The light burned out, the night swallowed the sky once more. The hooded
woman turns to her newest student. She lowers her head before removing the
hood of her cloak.
"What do we do now my lady?" Melanie thought of Brock's failure.
"What else? We return to Saffron." She removes her hood." The Mentor will
be displeased but, we shall work together to find a new solution."
"May I stay to speak with Brock, to inform the others I mean."
"No, I'm too weak from so much use of my psychic powers. You will have to
use those healing techniques I taught you. When we reach our hotel you must
buy what little rations and so on
we will need for the return trip, buy tickets for the Magnet Train."
"Yes my lady." Melanie obeyed.
"And Melanie when your done with these tasks you will have the rest of
the night to confess your love for this boy." She laughs as she begins the
teleport.
"How did you know?"
"I am psychic remember."
Gary is still unconscious when Ash begins to come around. He blinks his
eyes, he sits up and finds it's still night time. As he tries to stand
something crashes into his chest sending him sprawling backward.
"Help! Gary!" Ash punches at the thing to find it has a hard shell.
"Wha... Ash!" Gary sits up and rubs his eyes. "Hold on Ash!"
Gary searches for his flashlight, he finds it unbroken and still clipped
to his side. He quickly turns it on and he searches for Ash. Ash in the
meantime managed to fling the creature away and climbed up a tree.
"Hey Gary!"
"Ash?" Gary found Ash hidden in a tree.
"Get in a tree Gary!" Ash whispers.
Gary hooks his fingers on the limb and hoists himself up. He cuts off the
light and looks below useing what little moonlight that shines in the thick
forest. He turns to his left to find he is right next to Ash.
"Where is it Ash?" Gary never felt so frightened.
"I don't know. It stopped following me when I climbed up here." Ash felt
the tree shake. "I don't even know what it is."
Something from above them shook the tree. Gary felt it crash onto his
back he pinwheeled his arms but went plummeting below. Ash tried to grab Gary
but, missed and went down with him.
"Venonat!" The pokemon was stunned next to Gary.
"It's just a venonat and not that thing." Gary sat up.
"Hey Gary watch out!" Ash was too late the creature was already tackling
Gary.
"Go Heracross!" Ash shouted. "Heracross! Where did you go!"
Something rolls against Ash's foot. He finds Gary's flashlight, he gets
an idea. Racing toward Gary he makes sure the light still works. He can hear
the two struggling. Then a third voice adds to the fray. Venonat is being
attacked by the monster.
Ash shines the light right on the creature blinding it. Reeling back it
releases Venonat. Gary sees it clearly. It is cone shaped like a Metapod but,
it has sharp spines growing from it's head and a crest of bristles grows
along it's back. Then it swung it's short spiked tail shattering the
flashlight and throwing Ash aside. It's hideous roar erupts and it's fangs
quiver.
Gary feels a rush of wind blow over him. He looks up to see the creature
is flying toward him. He quickly flings a pokeball at it. The monster throws
back it's head and it's fangs cut the ball into halves. The halves spin
uselessly in the dirt. Gary is paralyzed with fear as the monster crashes
toward him.
"Gary is in trouble." She sat up in her bed.
She had dreamed in her sleep of a far away land where strange beasts
roamed but, the landscape was so much like Kanto. Closing her eyes once more
she searches the landscape. She finds what she needs.
In her mind's eye she sees Team Rocket sleeping. James is tossing in his
sleep groaning over the loss of his Weezing. Jessie is sleeping next to him
cradling the emerald in her arms. While Arbok slept wrapped around the cage
containing Pikachu. His tail clenched the amber crystal.
"I need your help Pikachu." She spoke to him.
Pikachu woke with a start, he looked in every direction. Then he saw the
Amber stone glowing.
"Your friends are in trouble. Ash needs you right now." Pikachu poked
Eevee's side.
