Pokémon 1. A Brand New Adventure!

Hello again everyone. This is the continuation of The Biggest Battle in the Life of Ash Ketchum. Just like with the previous story, I've decided to rewrite this one as well, and to be honest, this one will be much easier to do that with, mainly because I do have the entire story intact. I don't with the prequel. This story was originally started April 2000, so it's still following the dynamic of the first generation, Kanto series and even at that point, I still hadn't seen much of the anime and was still really behind compared to those elsewhere. I'd also like to point out that this was written before I'd ever had the opportunity to play Pokémon Gold/Silver, so by today's standards, the concepts originally presented and used in this story are pretty…outdated, but I do hope that you all will give it a chance anyway.

All of the above information aside, if you haven't read the previous story, you should still be able to follow this one, even though there are a few things that are referenced from the prequel to this fic, which I will share with your now, the first one being that Ash and Misty became a couple in the last fic.

For the last story - which was an alternate telling of how Ash received his Earth Badge - both Kenji (Tracey) and Todd became part of the group. Both were on their ways to Viridian. Todd was on his way there as he'd written Misty informing her of this. Kenji bumped into them coincidentally as I changed up the events of how Ash received the Volcano Badge from Blaine and how they'd met Kenji there, parted ways, and then met one another again while on the way to Viridian.

Team Rocket was disbanded, and both main Rocket teams (Jessie, James, and Meowth/ Butch and Cassidy) along with Mondo (Rocket assistant) pretty much go along on their own non-Rocket paths. They all worked together in the last story given the mission Giovanni gave them, and even they all felt that it was a bit out of line. They will appear in this story though.

Also, in the last story, you find out why Misty and her sisters are in charge of the gym and the whereabouts of their parents. Both were brutally killed by Giovanni and his henchmen when Misty was only four, and she was the only witness at the time. The incident was so traumatizing, she blocked it out. While traveling with Ash and Brock, though, the closer the group was getting to Viridian, the more her repressed memory of the forgotten incident started surfacing.

Another character who joined in the last story was a Growlithe, who Kenji befriended after finding him nearly beaten to death. The Growlithe had once belonged to Giovanni and disobeyed him. Giovanni had given orders to dispose of the Growlithe, as he had information that he was willing to pass along to the Officer Jenny in Viridian (who does understand the speech of Growlithe and Arcanine). He wanted Giovanni to pay for all of his past crimes and current ones and managed to sacrifice his own life to get that message out and Giovanni put away.

One last thing, Ash ended up battling against Giovanni, who unleashed a mind-controlled Mewtwo, who will appear in this story.

Now, as a reminder, if you see anything with an asterisk, there's an author's note about it at the end of the chapter. Also, anything using single quotation marks indicates that the character is thinking, unless being used in a grammatically correct fashion. If a Pokémon is speaking, and colons are present, it's indicating that the Pokémon is speaking in its native tongue, but translated for the readers.

Now, as always, I do not own anything dealing with the Pokémon franchise. Nintendo, 4Kids, Gamefreak, etc., have those rights, and here are the age reminders once again...

Ash: 13  
>MistyTodd: 14  
>Kenji: 17 going on 18<br>Brock: 19

Shadow Island (2000.04.21)

Part 01: "Misty's Sick?" A Brand New Adventure!

It had been weeks since Ash received the Earth Badge in Viridian and had also finally registered to participate in the Indigo Pokémon League games. Unfortunately, he found out from Professor Oak that there was one more obstacle that he had to face before he could officially join the league. He must travel to a new place with a newly built gym and defeat the gym leader there. The area's location is a bit curious, though as it's on an island east of Cerulean City called, "Lost Kage Island". Will he manage to obtain this mysterious badge after such short notice?

Ash Title: A Brand New Adventure!

"Too bad you couldn't stay in Pallet a little longer, Ash," a tan-haired boy wearing a striped shirt and khaki shorts by the name of Todd said in disappointment, his camera dangling loosely around his neck. "I really liked your mother's cooking."

A boy with messy, black hair, a white and blue button-down shirt, a black t-shirt underneath, and blue jeans, along with a small yellow rodent at his side (known as a Pikachu) nodded sadly. "Yeah, mom wasn't all that happy about me leaving again." Ash sighed as he fiddled with this Pokémon League cap. The sun was blazing down on them as the group made their way towards Pewter City, via the Viridian Forest, which they'd been traveling for about two days. "She looked _so_ sad when she found out from Professor Oak that I'd be leaving again."

A boy wearing a red headband, an aqua blue t-shirt, tan shorts, and a giant backpack strapped to his back, spoke up next. This was the Pokémon watcher/researcher, Kenji, who also did art projects on the side to make extra money. "I've never heard of this place that we're headed towards," he answered dully. "Well, not _much_ about it anyway," he added as an afterthought.

"Me neither, but when I mentioned it to the Times, they gave me the assignment right away!" Todd spoke up proudly. "They want as many photos as I can possibly take if rare Pokémon are inhabiting there."

Kenji placed a hand on his chin, his walk still remaining quite brisk. "Professor Oak, and Bill of the Lighthouse, asked me to study any Pokémon that I see there and give them a _full_ report once I return."

Todd looked over at Kenji, noticing the perplexed look on his face. "What's wrong with that?"

"Well, Bill only left a message for Professor Oak relaying this. It's just strange to me…I don't know why, though…"

"What's Bill been up to?" Ash asked, stretching his arms.

"He's been on vacation for the past month or two…still strange…"

"Maybe he's involved in some kind of a project and just couldn't come back in time to give the message to you directly," Todd pointed out. "He does research Pokémon for a living. Sometimes I'm away for long periods of time when on assignment too."

Kenji shrugged nonchalantly, as he looked towards the hyper, cap-wearing boy who was on his right side.

"We're going to Pewter first to get Brock," Ash said while pumping a fist into the air, jumping slightly. The tall pale Pokémon beside Ash gave him a quizzical look, curious as to why the boy was acting in such a fashion. Not saying anything, the Psychic Pokémon, Mewtwo, ignored it and returned to staring straight ahead and continuing his walk. "I told him about that island place and he said that he'd never heard of it, and Brock usually always knows about stuff like that."

"I wonder why Professor Oak waited until two weeks before the league matches before actually mentioning that you needed some 'mysterious badge' from some gym we've never even heard of."

"I don't know, Kenji. He just told me that he forgot when I first got back to Pallet weeks ago. At first, he told me that the league games were going to be near the Seafoam Islands."

"I don't think the Professor has it all upstairs, Ash," Todd frowned, obliviously fanning himself. "Everyone knows that they're held at the Indigo Stadium for this region."

The Pokémon Trainer was growing anxious, and a bit bored with the walk through the forest, which was growing warmer by the moment. "When are we going to get to Pewter?"

"It shouldn't be too much longer." Todd looked over to Ash. "What does the map say?"

"Map?" Todd nodded as they all came to a halt. "I thought Kenji had the map!"

Hearing his name, Kenji turned his attention to the two younger boys. "_Me_? I thought Mis-"

":According to the map, we should get there in about 30 minutes.:" a certain yellow rodent interrupted. The others looked down at Pikachu, who was a few paces ahead of them, a folded up paper opened.

Ash nearly fell over the sight. "Pikachu, since when did _you_ learn how to read a map?"

":Since you kept getting us lost,:" he answered back in slight annoyance.

The Pokémon Trainer was the only one, pretty much, who could understand Pikachu's speech, as well as his other Pokémon, although, some of the others could sometimes figure out the gist of what Pikachu was saying.

"What do you mean 'since you kept getting us lost'! I've _never_ gotten us lost!"

The others began to look around, suddenly interested in their surroundings, and sweat-dropped from Ash's declaration.

":The _only_ time I can think of where you didn't get us lost was when you _took_ Misty's bike to get me to the Viridian City Pokémon Center!:"

Kenji lowered his head, sadness now overtaking him some. He was starting to understand Pikachu since he'd been around him for the past few weeks, including the extra month they all had to spend in Viridian for Giovanni's trial. He could pick up on the names Pikachu used as well as "Viridian City", but unfortunately, he couldn't figure out the rest of what he'd said.

"Damn Giovanni," Kenji cursed angrily under his breath. "He should've received death for all the crimes he committed and the lives he ruined, especially for what he did to Growlithe and Misty's parents!"

Mewtwo, who had remained practically silent, walked over to the Pokémon artist, stopping short in front of him. "I am sorry for what my master did," he apologized sympathetically, an emotion he had learned about just by "studying the humans" these past few weeks.

Kenji sighed over Mewtwo's words. Although he appreciated the gesture, he couldn't help but feel even more down. "It's not your fault, Mewtwo. You weren't responsible for neither Growlithe's death nor were you for Misty's parents. From what _I've_ observed, Pokémon aren't bad, just their trainers. You're the perfect example of this, Mewtwo. You weren't bad, only Giovanni was. That's why you're allowed to walk around freely. No one blames you for what happened."

The others nodded in agreement as they started off again. About twenty minutes passed, the edge of the forest coming into view. ":Hey, there's Pewter!:" Pikachu announced while pointing ahead.

"Finally, let's go!"

With Todd's words, they all ran towards the Pewter City entrance. The city was quite a dry place, perfect for training, raising, or even breeding Rock or Ground Pokémon . The group went directly to the Pewter City Gym, excited on meeting up with their friend again.

The passionate, narrow-eyed Pokémon Breeder was currently the temporary leader as his father had fallen ill, so when heading back to Pallet, Brock returned to Pewter. To help with the workload, Brock and Flint took turns running the gym, while also preparing the next oldest of the clan to take over after Brock leaves.

Once arriving at the doors of the building, they entered, walking down a long, dimly lit hall. They arrived at another set of doors, but before going in, Ash motioned for everyone else to hang back a little once entering the battling arena, except for Pikachu. Confused, his traveling companions nodded quietly.

They entered the double doors, glad to find that no one was around or battling against their old friend. The gym was still the way he remembered it when he encountered Brock his first time. Rocks decorated the arena, giving Brock's Rock and Ground Pokémon the advantage. On the opposite side of the gym, there was a platform, and amongst it was a shadowy figure, sitting comfortably.

Ash took a deep breath, cupping his hands around his mouth, and shouting, "HEY, I CHALLENGE THE PEWTER CITY GYM LEADEER TO A MATCH!"

The person on the platform stood, stepping forward onto the podium directly in front of the platform, the shadows no longer hiding his face. His hair was a spiky brown, his eyes narrowed and slit-like, and he was currently wearing an orange shirt and dark-brown pants. Ash smirked, glad that it was definitely Brock there as opposed to his father or brother, as Brock had explained to him how the three of them had been switching off.

"I accept your challenge," Brock told the boy routinely, who still hadn't recognized. "This will be a two-on-two battle, and all official gym rules apply. There will also be no time limit." He crossed his arms as he looked down at the trainer, but only partially paying attention to him, trying his best to intimidate his opponent. "I'm sure that I'll beat you. You don't look like you'll be a match for my Rock Pokémon ."

The boy didn't reply and Brock finally decided to examine his opponent, who had finally stepped forward to show himself better. This allowed Brock to notice two things about this challenger: he was wearing a Pokémon League cap and had a small Pikachu by his side.

"Ash? Wow, Ash!" Brock leapt from the podium and made his way over to Ash, and the group who were still a short ways behind Ash. "It's been a long time since I've seen you all. I forgot you guys were coming today!"

Everyone else greeted Brock with a typical "hi" and "glad to see you". After Brock's greetings towards Kenji, Todd, and Mewtwo, he started to look around curiously.

"What's wrong, Brock?"

"Where are Misty and Togepi? She's usually always by your side, even be_fore_ the two of you became a couple."

Ash, as well as the others, turned around to notice that a certain red-haired Water Pokémon trainer was conspicuously absent, as well as the chirping and gleeing of Togepi.

"You know, I don't remember Misty saying much of anything on our way here," Kenji said while thinking back. "I don't recall saying much to her since breakfast."

"Same for me," Todd spoke up, feeling repulsed for not noticing his redheaded friend. "She was kind of quiet yesterday too, now that I think about it."

"I, too, have not heard the redheaded one speak much since her morning consumption of food."

Pikachu shook his head sadly, realizing that he, like Mewtwo, also hadn't noticed her much since that morning.

"I didn't notice her either, and I _should_ have," Ash muttered in embarrassment. "I guess we were all so excited that we were finally getting close to Pewter that we kinda overlooked her and Togepi." He lowered his head. "I must've done something wrong and now she's probably so mad at me, she stormed off!"

Kenji patted the younger boy on the back. "Don't blame yourself, Ash. It's all our faults."

Not really listening, Ash became slightly hysterical, and was now very worried. Brock was definitely right. Misty usually stuck with him, and wouldn't usually take off unless she let someone know. She was quite considerate in that regard. "Waaaah, Misty! Where are you?! I'm sorry for whatever I did! Please forgive me!"

As if on cue, a slim girl, who kept her hair tied up in a single ponytail to the side, wore suspenders, short jean-shorts, and a yellow midriff, holding an egg-shaped Pokémon shuffling through the double doors. She forced on a weak smile, her face slightly pale, and quietly uttered, "I'm right here Ash." She looked to the temporary gymleader. "Hey Brock." She then turned her attention back to the confused, yet relieved trainer. "I forgive you, Ash," she lightly laughed.

Togepi chirped sadly.

Kenji and Todd rushed over to Misty. "Where were you?" the researcher questioned.

"I was just walking a little slower than you guys, that's all," she firmly insisted. "I was just feeling a bit…nauseous, and had to, erm...r-relieve myself."

"So, in other words, you went to the restroom to barf."

Misty frowned at Todd's usage of words and sweat dropped. "Y-yeah, I guess you could say that."

"Are you sure you're all right?" Ash asked.

"How long have you been like this?" Todd inquired.

"How come you didn't tell us that you weren't feeling well?" Kenji asked in a brotherly fashion.

"It's been a couple of days, but I'm fine. I didn't want to slow anyone down."

Kenji stared over at the girl. 'She did a good job of hiding that she wasn't feeling well, but that may explain why she's been so much quieter since leaving Pallet.'

"Misty," Brock began gently, "maybe you should go see a doctor if you've been sick lately. You also look a bit pale."

She shook her head assuredly.

"I don't think that's a good idea, Misty." Kenji gestured towards Brock. "He's right; if you're sick, you should see a doctor, and we shouldn't travel until you're 100% better."

"No, no, I'm fine!" She felt cold at the moment, but figured it was from the air-conditioning of the gym. "We should hurry and leave so that Ashie Boy here can get to that new island and get that badge."

"We should get to Cerulean in a few hours on foot with the route Kenji planned out for us, if," Todd looked over at Ash, "we don't get lost."

The look from Todd went unnoticed by the 13 year old, as he continued staring at his redheaded partner. "Misty, if you're feeling bad, you really shouldn't be traveling."

"Maybe I'm just hungry."

"I feel that the cap-bearer is correct," Mewtwo wisely interjected. "Maybe you should heed his advice."

Misty gave Mewtwo a look, which caused _him_ to back down, and refrain from saying anything else further on the subject.

"If you're certain that you're all right, I guess we can leave," Ash said with loads of skepticism, but that soon changed, as he grew excited again, "but let's all eat lunch first or maybe a small snack so that we can pig out once we get to Cerulean this evening. It's only a little bit before noon now."

At the boy's casualness, everyone face-faulted from his reply. All three boys, after picking themselves up, shouted to the clueless one, "Misty's sick!"

Cowering down, Ash innocently responded, "Bu-but she said that she was hungry."

"I'm fine!" Misty insisted, punching a fist up into the air. "A big meal sounds wonderful! Let's have a small meal here and some drinks, and then head off to Cerulean. All I know is that I _am_ really hungry." She lowered her arm and rested her index finger on her chin, as if in though. "My appetite's been odd these past few days too…"

Everyone looked at her in amazement. Ash, Kenji, and Todd knew that Misty's appetite had increased within the past few days, but didn't bother mentioning it or acknowledging it. Brock closed the gym and led them to his home and prepared some snacks with Kenji's help. Misty, however, shoveled all a lot of the food down, and gulped down some green tea that Kenji had brewed.

After the meal, Brock let his father know that he was finally leaving and also gave his younger brother encouragement to help run the gym. Brock's family was sad to see him go again, but understood how his fate wasn't to remain there always as he had his own path to follow.

With that, they started off towards Ceruelan, in hopes of arriving in the early evening. During the walk, Misty would follow along, albeit slowly, but every time Ash or anyone else looked back to check on her, she put on a smile and would quicken her pace to that of a steady one.

They all arrived in Cerulean with no problems at all by the mid-evening, thanks to Kenji's alternate route, which didn't include having to go through Mt. Moon. Misty did grow slightly queasy, though and did stop a couple of times.

After their arrival in the beautiful city, they all headed directly to the gym and to meet up with Misty's three older sisters.

The trio greeted everyone, glad to see that they made it there safely, but found Misty to be a bit wan and grew concerned. Curious, they, of course, questioned Misty on her health, but she insisted that it was nothing, anxious to eat dinner at an all-you-can-eat place. Brock suggested that she rest for a while, but she wouldn't hear any of it.

After the protests from Misty, realizing that there was no way of persuading the redhead otherwise, they all boarded a Rapidash drawn carriage, to dine at one of the best, yet casual-style, restaurants Cerulean had to offer...


	2. The Interrogation

Hello again everyone. I hope you liked the previous chapter. The group is now in Cerulean and about to have a quick dinner. I hope you don't mind this slight delay before the group officially heads off to the island, which will occur in chapter 4. This chapter have the sisters curious over Misty's condition.

Oh, something else that I didn't mention last chapter, is that I do sometimes slip in some Japanese phrases here and there, and I definitely will as far as names go, so expect to see "Satoshi", "Kasumi", "Takeshi", "Toru", etc., from time to time.

Now, as always, I do not own anything dealing with the Pokémon franchise. Nintendo, 4Kids, Gamefreak, etc., have those rights, and here are the age reminders once again...

Ash: 13  
>MistyTodd: 14  
>Kenji: 17 going on 18<br>Brock: 19  
>Lily: 21<br>Violet: 22  
>Daisy: 23<p>

Part 02: "How's it _my_ fault?" Ash's Interrogation!

The group had finally arrived in Cerulean and are now on their way to a nice restaurant in town. Despite her recent symptoms, Misty didn't complain and insisted on having dinner. Let's hope all goes well for them.

Daisy, Lily, Violet Title: Ash's Interrogation!

During the carriage ride, Misty started to feel slightly queasy as they passed by many different waterfronts, which the city was known for. The color started to slightly leave her face, but no one seemed to notice except for Pikachu and Togepi, as everyone else was engaged in conversation.

":Are you all right, Misty?:" Pikachu asked the girl, as the redhead could also understand Pikachu pretty well.

":Mommy okay?:" Togepi chirped out in concern.

"Oh, don't worry about me, guys," Misty told the two Pokémon confidently. I guess this bumpy ride isn't too good for my stomach."

Right at that moment, the oldest of the sisters took notice of Misty's frail look. She pushed some of her shiny blonde-hair behind her ear. "Like, Misty, are you okay?"

The bright, pink-haired sister spoke up next, also now taking notice of the redhead's complexion. "Yeah, you look totally atrocious. You know, like, more than usual."

Misty glared at Lily in annoyance.

The dark-haired sister of them pulled her white jacket tighter around her, due to the sudden breeziness. "You look really pale too," Violet added on earnestly.

"Misty, if you're sick again, may-"

"I'm fine," Misty interrupted Ash in a huff impatiently. "Riding in a bumpy carriage causes me to have a little motion sickness." Everyone stared at her in slight perplexity, as neither fully believed her. Noticing the accusatory stares, Misty stuttered out, "I'm hungry, so let's hurry up!"

The three sisters exchanged worried glances, the same thought coming to mind, and hoping that it was the opposite of what they feared.

'It can't be," the blonde thought as the carriage continued on, passing by a fountain with an assortment of water Pokémon. 'Are those two even together now? I've never asked and she's never said.'

'Whoa, not Misty,' Violet thought in disbelief. 'I wonder if those two _are_ together…'

Lily stared from Ash to Misty, studying them. 'I wonder if they're a couple now. It's weird because she's never gotten sick before just from a carriage ride. Carriage rides are, like, one of her favorite ways to travel around because it's so 'romantic'.

'She doesn't even get seasick when sailing or surfing with our Pokémon! How can a carriage ride cause her to feel like this?'

The carriage finally came to a halt, the majestic fiery horse-like Pokémon neighing.

"Okay, everybody out," Violet announced. "We're here! The Pokémon Inn Café! It's one of the best casual style restaurants in Cerulean, so our baby sister says." She flashed Misty a smile. "It has a great dessert bar, which Misty absolutely loves."

"That's one impressive Rapidash," Kenji commented after stepping out of the carriage. "You didn't even need a driver to lead him here and I don't recall either of you telling him where to go."

"He's really smart," Lily said while petting him. Rapidash snorted affectionately. "He's been a part of our family for years and seeing Misty, he knew to come here. Misty _always_ comes here when she visits."

The group finally entered the restaurant, which had a giant fountain in the middle and a Dewgong statue. A host walked up to them and led them to a currently secluded section.

"Wow," Ash whistled, taking notice of the nicely decorated facility, "this place looks cool!"

After being seated, they chose the "all you can eat and drink" option. "Buffet" or *"Viking" style".

"I've never been to a place like this before," Brock said. "So, we get our own food and drink, instead of having it served?"

Daisy nodded. "You have the choice of ordering something from the menu or just get the buffet set."

Todd turned partially red in embarrassment, as he hadn't even looked over the menu. Daisy had just ordered for everyone. "Um…how much _does_ the set cost?"

"Oh, don't worry everyone. This is our treat," Lily told them. "We're glad to have you here."

"Yeah, but if you _really_ want to know," Daisy added, "it's about *¥850."

Misty was glad of this, as she was ready for the dessert bar, all the ice cream and cake she could eat. They all rose from their seats and headed to the buffet area. Brock and Kenji were impressed with the amounts of teas they had and how one could brew their own in their own individual ceramic pot. Each pot had its own tea strainer inside and all you had to do was sprinkle the tea in, run hot water over it, and seep it for a minute and to help with that, you could pick up a miniature hourglass.

Todd and Ash went for the soft drinks, as well as Misty. The sisters were more interested in the tea variety.

Once seated with their meals and drinks, they all started to engage in conversation. Misty started to chow down, but soon realized she couldn't eat as much as she thought she could. She pushed her multiple plates aside.

Daisy looked up from her meal. "What's wrong?"

"Oh nothing, I guess I just ate too much."

"Something _must_ be wrong if our kid-sister isn't finishing her ice cream," Lily pointed out. "That's like, your most favorite food ever!"

Ash, who was seated right next to Misty, Daisy on her other side, looked a bit hesitant, as there were people around, but gave in and put his arm around her, pulling her into a slight hug. "I'm a little worried about you. Are you _sure_ you're okay?"

She snuggled up closer to him. "Thanks for the concern, Ash, but really, I'm okay."

Kenji and Brock were surprised that Ash had openly, and affectionately, tried to comfort Misty. Todd inwardly groaned over the mushiness of the display.

The three sisters stared wide-eyed as Ash let go of Misty. They couldn't believe that the two had gotten close in such a way publicly, but it also confirmed the suspicions they'd had earlier.

Kenji gave Misty a sly look as he'd taken notice of Daisy, Lily, and Violet's expressions. "I see someone forgot to mention that you and Ash are a couple now."

Todd, who was seated between Brock and Kenji, and across from Daisy, Misty, Ash, and Violet (who was seated beside Ash) laughed half-heartedly. "It took them forever just to tell us."

At this point, Brock's expression became sullen. "Everyone's getting a girlfriend except me!" He then turned to his left where a certain pink-haired sister sat. "Hey Lily, how about we-"

"Um," she interrupted with a sweat drop, "I'm kinda, like, looking for someone closer to my age."

"How much closer can I get to you?" a love-struck Brock asked in a total dream world.

Everyone sighed over the way Brock was acting. Misty was about to take out her mallet, but decided against it, as she just didn't feel like it at the moment.

"So," Lily began, ignoring the breeder completely, "how long have you two been a couple?"

"Since Ash got his Earth badge and before that _terrible_ trial dealing with Giovanni," Misty shuddered.

"Yeah, but considering how long they've known each other, I'd say their entire journey," a calmed down Brock joked. "The longer we traveled, the more couple-like they became, like an old stubborn married couple."

Ash and Misty slightly blushed, as Brock was right. They did act foolishly around one another as a way to hide their true feelings. Pikachu and Togepi laughed while Mewtwo, who was seated next to Kenji, was consuming a slice of Pokéberry Pie.

Lily stared down at her half-eaten meal and sighed painfully. "I can't believe that horrible man killed our parents, and that you, like, went through so much."

"We're sorry for _ever_ blaming you, Misty!" Violet wanted to make absolutely clear. "We were just really upset at the time because you couldn't remember anything."

"Yeah, like please forgive us!" Daisy pleaded.

The youngest Cerulean sister felt like crying, not out of sadness or grief, but out of appreciation and love for her sisters. She felt truly accepted by them, even if they hadn't come right and said it as of yet, but their more recent actions was more than enough. "It's okay. I knew that you didn't _really_ hate me or anything like that."

"No, of course we didn't hate you and we never will," Daisy resolutely insisted. "You know we love you," she then lightheartedly haughtily added, "even if you _aren't_ as pretty as _we_ are."

"Thanks for the apology, I think," Misty muttered. She picked up her drink and gulped some of it down. She felt slightly repulsed as she felt overly full and nauseated. "I'll be right back," she announced. She rose from her seat and rushed off in the direction of the restroom.

Todd stared after her, shaking his head. "I don't think she's better, even though she insisted that she was." He turned his attention back to the others. "What's wrong with her anyway?"

"It's strange," Daisy said. "She's always been the healthiest of us. When she was younger and had lessons and school, she, like, never missed a day."

"She never caught those typical childhood illnesses either," Violet added, thinking back to their younger days.

"She hardly ever catches a cold and I don't think she's ever had the flu, either."

"Wow, Lily, I think you're right," Kenji nodded. "I've never seen Misty with a cold, even though I haven't been traveling with her as long as Brock or Ash."

"No, she hasn't," Brock concurred. Ash too nodded.

"I guess she's pretty healthy then," Kenji concluded.

"I think Misty said that she started feeling sick a couple of days ago," Ash explained. "I didn't really notice it though because she always eats a lot, but she has been eating more, and now that I think about it, she has been kinda running off to the bathroom," he turned red in embarrassment, "but I don't think that's any of our business."

"And yet, she's so thin," a starry-eyed Lily uttered enviously. "Why can't I eat all the ice cream I want and not gain any weight!"

The others ignored Lily.

"The redheaded one has been in a terrible condition this entire day, but she's been complex about the entire situation. First, she claims to be in perfect health, and then she becomes ill once again." He looked down at his now empty plate and looked towards Ash. "May I be excused to go back to the dessert bar?"

"Oh, yeah, sure, go right ahead Mewtwo."

He stood and stalked off towards the dessert bar for more Pokéberry Pie, which was one of the best tasting foods he'd ever had the honor of consuming.

"Mewtwo sure does have good manners," Ash said in slight amusement, "even though Giovanni used to have complete control over him."

Violet set her napkin down and stood up. "I'm going to check up on Misty."

"Good idea," Brock said, as the dark-haired woman walked off.

"While she goes check on Misty, we can try to figure something out." Kenji leaned back in his chair. "We ought to get her to a doctor."

"Here we go again," Todd groaned. "It just hasn't been her year. First she was *poisoned and now she keeps getting sick."

"So you guys didn't notice the way she was acting?" Daisy asked, although she was most focused on Ash.

"Well, she _has_ been a bit quiet for the past couple of days, and she didn't complain once about bugs or anything when camping out in the Viridian Forest the past couple of nights. I also noticed that she didn't sleep much the night before we left Pallet. She kept slipping out of the room."

Daisy, after hearing that, had her full attention on Ash now. "You two _shared_ a room together?"

"Yeah, what's wrong with us sharing a room together?"

Lily's attention was now also on Ash. It was like the rest of them weren't even there and didn't even notice Mewtwo's return to the table with an ample amount of pie. "Did she share a bed with you?"

Still clueless, the boy answered, "Yeah. She hated the top bunk, so she sometimes slept on mine with me."

Daisy and Lily both looked distressed. "The _same_ bed?!"

Brock, Kenji, and Todd had a million beads of sweat all over their faces. They all got the gist of what the older girls were insinuating about the couple. Even Pikachu picked up on it. Mewtwo wasn't listening at all, as he was too busy consuming pie and Togepi was confused.

Right at that particular moment, Violet returned with Misty.

"So, what's the diagnosis," Violet asked brightly while retaking her seat. The two remaining sisters gave her a look before answering. Violet scratched her head curiously. "What?"

Lily cleared her throat, continuing with the interrogation of the young Pokémon trainer. "Was this a _daily_ occurrence, Ash? You guys sharing?"

"Yeah, all the time; almost every night," Ash answered, still not fully getting it. "Sometimes we didn't sleep, though," he finished up casually. This statement caused Misty to lightly blush.

Violet now looked incredibly distraught over this revelation, but not as much as Todd, who now wore a frown.

'They're only kids,' Kenji thought, trying to convince himself that Misty's current condition wasn't in connection to being with Ash or associated with their closeness.

'What in the world happened after I left?' Brock inwardly fumed. 'Kenji is supposed to be the one in charge!'

Ridding herself of her small blush, Misty asked, "What's wrong with you all? Why are you all so quiet all of a sudden?"

"Erm…Misty, we want you to stay with us tonight," Lily gestured towards Ash, "away from him for a while."

"What? Why?!"

Daisy put a hand on Misty's shoulder. "We totally know what's best for you," she assured her sympathetically.

"Why can't I be with Misty?"

Lily glared at Ash. "You know why!"

"Wait….I do?"

Violet pointed an accusatory finger at the boy. "_You're_ the reason she's so sick!"

"Ash," Todd began awkwardly, which he really wanted to refuse to believe, "please say it isn't true. You always have Pokémon on the brain; I didn't think you of all people would know this route…"

"Wait…_what_?"

"You two are just kids," Kenji argued. "I can't believe you did this Ash, but I also know that it takes two for this happen, so it's not entirely your fault." He stared at Ash, as if studying him. "I kind of figured that he would've been too young…sort of…"

"Too _young_?! I'm going to be 14 soon!"

Misty's eyes were now wide, her face beet red, as she looked over at Ash, finally catching on to what the others had been implying about the pair of them…

Author's Notes

Note 1: Buffet-style restaurants do exist in Japan, but at the time, I didn't know that. They are called "Viking" restaurants.  
>x x x<br>Note 2: In the Pokémon world, the currency is yen, not Poke dollars or whatever. Same goes for the original Japanese games. The currency is Japanese yen.  
>x x x<p>

Note 3: In the last story, Misty had a reaction to Jessie's Lickitung's "Lick" attack, thus her being mildly poisoned.

Fic Chapter Changes

One thing I have been changing is "fourth wall" stuff. The part where Todd inwardly groans over the display was originally written to be Todd complaining to RP to cut it out with the mushy stuff and RP saying that she had to toss it in somewhere and that she's never too mushy because she doesn't like mushy stuff much either.

Another fourth wall change came at the very beginning. Ash and Misty were complaining about the title and wondering what RP meant by it. It was originally called, "It's all Ash's Fault" or something like that. My mind went blank here. Lol

Other change dealt with Brock. After everyone started thinking in the way that they were, Brock started going on about how it wasn't fair that Ash was getting "experience" before him. Well, it was more so implied that's where he was going, but he didn't get much out because he was cut off by a slam with a mallet. RP temporarily stepped in to take Misty's place due to how flabbergasted and shocked she was over what her sisters were insinuating.


	3. Problem Solved!

Hello again everyone. I hope you liked the previous chapter. I hope you don't mind the way Mewtwo will be written for this chapter. I hope he won't come across as out of character or anything.

Anywho, as I mentioned before, the journey to the island starts in chapter 4 and Mewtwo will play a role in this story. A rather interesting one…somewhat. He's going to be directly linked to the plot and I guess you'll get an inkling as to how and why in maybe...chapter 6.

This chapter is longer than usual, and I apologize for this. It's long because there are some notes at the end of this as well as a hefty amount of "fic chapter changes". Many things also occur in this chapter, which includes a short doctor visit, a moment dealing with Misty's parents, and the group preparing to leave. At the end of this chapter, the group finally heads off to the island. I really didn't want to split the chapter up because I wanted to get everything regarding Cerulean out of the way and finished. This chapter isn't fully necessary to read, but some of the things said in this chapter do apply to later situations, Misty's parents especially.

Now, as always, I do not own anything dealing with the Pokémon franchise. Nintendo, 4Kids, Gamefreak, etc., have those rights, and here are the age reminders once again...

Ash: 13  
>MistyTodd: 14  
>Kenji: 17 going on 18<br>Brock: 19  
>Lily: 21<br>Violet: 22  
>Daisy: 23<p>

Part 03: "Misty's okay!" Problem Solved!

Last time, the sisters decided to get down to the root of Misty's problem, but now a clueless Ash is trying to figure out why the blame is being put on him. Will he figure it out?

Ash Title: Problem Solved!

"Misty, you wouldn't do something like that, would you?" asked Kenji who was shuffling uncomfortably in his seat. He felt awkward getting on that type of subject. "Ash's mother might not take that kind of news well, for all we know…"

":You shouldn't do things like that! You're too young!:"

":Too young for what, Uncle Pika?:"

":Um…I'll tell you about it when you're older.:"

"What am I too young for?" He grew slightly annoyed over everyone's going on about his age, although still clueless. "I am _not_ too young! I just told you I'm going to be 14 soon, and I can do anything as well as, and maybe even better than, Brock or Kenji!"

Misty's sisters and Todd all gave the two boys a look. Brock and Kenji looked embarrassed and had looks on their faces, wishing they weren't even in the room, given what everyone was thinking regarding Ash and Misty's relationship. Everyone was now wondering just how much Ash _really_ knew about the two older boys' private lies when it came to girls.

"I can't _believe_ you guys are thinking that! Ash and I wouldn't do something like that," Ash blinked in stupidity over his name being mentioned, '…yet.'

"But Misty," Violet spoke, her voice hushed, while trying to keep the younger girl from blowing her top, "you seem to have some of the most common symptoms. Your eating habits have been weird according to them and you've been feeling nauseous. You even had a little bit of motion sickness on the way over here, which is highly unusual for you."

Ash turned his attention towards Violet, a quizzical look etched to this face. "Symptoms?"

"Well, I can assure you that it's _not_ that!"

"But," Todd interjected fearfully, "the two of you always shared a room together and-and he said you sometimes shared the same bunk." He threw Ash an indignant look. "I _was_ there, you know. I slept in the spare room, Kenji stayed with Professor Oak, and _you_ had _his_ room with _him_ in it."

"Oh-ho," Brock snorted, his arms crossed. "So _that's_ why he wasn't around to keep these two in check! He was sucking up to get reviewed by Professor Oak!"

"Wait, hey! I didn't want to impose on Mrs. Ketchum," the boy defensively argued while waving his hands. This was, indeed, true, as there wasn't much space in the small house. "Professor Oak offered for me to stay with him at his lab and to stay on as his assistant for the time I was there. Besides, I was doing work while at the lab to help further my knowledge! I'm a researcher and watcher, not a babysitter!"

"Stop arguing you two!" The last thing the photographer wanted was for the two older boys to get into some kind of physical confrontation with him sitting right in the middle of them. "I should've picked up on something since I was with them."

"Um, I still don't get what you guys are going on about." Everyone, minus Misty, gave the boy a look of disbelief. "Does this have something to do with Misty being sick?"

"Um, Ash, do you know about the 'facts of life'?"

"Yeah, Todd, I guess so, but what does that have to do with Misty being sick?"

Kenji gave off a kind of relieved sigh. "I think we may have jumped to conclusions. Either Ash is a really good actor, or either he's literally naïve on this particular subject, and I don't think he's an actor."

The breeder nodded in agreement. "That has to be it, unless there's a side to Ash that we didn't know about, which would explain why he's putting on this cluelessness act."

"Who cares about Ash right now! _I'm_ the one you should be concerned about!" Misty took out her mallet. Other people looked up from their meals at the scene she was now making, swinging the heavy hammer threateningly. "Do _not_ make me use this! And how _dare_ you make that kind of accusation! We're not doing anything, and even _if_ we were, what business is it of yours?!" the girl fumed. "It's not like we ever have any privacy to begin with!" she added on heatedly, her face going slightly red, as she'd meant to think that as opposed to saying it.

"Well, you can't help but, like, wonder," Daisy muttered dryly.

"Yeah, Ash said some nights the two of you didn't sleep," Lily reminded her. "What are we _supposed_ to think?"

Violet shook her head vigorously, while looking over at Misty. "I am _so_ not ready to become an aunt!"

"Um, I, er…" Ash stuttered, his now sizzling face turning a deep crimson, unsure of what to say. The boy stopped, and then timidly told his redheaded girlfriend, "Um, Misty…how about you go see a doctor to make sure nothing's wrong. I hate it when you're sick."

"I'm fine, but I _am_ mad at you guys for thinking what you were thinking! Let's just get back and rest up so that we can leave tomorrow for that island place!"

Misty picked up Togepi and stormed out of the restaurant in a huff. Others started to murmur amongst themselves, curious as to what the commotion was about, as they couldn't hear the contents of the argument.

"Um…"

"Don't say _any_thing, Ash," everyone shouted, which caused him to jump.

"Okay?" he answered back, still in partial shock. "Um, Mewtwo, we're leaving? I guess we're all going back to the gym?"

Mewtwo, during most of Misty's outburst, had sneaked off to get some more Pokéberry pie. He was now finishing off another slice. "Yes, capbearer." He looked down at the freshly baked pie, deciding to take it with him. "This is quite tasty and appetizing. I must find out the means and ways of creating such a delicacy."

The group left the restaurant, all quiet and on their way back to the Cerulean Gym. Misty was so peeved, she refused to ride back in the carriage. She felt it would be better to walk, to clear her head. Besides, it was a nice night out, and there wasn't a cloud in the sky and knew the fresh air would be good for Togepi. Ash, along with Pikachu, decided to join them. During the walk, both the trainer and the electric mouse noticed that Misty was shedding a few tears.

"Misty, what's wrong?!"

"I can't _believe_ they were thinking something like that!" Togepi grew a bit fidgety in Misty's arms, so she set him down so that he could walk alongside Pikachu.

"Me either," Ash responded dazedly.

"Oh, they should know me better than that!"  
>x x x x<br>":I don't think those two did anything…:"

":Am I old enough to know what they're talking about, Uncle Pika?:"

":No, you're not. That was only a short while ago when you asked about it before.:"

":But I _am_ older, Uncle Pika! I'm exactly 10 minutes older!:" Togepi smiled innocently, while Pikachu face-faulted in stupidity.

":I should have never given you that watch _or_ taught you how to use it,:" Pikachu said while picking himself up, ':now if only _Ash_ would learn how to use one…:'  
>x x x x<br>"No offense, Ash, but what you said _was_ pretty stupid."

"What do you mean?"

"Everything you said _really_ gave them the wrong idea."

"Ah, sorry, sorry," he apologized bashfully, a slight tinge of red in his cheeks once again.

"It's okay." Misty vaguely smiled. "Well, those are my sisters for you, and they _were_ only acting that way out of concern for me."

"That's a good thing."

"Yeah, I guess, but what really made them suspicious was when you said we didn't sleep some nights."

"But it's true!"

"Yeah, it is, but you should've specified. How would _they_ know that we sometimes stay up late stargazing and talking, which is really sweet of you to do…"

'If Todd and the others knew about that, I'd never live it down…'

"…or that we stay up late playing games, since you like doing that a lot and how I've even come across you training your Pokémon. I really hate it when people assume things."

"I didn't think about it, but I guess you're right. I guess saying those things in the way that I did, would sound…suggestive."

Misty chuckled, finding the pathetic look on Ash's face adorable and sweet. She knew he meant well. She grabbed his hand, and the two continued the walk.

About 20 minutes later, Ash and Misty arrived at the gym, Togepi and Pikachu right by their sides.

"Wow, we've been walking a while, and there's the gym."

"Yeah," he gulped nervously, "and everyone is there waiting for us."

"Don't worry about it, Ash; let's go."

The two ran up to the gym, their Pokémon right behind them, to first be greeted by the Pokémon artist.

"How are you feeling, Misty?"

"A bit better. The fresh air cooled me off."

"That's good," Brock sighed out in relief, as if his life had been spared. "So, I guess that means you're not going to take out that mallet, eh?" He waggled his eyebrows and sounded hopeful.

"Thanks for reminding me." At those words, Misty took out her mallet, and slammed Brock with it. "Don't press your luck."

Streaked tears ran down his tan face. "What was _that_ for?!"

"For hitting on my sister! I just didn't feel like it earlier!" She put the mallet away and yawned. "I'm tired; can I take a bath and get some sleep now?"

"Sure, but you're going to see a doctor _right_ now!"

"Daisy, I already told you that I'm not-"

"Something is wrong with you! You're going to the doctor whether you want to or not!"

"But Violet, I-"

"Yeah, we totally care about you Misty. We're your sisters."

"_Li_ly…" the girl groaned in exasperation.

"Please go with them, Misty. I hate it when you're sick. You use your mallet more when you're sick."

"I do not!" She slammed the trainer, only not as hard as she had Brock.

"I…rest…my…case…" Ash managed to get out, falling over.  
>x x x x<br>"We're the lucky ones out of this group," Kenji whispered to the photographer. "Misty _never_ hits us."

"Thank goodness."  
>x x x x<br>"Okay, I'll go _just_ to prove that you three," she pointed to the older girls, "aren't about to become aunts!"

"How is she going to see a doctor this late in the evening?" Kenji queried while looking down at his watch. "Aren't all of the clinics closed now?"

"We have one right here in the gym now," Lily told them.

"Since when?" asked Misty in surprise.

"Since Dewgong and Violet's accident," Daisy explained. "She, like, totally scared us!"

"_What_ accident?!"

"Violet slipped and bumped her head, like, really hard during one of our shows, and the CPR wasn't even helping at first! She wasn't even breathing! We _had_ to get someone here right away! Luckily, Dewgong managed to save her when she fell in, though, but Daisy and I thought she was just trying something new. We didn't know that she'd fallen and bumped her head. She was also bleeding pretty badly."

"That's terrible!"

"After that, Lily and I decided that we should have a doctor here, and after Violet got better, we hired one and he does some of his practice here. We feel it's, like, way safer with him around, just in case something happens. His practice is in the basement. He also makes house calls, so he isn't always here."

"That was a total bummer, but thank goodness Dewgong saved me and then the others were able to keep doing CPR on me until the paramedics came."

"Let's go see the doctor," Daisy suggested.

They led the girls to the ground floor of the gym, where all of the living quarters were. They walked to the area that was set aside for the doctor, Sugiyama Hiroki, which doubled as his practice and living area. They entered the waiting room and called for him.

A handsome man with jet-black, shoulder-lengthened hair, wearing thin-rimmed glasses, roughly in his late 20s or early 30s entered the room. He smiled to the sisters…a smile that many women would swoon over. Even the Cerulean sisters found him charming and handsome, and sometimes had to do their bests to remain composed whenever around him.

The group sat down in the room while he took Misty to the back to examine her. About 20 minutes later, both reemerged, a bandage on Misty's arm.

"So, Sugiyama-sensei," Daisy started anxiously, "what's wrong with Misty?"

The man looked down at his chart and then cleared his throat. "First of all, please don't be so formal with me. It's outside of office hours. Call me Hiroki." He turned to the others while clearing his throat. "That goes for you all too. We're all friends here."

The request was strange to the others, but they decided to honor his request. He was pretty laidback for a doctor.

"As for Misty here, I could understand why you were so concerned, but it's not as bad as you think. It's a common, yet strange, stomach flu."

"_Sto_mach flu?"

"Yes, she'll be fine. It's been going around quite a bit lately. It causes one's appetite to increase, but can also cause it to decrease, but in her case, it was an increase.

"In other reported cases, the patient would be running a high fever and suffering from dehydration, and Misty here has mentioned that she's never had a fever, and she hasn't shown any signs of dehydration. As a matter of fact, she seems to be at the tail-end of this illness. Her case was very mild and it definitely helps that she has a good, strong immune system."

"You know, now that you mention it, when I went home, my father was pretty sick," Brock explained. "He was sick for nearly two weeks, but the doctor said it was just a normal flu. He had a high fever, loss of appetite, an achy body, but I never thought of maybe Misty having a type of flu."

"Sounds like your father had a full-blown case of influenza. Either way, seems Misty's body was building up an immunity to it and fought it off. I gave Misty a vaccine to help it along and tomorrow morning, first thing, I'll have the pharmacy prepare some tablets for her to help continue fighting off the bug."

Todd smiled in relief. "Glad to hear it wasn't anything serious."

The doctor yawned and stretched. "Well, I think I'll call it a night gang. See you in the morning."

"Thanks doc!" the others called to him.

"No problem," he told them as he stalked back to the rear room.

"Hey, we forgot to ask if what Misty has is contagious."

"I don't think so, Kenji. The doctor told me that those who have been in close contact with me may have a risk of catching it, and you haven't had any physical contact with since I've been sick, like maybe hugging and stuff like that."

Everyone looked over at Ash, who was fiddling around with his Pokédex. He felt the eyes on him and looked up. "What?"

"Maybe you should let the doctor check you over too," Todd told him briskly.

"Why?"

Brock started to massage his temples. "Didn't you _hear_ what she said? Misty _always_ has physical contact with you because you're her boyfriend! You two do all that mushy stuff."

"We do _not_ act mushy!" Ash shuddered. "I re_fuse_ to!"

"They actually don't," the photographer vouched, "but Ash _is_ most likely to catch what she has more than us."

"Togepi too," Kenji added. "If this can be passed on to Pokémon, he definitely should get checked over at the Pokémon Center."

"Yeah, guess that does make sense, and Pikachu probably should be checked too since he's always hanging around me. I'll ask in the morning since it's a bit late now. If we want to get to that island, we should start out early. *Okido-hakase said that *Shigeru left five days before I did! I want to beat him!"

"Nice," Misty commented dryly. "Take a bath and go to bed, Ash."

x x x x.

The next morning, everyone awoke bright and early, completely refreshed, minus a certain trainer who slept in as late as 10:00. After he did awaken though, he went to see Dr. Sugiyama, who examined him. He didn't show any signs of the stomach virus or flu. As for the Pokémon, he mentioned that it couldn't be passed to them. The doctor did suggest that all of them receive a vaccination to be on the safe side.

"I feel almost 100% again." She and the others, after Ash's diagnosis, and everyone's vaccination, were sitting down to a late breakfast. She gave Togepi a piece of toast, who gladly accepted it.

"Glad to hear it, Misty," Kenji answered while sipping on his tea.

Todd smiled to her. "You look n-nicer too, not like yesterday," he awkwardly complimented. "You look healthy."

Lily, who was spreading marmalade on a slice of toast, rounded on Misty. "Hey, how come you guys have to leave so soon?"

"Yeah, the league games for the entire Kanto region are at least another couple of weeks from now," Daisy slightly moaned in disappointment.

"Because Professor Oak told me that I need to catch some more Pokémon, preferably rare ones, to battle the gym leader at that weird island place. The extra week will give me enough time to train them, and then I can fully qualify for the league."

"I've been meaning to ask about that. Why'd you wait so late to leave?"

"Because Violet," Todd spoke up, slightly annoyed over the situation, "Professor Oak for_got_ to tell him." He rolled his eyes and shook his head. "I still say he doesn't have it all upstairs."

"I _never_ thought so," Misty muttered under her breath.

Ash stood up, his right fist bawled in determination. "Forget about that, let's just get going."

"I still hate the fact that you guys are leaving so soon," Lily frowned. She then looked towards the tall, pale Pokémon shoveling down pie, which the girls had specially ordered the previous night from one of the best bakery's Cerulean had to offer. "If you need rare Pokémon, why don't you use that Mewtwo of yours?"

"Yeah, Ash," Brock chimed in, "Mewtwo _is_ the ultimate Pokémon."

"First of all, he's not my Pokémon," Ash corrected, "and second of all, it wouldn't be fair."

"What do you mean?"

Mewtwo looked up from his Pokéberry pie, almost regrettably, looking towards Brock. "I can answer that, squinty-eyed one."

Brock made a face, but ignored the comment and let the unique Pokémon talk.

Before continuing, Mewtwo took another quick bite of his pie. "It is a disadvantage because I _am_ one of the strongest Pokémon created and also the only one of my kind in existence. The only ones who have ever come close to defeating me, is that *Togepi and the Articuno the redheaded one has, but that was only because I let them."

Brock's expression grew to one of confusion. "How? Togepi can't be all _that_ powerful. He never battles and he's still young."

"When he was being controlled by Giovanni, his mind wasn't really into it," Ash explained. "A part of him was trying to fight against us, but the other part of him didn't. The part that didn't want to fight was the part that Togepi kind of defeated. Remember we told you that Togepi got upset, and somehow managed to get Articuno out of Mewtwo's Psybeam?" Brock and Kenji nodded. "He didn't really want to battle then."

"He speaks the truth. I pleaded with my master that I didn't want to harm the humans, but he kept ordering me to attack anyway. He almost had complete control over my mind, but I fought back and refused to allow him to as best as I could." He looked towards Misty. "I missed the redheaded one on purpose. I used Foresight to anticipate what that Togepi was planning. I could see that he was going to teleport, which I let him. I didn't counterattack."

"So that's how it was," Todd said, impressed.

Growing tired of the chitchat, Ash took notice of the time. "Hey, look at the time, guys! You all slept in too late!"

Everyone hovered over Ash, their heads ten times their normal size. "WHAT DO YOU MEAN 'YOU ALL'!"

"Oh yeah," he sheepishly laughed, "_I _was the one who overslept."

Kenji pulled out his map, checking it over. "You guys, Ash _is_ right, though. We should leave as soon as possible. This place isn't that close and Cerulean is a big city of Kanto."

Ash looked over Kenji's shoulder, down at the map. "Yeah, we have to go to the east coast to get to the shipping docks to get to this island place."

Violet stood up to look over the map as well. "There aren't any shipping docks on the eastern shore of Cerulean. When did they build this gym?"

"Professor Oak didn't say," Ash answered.

"If it's okay with you guys," Misty began absent-mindedly, "I'd like to take a short walk before we leave."

Without waiting for a protest or even an "okay", the girl rose from her seat sullenly, leaving Togepi behind, and went in the direction of the exit.

"I wonder what's with her," Todd said.

"Yeah." Daisy sipped on her cup of coffee. "She looks a little gloomy."

"Hey, I'll go see what's wrong. I'll be right back."

"Okay, Ash." With that, the boy rushed off to catch up to Misty.

Daisy set down her cup and clapped enthusiastically. "Hey, like, since it's a bit late, and the gym is closed today anyway, why don't we give you guys a ride to the eastern shore?"

"Like, totally!" Violet exclaimed. "It'll be fun! Have you guys ever seen all of Cerulean?"

"You know, I don't think I ever have. With my work, I rarely ever go places to get photos of the actual town."

"I'm not from around here and just recently started traveling around for my research and art. I've lived in the Orange Islands my entire life."

"I grew up in Pewter and didn't have much of an opportunity to travel until I met up with Ash and Misty. This is only my third time here in Cerulean."

"Well, how about a carriage ride around Cerulean?" Violet suggested. "It should take no longer than maybe an hour, two at the most." She smirked. "We'll just wait for the two lovebirds to return."  
>x x x x<br>Misty continued her walk, now on a small path behind the gym. Ash, curious as to where she was going, decided to remain at a distance. Of all the times he'd visited the gym, albeit not much, he'd never been to the back of it and didn't even realize just how spacious it was.

The girl finally stopped at a secluded spot, where there was a small pond filled with Goldeen and Magicarp. There were also flowers planted around the garden like area, such as roses, daisies, lilies, and violets. Misty turned her attention to an alter with two marble gravestones that sat directly in front of the exquisite pond.

