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2005- Chapter Seven

The next day came crisp and clear, the sun managing to peak through the boughs of the pine trees and reach the camp of the travellers. Brock was up early, as usual, fixing a quick breakfast of biscuits and gravy. Slowly but surely the others joined him outside, stretching sleepily and taking in the shimmering forest beauty.
"What a wonderful day to be alive," Misty remarked, taking a seat next to the cook. He handed her a plate full of food. Misty took a bite, sighing. "It's a shame we're being hunted by those assassins, or I might consider this to be a perfect day."
Gary grabbed his own helping of Brock's meal. "Maybe Mariko and James'll just kill 'em all today, and we won't have to worry about it. Sound like a good idea?"
Misty shuddered. "Killing is wrong."
"Tell that to the war generals," Tracey said dryly, chewing his food thoughtfully. He noticed that Mariko had been unusually silent that morning, as had Jessie and James. The old partners in crime sat a little bit away from the others, but didn't seem to be talking about anything in particular. Remembering how the duo had disappeared the night before, he wondered what exactly had happened.
Everyone finished their meals quickly, intent on completing as many miles as they could before the bounty hunters made another attack. Gary had a brief struggle with gravity, then rose slowly, surprised that Tracey hadn't offered him the always-ignored helping hand up. Now that the ex- pilot thought about it, he'd been left pretty much to his own devices for the past couple days. Hiding a smile behind his hand and feigning a yawn, he decided his friend had finally figured out the message Gary'd been sending him the past months: thanks but no thanks, I can handle it.
The morning went by without any problems, leaving some of the party members thinking that Karl had given up after losing almost half his group. James, Mariko, and a few of the others knew better though; Karl was just biding his time.
"Luring people into a false sense of security is one hell of an old trick," Gary remarked lightly. "It's been used in battles for as long as people can remember. Probably since cave-man days."
"Don't the assassins have any new tricks?" Tracey asked Mariko idly. Though both veterans knew perfectly well their lives were in danger, they hardly seemed worried about it.
Mariko's ears pricked at a noise. She turned sharply and shot into a thick bush. There was a tortured scream, then silence. "Hitting someone hiding in foliage is a trick of my own. Such a pity you can't see them very well- I can't aim for an exact spot and it tends to be much more painful on their part." She explained this calmly, even though the remaining three bounty hunters were obviously surrounding them. She sighed. "Karl, this is getting rather monotonous. Why don't you stop sending your cronies out and do the dirty work on your own?"
A laser shot whipped past Mariko. She tilted her head slightly, not even blinking as the bolt whipped a fraction of an inch away from her ear. A sneering voice said from the shrubs. "It's much more fun wearing you out before going in for the kill, Midnight."
"As I expected. Very well, then. Jake!" he looked to the older assassin. "Watch our backs. I'll handle anyone who tries to come from this way." She tossed Jessie one of her small guns, set on Level Five. "For protection."
A nasty snicker came from the wooded area to Mariko's left. A female voice spoke. "You sure you can trust the Rookie with such a big job? I thought he was only good at bein' your sex-slave."
James' eyes narrowed. He flushed angrily. Mariko spoke for both of them. "You'll die for that. You have my word on it."
"A dead woman's word means nothing!" Another blast flew out of nowhere- Karl had changed position during the word exchange. Mariko had to dart to the side in a less than dignified manner to avoid it. She grabbed her abdomen in the process; a painful reminder of James' laser-shot several days ago.
All hell broke loose for what felt like hours. With the exception of Jessie, James, and Mariko, everyone was pretty much left alone during the battle. Though Karl's note had said he'd kill them all, at the moment all he seemed intent on was completing the job at hand. The trio of fighters held their ground well, Mariko managing to finish off another of Karl's in the process. The woman who had insulted them snuck out of the brush, gun aimed straight at James. Mariko and Jessie both aimed for her, firing simultaneously. The twin guns clicked, showing that they needed to be recharged. Despite being smaller and deadlier, the new brand couldn't fire as much as the old ones. The two women watched helplessly as the enemy pulled the trigger.
