Chapter 4: Yin, Yang, Yung

"Paul, is that you?" Ash wondered about the talking Ursaring. Zoey, Ash and Pikachu were surprised that a talking Ursaring had showed up. Even more surprising was the fact that the kids were talking about him last night.

"Not like I need to talk to a couple of worthless trainers," Paul snorted. Although Ash did not really appreciate the scowling mock...but looking at the situation, he couldn't keep a straight face if he wanted to try. In other words, he was laughing up a storm. Paul was getting really appalled by the look Ash and Zoey were giving him, let alone Ash's chuckling.

"I don't know what to say," he cackled. "The new look suits you!" Even Pikachu and Zoey couldn't help themselves but to laugh. The more they scoffed the new Paul, the more Paul roared in anger. Wow...his actions do resemble the new appearance.

"Unbelievable!" You could tell how annoyed he was about being teased.

"S-Sorry about that," Zoey apologized. She then became serious. "But what happened to you?" Paul darted his snout away.

"Will you listen?" Pikachu and the humans nodded, calming down from the giggles. "You'd better. I was minding my own business, like always, when some teal-haired man flashed some sort of ugly diamond. Before long, I was no longer human and became this." This being...the Ursaring. Ash was a bit stunned with the look that Paul exposed but did listen intently. Something had Ash thinking that the Teal-haired man was familiar.

"Did he have glasses on?" he questioned. Paul began to believe that Ash was onto a suspect and it wasn't Lupin.

"What if he did?" If he did, Ash knew someone who would've matched the description.

"Dr. Yung. He still has to pay for messing with Prof. Oak and my other friends." A history. That would mean that this doctor used the Jynx Jewel on Paul. That's what Zoey believed. Then, Piplup and Croagunk entered the area.

("We found you!") Piplup beaked. The group turned and viewed Piplup and Croagunk, thinking quickly that something had happened to Brock and Dawn.

("Where's Dawn and Brock?") Pikachu wondered. Croagunk could tell but it was still emphatic about Fujiko enveloping Brock.

("Someone took her!") That was all the motivation Ash needed.

"We should move out," Ash suggested. "If Dr. Yung is behind this, he'll know how to reverse the process." Zoey agreed. Reluctant at first, Paul had no other option than to go with Ash on this. If he was to get his body back, Ash would be the one who could help. Ash didn't want to help Paul, but his heart begged him to aid those in need, even if it was someone he loathed.

"If it means battling again, fine," Paul grunted. "I'll go along." The group raced to where they found a cave. Could this be where they were keeping Brock and Dawn? They didn't need to wait for long.

"I don't understand!" Dawn scolded the scientist. "What is it you're after? Money? Fame? Domination?" What could the teal-haired man want?

"Don't get me wrong my dear," he sneered. "The Pokémon Institute expelled me for my experiments. Their claims happened to be that I was cruel and unjust. One of those member was Oak himself." Dawn was stunned. Someone she knew?

"So it was revenge?"

"Precisely. And what better way than to turn my attention from Pokémon than to go after the famed thief himself, Arsené Lupin III and his best men." Lupin snarled at the misfortune he and Jigen were in because of this doctor and Dawn was about to be the next of his wicked experiments. "Besides, to make it perfect, I just need to stop that one kid who really ruined my mirage program back in Kanto. I heard, my dear lady friend, that he was traveling with you." There were two that Dawn would know about but one that would probably make the most sense.

"First, Jigen and myself," growled Lupin. "Now you want to go after children? I may be a world renown thief but I do not go so low as to steal from kids and that includes their dignities!"

"You should only speak when spoken to, Lupin the Weavile." Ouch! Ash, Paul, Zoey and the Pokémon were a bit shocked. Lupin was in there with Dawn and the bad doctor. However, hearing "Lupin the Weavile" and Paul in the Ursaring had Ash believing that Lupin had also been stricken with the Jewel's curse.

"What are the chances that Dr. Yung had captured the famed thief?"he asked the other two. He had no idea about Jigen with him or Goemon overhead. But Paul was bitter about the findings of Lupin. All he wanted was his body back in place.

"Look, all I care about is getting out of this suit of fur," he snarled. "Let's just get it over with." All Ash and Zoey could do was sigh. There was no full plotted plan due to haste. Right now, it was a full frontal assault. The group charged in, ready to go. They quickly got to the room where Ash spotted the doctor and Zoey and Paul eyed Dawn.

"You made it!" Dawn cheered...before noting the Ursaring. "But why is that Ursaring with you?" Although he looked like the Ursaring, Paul still detested being named the such...while still acting the part.

"Like you know what it means to be trapped in a Pokémon's body," he scowled. That voice...

"Paul?" Yep. Ash was facing down the teal-haired man in the lab coat as Zoey tried to jimmy the lock with a small pick.

"I take it you haven't really learned you lesson, Dr. Yung," Ash barked. "Let's just say a certain helpful officer point the tracks for us." Lupin felt screwed. There was one officer that he was worried about.

"Pops may be a bumbling stoic but I never thought he'd use kids to find us," he stammered. Uh, Lupin? Hate to disappoint you but it wasn't "Pops."

"It was Officer Hamby who guided us here," Zoey corrected before the pick snapped. That didn't work. Observing the tool, that lock had to be tough to crack. Meanwhile, Yung held out the diamond. That was the Jynx Jewel.