One of them read:

**Hanada Yamato**  
><strong>Born: 1950.03.23<strong>  
><strong>Died: 1989.04.08<strong>  
><strong>Loved by all due to his love for all Pokémon everywhere.<strong>  
><strong>May his soul rest in peace.<strong>

The other read:

**Hanada Kasumi**  
><strong>Born: 1952.05.11<strong>  
><strong>Died: 1989.04.08<strong>  
><strong>One known for her special skills in the water field.<strong>  
><strong>May her soul rest in peace.<strong>

The young teen stared down at the gravestones, sniffling slightly, as her heart ached. "Hello papa, mama. I know I've never really come here in the past, and only the alter we have set up in the gym, but I always felt way too much pain whenever I did because I felt responsible for your deaths. It's always been a struggle for me.

"I didn't do anything!" Her eyes started to water more, stinging slightly. Her tears weren't due to sorrow, but more so spite. She kneeled, ignoring the Magicarp splashing around in the pond playfully. "I shouldn't have come back. I should've gone to get Officer Jenny when I had the chance, even though you guys hid me safely. I'm sorry I didn't listen. I'm sorry I didn't go for help! I'm sorry my curiosity got the better of me! I'm really sorry! It's all my fault!"

She stared for a bit longer, and then tore her leaky eyes away. "I don't even know what to say," she uttered quietly. "I never got the chance to say goodbye. I didn't go to the service because of how traumatizing it all was. They wouldn't let me out of the hospital because, in my eyes, everything that happened was a nightmare. To me, you were still alive…both taking turns running the gym.

"I would give anything to know that you two are okay." She looked up at the clear blue sky, a flock of Pidgey flying by. "I hope that you're enjoying your afterlife." She looked back down, wiping her now, somewhat red eyes. "I miss you. Why did this have to happen? Why didn't I get help?

"Well, I promise to fulfill your dreams, as well as mine, of becoming a Water Pokémon Master! I always talked about it…before the…the…incident," she trailed off, sniffling louder. 'I can't even bring myself to use the word 'murder'.' She wiped her nose as she sniffled once again. "Papa you said you were so proud of me when I said I wanted to become a water Pokémon trainer. I _will_ make you proud of me! I promise that I will and at least now you can rest peacefully knowing that the evil man who took you away from us is being rightfully punished!"

Misty pulled out a small, folded up sheet of paper from her pocket and started to read over it. Her hands trembled, and unable to hold back anymore, she sobbed directly into it. Ash walked up to her and placed a hand on her shoulder. This startled the girl, as she turned to see who the person was.

"A-Ash?" she hiccupped.

He nodded as he took a closer look at the gravestones. "So, these are your parents?" She didn't answer. "I-I see you were named after your mother."

Misty nodded, still staring at the two stone tablets before her.

"It wasn't your fault, Misty! What were you? Like, four? You were only a kid."

The girl remained quiet as she stood, staring at the ground, her back still to Ash. The small piece of paper she'd been holding, slipped out of her now limp hand. The boy picked it up for her. It was a program from the funeral service.

Misty turned to face the slightly taller trainer, her eyes puffy and red. "I don't even remember what they _look_ like!" the girl sobbed hysterically in disgust with herself. "If they were to walk up to me on the street, I wouldn't even know them! Sure, we have photos of them as well as the alter in the gym dedicated to them, but it's not the same!"

"You were only four when it happened," Ash told her again, earnestly. Misty kneeled by the graves once again. "You ought to be happy that you remembered as much as you did to help get Giovanni put away."

Deep down, she knew he was right, but she still couldn't help but feel partially responsible for her parents' deaths.

Ash joined her, and embraced her soothingly, trying his best to console her. She was grateful that she had Ash. Even if the two wouldn't have been a couple, he still would've tried his best to calm her, but she was glad that they were officially a couple now. She considered him to be her best friend. Sure he acted silly at times, but he knew when and how to cheer her up, which was always a good thing for her; _especially_ with what she was currently going through and feeling.

"Don't worry, Misty. I'll help you get through this…somehow. For I am," he flexed his muscles, "Ash, Pokémon Master extraordinaire!"

Misty laughed a bit, and gave the boy a slight smile. "Thanks, you always know how to cheer me up." She grew silent again as she focused on the graves again. "This is my first time ever visiting. I've always regretted coming here."

The boy stopped flexing and stared at his redheaded companion, unsure of what to actually say. "Well, at least you know who your father was and what he was like," he blankly replied without realizing it. "My father is a loser who can't accept responsibility."

The girl looked over at him curiously, wanting him to finish the story. He picked up on it and continued.

"Well," he resumed quietly, "my father technically abandoned my mother when he found out she was pregnant with me, and to make it worse, the two were married. I have my father's name."

"Your _mother_ told you that?"

He shook his head. "No, grandma did. She told me because I always asked about him, but it was pretty obvious to everyone that she didn't like him much, except for me, since I was so young. She felt that it was time I knew the truth about the man I admired and was aspiring to be like. She told me the truth over how he really wasn't away on another Pokémon journey, and back in the day he was known for being a great trainer, so his saying he was going on a journey wasn't too hard to believe. I talked with my grandmother right before I got my license and left on my journey.

"My father didn't want any children and when he found out, he gave my mother two choices. Either don't give birth to me or get rid of me after.

"My grandmother told me that mom didn't believe in that kind of thing, and always felt that starting a family and becoming a mother would be great."

"I'm glad she didn't make that choice." She gave him a small hug. "If she had, you wouldn't be here with all of us now."

"No argument here."

"Does your mother know about the conversation you had with your grandmother?"

He shook his head. "She made me promise not to ever mention it to her. Until mom feels that she can tell me herself, I 'shouldn't make any reference to it'. She just felt that I shouldn't continue viewing my father as this wonderful trainer who could do no wrong. It was a wake up call and my main motivation for wanting to become a great trainer! Maybe I'll find him someday, battle him, finally tell him what I truly think of him and his actions towards mom.

"I hate the fact that mom keeps telling me about how great he is, even now, and how she keeps making excuses as to why he's not around or isn't back home with her. I doubt he ever calls. He never did with me. I would always be conveniently out whenever mom received a call. The letters she used to get when I was really young, I now wonder if mom made it up for my sake…"

"What kinds of things did she used to say? What were the excuses?"

He scratched his head, thinking back. "Things like, 'your father is on Cinnabar Island trying to catch a rare fire Pokémon', or 'he's exploring a new region in search of a new challenge to help improve his Pokémon battling skills', stuff like that. I guess in a way, that _could_ be true, but the bottom line is that he still abandoned her. I'm really glad that Mimie is there to keep her company."

The two stood up, both doing a small prayer and bow. They started to walk off, until Misty stopped abruptly.

"What's wrong, Misty?"

"Mama, papa, this is Satoshi, my best friend in this entire world. He's a wonderful boy and I know you would've liked him. He's a very determined, yet goofy, Pokémon trainer. He's helped me out and I like him a lot."

Growing nervous, and hoping he wouldn't unintentionally do anything offensive, he put his hand behind his head and gave off a bashful, uneasy laugh. "Erm, hello there. I, um, really like your daughter, and I promise to always be a great friend to her and to never let anything bad happen to her if I can help it."

After Ash's declaration, Misty thought she felt something and shivered. She wasn't sure what this feeling was, though. Once done, the two started heading back to the gym, hand in hand.

"Thank you, Ash."

"Well, no problem. I hate seeing you upset."  
>x x x x<br>A petitie woman with long, bright red hair wearing a Vaporeon shaped hair clip, and a majestic blue dress sat in front of the gravestone that read "Hanada Kasumi", watched the teens off. "She's turning out wonderfully, don't you think, Yamato?"

A semi-tall man with short, spiky dark brown hair sat in front of the other grave. His voice was gruff, yet soothing at the same time. He was wearing a pair of black pants, and a t-shirt, with what looked to be the Cascade Badge pinned to it. "Of course she is. She's a Hanada! I just wish that she could've heard us. She's finally opened up her heart to let us in. I wish we could tell her that we love her and her sisters and that we don't blame her for what happened.

"All of that aside, though, I'm proud that she's sticking to her dream of becoming a Water Pokémon Master. She was only three when she mentioned that to us. She would sit and watch our matches so intensely and with such great interest. She would even discuss strategy! She was a very gifted child."

"I just know she'll probably take over the gym someday. The other three are okay with battling, now that they take it a bit more seriously, but it's obvious that Misty is the one who excels at it." Her husband nodded in agreement. "That boy she's with is practically perfect for her. They were definitely fated to meet each other.

"I really wish them the best and hope that fate doesn't deal them a cruel hand that even we can't foretell." Her voice began to quiver and then she cried. "They're destined to have a good life together." The woman's voice was now strained from her sobs, but put it aside as she called out, "Your father and I care about you very much!"

"Yes, we love you! You'll become a very skilled Water Pokémon Trainer and will pass on your skill in the future! Please take care, my little Waterflower!"  
>x x x x<br>Misty stopped walking abruptly, her eyes growing wide, slightly. She looked back in confusion.

"What's wrong?" He looked back as she had. "Did you see something?"

"No, I thought…I heard someone call me…by my other name…"

"Your other name?"

"It was a pet name, one that my father called me. He used to call me his 'little Waterflower'. That's one of the few things I remember about him."

"I didn't hear anything."

Ignoring her partner, she obliviously muttered, "I love you too, papa, mama."  
>x x x x<br>Mrs. Hanada's tears were streaming, wishing she could reach out and hug her youngest daughter and never let go. "She must've heard you! This is the first time she's ever sensed us! The other girls have, but never her! She's been through so much, and will be going through another obstacle in her life really soon. We can't always watch over her, but we can try our bests to during that time!"

"Goodbye my little Waterflower, and please never forget us…"  
>x x x x<br>'I promise not to forget either of you. I'm sorry my heart has been closed off to you for so long…because of my guilt, but now that I feel I've avenged you a little, I'll make sure you'll always remain in my heart. I promise to keep you here for all eternity.'

Ash was glad that Misty seemed a bit more content, even if he hadn't heard the things she claimed to have heard.

The two made it back, but decided not to mention where they'd been. Everyone had just assumed that Misty was somehow throwing hints at Ash to follow, and didn't pry. Either way, they were all glad that Misty seemed to be more like herself.

Daisy asked the pair if they wanted to ride around Cerulean before heading off to the island. Ash wanted to turn them down, given how anxious he was, but kept quiet about it and agreed to it given how the others were coming across and knew that Misty would like riding around in a carriage.

Most of the places the girls went, Misty was embarrassed in some way or form. Her sisters brought up stuff that Misty didn't _want_ to remember or acknowledge.

"Hey, remember when Misty was like, eight," Daisy snorted in laughter, "and she was trying to impress our neighbor's twelve-year-old son? That was _so_ totally funny!" She pointed to the park they were now passing by. "That spot there, under the huge tree, is well-known for couples confessing. Misty was there with him, and she fell in the mud wearing Violet's dress. It was _way_ too big for her."

"Yeah, like in one _main_ area," Lily giggled.

"I remember that, coming home, finding one of my best dresses missing. Oh, and wasn't she wearing makeup too?"

"Oh my gosh, she was! I almost forgot!" Lily's giggling had turned to that of outright laughter. "She looked as goofy as a Mr. Mime wearing Daisy's makeup, and the fact that Violet's dress was too big for her, made it even more hilarious! That was so totally cute, our baby sister trying to impress a boy."

Brock, Kenji, Todd, and Ash visualized Misty dressed in the way the sisters had described her. They all were trying their bests to keep their laughter in, which was showing to be difficult, especially for Ash. Brock nearly broke, but managed to pass his stifled laugh off as a cough. Neither boy wanted to get hit by a now red-faced Misty. Mewtwo stared on stoically, still not understanding human emotion very well.

After a quick stop at a café for drinks and a light snack, they finally arrived at their destination, the pathway that would lead to some shipping docks, according to Kenji's map.

Thanks for bringing us here," Kenji said, hopping out of the carriage, "but we still have to walk about 80 kilometers (about half a mile)," he pointed ahead while staring down at his map, "that way."

The place they stopped at was a woodsy like area. There wasn't even a path for them to follow, nor was there a path wide enough for the Rapidash-drawn carriage to follow. The group would definitely have to rely on their skills to make certain that they headed eastward.

"Sorry we couldn't get closer," the oldest of the sisters apologized, "but this is as close as we can get since it's pretty much abandoned here. I don't know anyone who actually goes here, other than probably campers. There isn't even a bicycle path."

"Yeah, we know this city inside and out, and we've _never_ been past here." Lily arched an eyebrow and stared over at Kenji. "Are you _sure_ this map is, like, accurate? I know there's an island way out, but nothing about shipping docks."

"Yeah, we got this from Professor Oak. I figured it out by routing out the coordinates he gave me. He said that to get to the island, we have to leave from," he pointed to a spot on the map, "this spot."

Violet folded her arms over her chest, looking a bit apprehensive. "I hope you guys will be okay, and I hope that Professor Oak actually knows what he's talking about."

"Don't worry," Misty assured them, "we'll be fine."

Lily hugged the younger girl. "We'll be seeing you Misty. Call us _time_ you get there!"

"Yeah, and be _really_ careful so that you don't get sick again," Daisy warned.

"You guys _better_ take care of our baby sister for us," Violet threatened. "If _any_thing happens to her, we _will_ come after you!"

'They're scary,' Ash thought fearfully while holding Togepi. "We'll take good care of her, we promise!"

"Hey, I can take _care_ of myself!" she heatedly protested.

"Misty, y-you know what we mean," Daisy told her nervously. "We don't want anything to happen to the youngest of the four Sensational Sisters."

Misty stared at the trio, and for the first time in her entire life, she felt really grateful for having them. Sure they did clash at times, but it was obvious that they cared about her, and had finally _officially_ accepted her.

"Thank you, guys." She shed a few tears, hugging all three sisters at once. "Do you really mean it? The fourth Sensational Sister?"

"Of course! You're totally awesome," Violet complimented brightly, "and you're one excellent Water Pokémon trainer."

Daisy's look grew serene as she stared up at the clear, pinking orange-ish sky, shedding some tears of her own. 'I'm sure father is proud of her…'

Ash gave Togepi back to Misty and looked towards the woods. "Well guys," he started fiddling with his cap due to the anxiety of his wanting to get to the island and the apprehension and uneasiness of not wanting to go through the woods to get there, "I guess it's off to Lost Kage Island!"

After the goodbyes, they waved to the three older girls, and took off for the woods, which blocked the vast body of water on the other side of it. It was quite dark, despite the fact that it was only the early evening, but luckily, Kenji had a flashlight in his knapsack, who was currently leading them. Togepi shook and started to slightly cry from Misty's arms, leaving everyone feeling a little unnerved, hoping that this wasn't a sign of bad things to come...  
>x x x<p>

Author's Notes

Note 1: Okido-hakase is Professor Oak.  
>x x x<br>Note 2: Shigeru is Gary.  
>x x x<br>Note 3: This is a reference to the prequel of this story. In the last story, Ash went to the gym to face the gym leader. Giovanni saw that Misty (and Todd) were with Ash. He used his mind controlled Mewtwo to battle, but it was a cover, as all of his attacks were aimed towards Misty. Togepi, from Misty's arms, used Teleport. At the time, I didn't know Togepi's type and heard that it had used "Teleport" in the show, so I wrote Togepi as a psychic type. I didn't know that the ep it used it for, wasn't "Teleport", but "Metronome".

As for Articuno, in the last story, Todd obtained an Articuno. It wasn't shown. He told the story of how he was on assignment in the mountains and how he'd fallen and how Articuno saved him, but the bird hurt itself and Todd helped it. Grateful, Articuno joined Todd and as a present, he gave it to Misty and Ash.  
>x x x x<p>

Fic Chapter Changes

Time for some fic chapter changes. The first change dealt with the conversation Ash and Misty had during their walk back to the gym. The part where Misty mentioned stargazing, I had RP interrupt and say to the readers, "Definitely a Misty thing there". I wanted to keep that in, so I added in Ash's going on about being slightly embarrassed about doing something so romantic.

The other change during that walk, deals with Misty mentioning how they played games. I specified what the games were. The "new" Pokémon Stadium for the N64 and Pokémon Yellow for the Gameboy Color. Really dating this fic, eh? lol

One thing I have been changing is "fourth wall" stuff. The part where Todd inwardly groans over the display was originally written to be Todd complaining to RP to cut it out with the mushy stuff and RP saying that she had to toss it in somewhere and that she's never too mushy because she doesn't like mushy stuff much either.

After it was mentioned that the clinics were closed, Todd suggested that they go to a pharmacy and pick up a home pregnancy test. I didn't have him say it exactly, but something along the lines of, "Can't you buy one of those test thingees from the pharmacy?" When the sisters mentioned having one (meaning a doctor), Todd went on about how it seems their "water shows" weren't as fun and that one of them was about to make Misty an aunt.

I cut out another scene of Brock getting slammed with a mallet. After the sisters explained Violet's accident, Brock started acting macho and how he would've saved Violet and also started hitting on them again, so all four sisters slammed him with a mallet to calm him down.

The doctor's name was changed from Hiroko to Hiroki. Hiroko is a feminine name.

The explanation for Misty's sickness was more convoluted originally. She caught some "new virus" that hadn't even been named yet and then she was miraculously better. I felt this change worked out better. The part where Brock mentioned his father's symptoms was changed, as he was originally suspicious over the doctor's diagnosis as he'd never heard of such a virus.

Mrs. Hanada for this said more regarding Ash and Misty's distant future, but…I cut it out and left it implied that both know what the future holds for the kids as opposed to just outright stating it.

Brock originally broke first and started laughing over Misty's sisters' story about Misty dressed in such a way when 8. Misty then hit him.


	4. The Mysterious Encounter

Hello again everyone. I hope you liked the previous chapter. As you can see, this chapter is considerably shorter than the previous one. The group is now walking through the woods to the eastern shores of Cerulean, but confused over how time-consuming the trek actually is. That's about it, really.

Now, as always, I do not own anything dealing with the Pokémon franchise. Nintendo, 4Kids, Gamefreak, etc., have those rights, and here are the age reminders once again...

Ash: 13  
>MistyTodd: 14  
>Kenji: 17 going on 18<br>Brock: 19

Part 04: "We're already there?" Ash's Mysterious Encounter!

Last time, the sisters saw Misty and the others off, who are all on their way to Lost Kage Island. How will things work out for them?

Brock Title: Ash's Mysterious Encounter!

"Don't worry, Togepi. Everything is going to be fine," Misty assured the little egg as she cradled him, who had been trembling earlier. After the Pokémon was content, she looked towards Kenji, who was still leading the way. "How much farther is it until we reach the shore?"

The group had already walked for nearly two hours. There still seemed to be no closer to the sea. While walking, they did come across a very faint pathway, which was very secluded and slightly scary, especially since the late evening was approaching.

Kenji stared down at his compass watch, quite exasperated as he stopped walking, the others taking suit. "We should've gotten there by now. This was only supposed to have been an 80km walk!"

Misty groaned. "Don't tell me that Ash and Brock's bad sense of directions rubbed off on you too!"

"If _I _were leading, we would've gotten to the eastern shores by now!" Ash insisted confidently.

"Yeah, sure," Todd retorted sarcastically, under his breath.

Todd ignored the trainer, but on the other hand, Brock was quite annoyed over the fact that Misty had put him down onto Ash's level when it came to directions. "We would've gotten there by next year if _you_ were leading!" the older boy argued.

He stepped up to the taller boy. "Like _you're_ any better!"

"I say that I am!"

"Says who!"

"Says me!"

Misty, Todd, and Kenji just sweat dropped at the scene. Mewtwo, once again, remained quiet as Brock and Ash argued. He still didn't understand the ways of humans, and at times like this, wasn't sure if he actually wanted to. Togepi just chirped in amusement over how foolish Ash and Brock looked arguing.

Pikachu, on the other hand, had grown quite tired of the unnecessary bickering between the breeder and the trainer. ":Stop arguing!:" he shouted at the two, using his Thundershock on the pair of them.

Both fell over, fried and smoky. "What do you mean, 'stop arguing', Pikachu?" Ash demanded, peeved over the fact that he had just been electrocuted. He pointed a finger at Brock who, in return, pointed one at Ash, and both said, in unison, accusingly, "_He_ started it!"

"Ugh, will you two stop arguing like immature brats!" Misty snapped. "You sound like a couple of spoiled children, pointlessly bickering over nothing!"

Brock – still a bit irritated – sarcastically retorted while stepping up to the girl, "Look who's talking little 'Miss you better pay me back for my bike'!"

Misty blushed slightly, mainly because she knew he was right.  
>x x x x<br>"Bike?" Todd asked in a whisper to Ash and Kenji. "I never knew that."

"Me neither."

"That's why she started following me around in the first place. Pikachu was hurt and I was trying to get to the Viridian Pokémon Center. I came across Misty and I took her bike. We were being chased. I ended up wrecking her bike, even though it was really Pikachu who messed it up. He used Thunder against a flock of Spearow and the bike was badly damaged as a result."  
>x x x x<br>"From what _I _remember, a certain girl always argued with a certain kid in a Pokémon League cap over incredibly stupid stuff!"

"Well, at least _I _had a reason!"

"What, that you were chicken?!" At the moment, the wise old Brock didn't seem to care, which could've been attributed to the fact that he was cranky and agitated from the long walk. He started to flap his arms around.

Kenji and Todd gaped at Brock in disbelief. He obviously didn't value his life currently. Ash shuddered fearfully, and looked to want to take cover. He and the others backed away.

Misty grew 110% angry. Infuriated, she pulled out her #151 mallet, the biggest one any character anyplace can use and is the biggest one ever obtained! After being hit, Brock fell over with a loud thud.

"Guys," Kenji interjected meekly, "we really should continue on. It's going to be dark soon and I know you guys wouldn't want to camp out in such an unfamiliar area."

"Even if we do have to camp out, I'd rather be closer to the sea than stuck in these _aw_ful woods where there are bug and bug Pokémon around. They're so slimy…and scary…and creepy." Misty squirmed.

"I wanted to be on Lost Kage Island before the day was out, at least for dinner and to maybe catch some Pokémon along the way."

"Well, let's just keep heading eastward," Kenji suggested, looking down at his compass. "When it gets to the point where it's too dark to continue, we camp out, okay?"

Everyone grudgingly nodded. Kenji continued leading. They walked for about another 20 minutes, and the artist was growing so uncharacteristically frustrated and snappy, no one dared speaking to him. After what seemed like forever, the group came to a clearing. "This isn't supposed to be here," they heard Kenji mutter as he went back to his map.

"Oh, I was hoping this opening would be the docks," Ash whined. "I want that badge!"

Before anyone else could reply, they heard a voice chuckle darkly from behind them say, "You'll be lucky if you manage to get there at all, kid."

They all, turned towards the direction of the voice. Right behind them, there stood a young man wearing a dark brown cloak, its hood casting shadows on his face, which made it difficult for either of them to make him out. How they had managed to miss this person was unusual, especially since he was standing where they had just walked from.

"Who are you?" Brock asked the tall, mysterious stranger.

He ignored Brock and focused on Ash. "So you're the kid trying to get to Lost Kage Island?"

"Yeah, and what's it to you!" he snapped, already annoyed over the arrogance this guy seemed to be giving off.

He wasn't fazed at all by Ash's clichéd rudimentary response, and just scoffed at him. "I can tell already that you aren't going to succeed there."

"What do you mean?"

"I just sense danger in your future kid, if you go there."

"Danger?"

"Yes, danger, _if_ you have a certain type of Pokémon." He sighed. "I don't even know _why_ I'm giving you this warning when I'm technically not supposed to."

While the cloaked stranger was talking, Kenji, who had been distracted by his map, hadn't been paying attention at all, still trying to figure out why they hadn't arrived at their destination.

"Excuse me, but could you help us find our way to Lost Kage Island?"

The man stared over at Kenji in disbelief. "Did you _not_ hear what I just said?!"

"I'm sorry, I wasn't listening," he routinely apologized. "I was trying to figure out this map, but I'm starting to get this feeling that it isn't too accurate. According to the coordinates we were given, we should've reached some shipping docks by now. There's supposed to be a ferry that runs every hour to take us to the island."

"Docks? _Docks_?! There _are_ no docks!" He laughed dementedly, the shadows on his face casting off an eerie look. "There's only darkness out there!"

"That can't be right. I know the Cerulean sisters told us something like that, but even _I _figured they could've been wrong, especially since this information came from Professor Oak."

Togepi started to cry, the cloaked stranger's voice scaring him. "There's nothing to be afraid of," Misty cooed, as she rocked the small egg Pokémon. "I won't let that strange guy hurt you, and if he does try, I'll bash him with my #151 mallet." Togepi's tears cleared and smiled, grateful and relieved that "mommy's always here to protect" him.

Misty looked over at the guy aggravatingly. "How _dare_ you frighten my little Togepi! I _order_ you to tell us what you want, and if you don't," with her free arm, she pulled out a mallet, "I will _surely_ use this!"

'I think it's safe to say that Misty is _definitely_ 100% better,' Todd blinked.

The stranger didn't even flinch over Misty's frivolous threat, and focused on Ash again. "You _will_ lose if you don't watch yourself. There's only one element needed to defeat the Pokémon of the gym leader there, which is very difficult to come across."

"Which way do we go?" Kenji asked direly, wondering if he'd actually managed to read the map backwards.

In a voice more mysterious and deep-sounding than it had been earlier, he told them, "You're already there. Get the rarest Pokémon you can find so that you can even be accepted for a challenge against the Kage Island gymleaders."

Ash scratched his head in confusion. "But…"

"You're already there," he repeated.

"What do you mean!" Misty snapped at him, her temper about to reach its peak. "All I see is darkness ahead of us as there are more woods there, which is still strange because the sun hasn't even fully set yet! Will you just _please_ help us…or else I bash you!"

The cloaked male looked over at Misty, a seductive, yet demented smile spread across his face. With the shadows covering most of the top half of his face, he actually looked scary. Surprisingly, Ash took notice and stood beside Misty, who looked very uncomfortable at the moment.

"Just leave us alone! We don't need someone like you to try scaring me away from going to that island! I'm going to be the greatest Pokémon Trainer in the entire world someday, and I'm not going to let anyone stop me from reaching my goal!"

"You must be pretty skilled and quick to beat the leader there. You must not always believe what you see with your eyes, but with your mind to get to Lost Kage Island." He started to chuckle lightly, his arms crossed. "The way of getting there is in a way you would least expect it, and if you figure that out, then you'll definitely be worthy enough to even consider challenging the island's gym."

"What?"

"Seems you guys may even have the _key_ of getting there already." A thick, dark mist started surrounding the young man. "You _must_ have the key to get there." His demented laugh echoed.

"We _really_ could use some help here," Kenji pleaded. "We're all tired and…hey, he's gone!"

After the fog-like mist cleared, the cloaked figure was gone.

"Who _was_ that guy anyway?" wondered Todd. 'He's definitely brave to ignore Misty's threats.'

Brock looked to his traveling companions. "What do you think he meant by, 'you're already there'?"

"Ugh!" Ash grabbed his head in frustration. "This guy is worse than Blaine!"  
>x x x<p>

Fic Chapter Changes

After Misty hit Brock after he teased her, there was a slight interruption. RP broke the fourth wall because of there being a slight writer's block. Since I was more of a wrestling fan at the time, I used to have Brock refer to himself as "The Brock" during these goofy segments, as I was a fangirl of the Rock.


	5. Riddles

Hello again everyone. I hope you liked the previous chapter. For this chapter, the group is trying to figure out the riddle and has another encounter with the mysterious young man. Nothing more I can say other than that. Next chapter expect an actual battle, though.

Now, as always, I do not own anything dealing with the Pokémon franchise. Nintendo, 4Kids, Gamefreak, etc., have those rights, and here are the age reminders once again...

Ash: 13  
>MistyTodd: 14  
>Kenji: 17 going on 18<br>Brock: 19

Part 05: "This doesn't make any sense!" Solving the Riddle!

Last time, the gang came across a mysterious, cloaked stranger who insisted that they were all wasting their times in their pursuit of getting to Lost Kage Island and gave them somewhat vague advice as to how to get to the island and about the gym leaders. Will they manage to figure out this young man's words, which has left everyone stumped?

Ash Title: Solving the Riddle!

"What was _that_ all about?" Misty questioned, still staring at the spot where the cloaked man had once stood.

"Good question." Kenji folded up his map and pocketed it. "Looks like we're camping out since we can't find the ocean of all things."

The water trainer put a hand to her ear. "We seem pretty close. I can clearly hear waves crashing."

"So can I, which is why I'm confused over why we haven't gotten there yet." Having grown up around water, both he and Misty could hear the serene sounds of water within a 160km (about a mile) radius with no problems at all. They could also tell when near water by their surroundings or the animals that may frequent those types of areas. Kenji was especially good at this, due to his being good at observation.

"Never mind that," Ash interjected seriously, "we have to figure out what that guy was saying."

"Do you have any idea as to what he could've meant, Misty? You're pretty good with riddles."

She shook her head. "I have no idea, Brock. Maybe we should recap everything he told us and go from there."

"It's a start," Todd commented.

"Let's see," Misty thought back, "we already know what he meant about a trainer needing to be skilled and quick to defeat the leader…"

"…_and_ when he said that one needs rare Pokémon to help beat the gym leader," Kenji added.

"I know! I know!" Ash waved his arm around, like an eager student in school. "I must have skill and speed to defeat the guy along with rare Pokémon! That must mean that the gym leader battles with some powerful, rare Pokémon!" He arrogantly crossed his arms and smirked. "Yeah, betcha didn't realize I was so smart, eh?"

"Oh-kay, Ash, you're smart," Todd said slowly, "now what about the rest of what he said? That part about having rare Pokémon and being skilled was easiest."

"Hm, he mentioned that 'the way of getting there is in a way you would least expect'..." Kenji reminded them.

"…and 'you must not always believe what you see with your eyes, but with your mind to get to Lost Kage Island'," Misty continued.

Brock put a finger to his chin. "We also have the key of getting there, apparently."

"I'd take Blaine's riddles _any_ day!"

"It's not like you solved any of them, Ash. Misty did."

"Well, you didn't either!"

"Wait guys, I think I got something," Misty announced. "Now, as we all know, an island is a landmass surrounded by water, and one can only reach an island by either sea or by sky. The way _I _see it, is that the island isn't _really_ an island at all and this is all just a clever trick, or either we must use our minds to find this island place."

"I don't think he meant the island wasn't real, Misty, but maybe you're onto something about using our minds to find a way there."

Ash, Brock, and Todd just stared from Kenji and Misty, in confusion, who seemed to truly understand the cloaked stranger's cryptic warning and message. Mewtwo was quiet, which was normal for him in general. He usually only spoke when he felt he could contribute to the conversation or was directly spoken to. Observing was more his forte and for this instance, he really didn't have any theories.

"We _must_ find a way there!" Misty exclaimed.

"Don't you guys get it?"

The three boys, Mewtwo, and Pikachu shook their heads.

"There must be a-a…"

"…tunnel someplace leading to the island!" Kenji finished up.

"Or some type of a secret passage with a hidden door that can lead us there. It must be a test to all of the trainers to see if they're worthy enough for the gym leaders to even consider battling."

"Oh, okay, but where would it be?"

Misty gave Ash an indignant look. "Geez, Ash, we can't think of everything."

"Brock mentioned a key. I wonder if when that guy told us that we had the key, if he meant that we need to search for it, or if we definitely already have it."

"How about we split up then," Brock suggested, considering Kenji's query. "Since that guy appeared in this clearing, maybe there's a passageway nearby. We should search around here. Ash, Misty, Todd, and Pikachu can be in one group, while Kenji, Mewtwo, and I make up the other."

"I wish we could just call the Professor and ask him about this place. Maybe he could give us some more information or clues."

"Why didn't you just ask me?"

Ash stared over at Todd in surprise. "What do you mean?"

"I _do_ work for a magazine and paper, you know. I have to keep in contact with them whenever I'm on assignment. I have a portable video phone with me. You can use it if you want."

The boy dug through his bag and pulled out the black object, tossing it to the trainer.

"Wow, thanks Todd!" He dialed Professor Oak's number hurriedly. In no time at all, an older man wearing a white lab coat, sitting at a computer appeared on the screen of the small phone.

"Hello?"

"Ah, *konban wa, Satoshi-kun. Have you gotten the badge from the Kage Island gym yet?"

'We just left a couple of days ago,' Todd inwardly sighed, surprised he'd even ask.

"Erm, not yet professor."

Before the old, white-haired man could reply, a woman with long brown hair, tied back into a ponytail, wearing a pink sweater and a blue skirt joined, smiling. "Hi Ash!"

"_Mom_?! What are you doing there at this time?"

"I'm just visiting. It's so lonely up here for the professor, and it's quite boring at home since you and your friends left." She did Ash's victory pose. "I'm just keeping my Professor Oak company."

The boy sweat dropped over his mother's pose. "Um, what about Mr. Mime?"

"He's at home keeping everything nice and tidy." She turned to Professor Oak. "Now Professor Oak dear, what would you like for dinner? I was thinking about preparing something quick, like beef curry."

Ash made a face. "'_Dear_'?"

"Wow, that sounds quite tasty."

"I'm glad." She looked back at the giant screen from the lab. "Ash dear, I'll talk to you later, and remember to change your you know whats everyday, always wash behind your ears, and make sure you _always_ brush after every meal!"

Everyone, minus Mewtwo, started to snigger, especially Pikachu.

"Yeah, yeah…bye mom," he told her hastily, his face red in embarrassment. She blew Ash a kiss before leaving, causing Pikachu to pound the ground with his tiny bawled up paws, laughing hysterically now. "Well, like I was saying, Professor, I didn't get the badge yet."

"That's surprising. My grandson is already there, and told me that he was about to battle the gym leader soon, but is still holding out because he's still training."

"_What_?! _How_?!"

"What do you mean?"

"How did he get there so fast?! We're still in Cerulean trying to figure out _how_ to get there. We can't seem to reach the shore, which means no sea, no docks, and no boats. There's only darkness around here and if it's as dark at the shore, like it is here, I doubt we could even use our Pokémon to surf there!"

"He flew there first class, of course."

Misty handed Togepi to Ash and grabbed the phone. "That doesn't make any sense, professor! We were _just_ told that there's only one way to get there, and flying and sailing there don't seem to be it! If he _flew_ there, then we should see it in the distance! If he _flew_ there, we should've been able to just catch a flight there ourselves.

"Before we left, my sisters called up the airport, and asked about it, and said that there were no flights going there and how it's uncommon!"

"Are you _sure_ you're in the right place?"

"Yes, I'm '_sure_'! This _is_ my hometown for goodness sake!"

"Calm down, Misty. I'm sure there's a logical explanation for this. My grandson got there with no problems at all. I haven't the slightest idea as to why you all are having so much trouble."

Ash grabbed the phone back from Misty and handed Togepi back to her. "Take a look." He turned the phone away from himself so that the professor could see the clearing they were in, which seemed to be a dead end. "There's nothing here, only more trees and the ocean is really close to us, yet we can't get to it."

Ash turned the phone back on himself. "Oh, wait, I _do_ remember now. Gary didn't fly there. He flew to the Seafoam Islands from Vermillion a few weeks ago when he was on vacation."

Everyone groaned, but Misty was the angriest and the most short-patient of them as of the moment. "Then _how_ did he get there, you old kook!"

"No need for name-calling," Professor Oak frowned.

"Yeah, Mist, take a chill pill."

"Chill this!" She smacked Brock lightly in the back of the head. "I'm cold, hungry, and tired! I want to take a hot bath and sleep in a nice warm bed!"

Professor Oak sweat dropped from Misty's outburst. "Did you encounter a strange man there?"

"Yes, sir."

"Okay, this is what you do. Take twenty paces to the left, then take ten paces back, then ten paces to the right, and finally, take five paces to the left and you'll be there."

"What?"

"My mistake, Ash, I was watching a *westernized movie on PCM with some treasure hunters. Some of these movies and programs are strange."

"Not as strange as you," Misty grumbled under her breath, everyone else pretty much thinking the same thing.

"This movie is quite interesting, but I notice they don't have many animated movies like we have here. It seems that most animated movies and television programs in general are aimed towards children instead of all ages, like some of our programs and movies here. Can you imagine something like that?"

"Um, Professor Oak," Ash sounded desperate now, "we need help here! The Kanto Pokémon League games are less than two weeks away now; I need to focus and concentrate on catching and training some new Pokémon and to battle the gym leader to even qualify for the league."

He nodded wisely. "Yes, the gym leader there is supposedly pretty tough. Try to gather as many Pokémon as you can or train the ones you already have, but it would be better to find Pokémon native to the island. He also has no known weaknesses that one has actually discovered."

"And _how_ do we get there?"

"Oh, that's easy, Misty! You should have figured out the riddle."

Before Misty could blow her top, Kenji intervened. "Do you have any other information about the island?"

"Oh, now that you mention it, I recently heard that it's enchanted. I do have a correspondence there who always goes on about how unpredictable the place is before we start our lessons. You also wouldn't reach it by normal means."

"We sorta already knew that, Professor."

"Oh yeah, right."

"We met this cloaked guy and he told us that we were already there and that we possibly have the key."

"Well, then I guess you're a lot closer than you all realized."

"What do you mean?" Brock asked curiously.

"Well, I think to get there, all you have to do is-"

Ash shook the phone. "Professor Oak! Professor Oak!"

"What's wrong, Ash?" Kenji asked.

"The phone went dead."

Todd gave off a meek laugh. "Um, well, hehe, I guess I forgot to charge the battery before we left."

"_Todd_!" Ash glared, handing the phone back to the photographer.

"Sorry, I guess it slipped my mind while at the gym."

"That old kook! He didn't help us at all!" Misty fumed.

They heard someone laughing while a thick foggy mist began forming. When it cleared, the cloaked man was once again in their presence, his hood still casting shadows on his face.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't the hopeless group again. I guess you haven't figured it out yet, even though you're closer than you think, thanks to the redhead," he winked, "and the map guy over there."

"Go away! We don't _need_ your help!"

"Pikachu!"

He ignored Ash. "Rare Pokémon are the key of getting to and from the enchanted island. Without one, you'll probably _never_ find your way there." He laughed again. "All of you are pathetic if you can't figure out something that simple."

"Pa_the_tic!" The girl set Togepi down by Pikachu. "_I'll_ show you pathetic!"

Misty was stomping towards the young man, about to punch his lights out, but Brock held her back.

"Hold on Misty, let's see what he has to say first." Misty grumbled slightly, but after showing that she would cooperate, he let her go.

"Heh, like you _idiots_ could ever figure anything out," the boy scoffed.

":Idiots! Idiots this!:" Pikachu let off a powerful Thundershock towards the boy, but he dodged it like it was nothing, by gracefully back flipping, the tiny bolt hitting the spot he was once in. Everyone looked on in disbelief.

"_No_ human dodges Pikachu's attacks unless it's a warning shot or he actually misses," Ash gaped.

The boy's hood slipped slightly, but he pulled it back on before anyone could get a look at his face. "Hey kid, I challenge you to a battle."

Ash's eyes lit up. He couldn't resist and jumped at the challenge. "You bet!"

"Two Pokémon each."

"Right!"

"I'll go first." He pulled back his cloak slightly, as he unhooked one of the small, red and white spheres attached to the belt of his black jeans. He pushed the small button on the front of the sphere, which caused it to grow in size. "Pokéball, go!"

The monster ball made a popping sound as a bright red light shot out from it. After the light died, there stood a Pokémon, everyone staring in amazement.

Todd obliviously went towards his camera. "Whoa, what kind of Pokémon is that…"  
>x x x x<p>

Author's Notes

Note 1: "Konban wa" means "good evening".  
>x x x<br>Note 2: "Westernized", in the context that it was used, means something maybe non-Japanese or non-Asian in a general sense. Like maybe something Canadian or American or British, etc.


	6. Strange Pokémon

Hello again everyone. I hope you liked the previous chapter. As you saw at the end of the last chapter, the stranger challenged Ash to a battle. How will he fare? They will also get another clue, somewhat, of how to reach the island, which will happen next chapter, so please hold out.

Now, as always, I do not own anything dealing with the Pokémon franchise. Nintendo, 4Kids, Gamefreak, etc., have those rights, and here are the age reminders once again...

Ash: 13  
>MistyTodd: 14  
>Kenji: 17 going on 18<br>Brock: 19

Part 06: "What kind of Pokémon is that?" Weird Pokémon!

Last time, the gang tried their best to figure out the strange man's riddle. Coming up empty, partially, they gave Professor Oak a call, who didn't help them much at all. The stranger, who'd somehow been monitoring them, has returned and challenged Ash to a battle! Will he come out of the battle victorious?

Ash Title: Weird Pokémon!

"What kind of Pokémon is that?" Kenji stared in awe.

"I-I don't know, but I'm going to get some shots of it!"

"I better get a quick sketch of this one! I hope we encounter some more Pokémon like this so that I can study them a bit and present the information to Professor Oak and Bill!"

Todd started to snap photos while Kenji took out his pad and pencil and started sketching profusely. The Pokémon was a very dark color, like a shadow with eyes, only a slightly lighter shade. It was fairly large, maybe about the size of a Gengar or a small Raichu. Its eyes were an unhealthy red color, it had short, pointy ears, and stood upright. To both boys, it obviously wasn't a ghost type, as it seemed to have a fur type similar to that of maybe an Eevee.

Confused, Ash pulled out his Pokédex, pointing it at the strange Pokémon. It pinged, and replied in its robotic voice, "No data found."

"Oh no, not again," the boy groaned. "I know I should update this every once in a while."

"Ash, even if you did, I don't think it would be able to identify _that_ Pokémon," Brock earnestly pointed out. "It might be too rare for that. Your Pokédex only recently had information added in about Mewtwo and it _still_ doesn't have anything much on Togepi."

Ash put his handheld Pokémon encyclopedia away. "Well, I don't care what kind of Pokémon that is!" He pulled out one of his small red and white spheres. "Bulbasaur, I choose you!"

The light green plant Pokémon, with the bulb on his back, emerged from his Pokéball with a loud, "Bulba!"

"I know you've never seen that kind of Pokémon before, Bulbasaur, but please do your best." Bulbasaur nodded determinedly.

Brock walked to the middle and raised his hand. "You guys ready?" Both nodded. "Okay, let the battle begin!"

"Bulbasaur, use your Vine Whip!"

The cloaked stranger laughed slightly. "Go, Zugeng! Take the hits from that wimpy Bulbasaur!"

The strange Pokémon nodded and rushed out to Bulbasaur, who was now fuming over the fact that he was referred to as weak and not being taken seriously. Two vines emerged from Bulbasauir's back, and he hit the "Zugeng" continuously with them. It just stood there, taking the hits as instructed. It didn't even wince. Everyone stared in surprise when they saw that the attack wasn't having any effect at all.

"Bulbasaur, use your Razor Leaf attack, now!"

The bulb Pokémon retracted his vines, and jumped back, tossing out two spinning leaves, but the cloaked stranger looking nonplussed and just smirked arrogantly. "Zugeng, use Retract!"

The dark Pokémon obviously moved, so that the leaves would go right past it, but the others spectating were amazed over how fast the move was.  
>x x x x<br>'Wow,' Brock looked on, quite impressed with the skill of this trainer and his Pokémon. 'It's like an advanced agility technique.'

"I hate to say it," Todd got another shot of the "Zugeng", "but I'm actually glad Ash and Bulbasaur are losing," he whispered to the artist. "It's easier to get more shots that way."

"It's helping me out too since it's not moving as much." He looked down at his sketch, slightly satisfied. "Now, what was it called….oh yeah…" He wrote *ズゲイング underneath the rough sketch. "…Zugeng, what a strange name."  
>x x x x<br>'I have to figure out that thing's weakness.'

"Zugeng and I are getting bored here. Give up?" he cruelly laughed.

Ash shook his head as he looked on, trying to come up with a strategy. He stared up at the now dark sky. Night had finally approached them, and the moon was shining down brightly into the clearing. It then hit him what he should try.

"Bulbasaur, fight back with Lunar Beam!"

"Ash," Misty protested, "the sun isn't out for him to use that kind of an attack!"

"I said _Lunar_ Beam, _not_ Solar Beam."

Their mouths hung open, Brock and Misty stuttering out a shocking, "H-how?"

"I wanted Bulbasaur to use his Solar Beam at night, but that's kind of difficult, even though there is a way to, so I taught him to take in the moon's energy instead and to form a beam from it. I had learned from Professor Oak that this type of move was possible, but very difficult for most Pokémon to learn.

"Since Bulbasaur is a grass type, though, this move won't be as powerful as his Solar Beam. Professor Oak also told me that normal types like maybe Clefairy and Clefable can be taught this 'ancient technique'. I wasn't planning on showing this move off until my league matches, if they ran into the night, but now is as good a time as any to see if it'll be affective against an actual opponent."

Ash's human companions were pretty amazed, wondering when he could've had time to even teach such a move to Bulbasaur. Mewtwo internally praised the trainer for his skill and determination.

"Lunar Beam? Puh-lease! Zugeng, use your Mirror Reflection attack!"

Zugeng let the beam hit him directly in the stomach, which had become very smooth and slick. It reflected the attack, sending the somewhat powerful beam right back at Bulbasaur.

"Bulba!" the Pokémon cried, unable to dodge it or even for Ash to issue a countermeasure. The force of the attack knocked him back.

"Oh no, Bulbasaur!"

"I went easy on your Bulbasaur," the cloaked stranger's voice rang out in cruel laughter. "I didn't let my Zugeng use its true power." He looked down at the plant Pokémon, who was now being held by Ash. "Hm, you may have what it takes after all since you taught that pathetic plant of yours something as rare as Lunar Beam."

"Bulbasaur is _not_ pathetic!" Ash told him darkly. "He's a strong Pokémon and a great friend!" Ash pulled out Bulbasaur's Pokéball and recalled him, but praised and thanked him before the red beam sucked him back in. "Pikachu, I choose you!"

"Let me get this straight, you call back a pathetic plant just to send out a worthless electric rat?" He grinned. "What should I use against something as unworthy as a Pikachu…"

A nerve formed on Pikachu's forehead, as he was ready to use "Thunder" on the trainer, but Ash managed to keep the temperamental electric rodent under control.

"Zugeng, return. You did a great job, but sorry you didn't have a real challenge." After returning Zugeng, he pulled out another monster ball. "Michu, come forth!"

"Michu?"

As if mesmerized, Ash pulled out his Pokédex, pointing it at Zugeng's replacement. "Michu, a_no_ther Pokémon of which I have no data on."

"Oh yeah, that's right."

This Pokémon was about the same size as Pikachu, and also had a similar build. Its coat was dark and shadowy, which made it fairly difficult to determine an accurate color for it, despite the brightness of the full moon above. Its eyes were a beautiful, majestic blue, but the pupils were a dark, glassy brown. It seemed to have the ability to stand on all fours or stand upright, and its tail was short and stubby. Pikachu didn't feel intimidated at all.

Not even waiting for Brock to start the battle, Ash went right into it. "Pikachu use agility, and when you see an opening, use your Thunder Punch!"

Understanding his instructions, he nodded and ran towards the dark Pokémon, his speed increasing to the point of his seeming invisible to the untrained eye. He continued to run circles around the Michu.

The cloaked stranger yawned. "Michu, counterattack with your Shadow Punch!"

When Pikachu felt he had an opening, his small paw became engulfed with crackling electricity, and he swung it at the strange creature. Michu, however, evaded by a fraction of a second, and punched Pikachu with its Shadow Punch. Its fist seemed to have a very dark aura surrounding it when administering the punch. The power of the punch knocked Pikachu back to where Ash was standing.

The boy rushed to his Pokémon companion's side, but Pikachu stood on his own, shaking his head while looking around incomprehensibly. It seemed as if the yellow rodent wasn't sure what was going on or even why he was there in the first place.  
>x x x x<br>Brock, who had been analyzing the battle intensely, crossed his arms. Both Mewtwo and Misty just watched, while Kenji and Todd continued to take advantage of the situation by sketching and taking photos. "Hmm, that attack the Michu used must be some type of confusion attack," Brock determined, "and confusion type attacks are normally most common with psychic types."

"He speaks the truth," the quietest of them spoke up. "I sense a great deal of confusion for the electric Pokémon."

"Oh, Mewtwo, is Pikachu hurt in any way?" Misty asked worriedly.

"No, Pikachu will be fine. Pokémon can withstand a temporary confusion attack, although with Psychic Pokémon, it's easier to rid oneself of it as their minds are trained for such maneuvers."  
>x x x x<br>"Pikachu, Thunder!"

"Michu, use Block and then Double Take!"

The Michu stood its ground, its arms outstretched in front of its body, as if creating some kind of an invisible barrier. Doing so, allowed it to block Thunder successfully. After the quick block, it cloned itself in two.

"Pikachu, Thunder Wave!"

Pikachu stared from one Michu to the other, still a bit disoriented from the earlier attack. He was unable to distinguish the fake Michu from the real one. Usually, such a tactic wouldn't have worked on the experienced Pokémon, and he could usually pick out a decoy with no problems at all. Pikachu chose at random, and aimed his Thunder Wave towards it.

Seeing the wave coming towards it, the Michu took its doppelganger and used it like a shield. The wave was reflected off of the clone, and before Pikachu could counter on his own, or before Ash could come up with a counterattack, it hit him full force, paralyzing him instantaneously.

"Pikachu!"

"Great job, pal. You deserve a rest, but sorry that the rat wasn't much of a challenge for you. Michu, return!" After the Pokémon was secure in its sphere, he looked over towards his opponent. He laughed cruelly as Ash was now holding and shaking Pikachu, who was struggling to try moving on his own. "If you can't even beat me, what makes you think that you can face the gym leader?"

"I _will_ defeat whoever the gym leader is!" He then quietly added, "I don't have a choice…"

Not really caring whether this cloaked weirdo hung around or not, Brock, just as the others, were concerned over both Bulbasaur and Pikachu. "Ash, you better give Pikachu a Paralyze Heal. It should help him until you can get him to a Pokémon Center."

"I don't have any medicines with me…not even an antidote for poison."

"What! Ash, why not?!"

"Well, I figured we would've been on the island by now," he explained. "I was going to pick up some at the Pokémart there. I wasn't planning on getting into a battle on the way."

Brock rushed to his bag, but saw that he didn't have anything for paralysis, nor did he have any Full Heals or anything else that would've benefited this type of situation, but did have a few antidotes.

"You know, you seem like a determined kid," the stranger stated sincerely, no trace of malice or deceit whatsoever.

"First you taunt him, and _now_ you're being _nice_ to him?" Brock questioned angrily. "What do you want anyway?"

He just stared at the group as the mist started to roll in once again. "My Pokémon are weak, Michu being the exception, compared to the ones you _will_ be going up against, kid. I'll give you a hint as to how you can get to the island, since you are a pathetic looking trainer…with potential."

Ash glared at him. This young man's arrogance was starting to remind him of Gary's, but it obviously wasn't him, given that this guy was obviously older than he and Gary.

"Pokémon are the key of getting to and from the island, unless you're special in some way." The mist was now that of a fog, and was so thick, neither could no longer see him. His voice was also growing fainter. "Remember, Pokémon are the key. I'll see you chumps later."

Just like before, when the mist cleared, he was gone.

"I am _not_ pathetic," Ash insisted to no one in particular, "I just don't like riddles."

"Hey guys, look…on the other side of this clearing where that idiot was standing! I see a light!"

Everyone looked in the direction Misty was pointing, and went towards it. It was a soft bluish-white glow. The white light formed a door, but it was on the ground.

Brock took the initiative and knelt down, trying to grab the handle without any luck. "It's like the door's here, but at the same time, it's not. I can't grasp the door's handle."

"Maybe you can go through it?" Before anyone could object to his questionable suggestion, Ash stood on the translucent looking door, in hopes of falling through, but had no luck.

"I don't think that's going to work, Ash. If I couldn't grab the handle, I doubt you could just fall through it."

"If this is the way to the island, then another part of the riddle has been solved," Kenji triumphantly smiled. "This is the _last_ place one would think of looking to get to an island."

"Yeah, you're right, but what about the key thing? Maybe we're having trouble getting through because it's locked and we need the key," Todd said.

