Shadows and Ash Chapter 44: The Pitfalls of Rocket Plans, a pokémon fanfic

Chapter 44, everyone! Hey, first update of the decade—and hopefully not the last…okay I made that joke on all my active fics, I'm done (on FFN, at least). And even better—next couple of weeks will be having steady updates as well. For some reason, Temtem boosted my Pokémon writing. :D

ChangelingRin, thanks for the review! And thank you—hopefully! In the meantime, I'm definitely bumping up my writing. :D Ah, thank you—emotions are surprisingly hard to write, so I'm glad it came across all right. :)

Renee Sarah, thanks for the review! And thank you. :) I'll probably start doing that soon—I'm honestly surprised at the attention this fic gets.

Hashirama 1710, thanks! :D

Goldenfox444, thanks for the review! I'M SORRY, OKAY? And thanks! :D

Betsybugaboo, thanks for the review! And thanks—my doctorate is in Online Education, so please don't get sick. ^^; Fun thing: wrote my dissertation on web comics with a section discussing fanfiction, so it was something I was knowledgeable on. :D Thanks again! :D

AblazedNightmare, thanks for the reviews! I'm sorry? Thanks and thanks! :D

Flaremage, thank you and thank you! :D

AverageHiveMind, thanks for the review! YAS! And thank you! There are exactly two brain cells in the group: Brock has one, Bulbasaur has the other. YES!

JuptileNamudori253, thanks for the review! Ah thanks, but hopefully we won't be seeing such a long wait again for a while. Thank you, I will! :D

Vulaan Kulaas, thanks for the review! And thanks! That's a good question—we might see that addressed later….

Ardtornismyname, thanks for the review! And thanks! :D

GreenCAT the second, thanks for the review! This is true.

DOOT76, thanks for the review! I have about 99% of that written up, and I can guarantee it's going to be entertaining. :D

Thanks for the review, Yup! Early installment weirdness probably didn't help.

Jakeroo123, thanks for the review! I haven't been keeping up with the anime, but I may have to look that episode up.

Vampireharry the 2, thanks for the review! Thanks, I will!

JadeDragon100, thanks for the review! Ah, thank you, I'm glad it went over well, and I'm glad you like the story so much! :D

Raj8, thanks for the review! Oh good—emotions are hard. ;-;/

InkayInks, thanks for the review! Ah, thanks—can't say I don't have conflicting emotions about it finally being over, but hopefully I can take a few months to catch up on my writing before having to hunt for a job. ^^ Thanks! And perhaps….

Zum1UDontNo, thanks for the review! My apologies and gratitude. ^^

Shikaku Zetsumei, thanks for the review! Um, thank you? I do feel like the Pokémon world has the potential to be very dark under the veneer, and I think part of the charm from viewing it from that angle is seeing innocence still thrive in spite of the darkness. We'll see….

Pokémon © Game Freak; Nintendo

And now, for something completely different:

You unlock this door with the keystone of imagination. Beyond is another dimension—one of sight, of sound, of mind, of shadows and substance, of things and ideas. There's your signpost up ahead—you've just entered: The Distortion Zone!

Ash spent most of the morning resolutely not letting Pikachu go.

Okay, so maybe he had had a total breakdown earlier, but he was over it now. Mostly. It helped that Pikachu was snuggled tight against him and not minding being held at all.

It was getting close to lunchtime when Brock started instigating something approaching steady conversation, discussing their upcoming route.

"So we'll be running into some small towns first," Brock said, examining his guide. "And then there's Neon City, we can stock up on supplies there since there won't be a whole lot after that."

"We can handle it," Ash said with enthusiasm.

"Ah, the naivety of youth," Darkrai said, floating by.

"Is not. What's that word again?"

"Remind me why I'm travelling with you guys again," Misty sighed.

"Because deep down you like us," Brock assured her. "And because travelling by yourself is too much of a hassle."

"That's true."

"Is it really?" Ash asked.

Pikachu wasted no time in listing all the myriad ways an isolated Pikachu could meet its doom.

