Kanto Chapter 23 - A past repeating?
***Flashback 12 years ago***
Ash Pikachu and Charizard touched down outside the Viridian City Gym. Zapdos remained in the inky dark sky, clapping it's wings furiously. Thunder and lightning dominating the skies.
Ash looked up at the legendary bird of thunder, he frowned and looked back at the building. "There's something not right here."
"Ash!"
Ash turned to see Gary and a brown-haired woman come running up, with him was Leaf a former Kanto Champion, who started her journey around the same time Ash and Gary set off.
"Hey! What are you guys doing here?" Ash greeted them.
"We were going to ask you the same thing." Leaf tilted slightly and leaned on her hip.
"We got caught out in this crazy storm. We saw Zapdos in the sky and figured something was up, so we followed it." Gary nodded.
"Zapdos came to my house." Ash replied, nodding along. "It led me here."
"That's weird" Gary commented.
The trio looked up at the squawking, clapping bird. Suddenly the roof of the Viridian Gym opened, a cannon appeared and blasted a huge net out.
"Pi pi pikachu!" Pikachu cried out, alerting his friends.
"Squuuaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!" Zapdos shrieked out loud as the net engulfed it. The electric bird zapped and zapped but was no use against the insulated net. The cannon began retracting taking Zapdos in with it.
"No!" Ash cried out and signalled Charizard to blast it, but it was too late Zapdos was taken into the building.
"Come on! We got to go after it!" Ash charged forwards with Pikachu and Charizard in hot pursuit.
"Wait Ash!" Leaf cried out.
"Leaf, Zapdos brought me here for a reason. I have to go after it!"
Leaf and Gary exchanged looks and followed Ash and his pokémon inside.
*** End ***
Gary and Elaine with the Elite Four had successfully split the two legendary birds up, battling them in their divided groups as Lance had instructed, keeping Moltres and Articuno's attentions away from each other on onto them instead. All 6 trainers were working tirelessly to subdue the legendary pokémon and it seemed to finally be paying off as the attacks lessened and the extreme temperatures surrounding them eased.
Gary looked down and the ground below them, he could see the streets emptying, as Officer Jenny and her team worked their magic. "Hey it looks like Viridian has been cordoned off and evacuated, now's a good time to herd the birds down to the ground, if they plant themselves maybe they'll rest. They have to be tired by now."
"Good thinking Gary." Lance nodded in agreement and signalled the parties to follow Gary's lead.
Lance, Gary and Elaine surrounded Moltres, flying above the fire legend and slowly closed in, manoeuvring the great bird downwards slowly and calmly. Will, Karen and Koga did the same with Articuno. The two birds began to drop down to the ground.
"Good work everyone." Lance called around. The 6 trainers looked amongst themselves, feeling tired but accomplished. The atmosphere almost instantly relaxed. They'd done it. Viridian City was saved. Gary took a big sigh of relief; they had done their part.
Elaine began to feel a prickle of heat on her skin again, she looked to Moltres and noticed the look in it's eye. This was not the look of a pokémon about to give up. She looked over her shoulder, Articuno was almost directly level with Moltres, the same look across it's face.
The seasoned trainer's stomach dropped. "Guy's something's going on here …" she called out. Gary and the Elite members looked over to her.
"SOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRR" "SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE"
"LOOK OUT!" Elaine cried out, but there was barely time to react.
The birds flapped their wings with might, releasing reining embers and blasts of icy wind. The trainers and their pokémon shielded themselves from the onslaught as the birds launched at each other again and took to the skies once more, blasting off from Viridian City.
"There heading south!" Koga pointed in the direction the legendary pokémon had left.
"Pallet Town!" Gary and Elaine looked at each with concern.
"After them!" Lance commanded and once again launched into the air currents with his trusted Dagonite.
They all raced across country. Articuno heading the pack, ducking and diving from incoming fiery blasts aimed by Moltres, hot on it's tail. The trainers lagging behind.
It wasn't long before they all reached Pallet Town. The passing aerial battle and fluxing temperatures caused the windows and rooves of the properties below to shake, people came out their houses to view the commotion. The small community of the sleepy rural town looked on in awe at the passing sights of the legendary bird pokémon, closely followed by the Elite Four and famous Pallet Trainers. Not a sight commonly seen.
