Musical Interruptions
Matthew Vixen was pacing the floor of the grand ball room of the S.S. Legendary, a frown on his face. He had taken his human form, but still, he didn't feel at ease. The mayor was coming to visit the ship, and they would waste valuable time, time that they needed at the moment.
"This is amazing… of all the people who would surely believe us, besides ourselves, would surely have been the mayor… this is impossible, the more time we waste, the longer we stand the chance of another city or town falling to one of the two forces." Matthew shouted out as his frustration finally took hold of his mind. He looked over to where Ethan was supposed to be, but he saw only an Umbreon staring at the full wall mirror in front of it. Matthew only blinked in surprised; he never took his brother to be a vain person when suddenly he realized something.
A second later a Ninetales was next to the Umbreon. "What are you doing my little brother?" The Ninetales smiled a fox like grin waiting for the answer.
"Looking at myself… you do realize that I haven't been near a mirror since I was turned into an Eevee… sure, I saw face and muzzle in the lake water… but never in front of a mirror."
Matthew only laughed at this. "Neither have I," He looked at the mirror and suddenly it hit him like nothing before, he was a Ninetales, he had gone through life not really looking at himself and he most likely did the same thing a little baby does when they first see themselves in the mirror and realize that it was them and not some kind of clone. Matthew suddenly began to chuckle and then laugh, and soon he was rolling around on his back laughing at the suddenly image that someone would see, two Pokemon looking in a mirror and one of them laughing their head off. This only made Matthew and soon Ethan as well was laughing. But a suddenly clearing of a voice chased the moment away and the seriousness of the situation came back to not only Matthew, but Ethan as well.
Matthew right away turned back into a human, which caused the new person to give an involuntary squawk of amazement and a little fear. Ethan was now in his Hybrid form, his human form having been lost finally to Dark Tail's intervention and his slowly solidifying DNA genes.
The man was only as tall as Matthew, with a mustache white with age, along with grey eyes that looked kind, behind thick spectacles. He was wearing a Persian Costume. "Err… yes, now that I have your attention, I must apologies for my lateness, but the city counsel wouldn't stop bickering about the situation. But we have come up with a solution, you see, we cannot support all of you in our city… well, with food and clothing, yes… but a place to live, as such we must…"
"You were late because the city counsel could not decide on where we would live?" Matthew interrupted with a look of shock on his face. "I thought I would escape the bureaucracy, but I was wrong." Matthew looked at the mayor… "Take that off before I decide to give you a real fur coat." He was angry, upset and a little cranky… no one had given him heed so far.
"Sorry," The Mayor said with a look of amazement. Was this the Vixen's oldest son? What changed him? I mean, he could not be so cranky because of being a Ninetales. He then blinked, "Uh… it was the counsel again… I am only the voted leader, but it takes majority rule… and they had enough…."
"Please, stop yammering… I need to know, what did you decide to do about Dark Tail and Dark Moon?" Matthew needed to know, he wanted to find out what they absolutely needed to accomplish their own protection.
The mayor right away brightened. "Oh that… well, you won't like this… but the counsel felt that to make you more at home… we wear our costumes when ever we go out. But we plan on rebuilding the ancient wall, which will please some of the historian buffs in the village, as well as set guards at the entrance of the village… with your help that is."
Matthew looked at him, he knew the protection he was asking from him… but he could not help but smirk at the "thoughtfulness" of the Counsel. "I can assure you, that it might do the exact opposite of what you wish for… I advise vetoing the wearing of the costumes… or trouble will brew."
"I cannot… they insist that if this is indeed as serious as you said… that the village must do this… I think they plan on fooling the Ninetales… but…." The Mayor was trying to defend what was happening… only Matthew once again interrupted the Mayor, which he seemed to be doing a lot in his first meeting of the Mayor in his life.
"Wait… a decoy? A ruse, maybe to show Dark Tail, that I am in control of the Village, and surrounding area? That may buy us the time we need, he may go against Team Rocket… that will be the time we need… now," He looks at the mayor, "I need to see all the costumes… I think I need to add a little touch up… which I did to your costume… go on take a look in the mirror."
The Mayor had during this, seemed to have cooled down, which he was grateful; the fur of the costume was getting to be excessively warm. However, when he looked into the mirror… his jaw dropped, he felt human, but he looked just like the costume. Only the tail was twitching, and he couldn't see the seems of the suite when he walked up to the mirror, he right away reached for his chin and yanked upward lightly, and low and behold, the head came off, he could see his human face and then, he smiled.