'Pokémon are the key of getting to the island according to that jerk in the cloak. Since the island supposedly has an abundance of rare or unusual Pokémon, then maybe you must use one to enter or unlock the door. The Pokémon that guy used seemed to have some psychic abilities. I wonder…' Misty was quiet for another moment or two when she snapped her fingers. "I think I've got it!"

"What?"

"Pokémon are the key! You saw what type of Pokémon that guy was battling with! We've never seen them before, so they would obviously be considered rare…"

Ash impatiently rolled his eyes. "Wow, I didn't know that," he replied sarcastically.

Misty shot him a look, but continued. "_Any_way, I was thinking that we also need to use a rare Pokémon to unlock this door or either a Pokémon with rare moves. From this glow, I think you have to use either a psychic type, a _rare_ psychic type, or either a Pokémon with psychic moves."

Catching on, Kenji said, "Like Mewtwo!"

"Or maybe even my Togepi. *He's still the only one of his kind and he has used Teleport before…so maybe he's part psychic…"

"Good thinking, Misty, "Todd complimented.

Brock patted the younger girl on the back. "Yeah, great job."

"The redheaded one is very wise."

"Wow, that's great, Mist," Ash grew slightly apprehensive, but decided to ask his question anyway, "but how do we _open_ the door exactly?"

Misty looked at him, as if in thought. She then answered coolly, much to Ash's surprise, "I have no clue."

"I think I may have something. Since Togepi doesn't know how to use psychic attacks entirely, how about we let Mewtwo use his most powerful 'Barrier' and teleport us," Kenji suggested. "Maybe if Mewtwo does this, we'll be able to get through this strange door."

"You may be on to something, Kenji!" Todd said.

"That would also mean another part of the riddle is solved! That guy said you have to use your _mind_ to get there, not your eyes!" Brock reminded them.

Misty nodded. "Mewtwo would have to use his mind and concentrate in order to teleport while keeping a barrier around all of us. You also wouldn't think to use a Pokémon's barrier just to go through a door. We also haven't moved from this clearing, and that guy _did_ say, 'you're already there'."

"Yeah, that's what I was thinking. Since we can't physically open the door, or physically go through it, like Ash tried earlier, then I deduced that maybe we have to mentally go through it."

Taking in Kenji's words, Ash said, "It's worth a shot." He turned to the tall, quiet Pokémon. "Are you up to it, Mewtwo? If not, we could always try another way."

"No no, I am quite capable of using barrier as well as maintaining and using another attack simultaneously. Teleport is a fairly simple process and technique for a Psychic Pokémon and is generally one of the earliest moves mastered."

"What are we waiting for then, let's go!" Brock cheered.

"All of you must get close together, so that my barrier will enclose on us all."

"All right guys, let's stand on the door," Ash instructed, "and let Mewtwo do his thing. Everyone stick together. We don't want anyone to get separated."

Once everyone was settled and huddled as much as they possibly could, Mewtwo started to concentrate. A blue aura surrounded him, which grew larger and larger, like a bubble, but it was only surrounding himself. Using barrier was actually a simple task, but he'd never been in the situation where he had to include others with him. He focused harder, the aura around him growing more and more. In a matter of seconds, the move was complete, and everyone was now in Mewtwo's barrier.

'This is a bit more difficult than I originally anticipated. I do hope I will be able to carry along so many others in this fashion.'

"This is amazing!" Kenji stated, awe-struck. "I never knew a Pokémon could do this. I was just theorizing."

Mewtwo continued concentrating, but on teleporting this time. One wrong thought and it could be over, leaving all of them to end up in different places. He focused on the door and on it leading to Lost Kage Island.

After a moment of light meditation, Mewtwo finally felt he was ready. "Please prepare yourselves," he instructed. He closed his eyes, a golden light surrounding him and the others. A few seconds later, the group had vanished through the glowing bluish-white door…  
>x x x<p>

Author's Notes

Note 1: As you can see, I put "Zugeng" into Japanese; katakana to be exact (did anyone else find this to be a lame name I made up? lol) There are three writing systems in Japan: hiragana, katakana, and kanji.

Hiragana is used for articles (to, wo, wa, etc.), and native Japanese words, pretty much, as well as furigana, but I'll explain this momentarily.

Katakana is used for words or names foreign to Japan or borrowed words, like "anime" which is short for "animation". Katakana is also generally used for sound effects (like in a comic) and for sound emphasis. Katakana is also sometimes used with animals. With both hiragana and katakana, each character represents a sound.

Above, "ズゲイング" spells "zu ge i n gu", as that's as close to the sound I had in mind. In romaji, it would be "Zugeng". For the record, all Pokémon names are written in katakana. I'll use another example. Mewtwo's name, in katakana, would be written out as "ミュウツウ". Mi + yu u tu u. The "myu" is there for the "mew" sound. The "yu" is also written small because you're combining it with "mi".

Kanji is the writing system adopted from China, but to help simplify the complex Chinese, hiragana and katakana came about. Even though both languages may share the same characters and meaning, the way to say them will be different. I guess it's similar to maybe Spanish and Italian. Yes, both languages are completely different, but if you know one or the other, one may be able to figure out the meaning through reading it.

Let's use "light" as our kanji example. Light, in Japanese is "hikari". Instead of using one of the Japanese alphabet systems (hiragana/katakana), you can write it out in kanji. The kanji for light is "光".

Now, onto furigana. Furigana is used with kanji. Many kanji characters can have multiple meanings and readings and can be easily misread because of that, so written above the kanji character are small, hiragana characters, which shows how that particular kanji is supposed to be read.

Let's use "hikari" again. Let's say a person is reading something, and comes across "光" but doesn't know how to read it right off. Above "光", or beside it, depending on how it's written (top to bottom), would be "ひかり" (hi ka ri) written in hiragana.

Well, there goes the brief Japanese lesson and for the record, hiragana and katakana are super easy to read and understand, mostly. Kanji is the difficult part of Japanese.  
>x x x<br>Note 2: As pointed out, at the time I wrote this fic and the last one, I hadn't played Pokémon Gold/Silver yet, so I didn't know that Togepi's type was "normal". I'd heard that it used "Teleport" in one of the Orange Island episodes at the time, and so I figured he was a psychic type. In my area, the show was dropped after the Princess vs Princess episode, so it took me a while to see the ep with Togepi using "Teleport", or rather, "Metronome".

I do know as of Generation VI (X/Y) that Togepi is a Fairy type, but I'm going to still stick with what I had originally for this story.  
>x x x<p>

Fic Chapter Changes

When Ash used his Pokédex on the strange Pokémon, Ash did do the "Oh no not again" thing, but instead of Ash realizing he needed to update his computerized encyclopedia, Dexter itself did telling Ash that he should update it every once in a while and Ash begrudgingly agrees, but then Dexter points out that even if he had, he probably still wouldn't have been able to identify it (that line was given to Brock, which also added in his pointing out that Mewtwo's entry was recent and that it still didn't have anything much for Togepi). For the most part, I wrote Dexter a bit smart-allecky at times.

When Michu was revealed, there was a fourth wall situation dealing with its name and confusing it for "Michiru". Kaiou Michiru (Sailor Neptune from Sailor Moon) and Brock was in search of her. At the end of it, it went back to Dexter analyzing and the original line was, "Michiru…I mean Michu, no data found".

Another cut fourth wall segment with Ash and Misty acting mushy. Legitimately mushy, with pet names. After it was mentioned that they would all have to get close, Ash was saying something along the lines of being glad over getting closer to "Kasumi-chan". The other characters complain over it, Todd mostly, and RP reminding them that she had to toss in some AAMR (Ash and Misty romance) somewhere. Brock kept telling the two to knock off all the mushy talk, but he was ignored until he was noticed and Misty hurt him for interfering with romance. I was inspired by the ep, "Bye Bye Butterfree" when Misty punched Brock for "interfering with romance".


	7. Welcome to Lost Kage Island

Hello again everyone. I hope you liked the previous chapter. For this chapter, the gang finally make it to the island, trying to make sense of the place, and they meet a new character with...kind of a terrible name. I apologize for that. I couldn't think of anything else at the time. ^^.

Now, as always, I do not own anything dealing with the Pokémon franchise. Nintendo, 4Kids, Gamefreak, etc., have those rights, and here are the age reminders once again...

Ash: 13  
>MistyTodd: 14  
>Kenji: 17 going on 18<br>Brock: 19

Part 07: "We're...here?" Welcome to Lost Kage Island!

Last time, the group had another encounter with the strange cloaked man, He battled Ash with two Pokémon that Ash couldn't analyze. After being beaten, they found a glowing door and with Mewtwo's strong psychic ability, they're hoping that it actually takes them to the island.

Ash Title: Welcome to Lost Kage Island!  
><span>

Ash opened his eyes, only to find that it was difficult to see and that he was still holding Pikachu. It took him a moment to realize what had just happened, and sat upright. "Guys, are you there?"

"We're here," he heard a tired voice echo from his right say. It was Misty. "We're okay."

"Where are we?"

"Could this be Lost Kage Island?" Ash heard Todd ask.

Though no one could see it, Brock frowned. "Maybe, but it's like we're in one big shadow or in a dark room."

"*Kono bashou wa…

"…kowakute kurai desu…" Misty finished quietly for the photographer.

Ash, not caring at the moment, even if it was scary and dark like Todd and Misty said, he was more concerned about his Pokémon companions. "Pikachu, Mewtwo, are you guys okay?"

"Pi, Pikachu!" the still paralyzed rodent said from his arms.

"I am fine, but I am now wondering if I may have made a miscalculation."

"Maybe since it was dark where we were, it has a lot to do with why it's dark now."

"Could be, Kenji," Brock said, "but it still feels like we're in a dark room."

"If this is a room, let's find our way out of it." Ash, and the others, stood up while Kenji managed to find his flashlight in his backpack. "I have to get Pikachu and Bulbasaur to a Pokémon Center."

"I wish it were light out," Misty complained, following behind Ash and the others. She could only make them out vaguely since Kenji's flashlight was a bit dim. "Togepi hates the dark."

"Sure you don't mean you?" Ash teased. He just couldn't resist.

"Of course not! I'm not sc-scared of the dark!"

Ash laughed stupidly as he stopped walking, Brock nearly bumping into him and Kenji and Todd behind him along with Mewtwo. "Real funny, Misty. I didn't know you were scared of the dark! You're a big scaredy cat!" he laughed again.

Brock grabbed the paralyzed Pikachu out of Ash's arms, and backed away, along with Todd and Kenji. They knew what was in store for him after that remark. A mallet fell upon the crown of the young Pokémon trainer, who hopped up and down, holding his head.

"I do _not_ like being made fun of!" she fumed. "Togepi doesn't like the dark, and I'm not too fond of unnatural darkness either! You shouldn't be acting so foolish now anyway! You said it yourself, we have to get to a Pokémon Center!" she spat. "Ugh, I just wish it were light out!"

After Misty's last words, the sky started to lighten up and they all soon heard birds chirping.

"Hey, look! The sun's rising!" Ash pointed.

The boy was, indeed right. The group no longer seemed to be in a closed off room. Instead, they were on a dirt path, and behind them, a forest.

"That's strange." Kenji put his flashlight away. "We just got here. A sunrise can't happen _that_ fast."

"This is _really_ peculiar," Brock slightly panicked, handing Pikachu back to the trainer. He looked back at the woodsy area behind them. "We didn't walk through the woods to get to wherever we are, and what happened to that room we seemed to be in?"

"Since we don't want to go back through the woods, let's just stay on this dirt path," Kenji suggested.

"Hey guys, look!" Todd pointed ahead of them, about 40km (about a quarter of a mile). "It looks like a town."

"Oh thank goodness! Let's go find a Pokémon Center and a place to stay." The girl didn't wait for anyone to protest as she ran ahead towards the town that seemed to appear from out of no place. The others trailed behind her.

Misty stopped at the town's entrance, just as the others had, gazing around. There were quite a few people out and about, women sweeping off stoops, people speaking with neighbors, some people hurrying to get someplace, etc. In the distance, there were quite a few mountains.

"I can't read this sign all that well. It looks to be written in Romanized English, and the writing under the town's name is written in English. I'm not sure if I'm getting this right."

"We can worry about that later, Brock. I have to get Pikachu and Bulbasaur to the Pokémon Center."

The group entered the town and came to the center, where a giant board sat with a town map. On the sign, it seemed to list what could be found in the town, but once again, everything was curiously written in English.

"What's with this town and the English," Todd griped. "I can speak it okay, but I'm not the best reader in the world of it."

"Calm down." Kenji pointed to the center of the map. "This is definitely a Pokémon Center. This is the symbol for it and it looks to be north of where we are..."

'The village square,' Todd silently read.

"…so let's head there."

They all agreed and made their way towards the north part of the town. While doing so, they took notice of their surroundings and also received a few stares in the process, mainly because of the tall, stoic Pokémon walking alongside them. When they passed, some people would start murmuring and pointing towards Mewtwo.

The place was obviously very well-settled and seemed to have a decent amount of inhabitants. As they continued, they saw shops, more houses, some restaurants, outdoor vendors selling fresh fruit, vegetables, and fish, as well as children innocently playing with Pokémon, all of which Ash's group could identify. Nothing as strange as a "Michu" or "Zugeng".

The group finally made it to a large building with a giant "P" on the front of it and two pink egg-shaped Pokémon on either side wearing nurse's caps.

"This place _can't_ be the Pokémon Center, can it?" Todd asked. "It's too big to be a Pokémon Center."

"It has to be," Kenji pointed out sensibly. "Look at the two Pokémon by the sign. They're Chansey."

The group walked into the center, the sliding door opening. The inside was just as impressive as the outside. It was very big, and elegant. The walls of the center were decorated with beautiful Pokémon art.

When entering the center, there was a sign with a few locations, for those to navigate around. This sign was written so that the group could understand it this time, but it still had English in some parts.

"To see the nurse, go straight ahead," Brock read hesitantly. The other options were a bit iffy, but they didn't care.

They took the hallway right in front of them, and to their surprise, they found a lady in a nurse's uniform behind the counter, but she didn't look like the typical Nurse Joy, like the ones they'd encountered in the past. Her hair was more of a light red, as opposed to its normal pinkish tone. Her hair wasn't styled in two loops; instead, it was hanging loosely down a little past her shoulders. The uniform was typical, like Nurse Joy, only it was more close-fitting and sleeveless.

"Hello there," the young woman greeted politely with a bow, speaking, surprisingly, Japanese. "Welcome to the Kage Island Pokémon Center. What may I do for you?"

Ash rushed to the front counter. "Could you please help us by-"

Right at that moment, a love-struck Brock pushed Ash out of the way. "Nurse Joy, glad to see you," he rambled, shaking her hand. "You're the youngest and best Joy yet! You even dress differently."

"Joy?" She withdrew her hand from his. "My name isn't Joy."

"If your name isn't Joy, then what _is_ your name?" Kenji asked curiously.

"My name is Joya."

"_Jo_ya?"

"Yes, it's Joya."

"Well, you're the best _Joya_ I've ever had the honor of meeting!"

"She's the _only_ Joya you've ever met," Misty muttered under her breath.

"Th-thank you very much," she slightly blushed.

Brock's eye seemed to twinkle as he gave her a charming smile. "You're a nice girl, and I know you would love hanging around with a man like me." He started to flex his muscles.

"Oh brother," Misty groaned with a sweat drop.

The nurse, however, giggled at Brock's attempts. To her, there was something cute about his attempt. He was trying too hard.

"So," he leaned over the counter and stared into her eyes, "would you like to hang out sometime, maybe talk about your experiences as a nurse over dinner? I'm interested in Pokémon medical procedures too."  
>x x x x<br>"Here it comes!" Todd warned while shaking his head.

"Another put down, probably," Ash sighed.

"Someday he'll learn," Misty grumbled.

"Which one of us drags him off this time?" asked Kenji.  
>x x x x<br>"Dinner?" He nodded. "Well, it's kind of sudden, and you seem like a very nice guy…so sure, I'd love to meet with you for dinner."

Everyone's jaws dropped. Brock _actually_ managed to get a date, even though he had acted macho earlier. Even Brock was surprised. "Wait, y-you will?"

She smiled. Brock melted. "Sure. There are plenty of cafés and restaurants around and I can't turn down such a generous offer."

"Um, excuse me, _Joy_a-san, where are we?"

Surprised that he'd obviously missed her greeting somehow, she asked, "You don't know where you are?"

Very unlike himself, as he was growing antsy, he sarcastically replied, "I wouldn't have asked if I already knew."

The breeder pulled Ash into a headlock, even though Ash was still gently holding Pikachu. "My young friend here hasn't learned any manners yet," he chuckled nervously. "This boy is harmless." He let go of him. "Now, apologize to the nice girl for being rude, Ash."

"But I-"

Brock hovered over Ash, his head ten times its normal size. "APOLOGIZE TO THIS LOVELY LADY NOW! YOU SHOULD ALWAYS BE RESPECTFUL TO LADIES!"

Misty, Todd, and Kenji just sweat dropped over it, their eyes closed in frustration. Mewtwo watched on quietly, still finding the constant change of emotions expressed by humans perplexing, yet fascinating. Togepi was chirping, stuck in his own world, oblivious to all that was currently happening.

Ash started to bow vigorously, in fear and shakily apologized.

"What Ash meant," Kenji stepped up, "was that we have an idea where we are, but would just like some confirmation."

"Oh, so you guys aren't from around here. That would explain why I've never seen either of you before. Anyway, this is Lost Kage Island and this is the Kage Island Pokémon Center. I'm sorry if I didn't speak clearly enough when you first came in."

"Yeah! We finally made it! I was right all along!" Ash praised himself.

"_He_ was right?" Misty sighed.

"I'm sorry, what were your names again?" She just realized that she accepted an invitation and wasn't entirely sure on the narrow-eyed boy's name.

"Oh, sorry for being so rude. I'm Kenji, and this is Kasumi. The Pokémon she's holding is Togepi. The boy with the camera is Toru-kun. The one holding the Pikachu is Satoshi. The tall, quiet Pokémon is Mewtwo, and the Pokémon Breeder and doctor in training, is Takeshi."

'Ah, so that's why he wanted to discuss work related stuff, he really _is_ interested in Pokémon medicine.' She pushed some of her loose hair behind her ear. "It's a pleasure to meet you. As I said earlier, my name is Joya and I'm 18, so no need to be so formal with me, as I'm not an official nurse as of yet. I just promised to watch the center today. It's _really_ run by my elder sister, Joya, but she's out with my younger cousin, and our friend Jen-san, shopping."

"Um, could I ask you a quick question?"

"Sure, what is it….Toru was it?"

"Yeah. You and your cousin and sister wouldn't all happen to be identical, would you?"

"Why yes, we are. How'd you ever guess that?"

"Let's just call it a hunch," Misty commented ironically.

"Where's the gym?"

"Ash, stop being rude!"

"But Brock, I have to battle the gym leader."

"Not many people come here to actually battle much."

"I suppose it's because the gym was just recently built or maybe just authorized, right?"

She shook her head to Kenji's statement, her dark red hair falling into her face some. "No, it's always been here. The gym is at least 20 years old."

"_Twen_ty?"

"Yes, twenty years. The gym leader is pretty mysterious. I've never even seen the gym leader, or leaders, there. I don't know if it's one or two, male or female… Whenever anyone brings his Pokémon here for my sister to treat, they never describe the match or the leader. All I know is that the gym leader has Pokémon that few have ever seen or heard of in any other part of the world." She gave Ash a sympathetic look. "Are you sure you want to battle there? It might be too much for you to handle."

"I sure do! No one's going to stop me! I want to study him! Let's go to the gym now."

"Ash…"

"Yeah, Misty?"

"Pikachu and Bulbasaur."

"Oh, yeah! Pikachu and Bulbasaur! Joya-s…er…*Joya-neesan, could you heal Pikachu please? We got into a battle on the way here. The trainer had a strange Pokémon called…Michu, and it used an attack that repelled Pikachu's Thunder Wave back at him, which paralyzed him."

'A Michu? That's one rare Pokémon, although I've never seen one, and it sounds like a type of Pokémon that the gym leader could have. Could that have been the leader that this kid battled against? Michu haven't been seen for centuries. Even the existence of them are in question, wondering if they could all be legend, not just extinction like many Pokémon Archeologists, Researchers, and Historians tell us.

'I wonder if the gym leader has ways of obtaining Pokémon this rare and unusual to that extent, which include supposedly extinct ones…'

"Joya-neesan?"

"Oh, yes. That's awful! Let me take your Pikachu. I'll fix him _right_ up."

"Thanks."

"No problem." She took Pikachu, who smiled up at the nurse's ginger touch. "This shouldn't take too long at all."

She laid him on the machine behind her, and put a metal looking band on the Pokémon's head.

"Don't worry," she told Pikachu gently, "I have to determine the extent of the paralysis."

She pushed a few buttons simultaneously on the machine, studying the readout that was now coming up on the screen, but the text was in English.

"Hmm, okay," she murmured as she removed the metal band. "I have the information I need now. It seems your Thunder Wave is pretty powerful. The damage is about the same level as a well-trained Raichu, given that you can't even move after so much time."

After the small explanation, the others still quiet, curious of her ways, especially Brock given his being a breeder, she took out a small flask, which held some kind of multicolored liquid, which Ash and he gang had never seen before, which included a surprised Brock who usually kept up-to-date with Pokémon medicines, medical procedures and treatments.

"Okay, Pikachu." She took out a small, Pokémon-sized plastic cup and poured the bright liquid into it. "I need you to drink this, if you can, and I can help you." She cradled Pikachu in her arms, and held the cup for him to drink from. "Don't drink too fast now…we don't want you choking. Take your time."

Pikachu gulped down the rest of the drink, which tasted tangy with a hint of sweetness. They were surprised to see that the procedure took less than a minute to perform, and was also used of potions being sprayed on, not drunk. In no time at all, Pikachu was running around, feeling stronger and more energetic than ever before.

"It's great that you're better, Pikachu!" Ash told his Pokémon, but soon held his head down shamefully. "I'm sorry for being so selfish, worrying about the badge."

":That's okay. I knew you wouldn't ignore me on purpose:" Pikachu told his friend happily while hopping onto his shoulder and giving him a pat. ":You're just glad that we got here.:"

"Thanks, Pikachu."

Pikachu hopped back over to Joya and hugged her. "Pi Pikachu!" he squeaked in gratitude.

"And you're welcome too, Pikachu," she smiled.

"Joya-neesan," Ash unhooked a Pokéball from his belt, "this is Bulbasaur, and he was hit by his own Lunar Beam."

Her eyes nearly bugged out learning this. "_Lunar_ Beam?! That move…it hasn't been seen in practically forever! It's an ancient technique, and the only Pokémon able to learn it are those who can evolve by use of a Moon Stone, so I've heard. I didn't even know that Bulbasaur were capable of performing a Lunar Beam."

"They usually aren't," he answered insolently, "_I _taught him."  
>x x x x<br>"I think this is all going to his head, if it wasn't before," Brock muttered to the others, who nodded and said in unison, "You said it."  
>x x x x<br>"It's still amazing that you were able to teach your Pokémon this. How did you do it?"

"Well, I learned about it in my hometown and I started training Bulbasaur to concentrate in the same way he does when using Solar Beam. It's not as strong as his Solar Beam of course, but I still felt it would be interesting for him to use something like that if I'm ever in a night battle to throw my opponent off guard. I heard that sometimes the matches in the league can run into the night."

"Wow, you must be a great trainer! Anyway, you guys arrived at a good time. Breakfast is being served. You must be both tired and hungry after such a long journey and a difficult Pokémon battle. While I heal your Bulbasaur, you guys can go grab something to eat."

"Breakfast?" Kenji questioned.

"Yes, breakfast."

"But it was the late evening when we did that teleportation stuff with Mewtwo."

"Who cares, Todd! I'm starved, and breakfast sounds like a _great_ idea!"

"Wait, Misty," Brock interjected, "we don't know where the breakfast area is."

"Oh, how foolish of me," Joya bashfully laughed. "I'm sorry about that. You know where you came in and saw the sign?" They all nodded. "Just go back in that direction, but only opposite. There'll be a hallway located to the left. It leads to the bistro. The walls of that particular hallway are decorated with many paintings and have some potted plants along it. You can't miss it."

"Thanks."

"No problem, Toru-kun."

Ash was hesitant. "What about Bulbasaur?"

"I have to check out the extent of his damage before I can make a proper diagnosis. It may take a bit longer than usual to figure it out since this is the first time I've ever had to treat a Pokémon hit by such an uncommon, yet legendary, attack." The boy still looked slightly worried. "*Shinpai shinaide, Satoshi-kun. Your Bulbasaur will be fine, now you guys, please go relax in the dining hall. The bistro is very nice."

It took a bit of persuasion, despite Joya directly saying, "Don't worry, Ash", but he finally gave in to the rumbling of his stomach, and followed the others towards the restaurant, although Brock wanted to stay and talk with Joya, but knew it was best to leave the young woman to her work. The dining hall was exquisite and eloquent. It looked like an indoor outdoor Paris café with golden candle-lit chandeliers hanging from the ceiling, or either they had stepped back in time to some kind of a royal function of the Victorian era.

Each table was pearly-white, and had exotic designs on each, and the material of the seats of the booths seemed to be made of satin. The room was also decorated with many plants, some of which they couldn't identify, like they were from other parts of the world. On the other end, there was an automatic sliding glass door. This entire hall had windows around.

"Wow, this place is beautiful," Misty stared on, mystified.

Ash whistled in amazement. "What a Pokémon Center!"

"The architect of this particular Pokémon Center seemed to have had a thing for 19th Century European designs," Kenji noted as matter-of-fact-like.

Todd glanced over at a disheartened-looking Brock. "I'm surprised," he randomly said.

"Why?" asked Misty.

"Brock _actually_ got a date."

"Hey!"

"Never mind that, let's just eat," Ash told them.

A young girl with bright, blonde hair, tied back in a ponytail, wearing what looked to be a waitress uniform, walked up to them. Brock didn't really take notice of this pretty girl at all. The girl stared at Mewtwo curiously, but shook her head and bowed politely and said, in English, "Welcome. How many are in your party, and where would you like to sit?"

"We're all together," Todd answered back, "and I guess a booth would be okay."

"Alright, follow me please."

They followed the girl to a booth, which was near the sliding door of the establishment. It was obvious that you could get to this restaurant through either the Pokémon Center, as it's connected, or from the other end.

After they were all comfortably seated, she handed them all menus, and whenever speaking, she stuck to using only English, which meant Todd had to do most of the conversing. "My name is Robin, and I shall be your server this morning. Could I start you off with some drinks?"

Todd quickly translated what she'd said, who looked through the French, Japanese, and English menu telling the young girl what they wanted. Brock had also directly requested, in Japanese, to the girl, for a newspaper, which she seemed to understand and kindly got for him. After the group finished their morning meals, Mewtwo indulged in Pokéberry Pie, once again, Brock went to his paper, and the others conversed, waiting on the check.

"I wonder what's with this place," Ash slightly griped.

"Yeah, it's strange, isn't it? There's so much English and seems I'm the only one who understands it enough to hold a conversation, but that Robin girl seemed to understand Japanese just fine…"

"Where _did_ you learn English anyway?" Misty asked.

"It's from traveling to different regions to get the best Pokémon on film. I had to learn it to communicate with the locals of those areas. I know a bit of Mandarin, Cantonese, French, and Spanish too."

"Wow!" Kenji said, quite impressed. "I wish I knew more than one language."

"Speaking of languages," Todd looked over at Brock, "what language is the paper in?"

"It's Japanese," he answered vaguely.

Misty sipped some of her juice. "Is there anything interesting in it?"

"Nope, not yet." He turned the page. "They have news from all over, though. The type of news you'd usually only find in those cities' papers. You know, like if someone won a raffle in Cinnabar, how that would only be in Cinnabar's paper, since it's not really important enough to put in national news."

Ash looked at him in confusion. Brock continued.

"I just finished reading an article about some boy in Pewter who lost his Growlithe, and there was another one here about a play on some famous Pokémon kidnapping case in *Kogane city and someplace called *Miare city. There's another story here about a tribute to the Mayor of Celadon. All of that is local news for those areas, and isn't really newsworthy enough to be put in a paper based in another city. Even for national news, these stories aren't particularly relevant." He continued skimming through the paper until one caught his attention. "Hey, this one is kind of interesting, and it's local news."

Kenji, who had been going through his sketches, asked, "What's it about?"

"It says here that the inhabitants of Lost Kage Island have been having difficulty with Psychic Pokémon. They have been acting strangely and some have become distant or quiet. Seems they've also been attacking at random and others just take off without warning, and ignoring their trainers. The only Psychic Pokémon that don't seem to react to this are young ones 'who do not understand the full potential of their powers'."

"That's really strange. I wonder why." Kenji put his sketch pad away.

Brock folded the paper over, to finish reading the article. "Let's just hope that we don't encounter any wild Psychic Pokémon while here."

"Hey, what's the weather going to be like today?"

He went back a few pages. "Let's see," he mumbled in pursuit of answering the photographer's question. "Wow, there's a chance of snow today. That's very unusual weather for an island in the middle of April. It was warm and slightly humid when walking through town."

"It _wasn't_ cold on our way here," Misty insisted.

"How can it snow? It's not even cloudy out."

"You were saying, Ash?"

"Huh? What?"

"Take a look out the window," Todd pointed.

Ash, as well as the others who hadn't noticed yet, looked out the window, shocked. It was snowing pleasantly outside, a small dusting of snow on the ground, as if it had been snowing for about a half hour or so.

"Is that actually…snow?" Ash asked, dumbfounded.

Kenji sat back in his seat. "Okay, this is getting beyond strange now."

Misty didn't seem too bothered, and a deranged smirk spread across her face. "Well, you know what that means, right?"

"Don't say it Misty! _Please_ don't say it!" the trainer and breeder pleaded.

Kenji and Todd just looked on in confusion. "What?" both asked in bewilderment.

She jumped out of her seat, Togepi in her arm, and shot a fist up into the air happily. "*Koko de wa kaimono ni iku koto ga dekimasu!"

"Togepriii!"

Brock's eyes were streaked with tears as he nearly screamed out, overly dramatically, "Noooooo!"

"Well, we're going to have to go shopping sooner or later anyway," Misty pointed out reasonably. "We don't have any clothes warm enough for snow."

"She's right, Brock." Kenji looked out the window again, watching the snow fall harder and stronger, and becoming thicker. "I still would like to know how it just went from normal, warm weather to the point of its being cold enough to snow like this."

"I hate shopping, but she _is _right. I guess we can go to a clothes shop after here." Ash sighed depressingly over the inevitable shopping trip, but was also a bit down because of the weather and how it would cut into his training plans.

"Hey guys, I'll be right back. I have to call my sisters." Misty sat Togepi down beside Pikachu, who was consuming ketchup. "Stay here with Pikachu, Togepi."

"Priii, priii, prii!"

Misty walked off, heading down the hall and back to where Joya was, who was working with another Pokémon.

"Joya-san…"

"Oh, hello there. Are you here to pick up Bulbasaur?"

"No, but how is he?"

"He's all healed up and ready to go. Lunar Beam just knocked him out, pretty much, and was resting as a way to rejuvenate, but there was some slight damage." Misty gasped. "Oh, there's nothing to really worry about, since the Lunar Beam wasn't that strong, I'm assuming. This Bulbasaur may be capable of performing one, but it's not his…forte, I guess you could say."

"What do you mean?"

"Hm, I guess it's like a Water Pokémon, for example, using an ice-based attack, like maybe say, Ice Beam. Sure, the Pokémon may be able to launch the attack, but of course for an actual Ice Pokémon, the attack would be much stronger compared to the Water Pokémon using it."

"Oh, I see what you mean. That does makes sense."

"It's still amazing that your friend's Bulbasaur can perform something as rare as a Lunar Beam."

"Well, Ash _is_ full of surprises…"

She handed Misty Bulbasaur's Pokéball. "Thanks."

"Oh, yeah, I was curious about that tall Pokémon. I'd never seen one before."

"Oh, that's Mewtwo. He's the only one of his kind."

"Really? Wow! Lunar Beam _and_ you have a rare Pokémon."

"Well, not exactly. Mewtwo doesn't belong to anyone now. His real owner was…unpleasant. Mewtwo, I guess you could say, is his own master."

"Hm, poor thing, but as long as he's happy, that's all that should matter."

Misty nodded. "Oh, by the way, where are the phones?"

She pointed to the elevator on the opposite side of the room. "Take the elevator to the second floor. The second floor is pretty much a recreation area where trainers can use the Pokémon Battle Simulators, make calls, converse, trade Pokémon, watch some television…"

"Wow, this place _is_ huge. Thanks a lot."

Misty headed to the elevator and boarded when it arrived. She saw that this place had more than just two floors, and two sub-basement areas. Apparently, the first floor had a place for dining and Pokémon healing, the second with the simulators and phones, the third floor, a Pokémart, and the top floor, sleeping quarters.

After reaching the second floor, she stepped off to find many people at one of the many simulators, which took up the majority of the floor. She also saw a machine for trading Pokémon. On another part of the floor, she noticed a room with a bunch of trainers battling it out, and outside of the door, there was a sign pointing out certain moves not to use inside, specifically most ground-based attacks like "Dig", "Earthquake", and "Fissure". Moves like "Rock Throw" were also forbidden.

Misty continued on, amused over how Ash would react if he knew of this place's existence. Finally, she came to another room which had a row of phones. She took a seat at one of them, inserted the coins and dialed the Cerulean gym…  
>x x x x<br>Meanwhile, back at the Cerulean Gym…

"Hold on, hold on," a girl with dark hair muttered as she took a seat in front of the phone, straightening up her cream-colored skirt, and picking a piece of lint from her yellow, spaghetti-strapped top. She picked up the phone, a girl appearing on the screen. "*Moshi moshi…"

"*Ohayhou, Ayame-neesan!" the redhead greeted back.

"*Sakura! *Botan! Kasumi is on the phone!"

Both sisters rushed down the hall to the phone Violet was using, standing beside her.

"Hi there!" Daisy greeted in relief.

"It took you long enough to call us!" snapped Lily.

"What do you mean? We haven't been gone that long…maybe about three hours at the most."

"It's been longer than that," the blonde informed her. To Misty, it seemed that her beauty and radiance was even more enhanced due to the white midriff and shorts she was wearing. Seems no matter what, to the young teen, Daisy always stood out the most amongst her sisters. "If you haven't noticed, it's already morning."

"It's morning here too."

"We wanted you to call us _time_ you got there!"

"But Violet, we _did_ just get here."

"Never mind that," Daisy civilly replied, "she's safe and that's all that matters."

The other two quieted down, realizing the oldest of them was right.

"It was really weird how we got here."

"What do you mean?" asked Lily, who was wearing a sleeveless blouse and matching short shorts.

Misty explained how they'd encountered a cloaked stranger, the battle he'd had with Ash, the door they found, and Mewtwo's using teleport to get through it.

"That _is_ strange," the blonde said.

"So, does that mean you all were, like, knocked out which is why you guys just got there this morning?" Violet asked.

Misty thought for a moment and wondering if that could've been the case. "Who knows…"

Daisy looked a bit apprehensive once again. "Are you _sure_ it's a good idea to be there? I mean, the way you got there is just incredibly unusual. What if you can't get back?"

"I'm not worried about it. This place is pretty nice so far, even if the weather _is_ a bit weird right now. It started snowing, but maybe it's normal for here. That aside, I just wanted to let you all know that we're alright."

"Okay, but get back to us soon."

"Okay Violet."

"And make sure you take your medicine."

"I am, Lily, I am…"

"Take care, Misty and tell Ash good luck."

"Alright Daisy, I will. See ya."

"Goodbye," all three said, the screen gong blank.

After hanging up, the girl headed back to the elevator, in thought over what Violet had said, over how maybe they slept after being teleported and the weather was also still bothering her some, but decided to shrug it off and rejoin the others…  
>x x x x<br>Meanwhile, back at the bistro, Brock had gone back to reading the paper, while the other remaining members of the group conversed. Even Mewtwo was talking with Pikachu about the pie and everything he liked about it, as well as the battle that Pikachu had with the strange Pokémon. Togepi was eating the Pokéberry pie happily, his face dirty.

Suddenly, a hard, disgusted look appeared on Brock's face, which the others noticed.

"What's wrong, Brock?"

Without uttering a single word, he handed the newspaper to Kenji. He skimmed over what Brock had read, and an equal, yet more vehement look appeared on his face.

"Come on, you two. What's wrong?"

"It can't be that bad, Todd, unless Team Rocket has somehow been reformed and the ex-members who said they were glad to be out go back to their old ways and try capturing Pikachu again."

":If they do, I'll shock them back to reality!:"

"There'll probably be no need, Pikachu," Ash laughed. "I couldn't see any of them going back to that life, so it probably doesn't have anything to do with Team Rocket."

"You're probably right, Ash. They found every single one of their headquarters in this section of the world and shut them all down."

"This article is from Viridian," Brock stated coldly while staring out of the window.

"What about it?"

"Former Viridian Gym Leader escapes," Kenji read quietly to the others.

Staring at the Pokémon Artist, a look of fear and worry on her face, stood Misty, who had overheard what he'd said. "Does that mean he's coming after me?" she asked in a shaky voice…  
>x x x<p>

Author's Notes

Note 1: "Kono bashou wa kowakute kurai desu…" means "This place is scary and dark."  
>x x x<br>Note 2: I'm sorry about the name "Joya". I really couldn't think of a name close to "Joy". It's not like "Joy" is a Japanese name either, but yeah, that was all I could think of at the time.

In Japan, many use honorifics and even though oneesan/oneechan/oneesama can mean "big sister", it's also used from younger kids towards older kids, which is why I have Ash using it. Just thought it would be cute. lol  
>x x x<br>Note 3: "Shimpai shinaide, Satoshi-kun" means, "Please don't worry, Satoshi."  
>x x x<br>Note 4: Kogane is Goldenrod (Gold/Silver series) from Johto's region and Miare is Lumiose from the Kalos region (X/Y game series).  
>x x x<br>Note 5: "Koko de wa kaimono ni iku koto ga dekimasu" pretty much means, "We can do some shopping here."  
>x x x<br>Note 6: "Moshi-moshi" means "hello", but you use this for answering the phone.  
>x x x<br>Note 7: Ayame is Violet. Botan is Lily. Sakura is Daisy.  
>x x x<p>

Fic Chapter Changes

Time for some changes. I calmed down on Brock hitting on Joya and pointed out that he was genuinely interested in her profession, which he was, but shown later. I just decided to show this early. In other words, I had Brock be more like himself as opposed to his being completely girl crazy, and personally, I could picture Brock being this way if he found the "right" girl. I noticed how different he acted around Melanie (Bulbasaur ep), where he was very calm and obviously genuinely liked her, imo, and Suzie (Vulpix ep) as well. There have probably been more, but these two stick out for me, although to be fair, Brock didn't seem to crush on Suzie, just held her in high regard.

Originally, I only had Ash say that he taught Bulbasaur Lunar Beam cockily and no other explanation. I had him actually explain how he'd even come across such a move.

I had Joya question Misty about Mewtwo. I also included, with them heading to the Pokémon Center, Mewtwo getting looks in general. He is a very rare Pokémon. Seems someone would be curious about him.

I pointed out what the remaining top floors had of the Pokémon Center. Originally, I only mentioned the first and second floor.

I included a warning for those having actual battles inside the center and how one should avoid most ground-based moves. Personally, I always found that strange when playing the games themselves. Let's say you get into a battle…on a boat. Like in the original games on the SS Anne (or whatever it was called). Using something like "Dig" while on a boat, can't be good. lol


	8. Giovanni Escapes

Hello again everyone. I hope you liked the previous chapter. As you saw, the group finally arrived. That aside, this chapter introduces another character that's going to be around the group. Hope you like her (and Joya).

This chapter is actually shorter than it looks. There are a lot of notes at the end, so I apologize for that.

Now, as always, I do not own anything dealing with the Pokémon franchise. Nintendo, 4Kids, Gamefreak, etc., have those rights, and here are the age reminders once again...

Ash: 13  
>MistyTodd: 14  
>Kenji: 17 going on 18<br>Joya: 18  
>Brock: 19<p>

Part 08: "It can't be true!" Giovanni's Escape!

Last time, the group finally made it to the island, but after arriving, it started to snow, which is definitely unusual for spring. Misty managed to contact her sisters and now there's a news article about Giovanni and how he's escaped his confines. Is he free to seek out revenge on our heroes?

Ash Title: Giovanni's Escape!

Everyone saw the redhead. She looked to be frozen in place, a frightened look on her face. "Misty?"

"He's escaped?" she asked again, her eyes starting to water. "That evil, _terr_ible man is free?"

"Sounds like it," Ash answered sympathetically. He stood up and headed over to the girl. "But don't worry, Misty. We won't let _any_thing happen to you."

Todd joined him. "Yeah, he'll have to get through us to get to you." He gave her a reassuring smile. "I won't let anything happen to you, Misty."

Ash gave Todd a look. He wasn't sure if *the boy was being a genuine friend, or if there was more to it.

"Th-thank you." Misty turned her attention to Brock, who had taken the paper back from Kenji. "H-how?"

"Don't cry, Misty!" Ash slightly panicked.

"Yeah, I…we'll keep you safe!"

Ash inwardly sighed. 'I wish he'd _stop_ that!'

Brock decided to read the article to the others. It read:

* * *

><p><span>Former Viridian City Gym Leader Escapes!<span>

Yesterday, Giovanni, the former Viridian City gym leader and head of the infamous crime organization, Team Rocket, has been released! The Viridian City police department no longer has the man in custody. He has been relocated to the Pokémon Penitentiary presumably located in *Yamabuki city, which is a facility for the mentally unstable. The exact known whereabouts of the penitentiary isn't allowed to be revealed at this time due to the privacy needed for Giovanni to recover.

"He kept claiming to have seen a 'bloody Growlithe with a slit throat', howling at him and torturing him. He has made several suicide attempts to get away from this alleged Growlithe, which no one has actually seen," says Warden Jenny of the Viridian City Prison. We _had_ to put him away for his own good!"

* * *

><p>"Wait, Giovanni's <em>psy<em>chic now?"

Kenji looked at the boy in pure amusement, in spite of himself, trying to hold back a laugh. "Ash, I think you mean psycho."

"Oh, yeah, that's right."

"Talk about a misleading title," Brock commented dryly. "At least we don't have to worry about him. He's obviously being monitored and watched over closely."

Everyone else may have been satisfied by this, but Misty, on the other hand, was furious.

"I want to know _how_ they came up with that kind of a title when it's not even true!"

"Journalists do that to get the readers' attention, Misty," Todd calmly explained, "and a headline like that, I'm sure worked."

"That's no excuse!" Misty cried as she, along with Ash and Todd, retook her seat.

"Is there any more information?" asked Kenji anxiously.

"No, not really. There's some stuff here about what other inmates thought of Giovanni, and they pretty much all said that he seemed to crack."

"So, does that mean Growlithe is _haun_ting him?" asked Ash.

Brock shrugged. "I guess so."

"Serves him right for what he did to Growlithe and my parents!"

"I know I'm glad," muttered Kenji sinisterly.

Misty shivered from the cold air that blew in every time the door opened now. She stood up. "I don't think our clothes are going to keep us warm for much longer."

After hearing this, Brock rolled up his newspaper and started to hum the tune to the funeral march.

"Oh, come on Brock; she can't be _that_ bad," Todd said.

"Wanna bet?" Ash and Brock said together while shuddering.

"Pikachu!" the rodent concurred in agreement with the trainer and breeder.

"Wait, what about the bill?" asked Misty while wiping pie off of Togepi's messy face.

"Oh, while you were gone, we took care of it. I paid the check."

"That was nice of you, Todd. How much do I owe you?"

"Oh, it's no problem, Mist." He gave her a smile. "Just consider it my treat."

Ash rolled his eyes, about ready to sock the photographer with his own camera for the way he seemed to be openly flirting with the redhead. Todd had insisted on the rest of them paying, but then the boy thought for a moment. 'Maybe he just decided not to let her pay because of the junk with Giovanni just now…but Kenji was affected by Giovanni too and Todd still made him pay.' He rose from his seat, and muttered in a bothered voice, "Let's get out of here."

"Oh wait, Ash." She handed him a miniature sphere. "It's Bulbasaur. All he needed was a good rest."

"Thanks Misty."

With everything settled, they headed back to the front counter of the center, but when reaching it, they saw Joya was in a completely different outfit. No longer in uniform, she was wearing an over-sized light-pink sweater, a pair of jeans, and boots. Brock was entranced.

"Joya-neesan, where's the nearest clothing store?"

"There's one not too far from here," she answered briefly. "It's over near the market east of here in our big shopping district."

"Thanks. Okay group, let's go!"

Ash started to march off, but soon realized he was being held back by Misty.

"Hold it Ash."

"What?"

"Knowing you, you'll probably get us lost."

"Would not!"

"Would to!"

"Would not!"

"Would to!"

Broken out of his stupor, due to the arguing, Brock shouted, "Ugh, just be quiet! Why are you two arguing?"

Both pointed to one another, and said, "He/She started it!"

Brock rubbed his head in frustration.

"Sorry, Brock. I guess it's just a habit sometimes," Ash said while apologizing.

"Yeah, I guess so."

"You two are impossible," Brock sighed.

"Hey, there goes my sister."

Walking towards the counter was a girl, slightly older than Joya. The older Joya looked more like your "Nurse Joy" compared to the younger one. She was also already in uniform.

"Joya-nee!"

"Hey," she greeted. "I finished up earlier than I thought I would. Thanks for keeping things under control." She took her place behind the counter. "Who are your friends here?"

Joya introduced everyone, including Pikcahu, Togepi, and "the tall one, Mewtwo" and explained how they'd just arrived that morning.

"It's a pleasure to meet you," she bowed.

Brock, as well as the others, greeted her back politely, but to the others' surprise, Brock didn't take any notice of the older girl. He didn't act girl-crazed, he didn't blush or drool or do anything Misty would've deemed "embarrassing".

"Jen and I had a good time shopping, but she had to help out her cousin, Officer Jen."

"_Off_icer Jen?"

"They wouldn't happen to be identical, would they?" Misty asked.

"Why yes, they do resemble each other. How'd you know?"

"Call it a hunch," Todd commented ironically.

"Sis, you should go out and enjoy the day, especially since it's snowing. It's so beautiful." She looked over at Ash and his companions. "Aren't you cold wearing those clothes?"

"Very," Misty shivered, "but we're about to go shopping for some new ones. All of our clothes are suited for tropical weather."

"I see. Sis, why don't you go along with them since they're new in town, and while you're at it, why not show them around?"

"It was sunny, bright, and a bit humid when we got here; how did it start snowing so suddenly?"

"Let's go guys," Joya answered quickly while pulling on a wool coat, ignoring Kenji's inquiry, almost as if she didn't hear him.

The girl took off, as if sprinting, towards the entrance, practically leaving the others behind. Brock seemed to float behind her, and the others trailed him.

After a while, the group arrived at a clothing store called, "_¡Todos los D__í__as de Invierno!_"

"Wait, what does that say?" questioned Ash, while staring at the sign in confusion.

"'Todos los días de invierno'," Todd answered dully. "It means, 'winter everyday' or 'all winter's days', pretty much."

"How'd you know that?"

"It's Spanish, Ash. Remember, I understand some of it."

"Oh yeah, you did say that…"

"This store specializes in winter attire and winter gear. It's the perfect place to come to buy all winter-related things before heading up to the mountains for ski trips. Skiing and snowboarding are very popular pastimes here," Joya explained. "Shall we go in?"

Misty was the first one through the door, as she was the coldest. The others started in, except for Mewtwo. He stared at the doors of the shop, his thoughts a bit scattered. He wanted to go in, but something was preventing him from doing so…he just couldn't explain it. "If you do not mind, I would rather remain out here."

"It's no problem, Mewtwo. We'll be back as soon as we can so you won't have to wait long."

Mewtwo nodded. "Please, do not rush on my account. Take as long as you need."

"Thanks Mewtwo."

The rest of the gang entered the store. Misty's eyes lit up over the variety of clothes that were around. There were so many stylish clothes, the girl couldn't make up her mind over what to buy.

While searching through the clothes together, Misty enjoyed talking with Joya. They were becoming quite friendly with one another.

Nearly an hour later, everyone was ready to go, except for Misty. She was _still_ trying to make a decision, despite the shopkeeper making recommendations. The shopkeeper started to speak in Spanish and English, Joya and Todd communicating with no problem at all, but soon started to speak in Japanese after noticing the perplexed looks of the others.

Misty exited the dressing room. "So, what do you guys think of this outfit?"

All four of them nodded vigorously, humoring her. "Yeah, yeah, great, wonderful, magnificent!" they all sputtered out.

"You really think so?" She checked herself over. "Nah, this shirt doesn't match my eyes…"

All four boys screamed in exasperation and face-faulted.

"Pika!" Pikachu squeaked, following suit.

Togepi gleed and clapped.

Joya sweatdropped. "Um, you know, I think I may have some clothes I can lend you. I might be able to find something your size in my closet. We can alter it so that it'll be the perfect fit."

"That's really nice of you, Joya-san! Thanks a lot!" She turned to the boys. "Hey guys, we're going to Joya's!"

Brock and Kenji hugged each other, tears of joy streaming from their eyes, while Todd and Ash danced around joyously. "Yahoo, no more shopping!"

Meanwhile, outside of the shop, by the door, stood Mewtwo, seemingly nonplussed by the snowfall growing heavier or of the bystanders and those brave enough to enter and exit the shop. He stared blankly at the cloudy, grey sky, his thoughts still a bit muddled like earlier. It was a strange feeling, almost like he was losing control of his mind and thoughts.

Suddenly, he held his head, as if in extreme pain, but the only problem was that he couldn't determine what the cause was or even where it was coming from. He tried to mentally fight off whatever was causing his current discomfort, but couldn't even concentrate enough to meditate and focus. People passing by stopped, staring at the Pokémon who was now breathing unsteadily and having an internal struggle, unsure of what to do for him or even how to approach him. Most of the residents of the island had been cautious due to the random attacks.

Right at that moment, Ash and the others exited the store with their purchases. Despite not buying any actual clothes, Misty did get a couple things to hold her over.

"Hey Mewtwo. Sorry we took so long," Ash apologized. Mewtwo didn't say anything right away, but stared at the group with a confused, yet pleading look in his eye. "Mewtwo? Are you alright?"

"I m-must leave…I must m-m-meditate," he managed to get out, the urge to run growing. His voice then became robotic. "I have been summoned…"

"Summoned?"

"Mewtwo, where are you going?" asked Kenji inquiringly.

He held his head, his voice going back to normal. "Must…meditate…will return…later…" It then went back to the robotic tone. "Must leave…" he grunted.

Without saying another word, Mewtwo took for the sky, leaving a very confused group behind.

'I never knew he could fly…' Ash turned to the others. "That was…strange."

"I hope Mewtwo's okay." Kenji looked at the sky, a bit worried. "What did he mean? He had to meditate?"

Brock also looked on in worry. 'I hope that whatever's affecting Psychic Pokémon isn't affecting Mewtwo and that he's going off to meditate to fight it off…'

"I'm sure that Mewtwo will return after his task is complete," Joya insisted. "We should hurry. The snowfall is growing heavier."

Knowing there wasn't much they could do, they followed the young girl to her place, enjoying the "winter wonderland", minus Misty, whose teeth were chattering.

"Hm, still strange about Mewtwo, but maybe Joya-neesan is right…."

"Yeah, I guess so, now let's pick up the pace so I can get into some warm clothes. I'm _freezing_ here!"

"It's not _our_ fault that the only things you bought were a pair of socks, boots, and a coat. You should've picked up some pants, a sweater, a scarf, and other things like the rest of us did."

"When I _want_ your opinion, I'll _ask_ for it!"

"Chill guys," Brock instinctively stepped in to prevent an argument from breaking out.

"Misty is al_ready_ chilling! She's even the color for it!" Ash laughed boisterously. "She looks like a blue popsicle!"

"Who asked you!" Misty bonked Ash in the head with her fist, but he continued to laugh.

"Those two are an actual couple?" Joya asked Kenji, who was walking beside her.

