Rating: Somewhere between PG and PG-13

Other: Not much to say. If you love it, hate it, or something in between, gimme an e-mail at Jayhawkfan35@yahoo.com. Thanks for reading!

"Three tickets for the full tour," Ash said, passing over the money to the ticket woman.
Brock leaned against the counter. "And, maybe after that dinner and a movie. Sound good?"
She ignored him. "Here you go. Three children's tickets."
Brock turned a funny shade of red. "Me? A... child?" He laughed a little. "Good joke. You're cute and you're witty, I like that. So, about that movie..."
Misty grabbed his ear and pulled him away. "Give it a rest, Brock."
A man in his early fifties greeted them at the entrance to the ruins. "Hello and welcome. If you'll wait for the other guests to arrive, we'll start the tour as soon as possible."
Ash looked around. "There's no one here but us."
"Really?" he asked, sweat-dropping.
"There wasn't anyone else, no," Misty confirmed.
He rubbed his temples. "That figures. Ever since the whole Hale Business our tour groups have been dropping." Looking up, the man was smiling again. "No matter. My name is Eugene DeCorr. It looks as if we'll be having a small group today, so why don't you follow me and I'll show you the magic of Alph."
Eugene walked into the murky shadows, his three tourists following close behind. The scene wasn't viewed by the four alone. Three pairs of binoculars also followed their every move...
"It looks as if they've disappeared into the ruins," Jessie pointed out.
"Why did they have to go in there?" James complained. "It's probably wet and dirty, and we only have one flashlight. They always pick the messiest places to travel! Why not a nice field, or maybe a beach..."
"Oh, shut up," Jessie snapped. "We don't have time to worry about that right now. If we don't move fast we'll lose them."
"Hey guys, anyone figger out how we're gonna get by dat lady at da ticket booth?" Meowth pondered.
"We could always BUY own way in," James mused.
"If we had money," Jessie finished.
The trio sighed.
A Pidgey flew by, sweeping in a wide arc and flying to the roof of the same building the twerps had gone in to. It vanished into a large hole on top, that wind and rain had worn away.
Jessie grinned. "There may be a way."

"This over here is an inscription written by the ancients," Eugene droned. "It reads, 'Pokémon, people, and plants, under the same sky, forevermore in harmony.' Of course, this was back when everything was balanced out, and before humans became the dominant species..."
Ash covered a yawn. "Still rather be here than walking to a gym?"
Misty and Brock groaned.
"Pika pi!"
They followed the sound of the electric mouse to where a small doorway led to another room. There were pictures of Unown all along the doorframe, and a strange writing above glowed with a greenish tint.
"Now THAT looks interesting!" Brock exclaimed.
"Oh, no, you mustn't go in there," Eugene finally noticed where their eyes were looking. "That's where the Hale accidents happened. It's completely off-limits to the public, and to most professionals. Besides, it's not really that great, or so I'm told. Now, if you come this way we'll find a marvelously well-preserved stone jug..."
Eugene rambled on, walking in to the other room and seeming to forget about his charges. Ash grinned. "We'll only take a peek-"
"It's not like we'll touch anything," Misty justified.
"And only for a second," Brock continued.
Quietly they snuck in to the forbidden room, curious to see why no one was allowed in.

Jessie, James, and Meowth poked their heads in through the hole, wiping some sweat off their foreheads.
"Whatta climb," Meowth panted.
"Look there!" James pointed down into the room. The trio of twerps, seemingly alone, were sneaking out and in to another chamber with odd writings and pictures covering the doorway. "There they go."
"And Pikachu with them," Jessie added. Once they were out of sight, Jessie considered how they were going to get down. "Meowth, jump first."
"Huh? Why does Meowth gotta be the guinea pig?" he questioned.
"Cats always land on their feet," James reminded him. Both he and Jessie pushed the Pokémon through the roof, where he did indeed land softly on all four paws.
"James, you next," Jessie said.
His head snapped up. "ME? But-"
Jessie shoved him down. James landed hard on his butt, yelping quietly. Before he had a chance to get back up, Jessie came down, falling atop her partner.
"Soft landing," Jessie remarked, dusting herself off. "Your head made it a little uneven, though."
James tried to clear the stars, but found himself being dragged along by Jessie swiftly to the next room. "The twerps are just around the corner... did anyone think up a plan this time?"
"None."
"Oh well. We'll improvise. We do that well."
"We're almost as good at that as we are at failing," James piped up, being bumped along the dirt floor and mussing up his uniform. "Hey, easy on the pants, they're the only pair that isn't at the cleaners!"

