Chapter 45: Heir of Dimension X?
Bailing from the nightclub they were forced into, the Turtles, Trainers, Irma and Buffy were at the apartment building April and Irma resided. They left Team Rocket, Bebop and Rocksteady down and out after they used a song from someone named Vanilla Ice to dance their way to victory. "Well, this is a bit of an upgrade compared to the Lair," Buffy sighed.
"Yeah, but at the same time," Raphael spoke. "We're doing it to make sure those guys don't get you." Pikachu remained in Buffy's arms as she felt frustrated with everything occurring.
"Who were they?" she huffed a sigh. "The way they looked, they're far meaner looking than you four… no offense."
"None taken, dudette," Michelangelo dismissed. "But are you referring to those mutants or those humans?"
"The fact that Team Rocket would be after a little girl just doesn't sound like them," Leonardo believed. "Unless they're looking at a package deal with Pikachu on top." April and Irma soon joined up.
"It doesn't make any sense as to why they would go after you, unless it's to free their mobile fortress stuck back in that backwoods dimension," April guessed. The others turned to April about the idea.
"You think it's something to do with her family's business?" guessed Donatello.
"That's what I'm going with," April shrugged. Buffy shook her head, eyes closed.
"Listen, Buffy," Leonardo spoke. "Those punks have caused a lot of trouble to get you."
"Whatever the reason," Raphael added. "It's gotta be something big."
"And we do believe your grandfather's family business is related," Donatello guessed.
"Which is why we all believe you're hiding what it is," Leonardo concluded. Buffy wasn't looking at anyone while clutching Pikachu.
"Well… there is something," she muttered. Intrigued, April and the Turtles felt the need to urge.
"What is it!?" they asked. Buffy seemed hesitant to reply.
"It's… something my grandfather told me just before he died," she muttered. "Something he made me promise not to tell anybody."
"But you gotta trust us, Buff!" proclaimed Michelangelo. "We gotta know what Shredder's up to."
"And it might give us an idea on how we can stop him," Brock added. Buffy felt pressured and Ash saw it.
"Look, I know you guys saved me from those creeps," she spoke. "But I can't break my promise!" Not willing to let it go, Leonardo and Brock pressed forward.
"Buffy, it's important," the leader of the Turtles urged. "Whatever those guys are after, it's not for anything good."
"It's easier to tell us so that we can plan to trap Shredder," Brock warned. "You gotta tell us!" Buffy was on the verge of tears while doing her best not to explain the promise.
"Nothing can make me tell my grandfather's secret!" she cried.
"But Buffy!" the Turtles and Brock yelped. Finally, Ash stood up and got between
"Guys, let's stop," Ash halted. "It's already too much for her to handle. If anything, we need to make sure she's safe."
"We understand that," April voiced. "We're just thinking that if we know what they want, we could offer a countermeasure to shove off the attackers."
"I get that, but I want to respect Buffy's wishes," Ash refused. "If she wants to honor her promise to her grandfather, let her. If Master Splinter made you keep a secret, wouldn't you do the same thing?" Suddenly, the Turtles, the girls and Brock realized why Buffy refused to explain the ordeal. She gasped in awe.
"Ash is willing to let me keep my promise?' she awed. A smile painted her face. 'He really is the boy of my dreams!' The Turtles and girls agreed and allowed Ash to watch over the heir to the family business. A little while later, Buffy held Ash's PokéDex where she looked at different Pokémon. Some of the Pokémon that were pictured had her giggling. "Snubbull looks so cute!"
"Funny story, there was a rich old lady who had a Snubbull named Madame Muchmoney."
"Seriously? Aren't you supposed to be subtle about a name like that?"
"Hey, she learned herself that money couldn't buy her Snubbull happiness… and soon enough, Snubbull evolved into Granbull." Listening, Buffy switched to a lavender bulldog with an enormous lower jaw and two fangs protruding from it.
"GRANBULL, THE FAIRY POKEMON," the Dex buzzed. "GRANBULL HAS A POWERFUL BITE, MAINLY DUE TO THE SIZE OF ITS LOWER JAW AND THE FANGS THAT GREW."
"I can see some cuteness from this," Buffy giggled. "Though, if anything… that Beautifly I saw while skimming through would be my choice." Ash and Pikachu accepted Buffy's wish.
"I totally understand," Ash accepted before there was a commotion outside. That's when the Turtles were forced through the door where Bebop and Jessie stood. Pikachu ran to Ash from Buffy.
