Chapter 23 – To The Staging Grounds


"Morning has come only 17 of these Earth Hours to go and the Great Barrier will be at it weakest Arthfosor and Lonumosor will connect once more and my new reign of control of both worlds will begin. It all going to plan and having a bit of fun before hand wouldn't harm but those legendary pokémon with Team Rocket and young human children are gathering outside the radius of Arthfosor." Zarkaruio's words came as he sat calmly on a chair typing on a laptop keeping a eye of the group.

Meowth kept a eye on that timer since it began and now it was now under a day. "Not long to go before the Great barrier is destroyed" Zarkaruio turn his purple eyes on him. "That your plan isn't it? To destroy it and then reconnect the two towers"

"Yes it is but something got me bothered" Meowth just let out a "huh?" as he listened. "I am sure now that one of those Charizards was speaking in English the human language but how can a snouted beast like that speak clearly as that unless"

Lurna crossed her arms resting on the hay in the cage with a grin on her face "The big old fur ball just put 1 and 1 together" Lurna put hands out either side and lifted herself up sitting there her eyes turn to Zarkaruio.

"What do you mean by that?" Meowth asked rubbing his head a little

Zarkaruio saw red "he from Pokélonum!" then he stood up knocking the chair over whipping his tail around the tips expanding and moving right into the cage the four tips around to wrap Lurna tightly. "Now speak, tell me is this true"

"Yes it true and all I know he came here be accident 2 years ago" she grinned "What the matter a Charizard from there scaring you?" Lurna chuckled and the tips pulled back and returned to normal on his furry tail.

"No he just going to be more of a hand full" Zarkaruio said psychically "A worthy challenge for me to crush and destroy when the time come" Zarkaruio then head to a side of the wall putting a paw out it glowed and pulled forwards the across showing a opening he walked in and stood on something. "I will just to change my plan a little and you two be a good little pets and don't get into trouble" then he went down they really annoyed at what they was called.

"Wonder where he going?" Meowth stared at the door that opened up.

Lurna thought about it then got a good idea why as she had her eyes closed then opening Lurna told Meowth "He going to the base of the tower right below the massive pillar itself" Lurna point down.

"That must be the heart of this tower and from what I know it got great regeneration powers through out the tower so whatever we do won't work" Meowth sighed

"You had to ruin a chance to escape" Lurna sighed hanging her head down and slapping Meowth with a hand.

At Cameron Palace as time went by the gang prepare to leave for where the others after grouping at in the Johto Region, Ash was with Misty she talking to him even he would only be limited to a nod or shake of the head to reply to Misty's questions while Zapdos using it Thunder Attack on a section of the craft Flare standing by it watching a gauge. Charizard in Ash body still talking with Pikachu, Liza, Charla and Latias over some plans, Tracy with Professor Oak with Kid working with Lucario and Sir Aaron on other sets of plans they spoke of during the night. The other two legendary birds with Mew most likely speaking of their part in the assault to come at night showing that everyone was playing their part for the very movement to stop Zarkaruio's master plan as they now call it getting a real idea that he going to try take over both Earth and Pokélonum making this the only chance to stop him or all will fall into the shadows of Zarkaruio. May and Max in the craft itself getting things set up for take off after what Flare explained what they do and how they happily doing their part in this.

Misty sat on the wall talking to Ash with his mind being in a Charizard body and Charizard one of his own pokémon in his body Misty found it quite hard to get to talk with Ash while he was like this since he only could speak in Charizard and with Flare and Charizard himself being busy with things they had to manage without the help.

"Ash can you two switch back at any time? Even after midnight?" Misty asked and this being the 20th time already to Ash count and him just hung his head down a little with a sigh. "Sorry but you've left me rather lost." Ash rise his head the Charizard blue eyes staring at her wondering why she saying that.

"Ash half the time you don't come up with a real good plan you just go right at it but this time it seem like you with Charizard and Pikachu thought of something that all the pokémon agreed to" Ash frown lowers into that Charizard look that annoyed. "Oh don't give me that Ash. You know what I mean" Misty said with arms crossed

Ash then said "For once we thought of something" soon as he saw her reaction to that he grinned Tracy and Professor Oak with Kid even stop looking over at Ash, he simply look over at Flare. "I gather you got that translator on your craft working" he called out.