"Yeah, but I sometimes think they like bickering. No real feelings seem to ever get hurt."

Growing tired of the spat, Todd walked in between the pair and wrapped an arm around both their shoulders. "I don't know about _you_ guys, but I could go for a nice warm drink, like some hot tea."

"Yeah, that would be nice," a settled down Misty agreed.

"We're nearly there. We just have to go down this back alley here. It's a shortcut."

Within about five minutes, the group arrived at a big house. It had two floors and a large attic room.

"Here we are. Let's go in."

Joya pulled a key from her pocket and unlocked the door. She stepped out of her shoes, just as the others. "I'm very sorry that I don't have any slippers for you. We don't usually have so many visitors."

"No no, it's no problem," Brock insisted. "Thanks for kindly having us over."

After fully entering the surprisingly warm, cozy house, they all gazed over how spacey the house seemed to be. She led them to the living room, which had a television, a couch, a coffee table, and some cushy armchairs.

"Hey, who else lives here Joya-neesan?"

"I live here with my very best friend, Jen, my older sister, and her friend, Laura-san."

"It must be nice. I never have any girls to talk with."

"And _what's_ wrong with talking to us?"

"N-nothing."

"You don't like talking to me?"

"Ash stop being silly, of course I like talking to you."

"Then why don't you like talking to," he pointed to himself and the rest of the guys, "us?"

Both Kenji and Todd sighed out white puffy clouds over Ash's naiveté.

"Ash, don't you get it?"

"Get what, Brock?"

"Girl talk."

"Eh? What about it?"

"There are just some things that girls feel more comfortable discussing with other girls instead of us guys."

Ash stared blankly. "Oh."

"It's not that she doesn't like talking with us, it's just that we're too manly," he flexed his muscles, causing Misty to roll her eyes, and Joya to giggle, "for her to tell us everything."

"No we're not," Kenji whispered to the breeder, "it's just too scary for us to know."

Brock nearly face-faulted, but quickly recovered. "Y-yeah…"

"Everyone, please make yourselves comfortable and I can hang up your coats." After taking their coats, she turned to Misty. "Let's see what we can do about your clothes. Shorts and a midriff is much too thin for this weather. Please come with me."

Misty followed Joya out of the room, up the stairs. The rest remained in the living room. Kenji and Brock decided to watch television, curious as to what language the programs would be in. The shows they flipped through seemed to be dubbed into various languages, the main ones being Chinese, Korean, and English, but there was an option to change it to the original audio, which was, seemingly, Japanese. As for Todd and Pikachu, with Togepi following not too far behind, decided to look around the rest of the first floor of the house, as the older girl did say to make themselves comfortable.

Ash was pacing around the living room, jaded and antsy, wishing he could go out and train. "I don't have anything to do."

"Look at TV," Brock suggested vaguely, holding the remote out to him. "We're done with it."

Ash took the remote and surfed through a few random channels. He then shut off the television, and tossed the remote aside. Grumbling, he went back to pacing the room blandly, as he had quite a bit on his mind and desperately needed a distraction. "Nothing's on!"

"Stop complaining!" Kenji snapped petulantly. "There isn't much you _can_ do!"

Ash stopped pacing and gave Kenji a look, taken aback, just as Brock was. "What's eating you?"

"I'm sorry Ash. I guess I'm just frustrated over all that's happened so far since nothing makes sense. First it was day, then it became night. The weather was maybe suitable for late spring, and now it feels like we're right in the middle of winter. Mewtwo taking off has me a little bothered too…"

"Hey, remember Professor Oak said something about this place being enchanted," Todd said as he entered the room, overhearing the artist. "Maybe it's actually true."

"But that's scientifically impossible," Kenji retorted.

"I just thought he lost it and didn't actually know and was humoring us," Brock commented. "I just thought he was being eccentric again."

"What do you mean, 'again'? He's, unfortunately, like that a lot," Kenji countered, although reluctantly, given his high respect and idolization of the professor. "He's still smart, only a bit unmindful at times."

Ash, at the moment, didn't care much at all. "I guess you're right," he finally said, slumping down on the couch.

Due to all of the discussion amongst the four boys, neither heard the front door open and shut. A young tired-looking girl started walking past the living room, holding a few bags, when she finally noticed the four males in her home.

Startled, she dropped her bags, got into a fighting stance, giving them all suspicious looks. "Who are you?!"

Everyone looked over at the girl in surprise, especially Kenji, who was actually studying the girl. He didn't understand why he felt this urge to talk to the girl who had a familiarity about her.

"Well, I'm waiting! Who _are_ you?!"

"W-well, we're…um…I'm…"

"Kenji, are you okay?" Ash asked.

"What's wrong with him?" Todd muttered.

Brock couldn't answer, as he was surprised over the peculiar behavior of the artist.

As if hypnotized, Kenji made his way towards the - to him - enigma that stood before them. He reached out to her, to assure her that they weren't enemies or to be feared, but the girl reacted in the blink of an eye. She grabbed Kenji by the arm, turned her back to him, tossed him over her shoulder, and slammed him hard to the floor. Dazed, he sat up, wincing while holding his back.

"Hey, what'd you do _that_ for!" Todd argued defensively.

"Yeah, he didn't do anything to you!"

"Pika!"

"C'mon guys, stop being rude to the girl."

"BROCK!"

"You're in _my_ home," the girl told them while stepping over the artist, her guard still up. "Do not underestimate me! I am a master of Kung Fu and Karate and have studied Judo. I've studied with the best, such as my good friend *Kino Makoto, who lives on the island of Japan in the city of Tokyo. I have also studied different kenjutsu techniques and also studied Kendo with my cousin *Daté Seiji, who also lives in Japan on the outskirts of Sendai, meaning I am _very_ skilled with the swords!"

Both Joya and Misty heard all of the commotion and rushed to see what was going on. Misty was now wearing a pair of slightly baggy jeans, with a belt, and a bright, white turtleneck sweater.

When they reached the room, they saw Kenji on the floor and the martial artist about to attack the rest of the "intruders".

"Jen-chan, I know these people!"

Jen lowered her guard, and stance. "You know them?" The girl nodded. "Oh, well…what did you ex_pect_ me to think…four guys in our home, looking suspicious…"

"Didn't you notice the shoes at the entrance?"

"Um, well…no I didn't," she admitted bashfully. "I was so tired, I let my guard down." Jen went back over to Kenji and knelt down beside him and offered her hand to him. "I'm sorry," she apologized, while studying him. There was something strange about this boy…almost like she'd met him before, but figured it was nothing. Her sense was off, she figured. "I-I thought you were going to attack me." She gave him a small, apologetic smile.

He took her hand and responded goofily, "Th-that's okay."

Ash could only shake his head at the sight of his older friend. "What is _wrong_ with him?"

Todd frowned. "I think that slam affected his brain."

The nearly 18-year-old Jen was about 163 cm (about 5'4) tall and had long, aqua-greenish type hair, which was tied back into a ponytail which came halfway down her back. There was something about her that resembled Officer Jenny, but it wasn't much. She was wearing a thick coat and a muffler, but underneath, she was wearing a close-fitting white sweater and a pair of jeans.

Kenji, nervously, made his way back to his seat, but seemed to slightly trip in the process. It was like the part of his brain that completely controlled his motor skills was on a temporary vacation. After reaching his seat, his face went slightly red in embarrassment, realizing how foolish he had to have come across.

"I really think something's wrong with Kenji."

":I think I know what's wrong, Ash.:"

"What'd Pikachu say?"

Misty pulled both boys aside. "He said that he thinks he knows what's wrong, and I think I do too."

"What?" both clueless boys asked.

":It's so obvious!:"

"Look at the way he's acting." Both boys looked towards the boy, who was now having trouble forming a coherent sentence and his thoughts seemed scattered every time Jen tried addressing him.

"Still doesn't explain much," Ash murmured.

"Oh no," Todd sighed in annoyance, "not another one."

"Huh, what?"

"I think he's fallen for that martial arts girl."

"I know, right! Did you _see_ the way she _slammed_ him?! She has to be strong to pick him up and then toss him the way that she did, since there's a height difference and definitely a weight difference. Think she could've done the same to Brock?"

Ash stopped, when he noticed Todd's brow was twitching.

"He _likes_ her you dope!" Todd snapped in a whisper.

"Oh," he finally realized, "and I am _not_ a dope!"

The photographer ignored him, and continued on somberly. "Love causes people to act dumb. I've never been in love and probably never will. I actually re_fuse_ to let myself fall for someone."

"But Todd, love is a wonderful thing and it's so romantic!"

"Yeah, whatever, Mist," Todd scoffed.

She studied the boy, and scratched her head in curiosity. 'I guess he's never fallen for anyone, but maybe he'll change his mind once he does.'

Ash pulled Todd aside. "What's your problem! You didn't have to be rude there. Besides, what do you mean you've never liked anyone or been in love. Haven't you forgotten something?"

"What?"

He lowered his voice a bit more, so that Misty wouldn't hear. "When we met up with you on our way to Viridian, since you'd always kept contact with Misty, you were planning on confessing to her, weren't you? What do you call that?"

Todd barked out a small laugh. "No way, that was different."

"How?"

"I had a small crush on her and got over that weeks ago. Besides, I _liked_ her, not _loved_ her. There's a difference. How could anyone our age understand all that mushy love stuff anyway?"

Ash blinked. He'd never thought about it before. He enjoyed being around Misty a lot and would hate to see her harmed in any way or see her upset…but at the same time, he also felt that way about all of his friends. What made Misty different? Was it love? _Was_ he too young to fully understand it?

Unable to dwell on it for long, his train of thought was broken by Jen's playful voice. "What are you guys doing over there by yourselves?" She took notice of the small rodent by Ash's side. "Oh, what a cute Pikachu!"

":No one can resist my charm.:"

Jen rushed over and picked up Pikachu, hugging him tightly.

"Be careful, Pikachu doesn't like strangers."

"Oh don't worry. I know how to handle Pikachu and lots of other types of Pokémon, Satoshi was it?" He nodded. "And you're Kasumi, right?" She nodded. "What kind of Pokémon is that? It's cute too." Jen set Pikachu down and picked up Togepi. "I've studied about many types and species of Pokémon, but I've never seen this type before at all."

"Ash gave him to me."

"No he didn't," Brock corrected. "Togepi _chose_ you."

"Well, yeah, but Ash could've tried getting him back since he did win Togepi fair and square, but he didn't."

"I guess I figured since Togepi was so attached to you, that he'd be better off with you and you have all that motherly instinct stuff going on."

"Not to mention that you would've gotten a tre_men_dous headache if you would've tried to get Togepi back," Brock whispered quickly.

"You said it."

Misty rounded on the two. "What'd you two say about me?!"

"S-so Jen-san," Brock began, "what do you do?"

"I'm interested in many things, but I'm most interested in Pokémon sciences. I want to become a researcher of them and am most interested in the physiology and biology of Pokémon. Think of how much you learn just by studying their biology and how much we can help sick Pokémon by creating better medicines for them or understanding how their bodies function!"

She sighed.

"Too bad my entire family are law officials and because of this, I've been trained in different martial arts techniques since I was about two years old. Learning new moves and techniques always came easy to me and I never confuse them. I started learning Kung Fu alongside the others because my family felt it would be good to learn something more "foreign". Aikido is the most recent art I'm studying.

"It's like because of my family's name, I'm supposed to train to become an officer or some other branch that helps to enforce the law, but I'm the black sheep of my family. I'm practically changing tradition.

"I was actually supposed to have studied with a wise Pokémon Researcher by the name of Professor Oak. He resides in a small town on the mainland, but my family wouldn't allow me to attend any of his seminars or lectures, but I do it anyway. He is allowing me to study under him online.

"He told me that he prefers doing such things in person, but since I was so passionate about it, he's allowing me to learn from him in this way. After I'm done, I can test to become a certified Pokémon scientist and work my way up by interning to gather experience.

"The only ones who actually know about this are Joya-chan, her sister, and Laura-chan. If my parents find out about this, they'd disown me as their daughter and complain about bringing shame to our family's name for breaking such a tradition going back so many generations."

"You should pursue your dream and be whatever you want to be without anyone standing in your way," Misty replied sympathetically. "At least Joya-san here actually _wants_ to become a nurse because she chooses to."

"Actually, to be completely honest, I don't _really_ want to settle on being a nurse, but I am highly interested in Pokémon medical treatments. I want to become a doctor of not only humans but Pokémon too. It's just like Jen-chan, family influence. The females in my family usually go into nursing because we're women and my family believes that women aren't capable of being doctors. 'Women should only be nurses', my father said when I told him of my dream of becoming an actual doctor. I have such an old-fashioned family. I'm studying to become a doctor at Kage Island University.

"The only ones who actually understand my dream of my family, is my older sister, the one you met earlier. She's also helping me study for the big exam given next year for those wanting to become certified Pokémon doctors. I still have a lot of extra studying to do to specialize in human medicine, but I can become a nurse practitioner.

"Right now, working at the Pokémon Center is like an internship and part of my training, which covers breeding, healing, diagnosing, and differentiating between Pokémon injuries and side effects from battle. I'm going to continue studying hard! Even if I can't become a doctor of humans, and remain on a nursing level, I'm truly determined to become a Pokémon doctor!"

"Sounds like you guys have very complicated families," Todd said.

"You know, Jen-san," Ash started, "I know Professor Oak. He gave me Pikachu. I'm from *Masara Town."

"Wait, so did you learn about Lunar Beam from him?"

"Yeah, he was the one who randomly mentioned it to me."

"You _know_ Professor Oak personally?" Jen asked.

"Yeah, he's been a friend of my family for as far back as I can remember, especially after my father went on his…_jour_ney," Ash forced out. Misty looked over at the boy sadly, realizing how difficult it had to have been to, well, lie. "I also grew up with his grandson."

"That's awesome! Hey, since you guys are new here, why don't you sightsee for a while? I don't have any classes today since the university is in the spring holiday, and I don't have any forced police academy training with my cousin today, or any language lessons, and Professor Oak cancelled his lessons until after the Pokémon League. I still have to do my training," she looked over at Kenji, "but I'm sure that I can skip the sessions for a couple of nights."

"Sure, we wouldn't mind joining you!" Kenji spoke up a bit too enthusiastically. Realizing that his voice had come out louder than he'd meant for it to, he quieted down, his face going red once again.

Jen giggled. "Well, I guess you guys are hanging with us."

"Jen-chan, where's Laura-san?"

"Oh yeah, she went to pick up her younger cousin. She's going to be staying here with us for a while, but for tonight anyway, Laura-chan won't be."

"Why?"

"She has to work the late shift at the hospital, so instead of coming all the way here, she's going to stay at her boyfriend's place since it's closer."

"She was supposed to have tonight free, too. I guess it was sudden her having to work if she's leaving her cousin here. She is only a Nurse's Aide, but her job is very important. Is the cousin she's bringing the cute one with that pink blobby Pokémon? They're kind of rare around here."

"Yeah, the one with the Ditto. Maybe when she gets here, she'll get along pretty well with," she motioned to Ash, Misty, and Todd, "them. They're about her age, so they would probably have a lot in common."

"Jen-chan, that's a great idea!"

"Wait, what is?"

"It's been so long since we've had a full house!" She turned to the others. "Takeshi-san, Kenji-san, how would you and your friends like staying here for the night instead of going to a hotel or the Pokémon Center?"

"Wait, is that really okay?" asked Brock.

"Y-yeah, we wouldn't want to intrude," Kenji added on, his demeanor back to normal.

"It'll be no problem at all," Joya insisted.

"We have the extra space since two of our roommates will be away tonight."

"Two?"

"Yeah, your sister is staying at a friend's place tonight."

"Wait…why?"

"Um…I'll tell you about it later, but it's for the same reason as Laura-chan. I went by the center looking for you, but she was so busy, she could only tell me that you'd gone home. Didn't even mention that you had company…but yeah, same situation as Laura-chan." She mouthed out quickly to the girl, "There was another attack, a big one this time…"

'Oh no! If both of them have to deal with it, then some Pokémon must were hurt and I guess sis will have to help out at the hospital as well as the center since the hospital has been understaffed lately.'

"Let's wait around for Laura-chan. I was going to head back out, but since we have guests, let's hold out on that."

"Sure. Guys, please help yourselves to anything."

Curious, Ash asked if they had any gaming systems.

"Jen-chan has all of that stuff. I've never been good at video games. Anyway, I'll go prepare us some tea," Joya offered while exiting the room.

"I can help too!" Brock called, following behind her. After finding out more regarding her aspirations, Brock was even more interested in speaking with her and learning more about her.

The group engaged in conversation more, which included a calmer Kenji, talking with Jen about what she'd studied and learned from Professor Oak, and Joya and Brock brought in tea for everyone. This continued on until they heard a voice call out, "I'm back!"

The owner of the voice walked towards the living room area. "Hey, is anyone else here? I saw a lot of shoes at the door." She peaked in, noticing Ash and his friends, and retracted her question. "Oh, never mind then," she said with a small laugh.

"Welcome home, Laura-san," Joya greeted.

"I'm sorry I can't stay long. I took a quick break just to pick up my cousin in the shipping yard. I have to get back to work."

"Where is she?"

"She's putting her coat away."

"So, why do you have to work so late?" Jen asked, wanting to make sure the information she'd received earlier was correct.

"You know, another attack," she whispered to the two younger girls with a tired sigh. "Your sister and I have a lot of work to do, and once she's done at the center, she's going to help out at the hospital."

"I should be helping!" Joya insisted.

"No no, don't worry about it. You've been working and studying hard lately. Enjoy your break. You don't have anymore classes until…late April, right?"

"Yeah, but-"

"Then enjoy it. Leave everything to your sister and me! To be honest, you _and_ Jen deserve a rest, especially Jen with all the stuff she's doing and studying, especially all those languages both of you are trying to learn."

"It'll help when dealing with foreign visitors with Pokémon," Joya explained.

"Yeah, and it'll help me when speaking with other scientists about their research and so I can read more than just Japanese scientific journals."

"That is true," the woman nodded.

Right at that moment, a girl much younger than that of Laura, Jen, and Joya entered the room. "Hi," she greeted, her smile beaming.

Ash, Misty, and Brock stared at the girl in surprise.

"Hey guys, what's up?"  
>x x x x<p>

Author's Notes

Note 1: In the last fic, it was obvious that Todd had a bit of a crush on Misty. Todd also sacrificed himself twice for her sake. Once when facing Team Rocket, who were about to kill her, and again when going up against Mewtwo. Mewtwo used an attack and Todd pushed Misty out of the way getting hit in the process. He actually did admit to Ash that he did like her a bit, but backed off when seeing what was going on between the trainer and Misty.

For this fic, it's almost like Todd _may _still have some feelings for her, hence why, so far, he's written to comment on the mushiness between Ash and Misty, yet defend them, or why he's quick to want to help Misty. It's like an unconscious response and more so instinctive to want to help her or cheer her up.  
>x x x<br>Note 2: Yamabuki city is the original name for Saffron city.  
>x x x<br>Note 3: Kino Makoto and Daté Seiji. If you don't know, I am a fan of both Sailor Moon and Yoroiden Samurai Troopers aka Ronin Warriors outside of Japan. As a matter of fact, Yoroiden Samurai Troopers is my all-time favorite anime series period. Anyway, the information I used for both is actually canon. Seiji, who was my favorite Trooper, is from the Miyagi prefecture and from Sendai city. Makoto (Jupiter) is from Tokyo, the Minato ward. She was a resident of Azabujuuban (which is an awesome place to visit). Sendai too. lol

In one of my older fics, a Sailor Moon one that's been on hiatus for _years_, Jen is a character in that story, but it takes place with her about three or four years younger. Her character grew up in Tokyo, until being forced to move to Kage Island.  
>x x x<p>

Note 4: Masara Town is Pallet Town's original name from the Kanto region. Ironically, in Japan, there is an actual place called "Palette Town" in Odaiba, Tokyo, Japan. It's a large shopping and entertainment district, though which consists of the famous Zepp Tokyo music venue and the famous Venus Fort mall. It also has a big Ferris Wheel.  
>x x x<p>

Fic Chapter Changes

If you manage to find the original, one thing that's being cut back on a lot is Todd's coming across as liking Misty consciously. There are less of those, "I'll…I mean, we'll protect you…" type of moments.

I actually decided to add in a location of the penitentiary Giovanni was sent to.

Something I forgot to do originally, was have at least one of the group wonder if Mewtwo's actions had anything to do with the Psychic Pokémon issue going on.

Just like with Brock, I cut back on Kenji acting lovesick and goofy over Jen.

The discussion that Todd and Ash had was more simplistic and short. Todd mentioned that they were too young to know what "love" truly was, which was added in, and that prompted Ash to think about it himself, something else that wasn't originally here.

Had Joya explain that she not only wanted to study Pokémon medicine, but human medicine as well and that she would like to become a professional dealing with both, but would settle on nursing for humans and being a doctor for Pokémon. Originally, I had her mention this later when Brock complimented her when helping one of the others with their injury and how she should practice in human medicine as well.

Mentioned more about language study and gave a reason why they were studying so much. Originally, I didn't even infer that the two girls were possibly multilingual.

This wasn't a fourth wall joke by RP (sort of), but was actually incorporated into the story. The scene was random, though. After Joya mentioned that they could do whatever they wanted, Ash asked if they had an N64 with Pokémon Stadium or Pokémon Snap. Todd went on about receiving royalties for that game and the girls made the connection. Pikachu randomly brought up wanting to buy a new ketchup dispenser and then Ash was wondering how he could afford such things, as Ash didn't give him money. Pikachu shared his secret and tossed Ash a Gameboy Color cartridge. Pokémon Yellow "Special Pikachu Edition". RP then got involved "crying" over how the game was sold out, but was looking forward to buying Pokémon Stadium that upcoming March.

I decided to cut out Todd's reaction to Laura's cousin. It felt forced anyway, just like with Kenji and Brock earlier.


	9. Laura's Cousin

Hello again everyone. I hope you liked the previous chapter. As you can see, we've met with the other main character of this story, Jen. Hope you like her, and the cousin that appeared will also join up with the group. Oh, and towards the end of this chapter, we'll see where Mewtwo has gone off to.

By the way, this chapter is actually shorter than it may look. There are a lot of notes at the end of this part. Sorry, about that.

Now, as always, I do not own anything dealing with the Pokémon franchise. Nintendo, 4Kids, Gamefreak, etc., have those rights, and here are the age reminders once again...

Ash/Laura's Cousin: 13  
>MistyTodd: 14  
>KenjiJen: 17 going on 18  
>Joya: 18<br>Brock: 19  
>Laura: 22<p>

Part 09: "Hey Ashie boy!" Meet Laura's Cousin

Last time, Mewtwo left suddenly, feeling the need to meditate. After Mewtwo departed, Joya invited everyone to her home, where Joya's roommate, Jen, came in, and grew defensive, but apologized for attacking. Kenji, though, seems to have fallen for her. The two girls' other roommate, Laura, has also returned with her younger cousin. Why are Ash, Misty, and Brock surprised, though?

Ash Title: Meet Laura's Cousin!  
><span>

Ash, Misty, and Brock were very surprised at the sight of the young girl. "_You're_ her cousin?!" all three asked.

Laura looked over at their guests. "You guys know her?"

They, along with Pikachu, nodded concurrently.

"Who is she?" asked Kenji.

The petite girl had light, thick aqua-marine-ish hair tied up in two long pigtails, with a large bang. She was wearing a close-fitting red sweater with a golden star on the front and baggy jeans. She smiled as she made her way over to Ash, Misty, and Brock, giving them hugs. "It's so great to see you all again!" she shrieked with joy.

"It's nice to see you again too," Ash commented after the shorter girl broke her embrace.

"How's it going?"

"I'm doing fine, Misty."

Brock stared at the girl intriguingly, as a thought came to mind. "How'd you get here?"

"Huh, what?"

"How did you get here?"

"Well, how did _you_ all get here?"

"Hey," Ash protested, "_he_ asked first!"

"I teleported here," she stated simply. 'Too bad the planes and ships aren't running, although, thinking about it, they never seemed to run all that much, which is why not many people visit here.'

"You have new Pokémon now?" Brock asked.

"Nope, it's the same as before." She turned to the tall, slim redhead. "Oh, Misty, I heard about what happened a good while back dealing with that Team Rocket leader and the trial surrounding him. I'm really sorry…"

"That's okay…at least he's being punished for his crimes."

"Trial?"

The watcher nodded to Laura. "The person she's referring to is the former leader of Team Rocket and the former Viridian City gym leader. He's carried out some horrific crimes, which included his killing Misty's parents and my Pokémon friend, Growlithe."

"Oh no," Jen gasped.

"That was _you_?" Joya exclaimed.

"It was big news!" Laura said.

Joya looked a bit uneasy, hoping not to offend the redhead in any way. "So, are you…an-an orphan?"

Misty's look was somber and dull, her voice growing quiet. "Not really. I have my three older sisters." She shed some tears.

Ash, instinctively, rushed to her side, and put an arm around her shoulder. "It's okay, Misty. You said it yourself, he's being punished for what he did to you, your sisters, and Kenji."

"Thanks," she told him.

"At the academy, it was mentioned to us about Team Rocket's exploitation of Pokémon and other crimes. After that stuff, we learned of the leader and former members' arrests. When did it happen, though? What he was on trial for…"

"It was ten years ago," Brock answered. "Misty's parents were killed by him and she was the only witness, but her memories of it were blocked until recently and facing him brought everything back."

"With that knowledge, along with other evidence, she helped to get him put away," Kenji finished.

"At least it's all over," Ash said, wanting to drop the subject, noticing Misty's distant look.

"I'm just glad your family is finally getting closure," Joya said.

"Yeah…"

"So-so guys, who are the other two here?" asked Laura's cousin, growing uncomfortable from the thick tension surrounding them. "Oh and what's that cute little egg-shaped Pokémon you're holding, Misty?" She then squealed. "Pikachu!" Pikachu jumped into her arms and hugged him. "Nice to see you again too."

"This is Togepi." She handed Togepi, to her,as Pikachu had hopped onto her right shoulder. She hugged Togepi. "Ash found him in the Grampa Mountains during that time when everyone was digging for Pokémon fossils. After Togepi hatched, he latched onto me and viewed me as his mother."

"I remember hearing about that. Many peopled claimed to have seen Prehistoric Pokémon, but Officer Jenny declared that it was a Jigglypuff's song that caused everyone to dream they'd seen them…like an illusion."

"I was almost eaten! That was _not_ an illusion!"

"It was Misty's idea to get Jigglypuff to sing to put the Aerodactyl to sleep that was carrying Ash, so that it wouldn't eat him."

"Too bad it put _us_ to sleep in the process," Misty muttered.

"It was about to bite my head off! My short life passed before my eyes that day!" He then smirked. "I couldn't imagine life without Misty!"

"Oh shut up," Misty laughed while playfully hitting him. "Stop sucking up."

Todd remained quiet and didn't even give a sarcastic remark to Ash's sappy line. He kept an eye on the petite girl.

"I wonder if anyone ever showed that photo Todd took of Aerodactyl to Officer Jenny. It was in the _Pokémon Times_."

She handed Togepi back to Misty and Pikachu hopped back over to Ash. "Poor Ashie Boy," she teased, "he almost got eaten up."

Ash groaned. "You called me that when we first met you that time too."

"How's your House of Imité, Duplica?" asked Misty.

"Ever since Team Rocket managed to get Ditto to do a full transformation, business has been _boom_ing!" she told them excitedly. "I'm on vacation and decided to visit my family here." She gestured towards the other two members of the group. "Who are these two again?"

"Oh, sorry about that," Brock apologized. "This is Kenji, a Pokémon Researcher/Watcher and Artist, and the one beside him is Toru – also known as Snap – the famous Pokémon Photographer."

"Pleased to meet you, Kenji, Snap. I've heard both of your names before." She thought for a moment. "Oh yeah, I have some paintings in my House of Imité. It has your signature, and yeah, nearly every issue of the _Pokémon Times_ has at least one of Snap's photos. I remember Snap's face now! I saw your photo in the _Pokémon Times _receiving an award for best photographer of the year. It's an honor to meet both of you!"

"Nice to meet you too, Duplica," Kenji greeted back politely.

Todd still remained quiet, unsure of what to say. Why was this girl affecting him in this way? It was completely strange. Maybe there was something wrong with her, he felt. Nothing else had made any sense since arriving on the island anyway, so maybe there was something off with her too. "Hello," he said in a somewhat squeaky, strangled voice.

"Is something wrong?"

He calmed down, but still remained suspicious and figured that he would expose her. He'd never felt such a strange apprehension towards anyone before. It was terribly strong. "No, no, I'm fine," he insisted while taking out his camera. "I heard that you have a Ditto. May I please take a photo of you and Ditto?" he asked coolly. 'Film never lies,' he argued with himself, trying to justify his current illogical, yet instinctive actions.

"Wow, it would be an honor to have such a skilled photographer take a photo of a Pokémon of mine!" She pulled out a Pokéball and tossed it. Out popped a pink, blobby, shapeless Pokémon, who chanted out, "Ditto".

"I could probably get a better shot if you held the Ditto."

"Okay." She held Ditto with her right arm, hugging it, while doing the "V" for victory pose with her left. "Is this okay?"

"Yeah, yeah, it's fine," he muttered quickly. He still wasn't entirely sure what he was doing or even why. He just really wanted to capture this girl on film. She had such a mysterious aura to her that he was nearly instantly drawn to.  
>x x x x<br>"Strange," Misty murmured in complexity.

"What's strange?" asked Ash in a lowered voice.

She lowered her voice as well before answering. "Since when does Todd take pictures of Pokémon that aren't out in the wild doing what they do naturally? Remember when we first met him? He didn't want to take a photo of Pikachu, unless he was unaware of it so that it didn't come across as staged or fake."

"I think you're overthinking it. Maybe it's rare for him to come across Ditto and just decided to use this chance. I know I've never come across Ditto in the wild."

Misty thought for a moment. Maybe Ash was right…

x x x x

"Alright, I got it," Todd said after taking a second shot.

Duplica put Ditto down and walked over to Todd. "Great, when can I see it?"

"_See_ it?"

"Yes, '_see_ it'."

"I guess whenever I get the chance to develop the film."

"Isn't that a digital camera you're using right now?"

Todd felt his face growing hot, and hoping that it wasn't going red as well, realizing Misty was right. "Hm, you know, seems something may be wrong with this. I'll check it out later," he said with a flustered laugh.

Everyone just stared at the photographer, curious over his peculiar actions. Todd diverted his attention to the floor, pretending to be checking his camera. He could feel everyone's eyes burrowing into him. His face was practically frying now. He couldn't take it and quickly excused himself to the washroom.

'What is wrong with me? Why did I take her picture? Why am I so interested in that girl?' He looked at the two photos he'd taken of Duplica. His cheeks started to grow warm and realized the photos he took revealed nothing. Just the girl giving off a radiant smile. 'No…I couldn't be…no no no. Could I possibly…like her? I can't like her, I just met her. I don't know a thing about her.'

He sighed in disgust. He felt pathetic, like a girl-crazed Brock, even though he hadn't acted in such a way since meeting Joya. He splashed some cool water on his hot face.

The boy stared in the mirror, his look a bit sullen.

'When I first met Misty, I grew to like her, but it wasn't meant to be. She rejected me, even though it wasn't direct. She didn't even know that I…kinda…liked her. When on my way to Viridian, I was going to try telling her about it, but I couldn't, especially since I saw she was really into Ash and that he was into her. I hate that feeling.

'At least when you're up in the mountains, you don't have to worry about that kind of stuff. I should go back to doing remote assignments, but because of what's recently happened, I've gotten used of being around people.

'I can't let myself fall for that girl. I don't want to deal with it.'

Seeing that his face was a normal color, he decided to finally face the others again, but grabbed a tissue before doing so.

When he arrived back into the room, they all gave him urging stares. Before anyone could ask anything, Todd faked a sneeze.

"I'm fine guys. I think I'm coming down with a slight cold because of the weather or either it's my allergies." He sneezed again.

"I never knew that you had allergies, Todd."

Todd glared at the boy. "Well, now you do."

"What about your camera?" asked Duplica.

"Oh, yeah, that. Well, the camera I used is new and I'm still trying to get the hang of it." He brought up the photo he'd taken, realizing if he didn't, he'd never give off the impression that he was okay. "Here it is."

"Ooo, look Ditto! Aren't we awesome!"

"Ditto!"

"Glad it's okay," he mumbled.

"No no, it's great. Could I get a copy of it? I could hang it up back home and let the entire world know that the famous Snap took our photo!"

"Y-yeah, s-sure," he got out, trying his best to look around her.

"Duplica, I'm really sorry I can't stay with you, but I'm glad you all know each other."

"Yeah, we invited them to stay the night," Jen explained.

"That's even better." The girl looked down at her wristwatch. "Oh no, look at the time. I have to go. My break is almost over. I'm really really sorry I can't stay with you and your friends, Duplica."

"It's okay, cuz. I have Snap and the others to hang out with and I know how you're needed at the hospital. I'll see you later."

"Thanks. Bye everyone."

With that, her boots on and her coat, scarf, and gloves pulled on tight, she left the house, a frosty chill blowing in as she opened and closed the front door.

After she left, Jen insisted on preparing them lunch, regardless of how they all protested on intruding. They were glad that they did take her up on the offer, as she was a good cook. "I learned how to cook from my friend, Mako-chan," she told them as she served them steamed rice and chicken curry.

While eating, Todd glanced over at Duplica a couple of times, who was talking most with Ash and Misty. Brock spent most of his time talking about Pokémon remedies for basic Pokémon illnesses and the type of foods he would prepare for them with Joya, who was joined by Jen and Kenji. Since Brock did offer to take Joya out, he suggested that the four of them go out together.

"But what about Ash and the others?" asked Kenji.

"They'll be fine," Brock insisted. "Besides, they can all hang together."

After talking with the younger members of the group, Duplica told them, "Go ahead. Snap and the others can keep me company. Besides," she grinned, "you guys are all too old." The two girls laughed at Duplica's playful nature and the others didn't object.

As the early evening approached them, Brock and the others headed out, leaving the four younger teens playing video games or any game in general in the game room Jen had.

"Yeah!" Duplica jumped up, dropping the controller. "I beat you again, Ashie Boy!" She started to do a victory dance.

"No fair!" Ash whined from his spot on the floor, his arms stubbornly crossed. "_I'm_ the one training to become a Pokémon Master! I should be able to beat you in *Pokémon Stadium every time!"

Duplica stopped dancing and winked. "I guess tha goes to show you, _Pokémon_ Master, that I'm better at this than you thought. You obviously underestimated my skill and talent. Looks like _some_body could use some more training, _eh_ Ashie Boy?"

"Hey, qu-quit calling me that!"

"Do you prefer, 'cutie'?"

"_Cu_tie?!" he groaned.

Misty held back a laugh, as she found Duplica's teasing amusing. She and Todd had been playing cards, but was pretty quiet. He was trying his best to avoid anything dealing with the performer, if he could help it.

As for Pikachu and Togepi, they were also playing games. Pikachu was playing Pokémon Red while Togepi was playing Pokémon Green.

":I'm trying to get as many electric types as I can, since I want to finish this cartridge with _all_ electric types, other than the starter.:"

":Cool Uncle Pika! I wanted to have as many psychic types as I can, and finish only with those!:"

":Only psychic types? You'll never finish with only Psychic Pokémon. It's difficult to finish any of these games with only one type.:"

":And a few normal and grass types.:"

Pikachu sweatdropped at the small egg Pokémon's ironic statement. ":I'll finish before you!:"

":I've been practicing!:"

":How far have you gotten since the last time you played? Are you finally at the Elite 4?:"

":Yeah! They're challenging!:"

":I have the link cable. Let's trade after you finish.:"

":Okay, Uncle Pika! We could also battle!:"

Ash and Duplica continued to play for about another hour or so, while Misty and Todd just talked. Being quiet wasn't helping anyway, as Misty hated it when he was quiet, as it made her suspicious. Either way, much to his relief, it did help keep his mind off of Duplica.

After a while, a large, rumbling sound was heard. Ash held his stomach in embarrassment

"Ash," Misty laughed, "we couldn't hear the game's music over your stomach."

"Oh, shutup," he retorted back playfully with a grin.

"Aw, wittle Ashie Boy is hungry…"

"Only one person can call me 'Ashie Boy', Duplica," Ash stated firmly with a slight frown.

"Who's that?"

"Well," his face went slightly red, and he started to scratch the back of his head bashfully, "m-my g-girlfriend." It still felt strange admitting that he actually had one.

"Your girlfriend, eh?"

"Yes, my _girl_friend."

"Great, when are you going to ask me out to make it official?" she mockingly, innocently asked with a mischievous grin. Ash fell over from the girl's persistence. 'I know I shouldn't be flirting with him like this, but it's just too much fun!'

"Wow, it's getting dark out," Misty noted while looking out the window. She turned back towards the others. "Maybe we should go out someplace and take advantage of this winter weather…like….ice skating."

Duplica clapped her hands. "That's a great idea and I know just the place!" She looked over at Todd, who had gone quiet again, focusing his attention on the cards he was shuffling. "Hey Camera Boy, what about you?"

Breaking away from his confused thoughts, he mumbled, "Yeah, sure."

"We'll have to change clothes, but I don't have anything," Misty said.

"Don't worry about that, Misty. Follow me."

After the two girls took off, Todd finally spoke up. "Jen-san said I could use her computer. I'm going to see what I can do about these photos I took earlier."

Before Ash could get a word out, Todd took off. "Well, it's just us now, Pikachu, Togepi. I wonder where we all should go for dinner." He sighed as he went to the window, the snow still serenely falling. He'd done a good job of distracting himself the entire evening with Duplica around, but now that he was alone, he was finding it difficult to put those thoughts he'd had earlier aside any longer.

":What's wrong daddy?:"

"Thinking about Mewtwo. It's been bothering me ever since he left, but now that it's dark…I'm worried. He wanted to go off and meditate and he said he'd return when done…but, seems he would've by now. He doesn't even know we're here…but I'm sure he'd manage to find us…"

A brooding look made its way to Pikachu's chubby face. ":I'm a little worried too, but maybe we shouldn't worry. I'm sure Mewtwo can take care of himself.:"

":Uncle Mew is in no danger, daddy.:"

"How do you know that, Togepi?"

":I don't know,:" Togepi chirped, ":I just do. I feel he's okay now.:"

":Maybe Togepi has some kind of a psychic connection with Mewtwo.:"

"Hm, let's see what Dexter has to say…"

Ash pulled out his Pokédex, which gave off a sharp pinging sound.

"Some Psychic Pokémon, especially young ones, can sense danger within other Psychic Pokémon. This occurs when one Psychic Pokémon has an actual close bond with a fellow Psychic Pokémon. Even though this is most common amongst Psychic Pokémon, this can also occur between Psychic Pokémon and other Pokémon types if the bond is strong. It is most common between an older Pokémon and a baby one or with Pokémon that are sensitive to Psychic types."

"We still don't know your type, but you've been around Mewtwo a lot. Maybe you two do share some kind of a mental bond. You grew attached to him right off the bat." Ash put Dexter away and glanced out the window once again. "Even after what you said, Togepi, I still feel we should go out and look for him. I can't shake this feeling." He sighed. 'Mewtwo, where _are_ you?'  
>x x x x<br>Meanwhile, in Joya's room…

"Duplica, are you sure this is a good idea? Joya-san lent me the clothes I'm wearing now, but I'd feel uncomfortable taking anything else without her actually giving me the permission to."

"It shouldn't be a problem. Joya-oneechan has lots of skating clothes. She doesn't look it, but she _loves_ clothes, but she does donate them a lot once she's outgrown them, but some of her older clothes are still here. I use them myself when here sometimes. The main types of clothes she keeps around are the winter ones and her old skating outfits. Before she started studying so much, she used to ice skate all the time." She opened up the girls large sliding closet door. "The only thing that's off-limits, are her skates, as she treasures those."

The smaller girl pulled out a trunk which was filled with old clothes.

"Hey, Duplica," Misty began, as Duplica went through the trunk, "what do you think about Todd?"

"He's okay…I guess," she answered hastily, her cheeks tinging, growing a slight shade of pink. "He's quiet, though."

"I saw that you tried talking with him. He's usually never that quiet."

She stood up. "You don't say?" Duplica tried her best to remain cool, but she had a slight quirk in her voice. "That boy…I don't know what his deal is. I almost feel as if he doesn't like me or something, like I did something to him or like I'm some kind of a disease! Even when flirting with Ash he didn't react! No laugh, no anything!" Her face went red, realizing what she'd said. "Um, I mean….um….not that I would care or-or anything. I just…um…"

Misty gave her a knowing smile. "I had a feeling there was more to the way you were acting earlier. So, you like him?"

She sighed in defeat. "Yeah, I think so, but I don't know why I would. I remember when I saw his photo in the _Pokémon Times_, I thought he was cute, but that doesn't mean anything. I do wish he'd talk to me though. I would like to get to know him. Every time I try, he acts like he wants to run away."

"Yeah, I noticed that too…but I don't think he hates you."

"If you say so, Misty. I don't think a guy like Todd would go for a girl like me, not even as a friend. He's been giving me the cold shoulder the entire time he's been here."

"I still think there's more to it, and I'm going to find out what that something is! How about we ditch the skating idea?"

"What do you mean?"

"How about a nice dinner out with dancing?" Her eyes grew starry. "It'll be _so_ romantic!"

'She's a hopeless romantic,' Duplica sweatdropped. "So…something fancy? Meaning we have to dress up and all that stuff?"

"Yeah!"

"I know Joya-oneechan has a lot of clothes, but nothing really fancy and if she did, I _would_ feel strange borrowing it."

"Guess that _would_ be a problem. Too bad you couldn't go home and pick up something there…and speaking of that, how _did_ you get here? I just realized you never answered when Brock asked earlier."

"Remember, I teleported."

"How often and how long have you been visiting here?"

"Ever since I was really young. I _do_ have family here."

"It's still a bit strange, given how unknown this place is. How _did_ you manage to teleport if you only have Ditto?"

"*Hi-mi-tsu," the girl winked.

"A secret! No fair!" Misty's whine sounded remarkably like Ash's.

Duplica laughed. "Don't worry, Misty. I'll share my secret with you." She pulled her Pokéball from her belt. "Come on out, Ditto!"

"Ditto!"

"Ditto, please transform into Kadabra." Ditto smiled and nodded. The blobby, pink gummy shape-shifting Pokémon was surrounded by a light, and in its place sat a Kadabra. "Hm, now please teleport Misty to the Cerulean City Gym and back. We've been to Cerulean before and we've seen the water show, so focus on that."

In a flash, both Misty and the transformed Kadabra had vanished…  
>x x x x<br>Meanwhile, in Cerulean…

Violet was walking tiredly down the hall towards the entrance of the gym, some papers in hand. It was the finances and bills for the month, so far, and she was going to balance the books and input the data. "Ugh, what a headache," she grumbled, making her way to the gym's office. "Man, today was a long one."

Misty and Kadabra arrived right in front of the gym's doors. Misty was amazed. "I'm…home?" she gaped. "I'm right in front of the gym." Kadabra nodded. "Wow, you're really well trained! Anyway, we should probably hurry back, okay?"

Violet had just made it to the glass front of the gym, when she saw something from the corner of her eye. A flash of red. She rushed to look out the door, but what she'd thought she'd seen was gone.

'I could've sworn I just saw Misty just now.' She shook her head. 'I must be working too hard. It's dark and my tired mind is, like, playing tricks on me,' she inwardly muttered as she continued on…  
>x x x x<br>"Wow, I can't believe I was back home! I was right in front of my sisters' gym!"

"So now you know my not so secret, secret. Since Ditto can do full transformations, he can use mimic. During one of my vacations, we traveled to Saffron City. While there, I visited the Pokémon center, and many people there were talking about the gym leader and how she specialized in psychic types. Many trainers there use psychic types. So, with Ditto, we were watching a Pokémon battle between two trainers at the Pokémon Center. One of the trainers had a Kadabra and used teleport. I never thought about psychic moves and it just furthered my determination to become a Ditto master!"

"Wow, he is perfect, isn't he?"

"Yeah. Using teleport makes it easier for us to travel around and return home really fast. The only downside is that he can't teleport to places he's never seen or been and after he does, he has to rest a while."

Misty looked at the Pokémon, who was resting by Joya's trunk. "That makes sense. I'm sure Ditto uses a lot of energy doing that move."

"So, about this fancy dinner thing you want to do, what'll Ash or Todd say about doing something like that?"

"Does it matter? _I_ want to go!"

'She's scary.'

"Duplica, is it okay to teleport to your House of Imité to find something to wear, and where can we go to eat around here that's fancy? Thinking about it, don't you usually need reservations for that kind of thing?"

"I have a place in mind and I can easily get us a table and-and stuff," she murmured, still unsure over such a thing and also feeling slightly embarrassed, as if she was revealing a secret she had no intention of sharing.

"Ooo, is it a French place? I just _love_ French things!"

"Yeah, I know a French place too, but what about Todd and Ash?"

"I'll tell them since I have to get Togepi anyway. Let Ditto rest up some more."

Misty left, and headed back downstairs to Jen's game room.

Once arriving, she saw Ash holding his head in frustration and groaning. "No way! Why can't I _beat_ Agatha of the Elite 4 for this game! Pokémon Stadium should be easy, but all of the trainers cheat! How can a move like *fissure knock out my Pidgeot while using fly!"

"Hey Ash."

He put down the controller and stood up. "Yeah, what's up?"

"Duplica and I changed our minds. We're going out to a restaurant for dinner and maybe dancing. Maybe at about 19:30 (7:30)."

"I notice how you like to turn everything into a date; the mushy romantic kind."

"And _what_ is wrong with that?"

Ash sweat dropped nervously. "Nothing, nothing, but that means that I'll have to dress up and maybe _pay_! You'll _never_ get a bike back at _this_ rate!"

She bonked him on the head for his cluelessness. "Stop being silly. Don't you have anything to wear?"

"I kind of doubt it…I came here to challenge the gym leader, not to go out on a fancy date."

"Really, Ash? You _really_ don't have anything semi-dressy in that huge backpack of yours knowing that we could possibly end up in a situation where we must dress formally?"

"Ugh, probably," he grumbled regrettably. He knew he wasn't getting out of this one.

"Good."

"But what about Todd?"

"Just tell him about it, and also mention that if he doesn't go," she smiled devilishly, "I'll knock him out."

Ash shuddered, yet found Misty's smile alluring. "Something seems different this time. You _really_ want to go out badly."

"I have my reasons."

"Okay, I'll go find him, but what's the reason?"

She winked playfully. "Hi-mi-tsu!"

Ash fell over, as the girl walked off. Pikachu and Togepi, who had been curious of Todd's whereabouts, having found him in Jen's room, bumped into Misty. She picked up Togepi, grabbed her and Duplica's shoes by the door, and headed back to Joya's room, where Duplica was preparing to leave.

"Hey, Pikachu, have you seen Todd?" The small electric Pokémon nodded and led the way to Jen's room. "Yo, Todd!"

Todd's eyes went wide as he heard Ash, minimizing the screen of the photo he'd been working on…or more so unconsciously admiring. The one he'd taken of Duplica. "W-wow, hey there Ash." He turned the chair to face the trainer and his partner. "What's going on?"

"Well, Misty and Duplica changed their minds and want to do a dinner thing, so we have to sorta dress up. Do you have anything to wear?"

"Ash," he gave him an incredulous, disbelieving look, "with the type of job _I _have, I rarely ever have the opportunity to dress up. I'm usually out in the mountains or exploring the forests or other areas dealing with Pokémon wildlife…although, I haven't had those types of assignments in a while," he added on as an afterthought.

"I guess that means we need to head out some place and find something. I told Misty I had something, but I actually, purposely, left it back home."

"So…Duplica's going?"

"Um, yeah…I said that earlier."

Todd returned his chair to the computer screen. "I'll…just…stay here."

"You don't want to do that," Ash warned direly.

He turned his chair to face them again. "And _why_ not? I doubt a shop with formal clothes would be open now anyway."

"We could at least _try_; besides, you don't want to get in the way of Misty's romance. This dinner thing was probably _her_ idea and she just talked Duplica into it. Anyway, she'll probably knock you out and drag you along if you don't."

"That sounds like the Misty I know," Todd gulped slightly. "I'll go."

"Okay, now let's go pick up some clothes to wear."

The photographer gave him a look. "You actually sound like you _want_ to go."

"No way! I've never been into all this fancy stuff, but Misty really likes it, so I can handle it sometimes…but my _real_ reason for going along with her on this is because of Mewtwo. I'm worried about him and want an excuse to look for him later."

"Yeah, that makes sense. Anyway, since this is a request of the great Misty," he stood, "I better find something decent to wear. I want to live long enough to actually _see_ more of the strange Pokémon of this island, like that Michu and Zugeng."

Ash laughed and clapped Todd on the back. "That's the spirit!"

"But where can we find clothes for a fancy dinner?"

"There has to be a shop around someplace."

"I guess I could check the phone directory or better yet, I could pull up a map of this area on the computer and run a search on clothing stores."

"Great idea, Todd! Let's try it!"

Todd went back to the computer, making sure that the window with Duplica remained minimized. He did a search for clothes shops and came across one similar to that of the winter gear shop. Its title, though simple and unimaginative, translated to "Clothes All Around". "Hey Ash, do you think you could go check out the address and number of this place?"

"Okay. Let's go, Pikachu. I'm sure I saw a phone book in the living room by the phone."

"Pi Pikachu!"

'Good.' Todd maximized the picture and sighed. He closed the file and disconnected his camera.

"I found the address," Ash announced, reentering the room.

"Good, good." Todd brought a map of the island up. For the starting point, he had it automatically detect their location. He typed in the address of the shop. "Hm, it's not too far from here. Maybe about a twenty-minute walk, but we still don't know if it's open and it'd be a waste of time going out in this weather just to find that it's closed."

"Well, here's the phone number."

"I'll use my phone."

"I thought the battery was dead."

He pointed to his side. "It's been plugged in for a while. I plugged it in when we first got here, before Jen-san showed up." Todd unplugged the phone and tossed it to Ash, who called. Todd was surprised over the conversation.

"Th-thank you, sir. We'll be there soon."

"I can't believe a clothing shop closes at 10:00…"

"Well, let's get going."

"Yeah, yeah," Todd mumbled dully, shutting down the computer. "Let's go."

With that, the two and Pikachu headed out to the clothing shop, Ash's mind still mostly on Mewtwo.

'Mewtwo, _please_ be okay…' Ash thought as they closed the door.

x x x x

Meanwhile, in a dark, well-hidden underground laboratory…

"I have come, sir," a certain, tall psychic-type Pokémon replied in a trance-like manner.

"I see we finally managed to get ahold of Mewtwo from that dumb kid," sneered a tall, slim man with dark hair and a distinguished accent. "He obviously tried to fight it off mentally, but we finally broke through. He's been the most difficult to get here. It took him hours to finally arrive."

A well-groomed older man looked on in approval. "It doesn't matter. He's here. I am very proud of your work, professor," he praised. "Now make sure that this Pokémon's brainwaves are cast out perfectly, as I'm interested in the boy that this Mewtwo was accompanying."

"I wonder how many other trainers will manage to get here…"

"Hopefully a lot more, even though only a few figured out the cryptic riddle. Either way, the inhabitants of this island are being attacked by their own Pokémon, and it's all because of me!" the well-groomed man bellowed. "This place has something that I truly want, and I plan on obtaining it by _any_ means necessary. This island is very profitable and it'll definitely get me back on my feet."

"But sir, why _did_ you want this one summoned? You were most determined to get this one. This Pokémon could be one of the most powerful to walk the face of this earth! I'm not certain if we can fully control him with the instructions you gave me for setting most everything up. You saw how long it took for him to arrive here. Mentally, he's extremely strong."

"I have _special_ plans for this Pokémon," he snarled while staring at Mewtwo, who remained obediently quiet. "This Pokémon's incredible psychic abilities will be an asset to us."

"How so?"

The short-haired, middle-aged man put up a hand, waving him off. "Patience, patience, Professor. I will explain everything in due time."

