"Those lousy creeps took off with our stolen loot!" Meowth screamed.
"And they didn't even give us a chance to steal it back!" Jessie growled.
"Yeah, like that was a big loss." James mumbled.
"What!" Jessie and Meowth hollered in unision.
"Well Jess those stones were evil! I could feel it!" James protested. "I
will have nothing else
to do with them!"
"Well if they are truly evil..." Jessie rubbed her chin. "Then we really
need those gems! We're
Team Rocket and we..."
"Are supposed to be Evil!" Finished Meowth.
"I don't even see why we have to be evil? Giovanni isn't even around
anymore since
Saffron." James countered.
"The Executives are still around and they say my master is coming back!"
Meowth shoves
James. "So get with the program Jimmy boy!"
"No! You can't make me!" James crosses his arms and remains seated. "I'll
stay here until
you two come to your senses!"
"Two way split Meow?" Jessie asks.
"The more money the merrier!" Cackles Meowth.
"There Ash!" Gary pointed toward the distant structure.
"Do you feel something wrong Gary?" Ash had been feeling something
ominous.
"You feel that too? You know what it is?" Gary turned around.
"No clue at all Gary just that something wrong happened here."
"Well Ashy boy what you feel is simple! You are sensing my upcoming
victory!" Gary ran
farther ahead as he chuckled.
"Laugh all you want Gary but, we're heading toward something wrong. I
know it!" Ash
whispered to himself before trying to catch up with Gary.
"Shouldn't we be out there looking for them!" Misty shouted again.
"Misty please remain calm!" Bruno once again had to reassure the girl
that Ash would be
found.
Brock followed quietly and obediantly alongside his hero. Tracey had a
million questions to
ask pretaining to the search for Ash but, he was raised to be polite and mind
his elders so like Brock
he followed in silence.
Togepi skirmed out of Misty's grasp running excitedly and playfully
around Tracey's feet. It
hopped alongside Brock next. Waving around it's little arms trying to cheer
up Misty.
"Togepi come here." Misty called but the baby just went on playing right
in the way.
Bruno opened another door and in rushed Togepi ahead of everyone. It ran
along the wall
and stopped. It looked at the paintings on the wall with interest. Misty
caught up and scooped up
Togepi. Misty was held captive by the same canvas Togepi stared at. In it a
dark cloud fills the sky
as a shadowy figures holds two rods over it's head. Where the rods met the
artist drew an oval with
a countryside scene inside.
"Bruno? What is this one about?" She points it out.
"I'm not sure, ask Will he knows more about it." Shruging his shoulders
he examined it. "He
told me once that it was of the wizard Shao Lin. He was supposed to be some
kind of Merlin type
guy."
"Will knows more then? I'll make sure to ask him." Misty found herself
worring over Ash
again. "Shouldn't..."
"You already asked that Misty." Tracey patiently spoke.
"I know, I'm sorry. This whole thing just has me all confused." She
looked down and saw
that Togepi watched her with concern. "We'll find them, if anyone can help it
has to be Will."
Bruno opened a door decorated with psychic symbols. Misty felt gentle
waves of power
flow inside the gym. Brock felt the current and commented on it to Tracey.
Tracey explained it was
the powers of the Pokemon meditating within. In the center sat a man with a
ring of Abras,
Drowzees, Hypnos and at the center sat a Mew.
"Mew?" Brock stared as the creature turned around.
It floated toward them. She remembered them well. She blew bubbles and
danced in joy
before them. Brock and Misty also remembered the gentle child like Pokemon.
Tracey stood in
shock as well did Bruno.
"Please sit. Mew wishes to have you accompany us. I see she knows you two
very well
Misty and Brock." Will had a gentleman's manners and smile upon his face.
"What is Mew doing here? She should be hiding somewhere! So many people
would stop at
nothing to hunt her down!" Tracey took a picture of Mew with his Pokegear.
"Will? Why is she here?" Bruno watched the Pokemon dance back to the
circle.
"Mew is here to help me find Ash and Gary before events are
unreversible." Mew allowed
him pet her.
"How did you catch her?" Bruno studied her further.
"You can't catch her! She is a free spirit that has her own motives and
will. She goes to those
who need her the most." Mew mewled in agreement.
Outside Melanie prowled silently. She felt the weight of the dagger on
her hip. She felt that
weight on her heart as well. She spent her life healing others and now she
was being asked to take a
life. If necessary she reminded herself.
"Please glow red!" She held up the stone and she reminded herself again.
"Only if I have to."
Her hand rested lightly on the butt of the dagger's handle. She crept
closer to the window,
inside she saw Brock. She gasped dropping the stone. She groped about for it.
Melanie didn't know
much about this Will but, if Brock trusted him she felt she could. Just then
something began to glow
in the bush to her left.
Ash had to hold back his bile as he came across the stadium. Gary ran
around to the
stadium's front. Ash just studied the rubble ahead of him. And every here and
there he could see a
skeletal hand or skull poking up from the wreckage. He felt his knees give
way. Then his stomach
could not hold in the vomit no longer.
Gary fell as well to his knees as he read a plaque fixed upon Indigo
Stadium's gates. He read
it again longing for it to read differently. Each time he read it though it
had the same words written
upon it.
"Ash!" He wobbled to his feet. "Ash! Come here!"
Ash felt the pain of thousands as they began barring the stadium
entrance. Some had become
very ill while traveling here, to "safety". Several perished from diseases
passing rapidly. Doctors tried
to save them but, then the assualts from the men dressed all in black began.