Flare smiled with a thumb claw up with a wink "You got that right, a big thanks to Mr Zapdos here I haven't had in a long time full power and with that I can increase the range of the translator outside the craft by 500 meters" Flare said as he closed up the panel where the gauge was under.

"A Pokémon Translator wow that something for every Professors dream" Professor Oak said now listening to pokémon talking to his own ears in plain clear English. "Flare you are really making a big impression on me"

"Same here" Tracy smiled "It good to know you Flare, you are always full of surprise" Tracy said then look to Lucario and Sir Aaron "Professor we better get back to working on that set of plans"

"Oh right" Professor Oak then went back to helping with the plans.

Misty then turn back to Ash "So now we can speak how about letting me on this almighty great plan" Misty said with a annoyed voice "I am not going to let you off that easy Ash not after you plan to stay in that 200 pound Charizard body then switch back around" Ash look over at Charizard (Ash's body) he close his eyes giving a nod.

"Alright I will tell you part but not all, alright?" Ash said placing a claw hand on her shoulder she looking at the blue eyes and nod. "Alright then let take a walk" Ash helped Misty up on her feet and they walk out of hearing of the others going into the flower garden.

"Misty better keep this quiet from others" Ash said to her as they walked Misty looking up at him then ahead listening to him. "When I did the Dragon Breath I and Charizard saw things freeze, time completely frozen then we was standing on two pillars between a bridge one had a symbol on the plateau was of my hat and the other of a Fire Symbol."

Misty thought about it then said "Hat must be your own body Ash and the other was Charizard's body which your still in" Misty stop by a fountain and sit down on the wall around it keeping the water in. "But why didn't you two cross over?"

"Well that where I have to stop." Ash said turning around picking a flower with the claw tips and hold it up sniffing it with closed eyes "No one but I and Charizard know the full thing of this plan, but it something to do with the Fire Crystal Flare gave me and I gave Charizard, it in the pocket of my body Charizard is in at the moment to make our plan work we have to stay where we are at the moment"

Misty nod understanding what Ash was talking about "Well I guess I can go with it, good thing it two hot heads making the plan then one, or" Misty closed her eyes smiling with a finger up "it could of failed with just one"

"Wha?" Ash just fell over at that comment the sat up in the dust "You and your crafty comments" Misty was laughing about it as Ash wave a closed claw hand at her.

"Different body but same Ash, easy to annoy" Misty laughed even more Ash stopped with a blink then sighed seeing what she did and did it again. "Oh come on Ash chill out you know I'm just tensing you"

Ash stood up "Oh course but I think you need the chill out" Misty stopped with the happy smile "Huh?" she then saw both claw hands push her and Misty land backwards with a splash in the fountain laughing

Ash then ran out of the flower garden in a feared face "Ash Ketchum!!" Misty ran after him with a mallet "I am going to get you for that no matter how big you are!" Misty yelled chasing after him passing Charizard, Latias, Pikachu, Charla and Liza.

"Misty it was only a joke" Ash called out as he ran for his life from Misty.

Charizard just sighed with a slap on his human forehead "Why does Ash always cause trouble with Misty" Charizard watched them running around as Misty try to hit Ash with the mallet. "And where does she keep that thing?"

"I do not know and don't want to know" Pikachu spoke with a sweatdrop on his side of the head.

"I hope that plan of yours is worth it" Latias muttered "I really like to get the part that I got to do working when that time comes"

Liza looked at her "What reason is that? Is it something to do with what Flare showed you?" Latias shied from that question

"I think I know but I am not saying" Latias look at Charla and she winked to Latias who smiled happily to it.

Flare walked over to the legendary pokémon "Well the craft is fully powered once more" Flare said then turn to Mew "I need to have a word with you and the Legendary birds I got a idea of my own but it would mean destroying my craft in the process"

"I just got that powered up for you" Zapdos said with startled voice "Why do you want to destroy your home away from home?"

Flare felt sad to do this but then grinned "Cause it will be worth it to help stop Zarkaruio"

"What plan would that by?" Articuno asked Flare leaning down to him.

