-Chapter Two-
Alrighty, here's chapter two. Thank you so very, very much for all of the reviews. I definitely wasn't expecting such a positive reaction! This chapter went through several revisions, and was beta read by the wonderful Night Foliage, who has definitely polished the text and made it much better than it was before. I'd also like to let everyone know that I've got a little list up on my profile called "My Playlist", which is a list of the songs that I listen to as I write this story. I just got the Digimon soundtrack, so the list will probably be changing soon. I'd suggest you all check out any songs on the playlist that you might not have heard of, because they're all really great. Other than that, I hope you enjoy this chapter, and that you leave a review. I love them very much.
Surrounded by the sea, with the bright sun overhead, Ash, Misty and Brock were taking a break from their Pokémon adventures. Pikachu and Togepi were closer to the shore, watching the waves and sniffing various flowers. Brock was busy preparing their lunch, an apron tied around his waist and a large spoon in his hand. Misty was hovering nearby, ready to hand over whatever ingredients Brock needed.
"Hungry..." Ash slumped onto the table, his voice feeble. "Need food."
"Oh, Ash," Misty snapped, hands on her hips. "You haven't done a thing all day!"
"I'm too weak to work, Misty!" he replied. "I haven't eaten since breakfast!"
She groaned, eyeing him in exasperation.
"This lunch is going to be just perfect for you, Ash," Brock announced. "It's my Lazy Boy No Chew Stew!"
Pikachu and Togepi suddenly ran towards them in alarm. Wondering what had scared them, the trio looked up, and they noticed a man pointing a finger in their direction. He was tall, and sporting both a red bandana and a yellow vest.
"Hey," he called out, "you there! I'm looking for a Pokémon trainer named Ash, from Pallet Town! D'you know him?"
Ash sat up in his seat. "Yeah, he's me."
He ripped a Poké Ball off his vest. "Let's have a match!" He paused, and then smirked. "Unless you're afraid to lose."
"Ha! I'm afraid you're going to lose this one," Ash said. He jumped away from the table while grabbing a Poké Ball from his belt.
"Ash!" Misty scolded. "You just said you were too weak to work!"
"That's right," he agreed, "I am too weak to work. But a Pokémon battle isn't work!"
"That's progress," Brock muttered, continuing to stir their stew. "At least his mouth is working."
"Pika," Pikachu said, cocking his head.
Ash clicked on the middle of his Poké Ball, allowing it to expand. He threw it into the air, and as it came back towards the ground, there was a burst of red light. Bulbasaur emerged from its confines, watching the other trainer warily. Ash's opponent copied his actions, though he sent out a Donphan. The elephant-like Pokémon pawed the ground, ready to fight.
"Go, Bulbasaur!" Bulbasaur charged, and the other trainer ordered Donphan to use its Rollout attack. Donphan promptly curled into a ball and sped forward, nearly hitting its target, but Bulbasaur jumped high into the air just in time, landing on the ground unscathed.
Ash blocked his face with his arm to protect himself from the dust that Donphan was kicking up. As the rolling Pokémon went to hit Bulbasaur again, he yelled, "Bulbasaur, Solarbeam attack!"
Bulbasaur leapt up to avoid being hit, and this time, the bulb on his back began to glow. He was motionless for a few seconds, sucking in the sun's rays, before hurtling an incredible blast of green light at his foe. Donphan flew back, and failed to rise despite its trainer's demands. Ash punched his fist into the air as the other trainer recalled his Donphan, a grimace twisting his features.
"Great job, Bulbasaur," Ash said, running towards his Pokémon. He rubbed the Grass-type's head and smiled. "You did it!"
Bulbasaur grinned and stood up on his hind legs, celebrating their win.
"Not so fast," his opponent snarled. He threw a second Poké Ball, this time calling out a Machamp. Veins were popping out of its bulging muscles, and it unleashed a cry that made the hair on Ash's arms stand up.
Ash had Bulbasaur return to his side before sending out Squirtle. The pint-sized turtle was not intimidated by Machamp's bulk, and instantly ran towards it. Machamp lunged to catch him in its grasp, but Squirtle was too quick—he flew over top of its head, only to receive a firm kick as he landed.
