Aboard the cruise ship
In the ocean between Alto Mare and Cherrygrove City
"Admit it, Hugh-boy," Rosa said.
"Admit what, Rosa?" asked Hugh absentmindedly. He was unfocused on her; they were standing at one of the cruise ship's railings with Nate, watching silently as the beautiful buildings and canals of Alto Mare drew farther and farther away. A flock of Natu and Xatu flew across the sky, cawing, adding to the tranquil atmosphere.
Rosa smirked triumphantly and playfully nudged Hugh on the shoulder. "You know what I'm talking about..."
Hugh shrugged. "I honestly have no idea."
"The bet you made with her, man," Nate said.
"I'm glad to hear someone's paying attention to me," said Rosa, looking at Nate and smiling. At that, he couldn't help but blush. Meanwhile, Hugh shrugged again.
"What bet?" he asked, still looking out at the distancing outline of Alto Mare. "I need specifics."
Rosa's eyes narrowed into slits, but her smirk was still in place. She nudged Hugh again. "You can't fool me with your clueless attitude, Hugh. I know you're feeling the heat about your loss. Face it, Hugh, Latios and Latias are not gonna turn up. I think it's time you said the magic words. It was inevitable, anyway." When Hugh refused to respond, his face turning paler by the minute, her smirk merely widened. "Come on, Hugh...do it!"
"Dude, just do it," said Nate in warning. "You don't wanna make her angry."
"That's right, Hugh-boy," added Rosa, using a mock-threatening tone. "You won't like it when I get angry..."
However, Hugh didn't respond, instead continuing to stare out into the ocean. Nate began to back away; he knew that Hugh was a tough person who never submitted to defeat that easily. But if one were to pit that stubbornness against Rosa's infamous rage, then there'd be hell to pay...
"I'll just be on my way, then," Nate said before running down the deck and leaving Hugh to his doom.
The Trainer was busy trying to get as far from the potential ground zero as possible that he nearly ran into Hilda.
"Whoa there, Nate, what's the rush?!" she asked.
"Oh, hey Hilda," Nate greeted, rubbing his head. "Just trying to get away from Rosa before she blows up the ship."
"I see." Hilda raised an eyebrow. "I was wondering, Nate, how many Badges do you have right now?"
"Five. All well-earned with hard work and determination."
Hilda smiled widely. "That's great to hear, Nate. May...May I seem them?"
"Yeah, sure." Nate reached into his bag and took out the container of Badges, opening it up and showing its contents to Hilda. She smiled, impressed.
"Your mother must be very proud of you, Nate," she said.
"She is, thank you very much." Nate closed the box and put it back into his box. "Hilda, can I ask a question of my own?"
"Sure, fire away."
"Why did you wanna battle me?"
Hilda raised an eyebrow again, this time out of confusion. "Why'd you ask?"
"It's just that, well, I felt that the challenge just came out of the blue. Cheren says that you battled me because you wanted to see if I was indeed the Trainer he told you about, but-" Nate shrugged, unsure of what to say. "-I didn't, I mean, I thought I'd hear it from you."
Hilda blinked, intrigued. Then, she replied, in a strange flat tone, "Yes, I battled you because of that."
"Okay." However, Nate didn't feel convinced by that response, but he thought better than to express it openly. So, he merely nodded at her. "Well, I'll just get back to my suite room. I need to go get my Poké Balls and do some serious training with my Pokémon. I'm gonna be in the tournament in a couple more days, and I need to be sure that all of my Pokémon are in perfect shape for the competition. See ya, Hilda!"
Nate ran further down the deck, not bothering to hear Hilda as she also said goodbye to him. Once he was confident that he was out of her eyesight, he stopped and looked back; Hilda was heading into the food court, where his mother, Cheren, and the others were. Nate couldn't help but feel that Hilda was not telling him the truth when she explained why she suddenly challenged him to that battle back at Alto Mare. But her real motivation was anyone's guess at the moment. Nate knew that to ponder over it would just be a waste of precious time; after all, he needed to train his Pokémon. He walked towards the doorway of his suite.
He stopped in his tracks. The door was open... And he was confident that he closed it the moment he dropped off his stuff inside the room...