James saw the whole thing out of the corner of his eye, but wasn't worried. The woman's gun clicked, similar to how Jessie and Mariko's had. James smiled. He'd known if his friends'weapons were dead, hers would be too, since she'd fired more. The bounty hunter's eyes widened; she made a made dash for the cover of the forest, knowing she'd never make it in time.
James raised his weapon to kill her, but hesitated. He realized that he had absolutely no desire to end the terrified life before him. As a matter of fact, the thought of it made him feel sick. He lowered the gun, letting her escape into the woods.
"They've had enough for now," Mariko announced.
James put away his own laser gun, closing his eyes and sighing. 'Thank God that's over for the day,' he thought.
Something threw itself around him, almost knocking the wind out of the bounty hunter. His eyes snapped open, looking down to see Jessie hugging him tightly.
"Don't do that again!" she snapped. "I thought she was going to kill you!"
"I knew she didn't have any charge left-"
"But I didn't!" came the harsh reply. Jessie glanced upwards, since James was a good two or three inches taller than she. Her look softened. "Next time you decide to be suicidal, could you let me know ahead of time?"
Tracey raised both eyebrows. It suddenly became clear to him, and the others, that whatever had happened last night was most likely the cause of this scene.
James looked over her head to see Mariko retrieving her other gun. The female assassin looked him straight in the eyes, an unspoken question in the golden pools. James nodded. "Okay, Jess. I'll do that."
~
Mariko leaned her back against a tree, rubbing her wounded abdomen and grimacing slightly. She'd made her escape from camp as soon as dinner was finished, wanting to get a little privacy and expecting a visitor. She got both.
Mariko didn't bother looking up; she could tell by the silent, quick lope that James was standing behind her. "Yes?"
"I could tell you wanted to talk to me," he explained. His voice held a slight friendly note, but nothing like the tenderness he gave Jessie, much to the female bounty hunter's disappointment.
She wiped her face clean of all emotion, saying blankly, "You let her go, today."
James leaned on the same tree, to the right and side of her. "I didn't think I had a good shot."
"Liar," she said, harsher than was needed. "You're as good a shot as me, if not better. I could have hit someone ten feet off easily, and I've no doubt you could as well."
He shrugged. "In that case, I didn't want to kill her, then."
"Want? In all my years of knowing you, you have never wanted, liked, or disliked anything to any extreme. I've seen you kill people who did nothing to you. That woman insulted the both of us, not to mention she was with Karl, and you let her get away." She sighed. "Ah, well. I always knew you weren't meant for this career."
James nodded. "I think I figured that out for myself yesterday."
"After this journey, then, you will be turning in your gun, so to speak?" Mariko assumed, trying to hide the despair she felt. He nodded. "Going with Jessie?"
"Maybe," came the reply.
"And by maybe, you mean definitely," Mariko summed up, feeling as if an arrow had pierced her chest.
He smiled. "You know me too well."
She breathed in the fresh pine scent of the Crimson Forest. "So that means that, you and I, will possibly not meet again, for a very long time."
"Could be," he chuckled. "I'd think you'd be glad to be rid of me. Now you won't have to put up with the other's comments about the two of us."
She smiled; it was one of the few times James had seen her do that. "Yes, you have a point there. But I enjoyed your company, despite that. And it's really a shame, for I won't be able to repay my debt to you now."
"Well, if you WANT to be my slave..."
She gave him a dry look. "Do you really see me dressed in a black dress and white apron, holding a feather duster?"
He laughed at the mental picture. "Can't say I do." He shot a look back to where camp was. "I hate to cut this short, but was there anything else you wanted to talk about?"
Mariko opened her mouth to tell him the truth about her own feelings, but stopped. 'No,' she thought to herself firmly. 'I've screwed up his life too much already as it is. He needn't be caused any further stress from me.' She put her hands behind her back, forcing herself to sound indifferent and pulling the blank look back on. "Nothing else. Be sure to rest well, though. Tomorrow will be the last day of our battle, I'm sure of it."
"I have a feeling you're right," he walked off, tossing a hand as a final farewell, saying lightly, "Night, Mariko."
She frowned sadly behind his back. "Good night... James."
