The Year of Rocket's Revenge
Session: July Once Again, Part 2 (06.27.06/07.09.10)
Tuesday, July 1st, Route 10
After a long walk down the tunnel, the large group finally made their way into the underground cavern that Erika and Maria had been living in since their supposed deaths. But unlike in Angela's description, there were now four log cabins instead of two.
Ash, Misty, and Duplica were a bit surprised at how naturally beautiful the cavern was despite being several dozen feet underground.
"So I've heard about what's going on," Erika told them. "I can't believe Team Rocket is now in control of the entire League!"
Ash nodded. "It won't be long before they try to take over the rest of the world."
"And now, they're after everyone that has been diagnosed with Celebi-rus Syndrome."
"That's right."
"Isn't Celebi-rus Syndrome that thing you talked about the other day?" Duplica asked. "Like what happened to Marco during the Junior League title match?"
"Yeah," replied Misty. "Apparently, Giovanni isn't happy with just one on his side. He wants all of us."
"Or," Ash thought out loud, "he might just be trying to eliminate us. If he wants us captured, he must think we're the only ones capable of stopping him."
"There's five of you total," Angela counted off. "Ash, Misty, Marco, Brock, and Giselle."
"But we don't know where Brock or Giselle are," stated Misty, "or if they're even still alive."
"They're both here, actually," Tomiko told them.
"What?" Ash and Misty shouted simultaneously. "Really?"
Tomiko nodded. "Though I should clarify my statement. Brock was here, but he'll be back soon. He left with Wallace a few weeks ago to go to Mount Pyre in the Hoenn region."
Misty brightened up. "That means Brock is learning how to control his powers so that they don't flare up again... just like we did!"
"That's great news!" Ash exclaimed.
"As for Giselle," Tomiko continued, "she's here, along with..."
She stopped as they all heard the front door to one of the log cabins opened. Cassie stepped out, dressed in an all-pink nightgown. She rubbed her eyes as she tried to adjust to the artificial light after exiting the dark cabin.
She then perked up when she got a strange sensation in the air.
"Wait a minute," she said out loud. "I recognize those auras!"
Now fully awake, Cassie noticed who was standing in front of her. And they saw her.
"Cassie's here?" Ash said, stating the obvious.
"So this is where the reigning Junior Master has been hiding," Misty said with a smile.
"Been awhile since I saw you two, hasn't it?" greeted Cassie.
She then looked at Duplica, who wasn't as pleased as Ash and Misty were to see her.
"Duplica..."
Duplica turned away, no longer wanting to look at Cassie.
"What's with her?" Tomiko asked.
"It's a long story," replied Misty.
"If you're here," Ash wondered, "than that means that Giselle is here too, right?"
"Yeah... well, in body anyway."
Cassie led them into her cabin and to the master bedroom. Inside of it were two beds. One was unmade... it had been the one Cassie was sleeping in until she had been awakened. The other had Giselle, who was resting peacefully with everything but her head buried under the covers. There were a few wires also protruding from the sheets: one was connected to an IV, the rest to an EKG that was monitoring her heart rate.
Ash, Misty, Pikachu, Cassie, and Erika were standing on either side of the bed, while Angela, Tomiko, and Duplica all stood outside, listening in from the doorway.
"That's Giselle?" Ash pointed at her face. "She kinda looks different. You know... kinda cute?"
"Ahem," coughed Misty. "Kinda cute?"
Ash quickly caught himself. "Of course, nowhere as cute as you, Mist!"
"That's better."
"Giselle has pretty much been like this since the experiment," Cassie told the pair.
"The good news," Erika explained, "is that the injuries she sustained have almost completely healed. The bad news is that we can't seem to bring her out of her coma."
"Obviously, we're not doctors, so we don't know why that is. Still, Erika and I have been trying the past few weeks to see if we can revive her."
"With Maria's help, I've been using different aromatherapy techniques. Nothing has worked so far, but I'm definitely hindered by the limited resources I've had to work with while in hiding these past few months. I couldn't risk tipping off to Team Rocket that I was still alive."
"As for me, I've been using my psychic powers to see if I could use them to diagnose the problem that way. But... there seems to be some sort of barrier blocking me from completely accessing her brain. I'm sure if we had someone like Sabrina here, she could find a way through. But I'm nowhere near her level of skill yet."
Ash and Misty both looked sadly at Giselle, feeling sorry for the former Tech graduate.
"How long can she stay like this and still survive?" asked Misty.
"If her heart can keep in its current state," answered Erika, "I'd imagine quite awhile. Years and years."
"But realistically?" Ash queried, getting to the point.
"We're not a hospital," Cassie replied. "Our medical supplies and pipelines to them won't last long, especially since I believe Team Rocket will begin limiting trade across the region. Not to mention that our electronic equipment is used and outdated. It could break down at a moment's notice."
