A week had passed since the terror that Ace unleashed upon Emerald ended. He watched the Rockets try to rebuild their strength but, if any good came out of his bloodlust was the inspiration he breathed into the Forest Raiders. Unknown to Ace Gary was bringing his army to Emerald. Hit them when their down.
"We go friends to free what is left of Emerald! The Rocket's are weak! The strange events that occured over the last month will help us gain our goal! To free Emerald!" His army cheering. "We have new powerful allies my friends! Ones that will help us retake what is ours!"
A figure emerged from the darkness. Three toed feet carrying before the army. A three fingered hand took hold of the hood covering it's face. Lifting Mewtwo stood before the army.
"The Mewtwo Misphisto has agreed to fight by our sides!" Gary raised his arms, the crowd grew louder.
"Emerald will be free!" Misphisto shouted as he raised an army, the army cheering him. "I swear this will be the last nights we are forced to cower from the evil that has over taken our kingdom!"
As Ace sulked in his depression something landed on his shoulder. It was a pidgey. He swatted at it yet the bird perched on his shoulder once more. He groaned as he swiped at it again. Then he saw the message tube attached to the leg.
"That for me girl?" The bird cooed, Ace took the message.
He ran wildly to the camp. There Draco was sunning himself while Charcole walked into camp. Ash saw Ace tearing toward them, he woke everyone.
James was still wary around Ace. He remembered those jaws snapping at him. He remained at a distance. Nero forgave Ace already, Nero was good natured that way. He thought Ace was in no control of himself.
"The calvary is on the way!" Ace shook the letter in his fist. "FBI agents are being dispatched to Emerald!"
"Then you are still using your American ways?'" The old woman stepped into sight. "Ace you are going to leave this kingdom a waste land! The nights you changed you already proved it. As a wolf you cared nothing about what you destroyed. Now as an American you care not what you destroy."
"Destruction leads to a bettering of the world!" He snarled with his fangs showing.
"A bettering of the world? I see you've let your education slip as well. So much anger inside. That is why my daughter could never love you." She scowled.
"Your Angel's mother! That's why I recognised you!" Ace was surprised she aged so poorly.
"Yes, and you are this land's Prince. You will be King but, your anger will destroy all Ace."
"He's a King?" James fell over the log he was sitting on.
"Yes, he is the crowned Prince of Emerald. Rockets murdered your family so now you will avenge them." She looked into his eyes.
"Avenge yes I can do that!" He walked to her.
"You must do it right though! The guilty must be brought to justice before God not you! You must capture them. Remember they have no guns, they fight with pokémon. You will have blood on your hands that will never wash away if you continue on the path you are heading. Ace please try to remember the sweet boy you were. You valued life then."
"I will conquer Emerald my way! If the Rockets oppose me I will use any resource necessary. I will however I will start this war with pokémon but, if the Rockets raise any gun to us we will fire upon them with ours."
"Then at least you will try to spare some of them." She used her Dodrio to dash away again.
"Nero! Nero!" Veronica appeared before dark. She hugged her brother.
"What are you doing here!" Nero was surprised.
"I'm looking for a man named Ace." She answered.
"That would be me if you count me as a man." The others laughed at the inside joke.
"Gary heard great things about you mainly the resistence movements you are leading in the city now. He is leading the army to help overthrow the Queen."
Things were falling into place for him. It was time to overthrow the Queen. Ace would have two armies arriving before nightfall the following evening.
"So how do they work?" Brock watched Mewtwo listen to Pryce's instructions.
"The dark side of the crystal is if you wish to enter Emerald, the lighter colored side is for Kanto." Pryce held the crystal upright. "First spike is for traveling into the past, second is present, third future. If the boys held the crystals in an uncoordinated manner there is no telling what could have happened."
"Now how do you control exact time and location?" Mewtwo was facsinated by Shao Lins creation.
"I don't know. By thinking I guess. I would think of the twon I wanted to travel to and I would appear at that location." Mewtwo knew the old one was holding back alot of secrets yet he promised not to pry into his mind.
"I shall go to collect them." Mewtwo announced.
"I want to go Mentor!" Misty stepped forward.
"So do I!" Brock voiced.
"Cassandra!" Misphisto floated near here cell.
"Misphisto! My love!" She gazed at him through the bars. "Why have you come back?"