Brock waved a flashlight around the room. "Seem's normal enough,except for all those pictures of Unown on the walls."
Misty's eyes caught something. "What's that on the floor?"
Brock's light went to where she was gesturing. A small box, lid shut, sat next to an odd-looking machine of about the same size. The three and Pikachu crept over to it. Slowly, Brock read the label on the machine. "'Reality Alterer. Do not touch.' Well, that doesn't tell us much!"
"Is that all it says? Maybe there's something on the back-" Ash grabbed the thing in his hands.
"ASH! It said don't touch!" Misty reprimanded. She grabbed the other side to take it away from him.
"I just wanna look!"
Brock noticed that the box with the Unown drawings on it floated up, as if suspended by invisible cables, next to the machine. He reached out for the box, as little Scrabble-like pieces dropped to the ground.
The computerish instrument glowed green, as did the box and the Scrabble parts.
"What's going on?" Ash questioned.
"I TOLD you not to touch!" Misty snapped.
"Guys!" Brock stopped them. "We're glowing the same green!"
Ash and Misty both shouted in surprise, realizing that Brock was right. "What's happening?"
At that moment, Team Rocket poked their heads around the doorway. "We've got you now- huh?"
Without warning, Brock disappeared.
"Brock!" Misty cried. She watched in helpless horror as Ash joined him. A moment later, Misty, too, was gone.
The pieces, machine, and box floated in the air for a minute, then began to fall to the floor. Jessie and James dashed up and caught the machine before it was destroyed on the ground.
"Where'd they go?" Jessie wondered, looking around.
James didn't hear. He was reading something on the machine. "'Reality Alterer: You're greatest dreams come true! A world as you want it. Warning: Handle with Caution.' What do you suppose that means?"
"Isn't it obvious?" Jessie asked. She never finished, because it began to glow a sinister green color, as did Jessie and James. "Um..."
"Jess..."
James vanished, followed shortly by his partner.
Meowth watched the objects clatter to the floor, still glowing slightly. He looked over at Pikachu, then sighed. "We're gonna regret dis, ain't we?"
"Pika."
Both put their paws on the "Reality Alterer," and in moments went where their friends had.
Seconds later an angry Eugene ran into the room. "I thought I told you kids to-" he looked down at the box, computer, and letters, glowing faintly. "Oh my God. I- I gotta get help!" The tour guide dashed out of the cavern with surprising quickness, one thought on his mind: "I have to tell Professor Hale!"

"Is that the machine?" Prosessor Samuel Oak asked anxiously.
Stephen Hale nodded down to the box he held in his gloved hands. "This is it all right. According to the writing on the side it's a reality alterer of sorts- read for yourself."
Oak did as his colleague suggested, sighing as his eyes glanced over the "Do not touch," lable. "And yet they still wanted to mess around with it? I can't say I'm surprised, but I am rather disappointed. Mrs. Ketchum's worried sick, you know."
"No doubt," Hale agreed. He turned to his wife. "Why don't you take Molly to the Ketchum house? Maybe you can help to cheer Delia up. Tell her Sam and I will do everything we can."
She nodded, then took the girl by the hand and left.
"Professor, is that-?" Tracey began, sneaking up on the duo of scientists quietly.
"Yes. A Reality Alterer."
"And Ash, Misty, and Brock are in that thing?"
"I'm afraid so. It looks like the machine's original use was to create new worlds and realities to the owner's liking. But I would say it must have back-fired horribly, and sucks those who come across it into a world that they create with their thoughts," Professor Oak tried to explain.
"How are we going to get them out?" Tracey asked.
"That's why I brought it over," Hale explained. "To see if we could figure it out. You said Professor Ivy and Elm were coming, right?"
"They ought to be here soon," Oak agreed. "Here, I'll help you take all of this over to the table."
Professor Hale gratefully handed the machine over. "It's heavier than it looks."
The warning was too late. Oak fumbled it slightly, causing a shift in balance. The Reality Alterer fell out of his hands... and into Tracey's.
"Tracey, drop that thing!" Oak exclaimed, the slightest bit of panic in his voice.
"Professor..." Tracey looked up, obviously scared. "I can't. It's like it's stuck to me." A few seconds later it began to glow green. "What's gonna happen?"
"Don't worry about a thing. We'll get you out as soon as possible. When you find the others, tell them we're working on-"
It was the last thing Tracey heard as he was zapped into oblivion.