"Yes, sir." The professor looked up at the large monitor in front of him. "I see a Kadabra has just injured another native of this island. The Kadabra should be coming here pretty soon."

"_Very _nice," the man replied, a deranged ring in his voice. "Once I have all of the psychic types on my side, I'll seek out my revenge using them. The barrier will be _much_ stronger, and the stronger the barrier, the stronger, and more rare, the Pokémon I can obtain…"

Author's Notes

Note 1: So, all of the games they're playing….I was tempted to take them out, but decided to leave them in for nostalgia purposes. Also, I haven't played many later gen Pokémon games outside of the handheld ones. The only console games I've ever played have been Pokémon Stadium and Pokémon Stadium 2. As for actual handhelds, I've played or have owned…

Pokémon Red/Blue  
>Pokémon GoldSilver  
>Pokémon Yellow<br>Pokémon Trading Card Game (Gameboy Color game)  
>Pokémon Ruby (but didn't like it much)<br>Pokémon Heart Gold  
>Pokémon Black<br>Pokémon Black 2 (but couldn't get into it much, so I never finished it)  
>Pokémon X (surprisingly, I lost interest and never did finish it)<br>x x x  
>Note 2: Himitsu means "secret".<br>x x x  
>Note 3: Okay, this was actually true for me, and my best friend and I still talk about it to this day. We were playing the game and had Pidgeot use Fly. I forgot what we were battling, but it used Fissure and it <em>hit<em> and of course, moves like Fissure is a one hit knockout move. I will never forget that. The computer did seem to cheat in that game, but that was the worst! Funny enough, I still have a soft-spot for it.  
>x x x<p>

Fic Chapter Changes

At the beginning, after the narrator's (RP's) narration, Ash started to laugh. RP mentioned at the end of the recap that "Kenji fell for Jen", so Ash cracks jokes, causing Kenji to keep telling Ash to "announce the title". During the title, Ash was sniggering.

Oh, Laura and Jen's ages were changed. Originally, she was 17, but for this, I have that she'll soon be 18. Laura was originally 20, but I aged her up to 22.

I let Todd show Duplica the photo, unlike originally. Originally, I had him pull something off the camera, saying that it didn't work. I also added in his illogical thoughts over Duplica being a suspicious person and how taking her photo would show her true self.

Originally, I had Togepi playing Pokémon Blue, but changed it to Green. The original two games _are_ Red and Green, after all. Japan's Green became our Blue.

The part with Duplica and Misty trying on clothes….was originally longer, as they were talking about crushes. I had Misty admit that she'd had a crush on Brock, Kenji, Gary, and Todd at some point, but the crushes never lasted. She also pointed out that she'd felt that way time she met them, and with Ash, it didn't start off that way. Even when the very short crushes wore off, her liking would still drift back to Ash.

Cut out Todd working on Jen's computer, cropping out Ditto from the photo he took, while Pikachu and Togepi watched on, discussing Ash and Misty and how Pikachu realized when Misty seemed to fall for Ash, and Ash for Misty. Pikachu also pointed out that Todd at one point had a crush on Misty.

I cut out Todd printing Duplica's photo.


	10. Rocket Life

Hello again everyone. I hope you liked the previous chapter. This chapter is a bit shorter compared to the last one and none of the main group will be seen for it. Originally, the contents of this chapter were a part of the previous one, but I felt it would work better as a standalone chapter. So anyway, this chapter features the old Rocket members who will get involved and drawn to this island as well.

Now, as always, I do not own anything dealing with the Pokémon franchise. Nintendo, 4Kids, Gamefreak, etc., have those rights, and here are the age reminders once again...

Mondo: 19  
>Jessie: 22<br>James/Butch/Cassidy: 23

Part 10: "This life isn't so bad..." Life as a Free Rocket...

Last time, the identity of Laura's cousin was made, as it turned out to be Duplica and since meeting her, Todd's been acting extremely unusual and strange regarding her. Meanwhile, despite being reassured, Ash is very concerned over Mewtwo's whereabouts, and it seems that whatever is affecting Psychic Pokémon on this island, is definitely being used on Mewtwo, but for now, let's check in with the former Rockets and how their daily lives are going...

Ash Title: Life as a Free Rocket...

Cinnabar Island, known for its mysterious hidden fire gym, onsen (hot springs), and Fire Pokémon, is the ideal place to visit, as it's a great tourist spot and attraction with its many resorts. The weather was always perfect and warm, and those who resided there could always take in the wonderful atmosphere of the island and the visitors could enjoy the various activities or just relax at a Japanese Inn. This is where three former criminals now lived, enjoying the freedom from the hassles of being part of a crime organization…

It was late morning on the island of Cinnabar, round about the same time Ash and the others were shopping for clothes on Lost Kage Island.

"Hey, do you ever regret not being a Rocket member anymore?" a woman with long, dark-pinkish hair suddenly asked over a cup of tea. She was wearing a white halter-top and a dark, knee-length skirt.

Sitting across from her at the table, was a handsome man wearing a plain white t-shirt and khaki pants. His blue hair was shoulder-length and he was eating on a piece of toast. "No," he answered firmly. "I'm glad it's all over. I only joined the organization as a way to rebel against my parents' stuffy ways, and because of you. My parents _hated_ the fact that I wouldn't settle down and marry someone they felt was proper, and wanted me to become like those other snobby people," he continued bitterly. "Besides, I _like _my freedom. I like not having to answer to Giovanni _or_ my parents." He sipped down some of his milk tea. "You were in for an entirely different reason."

"Yeah, my family," she answered somberly. '*I was just following in my mother's footsteps, hoping to one day reunite with her...' She set her hot cup of green tea down and stared at the steam dancing from the cup. "It was also an easy way to make money."

"Well, yous two are doin' bettaa now," a sneaky, cat-like Pokémon drawled from beside Jessie. "And I'm making tons of cash now!"

"Yeah, our chain of fast-food restaurants seemed to become successful overnight," Jessie nodded in agreement while crossing her legs, "and _ev_eryone just _loves_ the motto."

"Not that!" The cat held out his paw, which was filled with bottle caps with a strange design on them. "I'm talking about my Pokémon League Badges!"

"You're making _fake_ badges?"

"Meowth," Jessie shouted, "we're trying to legitimately live an honest life!"

"At least _these_ badges are authentic!" Both former Rocket members stared at their feline companion with looks of disapproval. "I can't help it! Some habits are just tough to break." He crossed his arms stubbornly. "Besides, the competitions _are_ coming up and I wanted to earn some extra dough."

James ignored Meowth as he sat back in his chair, resting his arms behind his head. "You know, we're long overdue for a vacation. It's been a few months, now. According to the books that I've been balancing, we've made enough of a profit to consider opening up at another location outside of here on Cinnabar, the Seafoam Islands, and in Viridian. Maybe we could swing around Viridian to see how Butch, Cassidy, and *Mondo are doing while considering a new location."

"I didn't know you could manage business finances," Jessie said, impressed by her partner. "I thought you had a professional deal with that."

James leaned forward and rested his elbows on the table while resting his chin in the palm of his right hand. "Of course I know how to do all of that stuff. It's about the only useful thing my parents _did_ teach me. Anyway, the one we had was cheating me, so I fired him once I found out. I guess I forgot to mention it."

Meowth, at this point, had tears streaming down his furry face, blowing his seemingly absent nose into a handkerchief. "I never thought I'd live to see this day," he sniffled proudly.

"That we'd be out of Team Rocket?" asked Jessie. Meowth shook his head.

"That we'd be actual friends with Butch and Cassidy?" asked James.

"No, dat _you_ could actually use your brain!"

James punched Meowth, knocking him to the floor.

"Okay you two," James stood from his seat. "Let's to get packed and head out to Viridian to visit Butch and Cassidy. Maybe they can give some recommendations too."

"Viridian…" Jessie uttered softly. "I wonder how the twerps…erm...Ash and his friends are doing."

"I wonder sometimes too, especially after what happened with Giovanni." He snapped his fingers. "Hey, I have an idea! Since the Pokémon League competition is coming up, why don't we surprise him and cheer him on…while of course setting up a stand to sell our food."

'Wow, he has a business mind after all,' Jessie determined. "Where are the Kanto games this year?"

"I'm pretty sure it's at Indigo Plateau, like pretty much every year."

"When we get to Viridian, and meet up with those guys, we could just ask them since they're official gym leaders now." Jessie stood as well. "I'm really glad that you could afford to start up your chain of restaurants and it's still amazing how much of a profit we're making."

"Yeah, we've already made a year's worth in only a few months, and it's _our_ chain," he smiled to her. "You helped me too, and my parents didn't object to it, much to my surprise. They even told me that starting a business is a sign of 'maturity and responsibility'."

"Even though it was to open up a fast-food restaurant?"

"Well…I didn't tell them ex_act_ly what I was planning on using it for, but they were so happy, they gave me the startup money," he bashfully admitted. "As for my inheritance money, it was legally mine anyway, because I was over the age of 18, but I never thought about using it. It was all legalized, I just didn't claim it because it meant seeing and marrying," he shuddered, "*Rumika. At this point, though, there's nothing my parents can say or do about it and I think Rumika has finally left me alone."

Meowth, who had finally recovered from the hit to the head, climbed back onto the table. "And how much do you have now?"

"_That's_ none of your business, Meowth," James replied coolly.

"Meeeeeeeeowth, I just wanted to know what my cut is!"

"You ought to be grateful that we still take care of you," Jessie pointed out in her blunt way, even though her voice sounded unusually gentle. The three of them were brought together through such a circumstance, and she just couldn't imagine her life without either and did enjoy their company. "Besides, Meowth, you sell all of your stuff and you _never_ tell us how much you make."

"Meowth, I guess you're right," he timidly laughed.

"I'll go make the call so that we can leave for Viridian."

"How are we going to travel?" asked Meowth.

"I was thinking that we sail to Pallet Town and then from there, take a private bus to Viridian…or just catch a flight there instead."

With that, James left the room to make the arrangements.

"Now I _know_ I've seen everything. James is taking charge."

"Oh shut up Meowth. I like him this way. He has more confidence in himself and that's a good thing. Being out of Team Rocket has actually _helped_ him..."

"Gag me! All dis romance stuff is too mushy."

Jessie punched Meowth, sending him flying. "Don't interfere with romance! Oh, wait…*I'm starting to sound like that redheaded brat…I mean Misty…"

"Ow…." Meowth groaned after landing on the floor.

x x x x

The Viridian City Gym, late morning…

"Ah, Butch," a long-haired blonde woman wearing a short tight, black dress groaned tiredly as she entered the gym's office, "I'm taking a break." She slumped down behind her desk, lying her head on the desktop. This area was used for the gym leaders in between matches or when the leaders themselves needed things like a lunch break.

The dark, green-haired man wearing the blue jeans and black t-shirt looked up from his book about Pokémon exercises. "Okay, if you'd like, Cassidy, I'll take over for the afternoon battlers."

She picked up her head from off the desk and smiled gratefully. "_Thank_ you." She stretched. "I sometimes miss the benefits of being a Rocket member. It seems that everyone's trying to become the world's best Pokémon trainer. Being a gym leader is ex_haust_ing, but not only for us, but the Pokémon too ! Just think, we have to pay up every time a trainer wins."

"At least we don't lose _all_ of the time."

"Yeah, I guess so. We have about a 95% winning average." Cassidy stood and walked over to the vending machine located on the opposite side of the spacious office. "I wonder how Jessie and James are doing. We really haven't heard much from them since they opened up those restaurants. There's even one here in Viridian and the food isn't bad. The motto is a nice touch too." She laughed lightly as she picked out the beverage of her choice. "I guess you can't get rid of all of the Team Rocket in you once you've been a part of it for so long." She popped the top of the can and started guzzling it, returning to her seat.

Butch put down his book, a bit amused. "What was the motto for it again? I don't remember how it started."

"First it would go, 'Jessie!'"

"Yeah, and then it would go, 'James!'"

"Want a burger and fries without trouble?"

"If you're _really_ hungry, make it a double!"

"To protect the world from hunger and thirst!"

"Our food isn't bad, at least not the worst!"

"The J & J Restaurant, blasting for a bite!"

"We stay open all day, we stay open all night!" the two finished up together.

"Luckily for them, they're not getting sued." Butch replied plainly. "And speaking of Rocket matters, did you hear about Giovanni?"

"Yeah, I read it in the paper about his being moved out of Viridian to some mental place. I think he said he was being haunted. They weren't specific about which institution or its full location."

"Why do you think they're not being specific, anyway?"

"Well, Butch, it wouldn't surprise me that they're doing this as a way to keep him protected. We only know of a few things he did while running Team Rocket, who knows what other things he did with maybe other crime groups or maybe people he's burned or screwed over. I'm sure those people would find a way to go after him, especially if they realize that he's vulnerable right now."

"I know that redheaded girl would probably be first in line. If looks could kill, Giovanni would've died in the courtroom."

Cassidy tried her best to hold back a yawn. "Why don't we close up early today and just relax? These brats can wait another day to battle for the badge. I know that many are flocking here because it was closed for a while, but this is getting ridiculous."

"Yeah, why not, but I just hope nothing happens if we close up early."

"Like what?"

"Well, we _are_ pretty much under surveillance constantly since we're former Rocket members, even though the public doesn't know about it. We were given this semi-freedom for testifying against the boss."

"Ugh, if anyone does drop by, we'll tell it like it is. We were tired and we're not running off anyplace to go back to our old lives of crime."

"Alright, alright. I'm just being a bit paranoid. I'll go inform Mondo."

With the decision set, Butch and Cassidy, along with Mondo, closed up the gym, even though it was only nearing lunchtime…  
>x x x x<p>

Author's Notes

Note 1: This is also somewhat true. In the actual show, we found out that Jessie grew up as an orphan, but I don't think it ever got into why, so we have to go to the dramas. Her mother's name was Miyamoto (I know, just as strange as Musashi's name, given the puns behind them). Anyway, Musashi's mother disappeared (presumably killed) while in search of Mew in a snowy area.

She was a member of Team Rocket and a favorite of the former leader, Madame Boss (Giovanni's mother). This is why I have Jessie saying she joined because of her wanting to reunite with her mother.

Who knows how much has change over the years regarding Jessie's backstory, but back then, this was it.  
>x x x<br>Note 2: Mondo is a real character, for those not familiar with him. In the old Rocket dramas, he appeared. He was pretty much an assistant to Jessie, James, and Meowth, but younger than them. He was the one responsible for getting them their items and such, from what I remember. He also had a fondness for Meowth in general, which is why the balloon the Rockets used was Meowth shaped.

Mondo also had a crush on Musashi (Jessie) and has a Ditto.  
>x x x<br>Note 3: Rumika is Jessiebelle's original name.  
>x x x<br>Note 4: The part where Jessie said that she was sounding like Misty was an intentional bad joke. For the US dub of the show, Jessie and Misty shared the same voice actress, just as Brock and James (later) did. Ted Lewis (Tracey) voiced James in the beginning. I was told that for the dub now, they no longer have the same voice cast…so yeah, this is a dated joke.  
>x x x<p>

Fic Chapter Changes

I aged up the Rocket members. Originally, I had Jessie at 19 and the other three at 20 and Mondo at 16 (the age he was in the drama).


	11. A Night Out

Hello again everyone. I hope you liked the previous chapter. I'm planning to do that with other Rocket situations as well. There's another chapter coming up that I feel would work best if the Rocket stuff was separated as it feels shoehorned in, so next chapter expect it to focus on the former Rocket members again and some other cameo Kanto characters. How that part will be written is still undecided since I used script format for part of it since it has integrated fourth wall humor, but I'll manage it somehow. lol

Anywho, for this chapter, it's just as the title implies. Everyone is out for a casual night, to enjoy themselves and Brock and Kenji learn a bit more from the girls regarding the unusual peculiarities surrounding the island.

Now, as always, I do not own anything dealing with the Pokémon franchise. Nintendo, 4Kids, Gamefreak, etc., have those rights, and here are the age reminders once again...

Ash/Duplica: 13  
>MistyTodd: 14  
>KenjiJen: 17 going on 18  
>Joya: 18<br>Brock: 19

Part 11: "So that's what's going on..." A Wintry Spring Night Out on the Town...  
><span>

Last time, we found out what the former Rockets had been up to since being free, and all seem to be doing decently. We now rejoin Ash and the others, to see how their night will turn out.

Ash Title: A Wintry Spring Night Out on the Town...  
><span>

"This is amazing," Misty gasped. "We're standing right in front of the House of Imité!"

The two entered the empty building, Duplica leading the way to the back where she kept her costumes. The girl's collection, Misty noticed, had definitely grown over time.

"There's no need to visit my sisters when you have clothes for all occasions," Misty said while setting Togepi down.

"Yep, I sure do, and I can imitate _any_one!"

Duplica stepped behind a rack of clothes and came out dressed as her cousin, Laura. She went back again and came out dressed like Joya, in a doctor's uniform. She then changed again, only this time, dressed as Jen, only in a Pokémon scientist's uniform. She went behind the rack once again, only she came out looking like Todd. She even had a camera dangling around his neck. Togepi chirped gleefully at the show while Misty clapped enthusiastically.

"Those were all really good, even Todd's."

"Well, I _have_ been practicing more, and since I closed up for the week, I was planning on getting some more in while visiting my cousin."

Duplica went back behind the rack again, but emerged in her normal attire, while Misty began to look through the multitude of costumes and clothes, Togepi sticking close to by, due to the unfamiliar surroundings.

"Hey, Duplica, I really like this. May I try it on?"

"Sure, and if it fits okay, you can keep it if you like."

"Really?"

"Sure."

"Wow, thanks!"

Misty pulled out the satin, pink dress that had caught her eye. The long-sleeved dress looked like an evening gown, although at the waist, there was a looped bow. She hurried to try it on, and checked herself over in the mirror. It fit her like a glove, which showed off her more girlish figure perfectly.

"I feel like a princess!" Misty exclaimed as she twirled.

Duplica went back to the rack to find something for herself. It was rare that she even used this particular rack of clothes given the nature and fanciness of them. The only thing she could settle on actually wearing in public, was a silk, emerald-green evening gown. It had spaghetti straps and a matching jacket.

"That looks really nice, Duplica!"

She couldn't help but blush slightly, and mutter out a "Thanks".

"Oh, there are handbags too?" Misty picked up a white one that decently matched the carnation-pink dress.

"I forgot that the dresses on this rack have matching accessories, like shoes and handbags," Duplica commented awkwardly. Imitating a rich Pokémon owner for her show was one thing, but going out in public wearing such a thing was still a nerve-racking concept to the girl.

Next on the agenda were shoes, since wearing sneakers with such an outfit was definitely out. Duplica pointed to the shoes she had. For the casual style shoes, she did have them in many various sizes, but not so much with the formal ones. They were generally only in her size, but luckily for Misty, both wore the same size. It was pretty much the same situation with fancy clothes on the rack they were looking through. Most were her size, and despite the fact that the carnation dress fit Misty rather nicely, it was slightly shorter on the redhead than it would have been for her

"Oh wow!" Misty shrieked as a clear pair caught her eye. "Oh I hope those fit!" The girl kicked off her sneakers and stepped into the glass-like slippers. Her eyes grew starry, ecstatic that they did fit. "I'm _really_ a princess now!"

Duplica stepped into the green dress shoes that matched her dress. After looking herself over, she sighed. "Um, Misty, do you really want wear this stuff?"

"Why wouldn't we?"

She tried to think of an excuse. "Well, these dresses kind of drag a bit."

"These types of gowns are supposed to, right? When you walk, you're supposed to hold it up on the sides, like a-a-a debutante!"

"Erm…okay?" She sighed again. 'I should probably just give up…'

Next on Misty's agenda was hair and makeup. Makeup wasn't something she would often use, given how she traveled around, but decided to take advantage of it this time. Duplica, being a performer, was pretty accustomed to makeup, but not outside of it and realized that she had never used makeup unless it _was_ for a performance.

"Okay, now sit!" Misty instructed the slightly shorter girl. Duplica sat down and Misty untied her hair. It had grown quite a bit since the two had seen one another last. It actually came halfway down her back. After a moment of contemplating what to do, she curled the ends of the younger girl's hair into spirals and then combed it a bit to give her hair a bit of a wavy look. She then took some of her hair, and tied it back into a ponytail while the rest hung loosely down her back.

"How is it?" Misty asked with a triumphant smile while handing her a mirror. "Don't you look beautiful?"

Duplica's face was a bit red, as she wasn't sure how to respond. No one had ever complimented her on her looks before. She suddenly wondered what Todd would think if he saw her dressed in such a way…but soon shook the thought off, wondering why she should even care. "I-I guess so," she murmured shyly. One thing pretty much everyone who'd ever met Duplica knew, was that she was anything _but_ shy. Misty took note of it, but didn't pry. "What about your hair, Misty?"

"Oh, don't worry about me. Let's just make sure that you look very nice."

"That's really nice of you Misty, thanks."

After she was done with Duplica's hair and makeup, she went to her own. She untied her sideways ponytail and let it hang down. It had also grown over time as it was now slightly past her shoulders. She didn't really care as much if it was as exquisite as Duplica's, as she had her agenda set, and it was to make Duplica as charming and stunning as possible.

Misty picked up Togepi, who had been playing with Ditto the entire time, and looked down at her Starmie watch. "We better get going."

"Right," she nodded.

"Oh wait, I just realized…we don't have any jewelry. Do you?"

"Yeah, hold on a sec." Duplica left the room, and within a moment, returned with a small wooden box. "This has a lot of trinkets that I usually never wear for my performances since these are actually real and I just have no need for them."

She opened it and Misty glanced in it. "Du-Duplica!" she gaped, her jaw hanging. "Are-are those _real_ diamond earrings and a bracelet!"

Duplica picked up the dangly pair of earrings and the matching bracelet. "Yeah, I actually forgot I had these, and to be honest, I'm not sure if these are made from real diamond or not…but it does look like it. You can have them."

"B-but, I couldn't!"

"No, go ahead. I never use these and I have other trinkets here."

Misty trembled as she took the bracelet, taking off her watch. Before clasping it on, she asked again, "Are you sure?"

Duplica nodded and insisted while taking out a gold ring and bracelet for herself.

Misty clasped it around her slender wrist. She then put on the earrings.

":Mommy looks pretty!:"

"Thanks, Togepi," she hugged the small egg Pokémon, "but we should be thanking Duplica for being so kind and generous to share this with us." She looked herself over in the mirror once more. Even her sisters would grow a bit envious over the way she was currently dressed. "Duplica! I just realized something else!" Misty began with an embarrassed groan. "We didn't make any reservations at that restaurant you mentioned. Since we're supposed to be going to a fancy place, wouldn't you need to make a reservation?"

"Don't worry about it. My cousin and I know the owner of the place. He can get us set up with something easily."

"It wouldn't be intruding, would it?"

"No way. We can get in touch with him as soon as we get back." The girl turned to Ditto, who was resting comfortably on the floor. "Ditto, could you transform into Kadabra and teleport us back to my cousin's place? "

The pink blob nodded and transformed into the squinty-eyed Pokémon holding a single spoon.

"Since you know exactly where we're supposed to go this time, please teleport us back to the room of Joya-oneechan."

Ditto happily obliged and teleported them back to Lost Kage Island…

x x x x

Back at the house, while checking himself over in the washroom mirror, Todd, in a dark blue suit, was frustratingly trying to tie his bowtie, for what seemed to be the 100th time. "Is this okay, Ash?"

Ash rolled his eyes. "For the last time, it's fine. Stop worrying about it. It's just a tie."

"Sorry," he apologized, finally rearing himself away from the mirror and exiting the room. Ash and Pikachu walked out behind him. "I guess I'm just nervous."

"Why? We've all had dinner out before."

The two boys entered the living room, where Pikachu was lying on the couch watching television, wearing a suit similar to Ash's, which was navy blue along with a red bowtie.

Before answering, Todd plopped down onto the couch beside Pikachu. "Well, not usually this formal. I have before, but it's extremely rare that I do. I'm just worried about doing something wrong. By the sounds of it, this dinner is going to be fancy! You're not worried at all? Have _you_ ever been to a fancy dinner?"

Ash took a seat in the armchair. "Well, no, but how hard can it be? You order food and you eat it."

Todd lowered his head, realizing that Ash's apathetic optimism over the situation, wasn't going to help his composure any at all. "I just don't want to look like an idiot in front of Duplica. I wouldn't want her to think badly of me or something, not that I care or anything…"

"Why would you be worrying about that anyway, and no one actually said that you did."

"Well, it's that guy at the shop we went to…"

"Oh yeah! Wasn't it great how cheap we got these super expensive suits?!"

"That's not the point. He pointed us to the cheapest ones there when we arrived and wasn't paying attention to us at all. He was actually a bit condescending towards us, until he overheard us talking about us having dinner with Duplica. He then pulled us over to the tuxedos and expensive suits, recommended us these and knocked the price down so low, I was wondering if these were actually stolen and he wanted to get rid of the evidence."

"That _was_ kind of weird, but I'm not going to worry about it. These are really nice suits and as service, he gave us free shoes to go with them."

Todd gave Ash a look. "You never worry about _any_thing, do you?" he asked with a sweat drop.

"Not unless I have to, and speaking of that, you _do_ know that we'll have to act like perfect gentlemen, right?"

"What do you mean?" he asked fearfully.

"You know, escorting and all that silly romantic junk. I don't know _what_ Misty sees in that type of stuff." Ash gave off a short laugh. "I guess it's obvious I'm not really the romantic type, but I do try when I'm in the situation."

Pikachu couldn't help but laugh at his friend. ':So he goes out of his way to be klutzy on his dates.:'

"I hope we all have a good time. It should be more fun since Duplica's coming along. I'm looking forward to hearing more of her stories."

"Yeah, yeah, Duplica." Todd stood abruptly, his stomach incredibly nervous. "It's almost time to go." He rushed out of the room. He needed to calm his nerves. No matter how this was being spun, this was going to be a date he didn't sign up for.

"Boy he's acting strange."

":Yeah, but I don't think he's acting.:"

Ash laughed. "Leave poor Todd alone, Pikachu." The rodent calmed down, finally, while wiping away a tear from laughing himself. Ash looked at the wall clock, noticing the time. "I wonder where Misty and Duplica are. They're taking forever!"

":They're making themselves really pretty, Ash.:"

"They look fine just the way they are," Ash muttered exasperatingly. "I hate waiting around."

":You just don't get it…:"

"Get what?"

Pikachu sighed at his trainer and friend. ":Never mind…:"  
>x x x x<br>"Wow, we're finally back."

Duplica smiled and petted Ditto. "My Ditto is pretty amazing, eh?"

"Yeah! Thanks a lot, Ditto. We really appreciate it."

Duplica made her way over to Joya's bedside table and picked up the phone, trying to recall the number of the restaurant she'd mentioned earlier. After a brief moment, it came to her. She'd visited this place with family many times. When calling, she asked to speak to the owner. He was glad to hear that Duplica was visiting the island and that he would be glad to have her and her friends dine there. Duplica did apologize for the short notice, but he brushed it off. He said not to worry over such a thing and that she and her friends could use one of the private rooms and that it'd be ready by 8:00, guaranteed and that their meals would be free.

After hanging up, Duplica delivered the news to Misty. "That's great! How do you know the owner?"

"You know…family," she answered evasively. "We should probably head over there, right?"

"Y-Yeah…but I just remembered something else. Togepi, can you do mommy a favor?" Togepi nodded. " Could you please ask Pikachu to bring me my bag? It's probably too heavy for you."

The egg Pokémon "Prii'd" and waddled out of the room in search of "Uncle Pika".

"Misty, why didn't you just go down yourself?"

"I'm not finished dressing, and neither are you. We can't let the boys see us yet."

The girl scratched her head in confusion. She had no idea what Misty was going on about, but decided to follow her lead anyway.

About three minutes later, Pikachu entered the room, following behind Togepi, hauling Misty's red bag.

":You look very nice!:"

"Thanks, Pikachu. You look very handsome too and thanks Togepi, for getting Pikachu."

"Are Ash and Todd ready to go, Pikachu?"

Pikachu nodded, while leaving the room, Togepi tagging behind him. Misty fumbled around her bag. She tossed in her Starmie watch, when noting the time on it. "Wow, I didn't realize the time. With this weather, we _should_ leave. It's about 7:10 now. How long does it take to get there?"

"Too long on foot, thinking about it now. We should ride there."

"Riding a bike in these dresses?"

"No no, of course not. How about by…limousine?"

"A _li_mo! But how?"

"Don't worry about it. I have my ways."

The girl went back to the phone, while Misty went back to her bag. She tried to listen in on the conversation, but couldn't make out who she could've been speaking to. It didn't sound like a taxi company. It sounded more personal. When done, she informed her that everything was set and that their ride would 'be here soon'. Misty, once again questioned the girl over how she was able to do so, but she gave a vague answer and diverted the conversation back to Misty's bag.

"So what _are_ you looking for?"

"Oh, yeah…" She went back to it again. "Ah, here it is!" She pulled out a small, seashell-shaped bottle which held a light-blue liquid inside. "It's my perfume. Erica of the Celadon City Gym sent this to me. She always sends me samples of her latest creations. She usually sends it to my sisters and then they send it to me after I tell them where I am. I just picked it up myself this time before coming here. This fragrance is called, _Umi no Paradise_." She spritzed a little on her neck and wrist.

"That smells really nice."

"You should try some too." Duplica sprayed some on. It caused her to feel serene and mellow, like the calming crashing of the waves of the sea. "I'll always treasure this one."

"How come?"

"I'm sure my mother would've loved it. Since what happened with…Giovanni, a few of my more obscure memories are coming back to me, like this fragrance. Something about it just reminds me of her…"

Unsure of what to really say to her friend, Duplica managed to say, "It's really great that you remember your mother."

Coming back to reality, Misty inwardly smiled, realizing that Duplica was acting similar to Ash. "It's okay. Let's go meet up with the boys."

At those words, Duplica's stomach became slightly jumpy and full of Butterfree. She swallowed hard, trying to get over the current stage fright she was experiencing, like at her very first performance. "Yeah, let's go," she said resolutely. 'I can do this! It'll be just like I was back at home, performing.'

Their shoes in-hand, they exited the room...

x x x x

A slightly calmer Todd, had reemerged and waited in the living room with Ash. Pikachu and Togepi were sitting on the floor, playing with their Gameboy Colors to pass the time.

Suddenly, the two boys heard a car coming to a screeching halt, which caused the two to rush to the window in curiosity. They saw a long car and a man in a dark uniform exiting it.

"Is that a limousine?" asked Todd.

"Yeah, looks like it. Maybe that guy is at the wrong house or needs directions."

The tall, gruff man wearing the dark chauffeur's uniform made his way to the door, and rang the bell. Ash and Todd headed to the door, leaving the two Pokémon to their games.

"Hello there," the man greeted in English with a bow. "I am your driver for the evening."

Todd blinked in stupidity. "Driver for the evening?"

Right at that moment, the girls made their way to the front door, Togepi and Pikachu alongside them. Ash felt his brain go to mush as he stared at Misty, captivated by her beauty. Todd, on the other hand, was trying his best to ignore both girls, especially Duplica, but looked against his will anyway.

"You look really nice, Misty."

"Thanks Ash."

"You look really nice too, Duplica!"

Her cheeks went slightly pink. "Th-thanks."

Todd wondered what he should say, but it was like he'd momentarily lost his ability to speak. Duplica looked wonderful to him and it did make him even more curious about her shows for some reason. Both girls wondered if he was going to eventually say something, but he remained silent for a tad bit longer and managed to say, "We should get going. I'm sure everyone's hungry, and the snow's let up a little too."

Duplica looked a bit crestfallen, as she nodded, which Misty, and even Pikachu, noticed, while shaking their heads sadly at the sight.

The chauffeur remained by the door, waiting for the young teens as they put on their shoes and coats. Once done, the four exited the house behind the driver. Ash, remembering, put out his arm for Misty, who gladly accepted it. The boy gave Todd a quick look for him to do the same, but he refused and just walked alongside the petite girl instead. That was definitely pushing it, he felt, and was silently cursing himself for getting into this situation to begin with.

Once at the vehicle, they all hopped in. Ash, instinctively, sat beside Misty on one side, which, unfortunately, for Todd, left the opposite side free for both him and Duplica to sit. Pikachu and Togepi sat on the same side as Ash and Misty, chatting away energetically, as neither had ever been inside a limousine before.

During the ride, Duplica did try her best to converse with the photographer, but whenever she spoke to him directly, he would avoid eye contact, stare around the limo, or give short, quick responses. Whenever in a group conversation, Todd halfheartedly participated, but would soon clam up again. Ash at one point asked how Duplica managed to get them such a nice ride, but, like with Misty, she gave a vague answer and pointed out how the limo had soft drinks in the small fridge.

After a while, Duplica gave up trying to talk one-on-one with Todd, slightly disappointed, which suited Todd just fine, causing him to visibly relax. It meant less awkwardness for him. The girl felt bad, though, as she truly wished that he would talk to her as opposed to treating her like she was some kind of an incurable disease. It wasn't often she was in a situation where she could make a new friend.

After the ride, the chauffeur opened the door for them and the group exited the exquisite car.

"Here we are," Duplica announced, pointing to the building.

"*Imité no Kyuuden," Todd read.

The design of this restaurant was interesting to the other three, as it looked to have towers, like that of an old European-style castle or a French chateau. Even the walkway leading up to the restaurant's doors had a nice carpet, allowing one to feel like royalty.

"This place looks amazing! It's like I'm about to attend a royal ball!"

Ash concurred with Misty. "It's really fancy looking too."

"Pikachu!"

The group walked along the long walkway to the ancient-looking doors, where a medium-framed man stood, in uniform, despite the chilling wind. Ash figured that his uniform was a lot warmer than it looked.

The friendly looking man bowed and opened the door for them. "Right this way please."

After everyone had entered the restaurant, the man entered as well, escorting them. During their walk past other guests and those dining, some of the staff smiled to Duplica, who nervously nodded to them. The inside of this restaurant was pretty large and the décor of this place was similar to that of the bistro of the Pokémon Center, only there were crystal chandeliers hanging from the ceiling and there was a beautiful skylight.

Once reaching the back, the man led them to a row of private rooms, which all had a color name. He ended up escorting the group to the best of them. "Here we are, the Gold Room." This particular room looked like that of a court with an indoor fountain and a garden, which was really pretty during the day. This area was dimly lit, as it had a candle-lit golden chandelier. There was even a small stage area for performers.

Even though Ash had told Todd not to worry over something being too fancy, he couldn't really blame him now. He'd never been in such a place before and now even he was hoping he wouldn't screw something up.

In the middle of the room, sat a small, round table set for four and a smaller table set for two for both the Pokémon, which Duplica made sure to mention. On the tables, there weren't any cups; instead, there were crystal goblets, with a gold rim. The silverware was also golden. Practically everything in this room was either made of gold, was gold in color, or was gold mixed with some other color.

On each of the white and gold plates, was a cloth napkin folded into the shape of a bird Pokémon that neither Ash nor Misty recognized right off, although *it seemed familiar to Ash. He just couldn't recall where he thought he'd seen it before.

The man who had escorted them, pulled a chair out for Misty and one for Duplica. Ash took the seat beside Misty, leaving Todd to, unfortunately, sit beside Duplica. Pikachu and Togepi made themselves comfortable at the small Pokémon-sized table.

After the man left them, they started to fully take in their surroundings. "This place is beyond nice, Duplica. How did you ever…" Misty stopped shortly, coming to a realization. "Wait a minute, the name of this place…"

"It-it's a family restaurant," she explained shyly. "My cousin sometimes helps with managing it when she isn't busy at the hospital."

"Is that really all, though?" asked Ash. "I can understand the restaurant thing, but that doesn't explain the limo ride or the suits Todd and I got a discount on. How are you able to get so many perks?"

"Um, well," her voice grew incredibly quiet as her face went slightly pink. "Y-you see, my, um, uncle is the mayor of this town and has been for many years now. Everyone really likes him, which is why he hasn't been replaced."

"_Ma_yor?!" Ash and Misty exclaimed.

She put a hand behind her head and gave off a timid laugh. "Well, erm, yeah. My uncle is mayor and runs a lot of stuff here. I haven't talked to him in a while, though. I was planning on visiting him while here. The owner of this restaurant is very good friends with my uncle and the owner has also known me since I was really little. My uncle comes here a lot. He loves the food here. When I called earlier, the owner said not to worry and that everything would be on the house."

A waiter entered their room suddenly, and walked over to the table, pouring water into their crystal goblets. When finished, he then asked, "Y a il quelque chose que je peux faire pour vous, Mademoiselle Imité? (Is there anything I can do for you Miss Imité?)"

The girl replied back in French, much to everyone's surprise

Even though Todd was quiet, he couldn't help but feel impressed over this revelation. He also found it interesting how shy and humble she came across when talking about her family connections, but thought it was awesome how the girl could actually speak some French.

They ordered drinks, and went back to conversing, but Ash's mind started to wander again, still curious over Mewtwo's whereabouts…

x x x x

Meanwhile, at about the same time as the young teens were leaving for the restaurant, the older teens were exiting the Michu Movie Madness Cinaplex…

"I'm glad we all decided to go see a movie. It was such a good film," Brock commented forcibly.

"Yeah, really nice," Kenji added on, trying his best not to sound dull or uninterested. "I'm sure Joya-san and Jen-san enjoyed it as well."

"Yes, I'm sure they did."

Jen and Joya stared at the two, and then started to laugh. Kenji and Brock looked on in confusion.

"You guys _actually_ thought we enjoyed that dull movie?" Joya asked while holding her stomach in between laughs.

"You mean, you didn't?" asked Kenji in surprise.

"No way!" Jen got out, finally composing herself, as did Joya. "_Pokéanic_ is one boring movie. I thought that it was going to be _much_ more interesting than what they advertised for."

The doctor in training nodded. "Yeah, and that *Takuya guy isn't all that great either. I don't understand what all the girls see in him." She blushed slightly, while looking over at the squinty-eyed Pokémon Breeder. "I'd much rather spend time with Takeshi-san than with Takuya."

Jen – who was more outgoing than Joya – felt a bit of red creeping into her cheeks as well, which had nothing to do with the chilling winds, as she looked towards the Pokémon Artist. "I prefer Kenji-kun over Takuya too," she mumbled quietly.

Both boys stood there, in shock, blinking. No girl had ever said they were better than a famous, handsome actor.

After the sudden surprise, the girls started to walk off, the boys catching up to them.

"I was just wondering about something," Brock started, breaking the silence, "how _did_ that theater get such a name?"

"Well," Joya scratched the back of her head, as if trying to kill time, only to fail miserably, "it's a legendary Pokémon here."

"Michu are legendary?"

"Yeah," she continued. "It's not the only one; there are more of them, but Michu is pretty much the most well-known of them."

"Do they still exist, just only reside here?" asked Kenji intriguingly.

Joya shook her head. "No, they don't. They've been extinct for years. Some Pokémon Archeologists question if they ever existed at all, but some are stubborn enough to believe that they did at one point and that they all originated here."

"But how-"

"Hey guys, how about a bite to eat," Jen interrupted the artist before he could get another word out.

"Yeah, that would be nice," Kenji answered slowly, giving the girl a look.

"I'm hungry too, but I'm not really in the mood for all of that fancy stuff, so how about something casual, like a burger and fries?"

"Great idea, Joya-chan! It's nice and quick."

"What places are nearby, though?"

"Not to worry," Joya smiled, her cheeks rosy from the cold. "I have the perfect place in mind. Takeshi-san, Kenji-san, you don't mind burgers, do you?"

"No, it's okay," Brock answered.

"So, Joya-chan, what place were you thinking of?"

"What place would you expect me to want to go to?" she asked with a laugh.

"Oh yeah! The Imité Kage Burger Palace! It's the best place on the island."

"The Imité Kage Burger Palace?" both boys asked in unison, surprised over the name.

The two girls nodded. Joya slightly shivered. "It's so cold out tonight. I, for one, love the snow, but not at this time of the year. We should be picking flowers or enjoying time spent in the park, not having a snowball fight or going up to the mountains to ski or snowboard," she randomly complained.

Jen breathed out heavily, some steam escaping her mouth. "Yeah, but that's not unusual given who our mayor is. He's always liked winter weather."

Both Brock and Kenji could only stare on in confusion, but Brock decided to take the initiative. "What do you mean?"

"Oh, nothing," Jen answered sharply, avoiding the question and pointing ahead. "Hey, there's the place we were telling you about!"

Once again, they seemed to be evading the subject of practically all of the scientifically impossible occurrences, from the way they arrived onto the island to the bizarre, and sudden, weather change. 'What are they hiding,' Brock inwardly wondered as he and Kenji followed the girls into the burger joint.

The group settled down with their meals in the semi-full burger shop. "So," Brock began, chomping down into his burger, "you never _did_ explain how the weather changed so suddenly."

Kenji nodded while sipping his cola. Both he and Brock were sitting across from the girls. "Yeah, it's April and we're sitting here in coats and gloves. It was sunny and warm when we first arrived here, and getting here was even stranger."

Both the girls exchanged a look while Joya seemed to shift in her seat uneasily.

"Do you think we should come clean with them?" Jen asked her life-long friend.

Joya nodded slowly. "Yeah, I guess we should."

Both boys put their full attentions on the girls completely, quite intrigued.

"Well, this place is enchanted," Jen mumbled. "The weather all depends on our mayor."

"The weather is based on the mayor?" asked Kenji.

Jen nodded.

"How?" Brock queried.

"Well, if our mayor wants it to rain, it rains. If he wants snow, it snows. If he's really distressed, maybe it'll be really hot. It's cold and snowy now, and he's known for enjoying winter weather," Joya explained. "We don't know what happened, though. We all used to think that the enchantment thing was nothing but a myth, but for the past few days, that hasn't been the case."

"Yeah, a whole lot of strange and unusual things have been going on lately."

"I recall something about attacks," Kenji pointed out. "Is it connected to all that's been going on here?"

"I don't think there's an actual connection between the weather and the Psychic Pokémon situation. Psychic Pokémon have been attacking their trainers, but no one knows why."

"My sister and Laura-san have been working terribly this past week." Joya sighed as she stared down at her half-eaten meal. "Every time we look, someone is being brought in, people and Pokémon. They've been using the Pokémon Center's basement, which is closed off to the public, to hold any extra people whom have been injured or have become victim of these attacks."

"That's terrible. Brock, maybe we should go back and check up on Ash and the others."

Joya laughed slightly, causing Brock and Kenji to stare at her like she'd lost it. "There's no need to worry about either of them. They're probably the safest of us right now since *Imité-chan is with them."

"And Duplica knows about what's going on," Jen added. "She's probably our best asset. She's the only known person to be immune to these attacks."

"How?"

"Well, we don't know why exactly, but Laura-chan is still trying to figure it out. A few days ago, Duplica visited us, and was caught up in one of those attacks. The Kadabra that was about to attack her with a Psybeam or whatever it was, left her alone completely, like it couldn't bring itself to hurt her. Instead, it ignored her, and attacked those around her. We still don't understand it."

"I know you guys said there's probably no connection between this place being…enchanted," Kenji still couldn't wrap his mind around that, "and the strange Pokémon attacks, but could it actually be the case after all? Her uncle _is_ the mayor here."

"Could be," Joya sighed.

"Wait, if these attacks are so frequent, why are places actually open. Seems there'd be a curfew put in place," Kenji pointed out.

"We have precautionary measures in place that the residents know about. Don't approach any Pokémon you don't know and to avoid using psychic types in general, if it can be helped," Joya explained. "Kind of like a quarantine."

"Do you think there's a possibility that Psychic Pokémon can fight off whatever is making them attack?"

"I'm sure it's possible, but no one knows for sure."

Kenji thought for a moment, understanding what Brock was probably thinking. 'He's thinking about Mewtwo again. Maybe Mewtwo did sense what was wrong and left to keep himself from attacking us.'

After eating some of his fries, Brock turned to his friend. "Is it just me, or do our adventures become stranger or just end up in some strange predicament being around Ash?"

"Yeah, I'm glad we met Ash, but I wouldn't mind the less dangerous aspects of it. Either way, I wouldn't trade it for anything."

"Neither would I," Brock smiled, recalling his first meeting with his Pokémon-loving pal, and how he'd grown stronger over time.

Kenji finished his burger. "It's always an adventure, isn't it? The other trainers from Pallet never had encounters like this. According to Professor Oak, Ash and Gary were the only two that actually _quali_fied for the league."

"That's impressive. How many trainers were there?" asked Jen.

"Four," Brock answered, gulping down the rest of his drink.

"So, are you guys ready to go?" Jen asked, finishing up her lemonade.

The other three nodded and stood, exiting the family-owned fast-food restaurant, going back into the cold, wintry weather.

"We really appreciate your letting us stay with you," Brock told the girls as they walked.

"Yeah, are you certain that it's okay? Are you sure we aren't imposing?"

"No, of course not!" Jen answered while staring up at the moonlit sky with scattered snow clouds. "It's not often we have such nice company."

The group continued on, talking casually, the snow crunching beneath their feet on this snowy, spring night. They were walking down the alleyway Joya had used earlier, but once approaching it, they were blocked off by three slightly muscular men wearing dark clothes, who seemed to emerge from the shadows, holding weapons.

The first man was bald, with stubble all over his face and a scar above his left eye. He held a large knife and sneered. "Give us all of your money!" he demanded of them.

The second man held a pair of nun chucks, swinging them around threateningly. He wasn't as big as the bald guy, but he still had an athletic build. He also had a somewhat deranged look about him, which caused Joya to shudder at the sight of him. "Yeah, pay up now or you'll regret it," he threatened with a psychotic smile, his long, dark disheveled hair blowing in the icy wind.

The final man had his dark sleek hair tied back and was smaller than the bald guy, but slightly bigger than the second guy. He looked to be well-groomed compared to the other two. He was also quite handsome and looked to be a gentleman. He licked his lips and pulled out a small black object, which Jen recognized, this being the first time seeing one in person. A stun gun. "You guys better give us all that you have, and don't try anything stupid, like sending out your Pokémon to attack us."

Kenji and Brock instinctively stood in front of Jen and Joya, both extremely scared, but instincts drove them to protecting the two girls by any means necessary.

"Please, leave us alone," warned Kenji frightfully. "We-we don't want any trouble."

The third man scoffed at the attempt. "This weak-looking kid in the headband is actually trying to make a deal with us," he laughed, the other two joining in.

The man with the nunchucks grabbed Kenji's wrist hard, and pulled the Pokémon Artist towards him.

"Kenji!"

Not knowing what else to do, Kenji struggled to try and free himself of the bigger man's tight grip. He just stared at Kenji, a deranged, yet satisfying, look in his eye, which creeped the younger boy out.

"He's not all that strong," he chuckled as he let Kenji go, who was now massaging his wrist.

"Just leave us alone!" Kenji told them, growing more nerve and his voice slightly raised. "We don't want any trouble."

They all laughed again. "We're so scared," the handsome thug mocked.

The unbalanced thug with the nunchucks grew bored over the lack of cooperation and the disruptions, and kicked Kenji in the stomach. The boy doubled over, holding it in pain. Brock, who seemed to have been frozen on the spot, broke out of his trance and rushed to help his friend, but the bald thug pushed him back, causing Brock to fall back onto the snowy ground.

"No…stop," Kenji grunted with a cough, still holding his stomach, while the girls were pleading and shouting at the men.

"Shut up!" the deranged one ordered, kicking Kenji again, causing him to cower over more.

The big guy was still hovering over Brock, leaving him helpless. Kenji, seeing this, and the other two laughing at him, calling him weak, caused him to feel something he hadn't really…legit anger. He'd been upset before, like the situation dealing with Growlithe, but he showed more grief than anger at that time, but at the moment, he felt infuriated, especially with the girls around witnessing his character being disgraced.

He felt bothered enough to fight back as opposed to just walking away. Generally, he was pretty quiet and not very confrontational. It was rare for him to get into a conflict with anyone, given his shy nature at times. Reasoning was pretty much his strong suit if ever faced with conflict, which allowed him to walk away from them. This time, however, he didn't feel like walking away, despite fighting not being one of his strong points.

Putting his extreme pain aside, Kenji stood up shakily, looking down at the ground, his face a bit pale. The bald guy, at this point, had Brock pinned to the ground under his weight. Brock grunted, trying to break free, while the girls stared on curiously as to what the young artist was going to do.

Kenji looked towards the man with the nunchucks, and suddenly, and shakily, rushed towards him, his right fist bawled. He drew his arm back and punched him with all his might. Not expecting Kenji to even fight back, the man didn't even shield himself, and he landed a hit right in the man's jaw.

The bald guy let up on Brock, who was surprised to see the artist fight. The breeder stood as he couldn't believe what he was seeing. The thug's look was that of rage as he spat blood.

"You'll _pay_ for that!" The man began to swing his nun chucks, and hit Kenji in his side, who yelped at the sharp pain.

This pain was even more unbearable than the kick to the stomach. Kenji staggered, but before he could think of doing anything else, the third thug used the stun gun on him. The sensation from the shock caused the boy to pass out from the stress his body had endured.

Brock and Joya rushed to Kenji's side, trying to help him up, but Jen, on the other hand, was beyond angry. Angry tears spilled from her big brown eyes as she trembled. "I _rarely_ ever get the opportunity to have fun and it's rare that I get the chance to spend time with a really nice guy!" She stared at the three dangerously. "How _dare_ you attack us and hurt Kenji-kun!"

The men couldn't take her seriously. The bald man, with the knife, as well as the other two, didn't feel threatened at all, and just started to mock and ridicule her because of her small stature and passed her off as weak.

The long-haired deranged thug, whose eyes were twitching sharply, jumped up and down, quite hyper. He started to imitate Jen, using a girly voice, while crying over messing up her hair or chipping a nail.

Joya gasped while Brock frowned. Jen shook even more, getting into a fighting stance. "I am Daté Jen, and I will teach you three never to underestimate me or to hurt my friends!"

At this point, the girl saw nothing but red, and went after the "three stooges". Each tried to attack her, but the agile Jen dodged each and every one of them and the attacks they threw at her, which the third guy had ordered them to do. Within a flash, though, she managed to kick the stun gun out of the third thug's hand, which landed on the snowy ground with a slight crunch. She then punched the ground where it had landed, leaving a small impression. Too stunned to react, Jen delivered a roundhouse kick to the sleek-haired man's handsome face, causing him to fly back.

The other two looked on, unsure of what to do. Jen, based on her observation earlier, figured that the sleek-haired guy was the leader of this small band of idiots, and when in such a situation, it's always best to incapacitate the leader first.

Seeing his fallen comrade, the bald guy came at her, wielding his knife, but Jen moved, when he tried to stab her, and grabbed his hand, turning it a certain way, so that she could remove it from his hand. She then kicked the man hard in his stomach, also causing him to stagger back some. He came at her again, punching, but she moved swiftly out of the way, grabbed him, tossed him over her shoulder, like he was as light as a feather, and slammed him to the ground, knocking him out cold, his eyes swirling.

Jen was using so many different fighting techniques, neither Brock nor Joya could keep up. Brock assumed that given the defensive nature of the attack, that she'd used an Aikido technique to get the knife from her attacker and that the kicks she used seemed most common with those who practiced Karate, but with the toss, maybe someone who studied Judo would use.

Realizing he was the only one left, the deranged thug charged, swinging his nunchucks wildly. Jen tossed the knife aside, and dodged, gracefully flipping out of the way of the man's wild, unpredictable attacks. When she saw an opening, she kicked the chain in the middle, breaking it. This didn't stop the thug, though, as he started to try hitting her again with the wooden ends. Jen shrieked as tears continued spilling from her eyes as she ran head on into him, grabbing both of his wrists, and quickly taking the broken nunchuck away from him.

Despite being so small, this guy was definitely the strongest and the most unstable. He dove for the knife, and then went back after her, but just like with the bald guy, she dodged the knife thrust and managed to take it away. She then kicked the assailant hard in his stomach, causing him to fly back, hitting the wall with a deafening cracking sound, and sliding down next to the third, knocked-out thug.

All three men were now lain out and bruised and probably missing a few teeth. Jen stepped over the guys and rushed back over to Joya and Brock who were still sitting with the unconscious Kenji.

