Chapter 15: A Stone Soldier's Throw
It was a close call. Ash wondered why Casey Jones emerged and saved him. Back in the Lair, he told Leonardo about the encounter. "Casey Jones?" he realized. "So, you ran into that loose cannon on the streets." Ash nodded to the claim.
"Those guys that tried to attack me said that was his name," he relayed.
"Well, it's best that Casey saved you," Donatello started. "Casey's a vigilante like us, but he's less restrained."
"And less sensible," Raphael added. "Have you seen what he carries in that golf bag? Baseball bat, cricket bat, hockey stick, tennis racket…" The arsenal made Ash's eyes widen.
"Sounds like he's a huge sports fan," Brock gulped.
"We're not quite sure about that, dude," Michelangelo shrugged. "Saying Casey's got a few screws loose is putting it lightly." Ash shook his head, unsure about believing what the Turtles were describing.
"Sounds like I'm really fortunate that he didn't attack me," he sighed.
"He doesn't attack kids, though he's mistaken us for real criminals from time to time," Leonardo mentioned. "Heck, we don't know what he looks like under the mask." Pikachu wondered how he'd fare around Casey.
"His reasons to maintain his anonymity is unknown," Splinter mentioned. "However, it is best that if his identity is revealed, it must not be brought out to the open." Ash nodded, understanding Splinter's wishes. Suddenly, Pikachu sensed someone nearby and scurried out. He came back in Pete's arms.
"So this is where you hang out," he joked. Everyone turned to Pete as they seemed shocked.
"Pete!?" they gasped.
"Hey guys!" greeted Pete. Michelangelo came to Pete and Pikachu.
"Dude, how did you get here!?" he urged. Pete turned his eyes to the side as Irma came to the Lair as well.
"Hey guys!" she greeted. The Turtles seemed happy to have Irma in the Lair.
"IRMA!" they greeted. Brock came to Irma while putting his Kunai knives away.
"Why did you bring Pete down here?" he asked.
"Burne sent us on a lunch break," Irma briefed. "Though, Pete argued about going with April rather than me." Pete shrugged his shoulders.
"I guess Vernon took over the cameraman role," Raphael believed. "He's better behind it than speaking some nonsense about what he says about us." Pikachu became concerned about April.
("And where is she?") he asked. Irma took Pikachu from Pete and petted him.
"Pete, she's about to come on," she urged. Pete nodded as he reached the TV.
"This is April O'Neil coming to you from the Uptown Museum where a brand new exhibit just opened," April introduced as she appeared on TV before standing aside, showing gray statues of men in some unique headwear and armor. "The Marble Army of General Chen Chang, identical marble warriors from China's historic Ying Dynasty that resided 2,000 years ago, all made to guard the greatest of Emperor Chang's treasures: the Jade Dragon holding the world's largest pearl." She stepped aside to show a statue of a green dragon with a giant pearl in its claws. Her cameraman, Vernon, tripped on a cord and bumped into one of the statues, making it flash. "Isn't this the most exquisite jewel you've ever seen?" Drawn by the size of the pearl, Pikachu squealed.
"Girls go loony over the weirdest things!" scoffed Raphael. "It's nothing but a glorified rock!" Donatello would disagree.
"Not a rock," he corrected. "It's the calcarean secretion of a marine bivalve." That made Michelangelo want to heave while Brock ponder.
"Hold on a minute," he voiced before turning to his friend. "Ash, let me borrow the Dex for a minute. I saw something like that at a Pokémon Center once." Ash fished out his Dex and handed to Brock.
"Sure!" he allowed. Brock scrolled through the Dex before coming across his finding.
"Here we go!" he announced as everyone gathered around him to see a blue shelled creature with a pink pearl inside blue soft membranes and it had a face.
"CLAMPERL, THE BIVALVE POKÉMON," it registered. "CLAMPERL'S SHELL IS STURDY TO PROTECT ITSELF AND CAN CATCH UNSUSPECTING PREY. WHEN IT EVOLVES, A PEARL IS CREATED, HONING MYSTERIOUS ENERGY."
"Wow, and I thought you might have been bringing up Shellder and Cloyster," Ash awed before becoming steamed. "Wait a minute, how did you know about Clamperl before the rest of us!?" Brock shyly laughed to the suspicion.