Quietly, the Trainer tiptoed towards the window that the room offered, and slowly took a peek into the room's interior.
One of Hilda's companions, Dawn Berlitz, was sitting on his bed, looking at two photographs that she held. He recognized one of them as a family portrait he took with his mother a year before he started his Pokémon journey, but he couldn't see the other photo.
Then, she stuffed the unseen photo into her pocket, placed the photo of Nate and his mother into his own suitcase (which was open), and stood up from the bed. Nate quickly leaned against the wall and pulled out his Pokétch, pretending to operate it. He heard Dawn step out of his suite, the door closing, and then a gasp. He looked up and saw Dawn standing at the doorway. He smiled innocently at the Coordinator.
"Oh, hey there, Dawn!" Nate greeted, putting away his Pokétch. "What's up?"
"Oh, nothing, nothing," replied Dawn, chuckling nervously. "I was just exploring this ship. Actually, I was wondering where the training stadiums are."
"The map said they should be at the center of the ship, near the swimming pool."
"Oh, thanks, Nate! You are a lifesaver!" Dawn ran off, smiling and waving at him. He waved back innocently, then watched her until she got out of his eyesight. At that moment, he ran into his suite and searched his suitcase, hoping that Dawn didn't take anything.
Nothing seemed to be misplaced, other than the photo of him and his mother.
Nate stood up, crossing his arms as he looked at his suitcase. Something fishy was definitely going on, he knew. First Hilda challenging him to a battle for reasons that would warrant her to lie to him, then Dawn getting into his suite room and searching his belongings? He knew he had to keep an eye on them...
Cherrygrove City
The Johto mainland
"It's so good of you to give us a free ride to Ketchum City, May," Kelly said as May led the group toward a large skyscraper located in the middle of the city. Nate looked up and saw that the building's frame boasted a sign that read in bold and flashy letters 'ROCKET FASHION AND MECHA INDUSTRIES'.
"It's my pleasure, Ms. Brown," replied May, smiling widely. "I wouldn't really want you guys to get tired from a long and extensive hike to Ketchum City. And you do not have to worry about paying any fares; me and my friends know the owners, and they've offered us a free ride on one of their mechas."
"That's so cool, May!" Rosa exclaimed, running alongside the older Coordinator. "You've got really good connections!"
"Thanks, Rosa."
Meanwhile, Nate glanced at Hilda, Dawn, and Cheren, who were all talking silently with each other. Every several seconds or so, they would always take quick glances at him, and the Trainer knew that he was the subject of their conversation. Secretively, he edged a little closer towards the trio, allowing him to catch small excerpts of what they were saying, while he maintained an air of innocence by looking around, surveying Cherrygrove City's buildings in awe.
"-right, he looks li-"
"-think he knows of-"
"-tell him?"
"I don't think-"
"Why?"
"-believes-"
"Should we tell the-"
"Definitely. They sho-"
"Quiet! I think he's-"
At that point, Nate couldn't hear anything else. Not wanting to be caught eavesdropping, he took a random glance at a food stand...
And he saw them again. The green-haired boy and the pink-haired girl. This time, the boy was wearing a black-and-green cap, while the girl was wearing a large white cap with a pink bow. And they were looking at him again, with the strangest of stares...
But they looked away quickly. Nate blinked, unsure if he should confront them or not.
"Nate, look out!" Rosa suddenly cried.
"Huh?" A split-second later, Nate collided into a pole. Hugh burst out laughing.
"Don't let the girls catch your attention too much, dude!" he exclaimed as Nate groaned, rubbing his stomach.
After several more minutes of walking, the group had finally reached Rocket Fashion and Mecha Industries. The sound of an inside fountain was the first thing to greet the group the moment they stepped inside the headquarters building and into the reception area. Above them was a large, shiny lamp that hung from the well-cleaned ceiling, and there was also a balcony boasting a pair of spiraling staircases. It was quite flashy and upper-class for a reception area of an apparently-thriving business. Nate looked at the water of the fountain and watched as several Goldeen and Seaking swam in the water.
Just then, a pair of voices spoke majestically, catching everyone's attention. May, Dawn, Hilda, and Hilbert all sighed, as they recognized the voices all too well.
"To protect the world from boring fashion!"
"To dress all people with flash and passion!"
