Episode 8: Ritchie to the Rescue
Madera New City, day. The Time-Space rift appears with Misty and a time stone being deposited from it.
Misty: I can't believe Gary didn't come back with me. (Officer Jenny approached her.) Officer Jenny!
Officer Jenny: Hey Misty. You know the Scepter of Darkness, right? Well, have you retrieved it?
Misty: Not really. I have a priority situation to deal with. I need to contact someone immediately. Who's the closet trainer I can find?
Officer Jenny: Ritchie.
Misty: Okay. Perfect! Where is he?
Officer Jenny: At the forest.
Misty: Okay. I'll go there right away.
Officer Jenny: Okay.
She leaves Misty.
Misty: I must find Ritchie in order to help Gary.
She runs off to find Ritchie.
(Play Tropical Jungle - The Ruins from Sonic 06 for this section.)
Misty later enters the forest.
Misty: Gyarados, come on out! (Gyarados was released from its Pokéballand goes in the water.) Gyarados, take me to where Ritchie is! (Gyarados nods and begins to carry Misty to Ritchie's location.) Okay. If any creeps from Team Rocket appear, make sure you take them out. (Gyarados nods and continues to swim Misty to Ritchie's location. She then noticed some thunderbolts.) I know those thunderbolts. It's Ritchie's Pikachu Sparky! Gyarados, hurry because he might be in trouble! (Gyarados then approached the platform and Misty got off it and returns Gyarados to its Pokéball.) Get a good rest. (She looks up and is shocked to see Team Rocket's battleship and then faces the Team Rocket trio.) Who do you guys think you are?!
Jessie: It's the red headed twerp!
James: If you think you're gonna try to get the Princess from us, think again!
Ritchie: I noticed their battleship and saw that they kidnapped the Princess, so I had Sparky Thunderbolt them.
Misty: So you guys kidnapped the Princess again?!
Meowth: Yeah! So what?! We need her to unlock the secrets of the Flames of Disaster!
Jessie: And we'll eliminate everyone who gets in our way!
Wobbuffet: Wobbuffet!
Ritchie approaches Misty.
Ritchie: If you think we're gonna let you guys get away with kidnapping the Princess, think again!
Misty: That's right!
Jessie: Okay then. We'll just have to battle you!
And so, they all released their Pokémon and start to battle. After a long battle, the trio were sent blasting off again, but this time, they landed back on their airship and they fly off.
Misty: They're getting away!
Ritchie: We have to stop them!
A bunch of smoke bombs drop from the battleship and covered up everything. When it was cleared, the battleship was gone.
Misty: Damn it! They're gone!
Ritchie: Ugh! We were so close to saving the Princess!
Misty: I know.
Ritchie: Anyways, Misty, what are you doing here?
Misty: I came here to give you this. (She pulls out the time stone and gives it to Ritchie.) Use this to find Gary.
Ritchie: Gary? Where is he?
Misty: He's 200 years into the future and since he didn't follow me back here, he's stuck, so can you bring him back to this timeline?
Ritchie: I'll see what I can do. Come on, Sparky.
Sparky nods as he climbs up Ritchie's shoulder and then they start to make their way to the future to find Gary.
Back in the future, Gary catches up the Lucifer.
Lucifer: So, decided to void your return ticket now, did you?
Gary: Why are you here? Did you ruin this world?
Lucifer: The answer's yes and no. Perhaps it's better to show you. (Lucifer snaps his fingers and a cage with a future version of Gary imprisoned in it appear. Gary looks at it with wide eyes.) Yes that's you. After the world was devastated by Azrael's flames, what do you think happened? A search for the guilty. What did this you may ask? Humanity wasn't just jealous of your Pokémon's power. They feared it. They used this incident as an excuse to hunt you down. Come with me, Gary. Let us punish this foolish world of humanity. It is only fair to give back what was intended for you. You have every right to want justice.
Gary: That's absurd. Whatever it is you want to do, you can do it alone.
Lucifer: You forgive humanity this folly then?
Gary: I determine my own destiny. (Lucifer transforms into his crystalline form and prepares to fight Gary.) Get a taste of a Pokémon I just caught while I was in Sinnoh! Now come on out! (He releases a Pokémon and it was Electivire.) Say hello to Electivire!