"What he said," Darkrai said. "There's snakes, birds, bigger 'mons, things that want to eat you…in your case trainers that want to beat you up and take all your money."

"Legally they're only allowed to take half," Brock said.

"Legally. So partial highway robbery is legal."

Misty huffed, but Brock actually gave the comment some thought. "Technically, you're only allowed to be challenged if you're carrying Pokémon. It's true that technically you're not supposed to refuse a challenge, but at the same time, out on a route, you have to make the executive decision on whether you'd make it…anyway, it's better to travel in groups. Anything could happen."

And then everyone disappeared from the road, a cloud of dust where they used to be.

Darkrai blinked a few times. "Well that was unexpected."

"Hey!" Ash called, prompting him to look down—everyone was at the bottom of a pit trap someone had dug in the middle of the trail.

Who, precisely, would do such a thing was quickly made clear.

"Prepare for trouble!"

"And make it double!"

"As was that," Darkrai sighed, giving Team Rocket his patented I can't believe you're this much of an idiot glare. "What are you honyacks doing?"

"Do ya mind interrupting da motto?" Meowth demanded.

"Do you mind digging a hole in the middle of the road!?" Misty yelled up.

"Well to be fair," James told her. "We were waiting around for a few days, got bored, started discussing things, one thing led to another, and money was bet on whether or not we could dig an effective pit trap. By the way, pay up," he said to Jessie.

In response, Jessie pointed at Darkrai. "The bet was on whether or not it would work on him. As you can see, it did not."

"Yeah," Darkrai drawled. "Pitfalls don't exactly work when your target can float."

"I don't suppose getting us out is in our futures," Brock said.

"I don't suppose. Do you have a rope?"

"I might," Brock said, getting ready to root in his backpack.

"No need," Meowth said, coming out of the bushes with a coil of rope and tossing it into the pit.

"You know, you're kind of missing the point of digging such a hole in the first place," Darkrai told him, watching Meowth tug on the line a few times to make sure it was sturdy.

"Nah," Meowth said. "Like we said, we just wanted ta see if we could do it."

"The three of you are an embarrassment."

"Excuse you, but the pit did work," James countered. "And you're still here, so it kind of worked."

"Careful—you keep going and you might make the village idiot look smart by comparison."

"I resent that," Ash said, crawling out; James moved to help him.

"But can you refute it?"

"It's not enough that I resent it?"

"What are you three doing following us anyway?" Misty demanded, crawling out after him.

In response, Team Rocket pointed at Darkrai.

"If you want him you can have him," she said flatly.

"I feel so loved," Darkrai said drily.

"Yer a Sinnohan Legendary in Kanto," Meowth pointed out. "Dat makes youse very high demand."

"Ah."

"Go back to you laying in wait for us," Brock said.

"Well!" Jessie said, her and James sandwiching Ash between them. "We figure with this kid on his gym run, this was the most likely direction after Fuchsia."

"Speaking of," James said, pulling out—

"Hey! My badge box!" Ash protested, trying to grab his badges back—Jessie leaned on him, James leaned away as he looked.

"Ooh, shiny!" James said, poking at them. "You know, I wanted to go on my gym run too—couldn't, the vagaries of politics…."

"You're not going to get all teary-eyed on us, are you?" Jessie asked.

"It's a very tender subject!"

Everyone took a moment.

"Um…can I have my badges back now?" Ash asked tentatively.

"Oh—sure," James said, shoving the box back at him.

"You know, for Pokémon thieves you guys really suck at this," Misty said.

"Finally, something we can agree on," Darkrai said.

Team Rocket leaped away down the trail, Pokéballs at the ready. "Oh yeah? Try this on for size then—Ekans, go! Get that Darkrai!"

James quickly released both his Pokémon. "Wheezy! Use Poison Gas! Growlie! Use Ember to ignite it!"

Darkrai shot up quickly, narrowly dodging the ensuing fireball.

"Great, I'm fighting a guy with a brain," Darkrai grumbled. James must have stolen it, he reflected.