"To give all Pokémon pretty faces!"
"To extend our art to outer spaces!"
"The fiery destroyer, Jessie!"
"And with thunderous emotion, I am James!"
"Wisest of the wise, Meowth!"
"Rocket Fashion and Mecha! When it comes to chic we know what's right!"
"Surrender your taste or prepare to fight!"
"Wobbuffet!"
Nate, Hugh, and Rosa watched in awe as a man with long blue hair and green eyes and a woman with blue eyes and magenta hair, both of accompanied by a Meowth and a Wobbuffet, leaped from the balcony and landed on the floor. Whether or not they intended to stick the landing, the quartet failed miserably, and they wound up crumpled all over the floor, moaning with pain. May, Hilda, Dawn, Lyra, and Tory all giggled, while Khoury and Hilbert shook their heads, trying to stifle laughter.
"Oh, are you okay?" asked Kelly.
"I told you, James, we should get ourselves acrobatic lessons again!" exclaimed the magenta-haired woman.
"I thought we still had it, Jessie," the blue-haired man named James replied as he rubbed his back.
"Boy, we don't got nuttin' since we left Team Rocket!" snapped the Meowth. "Ow, I think I broke sometin' in my arm..."
"Wobbu..." the Wobbuffet moaned.
"Whoa, a talking Meowth?!" exclaimed Rosa, running forward and preparing to hug the Meowth. "CUTE!"
Before anyone could stop her, the Coordinator had already seized Meowth and hugged it tightly, up to the point where she was effectively strangling it. Seconds later, Meowth, acting in self-defense, extended its claws and slashed Rosa's face repeatedly, though only lightly enough to cause mere paper-cut-like wounds. Nevertheless, the attack caused her to draw back, screaming in pain and surprise as she clutched her face.
"ROSA!" Nate screamed.
"WHY THAT LITTLE-" shrieked Rosa.
"That's what ya get for stranglin' me!" Meowth snarled. "Ya VERY lucky I didn't get more serious-"
"Alright Meowth, that's enough," James said as the magenta-haired woman stepped in front of Meowth.
"Okay, all scratchy greetings aside," said Jessie, "what can we do for our favorite twerps?"
"Team Rocket, you haven't changed much, have you?" May asked.
"What can we say? Once a member of Team Rocket, always a member of Team Rocket. ...Well, aside from that whole stealing-Pikachu-and-get-electrocuted-as-a-result sequence thing." Jessie shrugged. "Anyway, what- Oh yeah, that's right! I believe you wanted a little free ride to Ketchum City for you and your friends, is that right?"
"That's right," replied May. "And for them too." She pointed at Nate, Hugh, Kelly, Hugh's family, and Rosa, who was rubbing the cuts on her cheek and pouting hatefully at Meowth. "They're friends of ours that we met back at Alto Mare, and we agreed to give them a lift."
"Consider it done!" exclaimed James. "Meowth, prepare the Rocket Blimp!"
"Sure ting," Meowth replied, still staring at Rosa, his claws elongated in caution. "This'll take a while, tough..."
"It's okay, we'll wait," said Tory. Jessie, James, and Meowth nodded in response and left the reception area with Wobbuffet, rubbing the sore parts of their bodies and muttering to each other. Nate chuckled as Rosa continued to stare hatefully at Meowth's retreating form.
"Cat got your tongue?" he asked jokingly, but was immediately silenced when Rosa stared him down with glowing-red eyes. Wanting to avoid Rosa's wrath, he looked away...and saw the same green-haired boy and pink-haired girl, standing innocently beside the receptionist's desk, though she didn't seem to notice them. The two of them were talking to each other, and the girl occasionally stole a quick glance at Nate and the group...
"Hey, can I, uh, go to the bathroom while we wait?" asked Nate suddenly, looking at Cheren.
Cheren looked at him suspiciously, but then, he nodded curtly. Nate nodded back, stood up, and walked over to the receptionist's desk. As he did, he noticed the two strangers took a few steps away from him. He pretended to not take notice as he cleared his throat, catching the receptionist's attention.
"Hey, do you know where the restrooms are?" Nate asked.
"Take the hallway over there." The receptionist pointed down the hallway next to the spiraling staircase at the right. "The fifth door to the right is the restroom."
