the device flickering to life. Rotom's face appeared on the screen for a short second before it went to static, apparently rewinding itself despite lacking any sort of DVD or VHS tape.
"It just turned on!" Bonnie exclaimed excitedly.
"Did Rotom do that?" Ash wondered.
"No, Ash, TV's can just turn on by themselves," Clemont replied with a roll of the eyes. Ash's eyes widened.
"Really!? Science is amazing!" the screen then flickered to life with an image of the hotel, attracting the attention of all four again. In the center of the screen, surrounded by a crowd of people, was a man who strangely resembled the bellhop standing atop a platform, Rotom floating around behind him.
"Hello, and thank you all so very much for coming to our hotel's grand opening ceremony!" he said. "I'm Westin, the hotel owner, and I'd like to invite all of you to make free use of our hotel battlefield, which is open to the public."
"Owner, huh?" Ash commented aloud.
"Hey, isn't that the man from the front desk?" Bonnie wondered.
"How does somebody go from being the owner to working the front desk?" Serena asked, putting a hand to her chin. "That doesn't make sense, something's going on."
"What, the racketeering or the fact they tried to kidnap us..." Clemont deadpanned.
"Look!" Ash exclaimed, and their attention returned to the television. The image on it was a much younger-looking Mantle and his two goons pushing their way through the crowd of socialites - who for their part, seemed to be quite happy to maintain a ten foot radius.
"Man, ten years sure haven't been kind to him..." Bonnie muttered.
"Nice place you got here," he said, gazing around at the disturbed guests. "So if it's open to the general public, why don't we have a Pokémon battle? And the winner gets ownership of this place."
"I wish you wouldn't joke like that," Westin replied, hands folded, the pedestal that he had been standing on seconds before having seemingly vanished into thin air.
"You think he's jokin'?" on of Mantle's unnamed goons said, stepping forward menacingly.
"When Mantle says something he means it!" the other piece of cannon fodder said, rolling up a sleeve.
"Now, now, calm down," Mantle replied, pulling his two henchmen back as he leaned forward. "You just told us we're free to engage in Pokémon battles, was that some sort of lie?"
Westin was clearly taken off guard by the question. "N-no, of course not."
"If you're not going to battle me," Mantle began, his eyes drifting over to the people behind them. "I'll just battle your guests and take all their Pokémon instead."
"Whoever filmed this did a really good job with the framing," Serena commented through her handful of popcorn.
"Please don't cause any trouble for my guests!" Westin pleaded.
"What are you going to do, call the cops?" Mantle taunted. "Or maybe you and your Rotom could battle me instead?"
Westin frowned. "So if I win you'll leave my guests alone and go? Is it a deal?"
"Yeah," Mantle said smugly, taking out a Pokéball. "It's a deal. Krookodile!"
Seconds later the Pokémon materialized and roared in Rotom's face, sending the Ghost Type scampering away in terror through an outlet.
"Rotom!" Westin cried out, while Mantle smirked.
"Looks like I win by forfeit," the screen went to static for a second after that, before Rotom's downcast face reappeared on it.
"So that's what happened..." Clemont muttered, Rotom giving a sad nod before the screen went to static again, playing another video. This time it showed Westin, in the uniform of a bellhop, sitting down at a desk when the lamp on it flashed. He shot out of his chair, leaning into the light desperately.
"Rotom! I swear I'm not mad at you! Won't you please come back!?" when there was no answer, Westin slumped down dejectedly. "It's just the voices again..."
The screen gave way to static, and this time Rotom was crying and somehow not shorting out the internal circuitry. Ash frowned. "That's sad. You're upset because you couldn't find the courage to even say sorry to your friend... Right?"
Rotom nodded through the TV screen, while Bonnie turned to her brother. "Hey Clemont, is there anything we can do?"
The Gym Leader frowned. "Sorry Bonnie, but short of having a time machine-"
Clemont cut himself off with a blink. "Hold on, I think my backpack might be able to-"
But before Clemont could unleash whatever horrors where waiting inside that backpack of his, Rotom's face brightened and it jumped out of the TV, motioning for them to follow. Before long, they found themselves in an elevator, and Rotom jumped into the button panel. The four looked up in curiosity as the lights began to flicker, and seconds later the panel expanded in a great burst of multi-colored light, revealing ten buttons each containing a negative number.
