Poke-genetics: toward the future
None of them had thought things would turn out like they did.
To say they had been unprepared would be completely unfair. They knew who they were after and had a general understanding of the even greater threat that was behind her.
They had dispatched every single police agents, every single gym leader, and every single member of Team Kanto after her.
They were afraid they might not have sent enough fighters.
Some people had snorted when they heard that concern. A quick glare from the ones that faced her had been enough to shut them up. Not a single objection had been made afterward. Not a single objection would be made today.
«Listen well, everyone. Janes knows about the secret I revealed to you. » Jenny started, carefully observing each and every one of the people she had shared the secret of the radar system, namely the gym leaders, Ash, Pikachu, Genno, Stan and Helen.
Her declaration was taken with the utmost serious. Janes was traceable, but she also knew about that. She was holding just as much cards as they were. The one that would play them the best would win.
«She once tried to extract the passwords out of my assistant, Jerry, but to no avail. »
Many sent respectful looks to the man at Jenny's right. It was a feat worthy of praise. One young ditto in particular was feeling extremely admiring of the police officer. To know that she was not all-powerful in her madness was comforting.
«Nonetheless, the fact that she knows of our trump card's existence means we must be cautious in the way we rely on the information it can give us. » she reminded while walking closer to a map of Kanto on the wall. More than twenty different spots were marked with red dots and circled. «Each of these represents a location in which Janes spent more than three hours straight. »
Ash stared at the familiar map with an unreal calm. One of these was where the monster was? He would make sure to be the one to defeat her once and for all.
«She never stayed in any of these more than six hours at once. Every single time we tried to send someone at her location, her Alakazam teleported her to another place. »
«She fled? » Brock asked, somewhat surprised.
«No, she did not. » Surge replied, his tone harsh as he was staring at the piece of paper on the wall. «She's stalling for time. »
«Correct. » Jenny agreed. «She is trying to make Jonathan's creation hatch. We can be sure of that. »
A collective shiver ran down their spines. After what Stan had explained, once he had read the mad scientist's notes to them, they were all too eager to stop it, at any cost deemed necessary.
«How much time left do we have? » Jenny inquired, more as a reminder than to satisfy a real need.
«Our estimations say that it may happen any time tomorrow. » Helen stepped forward.
«Everyone. Be prepared for the worst. If you have anything to say to your loved ones, you must do it now. Tomorrow, we will be fighting for our lives. »
The world had gone mad.
It was the distinct feeling they could not shake off.
Ash jumped backward to dodge the massive fangs that had nearly closed down on his face. Not losing time, he charged an electric attack and shocked the ratticate unconscious. A few seconds after, another pokemon took its place and Ash wanted to scream his frustration.
Unfortunately, his situation was not worse than anyone else's. Everywhere they look, there were aggressive wild pokemon fighting humans and pokemon alike.
«Watch out! » Pikachu shouted from behind him.
Ash turned around just in time to see a rapidash running wildly toward in his direction. He did not have the time to counterattack. No, instead, a torrent of water threw the fire type against a tree, rendering it unable to move.
From the corner of his eye, he could see the fiery color of Misty's hair and her determined posed as she showed the rest of her team exactly why she had earned her title of gym leader.
She was skilled, but, more than ever, he could feel her will to win. She was giving everything she had in this fight, so that everyone could have a future. Everyone, but more specifically, herself and Ash.
She had waited until everyone had left the room; bid her time for one last chance. When the others had left, she had gestured to Ash to stay behind.
The others only knowingly glanced at them before closing the door and leaving them alone.
«Ash… » she started, her voice trembling more than she would have liked.
Now that she was alone with him, she could finally say it.
«I love you. »
Ash froze in place. His jaw had dropped to the floor and he was thanking poke-genetics for at least making his fur thick and colorful enough to hide any blush he might have.
«Ash, my feelings for you have not changed. » She declared, a strength of character of unrivaled might appearing behind her hesitation.
Her hand on her heart, she kneed in front of him, her face much closer to his.