~
Ignorant to the dramatic events their travelling companions were undergoing, Brock, Tracey and Gary were seated comfortably in their small tent, which Gary had so eloquently dubbed "The Horny Bachelor Barracks." Despite the chill night air, they were perfectly warm and had plenty of light, thanks to Brock's Charmeleon.
Tracey doodled absent-mindedly on a piece of paper, making sure he hadn't gone rusty during the past years. He was sketching from memory, trying to picture in his head how scenic the mountains had looked that night he had conversed with Mariko.
Gary's voice brought him back to the real world with a crash. "All this shooting and knowing you could die tomorrow is giving me a headache." He sighed. "I would sell my soul for a drink right about now."
Brock nodded. "You got that right, Gar'."
Tracey grinned and went quietly to his bag. After a minute or so of rummaging around he pulled out a small bottle that read, "Tequila." Brock and Gary stared at the bottle, blinking steadily. "Where did you-"
"I bought it back in Silver," he explained. "With bounty hunters on our tail, blizzards hanging over our heads, and who knew how many fights breaking out among the ranks, I figured I was bound to need some of it before this was over."
Brock grabbed three glasses out of his pack as he and Gary scrambled over to where the artist sat. Gary made a grab for the bottle, but Tracey jerked back sharply. "I want two contracts, made out to Tracey Sketchit, for the souls of Brock Harrison and Gary Oak."
"I'll write you an IOU," they said simultaneously.
Tracey laughed, handing over the bottle. Gary poured three glasses out, emptying the small bottle quickly. They sat in silence for a while, enjoying the peaceful moment. After a minute, Gary spoke up. "So what do you guys plan on doing once this little 'quest' of ours is over?"
Brock sipped the drink thoughtfully. "Well, I've wanted to be a breeder for as long as I can remember, but recently I've gotten a lot of comments from people saying I should be a psychiatrist. Apparently I have great people skills. Misty even told me she could talk to me about anything." He shrugged. "It sounds like a good idea, I guess. But I'd probably want a breeding farm on the side, or something."
Gary nodded. "Sounds fun." He paused to take a drink. "You and Tracey could be partners.How does Harrison and Sketchit sound? Nice ring to it, actually."
"Why Tracey?" Brock asked.
Gary laughed. "Can't you just see him, sitting in a chair, sketchpad in hand, writing notes and going, 'I see,' every once and a while?" Tracey threw his pencil at the ex-pilot. Gary dodged it easily. "Seriously, though, Tracey notices just about everything a person does. Hell, all I basically have to do is move my hand and he knows what I'm thinking." The watcher blushed. "Between the two of you I bet you could cure a lot of basket cases. And, since Tracey IS going to be dating Celia..."
Both Brock and Tracey sat upright with a start. "What!?"
"Why wasn't I informed about this!?" Brock demanded, glaring at Tracey.
Tracey in turn glared at Gary. "Why wasn't I!?"
Gary snorted. "Oh, come on. I may not be the most observant person in the world, but any idiot could see she's got a thing for Tracey. She and Jessie were always talking to each other, sending looks your way..." he winked in Tracey's direction. "And you feel the same way, don't you?"
Tracey blushed deeper, rubbing the back of his head. "Well, maybe just a little..."
Brock covered his ears. "I'm not hearing this! Tracey did not just say he was attracted to my sister, and Gary did not say Celia was attracted to Tracey!"
Gary clapped a hand on the breeder's back. "Ah, don't get so worked up. Better someone you know than a drunken gang leader in a bar, right?"
"The thought of my sister being sexually active is one I never wanted to consider, much less when the feelings go to a friend of mine," Brock told him. "No offense or anything, Trace, but she's my little sister!"
"None taken, trust me." Tracey, disliking this conversation more and more, decided to track it in a different direction. "So Gary, what about you? What do you plan on doing once this is over?"
His answer came jokingly. "Finish college. Then, who knows? Probably spend the money I inherited on frivolous items like an Olympic-sized pool and a Farari or three."
"After you find Erika and declare your love to her in an expensive and dramatic way," Tracey finished.
Gary laughed. Unlike Tracey, he didn't mind admitting this kind of thing. "Exactly." He frowned thoughtfully. "God, I hope she makes it through the war all right. I know she didn't do any fighting, but if some nasty war general decides to bomb our old camp..."
"She's fine," Brock assured him. "Probably pining over her lost love right at this moment."
"Oh, speaking of loves," Gary began, giving Brock a wolfish grin, "I wanted to tell you that if you and Misty ever want to be alone, Tracey and I don't mind dumping ourselves in on Jessie and James for a night."
Brock choked on his drink. "Me and Misty alone!?" He held up his hands. "It's not like that, really."
Tracey elbowed him. "Yeah, like we all don't know what went on that night you were alone in the mountains."
Gary nodded in agreement. "Deep in a cave alone, the cold air whistling by outside. You snuggle closer to get warmer. Suddenly, the wind whips off your clothes-" Brock grabbed Tracey's pencil from him and threw it at Gary. The veteran once more ducked the attack. "Okay, okay, I'll stop." He chuckled. "You have no idea how much fun it is to get you two flustered." He held up his glass. "I propose a toast. To our future careers, our future wives," the others picked up their own glasses, liking the toast so far. Gary smirked, "and the hope that Misty, Erika and Celia are Goddesses in bed."
Tracey and Brock dumped the small amount of tequila left in their glasses onto Gary's head, making sure he didn't have get a chance to dodge them this time.
~
The next morning was overcast and dreary, sending stabs of gloom through the camp.
"On the bright side," Ash remarked, stretching lazily. "We're near the edge of the forest. I'd expect to get out in about two hours or so."
"That isn't necessarily a good thing," Jessie spoke up. "Maybe those assassins won't have any cover, but that means they'll be able to get a good shot at us from a distance."
"Yeah, but Mariko and James will get nice distance shots too," Tracey reminded the camp, confidence ringing in his voice. James looked doubtful; Mariko showed no signs of emotion, as usual, but Tracey noted an odd aura of sadness around her. He couldn't figure out why, but something told him it had to do with the fact that Jessie and James were now an unofficial "couple." At any rate, that was how he thought of them.
As usual the morning was quiet and peaceful, as if to tell the travellers the entire day would be without problems. Even so, everyone kept their eyes and ears open while they chatted idly, ready to react to a surprise attack should it come.
Making remarkable time, they came to the forest's end an hour and a half after beginning. The land stretched before them, barren but for a hill or rock here and there, the only ground covering a two-inch blanket of snow.
Ash tested the white covering. It crunched softly, but didn't collapse under the added weight. "Good. It's packing snow, so the going will be easier."
"That's a Godsend," Misty said, breathing a sigh of relief. "If it had all been powder we would have been in for one hell of a trip."
Tracey cast a glance at Gary, knowing it would be, "one hell of a trip" for him either way. He remembered what Mariko has said, though, and kept quiet. Sure enough, after a minor struggle the ex-pilot seemed to get the hang of maneuvering through snow, and kept up easily with the others. Tracey realized how truly right Mariko had been.
They took a short break for lunch, then started their trek again.
"When do you think they'll attack?" Jessie asked anyone who cared to listen.
James thought for a moment. "The past two days they've started firing between one and two." He checked his watch: one o'clock exactly. Louder, so the whole group would hear, he announced: "Stay on the alert! Karl and his remaining one will be here soon!"
As soon as the words left his mouth a laser shot came from behind a small boulder pile. Jessie had to throw herself to the ground in order to miss getting hit, biting icy snow as she connected with the earth.
James' eyes watched the only means of cover for Karl and the woman, waiting for one of them to lean out to fire. He set the weapon on level two- meant to stun, but not kill. Vaguely he heard Gary ask where Mariko was. James glanced around, one eye trained on the rocky outcrop. His fellow assassin was nowhere to be seen- come to think of it, she had disappeared just a little after lunch. Mariko had been so quiet that day that even Tracey hadn't noticed her departure. "Dammit, where is that woman when you need her?" he asked himself, catching movement behind the boulders. James fired, hitting the female's gun and turning it into a useless, melted chunk of metal. He smiled grimly.
There was the harsh noise of a woman's scream from behind the rocks. What sounded like aminor struggle issued, followed by three quick laser shots, then violent swearing from Karl. Surprisingly, Mariko's voice came around the side of the pile. "James! Jessie! The rest of you as well, if you'd like." There was a silent, shocked pause on the traveller's parts. Mariko's head came around the corner. "Do stop standing there with your mouths hanging open and get over here."
James and Jessie were the first to move, followed shortly by the rest of the Kantans. Behind the outcrop sat an interesting and disturbing sight. The female companion of Karl's lay dead, a small ways from Mariko. In front of the assassin leader sat Karl, eyes wide with fright, his gun charred and worthless.
"What-" Misty began, but Mariko cut her off.
"I snuck up from the back and caught them unawares. The woman attacked me, and Karl accidentally killed her instead of me." Her lips curled into a humorless smile. "Now now, what to do with this one? Since you were going to make me suffer, I'm rather inclined to doing the same to you. James!" He jumped slightly, startled by the rough outburst. "Jessie is your companion," she said the words somewhat bitterly, "what shall I do to Karl?"
James turned his head away, not wanting to see the scene. "I'm not really the authority on this." The others followed his example, looking away from the brutal killing they knew would come.
Karl noticed, with some amount of surprise, that Mariko's look softened as she turned an eye to James, glaring the other at Karl. He was too struck with terror and shock to pay much attention to it, though. "Listen, Weasel. Normally I would kill you on the spot and spit on your carcass, but I'm feeling especially forgiving today. So," she fired at the ground by his feet. The shot didn't hit them, but the intense power and heat of the gun would leave the soles charred for a good while. He knew he'd probably feel the strain every time he walked too far. "I am sparing your miserable and worthless life, on two important conditions. One is that you never return to the bounty hunting community, or Kanto for that matter, for the rest of your life. If you do," she tightened her finger on the trigger in self-explanation. "Secondly, you will never put a single scratch on James- Jake, to you- or his friends. Because if you were to break either of these rules you know I would somehow find out. I would stalk you to the ends of Nomékop, if need be, and make you wish your mother had never given birth to such a pitiful excuse of a human. Am I understood?" He nodded vigorously, understanding perfectly. "As I expected. Now, get out of my sight." She nodded to a hill in the distance. "If you aren't over that by the time I count to twenty, I really will kill you. Go."
Karl scrambled to his feet, burned soles or no, and dashed madly to the aforementioned hill as if his life depended on it, because, in harsh reality, it did. Mariko didn't bother counting- she really had no intention of killing him, not right then anyway- and turned back to the group. "Such a nice way to spend an afternoon, stalking two bounty hunters. Shall we continue?" Following dumbstruck, letting the past events sink in, the Kantans walked in silence for quite some time. Finally, Tracey spoke up. "How did you follow them without being seen, by them or by us, when there's hardly any cover out here?"
The corners of Mariko's eyes turned upwards in a smile. "Another trick of mine, Tracey. Camouflage happens to be my specialty, among other things. And it's quite easy to track an enemy that doesn't know you are coming, or stay out of sight of a group who doesn't know you are gone."
She strode ahead, away from the others. After a pause, James followed.
"You let him get away," he said, quoting what she had told him the night before.
Mariko smiled with both eyes and lips this time. "Perhaps you and your friend's compassion is rubbing off on me."
~
Time went by considerably easier after that, for the rest of that day and for the early morning of the next. A sense of anxious calm filled the camp, as they knew they were safe from harm but also very close to their final destination. The only significant event occured the following morning, when Mariko was found missing and everything she owned gone.
"Is she gone for good?" Ash asked, sounding concerned and almost sad.
James put his hands behind his head. "That's typical of her, I admit. She doesn't enjoy the company of so many- I think the seven of us were enough for one trip. Meeting the Elite would have been more than enough socialization."
"I hate to say it, but I think I'm actually gonna miss her," Gary admitted.
Tracey nodded, watching the surrounding flatlands for some sign of the female bounty hunter. He had a strange feeling there was something more to it than just what James had said. "I will too, Gar'. I know this sounds odd, but I think in some ways she was sort of..." he grinned. "Sort of my soul mate."
"Mariko, your soul mate?" Gary queried. He shrugged. "If you say so." He slung an arm around his friend's shoulder. "Don't look so glum. I don't think she's gone for good- as much as she hates to admit it, she liked us." He chuckled. "In her own secretive way, I have a feeling she'll be checking up on us every once in a while. To make sure her adopted family doesn't get themselves killed."
"Yeah, guess you're right," Tracey agreed. He shouldered his pack. "How much farther, Ash?"
"Should hit the valley around late this evening, if we keep up the pace we have the entire trip."
Misty's face lit up happily. "Oh, thank God. I can't wait to get a hot bath- all this ice cold stream bathing is damn annoying."
Gary couldn't resist. "And maybe Brock can join you-" he was immediately buffeted by two heavily weighted backpacks, holding up his hands in surrender. "Sorry! I won't say that again! God, Brock, is that thing weighted with rocks?!"
~
Mariko watched the group from atop a far-off hill; had she not had such sharp eyes she wouldn't have been able to distinguish who was who. She kept her eyes on them until they disappeared out of sight. Flicking her own pack onto her back, she smiled. "I will miss them. But it's much easier this way. I always despised good-byes... though, I don't suppose you could consider this a true farewell. I'll have to keep my eyes on that bunch- it will be most interesting to see what they make out of themselves." She sent a parting look to where they had escaped her vision, heading the other way back towards the town of Silver. "Ah, no matter. I have a lot of work to do as it is. I'll handle that one in Viridian first, then perhaps stop by Pewter on my way to Celadon, to make sure they get home safely..."
The solitary bounty hunter was soon over the hilltop on a direct line for the Crimson Forest, thinking aloud as she went and promising to visit the interesting company of Kantans soon.
~
After a long, hard hike slightly upwards for nearly three hours, the travellers abruptly found themselves looking down into a deep valley. The setting sun, working along with snow-covered mountains to work as a backdrop, created the scene all the more memorable. Below them stood several cabins, all circling a large field that was no doubt some sort of training rink. The rusty hues of crimson, violet and gold painted the village in breath-taking colors. It seemed to be inviting them down, telling them to rest peacefully after such a long trip.
"It's amazing," Tracey breathed, capturing the picture in his mind for further reference.
"After all this," Jessie said slowly.
"We're finally here," James finished.
Ash started at a fast, downhill run. Misty grabbed Brock's hand, following Ash. Brock kept up easily; Jessie and James were close on his tail. Tracey went at a pace with Gary's, not wanting to leave his friend in the dust. Surprisingly to the artist, Gary moved at a fast pace, only a few meters behind the old Rocket pair.
"I can't believe we made it," Misty laughed as she trotted downwards. "We're just five minutes away from the end of this war. I know it."
~
Lance was enjoying a quiet evening with his family and the other members of the Elite, sitting in the parlor of their lodge, when three sharp raps came on the door. Everyone knew that to be none other than their own League Champ, Ash Ketchum's knock. Bruno turned off the television, as he and the others abandoned their seats by the blazing fire to greet their long-gone friend.
Lance opened the door, taken aback in surprise. It was Ash, sure enough, but behind him stood a collection of six others. He recognized three as some of the champ's friends, another as the talented trainer who had lost to Ash, but couldn't place the other two. "Ash?" he questioned, blinking in minor shock. "Who are these people, and what are you-"
"I'll explain it to you later, I promise," he interrupted. He looked back at the companions who had stuck by him through his pig-headedness, raging blizzards, and cold-blooded killers, all for one cause. "Right now I need you to call up every Czar, President, Dictator and whatever else, from Quiana to the the Orange Islands. Tell them the League Champ wants to hold a meeting at the Indigo Plateau, Tuesday at 3 PM Kanto time."
The Dragon Trainer stepped back, letting Ash and his company into the doorway. "Well, all right, but can I ask what the reason is?"
Ash smiled. "For peace."

Epilogue

Chapter Index