"I actually saw one around Dewfort Island, and I thought it was a Shellder, but it looked too big for that and too small to be a Cloyster," he admitted.
"But, that's actually cool to know there are creatures that behave similar to the animals around here," Leonardo addressed. In Dimension X, a repaired monitor in the Technodrome showed the same broadcast.
"The Marble Army and the world's largest pearl will be on display for only a short time," April briefed. "So hurry on down to see them! You'll be glad you did!" Using his robotic suit, Krang turned the monitor off.
"Indeed we will, Miss O'Neil," he mocked.
"Dat pearl would net a fortune!" awed Meowth.
"Yes, and it's part of the plan to have General Chang's Marble Army at my command," Krang informed.
"You want to have statues as an army?" guessed Jessie. Shredder suspected that Jessie sought an answer.
"She's got a point," he agreed. "You're not going to imitate the Rock Soldiers with marble, right?"
"Those statues were carved with an extremely rare, ionically-charged marble," Krang corrected. "When that feeble cameraman stumbled and touched one of the soldiers, it flickered." He walked over to a cabinet and opened the door. "I know I have a few blueprints that can disperse electrical charges, but I need one that can deliver the correct current to bring the ionically-charged marble soldiers to life and have as an army of invincible slaves… not to mention the pearl is of incredible purity."
"You mean the pearl is actually connected to them in more than their protection?" wondered James.
"Quite, actually," Krang confirmed. "The pearl will magnify an electrical charge to such an intensity as to create the most powerful force field ever known, powerful enough to pull the Technodrome back to Earth." He pulled out small devices and dropped them in Shredder's arms. "Take these activating devices and those mutants of yours to the museum and test them out on the statues at once." Jessie stood up in protest, standing by Shredder.
"Oh no you don't!" she snapped. "You should give this mission to me since when it comes to electricity, it should be me!"
"Krang chose me to carry out this mission!" reminded Shredder.
"In your dreams, you walking kitchen utensil!" insulted Jessie. "Besides, after those two tried to hog the spotlight, we deserve a turn!" Shredder seemed taken aback.
"A walking kitchen utensil!?" he repeated. "Beware, woman… you're treading on thin ice!"
"I've walked on thin ice all the time," Jessie challenged. "Why should yours be any different!?" She reached for the devices, but Shredder kept pulling away.
"I knew staying with you guys would cause us such a headache," James sighed.
"How about you both go!" snapped Krang. "See who can cause more damage!" Shredder and Jessie realized the ordeal.
"Fine!" they begrudgingly agreed. Using trans-warp devices, Shredder, Jessie, Rocksteady and Bebop emerged in the museum.
"So, this is the marble army?" asked Jessie as Shredder came to the front where the carving of the statue depicted a mustache over his mouth and a devilish patch on the chin above an ascot.
"This must be General Chang's statue," he studied as the statue was taller than him. "Bebop, attach the device onto him!" Bebop came to the statue.
"Right, boss!" he accepted as he put the device on the ascot.
"Let's see this General in action," Jessie mulled.
"Patience, woman…" urged Shredder as he brought out a remote control and pressed a couple of buttons. After a glow, the statue was moving. It made Shredder awe as the statue drew a sword. "It worked!" Rocksteady and Bebop saw the statue come towards them and panicked before diving into vases. Their sizes broke the vases from inside. Shredder used the remote to shut the statue down.
"For a pair of strong mutants, they're more Magikarp than Gyarados," Jessie spat.
"I'd like to know more of what you mean by that analogy," Shredder requested as he gave the device to Rocksteady. "Now listen: I want you to descend into the sewers and find the Turtles!" The idea made Rocksteady gleeful.
"Da Toitles!" he repeated. "Now, ya talkin'! What about afta?"
"Let the General finish them off!" ordered Shredder. Jessie came forward to protest.
"Wait a minute, you know the twerps and Pikachu are down there!" she pointed out. "I should go and supervise to make sure he doesn't screw up!" Shredder grinned behind his mask.
"By all means, do so!" he allowed. "I'll prepare the rest of the army for combat by myself." Jessie scoffed, but followed Rocksteady and Bebop. Meanwhile, the Turtles and Trainers were playing some basketball. Pikachu and Splinter watched as the Turtles dribbled and passed the ball around before passing it to the Trainers like Leonardo passing it to Ash, then Ash passing it to Michelangelo, followed by Michelangelo passing it to Brock.