«When I saw you broken, it was as if my whole being had stopped existing, it was then that I knew, that I knew that no matter your form, your actions, your mistakes, I would love you. »
She looked on the verge of crying, her eyes glistering slightly, but suddenly, she closed her lips on his.
It was very gentle, timid and clumsy even, but carrying a love that made Ash see lights and his knees shake more strongly than any pheromone would ever do. Blinking in an oblivious way, his brain seemed to have turned off: «What's that expression that Genno always uses? Oh yeah… HOLY MILTANK! »
When she distanced herself, she looked very flustered, but one look at Ash's cloudy eyes made her smile. He was too goofy to be romantic, but, right now, she wanted nothing of that. She wanted the true Ash, the one that she had fallen in love with and that had started to fade away the longer the fight against Team Blast had went on.
To Ash's ears, her laugher at this very instant was the most beautiful sound in the world.
«Ash, when this is over, when peace will finally return to Kanto, I want you to go out with me. I don't care about your body, no complains will be accepted. I will help you raise your son, we WILL be one happy couple and one happy family. »
Man, even the way she ordered him around made him see beautyflys.
«What is going on here? » Jenny yelled, her arcanine clashing against an enraged looking donfan.
Not far from her, an intimidated looking Stan was trying to disappear from the sight of the ferocious beasts that were attacking his team. For once, he was actually acting like the scientist that much preferred labs to wilderness that he was. The anger that had inhabited him at the inhuman experiments done by his former friend and that arrogant Greenwood had somewhat faded with their punishments and he was simply not at ease with wild creatures. Humans were one thing, pokemon were another. Unfortunately for him, his presence was needed here. He was the one that had to eliminate the threat of the monster Jonathan had left behind.
«I… I think the presence of Jonathan's creation is stirring up the fighting instincts of those wild pokemon. Luckily, it only does that to pokemon that are confident in their strength. The weaker pokemon probably all fled this place. »
«So you're saying we're facing the strongest pokemon that live near Mont Silver and that's lucky? » Jenny snarled, too angry at the way things were turning out to be polite.
«I guess that seen this way… » He admitted sheepishly.
The exchange made Genno smile. That was the Stan he remembered from his childhood, a good man with his heart in the right place, but a bit goofy and easily distracted. Not that a violently protective Stan was not an improvement. It was just that when he was the one capable of turning into any pokemon he sees, that care seemed a bit superfluous.
When you didn't consider how mentally unstable he was just by being so close to that egg and… her…
The part of him that didn't die in her hands was the one that insisted he came, for his knowledge of poke-genetics was far behind Stan's or his father, but he could manage. Not to mention that he wanted to be there when she would be defeated.
Because she couldn't win this time, she had to fall this time. Otherwise everything would be lost.
And… he wanted to live. For once in his life, he could see something bright ahead of him, yet she was there. She was the last obstacle before putting it all behind them. He had taken Jenny's advice to heart and talked to one he owed so much. Now it was time to end this.
«Misty? » He had approached her timidly, not long before they departed.
The water type specialist felt very uneasy at the tone used. It sounded like the one she had used on Ash. It was as if…
«Could you… let me talk to Milosia? » Genno finished, blushing heavily.
She let out a very distinct sigh of relief when she actually processed the question. For a second, she thought he might have asked her… No, that was stupid. She only thought that because he was in a copy of Ash's body.
«Oh, of course. » she said, letting her pokemon out and giving them a little privacy.
He waited until Ash's love was gone to truly look at the water type.
She was beautiful beyond words. She was the light that had chased all shadows. She was the pokemon that had saved him from the most terrible fate.
He loved her. She was the one, he just knew it.
Her presence was more soothing to him than anything else in the world. Her sole existence was enough for the madness to disappear, he could feel it. At that very moment, Genno felt as if the world existed only for her.
«Milosia. I wanted to tell you, I wanted you to know… I love you. »
The water type remained silent for a quite a long time, simply locking her gaze on him, under which Genno grew increasingly uncomfortable. Had he done something wrong by telling her? Should… should he take it back? No, no, that was stupid, you can't take THAT back. But what could he do?