Reality One: Breeding Farms Aren't Just for Pokémon Brock blinked a few times, to make sure he wasn't dreaming. Something very odd was happening. He pinched himself a few times, then smacked his own face. Everything remained as it was.
"Excuse me," a woman walked up to him. "There's a sick Pikachu in Room Three. Do you think you can take a look at it?"
"Um, okay," Brock said absently. He found that he knew exactly where 'Room Three' was. As he walked in, a familiar face greeted him.
"Hey, Dr. Harrison!" Ash greeted. "Do you think you can check out Pikachu? I think he's got a flu or something."
Brock automatically went through the motions, as if he'd been a Pokémon doctor for years. He tried to sort his thoughts as he worked. The last thing he remembered was the reality thing sucking him in... of course! It all became clear! A reality alterer- like the Unown had done to Molly- would take your thoughts and make them real! So he was in his own world.
"Excuse me, Dr. Harrison?" Ash interrupted his thought pattern. "Is he okay?"
"Yeah. A little medicine should fix Pikachu right up," Brock agreed. He got some down from a shelf- he knew where it was, somehow- and handed it over to his old friend. Brock grinned. "You can stop calling me Dr. Harrison, Ash. It's cute, but you know it's only going to last for so long."
Ash raised an eyebrow. "Excuse me? I don't really think I know what you mean."
"The whole reality-" Brock stopped short. The blank look in Ash's eyes was very real. "Nevermind. So, how're things going with you?"
"Oh, the usual. Me and Pikachu are absolutely tearing it up at the local gym. I heard Lance is gonna try and challenge me pretty soon," he sounded completely sincere, like it was something that had always been happening.
It hit Brock like a thunderbolt. This was his world, because he'd been zapped into the machine first! Only he would know that things had ever been different. Ash had a different past and future here, just like he did. Brock almost laughed, proud that he'd figured it out so fast.
"Dr. Harrison?"
"Wha? Oh, yeah?"
"You okay? You're kind of out of it today. I was asking if I could leave now."
Brock nodded. "That's fine. I'll see you in a few weeks, all right?"
"Okay. Bye."
Brock walked out of the room, noticing for the first time that he felt a lot taller. He darted into a bathroom for a moment, and found a slightly older, mid-twenty year old version of himself looking back. "Wow, I'm gonna be hot in a few years."
He strolled out happily, wondering what other surprises would be in store for him in his world. He never would have picked the profession of Pokémon doctor off the top of his head, so the machine must pick up things deep in your psyche. Brock grinned, suddenly, realizing with a jolt that if this WAS his reality the girls would fall all over him.
As he walked into the main room, knowing his shift was over, a woman behind the counter (who looked exactly like Mrs. Ketchum) called out to him. "Don't forget that you're supposed to have dinner tonight with your wife at The Olive Garden!"
Dinner? With a wife? Brock couldn't decide if that was good or bad. No more flirting... but someone who he loved and who loved him back... what bliss!
One way or another he knew where the Olive Garden was, and got in his- he smiled everytime he thought it- red Porsche and drove to the restaurant.
"I can drive, I'm rich, I'm married," Brock sighed. "This IS the life. I wonder who my wife is, anyway?"
He had narrowed it down to the Viridian City Joy, the Fuschia City Jenny, and Willhemina, when he reached the restaraunt.
"Mr. Harrison, I'll take you to your table," the waitress (who resembled Duplica) said, walking him back.
Mr. Harrison. She said it like it meant something. He must have been pretty popular around town. Brock looked towards the table where the Duplica-waitress gestured. A woman, head hidden behind a menu, glanced upwards...
Brock face-vaulted.
MISTY?! MISTY!? How in the world? Of all the millions of girls in the world... Misty!? What sort of twisted Reality Alterer was this!?
'I'd choose MISTY over Suzi, Willhemina, Joy, Jenny, Joy, Jenny, Joy...' Brock paused in thought. Well, why was it such a weird idea? After all, he knew her best out of all his love prospects, and she was one of the few women he hadn't totally scared off... 'Yeah, why not Misty?' he said, more confident this time. 'She's cute, smart, spunky, not to mention a fellow Gym Leader... sure she's a little young but hey, I'm twenty-four now and that makes her about twenty, which isn't too big a deal...'
He strolled over to his- holy toledoes- wife and took a seat across from her, grinning and covering a blush. He sure hoped she wouldn't remember this when they got out of this world...
"You look like you haven't seen me in years," Misty said, using a smile that made Brock's heart melt. "How was work?"
"Fine," Brock said, hoping he wasn't blushing like the teenager he really was. "You look amazing."
"Thanks," she laughed. "I guess work must have been VERY good today, huh?" She poured them both glasses of wine. "Everything is in great shape at the farm."
Farm? Farm... deep down Brock knew she meant a Breeding Farm. "Good to know. Did Vulpix have her litter yet?" How had he known that? Brock decided not to think about it. Sometimes it was better not to ask questions.
"Nope. I think she's waiting for both of us to be there," Misty explained. "I know it sounds odd, but the way she acts sometimes... it's too bad you have to work so much. We don't get a lot of time together anymore."
"If you want me to cut my time back-"
"No, that's all right. You love doing what you do, as much as I love working on the farm."
"But not as much as I love you."
She laughed again. "You're such a flirt. Now I remember why I fell in love with you." She grinned devilishly. "I have a romantic surprise tonight."
Brock's heart stuck in his throat. His first day, and he'd already be getting lucky! Oh, joy, bliss, rapture and harmony!
"I can't wait."