"Kenji!" the girl cried. "Kenji-kun, wake up! Please, wake up!"

"Kenji-san, please hang in there!"

"Joya-chan! Do you have your phone?! Call my cousin, tell her what happened!"

Joya nodded and dialed the police department, while Jen continued crying over Kenji. Stubborn over waiting, Jen stood up and checked one of the abandoned shops of this particular alleyway and broke in. She searched around and finally found what she'd been looking for. Some old rope. She exited and tied up the three thugs.

"Let's get Kenji-kun out of here!"

Brock nodded as he stood, picking up Kenji and resting an arm around his broad shoulder, while Jen put his other arm on her shoulder. Since the closest place was their home, they headed there.

x x x x

At about the time when Kenji and the others were attacked, Ash and the others were halfway through their meals…

"I rarely ever get to eat foreign foods, especially French foods!"

"I can't pronounce half of what I'm eating," Ash grumbled slightly, "but yeah, it _is_ good."

"Oh, it's so nice that they have an orchestra here. The music is so nice!" Misty's eyes turned to stars. "It's the fancy type!"

Ash groaned slightly in despair as he rolled his eyes, realizing what the girl probably wanted. "Would you like to dance, Misty?"

"Not with an attitude like that!"

"No, honest! I really don't mind," he insisted.

"Well, in that case, let's go!" she giggled while grabbing his hand.

The two stood. Ash gave Todd a look, wondering if he was going to offer to dance or do anything to acknowledge the presence of Duplica, but sighed and went off with Misty.

"I don't get what's wrong with Todd," Ash muttered as the two danced to the ballroom themed music. "It's like he hates Duplica or something."

"Yeah," Misty frowned. "Ouch, watch it, Ash!"

"Sorry," the boy murmured. He'd stepped on her foot. 'She knows I'm no good at this type of stuff…'

"Anyway," she continued, recovering from the slight pain, "I think Todd likes her in his own, strange way, and Duplica seems to like him too."

"So that's why Duplica's been acting kind of weird and so friendly with him, unlike _you_ who smacked me constantly." He grinned playfully. "It was an everyday occurrence for me. I woke up _every_ morning, awaiting a smack to the head."

With that, Misty lightly bonked him on the head. "Don't get smart. You know why I smacked you that time. I thought you were a deadbeat trainer with the condition Pikachu was in. Oh, and that other time…you sent in Caterpie to battle against Pidgeotto! You endangered his life!"

"Yeah yeah, I know…"

Misty glanced over at their two friends, who weren't speaking at all. Todd seemed to currently be captivated with his meal and Duplica looked miserable. "Do you think if they could actually talk that they'd make a cute couple?"

He shrugged. "I guess?"

"Will you please watch where you're stepping!"

"Sorry," he apologized again.

"Let's play matchmaker!" Misty nearly shrieked in excitement.

"But Misty, you know I'm not into that type of stuff. With Butterfree, that was different…but not something like this…"

"But Ash-"

"Can't we just let them do this on their own? If they _really_ like each other in the way that you say, then things will work out or whatever, and even if they don't, let them become friends on their own. You can't force people to become friends or hook up or whatever."

Misty blinked, realizing that Ash was right. "Yeah…I guess…"

Realizing he was on a role, he decided to keep it up. "Let's not worry about them and concentrate on us for now," he told her sappily.

Misty couldn't help but laugh, and leaned in, giving him a quick kiss on the cheek. He grinned goofily as he quickly kissed her back, hoping he wasn't seen as he felt it was strange to kiss in front of others or publicly.

Todd, right at that moment, noticed the kiss Ash had given Misty. It made him feel uncomfortable, although he didn't fully understand why it would have, aside from the fact that it made him realize that when it came to romance, it just wasn't worth bothering over…and that he seemed to have some type of liking towards Duplica and couldn't bring himself to do anything about it.

Duplica, who also noticed the couple, who were now hugging and in deep discussion over something, bit her tongue and turned to Todd. "Those two sure are a nice couple, eh?"

"Yeah, I guess…"

"You sure don't talk much Camera Boy," the girl pointed out, her voice more outgoing than what it had been earlier.

"What do you mean?" he asked dully.

"Well, you're just really quiet." Todd just sat there and didn't respond. Duplica's voice was still a bit gregarious, only she was incredibly nervous now. Why was she letting this boy get to her like this? She tried her best to rid herself of her Butterfree infested tummy. She swallowed hard, her eyes tight. Despite being like Ash in this regard, she decided to go through with it anyway. "So, how about we, um, dance for a bit?"

Todd wanted to say "no" more than anything, especially since he didn't know anything about waltzing, but knew that he'd come across as a jerk if he refused. He gave her an embarrassed smile. "Sure, but I don't really know how to dance."

The two stood, Todd feeling incredibly awkward and nervous with Duplica by his side. Pikachu and Togepi watched them take off, but continued talking together and eating the delicious food.

Todd and Duplica started to dance next to Ash – who was still stepping on the water's trainer's feet at times – and Misty who was determined to teach him how to dance properly, but Ash didn't seem to be concentrating on it, as he seemed to be discussing something quite serious with the girl that neither the photographer nor the performer could catch. They were too drowned in their own thoughts anyway.

Todd held Duplica, terrified, just as Duplica was, but he concentrated immensely so as not to mess up. He hated to admit it, but he was enjoying dancing with the girl. Duplica equally felt the same, realizing that there was something about him attracting her to him, even if she couldn't explain it.

After the slower music had ended, Ash requested that they play something more upbeat. He didn't mind doing dances, like say a bon dance or something more lively where you could be more free in your methods. The others agreed, even the romantic, Misty who did find casual dancing a lot more fun. Even Pikachu and Togepi got up and danced to the now lively music.

When done, the servers brought in dessert, which they all sat down to. During dessert, though, Ash discussed with them, what he had with Misty. Mewtwo, once again, and how he wanted to go out and search for him after leaving there. During the dance, Misty had sympathetically told him that they shouldn't and wait until morning, if he isn't back by then. Todd had agreed with Ash about searching for Mewtwo, but pretty much felt that given the weather conditions that night, that it would've been best to wait until there was more light out; especially, since they didn't know their way around. Misty also pointed out how they wouldn't even know where to begin and how "he could've gone up into the mountains".

Discouraged, Ash reluctantly agreed and after the meal, and thanking the owner, who came by to see them off, they headed back to Jen and Joya's place.

During the limo ride back, Todd had let his guard down and was acting more like his usual self, speaking with Duplica without any prompting needed from Ash or Misty. His nerves were a bit more calmer, and he was finally able to ask about her House of Imité and how she'd become interested in performing and wanting to become a Ditto Master.

After the ride, which didn't seem unbearably long since Todd's attitude wasn't so dull and depressing, the chauffeur exited the car, and opened the door for them to exit.

"Thank you."

"It was my pleasure, Miss Imité," the drier replied in English, with a bow and the tip of his cap.

With that, they all hurried their way into the large house, Duplica unlocking the door. "We're back!" she announced as they made their way towards the living room.

Once there, they found both Joya and Brock sitting on the couch, with distant looks on their faces and tea set for three, out. Pikachu entered the room as well, helping Togepi, who was just as tired, and as exhausted, as he was. Pikachu didn't even utter out a "Pika". He just left the room and went directly to the little beds that both he and Togepi had set up earlier.

"What's wrong?" Misty asked, noticing how thick the tension-filled atmosphere was.

At that moment, Jen entered the room, her eyes red and slightly puffy.

"What happened?" Ash asked in alarm.

The martial artist hiccupped before answering. "We-we were attacked by some guys, and-and Kenji-kun tried to protect us by fighting directly. They hit him hard and one of them shocked him with a stun gun. I know he's going to be all right, thanks to Joya-chan, but he's still unconscious."

"_What_?!"  
>x x x x<p>

Author's Notes

Note 1: Imité no Kyuuden simply translates to Imité Palace.  
>x x x<br>Note 2: Okay, so the part where the Pokémon seemed familiar to Ash was a small hint. This is the "Gold" room. Think back to episode 1 of the entire series or either think of Pokémon Gold. What's the legendary bird Pokémon for Gold?

*Jeopardy music plays*

Yup, Houou. lol  
>x x x<br>Note 3: So, if you recall, there was an episode based around the Hinamatsuri in the Kanto series, which was referred to as the "Princess Festival" for the dub and to my knowledge, is probably the most Japanese-based episode of the entire series. They even stated that it was "March 3" for the episode and mentioned the Hinamatsuri and the doll thing and how Kasumi had a bad set of dolls while her sisters had nicer ones. Anywho, Misty and Jessie participated in the festival events and one of the prizes was to hang with (or have a photo with) the famous Fiorello (or Theorello, I don't remember) Cappuccino, which was, I assumed, a joke based on Leonardo DiCaprio at the time…which it probably was. Titanic was released just a few years earlier and was a popular actor at the time and the girls found him cute.

For the original, his name was Takuya, and even before looking it up, I got the joke. He was probably based on the real-life singer and actor, Kimura Takuya, also known here in Japan as "Kimutaku" for short. He was a member of the band SMAP at the time and is still associated with it to this day. The group's been around since the late 80s and was popular throughout the 90s. The group is still well-known and even hosts a variety show that still airs to this day (been on for 19 years), despite the members all being in their 40s or so now.  
>x x x<br>Note 4: Duplica's original name is Imité which is short for "imitation". A lot of these side characters (well, from the Kanto series anyway) seemed to have puns for names based on their interests. Take Toru for example. His name can mean "to take". "Shashin o toru" would mean, "To take a photo".  
>x x x<p>

Fic Chapter Changes

In the narrator recap, RP said something along the lines of "Will Ash ever find out what happened to Mewtwo?" RP then said something along the lines of, "I know _I'm_ curious" and Ash argues with RP over how she should know what's going to happen because she's the writer. So yeah, once again, fourth wall humor.

Originally, the napkins were shaped as Articuno as opposed to Houou.

Originally, Duplica revealed her uncle was mayor to Misty after she made the reservation. I decided to put it off until later and have her reveal it to everyone.

I added in that the thugs were knocked out and that they called the police. Originally, the thugs, in pain, ran away in fear and then the others just took Kenji back. Being that Jen is training to become an officer, seems it would make sense that she'd be inclined to call the police, right?

Added in the boys curious over Mewtwo's whereabouts and had Ash talk about it again as well, voicing his concerns.


	12. Where are the Trainers?

Hello again everyone. I hope you liked the previous chapter. This chapter, once again, was originally part of another chapter, but felt that it would work better as a standalone. The Rockets are becoming curious over the league games and the whereabouts of them. Also, the mysterious man and the professor appear again.

Oh and I just thought I'd mention why I'm depicting our main former Rockets in the way that I am, but you can skip it if you'd like. Just go directly to the second note at the end of this chapter.

Now, as always, I do not own anything dealing with the Pokémon franchise. Nintendo, 4Kids, Gamefreak, etc., have those rights, and here are the age reminders once again...

Mondo: 19  
>Jessie: 22<br>James/Butch/Cassidy: 23

Part 12: "You need nine badges now?" The Empty Pokémon Stadium!

Last time, we left the Rockets, James and the gang were preparing to leave for Viridian City to visit the current gym leaders, Butch and Cassidy, and to get some advice on where they should open up another one of their fast-food chains.

Ash Title: The Empty Pokémon Stadium!

James entered the room to see Jessie and Meowth playing cards to pass the time. "Okay guys," he announced, "everything's set."

"That's good." The woman put down her handful of cards. "Are you ready to go, Meowth?"

He jumped up with a small suitcase tucked underneath his arm. "Meowth is ready to go!" he told them a bit too enthusiastically.

James cut Meowth a suspicious look. Even though, compared to Butch and Cassidy, they weren't scrutinized or constantly under surveillance, thanks to James' family influence, he, as well as Jessie, wanted to remain under the radar and not draw too much unwanted attention to themselves now that they were actually living comfortably. "You're not carrying around a bunch of those fake badges, are you?"

"Now James, you know me better den dat! I can't be_lieve_ you'd tink I'd stoop so low as to sell fake Pokémon League…" Jessie grabbed Meowth's suitcase. "…HEY!"

Jessie set down the medium-sized case, which made an unusual metal clanking sound. She opened it to see that it was filled with the bottle caps Meowth had earlier. "Meowth!" both shouted at him disappointingly.

"Fine, fine!" he grumbled, his furry arms crossed. "I won't sell 'em!"

James tossed the suitcase aside while Meowth stomped off. "Since it's such a nice day, I changed things up a bit. We will get to Viridian via Pallet. We will sail to Pallet and then get a helicopter from there, to Viridian, instead of using a bus. I figured that using our yacht would be better than waiting around." He smiled. "Besides, a bit of sailing is nice _and_ relaxing."

"Going by sea and air, should get us there before the day is out," Jessie calculated. "It's only about 14:00 (2:00) now."

"Let's go pack a few more things."

Jessie smiled as she stood. James' suggestion of packing a few more things seemed to be a good idea. This definitely meant she could lounge around in her swimsuit. "It's _so_ nice being semi-rich and it's even nicer that you managed to get your own private yacht out of your parents too."

"They were saving that for my 18th birthday too. They gave it to me when I told them I wanted to start up my own business." He gave off a melancholy sigh as he stared into Jessie's mystical eyes. "For once in my life, I'm actually happy, Jess! I mean, even in Team Rocket I was happy because I always had you and Meowth by my side, but with the way our lives are now, I'm_ really_ happy! I'm also glad that the modeling thing is working out for you so far. I know you'll excel at it!"

She hugged him tightly. "Naturally. I _am_ the gorgeous one," she laughed.

"Could you just promise me something?"

Curious over the tone change of his voice and the serious look on his face, she let go of him. "What?"

"Please don't ever overdo it. I've heard about models who starve themselves just to remain super thin. Please promise me you'll never do something that dangerous. You're a normal size and healthy and no matter what _any_one says, you'll always be pretty; no, _beau_tiful to me!"

This surprised Jessie some, given the serious nature of his words. It was rather sweet of him to show so much concern over her wellbeing. "I promise," she told him, as she stared into his bright green eyes. She then gave him a kiss, which he gladly gave into.

Holding two small suitcases, one with his badges – there was no way he was going to let Jessie and James stop him – and the other with who _knew_ what, Meowth stood, looking slightly disgusted. "Stop all dat mushy stuff and let's get goin'!"|

"Yeah, yeah," the two muttered, breaking their embrace.

The three hurried themselves along, packing a few more things, and then headed to the boating docks, hopping into James' luxurious yacht, making their way towards Pallet Town…

x x x x

Meanwhile, in Viridian…

"Hey, Mondo," Cassidy called to a young man with short, brown hair wearing a black t-shirt and black slacks. He was hanging out behind the gym, playing with some of the Pokémon.

"Yeah?" he asked while standing.

She walked up to him. "I feel a bit bad for closing down the entire gym at such an early time, so how about battling in place of me alongside Butch? You guys could do some double battles."

"Really?!" The boy's eyes actually grew starry, feeling rather honored to be entrusted with such a task. Cassidy nodded to him. "Wow, you bet!"

The blonde stretched as Butch made his way over to the two. "What's wrong anyway, Cassidy?"

"I'm just a bit tired."

"Cassidy," Butch began, his voice evident of worry, "how come you've been so tired anyway? It's been this way for at least three or four days now. Have you been sleeping okay?"

"Well, I have been a bit restless lately. Something's eating at me…like something isn't right."

"What do you mean?" asked Mondo.

"Worrying could also cause a lack of sleep, you know," Butch inferred, his neatly cut hair slightly blowing in the gentle spring breeze.

"I really don't know…it's just a feeling I'm having, especially with what happened recently regarding the upcoming Pokémon League games. Something's off about that."

"What are you talking about?" asked a perplexed Butch.

"Well, so far, hardly anyone's shown up at Indigo Plateau."

"Wait, what?"

"Butch, Cassidy, it's still early. The games don't officially start for about two more weeks."

"Mondo's right, Cassidy. It _is_ still early. You really shouldn't be worrying over something as trivial as that."

"But hardly anyone's there. It's a record low. No one has even called. Even the snobbiest and richest of trainers haven't even called to make special reservations yet. Only spectators and those who don't have to earn the gym badges have.

"Earlier this morning while you were training, Butch, and you were out here tending to the Pokémon, Mondo, I received a call from Mr. Goodshow. He was wondering if any trainers had passed through whom were qualified to participate in the league games. He was finding it odd that so few participants had registered."

"That _is_ strange, if it's enough of a concern for him to get involved. Maybe some of the other gym leaders know something about it. Maybe they've been having super winning streaks, preventing the trainers from getting their badges."

"Maybe, Butch, but who could we actually call?" Cassidy frowned. "Some of them aren't all that fond of us because of our history with Team Rocket. You should know that."

"I _do_ know, but it's still worth a try." Butch turned to Mondo. "Could you do us a favor and call the gym closest to here to see what they know about the league games or if they've just become so strong, trainers are losing to them?"

"Wait, which gym would that be?"

"The Pewter City one," Cassidy answered. "The narrow-eyed boy with the Rock Pokémon used to run it. I think his father runs it now, or maybe some other family member of his."

"You know, instead of just calling only the Pewter gym, try the other gym leaders too, if possible."

Mondo nodded and headed back into the gym, towards the phone room. He went to the video phone, but checked the phone directory with a list of gym leaders and other official Pokémon contacts. He dialed Pewter first.

The phone rang loudly. A middle-aged man with spiky brown hair, and tired, narrowed eyes grumbled out, "I'm coming", while rushing to the phone. After sitting down, he picked it up, Mondo appearing on his screen. "Hello, Pewter City Gym, *Munou speaking."

"Hello there, sir. My name is Mondo and I'm the Viridian City Gym assistant," the boy greeted back politely and courteously. "I was wondering if I could get some information about where the Kanto Pokémon League games are taking place this year."

Flint scratched his head. "Hm, thinking about it, Brock didn't tell me where he and his friend, Ash, were headed. Before leaving, he was busy helping out his brother *Jirou prepare to help out with battling here at the gym. Either way, my guess would be Indigo Plateau. That's where it's held every year, and always have."

"How about trainers? Have you had an abundance of trainers who lost at your gym?"

"No, it's about the same. Even though Jirou's just started taking on battles as our gym leader in training, our streak is still about the same."

"Thank you sir."

'It's strange. Mr. Goodshow called here asking similar questions. Said there weren't many registered trainers at Indigo Plateau. I should give Brock a call and see what he and Ash know.' The man cleared his throat. "I'm sorry I couldn't be of more help."

"It's no problem. Thanks again for your time."

"No problem."

After hanging up, Mondo passed along the message to Cassidy. She told him to try another gym, and he decided on Cinnibar. The phone was picked up and a man wearing a small pair of sunglasses, and a long, wavy-haired white wig answered.

"Hello, this is the Riddle Inn…er…I mean the Cinnabar Island Gym. This is Blaine speaking, what can I do for you?"

"Hello sir. My name is Mondo, and I'm the Viridian City Gym assistant. I was wondering if you knew anything about the upcoming Pokémon League games and where they're being held this year and about any of the trainers who've passed through and if they were qualified to join the league."

"The answer to the first part of your query is pretty simple, young fellow."

'Let's see, if I'm remembering correctly, this is the gym leader who asks riddles, and he won't allow anyone to battle him unless you can solve them. I hear some of his riddles are really challenging. Could that be the reason why not many trainers are at Indigo Plateau? Maybe because they can't solve the riddle, preventing them from battling and obtaining the Volcano Badge.'

"It is a plain with the color of turquoise."

"Excuse me?"

"It is the plain with the color of turquoise."

"Indigo Plateau?"

"That is correct. It's held there every year and as for trainers passing through…the number has decreased. Some trainers never get to battle because they can't solve my riddles. Some give up, but the really determined trainers do their bests to solve them."

"Thank you, sir, for the information."

"Glad to help."

After speaking with Blaine, Mondo tried the other Kanto gym leaders. Most were quite cooperative and even voiced concerns, as they had also received calls from Mr. Goodshow. However, Lieutenant Surge of the Vermillion City Gym, the wise old ninja, Koga of the Fuschia City Gym, and the mysterious psychic gym leader, Sabrina of the Saffron City Gym were a bit traverse with the boy, due to his Rocket history and had been openly hostile regarding Butch and Cassidy as well.

Even though neither seemed to want to associate with him, they put their ill-feelings aside enough to begrudgingly answer his questions. Their responses were hurried and fast, as they seemed to dislike the fact that "the likes of him" had called in the first place.

After calling the five other gyms, Mondo was wondering whether or not he should call the remaining one…Cerulean. In actuality, he hadn't planned to, since it was more of an aquarium with water shows than a serious gym for battling. The Pokémon League Gym committee was even currently considering whether or not to hand the gym leading responsibilities to someone else, as the trainers were winning the matches much too easily there.

Another reason he was hesitant, was because of the history the girls of the gym had with Team Rocket and how "the Boss" was responsible for the deaths of their parents. Even though it happened before he was even a member of the organization and how he'd had nothing to do with it, he still felt bad over it.

Heavily sighing, he dialed up the Cerulean gym. After a few moments, a young lady with shiny, wavy blonde hair appeared on the screen. "Hello, you have reached the Cerulean City Gym. This is Daisy speaking. What can I do for you?"

"Um, h-hello. My name is Mondo and I'm the Viridian City Gym assistant."

Daisy burrowed her face up into a frown. She, as well as Violet and Lily, had avoided dealing with the new Viridian City gym leaders and everything associated with it in general. Just like Sabrina, Koga, and Surge, the girls were also against having Rocket members running a gym, but also put their feelings aside for Misty's sake, who hadn't held any bad feelings towards the former Rockets. "They weren't responsible for mama and papa's deaths; Giovanni was. We shouldn't punish them for what their boss did," Daisy recalled Misty telling her and the others after Giovanni's conviction.

"Yeah….what can I do for you?" Daisy asked again, her voice slightly colder than when she'd first answered.

"Well, I was just wondering if you had any information regarding the Pokémon League games or where they're being held this year."

"Usually, they're held at Indigo Plateau, but for this year, the preliminaries are being held, supposedly, on Lost Kage Island, I think," she explained briskly. "My sister and her friends left for there about a day ago."

"Lost Kage Island?" Daisy nodded as she began twirling some of her hair with her index finger. "I may have heard of that place. Where is it?"

"It's an island east of Cerulean. Misty called when she first got there and said that finding it wasn't easy. They had to use a psychic-type Pokémon in order to get there." She noticed the confused look Mondo now wore. "I don't know everything, but the best person to talk to about it is Professor Oak of Pallet Town. He's the one who told them about the island in the first place.

"He also mentioned that there's a gym on the island and that for this year, the trainers need nine badges to qualify for the league and that the Kage Island Gym is the one to get. I could be wrong about the preliminaries, but that's definitely the place to check out if you're curious and also speaking to the Professor should help."

Mondo thanked Daisy over this new information, but before hanging up, he awkwardly apologized for all that his former boss had done to her family and how rough it must've been growing up without their parents. Daisy gave him a sympathetic smile and repeated Misty's words to him. She knew she shouldn't hold him responsible, as the redhead had been right, but she still couldn't help how she felt and did understand that they should blame the one who actually committed the crime, not those who had nothing to do with it knowingly, neither directly nor indirectly.

After hanging up, Mondo had become rather curious and decided to call up Professor Oak.

"Hi there," Professor Oak answered idly after appearing on the screen. He was sitting in front of his computer, profusely typing away.

"Hello there, Professor Oak. You might not know who I am, but-"

"You're the Viridian City Gym assistant, and your name is…Mondo, correct?"

"Yes sir, it is, but how did you-"

"Satoshi-kun told me all about you and everything that happened dealing with the Rocket Gang and the news about the organization being disbanded was in all the papers and shown on TV." He stopped typing and gave the boy his undivided attention. "So, why have you called me? I was just about to have a big lunch with a guest."

"I'm sorry. I won't be long. I was wondering about an island east of Cerulean by the name of Lost Kage Island."

"Yes, what about it? I have a student studying there."

"Well, we, and most of the other gyms, received calls from Mr. Goodshow wondering why there are so few trainers registering for the league games outside of those who go to those special private schools where they don't have to earn gym badges. Do you know where they're being held this year?"

"The Indigo Plateau, like every year."

"Are you sure? I was told that preliminary games are being held on Lost Kage Island."

"No, it's definitely being held at Indigo Plateau."

Mondo looked a bit exasperated. Was someone playing a cruel joke on him? "But one of the gym leaders of the Cerulean City Gym just told me that-"

"I'm afraid that she's mistaken," Professor Oak interrupted while going back to his computer.

"So, you still only need eight badges to qualify for the league? You don't need to challenge the gym on the island to qualify this year, like she said?"

"No, it's always been eight. I haven't the slightest idea as to why she would say something like that. Eight badges are all that's needed."

"Um, well…I'm sorry for disturbing you, sir. Thanks for your time," he told him, more confused than ever. He knew that the sisters weren't as serious as the other gym leaders, but why would even Daisy believe such a thing and then relay that information to him, and then give Professor Oak, a highly respected official, as a reference? It just didn't add up, especially since she'd mentioned Misty.

"You're very welcome, and it smells like our late lunch is nearly done!" He smiled gratefully. "No tofu today! Ash's mother is quite the cook."

With that, Professor Oak took off. Mondo hanged up and reported what he'd found out to Butch and Cassidy, who were sitting in their office.

"See, what did I tell you, Butch! Something is definitely wrong."

Butch stared at the blonde, apparently in thought over Mondo's news. He then slowly nodded. "You _may_ be right, Cassidy. I know those Cerulean girls don't take official gym responsibilities all that seriously, but the one Mondo spoke with named a place and Oak. It's weird. I couldn't even see them making that kind of a mistake, not with their own sister involved."

"Neither could I, honestly. I felt the same way after speaking to her and Professor Oak." Mondo looked to Cassidy. "There's no way around it; something is definitely going on, but what can we do about it?"

"I don't know, but for now I guess we should just wait a while." She stood up from her desk. "The gym is re-opened, so some people are bound to come in for a battle."

Mondo looked out the door, peering into the gym. "You're right. It's time to battle!"

x x x x

Back at the dark hidden, secluded lab, only earlier that morning…

The distinguished dark-haired professor was sitting at his giant-screened computer, typing. "Pure genius how no one suspects anything sir," he said with a smirk.

He rose from his seat and faced his mentor, who was seated in an old, rickety chair near him.

"I guess we can finally completely remove the Psychic Pokémon we have stationed at most of the gyms and the lab in Pallet casting hypnosis, restoring their memories of where the games actually are…Indigo Plateau. I recalled the one that was shadowing Mr. Goodshow and most of the other gym leaders. I still have to recall the one on Cinnabar and the one in Pallet.

"According to your instructions, I never had any stationed at the Viridian or Cerulean gyms."

"Good, just the way I wanted it," the man's voice echoed in the secluded lab. "Those airheaded girls were never a threat to begin with and as for those fools running the Viridian gym, even if they suspected anything, no one would actually believe them. Their histories go against them, as well as their credibility."

The professor looked down at a sheet he'd just printed off. He read over it skeptically and tossed it into a nearby wastebasket. "Sir, are you _certain_ that having all of the trainers thinking that a ninth badge is needed from the gym of this island is okay?"

"Are you questioning me?!" the middle-aged man's voice roared indignantly as he stood. He didn't wait for an answer. "Of course it's okay! I have been plotting this for years, but never fully knew how…until a few months ago. It's like it came to me in a dream. Lost Kage has just what I need…rare Pokémon, amongst other things." He sat back down, a bit more calm from his little outburst. "Now, go check on the status of the inhabitants."

The professor nodded as he brought up a screen. "Seems a Drowzee has just attacked its trainer in the town square."

"After I get all of the psychic types, they will be able to control all of the other Pokémon around, helping me out tremendously! I will _finally_ be able to get my revenge!"

Curious, the professor looked back to his mentor. "What will happen to all of the trainers and the inhabitants when they find out that all of this is an illusion brought on by hypnosis? I mean, yes, this island is real and so is this town, but what will happen afterwards? They've been believing that that the gym has been an official one for so many years and that the inconsistent weather conditions were due to the island being enchanted as well as how they even got here, thinking they used their Pokémon when in reality, they just stepped onto a transporter that had to be triggered by us."

"I don't care!" he snapped fiercely. The professor slightly gulped, as the last thing he wanted was to annoy his mentor. "The only ones I wanted to see get here were those who actually had strong, rare, or Psychic Pokémon anyway. It was nothing but a test to see if their Pokémon were worthy enough for my taking."

The professor could only shrug as he continued checking other parts of the town. He came across an Abra trying to attack a human using "Confusion", but it seemed to have confused itself in the process, and ran off.

Beside the computer the professor was using, stood Mewtwo, hooked up to a few machines, much to his dismay, as he couldn't break free of his confines.

"It's a good thing that the mayor of Lost Kage is a part of this, thanks to this Mewtwo's brainwaves." The mentor sneered at the currently helpless Pokémon. "You're helping us against your will, as well as the two subjects running the gym of this island and their two assistants currently. The hypnosis effect must be used to its fullest on them and your adding onto it is making it stronger."

"Yes, it is a good thing, I guess," the professor muttered while checking on Mewtwo's vitals.

In all honesty, he didn't understand why his mentor had such a strong interest in the mayor and the pair running the gym. Ever since reuniting with his mentor, he had said some pretty strange things about needing "containers" and how those three 'would be perfect'. Every night, he would come across the middle-aged man reading old, leather-bound books, muttering out some words he couldn't understand. He just brushed it off. He had faith in his mentor.

'I hope he knows what he's doing,' he inwardly sighed while pushing a few buttons on the machine…

x x x x

Author's Notes

Note 1: Munou is Brock's father, Flint's, original name. For the record, Mizuho is his mother's name, but I have no idea what her English name is, as I've never seen the special with her in English. Same with Jirou, the brother that's right under Brock who is trying to become a gym leader. I don't know the English names of the other siblings either. In Japanese, their names, along with Jirou's are interesting as each name represents a number.  
>x x x<br>Note 2: At the time this was originally written, I was a fan of Ono's Pokémon manga which was loosely based on the anime, but it only went up to the Orange Island events and ended after the Orange Island league stuff. The only thing I disliked about it, other than it not showing whether or not Ash x Misty ever get together, in the future, was how the women/girls were drawn for it, wearing skimpy outfits and such. In the beginning, everyone looked a bit too mature, especially Misty, but over time, even in the Japanese version, they toned down the style a lot for her to resemble a girl actually between the age of 10 - 12. In the beginning, she looked more like a 16-year-old and her outfit for the original when battling Ash in Cerulean…not very child-friendly, but Ash did notice and was distracted by it. For our release, they put her in a wetsuit, which makes more sense than that piece of string (I'm exaggerating, but not by much) she was wearing.

Anywho, Misty for this manga was 12 as opposed to 10, like she says in the anime. Kenji (Tracey) wasn't in the manga during the Orange Island stuff and neither was Brock (who did travel with them for a while, just like in the anime). Kenji didn't exist for the manga at all. Ash and Misty traveled alone during that time and the Ash x Misty hints were clearly there. Ash, in general, showed more attractiveness towards girls (as he did have a crush on Gary's older sister, May, much to Gary's chagrin) than his anime counterpart. It's just like in the ep with that Pokémon tech school. He was attracted to Giselle (wasn't that her name?) for it. In the beginning they were depicting him this way, but as the show went on, they changed it so that the only thing on his mind was Pokémon. Oh and in the ep with Erica in Celadon, he was fully aware of and did acknowledge that guys act goofy over girls and knew exactly why. In other words, he wasn't completely oblivious…like his character seems to be now.

Anyway, back to the Rockets. At the end of the manga, it showed that all three had gotten out of Team Rocket and even visited Pallet with a message for Ash's mom. You also see a really cute photo of them. James hugging on a clearly pregnant Jessie, wearing rings, and Meowth by their sides. This is what inspired me to write them in the way that I am. It's one of my favorite scenarios for them…their being out of the Rocket Gang and living happily and freely doing whatever.  
>x x x<p>

Fic Chapter Changes

Time for the first change, which actually deals with Blaine. When Mondo called to ask about where the league games were being held and in response, he gave Mondo a riddle. Originally, Mondo was like, "Excuse me?" and Misty pops in and answers the riddle. Blaine then praises her for guessing "Indigo Plateau". The others (Ash, Brock, Todd, Kenji) also show up and he gives another riddle, ignoring Mondo. lol So yeah, I dropped all of that.

I added in Daisy reacting to Mondo and Mondo apologizing for the actions of Giovanni and how she and her sisters were against the former Rockets running the gym as well.


	13. Truth

Hello again everyone. I hope you liked the last chapter. We now go back to Ash and the others where we learn a bit more about the island. Sorry, no professor and mentor this chapter. Just everyone awaiting Kenji's recovery, some discussion, and a late-night visit initiated by Duplica. You'll understand more later, and just like the other chapters, this one is actually shorter than it looks. There are a lot of notes and changes mentioned at the end.

Oh, one more thing. If you guys ask any questions, I usually answer them in a PM, so please check your ff. net PM inboxes.

Now, as always, I do not own anything dealing with the Pokémon franchise. Nintendo, 4Kids, Gamefreak, etc., have those rights, and here are the age reminders once again...

Ash/Duplica: 13  
>MistyTodd: 14  
>KenjiJen: 17 going on 18  
>Joya: 18<br>Brock: 19

Part 13: "This place is strange..." The Truth Behind Lost Kage Island!

Last time, we saw that Butch, Cassidy, and Mondo are curious about Lost Kage Island and the lack of trainer registrations for the upcoming Pokémon League competitions. As for Ash and the gang, they have just returned to Jen and Joya's place to find the three older teens distraught over their night out.

Ash Title: The Truth Behind Lost Kage Island!

"Kenji was hurt?" Misty asked in alarm.

"Someone actually tried to _rob_ you?" asked Todd in surprise.

Brock nodded sadly. The three, in turns, got into more detail over the incident, and also of how they called the police and left the thugs tied up in the alley. Misty couldn't help but clasp her hands over her mouth while Todd stared somberly from Brock to Joya to Jen, feeling sorry for them. Duplica felt sympathetic, as she sat down next to Jen, patting her on the shoulder.

"He was so brave; he tried to protect us," Jen sniffled. 'He-he tried to protect me…'

Ash, over this news, looked to be disappointed, and rounded on the former gym leader. "You couldn't do anything, Brock?"

"I tried, but like I said, the biggest of the three had me pinned down," he admitted bitterly in regret. "Besides, everything just happened so fast, and I didn't think that Kenji would literally try fighting either of them off. I've only known him for a short while, but from the time we've spent together, he strikes me as the type who'd reason or talk his way out of a situation, not physically fight."

"Yeah, Ash, he's right," Todd spoke up. "I haven't been around him as long as you all have, but he's always trying to calm others down, just like Brock at times. He doesn't strike me as a fighter either."

Joya nodded slowly, staring up at Ash, who was still standing, along with Todd and Misty. "I too got that impression of him. He didn't seem like the type who would purposely get into a conflict."

Jen stood, muttering incoherently, still steamed over what had recently happened. "If I could only get my hands on those three guys again," she shouted out in frustration, her fists firmly bawled. A warm, liquid began to lightly leak through her tightly clenched fists. Her nails were digging into the palms of her hand due to her anguish and anger, causing her to cut herself. Joya went to Jen to comfort her.

"We know what they look like, and Jen-san and the other officers made the arrest. She said so when we talked to her earlier," she told her gently, taking out a piece of cloth from her pocket and ripping it in two. She tied each cloth around each hand, to help stop the bleeding.

"My cousin is going to have to keep _me_ away from them!" Jen snapped, but soon sighed, calming down slightly, ignoring the stinging sensation she now felt in her hands. "At least he's okay and resting up. Thanks for helping him, Joya-chan."

She smiled. "You're welcome. He's resting because of his body being exhausted from that fight. Even though he did receive hits, they weren't fatal blows or even dangerous, thank goodness, but I would probably feel the same way if someone tried to fight and protect me. I know he tried to protect all of us, but it seemed as if Kenji-san was really fighting…for you."

Not caring that the others were around for this seemingly personal and private conversation, Jen said to her best friend, "I know this is going to sound strange," she felt the others staring at her curiously, her cheeks going a slight shade of magenta, "but I feel as if I _know_ Kenji-kun."

"What do you mean?" asked Todd.

"Well," she hesitated, trying to find the right words, "there's just something about Kenji-kun. It feels like-like we're connected somehow. I started getting that feeling after I apologized for slamming him earlier."

Misty went into theory mode, her eyes shining. "Ooo, maybe you two_ are_ connected! Maybe you met in a past life or maybe in a parallel life, or maybe a-"

"Misty, calm down," Ash interrupted. "You watch and read way too many things about fate and destiny and stuff."

"Hehe, maybe you're right."  
>x x x x<br>Meanwhile, back in Laura's room…

Kenji's eyes began to flutter as he managed to open his eyes, while giving off a small groan. 'Wh-where am I? What's going on?'

He looked over to his right to see a chair, which held his bag, clothes, and even his infamous red headband. He tried to take in his surroundings while trying to make sense of all that was going on.

'How did I get here?' He rubbed his head. He felt slightly woozy as he sat up, but doing so caused him to feel a slight pain in his side, which caused him to wince. Actually, most of his muscles were sore.

He looked down to see that he was in his pajamas. He lifted his pajama top and saw that he was wearing dressings on his side and his stomach. He managed to get out of the bed, wondering how he'd gotten into his pajamas in the first place and why he was feeling sore and weak, like he'd been exercising for days nonstop without any rest. He ran his hand through his now messy hair, trying to recall the past events which could've led him to this state, but it was still a bit hazy.

Noticing that there were a pair of slippers by the bed, he stepped into them and staggered out of the nicely organized room…  
>x x x x<br>"I hope Kenji wakes up soon," Ash said, now sitting. "I want to know for sure that he's okay."

"I hope so too," Duplica sighed, taking notice of Jen, who had gone quiet after her confession.

"The best thing for Kenji-san right now is rest," Joya pointed out seriously. "His body took quite a bit of trauma."

"Yeah, we understand," Brock said.

"What happened?" everyone heard a voice from behind them ask.

Everyone turned to see a boy in light blue pajamas. "Kenji!"

The boy walked a bit more into the room and stood beside the couch. "What's going on?"

Everyone stood, asking many questions at once. Jen's eyes started to water as she saw the boy standing before them. She was so grateful and relieved that he was okay. Jen rushed up to the boy, her emotions overtaking her, and gave the boy the biggest kiss he'd ever received in his life, too surprised to even react.

Kenji lost his balance, since Jen had practically jumped him, which caused him to fall over onto the couch, Jen on top of him in a very suggestive position. She stopped kissing him, and embraced him, crying and kissing his cheek and then back to his lips, but Kenji gave into the second kiss, realizing that this _had_ to have been a dream, but there were many thoughts going through his head, like how this all felt…familiar and natural.

The others sweat dropped nervously from the scene.

The young scientist finally broke her kiss, leaving Kenji dazed, completely forgetting that he'd been in slight pain earlier. He liked this type of medicine.

Jen blushed scarlet after realizing how this must have looked. Something like a kiss should've been done privately, but it was instinctive to kiss him and she didn't understand why fully. "K-Kenji-kun, I'm so sorry. I was just so glad to see that you were okay."

He gave off an embarrassed, awkward laugh, his face also red, realizing that he hadn't been dreaming and that he received that kiss in front of an audience. "W-well, um, th-thank you." Jen got off of him and extended her hand, helping him to sit up. "I was just curious over what was going on and what happened. The last thing I recall, were three guys trying to rob us in the alleyway and after that, everything went black." He had to get his mind off of the kiss, especially since he didn't know how to fully react to it.

"You were _awe_some!" Brock complimented, getting into a fighting stance and punching the air. "It was really cool!" He stopped, and went back to his more serious demeanor that he was most notable for. "You tried to go after one of them yourself. The big guy was dealing with me while the other two attacked you and unfortunately, they knocked you out."

"I don't know why I did that," he glanced over at the now quiet Jen. "I don't usually fight." His voice grew quiet. "I don't even know how."

Joya placed a hand on his shoulder, giving him a smile. "That's all right."

"I try to avoid physical fights..."

Something flashed into mind for Jen after Kenji's words, but it soon left it. 'What was that? It's great he's so mature…but why is all of this so familiar...like déjàvu?'

"You're very mature, Kenji-san. Fighting is never the answer, anyway, and should be only used in self-defense." Jen also nodded.

This helped him to feel a bit better, as everything came back to him full force. He was glad that neither of them thought ill of him, and they all sounded truthful and honest with their words.

After those kind words - the older teens sitting down - Kenji took notice of the younger teens' clothing. Brock and the others now had too, given that they no longer had to worry about Kenji.

"Hey, where did you four go?" asked Brock.

"You all look very nice," Kenji complimented.

"Where did you get those nice clothes?" asked Joya.

Ash sat down in between Brock and Kenji on the couch. "Duplica and Misty wanted a fancy dinner at a restaurant where you couldn't read or pronounce anything on the menu." He then whispered jokingly to the two, "You _know_ we couldn't say no, especially with Misty's type of persuasion."

"Romantic, right?" asked Brock.

"Of course," Ash sighed.

"Misty and I got our clothes from home."

"Where?" asked Ash, puzzled.

"The House of Imité, silly," Misty told him with a laugh.

"How?"

"Misty and I teleported there."

"With what?" asked Brock.

"My Ditto. Remember, he can do a perfect transformation now and can learn moves too. I had Ditto transform into Kadabra and use teleport. I got the idea after seeing some trainers battling in Saffron. I'd never had Ditto transform into a psychic type outside of my performances, so it makes getting around a lot easier."

"Oh yeah, that's right! Your Ditto is super amazing!" Ash complimented, recalling their first encounter.

After the explanation, Brock explained about all that was happening on the island.

"So _that's_ why it started snowing so suddenly, but that sounds a bit hard to believe," Ash said.

"Well, like we were saying," Jen continued, "this place seems to be connected to the mood of Mayor Imité."

"And Duplica's immune to these attacks?"

The smaller girl nodded to Misty. "That's why I've been visiting so much lately. I've been trying to help figure this out along with my cousin."

"Hey guys, it's getting a bit late," Brock told them. "Maybe we should all rest for now, especially Kenji."

"Yeah, and I still need to battle for that Shadow Badge!"

Jen's eyes went wide over the boy's words. "_No_body wins against the gym leader of the Kage Island Gym! It's impossible! I heard that you need rare Pokémon in order to even stand a chance!"

"That's what Joya-neesan said," Ash muttered, his arms stubbornly crossed. He wasn't in the mood to be dissuaded from even considering visiting the gym. Besides, he wanted to study the gym leader, not caring if he actually lost so that he could strategize later when heading back for a rematch.

"It'll still be difficult," Jen cautioned. "The rare Pokémon here are very difficult to capture, and the ones that have been spotted around here lately, seemed to have just popped up recently. I now wonder if the gym leader has some of those rare Pokémon given the winning streak the gym has."

"Well, that just means I have to catch those rare Pokémon somehow and train them."

"Hey, guys, is it okay if I go visit my uncle?" Duplica asked suddenly.

"But it's late."

"Jen-chan is right. It's a bit late for a girl your age to wander around by yourself."

"What if you guys run into robbers like we did?"

"I can take care of myself!" Duplica indignantly insisted. "Besides, I have Ditto with me!"

"No!" Jen told the younger girl firmly. "Your cousin wants us to keep a close eye on you while she's gone. We're responsible for you."

"Says who?!"

"Says us!" both girls told her.

Duplica cowered some in fear. "Aw man…"

"I could go along with her," Misty offered.

Jen sweat dropped. "You're not helping…"

"Well," Misty began timidly, "she wants to see her uncle and it seems that her family has a lot of influence here anyway."

"We could all go with her. You also mentioned that she's immune from being attacked by Psychic Pokémon," Ash added. 'I could ask her uncle about the attacks going on and maybe get a clue about Mewtwo…'

"Yeah," Todd chimed in enthusiastically. "We can go along with her to make sure nothing happens."

"But what about robbers!" Jen cried. "You saw what happened to Kenji-kun!"

"They'll be fine, I'm sure," Kenji spoke up confidently. "We weren't as prepared."

"They also have Misty with them," Brock grinned.

"Takeshi-san, do you really feel we should let them go?" asked Joya.

"Yeah, I'm with Kenji. I'm sure they'll be fine, and I'm also pretty sure that the way to her uncle's place isn't in a secluded alleyway, right?"

"True." Jen grimaced, but gave in. "Okay, you guys can go, but stick to the regular path. No shortcuts!"

"Thanks guys!" Duplica cheered. 'Uncle needs to know about what's happening. I really want to talk to him about Mewtwo.'

Duplica, and the others all bundled up, led the way, while Misty told the others to keep a close eye on Togepi and Ash told them to let Pikachu know where he'd gone if asked.

"I still don't like the fact that they're going," Jen frowned after the kids left.

Joya patted her on the back consolingly. "I'm feeling okay over it. She has three friends with her: two old ones and one new."

With that, Joya left to prepare some more tea, while Jen went to call her cousin to learn more about the three muggers. This left Kenji and Brock a short amount of time to talk.

"Hey, Brock, I have a question."

"Yeah?"

"Um…how did I get into my pajamas?"

The breeder suddenly took an interest in the window on the other side of the room. "The snow sure is nice, isn't it?"

"Brock!"

"Well, if you _must_ know," he lowered his voice, but it was so low, no one could practically hear him, "_it was jen-san and joya-san_…"

"I didn't catch that."

"Is it really that necessary or important to know?"

"Probably not, but with the way you're acting, I have this feeling I probably wouldn't want to know."

"That's because you guessed right."

"Well, I'm not going to let up on this. I'm curious. So someone dressed me?"

"Erm, well…yeah, you could say that…"

"Who was it?"

Brock's voice grew small again. "_jen-san, joya-san_…"

"I can't hear you again."

"Okay okay, the girls. They changed your clothes. Joya-san needed the help when wrapping you in those bandages."

"I had a feeling Jen-san was involved by your reaction. Given the background of Joya-san, it's not too surprising, but Jen-san…why her? It's embarrassing."

"Don't worry about it. It's not like anything happened. She was just really worried about you and was anxious to help Joya-san."

"Yeah, I guess," he murmured as he stared vacantly at the floor.

"Hey, are you alright? Seems like you have something else on your mind."

"Yeah, I do actually and it's been bothering me for a while. It's about Jen-san. I have this strange feeling I've never felt before."

"What kind of feeling?"

"First of all, do you believe in fate and destiny?"

"Yeah, to an extent. I believe that everyone we meet is fated to happen. If it hadn't have been for fate, I would've never become friends with Ash and Misty and I never would've met you and everyone else while journeying."

"With friendships I feel the same, but with Jen-san, I feel that we're connected somehow. Everything about her feels familiar, almost like we've met before. Even her surprise kiss felt…natural. There's something about her…I just can't put my finger on it. It's like we're meant to be together…like I've found my soulmate, but that doesn't make any sense and that's what's bugging me! I _just_ met her. How can I have these types of feelings after just a day? It's too unrealistic. This feeling is _so_ strong and powerful that I'd actually ignore my studies and everything else I'm working towards just to be with her!" He sighed. "Maybe there _is_ something wrong with me."

'Wow, he's dead serious,' Brock gaped. He cleared his throat. "That's ironic. She said something similar while you were out."

"Wait, really?!"

Brock nodded, a pondering look about his face. "It's weird, but pretty much everything you said mirrors almost everything she was saying, but it seems to have been bothering her too for the reason you mentioned. It's just too fast. Friendships, yeah…but romantic relationships…they're trickier."

"This is all too weird…"

"For now, let's not worry about it. I feel you should just talk to Jen-san about it, if you feel that strongly."

"Yeah, I just have to work up the nerve."

"So taking on a mugger is easier than talking with a girl you just met that you're completely into?"

Kenji laughed in spite of himself. "With the way things are right now, I think I would prefer facing the mugger again."

With that, both boys exited the room to help Joya in the kitchen…

x x x x

"I don't know why they were worrying so much. My uncle's place is so close…maybe about a ten-minute walk without the snow from my cousin's place. The office is near the town square, but his actual home is close. He stops in from time to time and we sometimes visit him."

"This walk is nice, especially since the snowfall has let up a bit," Misty shivered, "but I do wish it was a little warmer."

The group continued their walk towards Duplica's uncle's place, which didn't take much longer. "His place is up ahead!" Duplica announced, her crunching pace increasing.

A large mansion with a wall surrounding the premises began to come into view. "There it is!" she excitedly pointed out.

Once arriving at the gate, they saw that the security box was curiously empty, but there was an intercom and a pinpad device. The three other teens stared in awe as the Ditto Master in training pushed a few numbers on the keypad. The big iron-barred gate rolled back slowly, squeaking loudly. "Geez, I always tell unc to get that fixed."

After the gate fully opened, the others still amazed over the beauty of the grounds, which also had a big, majestic fountain out front that had a strange looking Pokémon statue spouting water, they entered. Duplica made sure to relock the gate after going through. She then rushed ahead of them ecstatically down the long walkway, but did wonder why there wasn't a guard by the gate.

"Duplica, are you sure it's okay to visit this late?"

"Oh Misty, of course it's okay. I _am_ one of his favorite nieces, Laura-nee being the other, kind of, although she's not by blood, like I am. She's adopted."

"Adopted?"

"Yeah, not sure if you noticed it, but she's not from around here. She's a foreigner…well not now, though. She's been here so long, she's practically a native."

"Wow, she's a foreigner?" Ash asked in surprise.

"Yeah, her full name is Laura Jenkins. Her family emigrated here from the west. My uncle used to take care of her when she was really young. She would visit all the time since she always had trouble at home. It was awful. Her father was a business man and her mother was a housewife. Both were heavy drinkers, according to her.

"It was very abusive there, but she would never tell anyone about it since she was threatened not to, as it would make the 'family look bad'. One day, though, it got _so_ bad, the police had to get involved and Laura-nee ended up in the hospital.

"They used to hit her. Whenever we saw her, we just thought she was clumsy. I was pretty young at the time, so I didn't fully grasp what was going on. When my uncle found out, he was the one to make the calls to have her parents dealt with." Even though the story was sad, Duplica smiled slightly with what she said next. "I always did enjoy her company and so did my uncle, so he took her in. He adopted her and she'd always called him 'Uncle Imité' before that time. He treats her like a daughter, though, since he's never had any children of his own.

"My uncle has always loved helping others, especially the helpless, like children. He actually donates to many charities to help children and sick Pokémon."

"Your uncle sounds like a real kind, generous guy."

"Oh, he is Todd! That's how I know he wouldn't mind if we visited at this hour." They finally reached the door and Duplica rang the bell, the sound echoing throughout the large home. "He's nice to everyone and if anyone here in town has a problem, they can all come here. At night, he keeps the gates closed, I guess for sleep and privacy, but if he's working from here during the day, he leaves them wide open." She rang the bell again. "I've never even seen him angry, unless he hears news of someone being mistreated."

About a minute passed before the door slowly creaked open. For Duplica, she was surprised to see that someone outside of a servant was even answering it.

"Uncle?"

"The person to answer was, indeed, Duplica's uncle, only he looked to be completely out of it and dazed. He was a stout man with slightly balding jet-black hair, wearing a pair of grey slacks and a white dress-shirt, like he'd just returned from work and hadn't fully changed yet. In his chubby hand, he held a club, swinging it threateningly at the young girl.

"Leave this place," the older man snarled, his voice raspy.

"U-uncle?"  
>x x x x<p>

Fic Chapter Changes

In the narrator recap, RP, once again, said something along the lines of, "I wonder what's going to happen" despite being the writer, only this time, Brock complained.

After Ash mentioned to the older boys how they couldn't say "no" to a fancy dinner because of Misty's persuasion, I had that Misty had overheard him and hit him over the head with Jessie's signature fan, which Ash pointed out.

I dropped the explanation regarding why Misty never hits Todd or Kenji. She pulls out a contract explaining it. After Ash got hit, both Kenji and Brock were in agreement and commented on Misty's temper, which the redhead overheard and hit Brock, but left Kenji alone and Brock wanted to know why.

Dating this fic again, I had Ash point out that maybe El Niño or La Niña was responsible for the unusual weather change.