"Hasn't it crossed your mind that maybe she doesn't want this?"
Everyone turned their attention to the door, as they saw it was Duplica who had asked the question. Cassie gave a somber reply.
"That thought... had crossed our minds."
"Everyone seems to be talking about their own best interests! But what about her, huh? What do you think she wants?"
"I do understand this is quite the moral dilemma," Erika said to her, "but I believe that as long as her body remains in good health and there is hope that she can be brought out of her coma, we should continue our efforts."
"Do you think she'd like that? Living like a vegetable for what could be many more months? Years?"
"Duplica," Ash addressed her, "no one knows the answer to that. We have no idea what she wants. You don't, I don't, we all don't."
"It's just... something about this feels wrong. Plus, if she does manage to come out of her coma... we'd be giving Team Rocket another chance at her powers!"
"We can't worry about the future in that way!" Cassie shouted. "If that comes to pass, we'll worry about it then! All I care about right now is the present!"
"ALL YOU CARE ABOUT IS YOUR REPUTATION, BECAUSE EVERYONE KNOWS THAT IF SHE DIES, ALL THE BLAME WILL BE ON YOU!"
Duplica burst into tears and ran out of the room. Ash was about to run after her, but Misty grabbed his arm to stop him. He looked back at her and shook her head. Seconds later, they heard her open the front door of the cabin and exit.
Angela and Tomiko looked at the door, and wondered if they should follow.
"At a distance," Erika said to them, as if hearing their thoughts.
The two girls nodded, then left the cabin.
"I don't blame her for being mad," Cassie said despondently.
"We know you're not doing this just for you," Misty reassured her. "You care about her well-being, just like the rest of us."
"Of course... but that's easy to do when she's not smothering me in put-downs."
Misty smiled. "That's Giselle for you. Man, what I wouldn't give right now to hear her voice."
"She's a pretty strong trainer... if she'd let her Pok mon do the talking for her instead of her mouth."
Both girls looked at Giselle, starting to imagine her up and about again. But their thoughts we're interrupted when they heard Ash yawning behind them. They turned around to glare at him.
"Sorry," Ash apologized. "I'm just so... yawn..."
Misty then yawned herself, apparently catching it from him.
"I guess you guys did have a long trip here," Erika stated. "Why don't we all get some rest, and we'll pick this up in a few hours?"
They all nodded. Erika then led Ash, Misty, and Pikachu off to one of the other cabins to go and get some rest.
After some rest, Ash woke up feeling refreshed and rejuvenated. He sat up and noticed that Pikachu was still fast asleep, lying down on the table in front of the couch he had slept on.
"Wake up, Pikachu."
Ash gently shook Pikachu, who came to after a few shakes.
"Pika pi?"
"Man, we slept like logs!"
Ash then heard his stomach grumbling. Very loudly.
"I guess it's time to eat."
He then heard Pikachu's stomach growl even louder. Pikachu blushed with embarrassment.
"What do you say we rustle us up some food?"
"Pika!"
They then heard the front door open. A young woman stuck her head in, and she seemed happy to see Ash awake.
"Finally awake, huh?"
"I think I remember you from somewhere..." Ash racked his brain as he tried to recall her name. "It's Maria, right? You're one of Erika's friends from the gym!"
"Yep! Now come out here and eat! We've got a special guest cook on the fire!"
Maria closed the door, leaving Ash to wonder whom she was talking about.
"Whoa! Where did all these people come from?"
"Pika?"
Ash and Pikachu were surprised to see several dozen people and Pok mon in the cave, all sitting down on the floor and eating lunch. They started walking into the crowd, looking for a familiar face.
But then all the chatter and munching quieted down when they realized who was among them.
"It's Ash Ketchum!" a woman shouted. "The hero of Pallet Town!"
"Wha?" Ash stopped, confused about being pointed out.
"The hero has returned!" a man exclaimed. "He'll put an end to Team Rocket once and for all!"
"Hooray!" the crowd yelled. "Hooray!"
Ash stood there embarrassed, unsure of what to do. He hadn't had this many people in one place cheering for him since... the Junior League Tournament. But then he began feeding off the crowd's energy, and started to embrace the cheering.
"Don't worry, everyone!" he declared. "I'll find a way to take down Team Rocket, and restore everything back to way it was!"
"Hooray!" cheered the crowd again. "Hooray! Hooray!'
Ash grinned as he waved at and starting bowing towards the crowd. A few feet away, Erika, Maria, Misty, and Duplica were watching his display.
"Ash really knows how to fire up a crowd," noted Erika.
"That's because Ashy-boy is going to save the world!" declared Duplica.
They all laughed with glee. All except Misty, who calmly put her bowl down on the ground before getting up and walking towards Ash.