"You do realize that you're powerless to stop me," he sneered. "I have the ultimate power here and when I change you into useless Pokémon, I'll win for sure." Ash had to do something. The question was what?

"Whatever you do, do not gaze into the diamond," Paul warned. Guess that's how Paul, Lupin and Jigen became Pokémon. Yung noticed that Zoey was trying to break Dawn and the two anti-heroes free from their cage.

"That's as far as you go!" Zoey was turning to Yung, a bad move oncoming. Yung made the worse one.

"Pikachu, now!" Ash called as Pikachu leaped and smacked into Yung, causing him to start losing the Jynx Jewel. Out of the hands. Dawn saw Piplup, knowing what to do.

"Piplup, Whirlpool!" she commanded. Piplup lit a bright blue and a swirling cone of water emerged. The diamond fell nicely into the whirlpool which bounced into Paul's mitts.

"Nice catch, Paul." Suddenly, the Jewel began to shine. Was it the attack? A blue beam shot out and struck Jigen. This couldn't be good. The Blastoise started to glow before a pillar of water sprung up and surrounded the gunner. That's when the water dissipated. Jigen reemerged...as Jigen himself! Jigen was cured. The beard, the fedora, the suit...that's what Jigen should look like. Jigen checked himself to see if he was human again. He was.

"This is interesting," he spoke before noticing that he had a black revolver at his hip. "There's old faithful." His favorite gun, no doubt.

"Daisuke, whoa," Dawn awed. "You're a lot better looking as a human." While Dawn was admiring Jigen's returned human form, Zoey believed that this was the antidote to cure those cursed by the Jynx Jewel.

"Let's hope this works," she hoped as she threw a red/white ball. "Glameow, use Shadow Claw on the diamond!" The ball opened with a light which formed a gray cat with a coiled tail. It extended a claw out which was quickly consumed in a veil of darkness.

"No!" Yung screeched. "Don't you dare destroy it!" Paul tossed the diamond to Glameow and it pawed it with the blackened claw, passed right to Ash. That's when a black ray of light shot at and struck Lupin. A black light...an oxymoron, right? Lupin was consumed in a coat of shadows. Suddenly, the shadows grew before dissipating. And there was the master thief: Arsené Lupin the 3rd as human as possible. Yung freaked out, seeing the legend back in human form. Dawn was in more awe with who Lupin appeared in person.

"Whoa," Dawn hushed. Lupin grabbed a pick of his own and reached into the lock. That's when he noticed the problem...and a solution.

"Kids, you might wanna step back for a second to avoid a ricochet," he warned. "Bud, your cannon?" Jigen was human again, no more Blastoise, meaning no cannon. Still, Jigen tossed his revolver to Lupin while Dawn and Zoey took a few paces back from the door. Plupin inserted the barrel into the keyhole and pulled the trigger. BANG! The tumblers were shot so loose, the lock was destroyed and could never be closed again. Oh well. The door did open. Piplup got to Dawn's side, relieved by hugging the penguin. Yung saw that his plans had fallen to pieces...and that was the only upside for him. Paul got around and held down Yung with the body it had. Hey, that Ursaring skin had to be good for something.

"Let me go!" he roared. No synmpathy. Finally, Yung stared at Ash, holding the Jynx Jewel. This couldn't be good for him.

"You know, I'm kinda curious in what you become," he mocked as Yung gazed at the diamond. Before long, a light had consumed Yung. The moment of truth. When the light faded, Yung had become...a purple moth with tattered green wings? Okay... It wasn't able to fly as it remained face-down even after Paul rose from on top. "Dustox? Now that's interesting." Yung turned over and tried to get to his feet...if they still existed.

"Come on! Turn me back!" Nope. It was over...other than Paul's skin. Even Lupin had no sympathy for Yung.

"You know, it does bug me that a doctor like you gets their own medicine," he joked. Get it? He's a doctor who might know pharmaceutical practices...never mind.

"Everyone okay in here?" Peter called out as he entered the cavern. When he did, he was shocked to see a group in here, including Lupin and Jigen. "What's going on?" Ash tossed the diamond to Peter who caught it with his elbow. From the elbow, he flicked it up to handle the cursed item.

"My good officer, this is your culprit." Lupin pointed to Yung as it still tried to get up from being transformed. "Trust us, he's going through a bit of an alteration."

"You should be arrested for endangering a doctor's well being!" Yung snapped. A bad doctor, maybe.

"I see," Peter figured as he picked up the transformed doc. Dawn came over to Ash, thankful that he was there to help her...and to be fair, Lupin and Jigen too.

"I knew you'd come for me," she praised before...SMOOCH! Boy, Ash had to be lucky. One in the lips. Ash blushed in great wonder. Peter had to get things moving.

"Let's head back to the museum and return the Jewel to its post." Good idea. Everyone exited the cavern on their way back to town. On the way, Lupin leaned into Ash's ear. What's he got?

"So, Ash," he whispered. "You got two fine ladies right there." Perhaps. "Which would you choose?" That was quite a wonder for Ash. He froze his stroll, his face beet red. Did he like Zoey? Did he like Dawn? Maybe both, who knows? With the case about wrapped up, all Ash could probably wonder now...is where was Brock?

TO BE CONCLUDED...