Chapter 7: Betrayal & Regroup


Ash couldn't believe his ears. Yes, his ears, not eyes. He heard the sounds of his mother, his friends...and someone named Sara. The noises Ho-oh and Lugia began to trouble Ash. However, none more than the voice of Sara. While Ash tried to weigh the concept of someone he knew, back in the DigiWorld, Kari, Charizard, Bulbasasur and Gatomon were waking up. After being pollened a couple of chapters ago by Ken, it was a relief that they would be in fine shape. Though, they were rather delirious. "Oh, boy," Charizard groaned. "That was some powder that we were hit with." Not powder...pollen. The group looked around, noticing that they were in a cave, not the cave that connected the DigiWorld and the Pokémon World. Immediately, Kari feared the worst.

"Great, we've been captured," Kari mumbled, worried that no one was going to help them. However, she was about to get the news that should brighten her, and the creatures' day.

"Perhaps, but luckily, not by the Digimon Emperor," Fridgemon applied as he, Meramon and Ogremon entered. Kari and Gatomon were happy to see these three. Charizard and Bulbasaur gawked in surprise. They were helped out of the situation by three brute Digimon.

"Well, I'd rather have a virus Digimon rescuing us than having Ken being our watchdog," Gatomon gleed. Kind of ironic for a virus-type.

"We're just lucky that we came by when we did," Ogremon grinned...but looked a little concern. He looked over to Caterpie, laying on Kari's lap.

"Something about that caterpillar is beginning to scare me, and I'm a living human-shaped flame," Meramon hinted in a bit of fear. Caterpie was looking extremely fatigued. Kari, Bulbasaur and Charizard shot looks at Caterpie, worried about its health.

"Caterpie?" Kari gasped. The breathing became labored. This was far from a good sign...too far.

"I'm sorry, Kari," it whimpered. "It's time for me." Time? No! Not you!

"You can't! We're gonna get you help!" Instantly, Caterpie shook its head. That's when Bulbasaur realized something, but let's hope it didn't involve this Pokémon dying.

"Kari, it's okay," it advised. "This is normal." Oh, crud...Everyone, please pray for poor, young, heroic Caterpie as it prepares for... "I've seen this happen before at Oak's ranch. There's nothing we can do." Thanks Bulbasaur for setting the mood. Caterpie pointed its head up and fired its patent String Shot. The silky string started to entwine Caterpie, who remained still, accepting this destiny. Everyone watched, helpless to try and intervene. Finally, Caterpie was consumed in its own string, a make-shift cocoon.

"Caterpie..." No use. That's when the cocoon emitted light. The shine covered the wrapping. After a few seconds, the glow stopped. It was a green cocoon with yellow eyes. No arms, no legs. Kari and the Digimon gazed at this new form of Caterpie. Bulbasaur? What's with that easy smile? You're creeping us out.

"Well, it'll be a while before I can move freely," it muttered. It's...okay? Anyone have any idea what's going on? Bulbasaur?

"You've got a week, Metapod," it noted. A...week? Metapod?

"Met...a...pod?" Kari quivered. Chaizard nodded. How did Caterpie become a Metapod?

"Caterpie evolved into Metapod," it mentioned. "In a week, it will become a Butterfree." Evolved? Kari clutched the Metapod, still hoping that it was the Caterpie that resided when she first popped up nearby the still emptied Pallet Town.

"You're still Caterpie? The one who tickled me on first sight?"

"It's still me," Metapod answered. "I'm growing up." Tears of joy racing down her face, Kari embraced Metapod in a hug. Aw, that was wonderful. Ogremon smiled, recovered from that moment of panic.

"Imagine that," he gruffed. "Here we are, getting worried over nothing." Yeah, no real reason to panic. Well, probably the shock value. Before long...

"Kari!" sounded Davis. Everyone turned to the sound as Davis and TK entered the cave. Don't forget Veemon and Patamon. Davis rested a few feet from Kari, noticing the Metapod, as did TK.

"Hey, guys," Kari greeted the two nonchalantly. "Why the visit?" TK knew that Kari was okay, but had to wonder why she was smugging her attitude.

"Well, we saw your D-3's beacon, seeing that you were away from our assigned post," he clarified. That's when he saw the three Digimon, figuring that they weren't in Ken's grips. "And I've noticed that you were a bit busy." TK had no clue that Kari was nearly caught by Ken, along with Ash's Pokémon.

