Author's Note: You all have been waiting for it, and now you got it! iT'S RESCUE TIME! Before you all suddenly asked, yes, I did updated this earlier than usual. That's because I finished this chapter early at school. THANK YOU FREETIME!
Also, announcement regarding my personal life. I have found a good community service for me to graduate, but this thing is very serious. I have to take classes and things like that, so it might put a damper on my writing schedule. Luckily this story is almost over (WAAAAHHHH!), but I can't say the same for my other stories since I just started them while I was writing in the middle stages. But what the heck!
Now, be prepare to face some feels and Shaggy-Scooby-Silliness for this chapter, RIGHT AFTER THE SHOTOUTS!
SHOTOUTS-!
Guest: Thanks!
R98: Yep! I would just jump. It has to be pretty good to make me scream, though.
Blaze: That's correct! Even I can't answer that question since that was Joltie's idea. Hope you enjoy the chapter!
Lightwing: At this point, I don't know what to think about the Sun and Moon Anime anymore. I mean, I like the fact that they're continuing the series with something that's suitable and laughable for children (which many Pokemon fans failed to see). I even got use to the new animation, but it's receiving so many backlash that I'm almost at the point where I can't take it anymore. I'm tired of all the backlash, when are people just gonna grow-up?! *Clears throat* Sorry. I'll probably watch it whenever I have the chance.
Darkwing: Yeah, he was serious and sometimes being the one who gets into funny situations. Yep, I understand that. I think they're trying to show that even the leaders can have a silly side.
Steel Heart Alchemist: There's a Flappy Bird addiction? ...Gonna back away slowly... AMOUR FOR THE WIN! Yeah, surprisingly obsessions are really fun to write! Great, now you made me hungry! Pikachu has a very interesting behavior around certain things... I think they went cuckoo even before they meet the XY Gang. Enjoy the chapter!
Joshua Ketchum: Thanks! That's okay, enjoy the chapter!
Chapter 12
Taku mentally prepared himself as he faced the doors of the Music Halls. The others had decided to enter the building another way by going through the sewer system (something that Daphne highly complained about) and promise that they will set up the trap as soon as the reach the theatre without having the Puppet Master aware of their presences. Despite all the reassurance he's been getting, Taku still couldn't help but feel anxious at thought of what could await him inside the Music Hall. Thoughts of Ash suddenly came rushing into his mind; what if Ash is already hypnotized and the Puppet Master is making him do some horrible things? What if the Puppet Master tortured him to the point his mind finally broke? What if-
"Like, dude!" Hearing the hushed voice of the familiar hippie in his ear made the millionaire jump out of his thoughts. "We're already inside the theater, and, like, we can't see you! What's taking you so long, man?"
"Sorry! Sorry!" Taku apologized quickly, before making his way inside the theater. "I'm going in."
"About time..." This time, he heard the tired voice of Bonnie as he makes his way through the dark hallway of the Music Hall.
Taku's mind didn't register anything else until he finally reaches the theater of the Music Hall. Apparently, all the stage lights are on, giving the Puppet Master's sick idea of this being a performance coming true. Unfortunately, he couldn't see Ash or the Puppet Master anywhere. Figuring that he needs to play the Puppet Master's game in order for things to work, Taku begins to make his way to the stage.
During his walk to the stage, Taku could see the children, Fred, Velma, and Daphne hiding behind the audience chairs, getting ready for the signal. He had no idea where Shaggy and Scooby are, but he could only figure they're waiting for the perfect moment to jump the Puppet Master if something goes wrong.
When Taku finally made his way up to the stage, he turn to face the audience seating like he's an actor about to do his performance. "Okay, I'm here!" He yells out, his voice echoing across the room so he was sure the Puppet Master could hear him. "Just like you wanted! Come out!"
Silence meet him.
Taku could feel himself growing impatient. "Look, if you're not going to come out then I'll just have to-"
"Oh, TrY tO lEaRn To Be A lItTle PaTiEnT, mR. kEtChUm." Taku whip his head up to see the Puppet Master, in her hideous form, using her spider-like legs to crawl down from the curtains. This made her look much more like a Spider this way. "It'S nOt AlWaYs ThIs EaSy To LoOk ThE wAy I dO..." She pat her messy hair to emphasis her words.
However, Taku didn't pay attention to that. "Where's my nephew?"