Violeta Ivy leaned down over the machine, running a finger along a crease in it. "I don't understand it. This thing looks thousands of years old, but it's technology is far superior to ours. How are we supposed to figure it out and get those kids home safely if we don't even know what it is?"
"Let me take another look at it," Elm insisted, pushing her out of the way. "Hm. You're right. It almost looks alien."
"Stephen and I have looked over it several times, and we can't discover any more than you can," Oak interrupted. "We can continue trying to figure it out, if you'd like, or we can think up a way to get Ash, Misty, Brock and Tracey out of there."
"Sam, I think there might be more people in there than that," Violeta said. She touched several bumps on the machine that were burning brightly with some unseen flame. "I counted eight, rather than just four."
Stephen Hale jerked a thumb at the Togepi sleeping quietly on a chair. "That's the only one who didn't go in. Too bad he can't tell us who's trapped."
"It doesn't matter, as long as we get them out," Sam said decisively. "I have a good idea that the others are Pikachu and those three gang members who chase after Ash, but we'll worry about that later. Right now we just need to get them out, and fast."
"But how?" Elm questioned impatiently. "We stand around here talking about what we need to do, but we don't know how to do that! What good's a plan without a definite solution?"
Oak shoved the two out of the way, pulling on a pair of microscope goggles. He grabbed some medical utensils. "I'm going to try and short it out."
"Short it- you could trap them forever!" Hale objected. "It's too crazy to even THINK about!"
"Not all at once..." Oak muttered, concentrating on his work more than on the conversation. He pried open the top, then pointed to some wires behind the nine green lights. "If I destroy one world at a time, it'll eventually get them all in the last one. That'll be Tracey's, if order means anything. He'll be able to tell them what's happening."
"Then what?" Elm asked tauntingly. "We leave them in your trainee's world forever? Just face it, Sam you don't have any more of a clue what's going on then we do."
"At least he's trying to do something!" Violeta snapped. "You can ridicule him all day, but the fact is Sam knows a whole lot more about everything than we do put together! So shut up and leave him to that. Maybe you can put yourself to use for once and help Stephen and me think up something after we short out the worlds!"
Elm recoiled, nodding vigorously. "Right, of course. I apologize."

Brock hung his coat on a coatrack, pulling his tie off in a hurry and following Misty into the bedroom. She smiled again, and once more Brock felt like he was going to wake up from this wonderful dream.
She stepped into the bathroom. "I'll be right out. Don't keep me waiting."
"No ma'am!" Brock exclaimed, undressing as fast as humanly possible. He lay down on the- sigh- waterbed just as Misty came out in some very sexy lingirie.
"So, doctor, what sort of check-up will we be having tonight?" she asked softly.
Brock smirked, loving his reality more and more every minute...

...And Professor Oak cut the wire...

Part Two