"D-Does this hotel really have ten basement floors!?" Clemont asked in horror.
"Uh... I kinda think no," Ash replied, causing Bonnie to gape.
"And now Ash is the voice of reason!?" she start chewing on her nails. "This isn't right..."
"Going back ten years in time!" a mechanical sounding voice spoke over the intercom.
"Who was that!?" Serena cried out.
"Me, Rotom!" Clemont blinked.
"How are you talking to us!?" somehow, all of them got the mental image of the Pokémon rolling his eyes.
"I can turn an elevator into a time machine, is it really that hard to believe I can talk through it?" Bonnie crossed her arms.
"And yet you still ran away..." Rotom apparently didn't her hear comment.
"Now buckle up; because where we're going we don't need elevators!" Clemont blinked and scratched his head.
"But aren't we technically using an eleeevattooor!" and the box they were in took off before Clemont had a chance to finish, travelling through space, time and logic to get to the past. Unfortunately, no one seemed to notice that the one on the negative ten button was actually a four. When the elevator came to a stop and opened its doors, sending all of them crashing to the floor, they were immediately accosted by bright lights and equally flashy clothing everywhere. Everyone screamed in unison.
"Sorry!" Rotom's voice cracked over the intercom, and the doors quickly shut before the elevator shot off again. When they opened this time, Clemont was busy throwing up in a corner, Ash was unconscious, and a crying Bonnie was holding onto Serena for dear life.
"Disco... Bad perms... Everywhere..." she muttered through her tears, while Serena rubbed her arm.
"Sorry about that mishap," Serena looked up at Rotom's voice. "This place used to be a disco club before Westin renovated it. But we should be in the right decade this time."
Everyone shakily filed out of the elevator, and they quickly realized they were on the same ground floor that they have been when they left. Ash turned to the left and saw the doors to the battlefield, quickly bolting off in their direction. And the moment Ash pushed the doors open they were met with a blast from the past; literally. Krookodile was busy roaring as loudly as possible in Rotom's face, the Ghost Type quickly shooting off and fleeing through a nearby outlet to the guest's apathy and Westin's horror.
"Looks like I win by forfeit," the younger Mantle said.
"Hold it!" Ash shouted as he ran up in front of Westin, took off his hat, combed his hair back, and pointed out a finger in Mantle's direction. "You haven't even started your battle yet, so there's no way you could have won be a forfeit! Give us five minutes and we'll bring Rotom back!"
Mantle took a step back and growled, but before he could say anything, the crowd around him finally woke up and started talking.
"Hey that kid is right, isn't he?"
"Yes, I think he is. And while we may outnumber that thug who just threatened us fifty to one, I think he can handle this himself."
"Yeah, you can't just claim victory like that!"
Mantle sighed and nodded. "Yeah, okay, okay. So get Rotom right back here this minute; we'll try this again."
"Come with us, please," Ash said, causing Westin to blink and numb absentmindedly as they left the battlefield. Seconds later Westin found himself in the supply closet with the four trainers, looking over them curiously.
"So, who are all of you?" Bonnie smiled.
"That's not important," Serena nodded.
"We just need you to listen to us," Ash turned towards the television.
"Rotom! You can come out now! This is your chance to make everything right," the Pokémon slowly came out of the television set, shying away slightly as Westin approached.
"It's alright Rotom, I'm just glad you came back," Westin turned back around to face Ash.
"Thank you, whoever you are, but me and Rotom have very little experience when it comes to battling. That's actually why we opened up the battlefield," the man sighed and straighter he cuffs of his suit jacket. "Oh, I knew this was a bad idea. I should have just listened to Marriott..."
Serena blinked. "Who's Marriott?"
"My older brother," Bonnie suddenly became more invested in the conversation.
"You have brothers, Westin?" Westin nodded.
