Pokemon: Apocalypse Red/ Salvation Blue
Chapter 1: Ash the Hero
"And that's why bears are truly 'Man's Best Friend'!" said Anchorman Tom from Channel Five News. "In other news today, sightings of mysterious creatures are on the rise as..." Anchorman Tom stopped speaking as he placed his hand to his earpiece and listened for a moment, an expression of alarm forming on his face.
"We have a breaking news report!" Anchorman Tom exclaimed. "This just in: several subway trains have been simultaneously hijacked by the international crime syndicate and terrorist group known as 'Team Rocket'!" He stopped as he listened some more.
"I'm told that our very own Reporter Karen is among the hostages. She has just contacted us by cell phone. Karen, first of all, are you alright?"
"I'm okay for now," said the faint distorted whisper of Reporter Karen. "they haven't hurt anyone yet. I think there are only two Rocket members on this car, but they're using some kind of Smoke Screen. They keep talking about this 'secret weapon'. I can't see what's going on, and I can barely breathe. Wait, someone's coming..."
"Karen?" said Anchorman Tom. "Can you hear me?" He unconsciously began fiddling with his wedding ring.
After a moment's pause, there was a sound like a hard slap, followed by a muffled scream. A new voice came through the phone line. "Wasn't she that reporter bitch?" said the Rocket Grunt. "Alright, shut up and listen. The city has one hour to deliver ten million dollars to the entrance of the fifth street station. There will be a beige-colored cat sitting by itself wearing a radio headset." The Rocket Grunt sighed audibly. "Okay, so I want Anchorman Tom to give the money over... to the cat. That's right, apparently you're supposed to give ten million dollars in cold hard cash to a cat. Come alone. If the cat..." The Rocket Grunt sighed again. "If the cat spots anyone else, if it thinks it's being followed, or if anyone hurts it, we're gonna flood the entire subway network with Poison Gas and Smog, killing everyone. Very slowly. Got that, Anchorman Tom?"
"You'll never get away with this!" shouted Anchorman Tom.
Another slap could be heard through the phone. "Heh, this Reporter chick's actually kinda cute," said the Rocket Grunt. "Bloody nose looks good on her. I think I'll keep her around once we've released everyone else. Or once we've gassed all the hostages, whichever. You got one hour, Tom!" *click*
"Dammit!" said Anchorman Tom, pounding his fist on the news desk. "Get the Mayor on the line!"
"You guys are monsters!" shouted Reporter Karen. "There's tens of thousands of people on these trains!"
The Rocket Grunt lowered his face so that it was mere inches away from Reporter Karen's. "That's the beauty of it." he said quietly. "This car's the only one with the secret weapon."
"What?" said Reporter Karen.
"Heh," laughed the Rocket Grunt. "Think of how much co-ordination it'd take to launch an attack big enough to take over the entire subway system. Not to mention that secret weapons don't come cheap. All this 'Huge Operation' has, all it needs, is the two of us, a couple guys in the control room with a few tricks of their own, and..." he shook his head in disbelief, "... and a cat. Four people and one cat making ten million dollars in one hour? Of course, I signed up in a heartbeat. But this is just the beginning for Team Rocket!"
Suddenly a gunshot sounded. "Jesus Christ!" said the other Rocket Grunt who was guarding the passengers. "I just got shot!" The second Rocket Grunt fell to the floor in a pool of his own blood, clutching the gaping wound in his side, screaming.
"What the hell!" shouted the first Rocket Grunt, standing up quickly. And then he saw through the Smoke Screen the silhouette of a man with a shotgun walking slowly towards him. "What is that?" he demanded. "Why do you have that?"
"This?" said the silhouette, "This is my Boomstick!" he shot straight up at the ceiling. "The twelve-gauge double barreled Remington. S-Mart's top of the line. You can find this in the sporting goods department. That's right, this sweet baby was made in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Retails for about a hundred and nine, ninety five. It's got a walnut stock, cobalt blue steel, and a hair trigger. That's right. Shop smart. Shop S-Mart. You got that?"
"Oh my god, shut up!" shouted the Rocket Grunt.
"Dude, what are you doing?" screamed the wounded Grunt. "Use it! Kill him! Kill them all!"
"Come get some!" said Ash.
The Rocket Grunt grinned. "The game's gonna change. Modern-day weapons ain't gonna be worth shit anymore." He reached into his pocket and pulled out what looked like a shiny red and white plastic ball. "Go KOFFING!" he shouted as he threw the ball to the ground. A blinding flash of light followed, and when it subsided a KOFFING was floating in front of the Rocket Grunt.
"What the hell is that...?" Ash stared at the KOFFING. The KOFFING began flooding the train with purple Smog. The hostages all began coughing.
Ash broke the window nearby with the butt of his Remington, and then took aim at the KOFFING. "Everybody get out of here! I'll take care of this thing." Slowly the passengers began filing out the window.
The Rocket Grunt grabbed Reporter Karen before she could move. "Take care of him, KOFFING!" The KOFFING flew towards Ash. Ash fired his gun, but the Smoke Screen made it hard to aim properly. His shot went wide as the KOFFING collided with his body, Tackling him to the ground.
"Right where I want you..." said Ash, as he pointed his gun at the KOFFING, and fired at point-blank range. BANG! The KOFFING exploded as purple Poison Gas spread out everywhere.
"You idiot!" shouted the Rocket Grunt in a panic. "You'll kill us all!"
"Nope!" said Ash as he got up and ran towards the Rocket Grunt. "Just you." Ash flew out of the Poison Gas cloud at the Rocket Grunt, punching him in the face with his right hand, knocking him out cold. He grabbed Reporter Karen from the Rocket Grunt's grasp and leaped through the window, all in one motion, as Poison Gas flooded the car.
Reporter Karen collapsed on the subway platform in a coughing fit. When she finally stopped, she stood up and faced Ash. "You... you saved us!" she said, gesturing to all the hostages who appeared to also be recovering. "Who are you?"
"Name's Ash" he replied. "Housewares."
At the control room, James was listening to everything through a radio headset. "We lost contact with the subway group." he said.
"And the KOFFING?" asked Jessie.
"Dead, from the sound of it." said James. "Someone named Ash shot it."
"Idiots!" said Jessie. "We need to get out of here."
"The boss is not going to be happy." replied James. "MEOWTH?" he into the radio. "We're pulling out. The mission is a failure, the police are going to be on you any second now. Get out of there!"
"Ash, huh?" said Jessie, as the pair was hastily packing up their equipment. "Let's see what we can find out about this 'Ash' guy."