"sTrAiGhT tO tHe PoInT, tHeN?" The animatronic asked with a grin as she finally reached the ground and made her way over to the millionaire. Although it was clear that she's way taller than him, Taku still kept his ground. "i GuEsS yOu ReAlLy Do CaRe fOr YoUr NePhEw, WhIcH i FoUnD sUrPrIsInG tO bE hOneSt. AnD i'M nOt SaYiNg ThAt BeCaUsE oF tHe StErEoTyPe."
Despite the situation at hand, Taku couldn't help but feel curious about what this old machine is talking about. He's well-aware of the stereotype that millionaires, and sometimes billionaires, are often accused of loving their money more than anything else. Heck, he's been often accused of that when he refused to give any information regarding his personal life.
As if reading his mind, the Puppet Master continued. "I'm TaLkInG aBoUt YoUr BrOtHeR, mR. kEtChUm." Taku's eyes widen in shock. "Oh, I kNoW aLl AbOuT yOuR bRoThEr. HoW yOuR pArEnTs AlWaYs FaVoReD hIm OvEr YoU, hOw He JuSt SuDdEnLy Up AnD lEfT hIs FaMiLy To RoT. oH, i CaN iMaGiNe HoW aNgRy YoU mUsT hAvE bEeN." Suddenly the Puppet Master's grin became wider, almost to the point that someone could rip the upper half of her head if they wanted too. "aLtHoUgH, i BeT iT dIdN't MaTcH tHe BoY's ReAcTiOn,DiD iT? wHaT wAs It LiKe To TeLl ThAt FoUr YeAr-OlD bOy ThAt HiS fAtHeR lEfT aNd He'S nEvEr CoMiNg BaCk To HiM? tElL mE, dId He ThInK iT wAs HiS fAuLt ThAt HiS fAtHeR lEfT?"
This whole time, Taku remained silent. Just staring at the animatronic with blank eyes. Finally after a few more seconds of agonizing silence, "I'll ask you one last time, where. Is. Ash?"
The Puppet Master's slumped, not enjoying that her game isn't working that well. However, she raise her hand and snap her sharp fingers together. Sounds of gears cranking from above made Taku look up and left him jaw-dropped in horror.
Behind lower down by the rope that appeared to be coming out of the ceiling above is Ash, tied up from the same rope to keep his arm bind and a white clothe around his mouth, gagging him so that he doesn't make a sound. Ash watches the two with terrified eyes as the rope stops, leaving him hanging like a ragdoll on the stage, too far from the ground for him to fall safely.
"Ash..." The millionaire whispers. He could hear muffle sounds coming from Ash, assuming that the poor boy was trying to call out to him. However, the gag is preventing Taku from understanding what his nephew is saying.
"YeS, hE dIdN't UnDeRsToOd ThE MeAnInG oF sIlEnCe, So I tAuGhT hIm WhAt HaPpEnS wHeN nAuGhTy cHilDrEn DoN't BeHaVe." Momentarily, Taku had almost forgotten the Puppet Master was here with him. "SuRpRiSiNgLy, He HaNdLeS cApTiViTy PrEtTy WeLl. BuT i DoUbT hE wOuLd CoNtInUe To PrOvE mE wRoNg ThE lOnGeR tHiS lAsTs."
With fists clenching against his palms, Taku whip his head towards the animatronic with face of furry. "Let him go, you monster..."
The Puppet Master just waved a finger at him. "Ah, Ah, Ah... YoU kNoW aS wElL aS i Do I wOn'T lEt hIm Go UnLeSs YoU mEeT mY deMaNdS."
"Whatever you want, I'll get it for you! Just let my nephew go."
She grins evilly. "i WaNt YoUr AcEsS cArD tO aLl ThE mOnEy ThAt YoU hAvE."
"What?" Out of all the requests he would suspect from the Puppet Master, he didn't exactly expect that. "But, you already have so much from the Lumiose Banks."
"a RoBoT cAn OnLy GeT sOmEtHiNg WhEn A pErSoN gIvEs ThEm tHaT sOmEtHiNg." The animatronic shrugged, before her shrunken pupils narrow at the millionaire. "TiMe Is RuNnInG oUt, KeTcHuM. cHoOsE; yOuR mOnEy, Or YoUr NePhEw'S lIfE. bEtTeR cHoOsE qUiCkLy, BeCaUsE hE's BeEn HaNgInG tHeRe AlL dAy, AnD i DoUbT tHaT rOpE cAn HaNg On FoR tHaT lOnG."