Since the EME vanished Team Rocket was forced to keep Eevee locked away
too. Pikachu woke her up and tried to explain that the crystal was "talking"
to them. The emerald began to glow as well and from it appeared a woman's
face. Pikachu recognized her immediately.
"I will send you to them but, it will come at a cost Pikachu. I am very
weak right now and once I do this you and your friends will be on your own
for sometime for I will be too weak to even contact you. Do you understand."
Pikachu nodded. "Make sure Ash keeps these Crystals with him, when I regain
my health I will contact him as I did with you tonight. Good luck Pikachu."
Arbok awoke to find that nothing was wrong. He took a quick glance then
settled back down. His tail was no longer holding a crystal just like the
cage was no longer holding anything but, he was too weary to realize it.
She knew something went wrong when the world went black, the pain in her
head exploded and she felt her nose ooze a few drops of blood. She lay there
helpless and wondering if she helped make a difference.
"Is...is he really gone?" Misty stood next to Brock as she surveyed the
battle ground.
"It looks that way Misty." Brock spoke solemnly.
"After all we've been through...and that little weasel takes off on
me...uh us like this!"
"Misty! Calm down!" Brock puts his hands on her shoulders. "Now Ash
wouldn't split on us without saying something. We are so close together now
and you know it. I'm afraid to say it but, it looks like something happened
to Ash. He wouldn't leave Heracross this badly injured in the middle of
nowhere."
"Heracross is in a really bad state." Tracey was applying super potion
onto Heracross's wounds.
"You know that's the truth." He put her hand in his. "Do you want to talk
about this alone?"
"No! Why should I need to? I just want to find Ash!" She pulled her hand
away.
"Stop it Misty! I know you have...feelings for Ash. And this is the time
to start to admit these feelings." Brock cocked an eyebrow in a questioning
look.
"I've seen it too!" Tracey added. "Like the time Liza asked him out, or
when Daisy gave him a friendly kiss on the cheek you exploded! You were so
jealous you almost knocked out Marina's teeth when you saw them on a date. If
I wasn't there you would have knocked out her teeth."
"If you don't be quiet your the one who's gonna have your teeth knocked
out!" She couldn't believe Tracey was teasing her this way. To her she always
thought Tracey was more mature then Brock even though he was younger.
"Misty! You try to hide your feelings so hard that you make it obvious!"
He grabbed her as she was hitting Tracey.
"Take it back Brock! You too Tracey Sketchum!" She shouted.
"You are so into him Misty." Tracey knew she liked Ash because she said
it in her sleep once.
"Alright! I do have "feelings" for him. But! And I mean it guys! Only as
a close friend! He's my best friend. Back in Cerulean I never had true
friends. I think that is the real reason I left."
She recalled so many "friends" that vanished when her father left
Cerulean Gym then never returned. Her mother died of heartache the elders
would say. The Gym lost popularity until Lilly, Violet, and Daisy began
training then came the water shows. The Gym flourished but, the friends
flocked to her sisters.
When she was twelve and had enough it she set out on her adventure,
little did she know that two months later she would find herself along a
river bank fishing out a young boy and his half drowned Pikachu. She was
clueless to the strong friendship that would form later and even more in the
dark that one day she would fall in love with him.
She felt the deepest loss for him and....
"Misty? Hey Misty I hate to interrupt your trance your in there but,
someone is coming." Tracey politely tapped her shoulder.
"Ash?" She called.
"No, it's me Melanie." Misty had to think a bit before she recalled her.
The creature dived directly at Gary with fangs poised to attack. Seconds
from death a yellow flash breaks the darkness and sends the monster reeling.
A brown blur strikes it once more
sending it straight into the sky.
"This is my chance!" Gary threw a pokéball at it.
"Pikachu!" Ash hugged his friend.
"I got it!" Gary shouted as he held up the pokeball.
"You should leave it Gary. That thing is dangerous, whatever it is."
"Are you crazy Ash! This is a very rare pokemon!" Gary spun the ball on
his index finger.
