Charging right after the Queen who screamed for mercy. Ace blew a hole through a door, reaching through he unlocked another door. She was no where in sight. He heard someone running behind him. He went down the hall leading to the castle's catacombs.
Weak but, alive Misphisto felt hands lifting him. Ash and Misty stopped. Looking at each other as they both helped Misphisto up. Two months had gone and now they saw each other within arms reach in a real world. Smiling at each other they helped the injuryed mewtwo.
Gary rolled his eyes and lead them into the castle. He didn't think it would be this painful to see Misty again. Misphisto pointed out which halls to take although Gary could see the charred doors and blasted holes.
Draco hunted, he could smell the exact paths the Queen took. Ace was ahead of him using his nose as well. Again Draco turned, someone was following them. Ace ignored it again.
"Listen, Emerald Mewtwo. This Ultra thing said he needed to go to the catacombs. Wouldn't it be safer and faster to just teleport?" James and Meowth had a plan.
"Yes. But I've used my powers up." He gasped, he felt it, he knew it he had broken ribs.
"I haven't." Mewtwo came into the room.
"Get us there and I'll take care of the rest. Find a female mewtwo, her name is Cassandra. Whatever you do get her away from here." Misphisto forced the words out of his burning lungs.
"It's dark in here!" Brock bumped into some kind of glass aquarium.
"I found a light switch!" Nero pushed it.
Brock leapt away, in the glass tube a mewtwo was curled into a ball. Bubbles escaped it's mouth as it floated in the incubation chamber. Six in all waiting to be born.
"She's....culturing....more." Misphisto saw them lined in two rows of three on opposite sides of the narrow hall.
"Not only that, she's making breeding stock." Ash pointed to the labels, on one side the males were marked by the Aires symbol. On the other side the females had the vensus symbol on thier tubes.
"This is why she was waiting to attack Amber, they are days from "hatching"." Misphisto studied a female, it opened it's eyes.
Snarling the immature creature tried to slash at Misphisto. Eyes glowing blue she shrieked.
"They seemed to have hate for me bred into them somehow?"
"I found it!" Brock lifted the eggs from the incubator labeled Cassandra.
"Yeah well check this out! Anyone know what a Krell is?" Gary tapped the glass as an automatic turner tilted the egg preventing the embryo from sticking to one side of the egg which would cause deformation or death even.
"The Krell? They were an ancient pokémon race created by the Atlantians. A sharkish brute with scales like a reptile. Very strong but, stupid." Misphisto answered.
"Could this be the egg they're protecting?" Ash saw it was rather ugly, puke green with fat bluging scales covering it.
Gary was thrown back as Ultra stepped before the incubator. A new mask covering it's face Ultra vented steam. With a flick of it's tail it took the egg.
"You have no place to go Ultra! Give it up." Misphisto gave him a leer attack.
"Fool! I have anywhere in the world to go to!" It stole the crystals from Ash and Gary's hands.
The Queen let loose another Charizard. Draco slashed but, caught no flesh. Instead the reptile sank teeth into Draco's shoulder, bleating in his surprise Draco tumbled down the stairs with the dragon.
"Just you and me now!" Ace held the guns out, the Queen kicked him and ran.
"Rockets help me!" She barked.
The battle of two charizards in the castle rocked it. Cinder blocks fell almost crushing Misty. Gary leapt pulling her away from the crashing stones. Ash was trying to wrench the crystals from Ultra.
Fire spinning Draco threw the other male against the wall. Scorch sent a flamethrower. Tapestries and furniture burst into spreading flames. The hungry creatures the flames were licked about setting rugs ablaze.
Nero took a bow from a Raider when they had rushed the scene. He couldn't aim for Ultra it swished about as it tried to dislodge Ash. The castle shook again sending every spilling to the floor. At the edge of collapsing Misphisto saw what appeared to be Cassandra fighting Ultra for the crystals.
His sight impaired he attempted to crawl to them. A glow began, the rods had been activated. He crawled on, though his ribs protested. Another explosion he was sent sprawling. A light showered the room. He heard something clack against the stone floor before darkness engulfed him.
His wings slammed forward fainting the older dragon. Draco fell to his knees panting, the worse fight he ever had been in. His shoulder bleeding wildly. He flamed the wound shut.
At the foot of the stairs the Queen cried. Ace grinned as he cocked the calibers. He softened his foot steps. He would take her by surprise.
"Stop!" Someone threw arms around Ace.
He saw it was Angel, he was shocked.
"Don't hurt her please!" Angel had tears in her eyes.
"Why? You saw what she did to my parents!" He push her aside.
