The Year of Rocket's Revenge
Session August, Part 3 (08.22.05/08.01.06)
It's been a long wait, but that nutty Professor Schtickly is about to make a breakthrough! Thank goodness, too, because Misty's sisters are getting suspicious as to where she is, and I can't exactly keep making up lies until the end of time. Soon, he'll have his strange machine working, and we can they go about trying to find Ashy-boy and the others.
I've been wondering if he's been delaying the repair process on purpose. After all, I'm pretty sure he believes Misty will give him quite a beating if we ever get them back.
I'm curious as to what they've been up to all of this time. Maybe Ashy-boy and Misty are taking this so-called 'side trip' to get to know each other a little better, if you know what I mean. I wonder how Brock's reacting to that.
Anyway, Ditto and I had better get back to work. If you don't keep on this guy, he seems to slack off. Besides, the sooner we can get them back, the sooner I can get back to make Misty jealous of me ogling Ashy-boy all the time.
THAT'S RIGHT!
"So, what happened after that?" Ash asked the mayor.
"Well, shortly thereafter," Mayor Lionel told them, "Anthony escaped from the hospital. He knew we were going to arrest him, so on the day he was scheduled to be discharged, he fled town. We assumed he went back to reunite with his gang mates... or what was left with them. But we never did find them."
"They just disappeared? Like that?" wondered Misty.
The mayor nodded. "Yes. Up until about two weeks ago, when they reappeared and started terrorizing the town for some strange reason. For some reason, they were after my girl!"
"Dear sweet Marina?" Brock gasped.
"That's horrible!" added Misty.
"We managed to keep them from getting to her, but they kept coming back... practically everyday! Anthony was leading them, and they're pretty mad at all of us. Why, I don't know! If anything, we should be mad at them for scaring visitors away and ruining our town's good name!"
"Do they still blame Marina for all of their friends becoming ill and dying while she survived?"
"Of course! It wasn't her fault they all got ill! The berry bush she ate from was poisoned by some unknown source. Plus, the Grechola Virus that she picked up is highly contagious. For taking her, they deserved what happened!"
"Isn't that a bit harsh?" asked Brock.
"Maybe... but they'd all be alive and kicking if they had just left her alone!"
"But then what?" Misty yelled. "Your daughter would've been left out there to die!"
"Huh?"
"If they didn't find her, you and your townspeople might've! But then that would've doomed all of you to fall prey to the virus! We could've potentially landed in a ghost town! You should consider yourself fortunate that they made an unknowing and unwilling sacrifice to save Marina!"
"Save? The virus will kill her in a matter of weeks!"
"Through no fault of their own! It was never proven that the berry bush was poisoned by them, was it? And why would they go to such great lengths to do that at the risk of their own lives?"
"Misty's right," agreed Brock. "You need to realize that though this virus is a terrible thing, no one on either side is to blame for it being introduced into the plant life in the first place!"
"So why don't you give them the benefit of the doubt and explain it to them so they'll stop asking for retribution when they roll into town everyday?"
"I agree with Misty!" Ash spoke up. "You need to put a stop to this!"
Mayor Lionel was taken aback by being reprimanded for his beliefs by three teenagers... but inside, he knew they were justified in doing so. He was letting his anger cloud his better judgment all this time.
"Okay... you three are all right. When they come tomorrow, I'll clear up this misunderstanding and make amends. After all, I am the mayor of Chiva!"
Present time, August 2nd...
The ambulance doors were being closed as it prepared to pull away with Marina inside, ready to spend her last few days in quarantine. With Griff accompanying her there, Ash, Misty, Brock, and Pikachu could only watch as it drove towards the hospital.
"It's been almost three weeks since those Rapid Dashery riders were last in town," commented Ash. "What do you think happened to them?"
"I don't know," Brock replied. "But the Mayor's guilt seems to grow with every day. He truly does want to reconcile with them... but no one seems to know where they ran off to."
"Meanwhile... we still haven't been able to find a way back home," Misty sighed. "My sisters are probably all in a panic trying to find me."
"Don't worry," Ash comforted her, "we'll get back. I know we will."
Suddenly, a portal opened up behind the quartet, surprising them all. As they turned around, a familiar figure and her Pokémon emerged from the freak anomaly.
"Da da da na da naaaaa!" she announced proudly, wearing a Supergirl costume, but with an orange blouse and a dark green skirt and a 'D' inside the shield design on her chest. "It's Super Duplica to the rescue!"
"Dit dit, Ditto!" proclaimed her Ditto, posing proudly on her left shoulder while wearing a blue bandanna with eyeholes punched out in them.
"Duplica!" Ash, Misty, and Brock exclaimed.
"Pika pichu!" added Pikachu, overjoyed as well.
"Are we glad to see you!" Brock smiled. "And in a such a beautiful outfit."
"Sorry it took so long to find you guys," Duplica apologized. "Apparently, our friend the 'good doctor' struggled to get the thing running again, much less being able to figure out how to use it to find where you guys were."
Misty cracked her knuckles in anticipation. "I SO can't wait to get back and give that mad scientist a piece of my mind for stranding us in the middle of nowhere for three weeks!"
Suddenly, the gang heard a scream coming from the ambulance, followed by the sound of Rapidash neighing.
"What was that?" Brock asked.
They turned about and saw the Rapid Dashery gang had the ambulance surrounded.
"We've got to help them!" cried Misty.
Ash nodded in agreement. "Right! Let's go, Pikachu!"
"Pika!"
"I'll help too!" Duplica said to them. "We've got to hurry, though... the professor said he can only keep the portal open for five minutes!"
The group bolted over to the ambulance, where three of the Rapidash and their riders had blocked the front of the vehicle to keep the driver from moving, and three more were approaching the back doors. One of them was Anthony, and he didn't look happy at all.
"It's time to give that girl what she deserves once and for all!" Anthony told his fellow riders. "Let's do it!"
"Stop right there!" Ash yelled.
"Yeah!" added Misty. "You leave that ambulance alone!"
"It's those rich kids!" one of Anthony's comrades shouted. "They're still around?"
"You ain't in tarnation gonna beat us this time!" screamed a second.
"Dismount and get ready for battle!" Anthony ordered.
His teammates did as they were told, and Ash and the gang skidded to a stop as they saw they were staring at six battle-tested Rapidash.
"Didn't you guys learn any better the last time?" Misty smirked.
"Whatever's going on, we won't let you hurt poor Marina!" Brock cried.
"So you'd better stop it right now!" Ash exclaimed.
"That's right... uh, whomever they're protecting, Duplica will too!" proclaimed the Ditto trainer.
"You kids aren't stopping us from getting what we want!" Anthony told them. "Rapidash, fire spin!"
The six fire Pokémon launched their attack in tandem, instantaneously surrounding Ash and the gang in a ring of fire.
"Squirtle, use water gun to put out the fire!" Ash yelled as he threw out Squirtle's Pokéball.
"You help out too, Starmie!" Misty added, doing likewise.
"Ditto can help as well!" Duplica said, tossing Ditto into the air, and apparently back in her normal clothes after finding the time to change while no one was looking. "Transform into a Staryu!"
Just as Ditto had completed its transformation, Squirtle and Starmie had emerged from their Pokéballs.
"Squirtle squirtle!"
"Ya!"
"Hai-dit!"
The three then quickly proceeded to extinguish the fire using a combined water gun attack. Meanwhile, Brock pulled out one of his Pokéballs and threw it out... to reveal Onix.
"Onix! Use Bind to smother what's left of the flames!"
"Grrrrooooaarrrrr!" growled Onix.
Following his trainer's instructions, Onix quickly snuffed the rest of the fire with his rock hard body. Anthony and the rest of the Rapid Dashery gang looked a bit fearful over the kids' powerful Pokémon.
"Uh... now what, boss?" asked one of Anthony's henchmen as Onix uncoiled himself to give our heroes a clear view of them.
Anthony thought for a second and then glanced sternly at their Rapidash. He then pulled out a Pokéball from his pocket, much to Ash and the gang's surprise, and used it to recall Rapidash.
"Rapidash, return!"
Once his Rapidash was back in his Pokéball, Anthony turned to his team and motioned for them to do the same.
"Recall your Rapidash! Now!"
"Now?" they asked all in unison.
"Did I stutter? Now means NOW!"
Grumbling unhappily, the other team members did as their boss had said. Once that had been done, Anthony turned his attention to Ash.
"I'm guessing you're the leader of this motley crew, so..."
"Ash, a leader?" Misty scoffed. "He couldn't lead his way out of a paper bag!"
"Now's not the time for petty arguments," giggled Duplica nervously.
She was intentionally blocking Ash's view of Misty as he fumed in the background... and reaching down to pick up Staryu-dit from the ground, who quickly changed back to Ditto. The others followed her lead and recalled their Pokémon. Doing so gave Ash time to cool down and focus on Anthony, whom he began to move towards in order to get an explanation from him as to everything that had happened.
"Why do you keep scaring these poor people? And why do you want to get Marina? She never did anything to you!"
"She cursed our entire gang to months of suffering, that's why!" yelled one of Anthony's men. He was going to say more, but Anthony raised his hand as a gesture for him to decease talking.
"I'd just like to have a word with the young lady."
"Really?" Misty asked. "How come?"
"Well... over these last few weeks, I've come to realize the truth. That it's been a matter of circumstance that we've befallen the terrible fate of being cursed by this deadly virus. This is by no means Marina's fault, or the fault of her father, or anyone else who lives here in this town."
Inside the ambulance, Marina and Griff were listening intently, trying to figure out if Anthony was being honest with his feelings.
"This is a girl whom my brother, Dominic, took into our abode, and tried desperately to nurse her then-unknown condition back to health. We had no idea of the ordeals Marina would bring our motley crew, but through no fault of her own! I guess I'm so hardheaded that now, with only days to live, do I finally realize that anger has clouded my... no, our better judgment."
The other members of Anthony's crew began to break out in sobs and tears.
"But boss..." they all cried.
