The Year of Rocket's Revenge
Story Written by Freedom Fighter
Back in the saddle. Is it time for someone to get lucky? A few big revelations await in the latest session of "The Year of Rocket's Revenge." Trust me when I say that you're in for quite a shock.
Disclaimer: All characters and places featured in the Pokémon anime series and other productions belong to Nintendo and Pokémon USA! Cassie Banks, Arius McFly, and several others too numerous to name here were created by me and can't be used by anyone else without permission! You don't want to be the unlucky joe who ignores the warning, trust me.
This fanfic is only posted at two places: my place, which contains the full-length chapters in one piece, and which has the same story, but split up into smaller pieces. It should not be posted anywhere else without my permission.
The Year of Rocket's Revenge
Session: March, Part 1 (02.28.06/02.07.08)
Last time, on "The Year of Rocket's Revenge," Ash had been searching for Misty, who had run away after seeing him and her best friend, Duplica, kiss on New Year's Eve. Questioning herself if she still wanted to be part of the relationship, as well as wondering if Ash really understood the ramifications of kissing another girl, Misty found herself still afraid to face the truth when Ash finally tracked her down in Saffron City.
But her boyfriend wasn't the only one looking for her, as Misty was also
located by Lt. Surge, who wanted to question her about 'abandoning' her
duties as a gym leader. But he more importantly had questions about the
late Erika's research into the five teenagers blessed with the ability
to have the spirits of each teen and their favorite Pokémon temporarily
share the same body, but have access to unlimited power. With the most
first-hand knowledge of Erika's research, Misty was coerced into telling
Surge everything that she was aware of, including confirming that she,
Ash, Brock, and the still-missing Marco were four of the five.
Telling Ash about her interview with Surge was the last thing on Misty's mind, especially after having a comfy reunion and night together. But before she could press him for advice, there was still the matter of what to do about their relationship. But even before that could get resolved, Ash and Pikachu found themselves being kidnapped by a guy posing as a League official... and Misty couldn't do anything to stop the guy.
It's been almost a month since the kidnapping. The League, officially, is no longer investigating the case or searching for the reigning Pokémon Junior Master. All except for one brave soul, refusing to accept the inevitable fate the one closest to her heart may have fallen victim to...
Friday, March 1st, Hoenn Route 121
The left eye opened. Then, the right. A cold feeling on the forehead. Eyes dart to the left, then right, then straight up. Sunlight seemed to be getting through the thin orange-colored tent fabric.
Quickly not recognizing her surroundings, Misty shot up to a sitting position, causing the fuzzy yellow blanket covering her to drop down to her waist, and a small plastic baggie half-full of water to land on top of it. She hastily noted the blue duffel-like bag she had brought along with her was off to her left, right next to a blue and yellow backpack. Ripping the blanket off, she breathed a sigh of relief when she saw she was still wearing her windbreaker and matching-colored sweatpants.
"Wait," Misty thought to herself, "what happened last night?"
"Pii..." something squeaked from outside.
"Not so loud, Chuchino!" exclaimed a second voice.
"Chuchino?" Misty scratched her head, still a little dazed as she got to her feet. "Why does that name sound familiar? And that voice?"
Misty walked over to the entrance flap and lifted it... just in time to get a faceful of Pikachu, who had leaped up and into the tent at that exact moment. Caught by surprise, Misty fell to the ground, landing first on her butt, then her back. She quickly pulled the Pikachu off her face and stared longingly at him.
"Chu?"
Misty almost lapsed into thinking the Pikachu in her hands was Pikachu... Ash's Pikachu. But then she noticed the small tuft of fur sticking up like hair just above Chuchino's right eye.
"Oh, crap, I hope you're not mad at me again!" yelled a voice of a young man who had stuck his head through the entrance flap.
"Ric... Richie?" Misty blinked, finally matching voice to face.
A year and a half ago - Indigo Stadium
"We're now prepared to begin the second semifinal match of the Pokémon League Novice Tournament!"
Richie and Misty were standing at opposite sides of the field, having already secured entrance into the Pokémon League... but now each standing one victory away from playing for the tournament championship.