"So… as you can see… Dark Tail will see this as an entire army… now you won't be able to use attacks… but you will fool any of his spies… which will deter him for the moment and have him go after the easier of two targets… that will give us the time needed to prepare." Of course Matthew knew that this would bring about something that he had talked to Ho-oh about… and he felt he was ready… he just hoped he was strong enough.
The Mayor had put on the Persian Costume's head and blinked… he wondered if he could purr like a Persian, but nothing happened. He looked disappointed.
Matthew laughed at the look on the Mayor… "Come on, I want them to look realistic… but not too realistic, otherwise, we may have some question my motives and threaten to destroy this operation."
Ethan during this entire time had remained quiet and reserved, when suddenly he spoke up, without even asking if he could say anything. "I believe we have some questions from a few others… first off, how long do you plan on having the costumes last? Because a few of my friends will think that having it indefinite will be silly, as well as if the Village likes… a way to hide our presence from the government for the time being… except for the G-Force, they have known about us… for some time now."
The Mayor looked at Ethan before blinking, "Uh… Ethan? Is that you? Because…. Whoa… is that what the others look like?" He seemed to be a little surprised, he had not realized that Ethan had heard every word they had spoken, but with his ears, he was not surprised. Of course, he also was curious about many things as well concerning this ship being here, the war ahead… even why was his town the needed seat at the moment for the operations ahead.
Ethan smiled. "Yep, it is me…. And yes, the others are like me… so the costumes will be a good idea, but like I said before, I think it would be good to have them last for a while… it would be funny in ten Halloweens, when a trainer comes here and see all us… 'Hybrids' it will scare them witless…" He seemed to be enjoying his thoughts of the future.
"Of course Ethan… I am sure that a few others will enjoy this as well… but first things first. We need to get planning for what we need to do, now, today." Matthew commented back and then directed to a table in the middle of the room. A few pieces of paper with writing on it, next to these sheets were stacks of paper that are blank. At the sides of the papers are pens and pencils, which it seemed were for writing down what would be discussed.
The Mayor followed the two and sat at the table ready to begin. But when he sat down, he sat down on a whoopee cushion, a fit of giggling sounded from underneath the table and when the Mayor looked underneath, he saw a boy, only he was a Rattata Morph. The moment he saw the Persian, he gulps and darts away, on all fours. His claws making a clicking sound on the tile, there were a few laughs, but then they got down to business, as more important and serious plans were set into motion that night.
In Saffron City, in the building of Sliph Co, another meeting, just as important was taking place.
"In less then an hour… the citizens of this city will awaken to find that their fair city is under the control of Team Rocket." The speaker was standing in front of a row of windows, showing the cities skyline just beginning to be kissed by the sunlight of a new dawn. Already, there could be noticed some movement of cars and early morning joggers making their rounds…. The man only sneered at this sight. He turned away from the window to look at the gathered people around him. He only nodded to two of the personal. "I take it you are feeling better now? Especially after our setbacks on retrieving our AWOL hybrids, but that doesn't matter, we have gathered the necessary plans to emulate our final plans of action… soon with Kanto under our control, we will be able to further our grasp of the lands and the capture of the legendary Pokemon."
The two that he had talked to directly only nodded in silence. Cold eyes staring back at him, they are Sabrina and Koga. Both of whom are Team Rocket executives. Already they were planning on striking the sleepy town of Pallet and Vulpix Village. Hoping that with these attacks, they would be able to rile up not only their two AWOL friends, but other trainers around the region.
In Pallet Town itself however, there is already a commotion. One of running people and gathering of last minute supplies for what seemed to be a long siege, or voyage.
"Come on… we haven't all day. We have to move it…. You three, get to Oak's lab and make sure his research is all ready for travel… Kids, don't stand their… help your mothers." In the middle of all this running around was standing a young looking man. He is the first Elite Four member, Will.
Another six minutes pass and then he nods his head as he looked around at all the gathered people… some of whom were just hours ago on Cinnabar Island… they looked a little worried, and not too happy. The citizens of Pallet were however, looking more fearful, but at the same time confident. "Okay… prepare for Teleportation… don't worry, you are going too transported right to Cerulean City… we have already set up tents and places for you to stay till we accommodate everyone. Okay, let's move." With that he released all his Pokemon, as well as some other trainers who had come with him. He gives a hand signal, and the Pokemon all teleport the citizens away.
Five minutes after this occurred. A rumbling is heard and soon a swarm of Rydon and other high evolutions storm into the small town. Coming from the direction of Viridian, riding atop these Pokemon were Rocket grunts, Elites… and Koga. They stop in the town center and look around… the place was abandoned completely… a radio squawked on and on the other end a disembodied voice reported that the lab and its occupants were empty… not a single Pokeball or Pokemon.
Koga looked around and flung his scarf down onto the ground. "How did they know? How could they have guessed our plans?" He then shook his head. "No matter, try and glean what you can from the lab. We might as well as retrofit it for our needs anyway… we now at least do not have to worry about Viridian being attacked on two fronts now." The grunts only nod their heads not wanting to anger Koga themselves and went to work.
Unknown to them, they were being watched, from the shadows a pair of red eyes gazed upon the seen. It had seen the evacuation of the town, but didn't act because of all the different types besides Psychic Pokemon. The eyes blinked once, and they were gone.
Back in Vulpix Village, Matthew Vixen exited the costume shop. He had finished his preparations for the coming hoax and knew it would be a matter of time… he just hoped it worked and was pulled off safely.
He looked to the sky as he heard the beating of mighty wings and soon a Salamence lands in one of the clearing… getting off the mighty Dragon Pokemon was a figure dressed in black and red, with a red silk lined cap behind him. Spiky red hair atop his head, right away he went straight to the police station. Matthew knew that what was happening could never be undone… one mistake on his part, and he would have to live with it for the rest of his nine hundred and some odd years.
He then turned to find himself, face to face… well, face to whiskered snout of a Rattata… which was sitting atop of another Rattata…. Matthew only shook his head, scratch that… it was little kid in a homemade Rattata costume. The little kid was sucking his thumb… his other holding an apple that the real Rattata was eyeing with a hungry look.
Matthew only blinked once before speaking to the boy. "Garret… does your mother know you are crawling around outside? Also, how did you get Sir Thief to commander your head for the ride?"
Garret only smiled and continued to suck his thumb… he waved the apple and then raised the said apple up so Sir Thief could snatch the apple. He then took his thumb out of his mouth. "Friend… Play time." He then went back to sucking his thumb.
Matthew blinked… he suddenly realized that there was one drawback now that he had to chalk up to being a trainer… he lost the ability to understand Garret. He suddenly smiled and laughed… he could understand grown up conversations… hold debate with the mayor… and even talk with Pokemon, yet, here he was, a smart intellectual Ninetales, stumped by the mumblings of a three year old. He then laughed a little as he tried to understand what Garret said.
Suddenly he realized something… he groaned as he placed his hand over his eyes. "Don't tell me… you helped my Rattata in his goal because you and he are brothers…." The response only made him wince even more.
"No." Garret said, the only word that Matthew remembered of Garret was that No could mean anything but the adult meaning of the word. The meaning of no was conveyed by his shaking of a head and some other random word…. But he didn't shake his head.
Matthew knew that he would have to deal with this some how before it got out of paw… or hand. "Look," he said as he got down to eye level to Garret. "Next time you want to give Sir Thief an Apple… come and ask me, Okay?" all he got was the nodding of Garret's head. Matthew sighed before another voice interrupted him.
He turned around and saw from the front porch a stern looking older man. "Matthew Vixen…" his face then brightened. "I knew it, I knew you would see the waste of time that Pokemon training business was… so, tell me, how is your piano practicing coming along?"
Matthew only blinked. "Sorry Mr. McGregor, but I am still a Pokemon Trainer… only, we have a problem, a slightly insane Ninetales and Team Rocket are preparing for a war, and we will be caught in the middle." He was about to turn around but a strong hand landed on his shoulder.
"I don't care for excuses, and you were never one to give them… so don't start giving them… I have a free hour at the moment, come inside and let us pick up from where we started." Mr. McGregor then steered Matthew around and inside of his home… inside they both heard the smooth notes of a piano, and the scales being played.
McGregor blinked and still leading Matthew into the back of the house and into the Family Room where a black baby grand piano sat in the middle, in the brightly light room sat Ethan, Umbreon ears twitching and tail waging as he played on the musical instrument. He froze at seeing Ethan but then only shook his head. "I'm sorry but do you have an appointment with me?"
Ethan only looked up and smiled. "Yes… but it was one year ago Professor… a lot has changed in a year no?" He then smiled and returned to playing, but frowned when he hit a wrong note…. He however continued finishing the warm up exercise before looking up again. "So… after a year of not playing… how was that?"
Mr. McGregor still holding Matthew's shoulder tightly only grinned. "Well, I don't know who you are… but you are welcomed on sitting in on our lesson… come on, sit down." The last part was directed to Matthew Vixen who only looked like a trapped animal, he wouldn't have minded the piano lesson, but not at the exact moment.