Pleased to have weakened its foe, Machamp turned and dived again, but Squirtle was ready this time. He followed Ash's command and sucked in a mouthful of air, jumping away to avoid being hit. He held his breath for a moment, and then let loose a furious stream of bubbles. Machamp fell to the ground the moment they hit his chest, knocked out by the force of the attack.
Victorious, Squirtle ran to Ash, leaping up into his arms in a single bound. The other trainer, now infuriated, took three Poké Balls into his hands and let them fly. Pinsir, Venomoth, and Golem emerged. Unimpressed, Ash let Pikachu use his shoulder to rocket into the air, sending an electric blast to stop the charging Pokémon in their tracks.
The impact created a blinding light, forcing Ash to shield his eyes. When he gingerly pulled away his hand, he saw that his opponent's Pokémon were all on the ground, unconscious. He noted that Golem's legs seemed to be twitching.
The trainer stood with his mouth wide open, staring in disbelief. He put his hands on his head and gasped. "What? No!"
"We did it!" Ash exclaimed.
"Pika!"
"Well, that sure was a shocking ending," Misty said, picking off a piece of bread to feed to Togepi.
Brock smirked, digging a spoon into his soup. "Shocking that Ash moved so fast."
"Briii!" Togepi added.
Ash gave Pikachu a hug, and the small Pokémon climbed up onto his shoulder. Unbeknownst to him, as he celebrated and laughed with his Pokémon, he was being closely watched.
***
The three members of Team Rocket were perched on top of a cliff, staring down at the match through their binoculars. Grins were evident on each of their faces.
"There's another credit on Pikachu's charge account!" said James, squinting through his high-tech binoculars. He adjusted the settings and zoomed in.
"We've got to grab it!" Jessie replied.
"I knows we've got to grab some rare Pokémons for the boss," Meowth said, pulling his binoculars away from his eyes, "but it wouldn't be such a bad idea to grab a little bite to eat, would it?"
"We didn't come here to steal a meal!" Jessie reminded him.
"I'd settle for a taste of that Pika Chow," James lamented. He watched as Ash, Misty, Brock and their Pokémon ate, feeling his stomach grumble angrily.
"I'm starvin'..." Meowth sighed, shoulders sagging.
"I can cook something," Jessie offered, pulling out a frying pan.
"Thanks," he said, "but the last time you cooked, you wiped out eight of my nine lives."
They sighed in defeat. It had been a long time since any of them had had a proper meal. They were usually on the road, hunting around for Pikachu. Hungry and unhappy, they returned to their observation of the brats below.
***
High above in the sky, a Fearow was circling the air. Its enormous wings flapped every few seconds, and it cawed as it swooped lower. Attached to its neck was a camera, though it was unaware of its accessory.
Miles away, a woman was standing in a dark room, eyes glazed over and mouth firmly shut. Her bright red hair punctured the dull grays and blacks that composed the pallet of her surroundings. Her body, held perfectly still, was clothed in a scarlet dress. Atop her head was a hat of the same colour. She was busy watching several screens, onto which the images caught by Fearow's camera were being projected.
The screens alternated between showing pictures of a Pikachu nibbling on a piece of food and the face of a young trainer. She studied the boy's features as the image paused. He had battled well, and he was most worthy of meeting her master.
She took a moment to consider his Pokémon. Though they were not evolved, they seemed to be remarkably powerful. For a Pikachu to be able to take out three Pokémon with a single attack was quite a feat.
Mind made up, she opened her mouth to speak, though her expression remained the same.
"Master," she said in a soft voice, "shall I extend an invitation to these trainers as well?"
She paused, watching as the videos flickered slightly. She then bowed her head. "As you wish."
***
Ash was scraping his spoon against the bottom of his bowl, trying to get the remaining drops of stew. It had been a delicious meal, and he now felt fully energized. That battle had been too easy, though his opponent had ended up being a nice guy. He was apparently a trainer from Celadon City who was travelling through the area. Once he had heard about Ash from some other trainers, he had wanted nothing more than to battle him. Of course, the match hadn't gone in his favour, but they had promised each other another battle in the future.