Delia Ketchum stepped out of her rattling home and looked out of her front porch. She held her hand to her chest. Although she hadn't seen or heard from her son, she knew he had to be involved and could sense he was in deep with something bad.
Ash …
"Here's the deal Champ." The Rocket Bosses looked down from their balcony and smiled cruelly at the Pokémon Master at their mercy.
"Choose."
"We have Zapdos." Cassidy pointed to the screen.
"Zapdos!" Ash and Pikachu looked at the screen, alarmed to see the magnificent bird struggling against it's capture.
"We have your kid." Butch pointed to the glass walled prison with it's two captives.
Amber also looked at the image on the screen from her prison. She felt her heart grow heavy with each stressful cry from the legendary bird. "Zapdos …". She placed the palm of her hand flat against the glass, somehow feeling closer to it, feeling its pain and anguish.
"One will die." Cassidy narrowed her eyes.
"And one will live." Butch smirked.
Shane took in the girls face and his heart sank with guilt at the part he had played in all this. It seemed fitting he'd share her fate.
"Dad! Dad I'm sorry, I didn't know … I should … I should of … it's all my fault." Amber banged against the glass, her eyes welling up.
Ash looked at his daughter sadly then back up at Cassidy and Butch. His eyes narrowed "I knew all to late Team Rocket was behind their old tricks again! Let me guess you plan to continue what happened over a decade ago?!" Ash pulled out two pokéballs ready. "I stopped you then and I'll stop you again now! There's no way I'll ever let you carry on with your sick plans! And you dare bring my family into this! It's you who have a death wish!" Ash called out angrily.
***Flashback 12 years ago***
The Kanto Trio entered the building. It was dark, dimly lit by lanterns lining the one-way corridors. Gary shivered. Memories of his gym battle here as a kid flooded his mind. He remembered Mewtwo rolling through his top pokémon team like they were nothing, the pain of his first loss and genuine fear flooding through his chest bringing the Oak boy crashing to his knees. He pictured the Gym Leader's cruel smile…then everything went black. "Man, I hate this place." He muttered barely audible.
Rounding the corner, the 5 jumped back, as before them stood small group of people wearing all to familiar black uniforms adorned with big red R's.
"Team Rocket!" Leaf exclaimed in a whisper. Ash and Gary frowned all too aware when Team Rocket were involved in something it was never good.
"Pikachu, get ready to shock them." Ash looked to his faithful friend on his shoulder. Pikachu began to spark.
"Wait Ash!" Gary grabbed his friend's arm. "We have no idea what's going on here, instead of jumping in and announcing our arrival we should find out what we're dealing with."
"Gary is right Ash, let's go around." Leaf stood next to Gary.
Outnumbered, Ash nodded, and the group peeled back.
"We know how to get you through to the Gym undetected."
The group spun around quickly, on guard at being spotted.
Two figures dressed in white uniforms and a cat pokémon stepped out from the shadows.
"Hey! It's you guys!" Ash pointed at the familiar trio.
"To protect the world from devastation!" A woman with red hair cried out.
"To unite all peoples within our nation!" The man with blue hair followed.
"Arw give a rest you two 'dey know the score." The talking meowth interrupted. The other two grimaced at their routine being interrupted.
"Pipi Kachu!" Piakchu cried out.
Jessie, James and Meowth. 3 members of Team Rocket who had followed Ash through his entire pokémon journey.
"What are you guys doing here?" Ash enquired.
"Humph. Figures these losers would be here." Gary grumbled, crossing his arms in front of his chest, looking the trio up and down with a scornful look. Leaf looked on completely bewildered.
"For your information we are not the losers here!" Jessie stomped her foot and angrily spat at the Kanto Trio.
"Listen twerps, what der doin to da pokémon in there, it aint right." Meowth spoke up. "It's not just bad for yous guys, it's gonna be bad for all us guys. It's all gone too far dis time."
"Twerp?! Seriously, still? I'm a grown man now! Heck I'm a Pokémon Master!" Ash retorted.
"Yeah, but ya'll always be a twerp ta me." The cat replied cheekily.
"Believe it or not we've actually come to help you stop this." James added. "Follow us we know a short cut straight to the source."