Taku didn't even have to think because he already knew his decision. Above him, it looks like Ash also knew his decision as the boy's eyes widen with horror. He then began to struggle with all his might against the ropes, shouting muffled noises, hoping that his Uncle would understand and not go through the deal. Ash was well-aware of how Taku earned all of his money on his own, and there's no way he's going to let the his Uncle just give away something he worked so hard for.
However, Taku is just as stubborn as Ash.
Whispering a "I'm sorry..." to his nephew, Taku turn back to the Puppet Master with a expressionless face. "Okay, Marion Etta, you won..." Reaching into his pocket, Taku pulls out a silver card and hands it out to her. "Just let my nephew go."
The Puppet Master's grin became so wide that her face could have split in half, something that Taku wish he could see. He watch as the animatronic turns into her stable form and makes her way over to him. Before she could grab the card, Taku took this as his cue. "NOW!"
BOOM!
It all happened so face that Ash didn't even get a chance to fully process it; one moment he sees his Uncle moving the card that he was about to give away to the Puppet Master away from her grasps, then the next thing he knew he hears the sound of the bazooka net that Freddy always have trouble with aiming the right way go off. His eyes slowly widen in shock as gigantic nets suddenly flies over the Puppet Master, trapping her underneath it as she falls to the ground. The Puppet Master yelps in surprise before she tries to remove the nets off her. She slumps down in annoyance once she realizes that she's immobilize.
How did Freddy finally got that thing to work?
"We got her!" Freddie cheers as he and the others reveal themselves from their hiding places behind the audience seats, the bazooka net slung over his shoulder proudly. While the girls were busy letting the fact sink in that the bazooka net finally worked, the children took this as a chance to look for their friend. Their eyes widen in horror when they seem him tied-up and being hang over the stage like a ragdoll, ready to drop to his death at any second.
"ASH!" The children quickly ran from their spots and begin to make their way towards the stage as fast as possible. However, they stop just right below the stairs when Shaggy and Scooby suddenly jump out from the curtains that they were hiding in. It wasn't just the two cowards' sudden appearance that stopped the kids. No, what really stopped them was the Hawaiian Warrior costumes that they found backstage and are currently wearing them right now. They even have the weird makeup, spears, and leaf-skirts in all.
"LIKE, PREPARE TO FACE SOME TOTALLY BRUTAL-!" Shaggy stops his rant when he and Scooby took notice of the immobilized Puppet Master underneath the pile of nets, her annoyance clearly shown. "Like, wait, that trap actually worked?" Shaggy lowers the spear that was over his head while Scooby drops his spear to the ground from his mouth, dejectedly. "So, like, we spent all that time rehearsing our backup plan for nothing?!"
"Ro fair!" Scooby whimpered.
Hearing the sounds of a muffled voice calling out their names causes them to momentarily shake out of their down-casted state, Shaggy and Scooby both turn their heads up to where they believe the voice was coming from. Once they realized who was calling out to them, the people who are currently present on the ground had to cover their ears as Shaggy and Scooby let out their most loudest screams ever. Seeing the sight of one of their little buddies being hang by a rope like shark bait is enough to set them off.
"Like, don't worry little dude!" Shaggy shouts as he runs over to where he believes the rope is coming from, spear in hand, with Scooby follow straight after him after picking up his own spear in his mouth. "We'll save ya!"
The hypnotized citizen that was assigned to drop Ash to his death when Taku didn't meet his master's demands is waiting peacefully by the hand crank rope reel, ready to give out his master's orders. Only, he didn't expect to get two spears pointed dangerously close to his face.
"Like, if you know what's good for you, you get out of here..." Shaggy says in the most threatening voice he could muster, which is actually pretty threatening. It only took Scooby's adding his growl for the "puppet" to get the message. He slowly steps awake from the hand crank with his hands up in a I-surrender position. Seeing that the puppet is listening, Shaggy yells out a grateful, "Thank you!"
The Puppet Master growls, even hypnotized lackeys are just as bad as paid lackeys.