"Thanks." Nate turned around and headed down the hallway. He heard two sets of footsteps following him. "Just as I figured."
Once he approached the restroom doors, he instantly turned around. There stood the green-haired boy and the pink-haired girl, both of whom didn't seem surprised at the fact that he had caught them. Nate instinctively moved his hands to his belt, where his Poké Balls were held.
"We don't wish to fight you, Nate," the pink-haired girl said suddenly.
"Then why are you following me?" demanded Nate.
"We are here to warn you," replied the green-haired boy. "But first, let's get familiar with each other. My name's Curtis, and this here is my twin sister, Yancy."
"Hello, Nate," Yancy said.
"Okay, Curtis, Yancy," Nate said, still suspicious, "what is it that you wanna warn me about? You'd better be specific, 'cause a lot of strange things are happening lately and I'm getting a little freaked out! People who I don't know somehow know me! I want answers!"
"The answers will come for you soon," Curtis replied, "but I am afraid that today's not the day."
"No, I've had enough of these mysteries; you tell me what in Arceus's name is going on!" shouted Nate as he procured a Poké Ball. "GO, PIGNITE!" He threw the Poké Ball into the air and summoned the Fire Pig Pokémon, which snorted out flames menacingly at the twins. "Tell me what's going on NOW! Or...I'll do something drastic!"
"We know it's not in your nature to threaten us and be credible about it," Yancy said.
"How do you know if I'm not being truthful?!"
"If what you say is the truth," replied Curtis calmly, "then carry out your word. Attack us. Do it now."
Nate blinked in shock; he never expected these two to call his bluff. He sighed in defeat and looked down at the floor, almost in guilt.
"Do not feel guilty, Nate," said Yancy. "It is this compassion for others' well-being that will guide you in the future."
"What future?"
"The future that awaits you in Ketchum City. It is a future full of darkness, revelations, and opened wounds. This is what we wish to warn you about."
"Wait, what?" Nate was having a hard time understanding what was happening to him. "So, you don't want me to go to Ketchum City? Why? What's going on there?"
"The truth is waiting for you there," Curtis replied. "If you wish to face the truth, then by all means, go on ahead. But contrary to what they say...the truth hurts..."
Before Nate could respond, a sudden flash of bright light assaulted his eyes. He, along with Pignite, flinched, closing his eyes and shielding them with his arm. Once the light disappeared, he opened his eyes and found that Curtis and Yancy had suddenly disappeared...
The sewer systems
Underneath Ketchum City
Enigma calmly sat in his chamber, all noise that was made by the labor done by his inferiors and their Pokémon completely blocked out of his mind. By the day, he was receiving more and more pressure from his benefactor, Kyurem, who constantly demanded more efficient service from him and his New Sky Soldiers. All of the promises he gave to the Boundary Pokémon were nothing more than hollow shells of themselves, yet to be fulfilled. Enigma had recently admitted to himself that a problem was in his hands, and that it was out of his control, growing stronger and stronger.
However, the syndicate leader smiled maliciously. He knew that things would fall into place soon, and that the odds will be in his favor.
"Very soon," he thought. "Very soon, the world will be ours, Wayne. And your ideals will be accomplished at last... Your defeat will no longer be for nothing, for it will stem into nothing less than gratuitous success... The entire planet shall be cleansed, just as you and your father before you wanted it..."
Enigma closed his eyes and began to reminisce of the 'father' who motivated him in the first place, the one who set things in motion...
Unknown location
Ten years before the death of Ash Ketchum
The red-haired, five-year-old boy could not believe what he was seeing. Before him, across the street, was a devastated Pokémon Center, and hovering over the ruins was a helicopter that held a red 'R' insignia at its side. Emerging from the destruction was a group of Pokémon, all outlined in a glowing light-blue as they flew into the air, although it was obvious that they were all being physically commanded against their will, as a majority of them weren't Flying-types. The Pokémon were all moved into two cages hanging from the underside of the helicopter, with the doors slamming shut loudly.
The boy watched in shock and horror as the helicopter flew away, the cries of help emanating from the cages. A few seconds later, something emerged from the ruins: it wore a robotic suit and mask, but didn't appear to be human, for it had a long purple tail and feline-like limbs. The figure flew off after the helicopter at high speeds, just before the local Officer Jenny and a squad of police officers arrived at the scene.