«M-Milosia? » he asked, desperate for a way to get out of this mess.
«You do not. » she finally replied, her voice a mixture of tenderness and pain.
«What? I do! I'm not lying. » Genno stuttered, unable to understand her.
«No, you do not know that you are lying, there is a difference. »
«I… I don't understand. I really love you, Milosia. » His voice turned into a pleading. What was she talking about?
«You do not love me. You merely admire me, idolize me. » This time, she sounded in pain.
«No! I'm sincere. » Genno shouted, feeling the conversation slipping away. Was he being rejected in an unconventional way? «If it's because I'm in a human body, I can change! What form would make you happy, I… »
«No, Genno. » She cut him off, her tone gentle. «It truly is as simple as that. Unless you can prove that you are not simply addicted to the effect my power has on your mind… unless you can prove that it truly is me, as a milotic, that you love, then I will not let you in that indulge in that dream. Make no mistake, I will help you as long as you will ask me to, for it is my nature to help tormented souls, but I will not stay to your side as a lover. Look in yourself, what is it really that you wish for your future? Is it really to bind your life to mine? Tell me the truth when you find it. » With that, she returned to her trainer's side.
Stunned, the poor ditto didn't know what to do.
«Look in yourself», she had told him, but what was there to see? He was just a broken young man… ditto and he thought he had been in love. Surprisingly, the exchange had not left him in tears or in pain or even afraid. There had been no emptiness, no unbelievable sadness at the rejection. He just felt slightly lighter.
«You simply admire me», were Milosia's words.
Was that it? When he looked into Ash's eyes as he was stealing a few glances at Misty, he could see that burning affection. Heck, looking at Stan eying Helen was obvious enough in itself.
It was also different. Yes, Ash was devoted to Misty in some way, but… he did not put her on an unreachable pedestal like he had done with Milosia. His friend was trying to be worthy of his love. All he had done was groveled to her gracious figure and say a few words. Never had he thought of being her equal, never had he thought of sharing something with her. In his mind, the only possible thing to do was to give her everything until he had nothing left.
She had seen right through him, seen right through that dangerous dream and prevented him from jumping into an unhealthy relationship that was bound to end badly. A spark of what he thought was love tickled his chest. It was indeed admiration, not love. He relied on her power, nothing more, nothing less.
Alone, unsure of what to do or what to say, his only thought was: «Now what? ».
The weirdest thing was… he liked that. He was not bound by anything for once, not by his father, not by his fears, not by his debt to Milosia. With those words, she had once more succeeded in healing a broken part of his mind. He had been too afraid; he needed to take control of his own life. Now, the choice was his to make and he intended to take his time for that.
Really, both Ash and Genno were idiots! No matter what the situation, they always jumped right in the middle of the most dangerous place! And who had to clean up behind them and protect them at every corner? Him, of course! Granted, this time he wouldn't have minded a little extra help to defend himself either, but he couldn't be the only one getting exasperated with that behavior. Perhaps if he managed to bribe Misty into beating that out of him…
Pikachu grinned begrudgingly. He had stayed with Ash long enough to know him like the back of his paw. No matter what he did, his trainer always had that brutal simplicity and honesty behind every choice.
So, for once, Pikachu had been the one to be honest.
«Ash, I have to talk to you. Can we go somewhere else? » The pokemon looked around, shooting a few nervous glances at the officers that were running everywhere.
«Huh? Sure, if that what's you want, buddy. » Ash agreed with a smile.
Finding a place that was quiet turned out to be quite the challenge. There were officers everywhere and it was perfectly reasonable. After all, they were preparing for a dangerous mission, especially if they didn't make it on time.
Ash would have normally asked why he was bothered by the presence of others, whatever he'd say wouldn't be understood anyway, but… there was a look of seriousness in Pikachu's eyes that prevented him from speaking his mind.
«Ash… I told you that I had been alone with Janes after she sent you to here, didn't I? » He started, an unusual tension seemingly restraining him.
It felt weird to his trainer. Pikachu had never been so indirect whenever he wanted to talk to him.
«You did… » Ash confirmed, not quite sure he liked where that was heading.
«What I haven't told you is what really happened back then… » He whispered, looking away in shame.
For a second, it looked as if he was going to run away… and when he locked back his eyes into Ash's, Pikachu was crying.
«She knew! She knew that I refused to evolve and tried to use it against me! She gave me a thunderstone as the only way to recover fast enough to save you and I couldn't do it before it was too late! »
«Pikachu… » Ash called, calm in spite of the heated argument his best friend was giving himself.
Hearing his trainer's voice didn't make him less shameful, but at the very least, it was enough for him to lower the volume of his own. Trembling, eyes closed as if refusing to face Ash, he continued what felt like his own trial.
«I'm a horrible friend, Ash. And don't protest! I know what I'm saying and what you want to say! It is still true, Ash. Janes guessed things that should have only been yours to hear, but I couldn't bring myself to do it, not even when I finally have to the chance to! »
«What are you talking about? You can't say you're a bad person because of what Janes said! She's a monster! »
«It doesn't matter, Ash. I should have told you. You tell me about your secrets, your insecurities and your fears. It's not right that I don't share anything with you. I wouldn't be acting differently if I didn't trust you and I swear I do! » He had calmed down a lot, but Ash could still see the strain he was putting on himself.
«…What do you want to talk about? » He asked softly.
«…Ash, do you remember our conversation about Alexchu's name? » Pikachu began.
«Of course I do! That was right after his birth! How could I ever forget? You told me Alex needed to have «pi», «pika» and/or «chu» in his name. »
«You didn't find it strange that I said nothing about «rai»? After all, it is also describing a part of our specie. » Pikachu wondered, though there was a hint of sadness in it.
«I… I thought it was because there was no guarantee to evolve into one… You need a thunderstone so… » Ash scratched the back of his head.
«Close enough. » His friend nodded. «No parents name their child with that unless they have the firm belief that they will grow to be of extraordinary strength, of body or heart. You might think that most parents would do it, seeing as it's a mark of trust in one's children, but that's just wishful thinking. »
It was not his imagination; Ash knew for sure that Pikachu was trembling.
«How do you think some react when they meet a pokemon with such a name but that all in all is just a regular pokemon? They think he failed his parents! » Pikachu shouted, finally letting go of his control.
«No! » Ash immediately grabbed his friend by his shoulders and forced him to look up. «You failed no one! Never! You are my best friend, you are the one companion I'll never be able to part with, the one that helped me through every single trials I've had to face ever since my pokemon master journey started! You are strong! Both of heart and body! »
«Thank you, Ash, but I'm not done yet. » There was a faint smile on Pikachu's lips, but it vanished quickly. «I haven't told you the most important thing yet. »
«What is it, Pikachu? »
«My mother… you know how I said that she had gotten ill before I was born… well, there is more to it than that. »
Ash respectfully waited for his friend to continue. He didn't want to startle him when he was showing so much trust in him.
«My mother had a friend. She remembered growing up with her, although they were not of the same blood. I think her name was Pialka. The two of them lived on the same territory and often spent time to look for food or play together. It was on one of those instances that it happened…» Pikachu swallowed hard, having trouble to continue. «They were playing in the forest when they stumble upon a thunderstone. It was imbedded in a rock. Curious and a bit envious, my mother told me, they tried to take it out of the rock. With a good Iron tail, they managed to break the rock apart. What they didn't think of was that the broken parts flew across the trees and one of them landed on a beedrills' nest. »
A light of fear appeared in Ash's eyes.
«The bug pokemon attacked what they thought were hostiles pikachus in a swarm. My mother and Pialka fought them and won… but they had both been poisoned. » He ignored his friend's gasp and continued, his voice wavering every now and then. «Their strength was vanishing by the minutes; they had to do something. So… my mother threw the stone at Pialka and told her to find some berry to cure herself. She knew that as a raichu, Pialka would have enough strength to move and hopefully could find something purge the poison from her own body. At the time, my mother fully expected to die. » There were tears in the corner of the electric type's eyes.
He felt the arms of his friend tighten around him and their warmth was of a great comfort to him.
«But Pialka's friendship was stronger than my mother could imagine. She carried my mother on her back and dashed through the woods. She found the right berries and they were both saved that day. It's just… my mother's body had been more affected by the poison than Pialka, so she never fully recovered. They continued playing and seeing each other, until the day Pialka was captured. Then, my mother's health just kept going down until… »
He could hear Ash's gently stroke his back as he could feel his tears soak his friend's fur.
«I know… I know that both my mother and Pialka were strong. I just want to prove myself worthy of the confidence she had in me by my own means. I don't want to evolve to get stronger; I want to get stronger by myself, with you, Ash. »
«Pikachu! » The embraced tightened and he understood that Ash had been just as emotional as him. «I swear you're going to be the strongest pikachu ever! I swear! »
«Thank you, Ash. Thank you… »
They heard a strident whistle and a bunch of humans running.
«I guess that's our cue, Ash. But before we go see the others, I wanted to tell you one last thing.» This time, there was no sadness, just a smile that showed a bond of friendship stronger than any monster could ever break. «My name is…»
Every single being froze in place and the fighting came to a halt.
The ground was shaking under the power of an earthquake. In itself, it was an uncommon event, but nothing that remarkable. The real problem was that a feeling of dread had descended into them, striking them in the deep of their minds.
Genno had dug his hands into the bark of the nearest tree to the point of them bleeding, just to stop himself from falling to his knees.
«It… it will hatch soon! » He yelled, quite uselessly, as a thick silence had taken place between the fighters.
Did they understand their fellow pokemon? Did their instinct tell them exactly what had caused the earthquake? Regardless, the wild pokemon went into frenzy, attacking with pure madness.
«Someone has to go now! » Jenny screamed over the chaos, hoping that someone would have the chance to hear her.
«WE WILL! » Ash replied, ignoring if someone had noticed his reply.
He knew where to go; he had known as soon as he had arrived in the forest, but he had waited, knowing that the wisest thing to do was to go as a team, but they no longer had the luxury to lose some time anymore.
He ran with all his might, dodging a few crazed pokemon at the same time and crossed the battlefield, a few pair of eyes following him.
Not caring about the pain screaming from his hands, Genno spotted Stan among the humans and the look they exchanged was heavy with meaning.
He broke out of the bushes to stumble upon a small clearing, one that ended against the rock face of a small mountain. It would be an ordinary place, if not for the entrance of a cavern right in front of him or the woman waiting next to it.
Leaning against the rocky wall, Janes smiled when she identified the two intruders.
Both Ash and Pikachu felt like ripping it off her face.
«Boys, I was hoping to see you two again. » She said, a fake warmth filling her voice.
To them, it was nothing more than the foulest sound they had ever heard. Seeing their expression, Janes pouted.
«Aren't you happy to see me? I was so worried when you left me that last time. I thought… that we would never see each other again. » Her smile darkened into something dangerous.
«Guess again, Janes! We still have one last meeting to go through and this time, YOU will wish to never cross our path again! » Ash declared, his body already twitching at the thought of the incoming battle.
«Don't be so cold. » Janes demanded, one hand over her chest as if in pain. «It reminds me of a wild beast that mates without even knowing the other. »
Pikachu saw it, that spark of fury that ignited whenever Alex's happiness or safety was threatened. He already knew what was going to happen. Twice before, it had gone the same way.
Janes's smiled as Ash dashed toward her. The boy simply could not hold his temper under control; she knew that, she used it against him to make him go mad. He might appear sane, but the part that was broken would always remain there, reminder of his bloodlust.
The electric type had almost reached her when his cheeks started lighting up with sparks. Before she could react, Ash's body was surrounded by lightning and her intent to stab turned into a very urgent feeling to dodge!