"The source? The source of what? What is this? What is going on?" Leaf was now really concerned, what had they stumbled into?
"Ha and we should trust you because?" Gary questioned, raising an eyebrow.
"Because like it or not, we know you're the only ones dumb enough to stop all this, and we're the only ones dumb enough to aid it!" Jessie snapped.
"Ok." Ash replied without question.
The rest of his party looked at the Champion with utter bewilderment. "Ash have you lost it?!" Gary piped up shocked.
"I know we've had our differences in the past, but we've also worked together too. I know these guys, and to my better judgement, I trust them." Ash took a step towards them, showing his unity with the "bad guys."
Leaf looked between Gary, Ash and Team Rocket. "Ok Ash, I'm not sure on the history with these guys but if you say trust them, I'm in too." The brunette stepped over.
Gary rolled his eyes. "Fine but I won't hold back on saying I told you so when this goes bad."
Ash nodded and turned to his former frenemies. "Fill us in."
***End***
"Pi Pi Pikachu!" the mouse pokémon perched on his trainers' shoulder, sparking his cheeks angrily ready to fight for his family.
"It's you who made this personal when you decided to meddle in our affairs all those years ago. Twerp. It's because of your actions we lost our beloved Giovanni! You've brought this all on yourself. You only have yourself to blame!" Cassidy barked out.
Ambers eyes widened. So Dad was that trainer Mr Fuji told me about back in Lavender Town!
"And we are not running re-hashes of tried and tested failures!" Butch sneered. "We are an all new and improved Team Rocket! We have no interest in that."
"But that's not to say we haven't taken a few leaves out of the great Giovanni's book." Cassidy held up a remote controller and pressed a button brining up another screen on the monitor. It was an external news report. She turned the volume up so the newscaster could be heard of the screeches of the imprisoned bird.
Images of Articuno and Moltres blasting at each other filled the screen.
"Here you are seeing up-to-date footage and reports of Legendary Birds Moltres and Articuno duking it out in what looks like an all-out arial battle of winner takes all. What started as a report of a suspected freak of nature storm in Viridian City has escalated to what we now know is a fight to the finish territory match between legendary bird pokémon, Moltres and Articuno with no outcome beneficial to our Kanto region."
The camera panned to shots of Viridian City, the usual bustling streets were empty, cracked and littered with debris and broken glass from damaged buildings. It looked like a war zone.
Viridian City has sustained heavy damage from the attacks but fortunately no casualties due to the quick actions of our very own police task force lead by Officer Jenny, the Elite Four Team and Viridian Gym Leader Gary Oak."
A shaky, un-focused amateur video clearly recorded off a spectators pokégear, played showing Ash, Pikachu and Charizard going up against Moltres.
Champion, Master Ash Ketchum was on the scene earlier but left shortly before Articuno's arrival. This comes amongst earlier reports of strange freak weather incidences across our region and strange behaviour patterns in our wild pokémon. One can only speculate the link at this present time."
The picture changed to swarm of migrating Oddish and Gloom running into the Viridian Forest.
"Our brave heroes continue their efforts to subdue the pokémon but there seems to be no end in sight as the battle has continued south of the city towards Pallet Town. The Legendary Birds of Kanto have not been sighted in these parts over a decade, yet so far, no sight of the third legendary bird, Zapdos. More on this story as it progresses."
Amber gasped in horror. Ash growled. Pallet Town, my home … Cole … Mom … my pokémon!
"Now here is the important part, these rooms are set to be flooded in T-5minutes … give or take." Cassidy pressed a remote controller.
A countdown appeared on the large tv monitor.
Amber felt a few splashes of cold against her skin, she looked up just as freezing cold water began cascading down from the vent in the ceiling, filing up their sealed room up. The young pokémon trainer and the rocket teen both yelped as the flow of water got wider and faster, affectively drenching them.
"No Shane!" Thea panicked as she saw her friend's predicament from the security room monitors. She quickly went to the main controls hoping she could take control from her small base. The Rocket Agent began typing frantically.
"Override level four … override level four … Ok it's A.I voice controlled. I can do this …" The agent took a deep breath and hacked into the system, using every trick she had.
"Voice Override accepted. Hello Agent Thea." The A.I's voice echoed around the small room.
YES! "Override command Level Four." Thea spoke as calmly as clearly into the microphone as she could, watching the water pour all over her friend out the corner of her eye in the CCTV.
"High Tide Command Level Four."
"NO! Override, OVERRIDE!"
"You Want To Start A Ride?"
"NOIDONTWANTTOSTARTARIDE! OVERIDE!" Thea squealed at the A.I.
"Starting Ride."
"NO YOU DUMB MACHINE!" Thea screamed and banged her fist on the control panel.
A knocking came from the security room "Hey Thea are you in there? The door is stuck we can't get back in …. Thea?!"
Thea looked at the door and rolled her eyes. Oh great …
Misty had taken out most of Team Alpha, only the team leader remained. The Alpha Team leader pulled out another pokéball and tossed it casually in one hand, bouncing it up and down.
"I gotta commend ya." The large man grinned at the former Gym Leader. "You're no wash out, but I'm afraid I just can't let you go any further." He raised his other large hand and clicked his fingers.
On queue a handful more Rocket Grunts piled into the corridor, all of them brandishing pokéballs, outnumbering the red head and her pokémon.
"You didn't think it was really going to be that easy, did you?" The Alpha leader smirked, before breaking out into a giant grin.
"You know … for a moment there … yeah. I did." Misty narrowed her eyes and lifted her forearm up. A charm dangled off a bracelet adorning her wrist.
The Alpha leaders grin turned into a scowl. "Rockets! Don't pull no punches!"
A plethora of pokéballs flew out, red light after red light materialised into battle ready pokémon.
"Power, pride and beauty. My one and only blue sweetheart. Mega Evolve!" Misty cried out. The charm on her wrist began to glow with a brilliant light.
Gyarados in turn also began to glow, a copy of the charm appearing on his forehead. A white light engulfed the pokémon and his appearance began to chance. The light broke and revealed a bulkier looking gyarados with red and black scales and giant fins.
The former gym leader stood strong. "Before we begin, does anyone want to get out?"
Another Pallet resident, socialite Cole Ketchum and his equally gorgeous model/Gym Leader girlfriend Elesa found themselves down the coastal path of route 21. Pallet Town had recently been plagued by a swarm of migrating poliwag in the midst of this bizarre heat wave and with his Mother and Father A.W.O.L on league business, Cole took it upon himself to take a look into it on their behalf, but if anything, more to impress his Gym Leader beau.
The pair stood at the water's edge, looking out for any possible clues of the wild pokémons abnormal behaviour.
"So, I'm guessing the poliwag either came from here, or want to end up here." Cole spoke out, he sounded confident but in reality he didn't have a clue what he was talking about.
"Well, it is the nearest large water source for miles." Elesa commented absently as she knelt down on the bank and placed her hand in the water below. "Hmm weird."
"What's weird?"
"The water current, it's running in both directions, see the mini whirlpools?" Elesa pointed to small swirls in the water where the battling currents met.
Cole stood beside her and looked.
"What do you think it means?" the beautiful black-haired girl looked up at the man beside her, her blue eyes peering at him through long thick dark lashes.
Cole knelt down to meet her level and looked at the water. "I don't know. But I bet Mamma would if she were here."
"Mamma?" Elesa cocked her eyebrow as she looked at her grown adult boyfriend.
"Yeah, she's a Water Master you know." Cole replied innocently.
Elesa stifled a giggle. He was completely missing the point of her tease.
"What?" Cole looked at his girlfriend cluelessly.
"You're so cute." Elesa smiled and ruffled his black hair.
They both looked into each other eyes and smiled. The pair leaned in, their faces almost touching. Suddenly a chill went through them as in icy wind blew past.
"Arceus, what was that?!" Elesa exclaimed, pulling back and rubbing her arms for warmth.
"I have no idea! We're in the middle of a heat wave!" Cole shivered.
Another gust of icy wind blew through the pair, almost knocking them over, they grabbed onto each other to steady themselves. A shadow loomed over, making them instinctively look up. The two could not believe their eyes, as icy hail snowed down on them, soon followed by water droplets and then … embers?
The lovebirds' mouths dropped as they followed the action in the sky above them.