"Starmie, tackle!" Misty shouted.
Starmie spun towards Butterfree and hit the butterfly right on the head. Butterfree flew back, hit the ground, and tumbled twice before coming to a stop, unconscious.
"Starmie, hydro pump! Let's finish this in one shot!"
Zippo, Richie's Charmeleon, tried to dodge the attack, but he was unsuccessful. Zippo got a face full of water and went down for the count. The crowd began to boo Richie for making such a bad choice.
"Chuchino, thunder bolt!"
Starmie put up the screen in time, and diverted a little bit of the energy from the thunder bolt. Not enough, though, as the bolt drilled through the light screen and shattered Starmie's red jewel center.
"Pika pika... PIKA-CHUUUUUUUUUUUU!"
Chuchino gathered up the energy from the bolt and aimed it right at Jigglypuff. It struck the pink rotund Pokémon so hard that she was literally fried on the spot. Chuchino finally relaxed and landed back on the ground - tired, yet happy.
"This match is now dead even at two!" remarked the announcer. "The final round begins, with the victor advancing to the championship match! Who will win?
Misty called out Vaporeon for her third and final Pokémon. Richie and Misty poured their heart out, and so did their Pokémon, as Chuchino and Vaporeon fought tooth and nail to come out on top.
But eventually...
"Pika-CHHHHHHHHHHUUUUUUU!"
"Vaporeon!" Misty cried out.
The third bolt of thunder was the charm, as Vaporeon couldn't take no more, conceding the battle and fainting on the spot.
"And it's over, folks!" the announcer yelled. "Richie Sparky wins the second semi-final, and moves on to tomorrow's championship match!"
Misty stood on her podium in shock, in disbelief that she lost a match that she had been firmly in control of...
Misty found herself several minutes later sitting on a log, eating from a bowl of watery oatmeal. Richie had made himself a bowl from the small pot he had hanging over a campfire. Chuchino and Happy, Richie's Butterfree, were a few hundred feet away, playing around in the grass.
Misty lifted the spoon from the bowl and put a gob of oatmeal in her mouth. She quickly swallowed the contents, and then nearly gagged - the oatmeal not exactly being of a great tasting flavor.
"Sorry about that," Richie quickly apologized. "I'm on my last day of supplies, so the food's not exactly fresh."
"No, really..." Misty attempted to lie. "It's not all that bad."
Richie put a spoonful into his mouth, and elicited a similar reaction to the cooked yet partially-spoiled oatmeal.
"So..." Richie muttered, trying to keep the conversation going. "It's been awhile since the Indigo Plateau, right? How have you..."
"I know you're going to ask, so go ahead..." Misty interrupted, already seeing the inevitable.
Richie gulped, then issued a response. "So... you do realize Mt. Pyre is off-limits at night, right? It's too dangerous for anyone to go into the caverns of that mountain, much less alone!"
Misty sat there silently for a minute before explaining her reasoning.
"It's Ash."
"Ash?"
Misty nodded. "I have reason to believe he's in there."
Richie gasped in shock. "How?"
"Well... it started about a week ago..."
Saturday, February 23rd, Cerulean City Gym
Misty was alone in the office, filling out paperwork and settling overdue bills and the like. But as she did, she couldn't help but every few minutes stop and look at the picture frame on her desk next to her computer monitor. In it was a picture of her and Ash, taken at the end of the Novice Tournament, just before they split ways so Misty could complete her gym leader training.
"Oh, Ash... the League may have given up on you, but I sure haven't," Misty told the picture.
Misty turned towards the TV in the room, as she reached for the remote and pressed the 'volume up' button.
"Two weeks as the new Junior Master, and 13-year old Cassie Banks continues to make her presence known throughout the Pokémon League!" proclaimed the news anchor. "Her latest act of good faith? Helping pass a new measure that will bring about the creation of half-a-dozen new Pokémon Centers throughout the Kanto region. Including one in her very own hometown, which is where Frank Kirkpatrick gives us this report. Frank?"