"Mommy?" the boy called out into the fiery ruins, even though it was clear that no human could have survived the brutal assault. However, the boy refused to give up and continued to call out; the officers, preoccupied with the destruction, didn't notice him. "Where are you, Mommy? Mommy?! MOMMY!"
"She's dead."
The boy looked up and stared into the face of a Trainer who appeared to be in his late teens. He had well-kept jet-black hair and piercing gray eyes, and wore a shiny golden cloak with a drawn hood. The cloak bore the insignia of a phoenix-like bird's head.
"She's dead," he repeated gravely.
"But-But sh-she said sh-she'd go g-get me m-my Pok-Pokémon..." whimpered the boy as he struggled to not cry.
The Trainer knelt down and placed a hand on the boy's shoulder. He looked into his eyes, the gray digging deep into the boy's soul.
"I'm so sorry. What's your name?"
"F-Felix..."
"Felix." The Trainer smiled slightly. "You have any other family? Daddy? Grandpa? Grandma? Anyone?"
"N-No... Ju-Just m-me and M-Mommy..."
"...Then you come with me now. And I promise you, we will seek revenge against those who have ruthlessly taken the life of your mother. We will cleanse the world of all of the evil that has given you this misfortune. Your mother will not have died for nothing."
Normally, Felix would have refused to go with strangers. But now that his mother his dead, he felt like he had no other choice...
The boy nodded. The Trainer smiled.
"Good. Oh, by the way, my name's Wayne. Wayne Ketchum."
Mt. Silver
The Johto region
Five years before the death of Ash Ketchum
Ten-year-old Felix Ketchum had never seen anything that looked so peaceful, so decent, so tranquil. Standing at the peak of Mt. Silver, he looked down at the land that laid below. He could see all of the towns, forests, trails, and bodies of water that decorated the landscape of the Johto region. He could even see the ocean, extending far into the reaches of the horizon. Standing beside him was Wayne, who was also looking down at the landscape, a grim frown on his face.
"It's quite tragic, isn't it, Felix?" Wayne asked. "Standing here, at the top of the world, where even the most malicious of intents cannot reach you...while all of the evil thrives from below, and you can't seem to do anything about it... Makes you feel like Arceus in the Hall of Origin, doesn't it?"
"Yeah." Felix narrowed his eyes angrily. "Accursed Arceus does nothing to protect the world that he has created... Why doesn't he?!"
"No absolute idea. But our quarrel isn't with Arceus. It isn't his fault. Sometimes, things can extend beyond our control. Like all of the evil in the world."
"Then why are we fighting it, Wayne?" asked Felix.
"Sometimes, if we are to accomplish our goals, our ideals, then a little force is necessitated." Wayne glanced down at one of the mountain's trails; standing there was a decent-sized building. "Our Sky Soldiers aren't much as of now, but once we've fully developed ourselves and reached our maximum potential, then this is where we will do it. Mt. Silver is where the world will change for the good of mankind, and Pokémon-kind as well."
Wayne reached into his coat and produced the photo of a feather that boasted a magnificent color pattern of red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet.
"We have yet to find a Rainbow Wing," he said, more to himself than to Felix. "But very soon, we will have it, the key to finally accomplishing our goals." Wayne pursed his lips suddenly, and his grip on the photo tightened. "We just need to find it... If only my father never lost his, thanks to my goddamn uncle..."
Sensing Wayne's change in mood, Felix patted him on the shoulder.
"Don't worry, Wayne," he said encouragingly. "We'll find it. And once we do, we'll summon Ho-Oh, and we'll use it to make the world a better place for everyone."
"Yes..." Wayne smiled and surveyed the Johto landscape. "A better place for everyone... Just like what my father would've wanted... My dream..."
Mt. Silver
A few hours after the death of Ash Ketchum
Fifteen-year-old Felix could not believe what he was seeing. Before him, across the devastated forest and the bodies of humans and Pokémon alike, was Wayne, who was being placed under arrest as the large and vast army of Trainers, Gym Leaders, and other acquaintances of Ash Ketchum, along with the Legendary Pokémon from all regions and each and every Pokémon from all around the planet, watched hatefully. No one seemed to notice him in the mass of fallen trees and lifeless bodies, and besides, one of the members of the resisting army had witnessed him fall to his assumed death in a crevice...
Water dripping from his clothes and face, Felix continued to watch on as Wayne was hauled away in a police van. What shocked him the most was the fact that Wayne didn't seem to resist at all. In fact, his slumped position and the gloomy expression on his face seemed to signify...defeat...
Felix had never seen the man that had been both his father and brother look so resigned, so submissive, so defeated. He then glanced at the top of Mt. Silver and saw the billowing column of black smoke issuing from the peak, which was contrasted by the shiny, magnificent rainbow hanging high in the sky. He knew immediately that Wayne's device had been destroyed, and that Ho-Oh had been set free. All that was Wayne's goal was destroyed.
And with it, Wayne himself...
The red-haired teenager shook his head as he retreated into the trees that still stood, now the only Sky Soldier left.
Present day
Enigma opened his eyes, his red hair fluttering in the slight breeze that occasionally blew through the sewer tunnels. Ever since that fateful day, where he and Wayne nearly succeeded in their plan to bring everlasting peace and extinguishing all traces of evil in the world, he had abandoned the name of Felix and assumed his present title. If he were to reconstruct the Sky Soldiers, then he would have to do it secretly.
"Very soon..." he thought longingly.
"Father?" a voice asked.
"I assume the job is done," replied Enigma as a satisfied grin spread across his face.
Curtis and Yancy stepped out of the shadows. Curtis bowed his head at Enigma, but Yancy looked rather reluctant.
"It's done," replied Curtis. "There's no doubt that he will come now. He will be intrigued-"
"-And he will walk into our trap..." Enigma completed. "Well done, Curtis, Yancy. You've made me proud."
Curtis smiled slightly, while Yancy shifted uncomfortably.
The Forest of Hearts
Near Ketchum City
In the deep confines of the Forest of Hearts, on top of a branch of one of the forest's many trees, a Pikachu stood, feasting on a Pecha Berry. Sitting next to the Mouse Pokémon was a Lucario, which was also eating a bunch of Pecha Berries. A small scar ran across the Lucario's cheek.
Suddenly, the Pikachu's ears twitched, and it looked around, catching the Lucario's attention.
"What is the matter?" asked the Lucario, its voice reverberating through the corners of the Pikachu's mind.
"Pika..." the Pikachu replied, unsure.
"Reckon we should tell the master?"
The Pikachu thought about it for a moment before shaking its head. "Pika."
A/N: So, apparently Nate is essential to the New Sky Soldiers' plan, whatever it is. And more information about Enigma is revealed, no longer making him an enigma...
For those of you who don't know, Curtis and Yancy are characters that appear in Pokémon Black 2 and White 2. Curtis will appear in the games if you pick Rosa as your character, while Yancy will appear if you pick Nate as your character. But it's obvious I revamped the characters a lot, for story purposes.
I'd like to thank those who reviewed:
HP-DG-SB-HA-RR-KB-NT-TD-LL-AJ: Well, you'll hear more about Ash later on the next couple of chapters. Trust me, it's really intriguing...
Edgeofinsanity (guest reviewer): Sorry, that's not happening until later. You'll have to stay tuned!
BlueLightningXD: I've never really thought about it. I just included those particular heroes because they were never featured in the anime proper. However, I guess I can consider adding the male game protagonists who only got fleeting cameo appearances...
Blackweylyn: Why, thank you very much! That means a lot!
Alpha B. A. 7: You'll see who the green-haired man is. And I shall keep it up, thank you very much!
random girlz: Now you know who those two are! :D
woodland5 (guest reviewer): No wonder you were off for a little! And don't worry, you'll see Ash soon! Just stay tuned.
Before I sign off, I would like to announce that I already have a new story planned out! It greatly involves AdvanceShipping, so for those of you readers who are avid PokéShippers, PearlShippers, or the like, you are free to ignore the new story if you like. The story should come out by the start of my school year, which should be at around a couple of weeks, although it's very likely that I will post the story way earlier than expected.
Well, hope you enjoyed this chapter! TheCartoonFanatic01 is out. PEACE!