"Yes, four in fact; Marriott, Hilton, Sheraton, and Hampton," Westin blinked and scratched the back of his head. "Eh, who are you all, again?"
"My name's As-" Clemont quickly covered Ash's mouth before he could finish, giving a sheepish grin to the increasingly confused hotel owner.
"Back to the issue at hand; you don't need to worry about the battle. I already have a plan," the Gym Leader's eyes then drifted over to a nearby washing machine.
"Time's almost up..." Mantle muttered as he looked down at his wristwatch, foot tapping against the floor impatiently. Just then the doors to the battlefield burst open, and Westin charged in with Rotom at his side, Ash and company staying a few feet back.
"You came back," Mantle deadpanned. "I thought you gave up."
"I'm here," Westin replied, gesturing to the spot next to him. "I mean I was standing over there originally, but I'm standing here right now, so I think it qualifies. And remember; if I win, you promise to never challenge people who refuse to call the police with shady demands!"
Mantle nodded. "You got it. And if I win, this hotel is mine."
"Agreed."
One of the hotel guests who had nothing better to do than sit back and watch an extortion take place decided to walk up to the edge of the battlefield and play ref. "This will be a one on one battle between Krookodile and Rotom. Begin!"
Rotom and Krookoodile appeared on their sides of the field, staring down each other. Krookdile's claws twitched, nearing ever closer to the imaginary holsters on its hips, while Rotom's plasma-like arms slowly mimicked its opponent.
"Now Rotom, the socket!" Rotom then bolted off and fled through the electrical socket again. Mantle's expression dropped.
"Oh come on! You're just stalling now!" Westin shook his head.
"No; I have a plan."
"Running away? Because the hotel-" before Mantle could finish, a very loud, repetitious 'thud' started to resonate from behind the doors to the hallway.
"Someone shut the fence off in the rain! Run!" before the panic could set into full swing, Rotom, having possessed a washing machine, charged into the room. Mantle turned to one of his goons, who only smiled sheepishly.
"I couldn't help it. It just popped in there."
"Don't forget," Clemont shouted. "Wash Rotom can use Hydro Pump!"
"Use Hydro Pump!" Rotom responded to Westin's command by launching a large torrent of water in Krookodile's direction, that swept it off its feet.
"You said this would be a one on one!" Mantle nearly screamed. Westin only nodded.
"Even if it changes forms, it remains Rotom," steam started coming out of Mantle's ears.
"You little- I'm the villain here! Hyper Beam," Westin hummed as Krookodile unleashed the attack, which crushed through the Washing Machine Rotom had possessed. Westin frowned.
"Plan B, Rotom; the socket!" Rotom zipped into the socket again, reappeared seconds later in the hallway after having possessed a refrigerator, closed the doors, and then burst through them.
"What now!?" Mantle cried out in agony.
"Remember," Clemont shouted to Westin. "Frost Rotom can use Blizzard!"
Westin nodded. "Blizzard, Rotom!"
The doors to the refrigerator Rotom was inhabiting then swung open, sending an icy barrage in Krookodile's direction that froze it solid. The Dark Type broke out of its icy prison at Mantle's shouting, lunging forward and tearing through the metal as Rotom escaped unnoticed.
"Now, Plan C!" Westin shouted, Rotom escaping into the circuitry again. This time Rotom just mowed down the doors as it zipped the lawnmower it had taken over onto the battlefield. Mantle gripped the edges of his hair, eyes going wide.
"Make it stop! Please! The VOICES!" Westin threw an arm out.
"Now Rotom; Leaf Storm!" the tornado of leaves quickly enveloped Krookodile and launched it up into the air, the Pokémon getting knocked out cold before it met the ground. Bonnie pouted as Mantle recalled his Pokémon bitterly.
"Aw, but you didn't get to finish showing off Rotom! I wasn't to see its other forms!" Westin chuckled.
"All right, Rotom; Plan D," Rotom nodded, disappeared, and reappeared in the doorway again, this time in the form of a microwave. One of the spectators, conveniently holding a microphone, stepped up as the battlefield lights dimmed and focused solely on Rotom, the Pokémon beginning to walk up and down the battlefield for all the guests to see.
"And here we can see Rotom sporting a fabulous 1.2 cubic foot Pangorosonic microwave oven, complete with stainless steel finishing and an autocleaning feature that will leave you ready to cook all your meals and opponents with Heat Wave in ten seconds or less," the crowed 'ooed' and clapped in awe as Rotom retreated through the shattered doors and returned in the form of a fan.
"And Rotom goes for the retro with this Heracrossgale Turboforce Air Circulator, complete with a sleek black finish and alternator that will be sure to cool you off and blow away the competition," more applause and cheering followed as Rotom gave a bow and floated away. Seconds later, it reappeared in its normal form besides Westin, the lights over the battlefield turning back on. The referee cleared his throat.
"Krookodile is unable to battle, so the winner is Westin; the hotel owner!"
"Now," Westin began. "Hold up your end of the promise; no more shady demands!"
Mantle smirked. "All right. It doesn't really matter anyways, because we'll just take this place by force. Hey, fellas!"
"That's our cue," one of Mantle's minions muttered as they pulled various pieces of furniture out of hammerspace. The crowd of socialites around them broke out in murmuring.
"Do you think we should do something, dear?"
"No; we've been useless all night and it's worked out pretty well for us, if I do say so myself. Besides, this has been far more entertaining than pranking the butler."
Mantle's goons began advancing towards Westin, but Ash bolted out in front of them before they could get too close. "Thunderbolt, Pikachu!"
The Electric Type attack connected and exploded in a brilliant burst of smoke, leaving Mantle and his two henchmen covered in Ash and lying on the floor.
"Sorry," Mantle choked out. "I've been a bad boy. I'll be good... Mommy..."
He then passed out, and the crowd began cheering as confetti started falling from nowhere.
"They nearly electrocuted them to death!"
"We were completely useless!"
"Waiter, where's my cocktail!?"
"The hotel's saved from a non-enforceable verbal contract!"
"Hooray!" while the crowd became frenzied, Westin turned to face Ash and his friends.
"Thank you so much, whoever you are," he said, shaking Ash's hand vigorously as a nearby cameraman snapped a quick photo. Clemont used the cover of the flash to quickly pull Ash away, and by the time it died down, they were already back in the elevator, headed back to their time.
"Looks like we're back in our own time," Serena sighed out as they slumped out of the elevator. To the right were the doors to the battlefield, just as they left them, though the hallway was noticeably cleaner. Ash raised an eyebrow at seeing three men in bellhop uniforms standing in front of the door.
"Who's that?" Clemont shrugged.
"Let's go take a look!" Bonnie said cheerfully before running forward. They all stopped in shock when they saw it was mantle and his two goons. The former villain gave them a warm smile.
"Good evening, cherished guests, allow me to open-"
"VILLAIN!" Bonnie screamed out while Dedenne jumped out of her purse and began shocking the man. Mantle fell down in a smoky mess, twitching, and coughed out a bit of smoke.
"I was..." he said weakly, before getting back up. "That was ten years ago, when I was a horrid crook. But Mr. Westin saw it in himself to forgive me and my friends and give us jobs here."
Mantle's eyes started to sparkle. "He's a truly wonderful man; generous, forgiving, and the best boss-"
Serena was too busy looking down at her shirt to pay attention, but still felt it important enough to interrupt. "Oh, I have a stain on my blouse. Do you mind if I use the washing machine-"
Mantle's eyes went wide and his head started jerking from side to side. "Washing Machine!? Where!? Where!?"
"Sorry," one of the former goons leaned in. "The boss is a really cool guy, but never mention that, refrigerator or-"
"REFRIGERATOR!?" Mantle screamed. "AHHHH!"
He then spun around and ran straight through the door, leaving a body-shaped hole in his wake. The two remaining bellhops laughed uneasily and pushed the doors to the battlefield open, revealing a dimmed room and a large crowd. Westin was at the center, the only light shining down on him, thanking his guest for attending the hotel's tenth anniversary dinner while Rotom flew around in the background. The Pokémon then noticed the four kids, flew up to them and gestured for them to follow. They all slipped out into the lobby unnoticed.