"Ash!" cried Buffy before Jessie wrapped her arm around her neck.
"You're first!" she sneered as she got on the device. "Okay, you living gray matter! The portal, now!"
"I'll let the insult slide if you really have Buffy," Krang warned. The portal opened as Ash started to recover. Bebop hoisted Buffy onto his shoulder.
"Let me go, you freak!" she cried. Ash and Pikachu gave chase.
"BUFFY!" he yelled before they entered the portal before entering the Technodrome.
"Great!" complained Raphael.
"We need to rescue Ash and Buffy if we need to keep her grandfather's secrets from being unearthed," Leonardo warned. "They may in fact be the secrets to freeing this place." Inside the Technodrome, Ash and Pikachu realized that they had returned to Dimension X.
"Didn't think we come back here, Pikachu," Ash mulled before seeing a ventilation shaft. He had an idea. "Let's use the ventilation shaft to get to Buffy." Pikachu agreed as they entered the shaft. Pikachu led the way through the metallic tunnel.
"LET ME GO!" shouted Buffy. Hearing, Pikachu pursued the voice.
("This way…") he alerted. They looked through the vents before they stumbled on Jessie, Bebop and Rocksteady latching Buffy down on a huge chair.
"So, I finally meet Miss Shellhammer," Shredder awed. "I've been looking forward to meeting you to discuss some… business." Buffy wasn't sure about Shredder's wish.
"Who are you!?" she urged. "And what business are you talking about!?"
"Information. It's not a lot, but just something to organize a price." Buffy struggled to free herself.
"Just wait until Ash comes and rescues me!"
"Oh, Ash, is it? Could it be the same young man who sides with the Turtles? Hmm… I'd like to know what you mean. Still, we will have the information, one way or another." He turned to Jessie with James and Meowth entering. "You two… Go and retrieve the brainalyzer. It's by Krang."
"Why should we get it after we worked this whole time getting that twerpette over here!?" complained Jessie.
"TWERPETTE!" shrieked Buffy. "You have a lot of nerve!"
"Wow, and I tought Jessie was da obnoxious one," Meowth gulped.
"I guess getting the brainalyzer's better than hearing her having a temper tantrum," James shuttered as he left with Jessie behind him. Back at the apartment complex, Pete came by and saw a destructive scene.
"Okay, who wanted a panther as a pet?" he joked. Brock, Irma, April and the Turtles saw Pete entering.
"Pete, what's going on?" asked Irma. "Did you help find out something from the business Buffy controls?"
"Yeah, and April having me on this helped out," Pete nodded. "Are you guys familiar with NASA?" Donatello knew what Pete referred to.
"You mean the National Aeronautics and Space Administration?" he guessed. Pete nodded.
"Who isn't familiar with NASA?" teased April. Brock rose his hand. "Oh, yeah..."
"Well, it turns out Torrance Shellhammer was working on a top secret venture before he died," Pete briefed. "It was something to do with The Z Project." Brock and the women seemed puzzled.
"The… Z Project?" repeated Brock.
"It's said to be the most concentrated powerful rocket fuel possible," Pete informed. "However, he left no notes about it. Whatever the formula was, he took it to his grave."
"Or he hid it to the one person he trusted the most!" opted Irma.
"That's why Shredder's after Buffy!" concluded Michelangelo. Back at the Technodrome, Team Rocket brought forth a bronze tube attached to a machine. The large metallic cube had a hole big enough to fit Bebop's head, let alone Buffy's.
"Now, Miss Shellhammer…" voiced Shredder. "You have two choices: you can tell us about the formula willingly, or the brainalyzer will tell us for you." Buffy scoffed to the threat.
"I'd rather have the talking cat than give you anything!" she replied. Meowth blushed to the desire while Shredder shook his head.
"Very well…" he scowled. "Rocksteady, place the brainalyzer on her!" Rocksteady lowered the cube onto Buffy's head to where only her mouth was visible. "The brainalyzer is sensitive to both thoughts and emotions. It will drain the knowledge right out of your head." Rocksteady flipped the switch, turning the brainalyzer on. Suddenly, it started to spark wildly, concerning Shredder, Ash and Pikachu. Buffy cackled at the sudden error of the machine.