"I've accepted my fate, however cruel it may be. I'm here because I want to make peace with the people I've hurt with my misunderstandings. I know I probably won't be able to reconcile with everyone before my time comes, but from this day forward, I'll make sure the Rapid Dashery gang fights for the good of the people and no longer for our own needs of attention!"
"Here here!" the crew cheered.
Misty smiled. "That's the spirit!"
Anthony smiled back. "I know now... I must make up for all of my mistakes. No matter how long it takes, even if my mates must finish what I start."
"We'll do whatever you wants us to, boss!" one of the guys exclaimed.
Anthony gave him a thumbs up in response. "I know you will, Christian... as my successor when I move on."
Christian was taken aback by Anthony's declaration, but he quickly got over it and ran over to gave his boss a hug.
"I swear... I'll do the best job ever!"
"I know you will," Anthony told him, patting him on the back.
Suddenly, the ambulance door swung open. Marina stood there, with Griff next to her. With his help, Marina stepped out and slowly walked over to Anthony, the brother of the guy who did his best to keep her alive in the cave. Anthony broke away from Christian so he could meet her face-to-face.
"Marina... I take it?"
"Yes," she nodded. "So... after all this time..."
"Look... I'm pretty sure you'll never completely forgive me for expressing such hate for you and what I thought you did. But now I know that Dominic did the right thing by helping you, even for what happened to him. I'm sure he's smiling down on us now, and that he'll be smiling when we eventually go to meet him again."
"Don't talk that way, please," Marina pleaded. "I know it seems bleak, but Dr. Watson believes they're close to a breakthrough. We only have a few days at most, I know... but they'll find a cure for me! And for you too!"
Anthony lowered his head. "You really think after everything I've done that they'd willingly cure me if the occasion were to come up?"
"Well, for someone who wants the people he's terrorized for weeks to trust him, you sure aren't installing a lot of trust in us. Look... you can't ask for trust without giving some. So... trust in us! Trust in me! It's no guarantee they'll find the cure in time, but... isn't some chance better than none at all?"
"You're right! I'm willing to help in anyway I can!" Anthony said as he reached over to give Marina a hug as well.
"You can start by keeping your hands off my girl," Griff said, batting Anthony away.
"Sorry, I didn't know," Anthony responded sheepishly, pulling away.
"Still... any friend of Marina's is a friend of mine," Griff stated as he reached his hand out to shake Anthony's. The current Rapid Dashery leader complied and reached out to share the gesture.
"It's nice to finally see things all settled," Brock noted.
"I really hope they do find that cure," Misty added, "so they truly can have the time to make up for everything that's happened."
"Marina! Marina!" a voice screamed from afar.
The entire group turned about to see Mayor Lionel running towards them.
"Keep him there, Marina!" he shouted. "I want to talk that young gentleman!"
"If it's about everything that's happened, we've already reconciled that!"
"Oh... but I had finally gotten my speech just perfect."
Anthony walked over with a friendly face and said, "That's okay, sir... I'm pretty sure they'll be time to patch things up at the hospital."
"Speaking of time," Duplica cut in as she turned to Ash and the gang. "Our window of opportunity to get back is about to expire! We have to go now!"
"Pika pikachu, pika pika!" Pikachu cried, trying to get them to hurry.
"Thanks for the hospitality," Misty told the Mayor as the others started to bolt for the portal. "I wish there was some way we could repay you for all you've done for us in our time of need."
"No need," Mayor Lionel laughed. "All of the help you've provided the town of Chiva is repayment enough."
"Misty," Ash shouted, running back and grabbing her by the arm. "When Duplica says now, she meant NOW!"
"Thanks again!" she said as she allowed Ash to pull her away.
Brock reached the portal just ahead of Duplica, and was the first to step through. Duplica, with Ditto perched on her shoulder again, quickly followed him. Pikachu was next, running just ahead of Ash and Misty, the last two to jump in. Misty waved one last farewell before disappearing into the void, getting through just as the portal closed completely.
Back on the other side, Professor Schtickly was relaxing comfortably in a rocking chair stationed right next to the so-called Pokémon teleportation machine, which was glowing green with power. He was observing the dials and meters on it when he watched as Duplica and the gang came plummeting into the room. Gasping in amazement, he ran over to help them untangle themselves from the pile they had gotten into.
"Thank goodness, you all made it back!" Professor Schtickly cawed happily. "My machine is a success! Well... sort of. Just a few minor tweaks and it'll actually do what it's supposed to and transport Pokémon without having to be inside Pokéballs. It'll be a smash hit!"
"Oh yeah?" a tweaked Misty screamed as she was the first to be untangled. "I'll give you a smash hit you'll never forget!"
"Oh goodness me... ahhhhhhhhh!"
Ash, Brock, Duplica, Pikachu, and Ditto watched, speechless as Misty angrily chased the professor all across the laboratory.
"Uh... shouldn't we do something about this?" Ash asked, clueless.
"Just let Misty work out her aggression," Duplica said, patting him on the back. "After all, you'll be thankful for it later, Ashy-boy!"
The entire gang laughed heartily as Misty continue to chase the poor doctor... uh, mad scientist all over the place.
To be continued next week in Part 4!