Lucifer: I don't need a Pokémon. I can make shadow versions of Pokémon appear! (He then makes a shadow version of Blastoise.) Say hello to Shadow Blastoise!
Gary: I see. So you can make shadow versions of people's Pokémon! But that won't stop me!
Lucifer: Such foolishness. Very well. Let's see if you can entertain me.
(Play Boss: Mephiles from Sonic 06 for this section)
The battle begins.
Gary: Don't bother to try and deceive me! I know who I am!
Lucifer: I'll believe it when I see it. Shadow Blastoise, use Shadow Hydro Pump!
Shadow Blastoise uses Shadow Hydro Pump.
Gary: Electivire, dodge it and use Thunder Punch!
Electivire uses Thunder Punch on Shadow Blastoise. Shadow Blastoise begins to show its full power.
Lucifer: Dance my Shadow Pokémon. Dance!
More of Lucifer's Shadow Pokémon pop up and charge towards Electivire.
Gary: Electivire, use Thunderbolt!
Electivire uses Thunderbolt on all the Shadow Pokémon.
Lucifer: It doesn't matter how many of them you defeat, you know.
Gary: Grr... These shadow Pokémon that he's controlling... I've got to figure out their origin! I know! Electivire, use Thunderbolt again!
Electivire uses Thunderbolt on all the Shadow Pokémon again and there were all defeated except for Shadow Blastoise, who hits Electivire with Shadow Hydro Pump.
Lucifer: Mwa ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!
And so, Gary and Lucifer continue their battle and Electivire was continuing to hang on.
Gary: Don't give up, Electivire! Just keep battling!
Lucifer: Don't bother trying. Just give up!
Shadow Blastoise was about to attack again.
Gary: Electivire, use Thunder Punch! (Electivire uses Thunder Punch again and lays a direct critical hit on Shadow Blastoise and it crashes into a spike pillar like tree. It then landed on the platform. Shadow Blastoise is down as Gary and Electivire approaches it, but Shadow Blastoise gets up and knocks Electivire into a tree with an energy ball, incapacitating him.) Electivire! (As Shadow Blastoise moves towards Electivire, Ritchie and Sparky appear and Sparky thunderbolts between Shadow Blastoise and Electivire.) Ritchie?
Ritchie: We're here to save you Gary. Now what do you say? Let's team up and stop him!
Gary: Hmm... Okay. Sure! Any friend of Ash is a friend of mine!
Ritchie: Well, good. Misty asked me to support you and get you out of here.
Gary: Okay then. Let's team up and finish them off!
Lucifer: So... You think a 2V1 is gonna give you the win? Think again! I may be outnumbered, but I can defeat two normal Pokémon with my Shadow Pokémon!
Shadow Blastoise's dark power begins to awaken and it releases a big powerful roar.
Gary: Ritchie, watch out. One wrong move and we'll end up burning to death in the lava!
Ritchie: Okay!
Gary: Electivire, use Thunderbolt!
Ritchie: You too Sparky!
Sparky and Electivire both used Thunderbolt on Shadow Blastoise.
Lucifer: Shadow Blastoise, use Shadow Hyper Beam!
Shadow Blastoise uses Shadow Hyper Beam and lays a direct hit to both Pokémon.
Gary: Ah!
Ritchie: Sparky, no!
Lucifer: Sink into darkness! (A bunch of shadows start to hit Gary and Ritchie and they are in a dark place.) You cannot defeat me. My Shadow Pokémon are the most powerful Pokémon in the world! They are so powerful, not even the Legendary Pokémon can defeat it!
Gary: We gotta break free!
Ritchie: Right! Let's do it!
They both broke free and escaped the dark place and saw both Sparky and Electivire getting attacked.
Gary: Oh no!
Ritchie: Sparky, get up and use Thunderbolt!
Sparky then uses Thunderbolt on Shadow Blastoise.
Lucifer: You're just a nuisance... Brat! (Shadow Blastoise starts firing at Sparky, but begins to dodge the moves.) Mwa ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha! (Sparky thunderbolts Shadow Blastoise and it lands on Lucifer.) Gah!
Ritchie: Way to go, Sparky! Finish this with Agility and then use Thunder!
Sparky starts dodging all of the shadow moves from Lucifer's Shadow Pokémon using Agility and begins to use Thunder on all of them. They were all defeated and the Sparky uses Thunderbolt to defeat Shadow Blastoise.
Lucifer: No! NO!!!
Shadow Blastoise hits Lucifer and they are knocked down and tries to get up as Gary and Ritchie face him. Lucifer grunts and gets back on his feet and forms a purple orb he escapes into.
Gary: Lucifer!
Gary returns Electirive back to its Pokéball and he, Ritchie and Sparky jump into the orb just before it disappears.
Madera New City, day. A purple orb appears which deposits Gary and Ritchie. Gary looks around.
Ritchie: It appears Lucifer is no longer here. I will assist in pursuing him.
Gary: Okay Ritchie.
Officer Jenny approaches him.
Officer Jenny: I see that you're finally back in the present.
Gary: Yeah. We made it safe and sound.
Officer Jenny: But there's something I have to tell you. I've lost contact with Misty, so can you try heading to the town's warehouse?
Gary: Sure thing!
Officer Jenny: Okay. I'm going back on patrol.
She leaves and Gary and Ritchie left their current spot.
(Play Soleanna New City from Sonic 06 for this section.)
Back with Ash and his group, they are walking to the train station.
Ash: I'm glad Nurse Joy took care of our Pokémon after all that battling we did in the future.
Brock: Yeah.
They then noticed May standing there in front of a bunch of police tape, which was blocking the entrance to the train station.
Max: Hey May.
May: Hey Guys. If you were trying to get to the train station, you can't because it's closed.
Ash: Why is it closed?
May: Apparently the Princess was kidnapped by Team Rocket on their hot air balloon again at her castle after I just rescued her and they're carrying her by train.
Ash: Seriously?!
Brock: I can't believe she was kidnapped again! When will they just give up already?!
May: Yeah. That's what I've been saying!
Max: But here's the thing. You said that they kidnapped her and are carrying her by train, so why would those three need a train if they have a hot air balloon? Most importantly, how did they get the budget to purchase a battleship and then a train?
May: Those are good questions, Max. My theory is that their boss gave them a promotion and used their promotion money to purchase them.
Max: As if their boss would be dumb enough to pay them.
Ash: Yeah. No kidding. We need to get inside that station and get to Team Rocket's train.
Brock: I don't think it's gonna be easy.
They all looked at the entrance to the train station.
May: By the way, I heard from Misty that you were all in the future. What did you see?
Max: Well, the future was all ruined. There were destroyed buildings and burning debris everywhere. But we found out why. It's because the Princess died onboard Team Rocket's battleship when it exploded.
May: What?!
Ash: All true. That's why we need to hurry up and save her. I really don't want to break into a train station, but there's really no other option. The only way to save the Princess is to get inside that station and follow Team Rocket's train.
May: I have an idea on how you can get it.
In the town's warehouse, Misty finds Gary and Ritchie in the warehouse district.
Misty: Hi. It seems like Team Rocket's minions were looking for you. What did you do this time?
Gary: Nothing. Their target is probably Lucifer.
Ritchie: What is Team Rocket up to and who is Lucifer?
Sparky: Pika?
Gary: I'm gonna ask them directly.
Gary walks away.
Misty: Hey, wait a sec!
Gary: I can handle this alone. You keep track of Lucifer.
He then left Misty and Ritchie behind.
Misty: Hmph. He finally shows up again and then he leaves before even saying, "Hello." Well, it seems his little trip hasn't changed him.
Ritchie: Well, that's Gary for you.
Misty: Anyways, let's try to do our research on the Scepter of Darkness.
Ritchie: Okay.
Meanwhile, Diego and Natalie have arrived in Madera New City when they discover Lucifer again, with his head hung down.
Diego: Lucifer... (Diego and Natalie look at each other, then they look at Lucifer again.) Tell me. Who is the Azrael Trigger? Why does he want to destroy the world?
Lucifer: (Looks up) Why does that matter to you? (Points at Diego) Unless you complete your task, your future will remain the same... forever. (Looks at Diego, then puts his head down) He's currently at the terminal station. It's now or never if you want this.
Lucifer shows a path to Diego, then walks away. Natalie gets a closer look at the path, then looks at Diego. After a few moments, he moves onward, and she follows him.
Stay tuned for episode 9.