"Yeah, one that almost killed you! If Pikachu and Eevee hadn't gotten
here in time Gary you would be dead!"
"Eevee? Eevee's here!" He held his pokemon. "Eevee! I missed you!"
All Ash could see in Eevee was pure happiness. The pokemon danced around
Gary's feet. Then Ash felt Pikachu nudge him. Pikachu held the Emerald in his
paws. Ash took it from him. Gary saw that Eevee had the Amber attached to her
collar.
"What now Gary?"
"We had back to the stadium I guess."
"Not so fast twerps! The pokemon and gems are now our property !" Jessie
shouted.
"We don't have time for this! Come on Gary let's break for it." Ash began
to run.
"I'm with you! The sooner we get back the sooner you lose! Ha Ha Ha!"
"Bruno! Old friend come here!" Will stood as he slipped out of his
meditation.
"What is it Will?" Bruno entered the room.
"Something is destorying the balance of nature! Someone is putting are
world at great risk for such little reward!" Will knew since the match
between Gary and Ash that something horrid
would happen.
"What is it?" Bruno asked.
"A...a...War! A war is coming Bruno! Many will be lost in it.
I...I...someone is blocking my powers!"
"Should I inform the other Elite Four?" They were all gathered here for
the tournament.
"No, not yet. I must know more first." He felt another mind blocking
weakly.
"Return to me Melanie! I need you to perform a specail task my student."
She heard her mentor beckon.
"I failed you Melanie, and your mentor, Gary, Misty and especially Ash!"
Brock ran to her.
"You knew! You knew about this Brock!" Misty pointed a finger in his
face. "It's your fault!"
"No Misty, it was my fault, mine and Sabrina's. We were too full of pride
and ambitions that it clouded better judgement. We failed everyone."
"Return Melanie now!" Sabrina demaded telepathically.
"Sabrina beckons me I must go . Don't worry Misty we will bring them
back to you."
"Bring them back? From where!" Tracey hollers.
"Melanie wait! Wait for us." Misty finds it hard to follow her in the
thick forest.
Tracey is several feet and falling behind Brock who is right on Melanie's
heels.
"Stop for one second Melanie!" Brock left the others behind. "Just answer
one question."
"I really must go Brock." She smiles at him. "Just one."
"When will I see you again."
"Soon I hope." She kissed him on the cheek.
"Brock! Brock! Where are you!" Tracey called.
Brock watched until Melanie was completely out of sight. He heard Tracey
breathing hard as he struggled to his side.
"Wha...What diiid" He had to gasp for air. "What did she tell you?"
"Soon I hope."
Tracey noticed Brock held his hand to his cheek.
"Did you get slapped again?" He snickered.
"No! She kissed me." Tracey burst into laughter.
"She kissed you! That's a good one!" Tracey laughed harder.
"Shut up!" He tried to bury his anger. "Yeah it was a joke!"
"Melanie, I have a specail task for you."
"Yes, my Lady." Melanie bowed her head.
"You do not have to be so formal around me Melanie."
"I feel I have to. After all the things you have done for me." She felt a
deep gratitude to her. "What do you ask of me?"
"Someone is trying to read my mind, my thoughts. He has learned of our
mission."
"What are his intentions?"
"At this time I can not tell, he is blocking me from his thoughts. You
will find three items on the table take them. The stone will guide you to
this man. When you find him make sure you watch the color. If it glows red or
blue we can trust him. If the stone turns black you must deal with him."
Melanie shrank back when she saw Sabrina's dagger on the table.
"He must be dealt with by any means. Take my cloak, it is a Spirit Cloak.
It will block his powers, he will not see nor read your thoughts. Now be off
with your work."
To be continued.....
What is the strange creature Gary caught? Where have Ash and Gary been
transported to? How will the stone shine when Melanie tests Will? Have Gary
and Ash revived the friendship they once had? You'll just have to wait.-JLB
Chapters: