Chapter 2: The Pokemon Trainer Who Really Wasn't

Michael was about ready to leave. The tournament had been fun, so he figured it was time to go back home. He shouldered his pack and started walking toward his motorbike.

"Michael, wait up!" May came running after him. "I wanted to thank you for the Seals. Can I buy you dinner or something?"

"You'd do that? You've changed since the Grand Festival." he replied, remembering with a chuckle what he'd heard would happen if someone messed with her food supply.

"Yes. I know the perfect place. Follow me!" May said, beginning to briskly walk down the sidewalk towards the south. They passed by all of the restaurants he knew, though, and he began to wonder.

What's up with this girl? She's acting completely different! Multiple personalities or something?

She walked down an alley, continuing to check if he was following. "Right this way. C'mon! They close soon!" She kept walking down it and turned the corner.

He entered the alley. It was dark, dingy, and cramped. Brickwork lined the sides of the alley, completing the claustrophobic atmosphere. He walked to the corner

As he turned the corner, he heard a noise, and felt a large pain across the back of his head. As he fell to the ground, he heard laughter nearby...

Two days later...

UGGGGGGGGGH... Morning already? Michael groggily thought, waking up in the same alley someone had jumped him in. Wait. This isn't my house. Where... "My Snag Machine! and my Poke Balls! And my Aura Reader! They're gone! No, no. This can't have happened! Who could have done this? This is a problem! Maybe they're in my pocket." He began searching his pockets. "Huh? What's this? A note?"

Hoohoohoohoohoo... the note read. I couldn't have planned revenge better. You took everything away from the Cipher organization, after we'd just rebuilt too! It looks like our prototype machine was a success. You gullible fool. You didn't follow May here. You followed me, Nascour! The right hand of Evice, the former boss of Cipher! We have your Pokemon now, and the Snag Machine is finally ours again. And without that Aura Reader? We have carte blanche to reimplement the Shadow Pokemon plan, since you won't be able to stop us. Especially since YOU are currently heading the Orre wanted list for attacking trainers with Shadow Pokemon! HAHAHAHA! Find someplace to watch the news... as I will reorganize Cipher under your name! Bye now.

~ Nascour

"What? What? Hold on, WHAT?! Am... I... This is a crisis I don't know how to deal with! If this is true... I have to go to the police! They'll help me! They've gotta! I'll show them this note, and..."

Overcome with emotion, he proceeded to sit down and weigh his options. He didn't like the sums they were coming to. This is BAD. I can lie down and allow him to wreck my name, or turn myself in and trust in the mercy of the cops... which is to say none. Right hand? I don't recall anyone named Nascour in Cipher...

Being angry at the ease with which Cipher had ruined him, he stalked off to find the cops and hope they could help him, angrily kicking a wooden door on the way out of the alley. He left, and, hiding his face, began to walk towards the police station.

Meanwhile, back in the dingy alley, a shout of pain rang out as Nue hobbled out of the alley, leg in extreme pain. She bared her teeth and growled. "TEWI INABA! I'm going to KILL YOU when I get back!" she shouted. "I KNOW you were meddling in this! All these wooden doors, and he has to kick ME? Not likely... OWWWWW... You're messing with the wrong youkai, rabbit!" Calming down, she smiled, and continued. "But it's all going swimmingly. Him getting arrested will be a nice bonus! And I do believe it's time to implement Phase 2."

Myouren Temple:

There was a friendly game of chess going on between Shou and Mamizou when Byakuren came into the room. "Mamizou. Come with me." She walked out, Mamizou following behind.

"Eh? What do you want, Byakuren?" Mamizou responded, failing to keep the hostility out of her voice.

"I want nothing. But your friend Nue would like to speak to you."

Nue sounded incredibly calm. "Mamizou. These are your orders. Use your Tanooki powers to fool the guards, and break Nascour of Cipher out of the prison at these coordinates. When you have him, abduct him and bring him back to the Temple. It's all going according to plan."

"I hope you know what you're doing, Nue. If the gap hag catches wind of what you're doing..." Mamizou responded, worried.

"Don't worry, I cleared it with her." Nue replied. "She was bored, and wanted some entertainment, which I promised her. How do you think I got here, anyway?"

"Good question. Don't worry, I got it covered." Mamizou responded. "Mamizou, out."

(And the plot thickens! Nue's been carefully planning this "little" prank. She has managed to make the main character think Cipher has gotten him back, rather than any sort of prank. And now she's about to bust Nascour out to help with that image.)

Character Intros:

Pokemon:

Nascour:

Nascour was the right hand of Evice, the leader of the criminal syndicate Cipher during the FIRST appearance. I didn't explain much about Cipher in the last chapter because a better time to talk about it would be now. Cipher was an organization which "closed the door to a Pokemon's heart", turning them into heartless battling machines that would even attack trainers. Although the whole "Shadow Pokemon" thing is a pretty cheap cop-out when you consider that in the show, Ash's Pikachu attacks Team Rocket on a regular basis, and Team Rocket attacks Ash and Co. on a regular basis! But I digress. Bottom line is, Cipher fell TWICE. The first time, they were defeated by *spoilers*. The second time, Michael was the one to take them down... And this guy was nowhere in it.

Touhou:

Mamizou: Mamizou is a tanuki. Tanuki are creatures with the power to (again) transform. This one came over to help her friend Nue, apparently. Anyway, she can shoot danmaku (Because the whole CAST can, bar one), fly (THEY ALL CAN, bar same), and transform. The difference between her and Nue is, when she transforms, she still has a big stripey tail, which can help one pick her out. She is also fond of pranks.

The gap hag: I will be explaining her later when we actually meet her.