"Uh oh!" exclaimed Duplica. "Looks like somebody's had enough..."
Misty got to Ash, and before he knew it, she grabbed on his right ear with her left arm and started pulling him back towards the others. The crowd continued to cheer even as Ash was tugged away, with Pikachu following after the couple.
"Hey!" Ash shouted after they got back. "What was that for?"
"You'll have plenty of time to be a superstar AFTER you eat."
Misty then sat back down, picked up her bowl, and turned back to the others...
"So, what were we talking about?"
"Man," Maria sweatdropped. "Back on topic, just like that!"
"That looks good," Ash said as he looked at Erika's half-eaten bowl of stew. "Did you make it?"
"Oh, I could never make anything this delicious! You'll have to thank the true chef!"
Erika pointed Ash through the crowd and towards the big pot in the center... where he saw a familiar face stirring the cauldron.
"It's Brock! No way!"
Ash ran over to say hello to his old friend.
"Brock!"
"Ash! I was wondering when you'd show up!"
Brock looked down and saw Pikachu as well.
"And how have you been, Pikachu?"
"Pika pikachu!"
Brock looked up to see Ash smelling the heavenly aroma coming from the stew in the cauldron.
"I'm guessing somebody's hungry!"
"Starved!"
A few minutes later, Ash, Brock, and all their Pokémon had found a quieter place near the edge of the crowd. Pikachu, Charizard, and the others were happily enjoying Brock's Pokémon food as they hung out with Geodude, Onix, and the rest. Meanwhile, Ash and Brock were catching up, even after the former had already gone through his second bowl in what had seemed like as many minutes.
"Man," Brock said with a smile, "you're acting as if you haven't been eating since the last time I saw you!"
"I will admit," Ash replied to that, "that Misty and I have had more important things to worry about."
Brock grew serious, understanding where Ash was going with this.
"I know. Every day during my training with Pokémon Grand Champion Wallace, we heard about everything that was going on over here. But I couldn't come back to help... I'd risk having my powers activate uncontrollably, risking my own life! If we could've returned sooner, we would have."
"I appreciate it," Ash told him, "but I'm not sure if having you around would've changed things much. We all thought we were ready to handle Team Rocket... but we weren't."
"Yeah. I heard what Team Rocket tried to do to you two. As well as what happened to Giselle."
Ash nodded. "If only we could've been there to save her."
"Speaking of beautiful girls," Brock smirked, "I heard a rumor when I got here... that when you went to sleep this morning, you were in the same cabin as Misty, Duplica, Erika, Maria, and those two League girls."
"Yeah. So?"
"Uck... so? So?"
"Pikachu and I slept on the couch while they slept in the bedrooms. No big deal."
"You didn't notice the big opportunity that was presented to you?"
"I was exhausted! We had been flying since sunset!"
"Well, obviously now that you're a teenager... you need to be taught a few lessons of romancing the ladies. From yours truly."
Brock suddenly was hit by a bowl, which smacked him in the side of the head. Ash slid back a few feet as Misty stomped up to Brock.
"IF ASH EVER GETS A LESSON ON ROMANCE, IT WON'T BE FROM YOU!"
A bump formed on the side of Brock's head, just above his left ear.
"Nice to see you haven't matured," Brock remarked.
"Look who's talking!" Misty shot back. "How many girls have you flirted with since you arrived here an hour ago?"
"None! I swear I've changed!"
"So... are they ready for a talk?"
The gang looked as Erika and Wallace emerged from the crowd. Upon seeing Erika, Brock ran over to her. He stared lovingly into her eyes as he clasped his hands over hers.
"Oh, lovely Erika, your beauty shines brightly even down here, in the depths of this rocky cavern."
Erika blushed. "Um... thanks?"
"No matter where you go, you'll always shine like a radiant flower! Maybe we should go somewhere, far away from here, where I can admire your beauty in private..."
"Okay, you!"
Misty reached in, grabbed Brock by the ear and pulled him away.
"That's it... you're out of here!"
"Ow! That doesn't count! Erika's a woman, not a girl! Ow!"
As Misty pulled Brock away to reprimand him, Erika and Wallace took a seat on the ground, across from Ash.
"It's great to see you again, Wallace!" Ash said excitedly.
"The feeling's mutual," replied the Grand Champion.
"So, what are you doing here?"
"Wallace is here to help us figure out how we're going to deal with Team Rocket," explained Erika.
"Hmmm..." Ash thought out loud. "I know everyone thinks I should be doing that. But is that possible?"
"We think so. Here's what we've been discussing so far..."
Elsewhere, Duplica was wandering through the crowd. She had Ditto held against her chest with her left arm while petting its head with her right hand. Suddenly, she spotted whom she was looking for.
It happened to be Cassie, who was sitting against a rock near the cavern entrance. She was observing silently as her Ivysaur and Ledyba were running around, getting some exercise. Imagine her surprise, then, when they were joined by a third party... a Chikorita, who was anxious to show off its Razor Leaf attack.
Cassie turned to her left and saw Duplica quietly taking a seat on the ground next to her.
"I'm confused... I thought you were exclusively a Ditto trainer."
Cassie took a second to think about it, and then smacked herself on the forehead lightly after figuring out.
"Oh, I see what you did there..."
"Ditto needed a little exercise."
"Uh huh."
The two girls then sat there, watching their Pok mon play around for a few minutes.
"Cassie?"
"Yeah, Duplica?"
"About earlier this morning..."
Cassie put her left hand down on Duplica's right leg, quieting the latter immediately.
"You have nothing to apologize for. You were expressing your opinion. And doing that is never wrong."
"Yeah... but... that's not what I wanted to talk to you about."
The two went silent for about a minute, neither sure of what to say next. Finally, Cassie spoke up.
"What did you want to talk about?"
"I... I think it's better if I just show you."
Duplica reached into her jeans pocket and pulled out a pair of tickets for a show later that month.
"I know the timing isn't right given everything happening around us right now," prefaced Duplica, "but I'd like to offer you two front-row tickets to opening night of my new theme show! It's called 'Friends Forever.'"
"'Friends Forever?'"
"That's right! It opens on the 25th at the Imite House."
"Wait a minute... does this mean..."
Duplica nodded. "It's time for me to put the past behind me. We're starting anew!"
"Anew!"
"I'll start. Hi! My name's Imite. Duplica Imite!"
Cassie smiled as she returned the greeting.
"I'm Cassie. Cassie Banks."
Now it was time for Duplica to smile. "I have the feeling that we're going to be the best of the friends!"
"I don't have to be psychic to predict that!"
The two of them laughed with joy, finally glad to bury the one roadblock standing before them.
"Just one thing, new best friend!"
"Anything!"
"Uh... why two?"
"Huh? Silly... what about that boyfriend of yours?"
Cassie gasped.
"Does she not know that Arius and I..." she thought to herself.
She then saw Duplica still grinning from ear to ear, oblivious to the truth.
"I suppose she'll forgive me for telling her one last lie..."
Cassie laughed out loud again as she covered up her hesitation.
"Of course! Arius would love to come! I'll call him later to tell him the details!"
Duplica squealed. "You're gonna love the show, I swear!"
As Duplica gave Cassie a preview of her new stage show, Misty and Brock had rejoined Ash, Wallace, and Erika, who were discussing how to go about taking down Team Rocket.
"According to my sources," Wallace told them, "most of Team Rocket's forces are concentrated in three places. The Indigo Plateau, Team Rocket HQ - which is located just north of Viridian City, and Saffron City."
"If we liberate those three cities, Team Rocket will become severely crippled," Erika explained. "In addition, Giovanni and almost all of his top agents are in one of those three cities, so there will essentially nobody left who could lead a ploy to reclaim those cities back from us."
"I see," Brock observed. "With no leadership, the encampments in the other cities in the region would fall apart! Thus allowing the Pok mon League to get back in control!"
"That's a great plan!" Misty exclaimed.
"But can we pull it off?" a skeptical Ash wondered.
Wallace motioned to the dozens of trainers in the cavern with them.
"We have many willing trainers here, ready to do anything to help restore peace to the region. We have others on the way."
"But are there enough?" Brock asked. "There may be some really talented trainers here, but Team Rocket really has us beat numbers-wise."
"The strength of our forces should be enough to overcome our numbers disadvantage."
"Our problem," Erika stated, "is who is going to lead them."
"The easiest choice would be to split you three up and have each of you lead one of the attacks. Ash is one of the most talented trainers of his generation, and Brock and Misty, you both are gym leaders. The problem is that we expect that the strongest of Team Rocket's forces will be at the Indigo Plateau. Because of that, we may need all three of you leading that force in order for our plan to succeed."
"How about you two leading the other two strikes?" asked Ash.
Erika shook her head. "I can't. We're assigning Cassie as head of the Viridian forces, and I need to stay here to protect Giselle, in case Team Rocket somehow finds us."
"I'm leading the Saffron party," announced Wallace. "Still, it would help us if we could find a few more stronger trainers to assist us so that Cassie and I aren't spread so thin."
"I might know of somebody who can help," Ash declared.
"Me too!" Misty added.
Wallace smiled before turning to Brock, who was deep in thought.
"Well... I think I know of two. If I can find where they are, that is."
"That's great!" Erika shouted.
"Excellent!" exclaimed Wallace. "Having them here for our plan would be a huge boost at our chance of success!"
"Then what are waiting for?" Misty asked as she opened her Pokédex and accessed the Poké-com function. "Let's make some calls!"
To be continued in Part 3!