Matthew had no real choice to do anything but sit down. He looked at Ethan who only grinned in a way that said, 'relax, everything will be fine.'
He turned back to look at the Piano and then blinked, he remembered all the lessons that he had taken during the time that he was before ten, and then after his surgery up until the day before the trip to the National Forest, he mentally laughed at how long ago it felt, but still he opened his eyes and put his hands upon the keyboard, took a deep breath, and started on the scales.
Two hours later, in which he had to play pieces of music from different areas, all from the file that he had collected. When the two hours had finished, Mr. McGregor only held up his hand. "That is enough… you must have been able to practice in some piano store or something to stay this fresh… now get out of here, and come back tomorrow, same time, I will come and get you, no matter what you are doing… in fact, I need to go get that mayor, he has missed three lessons now." With that he got up from his seat and left the room.
Matthew looked at Ethan with a stare of bewilderment. "I don't remember Mr. McGregor being so… obsessive about the Piano… We should keep the others away or we may end up with us all taking the day off…."
Ethan only smiled and with an eager hast denoting his Umbreon side, jumps up and yanks Matthew's arm causing him to stand up and follow him to the back porch of the house, the exit that they were told to take when the lesson was over. When outside he turns to face Matthew, "That is wonderful… maybe the music will help sooth the anger and bitterness in the minds of some of them… we are after all, working with those that were forced into this lifestyle, and they can never go back… ever."
Matthew only shook his head, "But… but we need to work on defeating Dark Tail, what will music do to stop him?" Matthew was indeed showing that he was trying to take care of everything at the moment, and was as such a little flustered.
"Music is going to sooth his own mind for the time that it plays… which will be the time to negotiate with him. Music will cause him pain as well… don't you see, he want me so to control the music of the legendaries. Distort them… make them fit to him." Ethan's eyes showed something else, he was worried for his brother, "I think you also need to practice the Piano as well, you are losing your own mind… slowly but I can tell the Ninetales mind is becoming more prevalent, you used your own memory to practice, but you didn't, you set the bar high for your continued learning… be careful." With that Ethan left blowing a tune into the Ocarina, one that seemed to leave Matthew without the bitterness that he felt at the lesson, in fact he remembered enjoying the lessons before his life turned upside down in certain ways.
As he left the backyard, he began to listen and indeed, he heard a flute coming from one of the homes, he knew it was Samantha, a girl that had been working to become a nurse and indeed she was playing the flute. He realized that maybe… playing the piano would be fine… but he would have to find something that was more easily carried around for him to practice when he was on the road.
Dark Tail was pacing the Pokemon Center of Vermillion City, the city was cast with a shadow of night, even though in the next city over it was almost three o'clock in the afternoon. He looked out the window and turned away in anger, where are they? Where could those fools be? What is taking them so long? He had sent out scouts to find out what the situation on the road to the next city was… he wasn't going to hit any of the major cities, but the towns in-between were fair game to him.
At that moment a human female and a black colored Pidgey appeared from the deepened shadows of the Center, the lighting had been killed and thus the poor illumination. Dark Tail, who was in his humanoid form spun around with a snarl and almost attacked them, before realizing that they had returned, late, but they must have carried out his orders to the letter.
"Well?" he said with a snarl, it was English, but more canine then human. "What is it? What did you see?"
The human female spoke up. "Rockets have taken the middle city, but left the roadways clear for travel, it will be easy to extend your influence fast, the Pokemon already sense your presence and are trying to escape you."
"Let them go for the moment," Dark Tail said with a wave of his paw. "We will catch them soon enough… but let's give the Rocket's a little more of a fair battle… they will catch them, they will do me a favor by making it easier for me to control them from a Pokeball then without."
The human and Pidgey, both seeing, but not really seeing only nod and when they were signaled to depart they left the room without a second more of thought. Dark Tail returned to face the other figure in the shadows, she was lounging in one of the chairs and with a smirk she only looked pleased. "Well," She whispered, "That went over well… and you say I can now do that as well?"
Dark Tail only smiled, "Yes… for when we do move, we will move in two prongs, hopefully it will confuse the defenders and give us the edge to win." He walked around the chair, which had a hole in the back and playfully yanked on her tail and a moment later he pushed against her first attempt of a curse on him. "See… you just used some of your powers there."
Dark Moon only smiled before letting out a barking laugh. "Indeed, indeed… poor, poor whittle Matthew will never know what hit him, you will finally show that you are the more powerful of the two." She said this with a grin that was more wolfish as well. Both of them were looking forward on having their revenge on the world.