"To free you. Two armies march now to reclaim Emerald. We shall be together as it was meant to be." He touched her hand through the bars. "I love you Cassie! Our children will grow free! We shall be happy after this war is played out."
Ultra listened, a wicked smile spreading. The Queen would be pleased. In the darkness after Misphisto teleported away Ultra laughed. The fool was very much still in love with Cassandra. When Misphisto was dead so would Cassandra die with him. Ultra teleported to the Queen's throne room.
Gary was shocked, there he lay with knife wounds in his body. Koga was lifeless and shattered. A month after he had been kidnapped he was killed and dumped at the entrance to the stadium. Gary had saw Giovinni dump the body. Then days later fights about who killed the Elite Four member errupted into fights in the streets. Johto and Kanto blamed someone from their countries. Fights morphed into roits.
When the roits worsened the war began. Kanto went to war with Johto. The old grudges of the two lands being reflamed the war raged. Gary knew what began the war. He had to return before Koga was kidnapped.
Gary was ashamed to see his former colleagues fight in this senseless battle. Surge fought Johto trainers who tried to take him by surprise in Vermilion. Janine was under attack as well in Fushcia. Erika refused to fight, she was killed by a coward shooting her in the back.
Gary learned his counterpart was driven from his gym when Johto Leaders attacked. Chuck denounced the actions taken by the trainers, he ejected any trainer who joined in the war from his gym. Clair went into hiding when the war began, her trainers followed her.
Gym Leaders from the most remote Johto locations were the main force behind the efforts. Kanto Leaders had no choice but, to defend themselves.
Gary held the Amber Rod. He knew this was a fight built over decades of pride, competetion and mistrust, prejudice. He leapt into the fray releasing Dark. Commanding him to attack Kanto and Johto Leaders alike. Eevee ran with agility attacks. He shouted at the combatants trying to get them to come to their senses.
"Oh my God!" Melanie showed the paper to Mewtwo. "Koga was found dead. Murdered by unknown assailants."
Brock and Misty stood in silence out of respect for the Gym Leader. Then anger and grief struck.
"Don't worry, you can save him still. We are going to return a little into the past." Mewtwo offered his hands. "Time to finish this!"
Ace spat, he paced before the city. He watched Ash and his friends try to hype themselves up. Ace had to get this thing started again. Tomorrow the first wave of Raiders and Agents would storm the city. Element of surprise was needed. If they thought only a small band was attacking they would be unprepared for an assault by two armies.
Ace worried that he would get carried away again. He checked the explosives he gained from another old friend. He took off his hat, ran his fingers in his hair.
"Let's roll!" He walked calmly into the city.
Ash ran in shadow, planting bombs where Ace instructed. Nero crawled under a fence, placing charges inside a building which was the TR's ammunitions site. James released Victreebel and Weezing in strategic locations. He then went about his way.
Pretending to be leaving his toll at a patrol house James slipped a charge under the alarm box. Further into the city he would place several more around key secruity posts.
Ace changed himself into his garou form. He had lightning moves as he wired the main power plant. The darkness would toss the Rockets into chaos. Becoming human he went on to his next target.
The Queen was preparing as well. Ultra well rewarded sat cleaning a bone down to the marrow. It flung it at a young servant, she flinched as it struck the floor before her.
"Ultra I want them to think you are still in the forest chasing the rebels. When we see they are deep into the city you can go out to play. Shred them with your mighty claws." She smiled.
"My pleasure! Now I will take my reward and count it again." Ultra grasped the bag of gold which sat on the dinner table.
"Everything is set Ace." James saluted.
"My task is done." Nero saluted.
"Done." Ash saluted.
"Party time!" He began pressing buttons.
Running to her blacony the Queen watched the flares of destruction relit Emerald.
"Get the fail safe ready!" She ordered.
Ace fired a rifle into the air, pure scare tactics. Pikachu cowered from the sounds. Tork began to spray the guards on duty. Running from the toll booths they shouted and chased Tork, at another location Cynder was giving the guards hot foot until they ran after him. Ace jammed down on the button. The booths were reduced to smoldering craters.
Rockets rushed to subdue the revolt. Ace waited. They drew closer. Ace waited. They began to spread out, Ace blew the power plant. Darkness swallowed Emerald, shots rang out.
To be continued.........
-JLB