"Actually, we were close to apprehension when Ken ambushed us," Bulbasaur cleared up with an apologetic expression. "I let Ash down more than once lately." More than once? Charizard was a bit surprised with this confession.

"How did you let Ash down twice?" Veemon questioned. Kari recalled the conversation just before Ken's attack. There were two incidents that Bulbasaur felt sorry for.

"You couldn't protect the Pokémon and you couldn't protect me," she answered. Bulbasaur nodded, unwilling to let himself live in such grief. Gatomon patted Bulbasaur on the bulb, saying it's okay. Davis felt happy to know that everyone was in good shape, even for Ash's sake.

"Well, Ash should be happy that his beasts are in tip-top shape," he gloated. TK and Kari were a little surprised with Davis's behavior. He had something going with Ash that would make Patamon feel uneasy.

"What's the sudden change in gratitude for Ash?" it asked. "You first berate him for something that Ken lured you with, and now you're giving him respect the size of Whamon." Yeah, that was a bit uneasy for anyone to take Davis's words, should he give a valuable reason.

"Hey, I'm just showing some support to ease him of his loneliness. It's not everyday that someone comes home to find his hometown abandoned like his house." It was a false courtesy. Hopes that a great friendship between Ash and Davis dashed among that premise, everyone gave Davis the stink-eyes, not believing his excuse.

"And here I was, thinking that Ash may be a Digidestined, himself," Meramon mumbled. Ash, Digidestined member? TK wanted to get everyone back on track.

"Well, we should get going back," he motioned. The humans, Pokémon and Gatomon agreed and ran out of the cave...Metapod still in Kari's arms. Meanwhile, back with Ash, Sora, Yolei and Izzy, and Pikachu and Poromon. Ash was feeling the pressure of believing the sounds of Sara, Ho-oh, Lugia and someone else...LadyDevimon. An attack on the town and some things popping into audio. He began to lose it all, his bladder not one of them. The unnerving quivers made the others worry that a troubling childhood played a part in this form of distress.

"Ash?" Sora called, wishing to break him from that catatonic state. "Are you alright?" Apparently, no. Izzy watched on, scrambling his mind to think of something to break Ash's ice. Yolei got behind Ash, willing to attempt something to help break Ash from his self-clench. Before she could try and chop his spine...

"I...don't know if...it's what I think," he stuttered. Yolei never set herself to smack Ash. She got back around, placing a hand on his forehead. Ash didn't establish her presence. Okay, let's apply force. She shot her arm forward, sending Ash's head back...as well as the rest of his body as he flattened to the floor. "Ouch!" That had to work. To Izzy, maybe a little much.

"That wasn't really necessary," he hiccuped. Ash got up to a seating position, rubbing down the back of his head. Ash acted back to normal.

"Sorry about that," he apologized. "There's just...so much that I'm getting, but at the same time it's not making too much sense." Something about this wasn't settling with Ash, and now the rest began to understand.

"Well, why don't we start from the top?" Sora suggested. "It could help with what needs to be done." She had a point. Ash stood up, already feeling the heat from the investigation. He needed to illustrate the tension that gripped his mind in a bind of panic and anguish.

"Well, there are three Lugias that I know of, along with a Ho-oh and Princess Sara." Sara's a princess? Who saw that coming? "In the Orange Archipelago, by the shrine of the Chosen One's Treasures, a Lugia is there, more known as the Guardian of the Sea. Besides his duties to maintain peace amongst the legendary birds of fire, ice and lightning: Moltres, Articuno and Zapdos, he has telepathy." Telepathy? What's that?

"They speak from the mind?" Poromon guessed.

"That's right. Furthermore, when I was there, a festival was taking place for the chosen one. Considering that my name happened to be part of the legend of this beast of the sea, I had no choice but to complete the legend, nearly losing my life in the process. The other two Lugias were a mother and a child named Silver that I met at the Whirl Islands. Team Rocket tried to capture the two, and were successful until we freed them and trust me. It was no small task. By the way, those two didn't have telepathy, if you were gonna ask." Oh, never mind. That's when the focus was on Sara.

"What about this princess?" Yolei brought up. "She's...not a Pokémon, is she?" That...would be startling to find out.

"No, she's human." Whew...hate to find out the hard way. "She's the next heir to the Mirage Kingdom in the Hoenn Region, which also protects the Togepi Paradise. Yolei, you remember the trio who dug the hole for us to pit in?" Yolei thought back a few chapters...uh, the other time when she was with Kari and Ash. Of course, those two and that Meowth!