"We don't often do basketball in the Pokémon World," Brock admitted as he dribbled the basketball between his legs in figure eights.
"At least you can adapt to Western pastimes unlike old me," Splinter sighed. Brock passed the ball between his legs to Donatello before bouncing it to Ash.
"For me, shooting a basketball is like catching a Pokémon," Ash compared as he eyed a basketball hoop. "You eye remains on the target." He shot the ball which bounced off the wall and through the rope-made hoop.
"Three-Gola!" cheered Raphael. Splinter offered to give basketball a try.
"I suppose I can give this an attempt," he pondered as Leonardo passed the ball to him. Splinter dribbled like the rest, including dribbling the ball between his legs singlehandedly.
"I think Master Splinter's a natural," Donatello gulped. Ash stood in front of Splinter with his back at the hoop.
"Ash, careful!" warned Brock. Splinter shuffled his feet while controlling his dribbles as Ash braced for any move. Splinter feigned an approach to a back-step and Ash was about face-to-snout with the sensei. Splinter shifted to the right with Ash taking a small step, shadowing his new master. In a snap, Splinter strafed to the left, but Ash back-stepped to position. Splinter spun back to the right, Ash stepping ahead. He and Splinter were step-to-step with each other before the master did a wide swing from right to left, Ash's feet getting tangled. He fell onto his buttocks.
"Master Splinter broke his ankles!" teased Michelangelo. Splinter took off out of the Lair, still dribbling the ball. Everyone else followed with Ash in the rear after recovering. Back in the Technodrome, Krang paced around while watching Shredder attach more of the devices onto the statues.
"Can't you go any faster!?" complained Krang.
"Don't rush me!" argued Shredder. "There's only one of me, and a whole army of them!"
"What about the woman!? I'm sure Rocksteady and Bebop can go after the Turtles themselves while you two attach the devices!"
"She insisted to stay with them!" Flustered, Shredder let out a sigh. "Honestly, I'm more at peace without her running her loudmouth."
"Dat makes a few of us," Meowth added.
"And you're supposed to be a team!" nagged Krang.
"Just because we're brought togetha as a team, it can get annoying around her!" snapped Meowth. "Knowing Jessie, she's with dem because she wants Pikachu." Shredder and Krang groaned to the thought.
"If she ruins the mission, we need to do something drastic," Shredder suggested. "Could General Traag have a facility to store unruly people?"
"Leave that to me when I contact him next," Krang offered as he cut contact. Shredder proceeded on with the devices onto the statues.
"And if this works, you'll be next," Shredder muttered. Back in the sewers, Splinter managed to make Donatello fall with another crossover before dunking the ball.
"Splinter, nine," Brock tallied. "Everyone else, one."
"I supposed that's all the lessons of basketball for today," Splinter teased.
"Good," Michelangelo huffed while wiping his head. "Let's go home and crash."
"Indeed," Splinter agreed while spinning the basketball on a finger. "Because tomorrow, we must awaken early in order to practice layups." The Turtles and Trainers mulled while Pikachu laughed.
"Attention, Teenage Mutant Ninja Toitoles!" a voice carried out. Everyone heard it, Raphael suspecting a familiar foe.
"That voice sounds awfully familiar," he pondered. Everyone exited to see Chang's statue moving, his sword drawn.
"I am Peking Duck, da greatest kung-fu warrior of all-time!" he voiced. The Turtles and Trainers couldn't believe what they saw.
"It's General Chang's statue from April's broadcast!" noted Leonardo.
"But that's got to be Bebop speaking," Brock studied. Rocksteady and Bebop exited.
"Well, I guess we don't need introductions," Bebop mocked as Jessie soon exited.
"And it looks like we came at a great time," she sneered.
"Jessie!" snapped Ash.
"And when Chang's done, Pikachu will be ours!" added Jessie. Pikachu became a little worried.
"That's what you think!" called out Leonardo before Brock recognized something.
"Leonardo, wait!" he halted. "That statue's alive!"
"Okay, and?" questioned Raphael. The Turtles and Trainers were ready to protect Pikachu while they don't know about a threat bigger than they realize.
TO BE CONTINUED...