She sidestepped, half-way spinning, and he missed her by an inch. She was already making her move to throw her knife right into his back when something hit her square in the legs.
Janes fell on her back, realizing that Pikachu had once more saved his trainer. However, that thought disappeared the moment she saw him in the air, an Iron tail ready to strike her.
It hit both her knives, that she crossed over her to stop the attack. She regained some confidence as the pokemon could not push down further, but it was then that she caught a glimpse of the other one, preparing a thunderbolt.
«Dragonite… » she called, not really fazed.
From her belt, a pokeball opened, revealing the dragon pokemon roaring a challenge at the ones that dared assault his mistress.
The lightning attack hit him, but he shrugged it off and sent Ash flying toward the woods.
Pikachu jumped backward and placed himself between his opponents and his trainer, ready to defend him to his last breath.
Slowly, Janes stood up and dusted her clothes nonchalantly.
«Not bad, boys. I see you're a bit wiser and stronger than before. » She acknowledged, perfectly calm.
Seeing that the electric type had no intention to reply, she pouted.
«How boring, Pikachu. I thought you'd be more talkative than that. It's like you don't even care for what I say. Do you really resent me so much? Do you hate me for giving you a chance to evolve? » She questioned, her tone slightly childish, but her eyes were filled with a mocking madness. She had seen him flinch; she knew he was not over it. «I don't know why you refused. I thought you were more attached to your trainer than that. »
«You know, there is something really important that I meant to tell you before you sent me in those woods to die. Would you like to hear it? » Pikachu asked, gritting his teeth in anger.
«And what would that be? » Janes raised one eyebrow at that.
«I wish you would take those knives of yours and shove them. Deep. » Pikachu smirked.
She stared at him, speechless for a minute. Then, one eye twitching, Janes spoke again, but her tone was much less happy sounding.
«I know where I will put them and I know you will eat those words. I hope you are ready to have a new body. I'm afraid that with all the holes in it, a thunderstone might not be enough to save you this time. »
She was serious. There would be no place for a mistake now.
«Are you sure you want to do that, Janes? » Ash's voice came from the bushes, louder.
Ash came into the clearing once more, under the eyes of the three other. He seemed to be in a bit of pain, but not disabled. Despite that injury, he seemed much more confident than when he first arrived.
«Pikachu is strong, Janes, stronger than any of your pokemon. Do you really think you can afford to make him more powerful than before? »
«Is that really something you ought to be concerned with? » She laughed at the argument. «I think I can handle it quite well, don't worry about me, lover boy. »
It was hard to see, but there were some traces of anger buried beneath Ash's calm behavior. Turning to his friend, he offered a paw.
«Let's show her your power, buddy. » The teen proposed with a smile.
«Together. » Pikachu replied, already building up his power.
Their paw closed on the other's, they focused as much power as they could. It was time to make her pay, to make her feel fear. They unleashed the strongest electric type move they knew; the woods were illuminated by Thunder.
Janes gasped. A tidal wave! There was a tidal wave of pure lightning heading her way!
«Alakazam, Wobbuffet! »She called, throwing her pokeballs very quickly.
Both psychic types glowed with power and formed a barrier between their mistress and the attack.
The electricity collided with the barrier in a rumble of apocalypse. From each side of the shield, lightning was striking at the mountain with unprecedented violence. Blinded by the brilliance, Janes could not see a thing; she could only feel the roar of the wind and the overwhelming screech of the electric assault.
She was standing in the eye of the storm and even as blinded as she was, she knew her pokemon were uneasy with such power.
When finally, the attack died down, her psychic types all but collapsed, emptied of their strength.
Compared to the unbearable noise from before, this silence was ringing to her ears, letting her hear all too well the hammering of her own heart. She recovered her sight quickly, enabling her to witness the smug expression of the two pokemon that were facing her.
«Pikachu took down a legendary by himself. » Ash declared with a supreme sense of satisfaction. «I'm afraid your team just won't be able to keep up. You said you wanted to give him a thunderstone? Go ahead, if you dare! »