"Sensitive to emotions, huh!?" she taunted. "Then you know what I think? I think you're a complete and utter jerk, man! Yeah, you and all your sleazoid goons! You have no sense of hospitality whatsoever! Heck, you haven't given me so much as a cheeseburger since you brought me here! You're all ugly and stupid…" Quickly annoyed while Ash grinned as he undid the grate of the shaft, Shredder turned to James who was near the brainalyzer.
"GET IT OFF HER!" he demanded. James reached for the machine as Buffy laughed.
"And as far as I'm concerned…" she continued. "You can go stick your head in a shark tank!" Suddenly, the machine exploded and sent Team Rocket and Shredder flying back a few feet. Shredder recovered as Ash and Pikachu prepared to make their entrance.
"Oh, what a wretched brat!" he scowled as Buffy continued to chortle. "Never in my life have I seen such an obnoxious child!"
"And that's why I love her!" proclaimed Ash as he and Pikachu dropped down. Everyone looked up as Ash flung the grate, striking the ground but enough to carom and trip up Bebop and Rocksteady. Buffy became elated to see Ash and Pikachu come to her rescue. They hit the ground as Team Rocket realized the follower.
"Why am I not surprised that the twerp and Pikachu followed us here!?" growled Jessie.
"This 'twerp' is indeed as obnoxious as Miss Shellhammer!" agreed Shredder. Seeing the restraints holding Buffy, Ash had a plan.
"Pikachu, use Iron Tail to free Buffy!" he ordered. Pikachu used Iron Tail, slicing the binds and freeing Buffy.
"Wait, you can make your tail like an ax?" she awed. Pikachu flashed a peace sign. Bebop stood back up and Ash saw him.
"Time I make ya mince meat!" the mutant warthog snorted. He charged but Ash caught him.
"How about I send this piggy to the butcher!" he grinned as he lifted and threw Bebop into Shredder and Rocksteady. They fell into a pile. Buffy gulped to Ash's strength.
"He's really that strong?" she gulped. With a way to go, Ash took Buffy's hand.
"Let's get going!" he urged. They and Pikachu raced off with Team Rocket following.
"We still can get dem twoips!" urged Meowth. They turned down a few corridors before losing track.
"I bet the twerps will try to explore outside of this to find our home," Jessie suspected. "To the hangar!" The team started going to the hangar when…
"GO GREEN MACHINE!" shouted Ash. Team Rocket gawked and looked back. All they saw was Grovyle on the attack. He whipped the vine on the head, striking Team Rocket that launched them into Ash and Buffy, the latter opening a chute. All three flew into the chute before Buffy closed it.
"Are those four in here as well?" she guessed.
"They are," Ash confirmed. "But let's get these guys first." Team Rocket fell through the chute into a large dumpster. All three seemed out of it while in the dumpster.
"Well, at least we landed in something soft," James muttered. They sat up, making sure they weren't injured.
"Why did we land in a large dumpster?" wondered Jessie. "Heck, how did the twerp know about the garbage chute?"
"Did ya forget when Shredder tried da trap dem toitles, and Pikachu and da twoip joined?" reminded Meowth.
"That could explain some of the twerp's knowledge," James thought. Suddenly, a clear lid sealed the dumpster. Ash, Buffy and Pikachu came out to see Team Rocket in the closed pod.
"Twerp!" shouted Jessie. "Let us out of here!" She banged on the cover hard.
"Let's face it, Team Rocket," Ash sighed. "You three really should've realized from the very beginning that trying to get Pikachu was a waste of both your time and your lives." All Team Rocket did was bang away to free themselves. A door slid up and rockets below the dumpster started to flare up.
"Dear, you don't mind if I take out the trash?" teased Buffy.
"Not at all," Ash agreed. Buffy hit a button before the rockets beneath Team Rocket jetted the dumpster out of there.
"LOOKS LIKE TEAM ROCKET'S BLASTING OFF AGAIN!" they cried in unison. Ash sighed in relief as he had an idea of what to do.
"Now that those three are gone, how about we get out of here?" he suggested.
"Not an option!" shouted Shredder as he aimed a gun at the two. Ash and Buffy turned, seeing Shredder with the weapon. "And I'll make sure you stay!" He fired a beam from the gun, striking the two. However, they shrunk down to the size of Pikachu, who was as tiny as a fly.
"Not good!" gasped Buffy as Shredder hoisted them up.
"Cooperate or this first date will be your last!" he warned. Ash and Buffy were in trouble. How were they going to get out?
TO BE CONTINUED...