"You mean Jessie and James?" she figured out.

"Right. They captured my friend, Misty and her Togepi so that their client, Colonel Hanson would reign supreme, but we found out that there was a Princess, Sara, who had taken care of Misty's Togepi when they were separated. It was later learned that the heir to the kingdom needed a Togepi to help ascend the throne. It was during our battle with Col. Hanson that Togepi evolved to Togetic and helped us defeat Hanson. All those times, Misty's been with me and Pikachu. I don't really know if it's a sign that maybe Misty and I were meant to be together. That, or maybe I'm thinking way too hard on it." Well, calm down from your thoughts. Because Ash had admitted to probably thinking too much, Yolei had to fold her elbows, resting her wrists to her waist.

"You are aware that excessiveness on thinking is Izzy's job, right?" she teased. Poking fun at the intelligent kid? Seriously, Yolei...

"Yolei!" Izzy stormed at the mocking. Yolei, Sora, Pikachu and Poromon laughed at the joke. Ash? Never cracked a smile. This was a serious matter. He proceeded to the door...and walked out. This no longer became a laughing matter, because everyone had ceased their giggles. Great work, you snickered Ash away. Ash wandered the city streets, his mind more cluttered with the notice of more people. He walked, seeing people young and old talking with one another. If only the townspeople of Pallet were still around, chatting as friends would, help out, seeing and greeting neighbors...talk about missing the good old days. Charizard and Bulbasaur flew by, spotting Ash as he gazed upon a small shack-like cart. There was a chef working on bowls of stews and soups...the sign on top read "Ramen Side-Stop." Ramen? Ash had gone over to see the shop, eying the menu and... 70¥ for the special? 30¥ for Shark-Fin soup? This was cheap.

"Can I help you?" the brash chef growled. Ash knew what he wanted. He dug into his pocket where...he's got a lot of money! He's rich!

"Your special, please?" he requested. The chef, still snarling a bit like a bulldog, smiled. Was he expecting Ash to make that choice?

"You got it." He went to work on the special as Bulbasaur and Charizard arrived on land. Ash turned to his creatures, glad to see them okay.

"Charizard, Bulbasaur, how are you guys doing?" Charizard growled, complaining of the sneak attack that Ken coordinated. Ash believed his flaming lizard. "That bad, huh? Well, I did receive some disturbing news, and I'm not sure you're gonna like it." You could bet that they know the story.

("If you mean Lugia, we already know,") Bulbasaur acknowledged. Ash understood the plant/animal hybrid, referring to being on the same subject. Ash had to think that Charizard and Bulbasaur were exhausted...and a bit hungry.

"By the way, you guys like some ramen?" Both Pokémon gazed interesting looks upon each other, curious to know what Ash had opened them to. Charizard looked at the menu, noting the Shark-Fin soup and Bulbasaur undecided.

("See if whoever is in charge has anything vegetarian.") Not much of an omnivore, Bulbasaur was.

("And I'll take the fins,") Charizard ordered. Shark-Fin soup it is. Listening, Ash was ready to add to the orders. He turned back to the chef.

"Excuse me," he spoke. "Could I also have an order of Shark-Fin and...do you have anything without meat?"

"I have the Gardener soup," the chef answered swiftly. "Why the extra orders?" His Pokémon wanted to refresh themselves.

"A couple of buddies that I gotta feed." The chef laughed, thinking that Ash lost a wager and had to pay for the food.

"Okay, I hear ya." A little while later, three pipping hot bowls of noodle soup were offered to Ash but due to the angle, there's no way to describe what they looked like. Oh, well. After the meal, Ash recalled his Pokémon into their balls as he continued his stroll through the city. Cars whizzed below Ash, standing on an overpass bridge. The cars passing by, he reminded himself of all the journeys that he had back at his world. Kari spotted Ash on the bridge, looking so lonely, like how he was when he arrived in Pallet Town from his errand. She climbed the steps to reach Ash, things wanting to get off of her flat chest.

"Even when you're not on an adventure, do you wander everywhere?" she boasted. Ash heard and turned to the brunette. She walked to his side, an open book with blank pages.

"Are you saying that I should remain in one place at all times?" he sneered. Kari chuckled, a humorous sign that she was still okay. It was safe to say that Charizard and Bulbasaur told Ash about what happened in the DigiWorld. "So, that Caterpie evolved into Metapod?" Kari nodded. Hey, she thought Caterpie was going to die.

"He did give me a scare. I should rely on Bulbasaur more often." Not really one of the reasons Ash was a great trainer, but it didn't deter him. What did was from the audio recording. "By the way, Cody told me about the audio that you got to hear alongside Yolei and Izzy. You've got some sorta dilemma on your shoulders." It was a pretty big dilemma.

"It's not a cakewalk, that's for sure. To learn that those responsible were those that I trust..." The sigh of betrayal. Kari began to show concern. "I mean, what if one of your Digidestined teammates started backstabbing you? Not being offensive, but you do look like someone who'd be greatly hurt, physically and emotionally, when you realize why." Kari mulled the thought of being betrayed by her friends. She was such a kindhearted girl to be distrusted by her peers.

"You saying that it's happened to you in the past?" With Ash bringing the possibility of betrayal, he had to have instances of such cold acts.

"A few times, one involving Prof. Oak's grandson, Gary. We were best friends until it was time to become trainers. He began to mouth off that he was better at Pokémon than I was. We were great friends and one little squabble..." Enough said. Kari got the message.

"Sorry I asked." She wasn't the only one who needed to apologize.

"No, my fault for bringing it up." Both shared some giggles. Ash began his plot for his return. "Well, we need to get in touch with Prof. Elm over in New Bark Town and over to Shamuti Isle to see the telepathic Lugia about where everyone's gone." He wanted to make a few trips to let everyone know that he was alright and see if this Lugia knew the location of the townspeople. Kari recognized the confidence being reborn. If there was someone who can close this personal case, Ash would accomplish the aggravation. That's when Kari decided to change the subject.

"It's good to see you back to yourself. Is it okay if I ask a question?" Ash nodded. "What do you see in Yolei?" Huh... Good question. Let's see. If we can backtrack, Yolei spotted Ash in the DigiWorld at the start. Next, she put Ash in a sleeper hold, choking him to dreamland. So far, somewhat jumpy and violent. Later, she got a wet one from Ash when she hinted the cameras and helped Ash with the video recording. Lastly, she assisted Ash over to Izzy's place. First, she's hostile, then she's a sweetheart. However, to Ash, Yolei was only seen as a friend.

"It was...me overreacting. I can't really say that I've fallen for her." That's a twist. "I...don't see myself as a romantic heartthrob. I'm a trainer. I travel the regions to be the best. Hunting, capturing and training Pokémon, battling and competing against other trainers...that was suppose to be the daily grind that I was hoping to be comfortable with. And yet, here I am, being a detective in a multi-person missing/abduction case in a new world. Life can be an adventure on its own." Truer words couldn't be more well spoken. "I only hope that as soon as we're done, I can resume my passion to be a master." He was ready to continue the voyage of his dreams...as long as some others don't send him to dreamland. Kari kept feeling the ever-growing confidence billowing from his spirit. However, she sensed something wrong with Ash's background.

"I don't know. I think you're contradicting something," she sneered as she approached Ash. Ash turned to face Kari, which may have been what she was wanting. Leaning in...SMOOCH! Kari connected lips with Ash and she didn't want to let him go. Ash wanted to part lips but thought otherwise. As they were making out on the bridge...

"Kari, you're making me jealous," was the sound of a male. It wasn't TK. Nowhere close to Davis and too old to be Cody. Ash and Kari turned to another wild-hair brunette man in a blue spring jacket and chord pants. "I can't get that lucky with Mimi or Sora." Ash had no idea who this guy was, but Kari did.

"Sorry about that, Tai," she grinned. "I just came out with my feelings." Ash hiccuped. If that was her feelings... this could get complicated. Tai swiveled his head in some dismay..

"Only you, sister." Sister? Kari and Tai were related? "Well, let's get home. If you wanna come with, kid, you're more than welcome." Hospitality. Ash needed something like that after everything beforehand.

"Thanks," Ash accepted. "I'm gonna need some time to prepare for the trip back and solve my dilemma." Tai had to wonder about what meant by his dilemma.

"What dilemma?"

"We'll tell you when we get back," Kari entrusted. Tai agreed, allowing them to go to the siblings' home. Ash looked up to the nighttime sky, planning for the visits to a few areas. Let's hope that everyone from Pallet Town was alright.


TO BE CONTINUED...