"I'm sorry for whatever she did to your family but, you can't just kill her it's wrong!" She didn't recognize him.
"Get out of my way!" He rushed the final steps.
Ace lowered his guns, he saw before him an army of children all standing between him and the next flight of stairs. He remembered the girl he shot down. His hands trembled.
"You are not touching the Queen!" The lead girl shouted. "Our pokémon will assure it!"
They were no more than six, some seven and ten. Ace couldn't bring himself to harm any of them. He backed away a few steps. In his glasses he saw the glow of a fire. The castle was burning! Draco squeezed out of the inferno room and stood between the kids and Ace.
Thinking of a plan Ace studied the surroundings. He was coming up empty handed, he always had a plan why not now! He grunted, then he saw one last ditch effort.
"Draco dragon breath!"
Draco threw back his head and then shot forward. A revolting burp escaped his mouth. The stench of it almost dripped of acid. The kids held their noses as they screamed and tried to fan the smell from them. They scattered out into hallways to escape Draco's garlic breath. Draco put his fists on his hips swelling out his chest. He was rather proud of himself.
Ace ran down the steps avoiding puke and the remaining stink. With his hat over his nose Ace kept his course. There! She was on the next flight down. Ace raised the guns.
"Stop! Don't!" Angel spun him around. "Take a closer look!"
Turning Ace saw the Queen cradling a child in her arms. Ace dropped his pistols. Had he fired he would have killed the girl. Again the Rocket grunt he shot down came to his mind. Angel's mother was right. At what cost would he reclaim the kingdom.
"It's all right Jezel it'll be over in seconds." The Queen cried as she held her daughter, the last child of Giovanni.
"You see you can't kill anyone these days without looking!" A familar voice spoke.
Donavinni appeared. Ace was shocked yet again. The son of Giovanni still breathing while the Queen held the crown.
"Ace! You never used your brain have you?" He took the cuffs from Ace's belt. "Well! Jessie you're under arrest!"
Ace couldn't believe what was happening had he lost his humanity? He ran, he ran past Donavin and the Queen as he cuffed her. He ran until he found himself in the treasure chamber. There his eyes fell on the treasure of his ancestors.
Finding them all out, Mewtwo carefully gathered up the crystals. He felt the castle rumble as pillars collasped. He knew the palace would be reduced to ashes. He teleported them out into the palace yard.
Draco crashed through a window as he glided to the courtyard below. He set down next to Nero. He raised his snout but, caught no scent of Ace.
Ace grabbed up handfuls of gold. His pockets weighing heavy with the stuff already. He had save as much as he could if he were to rebuild his kingdom. It was his! His families!
"Ace!" Donavin ran into the room.
"Donavinni! Come share! We have to save it all!" Ace shouted while he gripped more in his fist.
"Ace the castle is collapsing fool! We need to go now!" He tried to pull him away from the gold.
"It's mine!" Ace punched him. "Your family stole it! Now you're trying to steal it from me!"
"Ace?" Angel entered the room. "He's Ace?"
Though she wore rags now, had bruises on her face he still knew her anywhere. Ace dropped the gold as he watched her, her brown hair still flowing long over her shoulders. He's sanity returning.
"Please Ace let's leave." She held her hand out, taking it he held her to him and kissed her.
"Let's go." He lead them up the stairs.
Dodging falling beams, Ace shoved rubble out of their way with Donavin helping dig out filled in archways. Time was against them.
"Donavin! The other slaves!" Ace whirled around.
"No need to worry! Gary and his raiders freed us." Donavinni and Ace ended their feud that night.
"Where are they!" James waited with his nerves killing him.
"Come on Ace." Ash whispered.
"He saved us so many times and we leave him to die." Nero felt draco put a paw on his shoulder.
With a gust Draco crashed through the castle. He caught Ace's scent soon. A fallen rafter nearly broke his wing, smoke burned his eyes. Draco kept on though his lungs burned for fresh air.
Draco turned and twisted in the burning castle. A plume of dust blew into his eyes. Screaming Draco tumbled about the floor as his eyes watered.
"No!" The castle's roof crashed inward. It began the fall of Emerald Palace.
Blurred by able to see Draco struggled onward feeling the ground shake under him. He rushed head long toward the scent of his trainer. A beam fell catching him on his shoulders. Crying Draco fell to his knees. Coughing blood he forced the burning lumber from his back.
All outside watched as the final cracks rang out and the towers fell into the castle. The dust rose, screams rose, eyes rose to the sky as a dragon rose above the smoldering ruins. Draco proclaimed victory! A huge pillar of fire licked the night air.
To be continued.......
-JLB