"Ash! Can't you hear me!" Gary shook him.
"I'm sorry, I feel sick." Gary notice Ash had been throwing up.
"Jeez! Are you alright?" Gary had several emotions going on in his mind.
"Yeah. What were you calling me for." Ash stood.
"Are you sure your fine?" Gary felt the cold night air and he wished he
was anywhere but,
here.
"I just had...a bad feeling." He felt something summoning him to return
to the dream like state
he was trapped in moments ago.
"I can't explain it Ash but, there was an attack here and..." Gary was
unable to finish.
Ash walked towards the plaque. He felt Pikachu cling to his leg, Ash
jumped in surprise
scaring Pikachu even more.
"Chaaaaa!" Pikachu ran and leapt on top of Gary's head.
"Sorry Pikachu." He turned back to the gates. "Here in March 19, 2004 We
obtained our
Succession! On this fateful night Team Rocket toppled the combined forces of
Elm and Oak! All that
opposed us perished. The children work endless now in our slave mines while
others are servants to
the every whim of our Pokemon. This is the fate for those who rebel against
Team Rocket's Reign!"
Ash wiped some dust away from the plaque.
"Here rots the souls and bodies of our greatest foes: Prof. Elm, Prof.
Elm, And Ash
Ketchum!" Ash stepped back.
"How is this possible? In the matter of the hours we were gone!" Gary
shouted.
"Gary the date!" Ash read it again. "This didn't happen in hours. This
thing is dated three
years in the future."
"What! Let me see." Gary finally knew what was bothering him about the
sign. "This is crazy
Ash! How can we be in the future!"
"That light has something to do with all this." Ash unhooked the
crystal from his belt. "And
these also fit somewhere into this puzzle."
Pikachu curled back his lips and growled. He tugged at Ash's pant leg.
Ash looked at
Pikachu and knew he was sensing danger. Ash made a shushing sound. Gary
followed the two as they hid in the shadows of the entrance. Pikachu
continued to sniff and
stiffen his hair.
Gary felt the cold stone press against his back. He held his breath as he
heard the footsteps
approach. Then they trailed off toward the path leading back to Viridian.
"What was that!" Gary shouted as he looked out from their hiding spot.
"Look Ash you hear
the foot steps but, there's no one here!"
"This place is haunted Gary, I felt it from the begining. It's because
Team Rocket killed all
those people."
"Hoot-hoot! Uncloak!" A voice shouted.
A young boy about ten appeared with a Hoot-hoot perched on his shoulder.
He examined
Ash and Gary.
"Who are you!" He demanded.
"Who asks kid!" Gary shot back.
"I ask you answer!" The boy walked calmly toward them. "Now answer!"
"Ever heard of respect your elders." Gary grabbed a pokeball from his
belt.
"Gary! His just a kid! Let's just ignore him and get going." Ash began
walking away.
"Stop there!" The boy tossed a ball.
From the ball rose a goat. It's horns were short and grew backward. It
had a black hide with
tan highlights around facial features. It lowered it's head threatening Ash
with the horns. Behind it a
large flat tail stiffened and flapped side to side.
"Springbaack! Show him a lesson!" The creature's tail crumbled into
crinkled wad. The goat
jumped landing on the folded tail that sprang the animal forward.
Ash dodged the attack. Pikachu tackled the goat with surprising speed.
The creature fell
near it's master's feet. It tried launching itself at Ash again but, Pikachu
let loose a thunderbolt. The
animal bawled and forced itself to stand once more.
"Springbaack rollout attack!" The boy instructed.
The pokemon obeyed and began to coil into a ball. Eevee hopped onto it's
back biting. Gary
shouted orders. Eevee went into a roll while holding onto a horn. Gary
shouted for Eevee to stop
and let go. The monster flew four feet in the air before his weight caused it
to crash back down.
"Springbaack return!" The boy recalled the pokemon and lifted another
pokeball. "let's see
you beat this! Go Tork!"
A huge brown animal appeared. It resembled a salamander but, it had short
catish ears on
it's head. A short nubby feeler hung from the corners of the upper lip. It
growled and slapped it's
heavy finned tail against the ground.
"Tooork! Ork! Tooooork! Uuurrrrr!" It took a few steps forward.
"Alright kid you asked for it!" Gary tossed the ball, and the Tork did
not flinch.
Tork yawned and stretched before curling up. Gary watched as the pokemon
slept, he had
second thoughts about attacking it but, it was too late the ball was opening.
Tork opened one eye,
it's hind leg scratched behind the right ear. Yawning it slept once more.
The creature raised it's body and roared. The spined tail swished
violently. The fangs
quivered and it shook around crazily as it challenged Tork. Tork spat at it
before settling down again.
"A Dark Pupitar! You work for Team Rocket!" The boy's face filled with
horror, he
suddenly ran away leaving Tork behind.
"Dark Pupitar?" Gary retrieved his pokedex.
The Pupitar leapt forward while Tork slept peacefully.
"What kind of trainer abandons his pokemon!" Ash shouted after him.
A horrid cry rang out. Dark Pupitar sunk it's fangs into Tork's back the
monster salamander
was bucking trying to toss the bug. It rolled around which seemed to unlodge
Pupitar. Tork howled
and tried to find the nearest river or stream. Pupitar was shrieking as it
pounced on Tork.
"Gary call it back! That thing is going to kill that other thing!" Ash
fumbled around his pocket
trying to find the extra pokeball he carried in case of an emergency.
To be continued......
Chapters: