Divided we Stand
by CidGregor and Dragonshadow
Rated T
Chapter One: An Unwelcome Welcome
Pallet Town.
Boy, it felt like ages since he'd been back here.
Ash Ketchum stood at the crest of a familiar tall hill overlooking the small, humble town that he called home. Once upon a time he'd walked this very hilltop as he began his Pokémon journey, tugging a reluctant Pikachu alongside him with a leash and rubber gloves. And now the two of them were inseparable friends with countless battles and experiences under their belts and just as many fond memories. Funny how things worked out like that, he thought.
Ash glanced over to his left shoulder, where the very same Pikachu sat and smiled at him. Pikachu had really grown a lot since the day they met. Initially they hadn't been on very friendly terms…the both of them were so stubborn, they'd clashed immediately and often. But ever since the encounter with the Spearow flock, that changed. Pikachu fought for Ash without question, trusted him completely, and had helped him through so many battles to victory. The little Pokémon had trained both body and mind on a daily basis, slimmed down and powered up, battled and won against opponents that most trainers would call impossible odds. Ash generally didn't like to play favorites with his Pokémon, and he of course tried his best to treat them all equally…but it was always clear that there was no Pokémon he cared for more than Pikachu.
"Glad to be home again, buddy?" Ash asked, smiling back.
"Pi, pika!" Pikachu answered, forming one paw into a 'peace' sign.
"Heh, you aren't the only one," Ash chuckled.
"I gotta admit, I'm pretty eager to see home, too."
Ash turned toward the third voice with a thankful smile. "You really don't have to stop in with me, Brock. If you want to see your family you should go on ahead."
Brock waived off his long-time travelling companion's words with a laugh. "Are you kidding? And miss a night of your mom's cooking? I like to think I'm a pretty good cook myself, but I've got nothing on her."
Ash laughed in return as they started walking down the hill and toward town. "Heh, yeah, nothing quite like mom's cooking, is there?"
"No argument there. And it'll be nice to see Professor Oak and Misty and everyone again. I've been meaning to show the professor a new Pokémon food recipe I've been working on…"
"Yeah, that'll be great," Ash agreed, and nudged Brock jokingly. "Just promise you won't fight with Mr. Mime again over who gets to help around the house."
"Hey, I can't help it. I'm a gentleman, and a true gentleman always helps a lady," Brock insisted with a hand to his heart.
"Uh…heh, sure, Brock, whatever you say…"
"Chuu…" Pikachu announced, stomach rumbling audibly at the talk of food.
Ash chuckled again. "Sounds like someone's getting hungry," he said, patting Pikachu's head. "Don't worry, buddy, we'll be home in a flash and everyone can get some great food. And I can tell mom all about the Sinnoh region, too!"
"I'm sure she'll love to hear it. You did really well out there, Ash."
Ash rubbed the back of his head modestly. "Aww, thanks, Brock. But I just did my best, it was nothing special. I was more impressed by Dawn. She did pretty good for her first big Pokémon adventure."
Brock nodded in agreement. "She really did. And going through Hoenn and Johto, she'll only get better."
"Yeah…too bad she didn't want to come with us. She and Misty would probably make pretty good friends."
Brock laughed a bit. "I think Misty is more likely to be jealous."
"Huh? Jealous? Why do you say that, Brock?"
Brock waved him off, still laughing. "Oh, no reason…"
Ash scratched his head in confusion for a moment, but let it slip out of his mind as they came within the city limits and he caught notice of an unfamiliar sign posted by the side of the road into town. It looked fairly official, except for the fact that it had been drawn over rather grotesquely with bright green graffiti.
"Huh…?" Ash wondered aloud, staring at the signpost. "That's strange, I've never seen that there before…"
Brock turned to look as well, frowning slightly. "Hmm…I've never seen graffiti around this town before, either…"
"You think there's gangs or something around town now…?"
"Not sure…but someone certainly didn't like what that sign had to say."
"Well then, let's see what's so bad about it," Ash decided, jogging up to the sign. Brock nodded and followed right behind, and he, Ash and Pikachu all peered closely at the sign to read it together:
.
NOTICE TO ALL CITIZENS AND VISITORS OF KANTO
Due to heightened Pokémon-related criminal activity,
a temporary ban is currently in place on all Pokémon
battles throughout the region, in accordance with the
Saffron Legislation. All Pokémon gyms are hereby
closed until further notice. Anyone caught engaging
in a Pokémon battle or openly carrying a Pokémon
as anything other than a pet will be arrested on sight,
and any Pokémon being carried will be confiscated.
This ban will remain in effect until the ruling on the
Silph Act. Please be sure to abide by the rules of the
ban until then.
Thank you for your cooperation,
- The Indigo Conference Pokémon League
.
"WHAT?! A BAN on Pokémon battles?!" Ash echoed in shock.
"Pika pi?!" Pikachu exclaimed as well.
"Wow…that's pretty heavy," Brock murmured, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.
"That doesn't make any sense at all!" Ash burst out. "Why would the Indigo League do something like that? And what's this baloney about Pokémon crime?!"
"That part's not baloney, Ash," Brock corrected him. "Didn't you watch the news reports on the ferry ride back to Kanto?"
"Uhh…no?"
Brock sighed. "It's true. In the last couple of months, there's apparently been a big surge in people using Pokémon for crime."
"Pokémon for crime? Sounds like Team Rocket's doing to me…"
Brock shook his head. "There's been no report of Team Rocket being involved. It's just one big crime wave all across Kanto. Armed robbery, grand theft auto, home break-ins…people were getting really panicked, and demanding that the government do something about it. Last I heard they were planning a meeting of some sort in Saffron City, between the town mayors, the Kanto national government, and the Indigo League. Maybe that meeting has something to do with this 'Saffron Legislation.'
"That's ridiculous!" Ash shouted. "There's no way they'd decide to ban Pokémon battles!"
"Calm down, Ash, it says it's only temporary. Until they decide on this… 'Silph Act' thing."
"And what the heck is that?"
"I've never heard of it before. It must have come up while we were on foot between the ferry and whenever this sign was put up…"
"Well I'm getting to the bottom of this, right now!" Ash announced. "C'mon, Pikachu, let's go find mom and Professor Oak!"
"Pi, pikachu!" his friend announced, hopping to the ground and starting to dash ahead.
"Wait, Ash!" Brock stopped him, grabbing his shirt collar.
Ash whirled angrily. "What now? We gotta hurry!"
"I agree," Brock nodded, "but we gotta be smart about it, too. If that ban is as serious as it sounds, and the wrong people see Pikachu running around, or the Poké Balls on your belt, it might mean trouble."
"You want me to hide them?!"
"Just put the Poké Balls in your backpack until we get inside. We can trust your mom and Professor Oak."
"But how am I gonna hide Pikachu? My backpack's not THAT big."
"You're not gonna like it, but the best place for Pikachu to hide is a Poké Ball."
"What?! No way! Pikachu hates that!"
"Chuuuu, chu chu…!" Pikachu agreed, looking rather unsettled by the idea already.
"It's just for a few minutes…we'll get back to your house as fast as we can. But if you don't, and any police officers see you two, they could arrest you and take Pikachu away."
"……" Ash felt an unpleasant lump in his stomach at those words, realizing the truth in them. Getting arrested wouldn't be a very good idea, and the last thing he wanted was to see Pikachu, or any of his Pokémon, be taken away. Brock was right, they needed to be hidden. In a flash his Poké Balls were safely tucked away in his backpack, save for one that remained in his hand, adorned with a tiny lightning bolt.
"…Cha…?" Pikachu murmured.
"…Brock's right, Pikachu," Ash admitted, kneeling down to meet Pikachu close to eye level and holding out the little orb. His index finger tapped the button on the front, expanding the ball to its full size, which made Pikachu seem to wince slightly and back away. "I know you hate it in there…but you gotta hide in your Poké Ball. I'm not gonna let anyone take you away from me."
Pikachu's wide, black eyes stared into Ash's. "…Pi…ka…?"
"It's just for a few minutes…just until we get home safe…please, Pikachu…someone could see us any minute, and I want you to be safe." Ash set the Poke ball down on the ground in front of Pikachu, making no move to force the issue on his long-time friend. "Please go inside the Poké Ball…"
Pikachu stared at the ball for a few heavy moments, and then up at Ash for just as long, as though trying to decide what to do.
Ash gave his companion a comforting smile. "…Please…let me keep you safe…"
Pikachu looked one more time at the ball, and for an agonizing moment Ash feared his friend would refuse. But eventually Pikachu gave a reluctant nod and reached out a paw for the button, gently pressing it. The ball opened, and in a brief flash of red and white light, Pikachu was gone, hidden away safely inside the Poké Ball.
"Ash…?" Brock probed gently.
"……"
"…It's for the best, Ash…c'mon, let's hurry to your house so you can let Pikachu out again."
Ash nodded, picking up the ball and slipping it out of sight. "Yeah…let's hurry."
"Right," Brock agreed, and the two of them broke into a jog, heading straight for the Ketchum home, and with any luck, some answers.
Give up my Pokémon…? How…? How can anyone expect me to…?
Misty's feet plopped down the central road through Cerulean City as the golden light of the sunset cast its glow across the buildings, her arms dangling at her sides while her backpack swayed gently against her back. The people around her turned to watch her, giving her a wary gaze as she passed. A few of them moved to follow her, wondering curiously just what she was doing. Misty had been the Cerulean Gym Leader, after all; with the Gym demolished, they probably hadn't expected to see her again. She made no move to look at them, however; her focus was inward.
They're my friends…we've been through so much together…can I really just…hand them over? Why? Because some law says so…?
Misty approached the police station slowly, instantly spotting Officer Jenny waiting out front. As she approached Jenny opened her eyes wider, then sighed in relief and pushed off from the wall to meet Misty in the middle of the parking lot out front.
"I'm glad you decided to see reason." Officer Jenny gave her a slight smile. "I was afraid you'd try to skip town. Now please, just hand over your Poké Balls and I promise I'll make this as painless as possible."
"……" Misty stood still as a statue, not saying anything.
"…Misty?" Jenny probed cautiously.
…I can't…even if the law says so…I can't--…no, I WON'T give up my friends…!
"…Misty, please, you have to turn over your Pokémon…"
"No," Misty announced defiantly, steeling her nerves and clenching her fists. Officer Jenny's eyes widened, but Misty didn't give her a chance to respond. "I won't let you take my Pokémon, no matter what. I just came to tell you that."
Jenny frowned and clenched her own fists. "You can't fight the law, Misty. Trainers are no longer allowed to keep Pokémon, it's just too dangerous."
"And what about the Pokémon?" Misty replied venomously. "It's not just the trainers you're hurting! Pokémon aren't pets or possessions that can just be taken from us, they're loyal companions and friends who would do anything for us! It would devastate them to be ripped away from us!" Misty narrowed her eyes confidently. "That was what Ash was saying the whole time I traveled with him…I don't think I ever really understood it until now…but he's right. My Pokémon are my friends, and I won't give them up!"
Jenny was silent for a moment before speaking again. "You know I have no choice." Her hand flashed to her Poké Ball, and in a surge of light a knee-high, orange-furred Pokémon appeared in front of her with a fearsome howl. The Growlithe glared at Misty, ready to snap at a moment's notice.
"We've been ordered to do whatever it takes to confiscate Pokémon from their trainers," Jenny warned. "Even if it means using our Pokémon against the trainers themselves."
"That's against the rules of a battle!" Misty pointed out.
"There are no more Pokémon battles, Misty," Jenny said softly, almost as if speaking through a haze of regret.
"…Fine…" Misty's hand moved to her own waist. "If that's the way you want it…a Pokémon war it is, then!" A flash of light erupted from one of the balls at her waist, rapidly coalescing into a ten-pointed star in front of her, then fading into the physical form of her Starmie. The red jewel in the center of its body pulsed with energy and determination, glowing in the orange sunset.
"Your Growlithe is outmatched, Officer Jenny!" Misty shouted. "Let me go and nobody has to get hurt."
"I can't do that." Jenny took up a determined stance, her expression hardening. "The law is the law."
"Well I'm not giving up," Misty growled. "Friends will do anything for each other, and I won't abandon my Pokémon any more than they will abandon me! Starmie…" Misty raised her hand toward the field, ready to give commands.
"Growlithe…" Jenny pointed towards the sky, ready to issue her own commands.
The Starmie spun in place like a saw blade, then suddenly launched itself forward like a shuriken at Misty's command. The Growlithe quickly responded, opening its jaws in a mighty roar that deafened the surrounding spectators. The water Pokémon wavered in mid-flight, suddenly gripped by a paralyzing fear that sent it hurtling off to one side. While it tried to reorient itself, the Growlithe opened its jaws again and howled into the air, its body pulsing with bright, fiery light. The darkening sunset seemed to get brighter than before, lighting up the sky as if it was midday.
"Come on Starmie, nail it with Water Gun!" Misty shouted into the fray. The Starmie steadied itself high in the air, then shot five of its points forward, sending a powerful stream of water toward its opponent. However, the heat from the powerful light turned most of it into mist the moment it appeared, leaving only a small trickle to strike the Growlithe on the nose, which it brushed off without difficulty.
"Nnhhh…this heat…" Misty murmured. "Sunny Day…it's weakening Starmie's attacks…"
"I'm an officer of the law, Misty, did you think I wasn't ready to take on any Pokémon?" Officer Jenny announced. "Growlithe, take it down!"
With another howl the Growlithe rushed forward and threw itself into the air after its levitating opponent. Starmie whirled easily out of the way and spun back around, slamming into Growlithe's side at Misty's insistence. The impact carried both Pokémon off to one side, hurtling them toward the spectators on the sidewalk. Many of them yelled in surprise and rushed out of the way as the combatants slammed down onto the pavement, barely missing one or two bodies.
Growlithe managed to spin them around to put itself on top, landing on the star-shaped Pokémon and opening its jaws wide. Before it could bring its jaws down, though, Starmie began to spin again, so fast it looked like it suddenly became a purple disc. The Growlithe clung desperately to its frame, but was soon thrown free, glancing off of a building wall into one of the cars parked beside the road. The car alarm blared as the Growlithe struggled back to its feet, and Starmie floated from the ground to right itself, facing its opponent once again. Though neither of them really noticed, those previously watching the battle were beginning to flee from the scene, realizing that this wasn't the carefully controlled battle they were used to watching. The rules had been revoked, and suddenly the consequences of a loss seemed much more dire.
Starmie's gem pulsed with light, which quickly shaped into a flurry of shining stars that shot toward its opponents. The Growlithe seemed to relax its body for a moment, preparing itself to suddenly leapt though the stream of stars, weaving through them without touching them and rushing straight up in front of Starmie. Fire engulfed Growlithe's body, spinning around it ferociously before pulsing forward the instant he reached his opponent, his body slamming into Starmie while the flames surged forth to engulf its body. Starmie flew back from the impact, slamming into the ground and sliding out into the middle of the road. Its jewel surged with pain as it floated up from the ground, blackened scorch marks covering its body.
"Starmie! Be careful!" Misty shouted. "I'm not giving up on you, and I won't let them take you! Do your best Water Gun!"
Starmie whirled in place again, all ten of its points turning inward to fire a massive blast of water toward Growlithe. The heat of the Sunny Day attack took its toll on the blast once again, however, evaporating most of the water the moment it emerged. The burst of fire from Growlithe's jaws ripped through the rest to engulf Starmie once again, forcing it to retreat even further, until it was standing just a few feet in front of Misty.
"You can end this right now, Misty!" Jenny shouted. "Don't make Starmie suffer any more!"
"I'll never give up! Starmie, get ready!" Misty clenched her fist. Starmie's gem blinked in acknowledgement and its body seemed to stiffen, the texture of its skin growing harder than before.
At Jenny's command, Growlithe charged forward again, flames bursting forth to spin around his body as he approached. Starmie stood its ground, the gem in the center of its body shimmering in the bright light until suddenly Misty screamed "Now!" Without warning Starmie seemed to shimmer just before the Growlithe slammed into it, knocking it back to slide across the street. Starmie's body continued to burn as it lay limp on the ground.
"Oh my God! Did we…" Officer Jenny rushed forward in shock. The powerful daylight faded from the sky in the time it took her to approach, leaving them engulfed in the little twilight that remained in the natural sky. She moved to stand beside Growlithe and her eyes went wide as she looked down at the burning puppet in front of her. "Wait… it's not real…it's a Substitu--"
"Water Gun!" Misty shouted from behind them. Jenny and Growlithe both whirled just in time to face the full force of Starmie's blast, powerful enough to send them both hurtling back. Growlithe howled and struggled weakly against the stream, but it couldn't resist the water, and its body slid back up against Jenny, who had finally come to a stop on the ground near the sidewalk. She reached out and pulled Growlithe's body up against hers, hugging it protectively.
"Growlithe!" Jenny tried to shield him from the torrent. "That's enough! He's had enough!"
Misty placed a gentle hand on her Pokémon and the water gun ended, leaving Jenny and Growlithe lying on the ground in front of them, dripping wet. "Hmph…so you'll try to beat MY Pokémon into submission, but as soon as yours takes a few licks you call it off? Is that it?!" Misty seethed.
"……" Jenny had no response to that, cradling her Growlithe's weakened body close to her own.
"We're leaving, Officer Jenny. We have something important to do."
"The police will be after you, Misty…" Jenny looked up at her, still cradling her Pokémon against her chest. "You'll be a fugitive."
"If that's what it takes to keep my Pokémon, then that's fine by me. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to meet Ash." Misty turned to Starmie, taking out her Poké Ball. "Good job, Starmie. Take a rest."
The Pokémon vanished into the ball in a stream of ruby light, and Misty turned to walk away, tucking the ball safety back onto her belt. The people of Cerulean City watched from a distance as she walked toward the city limits, stunned by the act of defiance they'd just seen. But Misty paid them no mind. To her, the only thing that mattered was getting to Pallet Town and meeting up with Ash…she'd figure out what to do after that when she got there.
I just hope I didn't make the biggest mistake of my life back there…
A moment later, she'd passed beyond the city limits, and was gone.
Comments and critiques welcomed and appreciated.