To everyone's relief the legendary pokémon had blazed past through Pallet Town causing minimum disruption and down route 21 on towards the sea. The waves of water below them began to swell and become restless. Gary, Elaine and the Elite Four were still in hot pursuit.
"They are going to cause a tsunami!" Elaine cried out in alarm. "Pallet Town will be flooded!"
Gary looked below them the waves of the ocean began to sway and fold violently. The tide drawing back revealing more of the ocean floor than he'd ever seen. Elaine was right!
"Heeeeeeeeyyyyy!" A far away voice shouted. Gary looked below him and saw two figures running down the coastal road, one shouting and waving. It was a young man with black hair and woman around his age.
"Cole!" Gary doubled back and flew over to the couple, Cole Ketchum and Nimbasa Gym Leader Elesa.
"Uncle Gary, what's going on? Is that Moltres and Articuno?!" The young Ketchum pointed out to the skies over the water where the commotion continued. Elesa's jaw still open at the sight of seeing two legendary pokémon.
"No time to explain everything, listen I need your help. You two need to evacuate the town right now! It's not safe here."
"Evacuate? Hey where's my dad shouldn't he be here too?" Cole looked up at the sky, seeing the Elite Four minus their Champion.
"He's off handling another issue. Look, see the changing water." Gary pointed to the withdrawn tide. "A tsunami is imminent! Now go, get yourselves and everyone in Pallet to Oak Laboratory. It's high enough ground, you should all be safe there. I'm counting on you two."
Cole and Elesa turned to each other and nodded.
"We'll get there quicker on Zebstriker." The beautiful gym leader released her beloved electric Zebra, and they took off back towards the town.
Gary re-joined the others in the sky over the ocean as they watched the birds continuing to duke it out. "The town is being evacuated, but we need to get Moltres and Articuno as far away as possible."
Another almighty screech rang out and the birds took flight again, blasting forwards at great speeds.
"Careful what you wish for." Will commented to Gary, who glared warily in response.
"After them!" Lance commanded, and they all took off once more.
Zebstriker thundered down the route towards the once sleepy town, his trainer and her beau leaning forwards to get as streamline as possible against the wind currents. Cole's head was swimming with thoughts. Another issue? Dad, what's going on?
Ash and Pikachu gasped in horror. Team Rocket were not kidding around. "Amber!" "Pi Kaa!"
Water poured over Amber and Shane as they struggled to avoid the vertical stream. "Amber that vent was our only way out." Shane pointed to where the water was gushing above them. The trapped teenagers looked at each other in alarm as the water was already around their ankles. Amber tentatively put her hand to her pokébelt. Think Amber think!
"Sooooo it's either save the thunder beak, stop us and end the worlds suffering, be the world's selfless hero once again that you're supposed to be and live your long life with the guilt of letting your spawn perish at your own actions, or, save your precious only daughter to end your own personal suffering at the cost of the world around you. Not going to be enough time to do both." Cassidy's eyes narrowed. "Choose."
The sound of Zapdos screeching from the video monitor could be heard from the cold water pouring in around it.
The pokémon master looked from his trapped daughter to the monitor showing the destressed pokémon back to his daughter.
"I can't make that choice!" Ash yelled. "And you know it. My only choice" Ash lifted up the 2 pokéballs in his hands. "Is to stop you and save everyone in the process!"
"Ugh so heroic". Cassidy rolled her eyes.
"Get's so old." Butch nodded along with his partner, crossing his arms.
Ash released Charizard and Dragonite. Donphan got back up and Pikachu jumped into the fray. The four pokémon cried out, ready to battle.
Tyranitar, Slaking, Gengar and Garchomp took a step forwards, ready to initiate battle at their trainer's command.
"Yawn, Twerp. You're seriously going to waste the little time you have with … this?" Cassidy chimed, her tone playful and mocking.
"Ha, like we're really going to make it that easy!" Butch called out.
Doors opened and a group of Rocket officers flooded into the room, all holding pokéballs of their own.
"Might wanna start playing by our rules. We've been planning this for a long time Ash Ketchum. Believe me we left nothing to chance."
"Well maybe a few things." Butch looked over at Shane and grunted, but soon both their icy stares returned to scene below them of Ash surrounded by pokémon and Rocket members.
"... Well times a tickin' ... GET ON WITH IT!"