Flare crossed his arms "Two things will have to happen putting the engines to overload and the primary weapon on it"

Moltres look at the craft "And where would this weapon be?"

"A pokélonum never tells where a secret weapon is installed at" Part from Mew every single bird of all three gasped

"Pokélonum!?" they all said at once very quietly all staring at him

Flare point a claw thumb to himself with a smile "That where I am from and it a planet not a land" he point to the sky all three birds look up

"We heard legends of such a place but a whole world" Moltres spoke look back down to Flare then the others did

"That is amazing but" Zapdos spoke next

"Why isn't there any more arrived from there?" Articuno finished with a question

Flare then said "It was luck that I got through the Great Barrier but I got a feeling it more then that now, almost like I was suppose to arrive on Earth and help you all out in some way against Zarkaruio almost like this was planned" Flare said thinking more about it.

Mew float down to him "What do you mean by planned?"

"Well nothing happen by chance specially like this. It must of all happened for a reason but we going to run out of time for that reason"

"Huh?" Mew blinked and Flare pulled out of the pouch on his belt and turned on showing a holotime display "we got to go now!" Mew yelled "Or we going to not have the time to get ready at the Staging grounds in the Johto Region at that human pokémon centre where the others are gathering" Mew said flying around in circles in the air everyone looking up at her

Flare went up to the craft pushing a button on the belt a platform move out then stairs unfold from it "Who can't fly get on board now, Ash you carry… now this is something" Flare paused then continue "Ash you carry Charizard and Pikachu, Charla you take Liza and the rest get on board my ship ASAP!" he called out to everyone.

"Meet you guys there" Professor Oak said to Ash and the small group running up to the craft then running up it into the craft Tracy, Misty, Kid, Lucario and Sir Aaron all getting in Flare climbing up the steps after them then stand at the door as the stairs fold back up then the platform going back into the ship.

Flare put a thumb up to birds and Mew then looked at Ash and Charla "By the time we get there we got only 7 hours to get things in monition the time for doubts aside and get a move on, keep alongside the craft once we taken off" Flare called out to them

"Right" Ash and Charla said at the same time then Flare close the door pushing something on the panel.

Liza got on Charla right away but Pikachu and Charizard was standing there looking at Ash "Now this is going to be weird a pokémon in a human body riding on basically himself with his own trainer in the mind of his body"

"Yeah" Pikachu said in a long tone

"Tell me about it but we got no time to waste they taking off" Ash said, they look at each other and nod Pikachu and Charizard getting on Ash back near the neck part then the craft start to fly then head up into the sky flying to the Johto Region the Legendary Birds and Mew already flying beside it.

Charla took off then Ash look back at Charizard and Pikachu "you can do it" Charizard gave that Ash smirk. Ash gave the Charizard smirk back then took off with out problems. "Are you sure you haven't been a Charizard before?"

"Not that I know off" Ash said flying up alongside the craft with Charla "Maybe in a pass life it could have been"

"Now that could be possible" Charizard said with some thought in that.

"If you believe you can do it you can" Pikachu said happily "That what Ash always say right Ash?"

"Yes pal your right" Ash said with a happy grin "Onwards to Johto!"

"Onwards to Johto" Charizard and Pikachu repeated back Liza and Charla just anime sweatdropping to that but keeping their words to themselves just too weirded out by it.

Lady Eileen and Ginny watch them leave while Eileen held onto Mime.Jr "Guardian of Aura please give them luck on the task yet to come. Please hope they will win the battle against Zarkaruio. Please give them the luck they need" Eileen spoke soundly looking to the sky.

"I hope we will be fine without Mew here" Ginny said looking at them leaving

"I am sure Mew will be." Lady Eileen replied as they see them leave the palace grounds for the Johto Region.

Not knowing it they was closely followed behind by another legendary pokémon from the Ozone Layer coming to give is own support to them and will show himself to everyone at the Staging grounds to help in success to stopping Zakraruio once for all finishing the unfinished job that he saw millions of years ago at the Ancient War that Mew also saw, Rayquaza had a score to be settled with him and he will help them by settling that score.