"Looks like we set things right, huh?" Ash commented, and Rotom nodded before giving a happy reply and gesturing to the picture on the wall.
"Look!" Bonnie exclaimed when she realized it was a picture of Ash shaking Westin's hand on opening night with all of them in the background.
"It's us... We really did travel back in time..." Serena commented, dumbfounded.
"So it wasn't a dream..." Clemont muttered. It was then that Serena blinked, an idea crossing her mind.
"Hey, Ash," the young trainer from Pallet Town blinked.
"Yeah?"
"Since we've left behind evidence of ourselves ten years ago, doesn't that technically make us all twenty?" An awkward silence fell over all of them.
"Wouldn't it be thirty?" Bonnie asked.
"I'm not sure that's how it wo-" Clemont didn't get the chance to finish.
"I guess..." Ash conceded.
"Great!" Serena chirped, slipping her hands into Ash's. "Let's get married!"
"Wait? What!?" Ash cried out in shock, while Bonnie jumped up and down in excitement.
"Oh, can I be your maid of honor?"
"Sure, Bonnie," another thought crossed Serena's mind. "Oh, we have to go dress shopping! Let's go!"
And so, Serena and Bonnie dragged a helpless Ash out of the hotel with a very confused Clemont trudging behind.
The End
Pikachu's eyes shot open and the Pokémon jolted out from where it had been sleeping. It's dark eyes quickly darted around Ash's tent; he was still asleep, no Serena in a sleeping back next to him, and no signs of any other life in the tent.
Pikachu let out a held in sigh. It was all just a bad dream...
The Pokémon's eyes then drifted over to the bottle of ketchup it always kept nearby, and slowly pushed it away with a shudder before crawling back asleep.
The (Real) End
"I thought that was pretty funny, Arcy!" Mew exclaimed, floating up to the Alpha Pokémon as the film was finally brought to its end.
"Yes, well, I suppose your contributions were crucial," Arceus muttered, glancing away for a moment. "And I might have had fun too."
"Really!? That's great!" Mew exclaimed loudly, causing the fur on the back of Arceus' long neck to stick up. She then leaned in, sapphire orbs boring inquisitively into his ruby ones. "You know what this means, right?"
"No," Arceus replied quickly, hoping against hope that would be the end of it. Mew had other plans.
"We should become a travelling sketch comedy troupe!" the Alpha blinked in disbelief while Mew's eyes grew wider.
"I can see it now," the Psychic Type started, paws going up. Arceus floated back a few inches. "We can set up our stage like the Hall, and I'll dress up in a beanie and scarf and come in from the right."
The Normal Type raised a non-existent eyebrow, while Mew furrowed her brow and did her best to scowl in an intimidating manner. When he heard a crude pantomime of his voice escape her lips, Arceus had to wonder for a spilt-second if that was what he looked like. "And you can say 'MORTAL! YOU DARE ENTER MY MORTUARY'-"
"Sanctuary," Arceus corrected with a small role of the eyes.
"SANCTUARY! PREPARE TO FEEL MY WRA-" Mew continued without missing a beat, voice reverting to normal. "And I can say 'Master Ball, go!', and then-"
"The whole audience joins in and tries to capture us. Yes, another brilliant idea, Mew," Arceus muttered, while Mew crossed her arms and pouted. The New Species Pokémon opened her mouth to say something, but Arceus cut her off once more.
"Excuse me, but I think I left the microwave on," Mew's pout turned into a deadpan that eerily mirrored his.
"We don't have a microwave, Arcy. And you can't cook," Arceus blinked.
"Now I really need to get a microwave," the Alpha muttered.
"Well in that case, I think I left a cake out in the rain," Arceus spun around. "Pardon me."
"Left a cake out in the rain?" Mew scratched her head as Arceus sped away. It was only a second after Arceus' frame had disappeared behind the corner that Mew's expression dropped and she crossed her arms. "MacArthur Park... Smooth, Arcy."