Ash hoped that the trainer would improve before they met again. He needed a challenge. Somebody that would test his skill and his abilities. He perused the list of trainers in his head, trying to think of which one could offer him a good match. One in particular came to mind, but the name in itself made him cringe.
Gary Oak.
Of course, Gary would offer him a great battle. His Pokémon were well-trained, and he was a strategic and versatile trainer. However, Ash wasn't about to go out and find him. That would be ridiculous. He couldn't so much as speak to Gary, because, well...it would be too awkward. Far too awkward.
He sighed, miserable at the thought of it, and brought his spoon to his lips. At that moment, an enormous gust of wind knocked him clean out of his chair, and the entire table flipped over. Bulbasaur and Squirtle went flying into the air, and they all crashed to the ground with a thump.
Rubbing his throbbing neck, Ash sat up and made sure that everyone was alright. Misty was mumbling darkly under her breath, comforting her shaking Togepi, and Brock was trying to salvage what was left of the knocked-over pot of stew.
Ash turned his head and saw who had caused the disturbance: a Dragonite with a bag at its side, held in place thanks to a strap slung casually over its shoulder. It tucked its wings behind its back and approached the ruffled trainers.
"Hey, watch where you're flying," Ash grumbled. The Dragonite ignored his comment and held out an envelope. "Huh? Something for me?"
Misty, Brock, and all of the Pokémon approached as Ash pulled out a strange object from the envelope. It was as thin as paper, though not quite as flexible, and a gray Poké Ball was printed on its center. Ash opened his mouth to ask what it was, when a beam of light was suddenly projected from the ball's center.
"Wow!" Misty exclaimed as the shape of a woman appeared before them.
The miniature lady curtsied, and then said, "Greetings, Pokémon trainers. I bear an invitation."
"She's really small, but really pretty," Brock noted, incapable of keeping the excitement out of his voice.
"You have been chosen to join a select group of Pokémon trainers at a special gathering. It will be hosted by my master, the world's greatest trainer, at his palace on New Island." A map replaced the woman, and red dots were traced on it, leading out into what seemed to be a representation of the sea. "A chartered ferry shall set out from Old Shore Wharf to take you to the island this afternoon. Only trainers who present this invitation will be admitted. If you decide to attend, you must reply at once. My master awaits you." The woman returned, curtsied again, and then disappeared.
"Uh, is there a rewind button?" Brock asked, gazing with longing at the spot where the woman had once stood.
"Should we go?" Misty asked.
"Of course we should!" Brock yelped, spreading his arms wide. "I've got to meet her!"
"I guess the world's number one trainer wants to challenge me to a match!" Ash smirked.
"Pika!" Pikachu handed him a slip of paper that had fallen from the envelope.
"Well, we've got to let him know right away," Misty said, showing Ash the page.
"I'm saying yes!" Ash quickly grabbed a pencil a put a check mark on the box next to the word 'yes'. He handed back the slip of paper to Dragonite, keeping the holographic invitation for himself.
Dragonite stepped back a few feet, thrust its wings out on either side, and then took off into the air after a running start. It had barely been airborne for more than thirty seconds, however, when its head slammed into a frying pan.
James, Jessie and Meowth all held the pan as tight as they could, stopping the Dragonite from pushing past them.
"We want to know what's so special about the twerp trio's special delivery!" Jessie shouted.
A slip of paper slid from Dragonite's bag.
"Hey, look!" Meowth said, abandoning the attempt to slow down Dragonite's departing.
"'Yes'?" James asked, squinting at the words printed on the note. "Yes to what?"
***
Dark clouds were beginning to gather, and it wasn't long before the ocean was churning. Deep in the depths of the water, where the light's rays could barely reach, a small Pokémon opened its eyes.
"Mew."
It looked up as the bubble containing it floated to the surface of the thrashing water. As the bubble emerged, it popped, and Mew quickly replaced it with a ball of pink light.
It flew into the sky, high above the forest, and let its pink tail stream out lazily. Its limbs felt stiff from being in the water for so long, but it had no time to stretch. There was something strange at work, and the darkening of the sky was not encouraging.