Growlithe barked at Darkrai, tracking his movements. Koffing drifted towards him, puffed up with the obvious intention of sliming him.

Darkrai dodged, then snatched up Koffing as it whizzed by him. He spun back to Growlithe, holding Koffing aloft.

"Who wants the ball!?" he bellowed.

Growlithe's ears perked up—

And then it was bouncing all over like an excited puppy. "I do! I do!" it yelped. "I do so ever want the ball!"

"Good, now fetch!"

And with that, he lobbed the alarmed Koffing, which had been steadily puffing up for an Explosion as he held it—

Growlithe bounded after it—

"Growlie! No!" James yelled—

Too late.

Growlithe's teeth sunk into Koffing, igniting the internal gasses, and effectively KO'ing the both of them.

Darkrai drifted over to pat the shell-shocked James on the head.

"Ah, well, it sucks to be you," Darkrai said, mimicking the consoling voice. "Better luck next time, kiddo."

"Sss!"

The yelp might have been unbecoming, but it wasn't like there wasn't a need—hopefully it was buried under James' unbecoming yelp.

In the meantime: dodging the Ekans lunging for him.

"Get over here and help me, you uselesssss cat!" the Ekans spat at Meowth.

"Sorry, I'm upper management," Meowth said. "I don't fi—hey!"

"Get in there," Jessie ordered, tossing him into the fight. Darkrai floated sideways—Meowth crashed into Ekans. "Ah—Ekans are you okay?"

"Ow," the snake hissed, squirming out from under Meowth.

"Well so far I'm disappointed," Darkrai started—

Cut off abruptly at James slapping his shoulder with a Magikarp.

Slow take, look him up and down.

"Huh," Ash said from James' side, Pikachu sitting on his head. "I should have tried that with Lenny before he evolved."

The resulting explosion was very impressive.

"Looks like Team Rocket's blasting off agaiiiiiiiin—"

"Well that was a waste of five minutes," Darkrai said, dusting his claws off.

"Maybe next time I can do the battling," Ash said.

"Why, what moves do you know?"

"I have concerns," Brock said, releasing Geodude and having it fill in the pit. "They were waiting for us, know where to go next because of the gym run, are after Darkrai…those three could be trouble."

"And make it double?" Ash suggested—Pikachu jumped off his head so Darkrai could bonk it.

"Brock," Misty said. "I was looking at Jessie, James and Meowth—who were you looking at?"

"Keep in mind those three are backed up by a whole team," Brock said. "We haven't seen the last of them, mark my words."

"Aw, we'll be fine," Ash said breezily, rubbing his head. "And if they do come back, we can handle it."

Landing from a Darkrai-induced flight hadn't gotten any easier.

"Ooh," James muttered, sitting up and rubbing his head. "Ah—Magikarp! You did great, sweetie."

"Karp," the foodie Magikarp noised, confused.

"Well that went well," Jessie said flatly, returning Ekans as he returned Magikarp. "You got the tracker on the Darkrai at least."

"No," James said.

Meowth and Jessie both gave him a blank look.

"You idiot," Jessie said.

Meowth started railing. "You dumbbell we lucked out with dem coming this way there's tirdy other ways dey could go from here if we lose them—"

"Hey hey hey!" James yelped, waving them off. "I said I didn't put the tracker on the Darkrai—I didn't say I didn't put a tracker!"

"You'd better start doing some fast explaining," Jessie said pointedly. "That was the whole point of stopping them and getting our cans kicked!"

"And it was for a good cause," James assured them. "Because the Darkrai will probably be grooming itself on a regular basis because that's a thing Pokémon do so it'd find the bug eventually, right?"

Meowth considered this—sighed, sagging. "I guess yer right."

"So!" James said, affecting a dramatic pose. "I put it in the twerp's badge box."

Jessie and Meowth ohed appreciatively.

"That's actually pretty clever," Jessie said.

"Exactly! The twerp'd sooner lose a limb than that badge box—and since the twerps travel with the Darkrai—"

"We are back in business, baby!" Meowth cheered, jumping up.

Oh yes they were.