"Thank you, Tanya," replied Frank, live in Poli Town. "Just a few hours ago, the Pokémon League passed the measure, as expected, and young Miss Banks was here among family and friends to celebrate. Once a town off the map, unwilling to send young kids off on their own to become Pokémon trainers, finally has someone to rally behind. Someone to prove that even the 'little guy' can succeed in this great, big world."
The feed then switched to a tape in which Cassie was addressing the media following the measure's passage.
"This is something that many have waited anxiously for," she told the reporters. "Especially here in Poli Town, what with many 10- and 11-year olds already looking up to me, seeing how successful I've been, and wanting to go out on journeys of their own and make a name for themselves."
Suddenly, Misty shut off the TV, sighing in despair.
"Even Cassie's forgotten about Ash. Probably just what the League wanted, anyway. No wonder they don't care anymore... when they have a willing puppet..."
The phone then began to ring. Misty picked the receiver up without hesitation.
"Cerulean City Gym, Misty speaking..." Misty stated, spewing the usual phone greeting.
"I... know... where... he... is..." spouted a creepy voice, breathing heavily between words.
"Excuse me?"
"Ash... Ketchum. Your... boy... friend."
"Who... who is this?"
"Tonight... seven... Cerulean... Cape..."
"Cerulean Cape? Wait a..."
With that, the person on the other end hung up. Misty quickly followed suit, then glanced at the clock on her computer. It read 5:15. Misty grabbed her windbreaker off the coat rack and bolted out of the office.
A long bike ride later, with her way illuminated only by a small headlight mounted on the front of her bicycle, Misty arrived at Cerulean Cape with minutes to spare. She could spot Bill's Lighthouse at the top of a cliff about a quarter of a mile away... well, the spotlight emanating from it, at least, as a fog was rolling in, reducing visibility in the area.
Dismounting from her bike, Misty quickly called out Vaporeon and Scyther for protection.
"Keep your eyes and ears open, guys," she told them. "This could be a trap."
Vaporeon and Scyther nodded in response, then quickly took to scanning the surrounding area with their eyes.
"I... knew..."
"Huh?" Misty shouted, turning towards where the voice was coming from.
"I... knew... you'd... come."
Misty stood there as slowly, but surely, a Pokémon emerged from the fog. It was a very elderly Alakazam, with a light blue bubble surrounding him. The Alakazam was showing his age, as his mustache was completely white in color, and wrinkles were visible all over his body.
"A talking Alakazam? But... not like Persian," Misty deduced. "Just like..."
"Ex... actly," the Alakazam proclaimed, finishing Misty's audible thoughts.
The Alakazam then began to float in the air, crossing his legs and closing his eyes, as if starting to meditate. Misty took a step forward and reached for the bubble...
"I wouldn't touch that if I were you," a voice warned her.
Misty stopped, then quickly glancing right, left, and behind her. Vaporeon and Scyther did the same.
"Don't be alarmed," the voice spoke again. "I'm speaking directly into your mind, through Alakazam."
"Really?"
"And please, don't touch Alakazam. He may be old, but that barrier is for his protection... and it is very powerful. I'm pretty sure someone as young as you wouldn't want to lose a finger..."
"If he's very powerful, then how do I know Alakazam won't attack me?"
"Alakazam is using all his strength to keep that barrier. To attack, he'd have to drop it... and at his age, he isn't exactly graced with lightning-quick reflexes."
"So..." Misty relaxed a little, satisfied with the explanation. "Why is he here and not you?"
"Because he can still move, young lady! Unlike him, my age keeps me bed-ridden!"
"I... I'm sorry."
"Don't apologize. It's how the cycle of life works. Then again, it was accelerated by 'Celebi-rus Syndrome.'"
Misty blinked in confusion. "Celebi-rus Syndrome?"
"It wouldn't surprise me if you haven't heard of it... the official name hasn't been officially registered yet. But you've already experienced symptoms of it. I suppose the late Miss Erika told you before her untimely passing..."
Misty looked down at Vaporeon, and she up at her trainer. They nodded in confirmation and thought the same thing... this guy might be worth hearing out.
"Suppose this is the same thing I'm going through. How can I tell you're telling the truth?"
"Because Ash Ketchum is in the same situation, Misty Waterflower. As is Brock Slate and Marco Pereira."
"And you have it too?"
"Used to... though, the illness has unavoidable side effects, even after the syndrome has long passed!"
"How... how can that be?" Misty exclaimed in dismay. "You mean there's no way to avoid..."
"Oh, there is. But, avoiding such a fate requires a multitude of tasks, all of which require a great commitment of time and effort to complete. Are you willing to make that sacrifice?"
"How do I know you're not attempting to trick me into a trap? You don't even know where Ash is, do you?"
"Ash is with us. That's all you need to know."
Misty crossed her arms over her chest. "And I'm supposed to believe you?"
"I can't make you believe me. But who else could give you the answers you're seeking? This is a once in a lifetime opportunity."
Misty had to think long and hard to come to a decision, but before she could...
"Mt. Pyre. March 1st, between midnight and 2 am."
"Wha? But I didn't..."
"Once in a lifetime..."
With that, the voice faded away. Suddenly, Alakazam woke up from his meditation, dropping the barrier in the process. Vaporeon and Scyther hastily jumped in front of Misty, both getting into defensive stances. The three Pokémon stared each other down for about a minute, as Misty contemplated her next course of action.
Vaporeon took two steps forward, and started charging up for an attack...
"No."
Vaporeon stopped, hearing the very solemn, meek-voiced command.
"No. Let him... go."
With that last word, Alakazam turned around and slowly crept back into the fog. Assured that the psychic-type was gone, both Vaporeon and Scyther breathed a sigh of relief. Misty wrestled her Pokédex out of her windbreaker pocket and used it to look up information on Mt. Pyre...
Tuesday, February 26th, Hoenn Route 121, just west of Lilycove City
"After doing some research for Mt. Pyre and trouble getting a flight into nearby Lilycove because it was Pokémon Contest season," Misty told Richie, "I finally managed to procure a bike rental and pedaled my way to Mt. Pyre."
Misty found herself lost several times as she asked numerous passers-by for directions to Mt. Pyre. Among those she prompted for help were two college students interning at the nearby Safari Zone.
Soon enough, she reached the cove of water which surrounded a 20-mile radius of Mt. Pyre. Misty proceeded over this area, Hoenn Route 122, by asking for the assistance of a wild Wailmer to cross the cove.
"It had taken two-and-a-half days to travel there from Lilycove, but I managed to get there just in time..."
Misty waved goodbye to Wailmer, then took a gander at her glow-in-the-dark wristwatch as she picked up her duffel bag off the ground and headed for the main entrance of the mountain caverns, just an eighth-mile north of the docks she was standing on.
Producing a flashlight out of a pocket from her sweatpants, she turned it on and shined it upon a nearby wooden sign. It read...
MT. PYRE - HOME TO THE DEARLY DEPARTED POKEMON WE SO CHERISHED
"Great," Misty gulped, a sarcastic tone in her voice. "I don't like ghost Pokémon. Maybe even more than I don't like bug Pokémon..."
Stopping at the entrance, Misty stared into the unlighted cavern before her. She could swear she heard noises coming from inside. But she knew she had no choice... she had to go in!
"Don't worry Ash," Misty thought to herself. "I'm GOING to save you."
As Misty stepped inside, her flashlight illuminating only a few feet in front of her, she failed to notice a pair of red eyes watching her from right above the entrance...
"So, then what?" Richie asked.
Misty shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know. After that, the next thing I remember is waking up in your tent."
"That's because I found you outside the cave and brought you back to my campsite..."
High above Route 122, Richie and Chuchino were shouting with glee as they were soaring through the air, riding upon the back of a Charizard. Suddenly, out of the corner of his eye, Richie noticed movement on the Mt. Pyre entrance grounds below.
"That's suspicious," Richie commented. "Let's check it out!"
Curious to investigate, the two hung on for dear life as Charizard sharply descended down to the ground. As they got closer to the cave entrance, Chuchino spotted three Duskull circling an unconscious human figure on the ground.
"Pika!" Chuchino pointed out.
"Right. Flamethrower time!" Richie ordered.
Charizard responded with haste, aiming the Flamethrower at the three Duskull. They all immediately fled back into the cave, avoiding getting burned in the process. Charizard slowed down as he landed on the ground, two feet firmly planted in the grass. Richie and Chuchino leaped off, the Pikachu fleet-footed enough to reach the human figure first.
"Pi? Pika pika!" Chuchino chirped after seeing the human's face and quickly recognizing it.
"Huh? What's up, Chuchino?" asked Richie as he trotted up.
"Pika!"
Richie gasped when he gazed down and noticed that he, too, recognized the human laying unconscious before him.
It was Misty, who had a pretty big bump on the top of her head.
"I don't know what's going on, or if she went into the caverns by herself. But we can't leave her here."
Richie whistled for Charizard to come over. The fire-type squatted down and picked Misty's limp body off the ground. Once Charizard was back at a standing position, Richie and Chuchino climbed aboard his back.
"Let's go, Zippo!"
Charizard roared as he flapped his wings and took the air, flying in the direction of Richie's camp.
"You're just lucky I happened to be in the area," Richie told Misty.
"You mean..."
Suddenly, a loud roar filled the air. Misty, Richie, Chuchino, and Happy turned southward, where Charizard was flying in from. Charizard came in for a landing near Chuchino and Happy, as Richie happily ran over to greet him.
"So, how'd it go?"
"Grooarrr!" Charizard roared with approval.
Misty gasped in astonishment as she walked up. "Unbelievable! This was that Charmeleon of yours! He evolved... into a Charizard!"
"That's right!" Richie nodded in confirmation. "This is Zippo. Zip, you remember Misty, right?"
Zippo roared again, signaling that he indeed did.
"Well, I'll be," Misty said with a smile.
She turned to look at Richie, but she was taken aback when she noticed that he had developed a serious look on his face.
"We'd better get going."
"Going? But... where?"
"Why... to go save Ash, of course!"
Misty nearly jumped out of her socks. "You want to help?"
"Well..." Richie suddenly grew timid, afraid Misty was angry at his sudden decision to tag along, "I know you don't need the help. You're a gym leader, after all..."
"NOT ANOTHER WORD!" Misty exclaimed.
"But..."
Before Richie could object, Misty had put one hand over his mouth. Just a foot away, Misty peered angrily into Richie's eyes, as if looking for some excuse to not let him come along. But then, Misty let a smile creep across her lips...
And a girlish giggle escape from her lips.
"Pack your things, Richie!" she said with renewed enthusiasm, dropping her hand from his mouth. "You're going to help me save Ash!"
"You... you really mean it?"
Misty arched an eyebrow. "Do I LOOK like I don't?"
Richie smiled, then ran to start packing up the campsite. Chuchino ran after him to help. Misty turned about and glanced southward, in the direction of Mt. Pyre.
"Soon, Ash. Soon..."
Twenty minutes later, Misty, Richie, Vaporeon, and Chuchino were standing outside the entrance to Mt. Pyre. Richie was offering Zippo's Pokéball encouragement on a job well done for the flight there as he placed it on his belt, alongside the four others there. As he did, Misty was in the process of completing her own prep, as she had a belt of her own wrapped around her waist. One of them was a green-colored Friend Ball, as opposed to the other regular Pokéballs on her belt. She gave it a light kiss before attaching it next to the others.
"What Pokémon do you have in that Friend Ball?" Richie asked.
Misty winked back. "My little secret weapon. Let's just say... it's so strong, I hope I don't have to use it."
"That powerful, huh?"
Misty nodded.
With that, Chuchino rushed into the cave, but not before beckoning the others to follow. Vaporeon followed close behind, then it was Richie and Misty bringing up the rear.
"WE'RE COMING TO SAVE YOU, ASH!" the two trainers yelled in unison.
To be continued next week in Part 2!