The children and Pokémon gather around at the spot where Ash is being lowered by Shaggy and Scooby, their hands above their heads in case something goes wrong and they need to catch their friend. "Careful... Careful, Shaggy!" Clemont keeps warning the hippie as he cranks the reel slowly, but sometimes losing his grip and making Ash nearly dropped a few times. Their worries were finally ceased when Ash lands right on the ground and into their awaiting arms completely unharmed. "Got him!"
"Ash, are you okay?" Serena asks worriedly as she removes the gag around his mouth while the two siblings begin to work on the ropes.
Ash just barely nods his head but when he was finally released from the ropes, he quickly pulled his three best friends into the biggest hug he could give. It didn't take long for the four children to break into a sobbing mess, all so relieved to see each other again. Meanwhile, a certain Electric mouse began to runs as fast as it's little legs could carry it, before jumping towards them with a loud "PIKA-PI!"
"PIKACHU!" Ash held out a free arm and catches Pikachu in it before giving it a big hug, his other arm still hugging his human friends. "Oh man, I'm so happy to see you!"
"LIKE, HUG ATTACK!"
"RUG ATTACK!"
Was what the children heard before a pair of arms suddenly wrap around all of them and lifting their feet off the ground. Seeing this wonderful reunion right before their eyes made Shaggy and Scooby unable to contain their emotions any longer and made a beeline towards the kids (while somehow returning back to their normal clothes, or removing the costume in Scooby's case) and wrap them all in the biggest hug they could ever give them.
"Like, you're okay, little dude!" Shaggy says while, literally, crying tears of joy. Scooby even went far to lick the ten year-old's face over and over again.
Ash laughs, ignoring the saliva that's getting all over his face and the upper-half of his clothing, giving the Great Dane a pat on the head. "I'm happy to see you guys, too!"
"And will you please stop squishing all of us at the same time!" Bonnie suddenly cries out. In the midst of giving the kids their hug, they actually ended up squeezing them together. While Ash didn't seem to mind it since he's back with his friends, Serena, Bonnie, and Clemont are clearly shown to be uncomfortable with the hug. Well, it's actually Bonnie being annoyed by it while the other two are looking like they're having trouble breathing.
"Oh, sorry." Shaggy says once he see's their faces and gently sets them down on the ground, with Serena and Clemont taking deep breaths to get all the air back into their lungs.
"Ash!" Said boy turns his head around to see his Uncle running straight towards him, a look of pure relief and happiness on his face.
"Uncle Taku!" Ash quickly runs out of his friends' arms to meet his Uncle halfway before the two Ketchums collapsed against each other in the most gigantic hug they could ever give each other. Ash buries his face into his Uncle's jumper, tears already flowing. "Y-You... You almost-!"
"Ash, I promised myself that I would never leave alone," Taku says, his grip tightening when he begins to feel his nephew's tears staining his jumper. "And I intend to keep that promise for as long as I live."
Despite the never-ending tears that are flowing down his eyes, Ash couldn't help but smile as he relaxes against his Uncle, feeling all the love he's receiving. He didn't care that he never had a father in his life, he has an Uncle who stayed no matter how busy he was, and that's good enough for him.
The others watch the scene before them with tear-filled eyes. Freddy begins to rub away the stinking he's beginning to feel. "I promise myself I wouldn't cry..."
The Puppet Master, however was not moved by the scene. In fact, she's completely furious, how dare these people come in and ruin all of her plans?! She was so close to finally get everything that she wanted! With a growl, the Puppet Master shifts into her broken form and uses her sharp fingers and legs to rend the nets that are over her apart.
The sounds of shredding was able to snap everyone out of their joyful mood. Turning their heads back to the Puppet Master, their eyes widen while screaming in horror as they watch the giant animatronic tear the nets apart like they're pieces of paper. Freddy soon has tears dripping down from his eyes as he fell to his knees before the shredded pieces of nets, completely ignoring the freed Puppet Master. "MY BABIES!"
The Puppet Master clenches her metallic hands together as her cat-like eyes narrow at a certain raven-haired boy, who is gripping his Uncle tightly in fear. "yOu LiTlLe BrAt!" With that, she charges straight at him with the speed of a cheetah.
Ash stood there, completely frozen. His fear took of control of his body, making him paralyzed to where he's standing. Thus, he's in the perfect place for the Puppet Master to attack him. At least, he would be if it weren't for Uncle suddenly turning him away from the charging animatronic. Now Taku is the one is the Puppet Master's aim.
"UNCLE TAKU!"