I cut out RP annoying the characters (breaking the fourth wall) every time the character used a line that reminded RP of a song. For example, a part I cut out was Ash acting super romantic when Duplica was explaining about how Ditto could use teleport as she took it out to demonstrate. He was acting mushy with Misty and said something sappy like, "You're my only love" so RP interrupted the scene, and threw in the song, "My Only Love" from DiC's dub of Sailor Moon. Another song that was tossed in, after Jen's explanation of the Kage Island Gym, Ash went on about wanting to be a Pokémon Master, so RP interrupted again and tossed in the song, "Mezase Pokémon Master", the first original intro performed by Matsumoto Rika (Satoshi's seiyuu).


	14. Deranged Uncle

Hello again everyone. I hope you liked the previous chapter. This chapter shows the return of the professor and the middle-aged man who is once again talking about things that is confusing to the professor. We also learn sometahing regarding the mugging situation with Brock and the others.

**Also, if you have a question, I answer through PM, so please check your ff. net Inboxes.** Thanks.

Now, as always, I do not own anything dealing with the Pokémon franchise. Nintendo, 4Kids, Gamefreak, etc., have those rights, and here are the age reminders once again...

Ash/Duplica: 13  
>MistyTodd: 14  
>KenjiJen: 17 going on 18  
>Joya: 18<br>Brock: 19

Part 14: "That man is _not_ my uncle!" The Deranged Uncle!

Last time, Duplica and the gang decided to visit Mr. Imité at his mansion, but when greeting them, he wasn't himself at all. Duplica had described the man as being jovial and kind, but is instead yelling at our heroes. What will they do?

Ash Title: The Deranged Uncle!

"U-uncle?"

"Get out of here," Mayor Imité told her again, his voice even more harsh.

"Uncle, what's wrong?"

He ignored the young girl's question and took notice of the three teens standing behind the girl, all quiet and flabbergasted over the man's display.

"Who are they?" he demanded with a growl.

"Th-these are my fr-friends, uncle," Duplica stuttered, still unsure of what to make of him. She also didn't like the way he was patting the club in the palm of his left hand.

Neither Ash nor Misty nor Todd uttered a single word, and just remained standing there, being studied by the heavyset man, but he seemed really intent on Misty, which seemed to just fuel his anger.

He turned his attention back to his niece, still patting the club, causing the girl to feel even more uneasy. "What makes you think that I would actually _care_ to see your friends or for you to even visit me? Just go away." Despite the harshness and seriousness of his words, to Duplica, for a brief moment, it sounded slightly forced. "Don't you ever bother me again, you troublesome brat!"

He turned his back to them, about to close the door. Duplica was almost in tears, reaching her arm out to him. "But uncle, don't you love me anymore? What's the matter with you? You never act like this!"

The stout man turned around, his body shaking slightly, his teeth grit. He actually looked like he was having an internal struggle and slapped away the girl's hand. "I _said_ to go away!" he shouted to her in a kind of distorted voice.

Before Duplica could protest in any other way, the man raised the heavy club into the air, about to lower it down onto the poor, frightened girl. "No, uncle, please, don't!" she pleaded between sobs. She stared into her uncle's dark eyes; no longer did she see kindness or caring, but instead she could only see coldness and anger.

"It's your fault! I'll deal with you like I should've years ago!" the man screeched to her.

Duplica gave out a small yelp, and instinctively closed her eyes while kneeling, awaiting her pain and supposed "punishment". He lowered the club fiercely, which was inching closer and closer. It finally made contact, making a somewhat hollow, thumping sound, which caused both Ash and Misty to gasp at the sight.

Ash, for once in his life, didn't try jumping in to fight someone else's battle, which he had done plenty of times throughout his journey. This time, however, he felt that he should stand back…although it almost felt as if something was holding him in place. Not necessarily physically, but more so mentally. Misty was the same. She too would normally jump in to defend her friends.

After the child was struck by the club the first time, Mayor Imité continued striking like a mad man. During this encounter, Duplica, whose eyes were still shut tight, wondered why she wasn't feeling any type of discomfort or pain. She opened them slowly and saw that someone was blocking the hits off for her. Her eyes started to water even more. Todd had dove over her and was taking the hits from the lite wooden club full force.

The hits to his back were painful enough, which made a deafening cracking sound, but the final hit was towards his head, which caused the boy fall out, and slump to the cold ground.

"Todd!" Duplica screamed as she held onto his body.

Ash and Misty, who seemed to have finally broken out of their trances, rushed over to Duplica and Todd. Mr. Imité was about to strike Duplica since she was no longer protected, but this time, Ash was more like himself, and rushed the guy, pushing him down, the club flying out of his hand.

He stood groggily.

"Uncle, how could you hurt him like this!" the girl demanded angrily, her face tear-stained. "You are _not_ my loving uncle! You're some kind of-of _mon_ster!"

The man didn't say anything, as his loathing seemed to grow. He had the strong urge to attack Duplica _and_ Misty for some reason, but he didn't. His face was growing flushed and his glassy black eyes turned to that of an unhealthy shade of red. He grunted as if in pain, who was currently being ignored. Suddenly, something with a discernable shadowy shape seemed to fly from his body, which presumeably had arms and legs. Without saying another word, he shut the door on the kids, who were trying their best to attend to Todd anyway. After the door was closed, the man collapsed to the floor...

x x x x

Back at the laboratory…

"Success, Mewtwo!" the middle-aged man praised while staring at a screen. It was showing Duplica and the others leaving the Imité mansion's grounds. An owl-like Pokémon was circling around them, but Misty shoo'd it away hastily. The Pokémon just "hooted" and perched itself onto a nearby tree branch, watching the group closely.

The man had different psychic (and part psychic) type Pokémon stationed all around the town, as well as cameras, which the professor had set up. Since these particular Pokémon were under his control, he could see what they saw, thanks to a little device the professor had obtained from Professor Oak of Pallet. It was pretty much a small mechanical bug.

"At least you managed to harm one of them, but you didn't hurt the girl like I wanted! I'm grateful that you managed to keep that bratty redheaded girl and that clueless cap boy from helping for as long as you did. I still want that Imité girl to be harmed at some point! I just know she has the power to defeat me along with a few others, but I'm not sure who as of yet…but I'm positive she's one of them."

"Yes sir," Mewtwo replied telepathically. "I will try much harder to control the mind of the cap bearer as well as his actions."

"This is great news, sir," the professor replied, "but I don't understand how she would have a power to stop all that's going on."

"Well, she and others do." He retook his seat. "The girl with the Ditto, Imité's niece, has the power to remain unharmed from the Psychic Pokémon, but it's uncertain as to why. As for the others, I know that two of them work very well when in battle together, like a well-oiled machine, and the remaining one, I'm still unsure of, but I sense that one will be the most powerful of them. It's still a bit fuzzy for me, but either way, I'm sure they will all be connected to that Imité girl."

"Sir, it's amazing that you have all of this knowledge, but I'm still confused over all you've said. I still do not understand how the Ditto child has 'powers' or even what these powers are. She could be immune to the attacks for some other unknown reason, as she hasn't actually exhibited any type of supernatural abilities."

"That's why we must get rid of her or harm her before she actually does, as well as the others connected to her. They have the power to overthrow and stop me. I don't want that to happen again," he finished up tiredly.

The professor scratched his head. He'd been saying things like this more and more lately, like he wasn't himself exactly, but had given up a while back on getting him to open up more about it, as his answers were vague and uninformative. "Well, I still don't understand why you feel this place is in dire need of overtaking."

He smirked shiftily. "It would make a nice asset, don't you think?"

"I suppose it would."

"This island also has precious metals and jewels, just waiting to be unearthed, and is also a goldmine when it comes to rare and unusual Pokémon. I have managed to gain the interest in some overseas buyers who would love to own these type of Pokémon." The professor looked to visibly relax, his look of concern faltering. This sounded more like the mentor he knew. "It would also be quite profitable. This line of business is pretty much black marketed, since anyone discovering, rediscovering, or coming across such Pokémon would be required to report it to boring old Pokémon scientists." The man suddenly went quiet, an unusual thought entering his mind. 'It would also be nice to be recognized again. This island is my home and I plan on taking it back! I should've had control over this place, and the world, long ago!'

"With all of these rare Pokémon making appearances so suddenly, which I still don't understand, it will give me the chance to study them, especially since they've been thought to have been extinct or just legend. The legends surrounding these are so rare, even the general public are unknowing of it, outside of most scientists, archeologists, and those who grew up here."

"You know, it's amazing what money can do to obtain one's freedom."

"I suppose it is sir, and it's great how you started planning this out as soon as you were incapacitated. Also, I'd like to confirm something you said earlier…you mentioned the power thing. Did you mean that literally, like no Pokémon will be necessary?"

"Of course. I've told you that before, haven't I?"

"I'm sorry sir, please forgive me for my indignation, but I'm just trying to fully understand."

"Don't worry about it. Like I've said numerous times, I've always known about this place and have been drawn to it for as long as I can remember, but never had much of a reason to pursue or retake it until now. I have the knowledge to awaken the Pokémon spirits that once resided here…I'll be able to take over the entire world! I'll be recognized for my brilliance at long last!"

The professor sighed. Once again, his mentor had revealed nothing neither plausible nor likely in a realistic sense, as he seemed to go into an alternate persona whenever talking about his passion for this rarely known island and as the days were passing, he was also having short-term memory lapses. He could be discussing something regarding the island, go off on a completely different tangent, and then go back to something else. The professor had become so used to it, he'd also stopped pointing it out weeks ago.

The mentor shook his head, as if trying to gather his thoughts. "Wait, what was I saying…oh yeah. We can swipe so many Pokémon from the trainers here. This ruse was just a way to lure the Kanto Pokémon League participants here and then there are my three lovely containers…my allies who will help me further my goals. I sense one of them will be appearing to me very soon."

"Still strange how you know these things, sir…"

"I'm just worried about the one I can't sense…the one who will be against me. That one is powerful enough to protect the island, along with a Pokémon helper…but I just don't know…" he trailed off. 'Why does this all feel so familiar to me? Why do I feel the Imité girl is a threat? Why do I feel slightly suspicious of those around her? I still don't understand why I feel so deeply connected to this place…and what I learned from my books…I summoned these allies resting in my containers…it all felt so natural. I resurrected them…'

"Sir?"

"Oh, yes…something else," the man began plainly. "The Pokémon that are appearing should obey me without question, but there's also the possibility that a certain few won't, but I'm sure I can force them to if given the chance." The older man rubbed his head and sat back in his chair. "Earlier, there was a mugging attempt. I had the Pokémon here controlling them, as I find anyone connected to the Imité girl suspicious. Why didn't it go as planned?"

"I didn't witness the entire account, as I was away from the computer. When I did return, I saw that the three were already dealt with and the Espeon that was tagging the group couldn't provide much information, as this Pokémon translator isn't perfected." The professor brought up another screen and started typing in some commands. "I'm sure there had to have been a report filed. The police department here is very diligent." It took a few more minutes, but he hacked into the Kage Police database. "They may be organized, but the department's online security is very weak. There was, indeed, a police report filed not too long ago and was given top priority."

"Why?"

"It seems that the three muggers were beaten by the one named Daté Jen. She attends the police academy here on the island and is the younger cousin of the sergeant, so a direct family link. If this is the case, then she is definitely trained in self-defense techniques."

"So, she's a fighter…" This piqued the older man's interest, as his other self seemed to take over. "Professor, I want information on all of them as soon as possible! I want information on all of those close to the Imité girl, starting with her cousin! Maybe if I study them, I'll finally know which ones are a threat to me and which ones aren't."

"Sir, you truly feel that the cap-wearing boy who this Mewtwo was accompanying or that redheaded girlfriend of his or that former Pewter gym leader could actually be who you seek? I've met them all before and to be honest, I personally couldn't see that being very likely."

The man rubbed his chin, considering this. "It could be, but we won't know for sure until we find out as much as we can about them. At least I'll know which ones to fully target after researching them a little, although the redheaded girl's story is pretty well known at this point," he added on uneasily.

The professor nodded and exited the lab, to use one of the other computers of the facility.

"I'm certain I know the secret as to why you're never attacked," the man spoke out loud with certainty. "You're one of the destined ones whose role is to stop me and face me every time! I will soon do away with all of you to prevent you from getting in my way…to get my revenge!"

Mewtwo, who was still hooked up to the strange machinery, along with a Hypno and a Drowzee, whom were all being forced to cast out "Hypnosis" in intervals 24/7 over the entire island, could sense that neither the Hypno nor Drowzee wanted to be there and that both of them had pretty much given up trying to mentally fight. Mewtwo on the other hand had been trying his darnedest to, though. Sometimes they had control of his mind, but other times, he'd break free of his mental prison and think independently.

'This is wrong,' Mewtwo thought somberly. 'It's becoming more and more difficult to control my mind. I'll need help to prevent those two from using all of the Pokémon attacking and to prevent those allies from soon appearing to them, as I sense they will be very dangerous adversaries to the innocent people and to the friend of the kind cap-bearer. I keep trying to use my telepathy when I do regain my senses, but I cannot make a direct link to him. Every time I try, I do sense he worries over my wellbeing, and wants to search for me…but that's as far as it goes. Could it be due to the fact that he is not equipped with such a power, despite having the power to fully understand his Pokémon friends and their feelings?'

"I know what you're like, Mewtwo, and I can tell that you want to warn your friends to protect them from their inevitable fates, but you should give up. You haven't been successful in contacting them using telepathy, have you? These machines here are probably blocking it and your telepathy is weak. You'll work _per_fectly this time and I'll make sure of that. You still have bouts of control, but I can fix that." He walked back to the machine, laughing demonically. He pushed a button, causing Mewtwo to feel anguished as he tried meditating.

"If only…I could…warn them," Mewtwo grunted, while the man looked on with a satisfied smile plastered on his tired face…

x x x x

Meanwhile, Duplica, Misty, and Ash were dragging Todd back to Joya and Jen's place, the boy drifting in and out during the walk. It was an interesting maneuver given Todd's height, who was the tallest and biggest of them. Ash and Misty were about the same height, while Duplica was very petite.

After a while, the group finally arrived at the cozy home. They would've headed to the hospital, but it would've taken much too long from where they were and neither had a phone they could use, as Todd's was still plugged up at the house. The group was also too panicked to even think to have Ditto transform into something to help. They hurriedly entered the house, along with some newly fallen snow.

With the intrusive entrance, and Duplica's cry for help, the older teens rushed to the front door. They had all been watching the news, when they heard the girl's cries. Due to rushing to the door, they all missed the report that was being currently done on Mayor Imité, who had been interviewed earlier that day regarding the safety of the inhabitants and the Psychic Pokémon attacks.

"What happened?"

Neither answered Kenji right away as Duplica and Ash managed to get Todd to the couch in the living room. While they were doing that, Misty explained what had happened.

"He would never do something like that!" Joya argued defensively. "He wouldn't even attack his worst enemy!"

"Yeah, he's nice and caring towards everyone! Look at how he took in Laura-chan or even how he treats us! Joya-chan, her sister, and I aren't related to him, and he even treats us like family!"

"Well, that's what happened," Duplica muttered in a distressed voice while looking down at Todd. "Snap got in the way."

"Oh I hope Toru-kun is okay since you moved him. Please let me check him over." While preparing, she asked them a few questions and sighed in slight relief after hearing the answers. She then asked Brock to run and get the kit she'd used when treating Kenji.

She began to examine the boy, but was most concerned with the bruise and cut on the back of his head. She took out all she needed and bandaged the boy's head. As she moved to his back, every time she touched a tender spot, despite being asleep, he winced. She was even more relieved of this and smiled contently.

"He should be okay. He is a bit bruised, but nothing here shows to be really bad. I was most worried about his head, but you guys mentioned that he was going in and out while on the way here and even talking some. He also reacted when I touched him. He isn't showing the typical signs of having a concussion, but I feel that he should still go to a real doctor just to make certain. I do have the feeling that he'll have a bit of a headache once he fully awakens so maybe an ice pack for his head and some aspirin may dull it for a while."

"I'll go get some ice for him," Duplica volunteered as she ran off.

"Joya-san, you can tell all of that with him still being asleep? You really are amazing," Brock complimented, impressed. "You really _should_ try taking up both Pokémon and human medicine."

"Th-thank you, Takeshi-san," she smiled with a blush.

Right at that moment, they heard a light moan coming from Todd, who was finally beginning to stir. He opened his eyes, feeling a bit dizzy. "Man, my head hurts," he complained in a low voice. He then sat up, holding his head, but soon realized there was another pain within his body. "My back _really_ hurts."

Duplica finally returned holding an icepack, a glass of water, and a container of aspirin, which she handed to Joya. The older girl then gave the icepack to Todd. Before giving the boy the aspirin, though, she asked him a multitude of questions from, "Do you feel any nausea?" to "Are you feeling any dizziness or have blurred vision?" to "Can you recite the English alphabet?" The boy answered promptly. He didn't have nausea, he mentioned the dizziness he felt from "sitting up too fast" and he recited the alphabet with no problem at all.

Duplica butt in and smiled to him, thanking him for what he'd done. "You're so nice. No one's ever done anything like that for me before."

Todd felt his face growing warm, the ice in the icepack growing less solid. "Um, it-it was nothing. You're our-our friend, so…um…you know. Yeah…" Joya handed the boy the aspirin and the water, who downed the pill and greedily gulped down the coil liquid. "Why is this all happening?" The boy calmed down and gave Duplica a look. "I think we woke your uncle up."

"Even if we had, he would _never_ act that way. There was something wrong with him. That man wasn't my uncle!"

Before Jen could chime in with her opinion, they all heard a loud, panicked, "Pika!" coming from the hallway. Everyone, minus Todd, got up to check on the small yellow rodent who was making his way towards the living room.

"Pikachu, what's wrong?" asked Ash.

":It's Togepi!:" the rodent breathlessly got out. ":Something is wrong! He's crying and glowing and shaking uncontrollably and saying stuff I can't understand!:" he told his trainer and friend hurriedly.

"Could Togepi be evolving?"

Pikachu shook his head. ":This isn't an evolution! Something is _wrong_ with Togepi, Ash!:"

Misty finally caught what Pikachu had been saying and took off. "Mommy's coming, Togepi!"

Ash and Pikachu ran behind Misty, as did the others. Even Todd managed to get up, stalking behind the group without too much of a problem, despite his sore back.

When they arrived in the room, Togepi was sitting on the floor, glowing a light bluish color, shaking and crying, as Pikachu had said, continuously saying, ":Uncle Mew!:" in a distressed voice. No one could catch what was being said, as both Ash and Misty usually could. He was speaking strangely to them and to Pikachu it sounded like Poké-gibberish.

"Oh no, Togepi!" Misty cried. He stopped shaking and glowing, and seemed to drift off to sleep or had fallen unconscious. Misty scooped him up into her arms. "Togepi! Togepi! Are you okay? Mommy is here. Please hang in there!"

It didn't take long, but Togepi's eyes began to flutter as he slowly awoke. Seeing Misty, he smiled up to her. He then noticed everyone else staring at the pair of them. ":Why is everyone staring?:" He looked back up at Misty. ":Mommy, why are you crying?:"

"What do you mean, Togepi? You were glowing and trembling. Don't you remember what happened before your very short snooze?" He shook his head.

"This is weird," Ash muttered, "and to make matters worse, we never did search for Mewtwo. I know Togepi said that Mewtwo was okay, but…I still don't know, especially with what happened just now…"

"Mewtwo should be fine, but right now we should be worrying about Togepi," Brock insisted.

At the mentioning of Mewtwo's name, a sudden sadness seemed to come over the usually joyful egg Pokémon. Togepi began to cry hysterically in Misty's arms. He began to glow again and called out for "Uncle Mew!" It even sounded like he was trying to speak in human tongue, but it was no use. The ones that could usually understand him, couldn't…as it all just sounded like random gabbing.

"Joya-san, what's wrong with my Togepi!" Misty demanded in a panicky voice. "You're studying to become a Pokémon doctor, what should I do?"

The young girl took the small, jarring egg Pokémon from the water trainer gently, looking him over. She frowned in perplexity, as she had nothing to relay. "I'm sorry, but it seems that Togepi is fine."

"You call involuntary shaking fine?"

She handed Togepi back to Misty. "It's true. All of his vital signs are well, normal. Physically, he's okay. It still seems like he's trying to prevent himself from evolving, but given that I don't know much about the physiology of Togepi, or even his type, although I'd assume normal, even I could be wrong. Without the proper equipment to analyze him, like we have at the Pokémon Center, I can't do a full examination. I'm really sorry. I suggest going there sometime tomorrow and having my sister look Togepi over." She sighed. "I just hope that the weird craze going on with psychic-types isn't happening with your Togepi."

Togepi, once again, tried to speak, but it still sounded like gibberish to the humans in the room. ":Uncle Mew…captive….danger…leave…run away…Aunty Duplica…targeted...:" Pikachu was about to question the younger Pokémon on what he'd said, as he thought he caught some of it, but the glow subsided and he stopped shaking, falling asleep once again.

"I don't like this," Misty muttered, while staring down at the peacefully sleeping Pokémon.

"But Joya-neesan said that Togepi seems to be okay. We could always drop by the Pokémon Center tomorrow if he's still acting strangely. Maybe all he needs is a good rest, and we probably should get some too."

Misty, still staring down at Togepi sympathetically, slowly nodded. "Yeah, I guess you're right."

"After what you all have been through, it's probably for the best," Joya insisted, even more polite than usual. "Let's show you to your rooms."

Jen led the others out of the room, but Brock stopped Misty. "Hey, Mist, mind if we talk to you for a moment?"

Curious, Misty stared from Brock to Joya. She nodded. "Sure, what is it?" she responded, hoping it wasn't anything too serious...  
>x x x x<p>

Fic Chapter Changes

I haven't any notes this time. Only some changes.

First change, Duplica originally did the title announcement. I decided to let Ash do it.

A whole sequence was dropped in the very beginning. After the recap and the title announcement, Ash complained, wondering why Duplica was the one announcing the title. Misty and Todd pointed out that it was probably because it was her uncle being dealt with. Misty then told Ash to "Use your head" and Todd retorted by smartly saying, "if he actually can" so the story couldn't continue on because Ash took offense to Todd's comment, pulled out a glove and challenged him to a duel by slapping him. He was ordered to apologize by Misty, but Todd accepted the challenge. Misty then hands the two a gun while Misty and Duplica place bets on who would win, but Ash freaks out by the sight of a gun because of "The Legend of Dratini" and the Squirtle Squad eps, where he was threatened with a lot of guns pointed at him and Misty even pointed out that Ash was super paranoid when first meeting Todd and how he thought he had a gun on them, and for the record, the guns Misty handed them were water pistols.

After Todd came to and Duplica brought in the icepack and aspirin, I had her gently hug him, but I dropped that.

I also had another Ash complains to the author type scene, wondering why Todd is coming across as so heroic for this story and the prequel where he's shown to put himself in harm's way for both Misty and Duplica.


	15. Dreams

Hello again everyone. I hope you liked the previous chapter. This chapter focuses on dreams. Also, the professor and mentor return for this chapter checking out profiles on Ash and his friends. Also, I highly recommend reading the notes at the end of this chapter regarding the names of the characters and why they were chosen.

Now, as always, I do not own anything dealing with the Pokémon franchise. Nintendo, 4Kids, Gamefreak, etc., have those rights, and here are the age reminders once again...

Ash/Duplica: 13  
>MistyTodd: 14  
>KenjiJen: 17 going on 18  
>Joya: 18<br>Brock: 19

Part 15: "This seems…familiar…" Strange Dreams or Hidden Messages?

Last time, Togepi started to act strangely and seemed to be channeling Mewtwo, but will he ever get his message through to the others? Also, Mewtwo's captors are gaining more and more control over the strong Pokémon, despite his still constantly fighting it off as best as he can. Will Mewtwo successfully manage to find a way to break free of his confines and get out a proper warning to the others?

Misty Title: Strange Dreams or Hidden Messages?

After Misty had spoken with Brock and Joya, she got herself a quick drink of water, and went up to the room that Duplica was in, as she was sharing with her. There was only one bed, but two their size could easily share it.

Both Todd and Ash shared Laura's room, while Kenji and Brock shared Joya's older sister's room. The room had two beds in it, as one was for company, so the two older teens had no problem deciding who would get the bed.

Todd and Ash, on the other hand, was a different story. They couldn't decide on who got the one bed in the room, and argued the majority of the time. This, of course, aggravated Pikachu a great deal, getting to the point where he shocked both of them and took the bed himself, resorting in their having to pull out their sleeping bags and taking to the floor…

"_I'm __**so**__ tired," Todd stretched slightly, his back still slightly sore. The medicine hadn't fully kicked in yet, but his head was feeling loads better._

_Ash yawned deeply. "Yeah, me too."_

_The photographer began changing into his bed clothing. "I could sleep for a week straight with everything that's gone on in just this one day."_

"_You said it, but it's still a bother that we didn't go out to search for Mewtwo."_

"_I wouldn't worry about it. We could look around a bit tomorrow. At least the sun'll be up."_

"_I also hope that Togepi'll be okay. Misty looked so worried."_

"_I have faith in Joya-san. I'm sure she knows what she's talking about and her reasoning made sense. She can't check him here."_

"_True." The trainer pulled his pajama shirt over his head. "Oh, Todd, what do you think of Duplica?" he asked innocently. 'I can't believe I'm asking this, but I'm sure knowing what he says will get Misty off my case and cheer her up some after what happened with Togepi.'_

"_What about her?" Todd put his camera back into its case, making sure it was fully charged and secured._

"_I don't think you ever said what you thought about her." Growing slightly more daring, he then asked, "Do you think she's cool or anything?"_

'_Incredibly!'_

"_Um, do you think she's like, pretty and stuff?"_

'_Gorgeous!'_

_Ash continued to wait for an answer, but he just wouldn't say anything. "Well?"_

"_Huh, what?"_

"_What do you think of Duplica?"_

"_Wh-why do you want to know anyway? You don't usually ask weird questions like that."_

"_I was just curious what you'd say, that's all," he answered coolly, knowing he couldn't say, "Misty put me up to this while dancing at the restaurant."_

"_But __**why**__?"_

"_Never mind, let's just go to sleep. We could both use the rest."_

_The two headed over to the single bed, leaping in – neither noticing the other – causing the pair to collide, bumping their heads._

"_What do you think you're doing!" Todd argued, rubbing his wrapped, and achy, head. Even though his pain had subsided immensely, the bump now forming wasn't helping any._

_Ash, who was also rubbing his head, retorted, "You bumped me in my head!"_

"_I'm trying to go to bed, and I need a __**bed**__ to sleep in!"_

"_I saw it first!"_

"_No you didn't; I did!"_

"_Well…er…I've been through a lot tonight!"_

"_So have I!"_

"_Well, um, I've been acting all sappy and goofy more than usual when it comes to Misty and I have no idea why!"_

"_What's wrong with that?!" the photographer argued back indignantly. "You're her boyfriend. Isn't that normal? Being stupidly mushy? I have a slight backache and a bandaged up head! I need the bed more than you do right now!"_

_Ash, selfishly, and uncharacteristically, disagreed, which kept the argument going. Pikachu, at this point, had finally lost his patience. ":Both of you be quiet!:" With that, he shocked them. Pikachu then hopped onto the bed, disregarding his own small singed bed, which he'd accidentally destroyed earlier with a Thundershock when being startled by Togepi earlier. Todd and Ash were lying on the floor, twitching._

"_Pikachu, we wanted the bed," Ash said while coughing out a bit of smoke._

_Little sparks began to come out of the small rodent's cheeks. He then threatened, ":One more word out of either of you, and I use a Thunderbolt! Now, stop arguing and sleep on the floor!:" Pikachu turned on his side, comfortable under the covers. ":I'm going to sleep.:"_

_Todd and Ash, while muttering under their breaths over Pikachu, decided to sleep on the floor and not attempt forcing the cranky rodent out of the bed…  
><em>x x x x  
>Meanwhile, in Duplica and Misty's room…<p>

It took a while, but the redhead had finally fallen asleep, snoozing deeply. It took her some time because she was constantly checking on Togepi. The girl was sweating and twitching, sleeping restlessly…  
>x x x x<br>Dream Sequence…

The sky was filled with dark, eerie clouds, and Misty found herself standing out in an open area with three people by her side. Even though they looked different, Misty sensed that she knew these people, even though two out of the three didn't look familiar at all. It was a man and a woman. The other person was definitely Duplica, who looked exactly the same, only slightly older. Before them stood three strange-looking, indistinguishable shadowy creatures. The male, Duplica, and the woman were also dressed in some strange, old clothing, almost like they were cosplaying as some character she'd never seen before.

"We are now free!" the third creature snarled in a dark, frightening voice, which caused Misty to shiver.

"We can now take over this island, as we were instructed to do," the second creature stated.

"It's about time you two finally left the bodies of those pa_the_tic humans to help me," the first of the three creatures snapped.

"It would've been sooner, but we needed to rest because of the type of bodies our humans had," the third one explained shortly. "You were lucky that your spirit was resting in the body of the mayor _and_ that by encountering that girl, caused him to reach his peak first. You sensed her presence and tried to fight your way out to get to her."

A short ways away, Misty took notice of three cages with metal bars connected to strange machinery which was also connected to a bunch of Pokémon. The middle cage consisted of Ash, Brock (who looked to be in great pain), and Joya.

In the one to the left of it, much to her surprise, consisted of the former Rocket members, which included Mondo, and in it, James looked to be completely knocked out. Jessie was kneeled beside him, and Misty couldn't fully tell, but it looked like Jessie could've been crying.

In the cage right of Ash, she could make out Mayor Imité, who was laid out, unconscious, Laura, who was as pale as a ghost, looking on at the shadowy creatures, and there were four other people she just couldn't make out.

"What's going on…"

Misty felt tired. She had no idea why she felt so exhausted. She noticed a bunch of dark Pokémon staring at her, ones she'd _never_ encountered before with cold petulant looks about their faces. The girl also noticed that, like her, the male, the woman, and Duplica looked depleted of energy.

"It's all up to you, Mizuna-san," the man told the redhead.

"Yes, Mizuna-chan, you must save everyone," the woman told her while breathing hard.

"My Pokémon cannot save us," Duplica grunted. She, to Misty, seemed to be injured in some way, possibly internally. "Metamon has fainted and I'm completely out of energy. You must help protect this island and the fate of the world."

"_Who_ is Mizuna? How can _I _protect an entire island or the world?" Misty asked in disbelief.

"We've done all that we could. You are our only hope, Mizuna-san. Remember all that was taught to you through both me and Junko!"

Misty was confused over the male's words. What in the world was he going on about? "'Taught'? 'Junko'? 'Mizuna'? What are you talking about?"

From the cage, Misty heard Ash calling to his very best friend. "You can do it, Misty! Just believe in yourself and remember, I'll love you no matter what happens and as soon as this is all over, I'll treat you to ice cream and maybe even a new bike!"

Misty blinked and dug a finger into her ear. Had Ash _actually_ said he loved her…publicly? She then realized that this had to have been a dream. Ash would never say something like that. He'd never even said it privately to her, although to be fair, she hadn't either. After Ash's words of encouragement, those from the other cages did the same.

The "master" that the three creatures mentioned earlier, held a remote control in his hand and pushed a button. All of the cages were filled with electricity from Ash's Pikachu, who looked to be in some type of a trance, along with a bunch of other electric-type Pokémon, such as Magneton, Magenemite, Raichu, a couple of Electabuzz, Jolteon, some type of Pokémon that resembled a small Electabuzz, along with many others.

She gasped as she saw her friends getting hurt. Misty then looked towards the "master" who also had another guy beside him. The two human figures were now standing beside the three creatures. The one who was referred to as "master" was laughing, while the younger, taller man beside him, just stood there, his arms crossed. The girl sensed she'd met both of these men before.

"That girl can't save anything," the third creature laughed cruelly. The other two laughed along.

Misty felt quite overwhelmed as tears began to fill her eyes. She fell to her knees, sobbing. "I need help! I don't know what else to do! Somebody, please help me!"

A bright glow began to form around her, and it began to take the shape of a human, two humans to be exact…  
>x x x x<br>Misty awoke with a start, holding her chest, and breathing unsteadily. She didn't know _what_ to make of the dream, as she looked over to her side to find Togepi still sleeping peacefully, but noticed Duplica was beginning to stir and woke fully, as the sudden movement of the taller girl and her unsteady breathing had awakened her.

"Misty, what's wrong? Bad dream?" The girl couldn't find her voice at the moment and nodded. Duplica fully sat up and turned on the lamp, which was located on her side of the bed. "What happened?" she asked while trying to adjust her eyes to the sudden light. She saw that Misty had an apprehensive look on her face and that she'd been sweating.

Misty told her in as much detail as she possibly could about the dream, despite forgetting quite a bit of it, including the woman that resembled the Ditto master in training. Duplica listened attentively. When she was finished, Misty asked, "What do you think?"

"Well, to be honest, I think you've been reading way too many stories or some of Ash's manga. He likes those stories where people save the day. I doubt anyone can save the entire world, Misty."

"I know, but it just felt so real…and then those creatures and those two men...it felt as if I knew them all somehow, especially the men."

"Who do you think they were?"

"I-I'm not sure…"

"What do you mean?"

"I can't really remember what they look like now."

Duplica gave her an earnest smile, and patted the girl on the shoulder. "You'll be fine. It's probably nothing."

"I guess you're right," she finally said, even though she wasn't fully convinced, despite the surreal-like nature of the dream. There was nothing realistic about it at all. Despite this, she still couldn't brush it off. "Yeah, too many comics."

"Yeah, too much of Ash's manga," Duplica laughed. "Now, you don't want to be upset for Kenji's party, do you?" Misty shook her head. "Oh yeah, I was going to ask you this earlier, but you went straight to sleep before I could. What did Brock want to talk to you about?"

"They were talking about how everything is going to be set up for the surprise party that they wanted to throw for Kenji. It was Brock's idea, it seems. They'd discussed it while Kenji was knocked out and I guess they felt bad over what happened to him. Before we got back after dinner, all three had been talking about it. Jen-san was really insistent on it, according to Brock."

"It's so short-notice, though. I just hope we all manage to pull it off. Jen-neechan mentioned it to me and the guys last night when showing them to their rooms. So, tomorrow, we have to keep Kenji busy somehow. He's sure going to be surprised." Duplica heaved out an uncomfortable sigh. "Too bad we can't just have it at my uncle's place…" She shook her head, putting those negative thoughts aside. "I'm sure he'll really like it!"

"Duplica…."

She yawned while trying to sound casual. "Well, I'm still a bit sleepy, and sleep sounds good right about now." She looked at Misty sympathetically. "Try not to worry, okay?" Misty gave her a half-smile and nodded. "Good night."

Duplica shut off the light, and laid back down, and fell back to sleep, almost instantly, putting the thoughts of her uncle aside as best as she could. After hearing Duplica's soft snores, Misty stood up and walked over to the window, staring out of it...pondering. Outside, the ground was fully covered with snow, but the snowfall wasn't as hard as it was earlier. She rested her forehead against the cold window, the cool glass feeling good against her hot skin.

"What could my dream have meant? Who were those guys?" The last time Misty had a dream that disturbed her, was the reoccurring one she'd had about her parents' murders. The feeling she had from those nightmares was equivalent to what she was feeling now. "Why was everyone locked up? What was that strange glow?" Another thought hit the young girl, like a flash of lightening. "I wonder where Todd was. Was he in one of the cages? I don't remember if Kenji or Jen-san were there either..."

She remained at the window for a little bit longer, still in deep thought, but soon realized it had to have been nothing. This hadn't been a reoccurring dream, like the one about her parents' deaths and the mysterious man who'd committed the horrific act. It was like a bad role-playing drama. She felt sleep starting to set in and headed back to the bed, but she, unfortunately, had the same dream and awoke at the same part, still no recollection of the identities of the two men with the strange creatures…  
>x x x x<br>In the laboratory…

"Sir," called the professor, reentering the lab, where his mentor was checking through some files, "I have the profiles of the Ditto girl and her friends. It didn't take as long as I thought it would."

"Good work." The professor went over to the biggest computer in the room, and inserted a disk. "You can skip any information you have on the Imité girl, as I'm positive she's one of them."

"Very well then, sir." The professor looked through the files he'd just uploaded from the disk, reading them out aloud. Each profile consisted of two photos of the person: one being casual and the other being a mugshot like photo. Along with these photos were written descriptions of each with updated ages.

The first profile to be uploaded was Joya's. The first photo was of the girl holding an Eevee, smiling playfully while wearing what looked to be a high-school uniform. Obviously an older photo of her, maybe about four or five years old. Beside Joya, sat Jen eating something, but it was tough to make out since the focus was on Joya. Both were in Hoshi Imité Park on a picnic with other students during the spring season for a field trip.

The photo underneath it was of the girl's mugshot, if one could call it that, but it was only of her facing forward, not to the side like a criminal. For this recent one, which was on file at the university, her hair was tied back into a single ponytail. She was also smiling, giving off that same innocent deportment she was well-known for amongst her peers, friends, and family.

"The first person here is…

Name: *Mujakina Joya  
>Age: 19<br>Blood Type: O  
>Height: 160 cm (5'3)<br>Weight: 49kg (about 110lbs)  
>Hair Color: Light Red<br>Eye Color: Bright blue

"…she lives with her sister here on the island, and-"

I already _know_ that!" the older man bellowed impatiently. "I want _use_ful information!"

"Sorry, sir," the professor apologized with a cough. "According to my research here, she is training to become a Pokémon doctor, and has extensive knowledge about the attacks. She attends Kage Island University and interns at the Kage Island Pokémon Center."

"That really isn't much to go on, since she is training to become a doctor. It would make sense for her to be knowledgeable of these attacks. Go to the next one."

The professor nodded and brought up another photo. It was of Ash hugging Pikachu. Underneath this photo, it showed the boy wearing neither his cap nor his outer jacket. How the professor had managed to get these photos was of no concern to the older man, and was actually quite impressed.

"This is…

Name: *Yamamoto Satoshi  
>Age: 14<br>Blood Type: O  
>Height: 165cm (about 5'5)<br>Weight: 57kg (about 125 lbs)  
>Hair Color: Black<br>Eye Color: Dark Brown

"…he dreams of becoming the world's best Pokémon trainer and to top the Elite Four in any region he travels to. He's also from the town of Masara and is a good acquaintance of the Oak family. He is quite enthusiastic and is always ready to run into battle whenever his Pokémon or friends are being threatened or mistreated in some way."

"He _could_ be one of them, as he's definitely the type who would sacrifice his own life for the safety of those around him and despite not being his master, Mewtwo seems to be attached to him, hence his constantly trying to make a psychic link with him, but of course we're helping to prevent that, as we have more control over Mewtwo compared to before."

"I agree entirely, sir, based on that logic," the younger man nodded. "He's definitely the type, and I have witnessed this myself. I'm also certain that under normal circumstances, Mewtwo would've definitely managed to successfully link with him, given their bond, from what I've observed."

The next photo to come up, was one of a younger Kenji. He was sitting by a riverbank sketching, while being monitored by, what looked to be, a teacher. The photo underneath showed him at his current age, only without his headband. It was his researcher's photo, which was in the Pokémon Research Society's database.

"I know this young man fairly well. This is…

Name: *Nakajima Kenji  
>Age: 18<br>Blood Type: A  
>Height: 176cm (about 5'8)<br>Weight: 70kg (about 155lbs)  
>Hair Color: Dark olive-brownish-green<br>Eye Color: Black

"Kenji-kun is a Pokémon Watcher who aspires to be a great researcher and I have actually given him tips on how to achieve that goal. He definitely has the potential to be a great researcher. He's also a Pokémon Artist and grew up in the Orange Islands. He's pretty reserved, quiet, and wise, and was the one to stand up to the three muggers."

"Hmm, I don't feel that he'd be the type to possess such a power." He then muttered under his breath, "That blasted Kei was nothing like this kid; Kei had leadership capabilities…"

"Excuse me, did you say something sir?"

"No no." He cleared his throat while shaking his head. He didn't recall saying anything. "Like I said, I don't think this Kenji guy is one to worry over. He was with those girls. He was probably trying to impress them."

"I agree sir. As I've said before, I've worked with him and he doesn't strike me as being confrontational."

The next profile to pop up was of Jen's. It showed her training at the academy, practicing her Kendo. She was all geared up, about to strike with her shinai (bamboo sword used in Kendo). The older photo underneath showed the girl with her hair tied up in two long pigtails, and she was wearing a Kage Senior High school uniform.

"The next person here is…"

Name: Daté Jen  
>Age: 18<br>Blood Type: B  
>Height: 163cm (About 5'4)<br>Weight: 54kg (About 120lbs)  
>Hair Color: Aqua Green<br>Eye Color: Light Brown

"…She's related to the Officer Jen here. She is very skilled in many different fighting styles, and I would assume she's the type who hates to see anyone get pushed around. She's also been training since the age of three. She didn't grow up here on the island, but frequently visited. She didn't become a full resident here until she was about 14.

"Hm, curious…it seems she's also enrolled at Kage Island University, but she's not studying law. She's studying Pokémon Science. So she's enrolled at the Police Academy, trains in multiple forms of martial arts, and studies science. Seems like those interests would clash…"

"She's a prime candidate either way. It doesn't matter. Are there any others left?"

"Yes sir, three of them," he said with a small yawn, as he'd grown a bit tired and sleepy.

He brought up the next photo, which showed Todd loading his camera. Underneath, was of the boy's photo from the _Pokémon Times_, his camera dangling around his neck. He may have used digital cameras these days, but he still liked the authenticity of an old-style camera.

"This one here is…

Name: *Shashino Toru  
>Age: 15<br>Blood Type: AB  
>Height: 170cm (about 5'6)<br>Weight: 66kg (about 145lbs)  
>Hair Color: Light brown<br>Eye Color: Black

"…He is a well-renowned photographer, despite his young age. He's won many awards for his photos of rare Pokémon and for his uncanny way of capturing them on film, as all of the subjects come across as extremely natural."

"Hm, he's the one who tried to protect that Imité girl earlier, according to the surveillance footage. He's definitely a candidate, as he tried to protect her from my container."

'There he goes again…that container talk. I know better now than to even question it. It'll just get me nowhere…as usual.'

He returned to the computer and brought up a photo of Misty. It showed her in a red bikini in a pool with all of her water Pokémon, with both Brock and Ash nearby. The photo underneath was of her with her hair untied and hanging down. A recent photo that was featured in the paper during the trial against Giovanni.

"This is…

Name: Hanada Kasumi  
>Age: 15<br>Blood Type: AB  
>Height: 165cm (about 5'5)<br>Weight: 48kg (about 105lbs)  
>Hair Color: Red-Orange<br>Eye Color: Aqua Blue

"…She's the youngest of the-"

"I know _all_ about her, so you can skip. She's undecided anyway."

"Okay…" He pushed a key on the computer. The photo and profile to pop up now was of Brock. The photo of him was an older one of him during a gym battle, Onix about to strike its opponent. The photo underneath was of him from his gym leader days.

"This is the final one, and he is…

Name: Nibi Takeshi  
>Age: 19<br>Blood Type: A  
>Height: 170cm (about 5'7)<br>Weight: 68kg (about 150lbs)  
>Hair Color: Dark Brown<br>Eye Color: Black

"A mild-tempered boy, he's the former Pewter City gym leader, but occasionally returns there when needed. He was the leader there until he met with Satoshi and Kasumi. According to the recent information about the gym, his father and younger sibling are running it. Oh, and he's also a superb cook! When I met him, he prepared meals for all of us! Let's see, he wants to become a great Pokémon Breeder, and shows to have great talent for it, and I could definitely see him succeeding at it."

"Nice nice," the man answered hastily. "Who are our suspects since this narrowed-eyed guy is obviously out?"

He uploaded four photos, which took up the four corners of the screen: in the upper left, was a photo of Duplica and Ditto at one of her shows; in the upper right was Ash, messing with the flap of his cap; in the lower left, was Jen meditating at a dojo; the lower right, was of Todd being interviewed.

"These are the ones whom of which you considered candidates, sir." In the center, another photo came up. It was of Misty, who was hugging Togepi and smiling merrily. "As for her, you said she was undecided."

"She's probably not. The other three and that Imité girl seem to fit more than that redhead. She's more than likely the type who'd fight to avenge someone, not fight in _this_ battle."

"Battle, sir?" He shook his head. He had to learn how to ignore his mentor when he started talking unusually, but sometimes it caught him off-guard and instinctively reacted. "Never mind, sir." He pushed a button and Misty's photo vanished from sight, leaving the others. "What do we do now?"

"We find a way to dispose of them, of course."

"But how and what about Imité's other niece?"

"Wait, did you pull up information on her?" He nodded. "Well then, bring it up. I requested her information first!"

"Sorry sir, it slipped my mind, but based on your criterion, I don't think she's a likely candidate."

"I'll be the judge of that."

"Very well, sir."

The photo to come up showed both Laura and Duplica with Mayor Imité in the park eating ice cream. The photo underneath looked to be her official profile pic for her Nursing Assistant's job.

"This is…"

Name: Laura Jenkins  
>Age: 22<br>Blood Type: B  
>Height: 165cm (about 5'5)<br>Weight: 58kg (about 127lbs)  
>Hair Color: Dark Brown<br>Eye Color: Dark Brown

"…She grew up in a very bad environment, until Mayor Imité intervened and saved her from the dangerous lifestyle of hers with her abusive parents. She isn't from here originally and moved here at a young age with her family. After such an incident, Mayor Imité became her legal guardian. She works as a Nurse Practitioner at the local hospital. She seems to be very friendly and indebted to the Imité family."

"I suppose you were right; she wouldn't qualify, but you know," his eyes grew dubious and his grin widened, "maybe we could _use_ her." Knowing that the professor would definitely question him, he put up his hand. "I'll explain this all later."

"Um, okay sir. Oh, I just remembered something, I'll be right back. I have to go check on Mewtwo's status." With that the man left the room hurriedly to another computer he had in one of the other rooms.

The mentor looked at the screen, bringing back up the four candidates. 'Those four are perfect suspects to be the resurrected ones. I will definitely kill them all off before they even realize what hit them.

'As soon as my helpers are released and appear to me, and at full power, all of the ancient Shadow Pokémon spirits that still rest beneath will be mine to control! They will have no choice but to obey since I was the one who cursed this land before my own demise!' He shook his head. Once again, his thoughts were jumbled and confused. "Wait…that was a strange…I just don't understand why I keep having these strange thoughts or why everything happening now feels…predestined…"

At that moment the professor reentered the room with a print-off, which told him of the Mewtwo, and some of the other Pokémon's conditions, quite pleased.

"Oh, you're back. I was going to say that we should get some rest," he stated bluntly. In reality, he felt he needed it. "You have done well, and you're a very reliable worker, unlike those _trai_tors I had working for me in the past. You continued helping me behind the scenes and even managed to get Mewtwo back for me. I'm quite grateful."

"It was my pleasure sir, to help out such an inquiring mind." He glanced over at Mewtwo who looked to be absolutely miserable. "I really wanted to see how well he'd progressed since the last time I encountered him all those months ago."

With that, the two gentlemen left the lab, shutting off the lights to get some well-deserved rest…  
>x x x<p>

Author's Notes

Note 1: Mujakina Joya. Mujaki means "innocent"…so this name is completely made up. In Japanese, there are two types of adjectives: na and i. Mujaki is a "na" adjective, hence, "Mujakina". So I'm saying, "innocent Joya" as I'm trying to portray her as very polite and such.  
>x x x<br>Note 2: Yamamoto Satoshi. I decided to give him a family name this time around (originally for this fic, he didn't) and this is nowhere near canon. Ash is from Masara town. The area itself is supposedly in west Kanto. The real-world equivalent would be someplace around maybe the Shizuoka prefecture or Yamanashi, where one can visit Mt. Fuji, or someplace in the real western Kanto with a lot of mountains. Yamamoto is a common surname for these areas.  
>x x x<br>Note 3: Nakajima Kenji. This is another "region" thing. For the series, it says that the Orange Islands are south of Kanto. The real life equivalent of that could be the Izu islands which is south of the Honshu region where Kanto is located. There are seven of them and Cinnabar Island was based on the one closest to Honshu, Izu Oshima. If the Orange Archipelago is based on this, then maybe Kenji would be from one of the islands more south, whereas Izu Oshima is north. Maybe Aogashima or Hajijojima.

Anyway, the name I chose for him is island related.  
>x x x<br>Note 4: Shashino Toru. Just like Joya's name, "Shashino" is made up and probably sounds like bad Italian. lol Todd's original name, "Toru" is already a small pun. It can mean "to take". Shashin means "photo" in Japanese. "Shashin o toru" would mean, "To take a photo." So yeah, not very creative there. ^^;  
>x x x<p>

Fic Chapter Changes

Time for some changes. During the flashback with Ash and Todd arguing over the bed and Pikachu getting it instead, I changed part of it. This included Ash pointing out to RP, and Todd realizing it as well, that Pikachu (as well as Togepi) had their own little beds. When I originally wrote this story, I'd actually forgotten about that and poked fun at myself for doing so. So, on the spot, I made up the thing about Pikachu becoming frightened earlier and accidentally shocking his own bed, with Todd and Ash kind of hating RP. lol

Originally, Misty's dream was more specific. I left some aspects more vague this time around.

Joya, Kenji, and Todd's names were changed from Mujitsu Joya to Mujakina Joya, Kenkyuuin Kenji to (Nakajima Kenji), and Shashin Toru to (Shashino Toru). I wanted everyone's name to have some kind of…pun, so to speak.

Ash was given a surname.


	16. Vacation

Hello again everyone. Once again, we're going back to the Rocket members who will all meet up with one another and an old side character makes an appearance. It's a generation I anime character though…so maybe some of you will know him, maybe some of you won't, but to be sure, there'll be a note about him. There we go, nothing more I can say about that, so sorry for the lack of description, but don't worry. The heroes and the Rockets will eventually run into each other, once they get to the island.

Now, as always, I do not own anything dealing with the Pokémon franchise. Nintendo, 4Kids, Gamefreak, etc., have those rights, and here are the age reminders once again...

Mondo: 19  
>Jessie: 22<br>James/Butch/Cassidy: 23

Part 16: "Long time no see!" Off to Kage Island!

Last time we left the former Rockets, Jessie, James, and Meowth were on their way to Viridian to surprise Butch, Cassidy, and Mondo. Meanwhile, the new Viridian leaders are confused over the fact that there aren't many participants registered for the upcoming Pokémon League games, and want to know why. Will they ever find out?

Ash Title: Off to Kage Island!

It was a little past 21:00 (9:00) and the front doors of the gym were locked up tight, but there was a knock. Surprised, Mondo, along with Ratticate, answered, prepared to inform the more than likely trainer, that they closed at 8:00 and to come back the next morning at 9:00. When he opened the door, there were two strangers standing, but it was dark out, so he didn't recognize them. Tiredly, and calmly, he apologized, and told them that the gym was closed.

After giving them the news, the two strangers started to chuckle and then vanished within a flash.

Before Mondo could react, some smoke started to rise behind him. "What's going on?" he coughed. Ratticate only screeched in response, also coughing from the dark smoke clouding around them.

"To show the world we've turned over a new leaf!" a female voice rang.

"To prove to the world we are no longer thieves!" the second voice, belonging to a male bellowed.

"We both now believe in truth and love!"

"We now give our help to those who aren't as fortunate as those above!"

The smoke started to clear, and the two's identities were now becoming visible.

"Jessie!"

"James!"

"Team Rocket, the company that is no more!"

"And take it from us, Team Rocket was evil to the core!"

"Now that we are good," both said while hugging one another, "we _both_ will now soar!"

"Will yous two knock it off!" a certain cat-Pokémon snapped at the two. He walked in and stood next to Mondo. "Only _you_ two would go and rewrite the old motto! Dat's the stupidest thing I've ever hoid!"

"But everything James and I said was true. We are better off since we've severed ties with Team Rocket. We don't have to do life-threatening missions anymore for the boss and we don't get blasted off by that Pikachu whenever we run into the brats."

"Yeah yeah yeah, whatever," Meowth muttered grumpily.

"Jessie, James, Meowth!" Mondo clapped. "It's great to see you all again and I like what you did with the motto!"

'Dat kid would,' Meowth inwardly sighed.

Jessie and James bowed gracefully. "Thanks."

"Ratticate, go get Cassidy and Butch," Mondo instructed.

The rat-like Pokémon nodded and rushed off to fetch his trainer and Butch. During this, Jessie, James, and Meowth conversed with the young gym assistant, talking about how much he enjoyed working in the gym. A short moment later, Ratticate returned with a confused Butch and a disgruntled Cassidy, who, despite the early time, wanted to go to bed.

"Jessie, James, Meowth!" Butch commented in surprise. "So that's what this crazy rat was trying to tell us."

"We were just talking about you guys." Cassidy's displeasure, and fatigue seemed to vanish. "What brings you two by?"

"We decided to surprise you all," Jessie explained.

"We're also vacationing. You could call this a business and pleasure trip."

"Yeah, dhose two are tryin' to find a new location to expand dheir fast-food chain."

"We like the food there and seems to be really popular here in Viridian," Mondo explained.

"Hey, do you guys want to stay here tonight?" Cassidy asked.

"We don't want to impose…" James started.

"There's a lot of room here," Butch explained. "Giovanni had lots of extra rooms."

Meowth winced. Mondo noticed. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah yeah, I'm fine," he muttered, not wanting to get into it.

"Have you guys eaten anything? We were trying to decide on what to do for dinner," Butch told them.

The feline rubbed his stomach, and licked out his tongue. Distractions were nice. "Meowth is hungry."

"Great! I'll prepare something for all of us," Mondo offered.

The group headed to the dining quarters, where everyone took a seat. Mondo had already planned on making curry anyway, and he'd prepared the rice much earlier. Cassidy had gone to the kitchen to prepare tea for everyone.

"How come you guys got here so late?" Butch asked. "It shouldn't have taken that long to get here from Cinnabar with the connections James have."

"Because the _brain_less James here got us _lost_!"

"Quiet Meowth! I did _not_ get us lost!"

"When you don't know where you're going or where you are, that means you're _lost_!"

"M-my compass malfunctioned, that's all."

"Admit it, brainiac," he crossed his arms, his precious forehead charm gleaming, "you got us lost!"

A nerve started to twitch on Jessie's forehead. She was growing tired of the pointless bickering. "Will you two just be quiet! We got here, didn't we?"

Both stopped. Right at that moment, Cassidy reentered the room with a kettle and cups with saucers on a tray. Mondo followed behind her, also holding a tray with his curry and rice.

"Here you are." Cassidy set the tray and kettle down and served everyone the tea while Mondo set a dish in front of each person, but something special for Meowth.

"Thanks, kid! Meowth loves *sashimi!"

"No problem!"

"This is good!" James exclaimed, his eyes sparkling. His reaction wasn't a surprise to Jessie or Meowth, as James always enjoyed eating. "While we're here on the mainland, we were thinking about going to Indigo Plateau to surprise the twerp….um…Ash and his friends."

"It is still being held at Indigo Plateau, right?" asked Jessie.

"Since yous two are official gym leaders now, we figured you'd know," Meowth commented while chowing down on the fishy treat.

Butch looked away in embarrassment. "We're not entirely sure ourselves, now."

"What do you mean? Yous two are gym leaders!"

"Well, we're pretty sure it's still Indigo Plateau," Cassidy explained, "but no trainer has registered there yet. Mr. Goodshow called here and other gyms asking if we knew anything."

Butch and Mondo took turns explaining the tale, which included Mondo's calling all the other gyms and Professor Oak.

"From the calls I made, we think that the a majority of the league participants and competitors are on Kage Island."

"Where's that?" asked Jessie.

"It's an island east of Cerulean," Cassidy explained.

"You know, I think I've heard of that place, but have never been. My parents talked about that place, but I don't think there was anything there that attracted them to it, which is why we never vacated there." James snapped his fingers. "Hey, I just got an idea! Jessie, why don't we expand our chain by opening up one on the island?"

"But the place isn't very well-known," Meowth interjected. "What makes ya think dhat there are enough people there _to_ eat there sufficient enough to actually make some kind of a profit?"

"I know what I'm doing, Meowth. Just have faith in me. I'm intelligent and smart when it comes to these kind of things."

"Yeah, about as smart as an ant starving to death in a sugar field…"

James punched the smart-alecky cat in the head. "Shut up Meowth."

Mondo sweatdropped at James' violence towards Meowth. Mondo's favorite Pokémon were Meowth. Due to his liking for this Meowth, he actually designed the old hot air balloon that Jessie and James used to use after him.

"I did a little bit of research on the place, and it's well-inhabited. It's not a new place or anything and has a vast history of rare and ancient Pokémon residing there centuries ago. They're so rare, it's unknown if they actually existed at all," Mondo explained. "What I don't get is why the place doesn't have much publicity, especially with the rare Pokémon stories I found on the place. Lots of scientists and researchers seem to be interested in the place as well as archaeologists."

"That's what I don't get," Cassidy pondered. "It seems that it would've been mentioned a lot, or even when we were all Rockets, seems the boss would've sent us there to investigate it. I don't know a thing about this place."

"You know, thinking about it now," Meowth began, recovering from the punch, "I think da boss _has_ mentioned that place before, but nothin' more other than that. "

"Sounds like a nice interesting place to go for a vacation, James, but Meowth may be right about building there," Jessie pointed out sensibly.

"No way, let's go and check the place out. We'll kill two birds with two stones."

Jessie sighed, "If you say so, but how do we get there?"

James yawned in reply. "Let's worry about that in the morning. I'm kind of tired."

"I guess we could all use some rest." Butch stood. "Hey Mondo, think you could prepare a couple of rooms for them?"

Mondo rushed off to prepare rooms.

"Wait, let me take this out first." James pulled a Pokéball from out of his pocket and tossed it. Out of the ball emerged a small, dog-like Pokémon who specialized in fire-based attacks. "I'm sorry it took me so long to let you out, Growlie." Growlithe jumped on to James, licking his face.

"Growlithe! James, when did you pick _him_ up?"

After Growlithe stopped licking James, he settled down. "I had him transported over to our place on Cinnabar. I requested him from my parents right before we left."

After the explanation, Mondo took them to their room. Everyone then said their goodnights and headed off to bed…  
>x x x x<br>The next morning…

Jessie yawned deeply, as the sound of birds and bird Pokémon chirping, and the sunlight penetrating the room had awakened here. She inwardly smiled, glad to see another beautiful day. She stretched and turned to her side, shaking the dark-haired man next her. "Morning, James."

He started to stir, his eyes finally opening to a beautiful sight. He couldn't help but smile in spite of himself. He loved waking up to a less harsh, more fun-loving Jessie. Ever since they'd been out of Team Rocket, Jessie was less stressed and seemed much more relaxed. "Good morning," he replied back. "Looks like you slept okay."

Before she could reply, a certain dog Pokémon hopped onto the bed, licking James in the face, which caused the blue-haired man to laugh. "Hey there, Growlie. Looks like you slept well too." Growlithe barked in response, and proceeded to lick Jessie's face.

Beside Jessie and James' bed sat a small futon, which Meowth was restfully sleeping on. The feline Pokémon really didn't want to stay in any of the rooms alone, as it brought back too many horrid memories, not only those of Giovanni shunning him, but of his actually being forced to help to torture other Pokémon or performing experiments on them before being partnered up with Jessie and James. Meowth was surprised that he wasn't shunned by all Pokémon kind since he was indirectly, and sometimes directly, responsible for the captures and exploitation of them by Team Rocket.

Growlithe hopped off of the bed and barked at Meowth. He groaned, opening his eyes to see Growlithe standing over him. "It's mornin' already?" he asked with a yawn.

James got out of the bed stretching and started to do toe- touches. "We have a full day ahead of us, Meowoth." He stretched to his side. "We have to," he went back to touching his toes, "find this Kage Island place."

Jessie was now up and going through her bags, while Meowth was folding up his futon and putting it back into the closet. Jessie helped him and closed the sliding door. "I still say you're makin' a mistake goin' there for business."

James stopped his morning stretches and glared at the cat. "Don't start that again, Meowth."

Meowth just sighed and motioned to Growlithe. They left the room to go find Ratticate, while the two humans freshened up. Later, they joined up with Mondo, Cassidy, and Butch in the dining area. Meowth, Growlithe, and Ratticate were there as well. Cassidy was sipping on a cup of coffee, reading the paper, while Butch and Mondo were conversing amongst themselves. All three were in their usual gym leader uniforms.

"Morning guys," Butch greeted.

"I thought the gym opened at 9:00. It's only 8:00," James said as he took a seat. This day, he had his hair tied back in a ponytail with some of it hanging loosely on either side of his face. He was also wearing a tight, black t-shirt, and long beige shorts. He looked like a tourist, the only thing missing were the sunglasses.

"We have to start early, you know." Cassidy folded up her paper and stood. "These kids would come at 5:00 in the morning if they could. The trainers are really serious. Anyway, would you like something to eat?"

Jessie, who was wearing her long hair loose today, along with white spaghetti-strapped shirt and a matching short skirt nodded. "Yeah. Should we go out?"

"No, I'll prepare something. It's an honor cooking for you all, especially Master Meowth!"

"If you're sure it's okay," James started slowly.

"Of course it is! This morning, I was planning on cooking hotcakes!"

"Meowth loves pancakes!" The cat's mouth started watering. "I'd like tuna-flavored pancakes with liver-flavored syrup."

Everyone groaned from the terrible combination, while Mondo sweat dropped nervously. "Erm, I'll see what I can do, Meowth."

"I'll join ya then, kid. Come on Ratticate." The rat-like Pokémon followed behind the two.

This left the others at the table, and Cassidy took her seat once more. Growlie decided to stay behind and slumped down by James' side, who petted him affectionately.

"So, have you decided on what you're going to do?" asked Butch curiously. "Are you still going to try getting to that Kage Island place?"

"Of course," James answered, quite sure of himself. "We'll check the place out first, and if we feel that it wouldn't be a good prospect, we won't and just go with our original choice."

"Which is?"

"Masara town," both answered.

"That's not too far from here," Cassidy noted absentmindedly.

The four continued talking until Mondo, along with Meowth and Ratticate, brought breakfast to the table. Meowth sat down, a plate in front of him and a napkin tied around his furry neck. He rubbed his paws together in anticipation, ready to chow down into his stack of pancakes which were were mixed with sardines, salmon, and tuna. "*Itadakimasu!" he said, digging into his meal.

The former Rockets dug into their meals, thanking Mondo of course. After breakfast, it was nearly 9:00, which meant time to start dealing with trainers, but much to their surprise only two had come so far.

By the time 11:00 rolled around, there still hadn't been as many trainers as there had been in previous days. So far, they'd still only had maybe only five trainers.

During this time, Jessie, James, and Meowth hung out in the office, just talking with either Butch, Cassidy, or Mondo when either wasn't battling and both let their Pokémon out to hang out in the back with the other Pokémon that weren't battling. James also left the room a couple of times, to make calls.

"It's almost 11:30, James. If we leave now, we can probably get to Cerulean by nightfall and just stay in a hotel."

"We are _not_ going there by bus," James insisted, his nose slightly turned up in such a way that he slightly resembled his father.

"Then how are we getting there?"

"By private jet. I got it all set up earlier this morning. We just have to get to the Viridian City Airfield by 13:00 (1:00)."

"And _why_ didn't you say anything about earlier?"

"I didn't notice the time, actually," he admitted bashfully. He cleared his throat. "Anyway, when we leave the Viridian City Airfield, we'll arrive in Cerulean no later than 14:00 (2:00), saving us a lot of time."

"We'll get to that island by this evening at that rate! Maybe even the late afternoon."

"Cassidy, Butch, Mondo, would you guys like to come with us?" James chuckled. "I saw you put up the closed sign after that last battle."

Butch gave James a devious, yet amused grin. "You're right, I wasn't really planning on reopening it for this afternoon to see you guys off."

"Cassidy, you two have been working hard lately. How about we go along with them?"

"A vacation, eh?" The blonde thought for a moment. "I don't know…"

"A nice early vacation," Mondo continued pleadingly. "It's spring, you should be enjoying the season."

Her look grew pensive as she stared from Mondo to Butch, who both had pleading looks in their eyes. "It would be nice, but I still don't know…"

"You could really use a vacation, Cassidy, with the way you've been feeling lately," Butch pointed out seriously. "You're probably overworked and stressed from gym leader duties. With what you've said, it definitely sounds like you're stressed and the best cure for stress is relaxation."

It took a bit more persuasion, but she finally gave in. "How long are you two going to stay there, anyway?"

"We don't know yet," James answered, "but maybe a week, if it's worth it and if there's anything to do there."

"A week? Butch, Mondo, I'm really not too sure about this now. A week is way too long, and you know that we're always under watch because of our Rocket history. What if they assume that we just took off and aren't returning and then toss us in prison? I'm not worried about the trainers so much…I just like our freedom."

"Some freedom," scoffed Butch petulantly. "You're scared to take time off. We have the freedom to. It's in the guide book they forced us to learn."

"But we became the leaders here under different circumstances."

"Don't worry about it Cassidy. We'll manage fine." He gave her a sincere smile while grabbing her hand. "Come on, let's have some fun! Go pack a swimsuit, some sunscreen, and lounge out on the beach."

"But-"

"I can stay behind," Mondo cut in gloomily, despite wearing a smile, "if you want me to. It won't raise any suspicion because I can run things here while you two are away."

Cassidy sighed, grateful for Mondo's generosity and loyalty. "I can't let you do that, since I can tell that you really want to go. You deserve a rest after all the stuff you do around here. You cook, you clean, you feed the Pokémon and train them, and you've been taking over some of the gym leader responsibilities lately." She looked at everyone, who seemed to be hanging on to her every word, and slowly nodded. "Okay, we'll go…but not until we can figure out a way to keep the gym open. You don't have much time to find someone to run this place in our absence that's capable and competent."

Butch and Mondo nodded at the seemingly impossible task, but both were determined.

"We can help you pack," Jessie offered.

"Mondo, help them pack, while I head off to find substitute for the gym," Butch instructed.

"Right!" the boy nodded, hurrying himself along behind Jessie and Cassidy.

"You don't sound too hassled over finding someone to run the gym," Meowth commented dryly.

"You're right, I'm not worried. We're bound to find someone, let's go!"

Meowth and James left with Butch, who seemed quite self-assured over finding a replacement. Neither of the two knew where he was headed. The walk wasn't a long one, only about five minutes from the gym. They stopped in front of a building.

"Viridian City Temporary Pokémon Trainers Lounge," James read.

"What's this place?" Meowth asked.

"It's pretty much an agency where one can find eligible Pokémon trainers with decent credentials competent enough to temporarily run a gym if a gym leader has to leave suddenly for whatever reason or if they don't want to close up. This is also a good way to find gym assistants. Most register to train in actual gyms.

"Trainers from all over are registered into the system, mostly Viridian residents for this particular one, so they may be called to either our gym or one of the others. There's a place like this in nearly every city."

"Hm, this place isn't too far from the old Rocket headquarters," James pointed out somberly.

Butch nodded. "Yeah, Giovanni may have spent the majority of his time in the gym and housed his guests there, a good cover up if you ask me, but he based his actual headquarters near here." He shook his head. "Let's go."

The three entered the building, which was the size of your typical Pokémon Center. Meowth figured that the architect who designed the Viridian City Pokémon Center, had designed this building as well. Not having the chance to fully take in all that was around them, Butch made his way straight to the front desk. Behind it, sat a woman with long brown hair, and a radiant smile, a computer sitting in front of her. She was also wearing a telephone headset.

"Welcome to the Viridian City Pokémon Trainer's Lounge," the woman courteously smiled. My name is Natsumi. How may I help you?"

Butch pulled out his ID card, specifically made for gym leaders and the Earth badge. "My name is Butch, one of the gym leaders of the Viridian City Gym. Something has suddenly come up and it requires me, as well as my partner and assistant, to leave this afternoon. I need someone to run the gym until we return since we would really hate to close up for the entire week with the Pokémon League competitions coming up."

"All right, I'll see what I can do." She started to go through the computer's database. "Wow, you're in luck, sir. There's somebody here that's looking for work. He's not native to Viridian, though, but he just qualified to register two days ago. The battle was held here and he was approved."

"What are his credentials?" asked James.

"Yeah, you don't want some loser runnin' it and ruinin' it."

After hearing the squeaky voice, the woman turned her attention away from the computer, and stared down at the cat-like Poké. "Did that Meowth just…" Her eyes lit up. "Wow, a Meowth that can speak human tongue!"

Meowth gave the young woman a smug smile, crossing his arms haughtily. "Da one and only!"

"I've never met a talking Pokémon before!" she excitedly exclaimed. "Would you mind if I call up my younger sister, and my friend, and-" Butch cleared his throat, which got the lady's attention. "I'm very sorry, I just got carried away," she apologized. She went back to the computer.

"So, what _are_ the qualifications to register into this system?"

"Oh, yes. Well, all trainers must go through a vigorous test, which also includes a Pokémon battle against an elite trainer, especially for those who want to do substitute work at gyms. There aren't many who qualify for gym duties, only assisting, but this guy here definitely does. Here he is."

She showed them the photo of a teenage boy with dark, green hair with a serious expression on his face.

"I know that kid!" James pointed. "He's super strong!"

"Yeah, we tried to st-"

James covered Meowth's mouth. He didn't' want the lady to know that they were all once members of the Rocket Gang. As a matter of fact, for their own safety, many people weren't aware of this fact regarding Butch, Cassidy and Mondo. Only the Pokémon elites, the police department, of course, and the other gym leaders of the region knew.

"As for his credentials," she brought up a written description of him, "he had his own unofficial gym, which had well over 100 victories. He's 18 and his name is *AJ. He has run his unofficial gym for years, as he always returns to it.

"As for right now, he's still here in Viridian, possibly training in the Viridian Forest, but he's been staying at the Viridian City Pokémon Center. He seems to be a wandering trainer.

"Would you like to schedule a battle with him as a way to test his skills?"

"No, I'll take your word for it," Butch stated quickly. "Could you get him to the gym as fast as possible? We have a flight to catch."

She nodded. "Right away sir." The three turned, about to leave, when the woman called to them once again. "Sir, I must have your reason for your sudden departure for the Pokémon Gym Leader Officials to review, as well as your gym leader registration number of you and your partner."

Butch stopped in his tracks, and inwardly groaned as he handed over his ID, which both he and Cassidy were registered under. He hadn't thought of an actual good reason for their suddenly leaving, since in reality, he just wanted a vacation with James' offer; who knew when the opportunity would present itself again. James, on the other hand, gave the woman a charming smile and spoke up for his friend.

"We are on our way to Lost Kage Island, because we were informed that the preliminary games are being held there and that a ninth badge is needed from the gym there. We're also looking for a young trainer who we think may be there, and we have a message to deliver to him. The Viridian City Gym leaders here and their assistant are accompanying me on this trip.

"I'm also going there on business myself, and they offered to help me."

She typed in the explanation and took James' name, and then looked at them curiously. "I hope that explanation goes through as excused with the board. To my knowledge, the preliminary activities haven't even started yet, and even if they have, it should be at the Indigo Plateau.

"As for Lost Kage Island, to my knowledge, there isn't a league approved gym there. Why would anyone need a badge from an unofficial gym?"

"We honestly don't know," Butch replied peevishly, "but we're going to see what's going on and why hardly any trainers have registered at Indigo Plateau. I guess you could say we're investigating."

She typed in the extra information and then sent a quick message over to the Viridian Pokémon Center to get a hold of AJ. To her surprise, he was actually hanging around there, eating lunch.

"Is there any other information you'd like to convey to AJ?"

"No, just tell him to come directly to the gym."

"Yes sir. Oh, and one more thing. I need a reference."

"A reference?"

"Yes. You have to give the name of a person, or persons, who can back up your claim that can be easily contacted. I have taken down your friend's name sir, but for this situation, since he'll be with you, having another one would be wise."

"Isn't his word enough?" asked James in surprise.

"I'm sorry, sir, but it's the rule. It's all explained in the official Pokémon League Gym Leaders guidebook. If you'd like, I could pull it up for you…"

"No, it's no problem," Butch told her. "The Cerulean City Gym Leaders…the oldest one. What was her name…oh yeah, Daisy."

"Okay, I have put in the information. You are now all set to handle whatever business is needed of you. You just have to sign this form here and here…" She printed out a paper with all of the information Butch had given her. He picked up a pen and scribbled his name messily at the bottom. When done, the woman signed her name. She then took the form and filed it into a cabinet while giving Butch the copy of the agreement he'd just signed.

"Everything is done, sir." She handed him back his ID, which she'd scanned earlier. She then bowed slightly. "Thank you for utilizing the services of the Viridian Pokémon Trainer's Lounge."

The three thanked her and took off, making their ways back to the gym. When arriving there, Mondo, Jessie, and Cassidy, were nearly finished packing. They'd gotten some help from James' Growlithe, Jessie's Arbok, and Cassidy's Ratticate. Afterwards, they all loaded the luggage into James' rented car.

After that, Mondo, Cassidy, and Butch talked with the Pokémon, explaining that they were going to be leaving for a while and to obey the temporary trainer coming in.

Everyone was now ready to go. The Pokémon had been briefed, Cassidy had written out directions for the substitute trainer, and Mondo had prepared some onigiri for them. They were just waiting around for AJ to arrive.

A couple of more minutes passed when a somewhat stout boy with spiky, dark-green hair wearing a long black shirt, a pair of long jean shorts, and white sneakers walked into the gym. By his side, was a Sandslash.

"Hello," he called, his drawling voice echoing throughout the hall. "My name's AJ; I'm the substitute you requested."

Butch and Mondo rushed up to the boy to greet him. They shook his hand and thanked him for coming by on such short notice.

"Wow, a real gym!" he exclaimed, while looking around. "I'll finally be able to have my chance to help run an official one!" He smiled widely while looking back at Butch. "I travel to help my Pokémon become stronger, but I would like to someday become an official gym leader someday."

"Well, you're going to get your chance. Sorry, but we have to get going," Butch apologized.

"Yeah," James nodded, "it's nice seeing you again, but we have to go."

"James, do you think we'll see Ash and the other twerps there?" Jessie asked.

"Probably, and even if we don't see Brock, we'll probably see Misty. She's always with him."

'Ash, Misty, Brock…I remember them. That Ash kid was a pain, but he definitely cared about his Pokémon. His way of training may be different from mine, but I'm sure he's become stronger since I last saw him.

'Wait, that guy, he said that it was nice seeing me again,' he realized. He gave both Jessie and James a look. "Do I know you guys? Have we met before?"

"What makes you think that you would know us?" Meowth asked smartly.

AJ's eyes went wide as he pointed a finger at Meowth, while Sandslash grew alert. "I know who you are! You're Team Rocket! I'll never forget that talking Meowth!"

"Relax kid," Meowth told the boy, although you could tell he was enjoying AJ's reaction.

"The whole Rocket organization has been disbanded. Where've _you_ been?" asked James in disbelief. "We're no longer a part of it."

"I may have heard something about it, but I travel a lot, so I don't get to watch the news or pick up a paper much."

"Well, it's true either way," Jessie explained. "We're all no longer a part of it."

"Wait, you mean…" he looked over at Butch, Cassidy, and Mondo.

"Yeah, we use to be part of it too. The former gym leader used to be the head of Team Rocket," Cassidy explained.

"Now that you know that, you can't tell anyone else, got it?" Butch ordered sternly. AJ nodded. "The only ones who know about our backgrounds are Pokémon officials and fellow gym leaders. We want to keep it that way."

"R-right," the boy told them.

"Good." Cassidy handed the green-haired boy a sheet of paper with instructions and also explained about the payment system and that he could close up for the day to get acquainted with the gym's Pokémon. He was also permitted to use his own Pokémon, if he chose to.

After the formalities, the group took off, but before, AJ asked them to tell the trio "hi" and that he's up for a rematch with Ash. Cassidy, in part, told him if he did a good job, they may take him on as an assistant and have him battle alongside Mondo to help lessen the battling responsibilities.

AJ had run up to Cassidy, his eyes filled with admiration. "Do you really mean it?!" Cassidy nodded. "I'd love to! I promise not to let you down and take very good care of this gym while you're gone. I promise not to let any trainer get the best of me and the other Pokémon!"

After the quick exchange of words, Cassidy hopped into the car with the others, James pulling off, the tires screeching…  
>x x x x<p>

Author's Notes

Note 1: Sashimi is a dish consisting of slices of raw fish that you can dip in soy sauce. Just think of nigiri style sushi, where you have the rice, no nori (seaweed wrap) with the fish lying on top. Anyway, just take away the rice.  
>x x x<br>Note 2: Itadakimasu is said before one has a meal. I guess you could describe it as a way of being thankful for the meal or, "I'm about to partake".  
>x x x<br>Note 3: AJ is the kid the trio met after Ash received his second badge in Cerulean. Ash at that point had become super arrogant and cocky since he'd managed to get two badges. He was challenging trainers along the path and found out about AJ's unofficial gym. Ash being overly confident went there to challenge him. Of course Ash lost badly to AJ and his Sandshrew.

AJ trained his Pokémon differently from the way Ash did. His methods came across as harsh and strict and Ash didn't like it, but Ash learned that AJ's Pokémon loved him and just because his method isn't the way he'd do it, that AJ did care for his Pokémon companions.  
>x x x<p>

Fic Chapter Changes

Time for the first change. Originally, I had Jessie, James, and Meowth arrive at the gym at 10:00. Put the time back so they could have dinner as opposed to snacks.

For the breakfast scene, I had RP comment on Meowth's pancake meal. RP commented on how unappetizing it all sounded. Meowth then threatened RP by taking out his claws pointing out that if Pikachu can attack or threaten to hurt RP than he could as well. At some point of this fic, can't remember where exactly, RP commented on Pikachu's eating ketchup with some meal and going on about how bad it looked and Pikachu threatened to shock RP.


	17. Plans and Kidnappings

Hello again everyone. I hope you liked the previous chapter and sorry it's been such a while. Transitioning and all. Anyway, this chapter deals with plans and we also finally get the identity of the mentor revealed, although by now, I'm sure most everyone here knows who it is. lol As for the professor, I'm not revealing that yet, but maybe someone will guess…but I will not reveal that until much later on. Also, next chapter, Ash will finally battle against the Kage Island gym leaders, his urge to find Mewtwo leading him there, and the Rockets and Ash's friends will finally meet up. Oh, you also find out that Misty wasn't the only one to have a strange dream and that a couple of others ended up having out of the ordinary dreams as well.

Also, towards the end of this chapter a couple of characters do encounter some more of the Kage Island Pokémon.

Now, as always, I do not own anything dealing with the Pokémon franchise. Nintendo, 4Kids, Gamefreak, etc., have those rights, and here are the age reminders once again...

Ash/Duplica: 13  
>MistyTodd: 14  
>KenjiJen: 17 going on 18  
>Joya: 18<br>Brock: 19

Part 17: "What are we doing today?" Plans and Kidnappings…

Last time, everyone decided to head to bed, but Misty had an unusual dream that she just couldn't decipher. Also, the professor and his mentor brought up profiles on our heroes and are now targeting Duplica, Ash, Jen, and Todd. The mentor fears them for some reason that the professor still doesn't understand. Will they manage to remain safe?

Ash Title: Plans and Kidnappings…

Misty stretched as the sunlight shined into the room. She looked over to her side to see that Togepi was still snoozing softly. She smiled as she picked him up, cradling Togepi in her arms. Maybe she wouldn't have to go to the Pokémon Center after all. She put him down and glanced over at Duplica, who was still asleep. On the bedside table, the small digital clock read 07:30. Since it was early, Misty decided to go freshen up. She couldn't go back to sleep anyway. She had too many things on her mind, and her dream still bothered her.

After leaving the room, she decided on getting a drink, but didn't want to wake up anyone and headed downstairs on her own. Reaching the first floor of the spacious home, she noticed a figure with messy black hair, sitting on the couch of the living room.

"Hey Ash."

He turned to see Misty smiling down at him. "Oh, hey Mist."

She sat down next to him. "What are you doing up so early?"

"I didn't have a very comfortable sleep…thanks to Pikachu," he muttered, "and I had a strange dream."

"What kind of dream did you have and what did Pikachu do?"

"Never mind about Pikachu, but for my dream, the only people in it were me, you, and my Pokémon."

"What's so strange about you having a dream about your Pokémon, and one of your friends?" Misty felt herself blushing, wondering if it was a romantic dream about her and his Pokémon giving him courage to say something romantic.

"I challenged the Kage Island Gym…"

'I should've known…'

"…and I actually won the battle!"

"I still don't get what's so strange about that."

Ash explained to the water trainer about how there were four people: two gym leaders, girls, and two male assistants who seemed to keep to the shadows and how they all seemed familiar to him in some way or form. He also mentioned that they, like the cloaked guy they encountered back in Cerulean, did, indeed, have Pokémon that he'd never seen before nor could his Pokédex analyze them. "After winning and asking for the badge, the girls started acting strange, like Duplica's uncle and then I woke up."

"Yeah, that _is_ strange," Misty responded slowly, thinking back to the reoccurring dream she'd had most of the night.

"So why are you up? Couldn't fall back to sleep either?"

"Oh, was thirsty and wanted to freshen up."

"That makes sense. Better to do that before everyone else gets up."

Right at that moment, they thought they heard something. Rising from their seats, they looked up the stairs, seeing two shadowy figures tiptoeing around and suddenly bumping into one another. They decided to check it out and walked up the steps quietly. They saw that it was Brock and Kenji.

"Kenji?"

"Brock?"

"Why weren't you in bed? I was wondering where you were."

"Um, well…why weren't you in your bed?"

"Well, um…why weren't you!" Brock argued back pitifully.

"I just asked that, but if you must know," Kenji began defensively, "I grew bored and wanted someone to talk to and just couldn't sleep anyway. I went to talk with Jen-cha…san," he continued, his face growing neon pink. "I just fell asleep while I was there."

A sly grin spread on Brock's face while putting an arm around the boy's shoulder. "What'd you do while you were in her room? I bet you managed to get another kiss out of her, eh?" he nudged him.

"Wh-what about Joya-san! You obviously were there! What excuse did _you_ have for visiting her so late in the night?"

Ash and Misty sweat dropped. They _really_ didn't want to hear where this conversation could possibly lead, and tried to sneak back down the steps. Kenji, however, heard the step creak.

"Oh, Ash, Misty, how are you guys?" he asked nervously. "How'd you sleep last night?"

Brock let the younger boy go and crossed his arms. "We _all_ know how Kenji slept last night."

Kenji shot Brock a look. "_Nothing_ happened, Brock! I would never be that disrespectful!"

"Seriously? You're telling me you stayed in a girl's room all night with a girl who's obviously into you, and nothing happened?"

"Why do you care so much anyway? What did _you_ do, 'Mr. Experience'?"

"I don't have to answer that."

"Since you said it's so unusual, then I can say the same for you. Did you charm her with all your Pokémon Breeder talk that she just couldn't resist?"

Brock was about to retaliate to that remark, but Misty didn't give him the chance to. "Both of you be quiet!" Misty stared over at Brock, frowning. "Shame on you, Brock. If Kenji says he didn't do anything, then you should believe him. He's a decent person, and you are too…at least I always thought of you in that way. And as for a guy who doesn't do anything when sharing a room with a girl, isn't that unusual. I know a guy."

"Who?" asked Brock.

"Ash!" the girl announced proudly. "We share a room sometimes and he's never acted in such a way, so leave Kenji alone."

Ash didn't know whether or not to consider that a good thing or a bad thing since Misty had used him as the example, but kept quiet anyway. Right at that moment, they heard a door open, and someone yawning. They looked to see Joya exiting her room, rubbing her eyes.

"Hello everyone," she greeted them. "How are you all doing this beautiful morning?"

"Okay," everyone muttered.

"I hope you all managed to sleep well. Oh, Takeshi-san," she stifled back a yawn, "thank you for helping me last night. I was really grateful for your helping me sort out my medical books and for keeping me company since I couldn't sleep very well. Having someone outside of my classmates or my sister to discuss Pokémon illnesses and treatments with is very enlightening, especially since you're interested in Pokémon Breeding."

"So you guys talked all night?" Kenji asked, smirking at Brock, who was slightly blushing.

It was ironic, as he was very truthful in what he'd said earlier. He'd talkedwith Jen the majority of his time in her room. He'd taken Brock's advice to confront Jen about what had happened earlier (the kiss) and the strange feeling he had regarding her, who also confessed to him about those feelings. After the talk, the two felt even closer to one another and the two did end up sharing a mutual kiss this time, before falling asleep.

"Yes," she nodded, "we talked about quite a few things. We even went back over our plans for today."

"Yeah, we were just talking and I fell asleep in there," Brock finally admitted. "So, would you all like something for breakfast? I could prepare something."

"Shouldn't we wait for everyone else to wake up? I know Todd's still knocked out."

"Yeah, same with Duplica. When I left the room, she was still asleep."

"I guess you're right. It would be quite rude to start dining without everyone." She stretched again. "Today is so wonderful, and I can't wait to enjoy my day off."

"Day off?"

"Yes, Satoshi-kun. I thought we mentioned it, but neither Jen-chan nor I have any classes today, so we will spend it with you all."

"Oh yeah, you did mention that, but we wouldn't want to impose," Brock insisted, sounding remarkably like Kenji.

"Like we told you yesterday," she smiled sweetly, "we don't mind and we're ecstatic to do so. You all are friends and any friend of Imité-chan is a friend of ours."

"It's still really nice that you're doing this for us."

"It's no problem at all, Kenji-san. I was about to take a bath, given how early it was, unless either of you were in need of the washroom. We showed you both last night, the bigger one on this floor and the smaller one on the first floor. It was the idea of Laura-san to have the house designed this way, as she always preferred bathing in the morning as opposed to at night like the rest of us."

"No, no, go ahead," they all insisted.

"Are you sure? Have you all used the washroom. I know some of you did last night."

Brock grabbed the girl by her shoulders and pushed her along down the hall. "You've already shown your hospitality. Go ahead and take your bath. We'll be fine." Joya nodded and went back to her room to get her bathing materials. Brock returned to Ash and the others.

"So what are you two doing up?" Ash asked absentmindedly, as they all headed back down to the living room.

"I was actually heading to the washroom, until I bumped into Kenji, but since Joya-san is going to use the one upstairs, I'll just use the one down here." Ash and Misty sat on the couch. "I'll catch you guys later." Brock told them, but before leaving to do so, he apologized to Kenji, who in return, apologized to him.

Kenji sat in one of the arm chairs adjacent to the couch Ash and Misty were sitting on. "I didn't get much sleep last night," the artist admitted, his voice tired. The younger teens gave one another a look, wondering the same thing…if there was more to his visit with Jen than he'd originally let on. "I had an unusual dream."

"Oh…a dream," Misty said in a quirky voice.

Ash grinned at Misty's reaction. "Same for me. I had a weird dream about winning a battle against the gym leaders here on the island."

"I had a strange dream too, so I didn't get much rest either," Misty finally confessed. "What was your dream about Kenji?"

"I can't really explain it," he admitted, a puzzled look about his face. "You were in the dream, Misty, and so were Joya-san, Brock, Ash, and Duplica. The dream had something to do with fighting some weird looking monsters, and they weren't Pokémon or anything like that. I can't even describe them. It was like a weird RPG and all of us had some kind of a role. The strangest part was Jen-san and me. It felt that I was strongest in the battle with her by my side…like…like she was adding on to whatever strength I had. After I woke up, I couldn't help but think about that dream. I did eventually fall back to sleep, but I had the same dream again."

"That sounds a little bit like my dream and some of you were in it, sort of, and it did look like we'd been fighting against some shadowy type creatures…I think." She rose from her seat, not wanting to think about it. The dream still caused her to feel uneasy, not because of the shadowy creatures, but because of the two men whose faces she couldn't recall. "I'll go get dressed now."

"Alright," both boys replied as she left the room.

Once reaching the room, she went through the clothes Joya had lent her along with some of the clothes she'd picked up from Duplica's place. She put on a thick sweater and a pair of jeans.

After dressing, she looked herself over in the mirror, trying to decide on whether or not to wear her hair up or down and had settled on the latter. While brushing her hair gently, she noticed something from the corner of her eye. Duplica was twitching in her sleep. Misty put down her brush and rushed to her side, trying her best to awaken her.

"No!" Duplica screamed as she shot up, breathing unsteadily.

The shout had caused Togepi to finally wake up, and was now crying from the sudden scare. Misty picked up the small egg Pokémon and comforted him. "Don't worry, Togepi, she told him soothingly, "everything is okay. Mommy's here." Togepi's tears and frown vanished and was replaced by an energetic glee and a large smile. "Duplica, are you okay?"

"Y-yeah, I-I think so." She rubbed her brow with the back of her hand, wiping away beads of sweat. "I had a bad dream. I dreamt that my uncle and all of us were killed."

"That's horrible."

The young performer looked up at Misty, a hurt expression on her face. "The worst part of the dream was that you were the one responsible for our deaths."

"Wh-what? H-how?"

She looked back down, frowning slightly, trying to recall the events. "You didn't want to help us. You started to cry instead, then these scary-looking, monstrous creatures zapped us one by one. The monsters wanted to fight you but you refused and cried."

"Duplica, I would never-"

"I know Misty, I know," she interrupted, giving her a reassuring smile. "It was only a dream. I don't usually take dreams all that seriously anyway. You telling me about your dream about monsters or whatever it was, probably triggered the one I had." The girl rose from the bed and instinctively started to make it up. She also noted the time. It was after 8:00. "Since I'm up, I might as well get freshened up. Since there are so many of us here this time, I doubt the washrooms are free. Everyone was totally tired last night. I wonder if anyone bathed last night. I'll just go home."

"I'm not sure if Ash or Todd or Kenji has, but right now, Brock and Joya-san are using them."

"Yeah, thought so." She went over to where her clothes were laid out, and took out a Pokéball. "Come on out, Ditto." The pink blob emerged from the red and white sphere, with a loud, "Ditto". "Morning, Ditto. I hope you rested okay." Ditto nodded. "Would you mind teleporting me back home? I want to take a nice hot bath, but they're all occupied here. Do you have the energy to?"

"Ditto!"

"Alright! Transform into Kadabra!"

After transforming, he teleported Duplica back to her House of Imité, leaving Misty alone in the room with Togepi…  
>x x x x<br>Meanwhile, in the laboratory, only later that morning…

'I have tried to warn them over and over again, but it's not working!' Mewtwo had grown aggravated being stuck to the machinery, which was definitely interfering with his Telekenesis. 'Togepi definitely seems to be the only one who can fully receive my messages, but I sense that he's having trouble actually relaying the information.'

The Psychic Pokémon's thoughts were interrupted by the echoing of footsteps coming down the hall. He, as well as the other Pokémon forced into the same situation, which included a newly added Alakazaam, while growing malnourished in the process, recognized those footsteps instantly. It was the mentor of the professor, whose heart was colder than a Lapras' ice beam.

The man entered the room with a smile as he made his way over to the computer. "Let's see if altering that Alakazaam before turning in last night, will be of any use to me, starting with the Imité girl and her group. I know you'd only resist, Mewtwo. Now, Alakazaam, I have information on all of those brats and you've seen their photos, you know where they are currently staying, and I also passed along a lot of other information to you. Tell me what they'll be doing today. Form a psychic link with the Espeon I have stationed there."

The Alakazaam stared at the man coldly, whose grin was growing broader. "So you refuse?" The Pokémon remained quiet. The man pushed a button. It felt as if its energy was being extracted. "There, now tell me what I want to know!"

He tried to fight, but soon lost control of his mind and started to speak in a trance-like manner.

":The group plans to visit the Kage Island Gym, so that the one named Satoshi can battle for the Shadow Badge. It will not be long before the other two are free to help you seek out your revenge and take all of the jewels and precious metals that you seek hidden beneath the Earth's surface. You will also be able to fully gain the control of the Shadow Pokémon whose spirits have been awakened and been populating the island since the summoning of the three helpers."

"Very nice. Anything else I should know?"

Once again, the Alakazaam refused to talk. "Ugh, ugh, ugh," he tsked mockingly, wagging his index finger. He pushed the button again, causing the Pokémon to scream. All of the Pokémon hooked up to the machines, other than Mewtwo, turned their heads to avoid seeing their fellow Pokémon suffer. They had all suffered at the hands of this man, even though none of them had been experimented on, they _had_ been in its position. When that button was pushed, it was like a migraine headache, only 100x worse. How Mewtwo had been able to withstand it and fight against it for so long, was a mystery to the other Pokémon. Even now, he still resisted until he lost the energy to. "You are in no position to oppose me. For I am-"

"I see you're up, sir," a light, distinguished voice interrupted.

The man turned to see his assistant wearing a brown suit, enter the lab. "Yeah, I was testing out this Alakazaam I altered. It should be able to sense any unusual activity occurring on the island or surrounding it. It also can use foresight and predict the future somewhat."

"But how can you understand it? It's truly amazing that you have managed such a task. I'm still trying to figure out a way to communicate or understand Pokémon speech and the closest I've come is that communicator that can translate Poké-speech into human speech."

He pointed to his right ear. "That's what I'm using."

"Oh, the Pokémon Translator Professor Oak gave me. It's still a prototype though, and still buggy. Also, the alterations you made on this Alakazaam is also amazing. I still can't understand how you can do these things."

He waved him off and turned his attention back to the fatigued Pokémon. "Now, what else should I know?" He glared at it dangerously. "Do _not_ make me push this button again!"

The Alakazaam was reluctant, which caused him to push the button again. It was now smoking, and it felt as if its head was about to explode. Even the professor shuddered. No matter how much it tried to resist, this man seemed to have the upper hand. ":There are some visitors coming to the island. These people…are…suspicious over the missing trainers…:"

"What? Who are these people?"

"What's wrong, sir?"

"This thing says that someone is coming to the island by normal means because they're suspicious over the trainers that are here."

"You don't think it could be the Hanada sisters, do you? To my knowledge, they're the only ones who actually think something is going on here and Kasumi _is_ here."

"I doubt it. Why would they just randomly come now? Trainers have been flocking here for weeks. Alakazaam, how many are there?" It was hesitant to speak again, but the man just pushed the button. "You are my tool, my dear Alakazaam, You must learn to cooperate so that you won't get hurt," he laughed cruelly. It still remained quiet. Annoyed, the man went for the button.

"Sir, wait!"

"What?!"

"It's concentrating…you said you just altered it. It could be remaining quiet because it's trying to focus."

The other Pokémon looked at the professor, wondering if there was some good in him after all, or just his instincts kicking in.

"I suppose you're right. I guess it _is_ still getting used to its new enhanced abilities," he reluctantly agreed, his harsh voice softening a bit. "Tell me what I want to know or else I push the button again anyway."

":There seems to be five humans along with some Pokémon. There is…a small Pokémon that doesn't seem to be strong…almost like it never battles. The other Pokémon with them seems to be its own master, and does not seem to travel within the confinement of a Pokéball…"

"Sir, should we finally allow people to travel here by normal means? All of the trainers with good Pokémon are already here, battled the gym leaders, and are now locked away, other than the two trainers at the gym still under their trances."

"Yeah yeah, fine. You did an outstanding job keeping all of those Pokémon under control and monitoring these here. Let them come the normal way, unless…" he broke off, then went back to the Alakazaam, "do these people have any Psychic Pokémon or partial psychic types?"

":No sir. The only types these five have consist of…normal, fire, grass, rock/ground, and poison types.:"

He grumbled. "I don't know of anyone with those types of Pokémon right off. What breed are they?"

":I am sorry. I can only sense their types, not what they are. I cannot see them.:"

"I'm assuming that it's incapable of giving you that information." The man nodded. "I guess there are limitations to its altercation, sir."

"Seems like it. Can you tell me how many of each there are or anything about these humans? Do they have a connection to either me or the professor?"

The Alakazaam concentrated. The mentor remained patient this time, realizing that the professor was right. Its eyes were glowing and each time when he pushed the button, the Alakazaam's eyes had definitely been glowing…minus the first couple of times it had refused. ":The group doesn't seem to have any connection to the professor, but seems to know you well...deep in their subconscious. There is one fire type, two poison types, one grass type, four normal types, and one rock/ground type…but one seems to do everything on its own…and doesn't travel within the confines of a Pokéball."

"What did it say, sir?" the professor asked eagerly. He repeated what the Alakazaam had told him. "Shall I research and narrow it down to a group of people you once knew, sir?" The mentor began to chuckle lightly, which grew to that of boisterous, deranged laughter. "Sir?"

"Don't bother."

"But-"

"It mentioned that one of the Pokémon that they have doesn't stay in a Pokéball…almost like it's its own master. What Pokémon do we know of like that?"

The professor thought for a moment and then smiled, as it came to him. "Wait, that old Meowth you used to have that refused to evolve." He nodded. "Speaking of Persian, where's yours, Giovanni? I know you missed her while you were away."

"Of course, and I'm glad you managed to get her back for me. I left Persia asleep in my room. She was _much_ more faithful than that worthless Meowth _ever _was, despite his ability to speak in human tongue. I must thank you for taking care of her and keeping her out of sight from detectives and police officials. You even managed to stay under the radar."

"Well, it was quite easy and when your headquarters in Viridian was raided, I wasn't there and I also monitor the computers. I did my best to keep both our identities secret, but…the Hanada girl knew your face and most of the other Rocket members were quick to give you up for lighter sentences...and then there was that Growlithe and of course Mewtwo sharing what he knew and the control you had over him..."

"I guess it makes sense as you do lead a double life, just as I once did." He sat down. "So, it seems that those idiots Jessie and James are on their way here, but I don't understand why they'd show concern for these trainers. Last I'd heard, both were doing quite well."

"It does seem that way, sir, but I do not recall either of them having grass, fire, or ground/rock types. Could the other three humans with them have those types?"

"That would be my guess, unless the grass type mentioned was that Victreebell that incompetent James stole for me! That was _not_ one of the choice Pokémon I had in mind!" his voice roared. "We should give a special welcoming for our three traitors and the other three humans with them, whoever they may be. Also lower all the barriers and I'm sure you restored all the memories of the Pokémon officials and Oak by now."

"Yes sir, and as for the trainers, we have all of them, like I mentioned earlier, except for those who came here with Satoshi. I will keep the ones we have as helpers under hypnosis and return the memories of the others."

"Okay, but I still want them to suffer first, especially that cap boy and the redhead who helped to get me put away." He glowered over towards Mewtwo. He knew this was driving the Pokémon mad. "Besides, if he _is_ planning on challenging the gym leaders, it may turn out to be more helpful than even I realized. The two girls are my containers and my helpers will soon come to me…

"Just think, I found those two girls in Masara doing practically nothing. I thank you for getting them for me. I think one was interested in Pokémon Breeding, I don't remember what the other girl was interested in. As for the two boys at the gym, they are excellent trainers."

"Why exactly did you do that? Why have the less experienced ones run the gym as the leaders, while the actual trainers are only their assistants?"

"I used the girls as my containers because I wanted them to get easily beaten. I want that Pikachu owning idiot to win. From what those idiots have told me, that boy with the electric rat is actually a halfway decent trainer. When my containers are emptied, we'll toss them and the assistants down with the others, which will definitely be soon."

"Yes sir, and I suppose I can also disconnect the port connected to the other Psychic Pokémon in the other room forming the barrier around the island?"

"Yes, I think we've blocked off everyone long enough. At least now, people will actually view the island as opposed to seeing fog or some other type of obstacle and those that continued ran into the barrier. Also, I want you to send one of these Pokémon out to do a favor for me…"

He explained his plan. The professor nodded and left the room…  
>x x x x<br>Back at Jen and Joya's place, everyone was up and about, sitting down to breakfast, round about the same time as the Giovanni and the professor were in the lab…

"So, what's up for today?" Todd asked before gulping down some juice.

"Well, I'm going to the gym and then I'm going to look around for Mewtwo. Who knows, maybe the gym leader can help or give me some tips."

"You know, maybe you should go to the police about Mewtwo," suggested Jen.

"Nah, I'll look for him first and then if I can't find him anyplace around here, then I'll do that."

"Going to the gym is okay and all, but you didn't catch any new Pokémon," Todd pointed out.

"I'm not worried about that. I'm going to stick with the ones I have. I have faith in my Pokémon. If they can manage to defeat the gym leader, then they're a lot stronger than even I knew."

"But what if they don't?" asked Duplica.

"Then I'll rethink my strategy based on the battling style of the gym leader, which was my original plan any…" the boy suddenly held his head.

"What's wrong?" asked Todd.

"I don't know...felt like…no…I can't explain it. It's almost like someone was picking my brain or something…but that's just weird."

The others gave the boy a look, but before they could respond, Brock and Kenji entered the room with some trays holding food and various containers. "Breakfast!" both announced while serving everyone.

The meal was a simple one, which consisted of toast (with the choice of marmalade or honey), special breakfast onigiri (which Brock prepared, his own personal recipe and creation), scrambled eggs, and Kenji prepared some of his very tasty fruit sandwiches. He'd learned from Jen, that she really enjoyed them and was compelled to make some. He was lucky that they had such exotic fruits and the ingredients needed to prepare them.

Everyone complimented and thanked the two for their meal preparations.

After breakfast, Ash explained to the two older boys what he'd planned for the day.

"I don't know, Ash; I still say you should probably use a more rare Pokémon to battle with," Kenji wisely input. "Since we've been here, I've only managed to sketch two of them. There don't seem to be any others wandering around."

"But, using his own Pokémon may be a good experience for them and even if they do lose the battle, Ash can learn as well," Brock explained.

"Yeah, but…I'm just thinking back to that earlier battle…" Kenji said. "I hope it won't be like that for him."

"Speaking of unusual Pokémon, I wish I could get some more photos of them to send back to the magazine and paper."

"It doesn't matter to me what you guys think," Ash said in a calm voice while standing up, Pikachu by his side. He put on his cap. "I'm going to the gym now." He refused to be deterred. 'I know the others aren't worried, but Mewtwo's in trouble. I just know it and I truly feel that the gym will have all of the answers. Even for my dream, Mewtwo was on my mind...like he was close by...'

"Ash, wait up!"

"What is it, Misty? Want to go with me?"

"Yeah, let's go!" she replied back with an encouraging smile. "You actually _thought_ I wouldn't?"

"Okay, come on then." He turned to the Pokémon Watcher. "Aren't you coming along too, Kenji?" he asked. 'We're all supposed to distract him today until this evening.'

"Oh, I'm sorry, Ash. I'm going to spend the day with Jen-san. She invited me to sightsee with her."

"Brock?" He was distracted by Joya at the moment, giving the girl a lovestruck look. "Brock?" He still ignored the boy. Ash took out a megaphone, and shouted at the top of his lungs, "BROCK!"

This got his attention quite well, as it caused him to nearly jump from out of his seat. "Huh, what?"

Ash put away the megaphone. "Are you coming with me to the gym?"

"Oh, sorry Ash, no can do. I'm going to be spending it with Joya-san today. We have stuff to do. We'll meet up later."

'I guess they're gathering things for the party,' Ash concluded. "Okay."

"If you two don't mind, I'll come by the gym later. I wanted to head into town for a few supplies."

"No problem, Todd."

"Toru-kun, you should head straight to the hospital to make sure your head injury is okay."

"I actually feel fine, and I answered your questions before breakfast with no problem. The rest last night actually helped...somewhat…" Todd cut Pikachu a look who was suddenly distracted by a dust bunny.

"I can't force you to go, I suppose, but please do. Just mention that you know me or Laura-san."

"Okay, after I shop and go to the gym, I'll go. I promise."

Joya sighed out in relief. "Thank you."

"Hey, what about you, Duplica? Want to come with us to the gym?"

"I'm actually still a little sleepy, Misty. I'm going to take a nap, but I could meet up with you guys later and I could also get some things done around here." Duplica stood up. "Good luck with your battle, *Sato-chan," she teased with a wink.

"Um, erm…yeah, thanks Duplica."

Everyone else also wished the boy luck. Duplica headed back to the room to rest, while the others went out to attend to their plans for the day…  
>x x x x<br>With a bit of luck, Todd had managed to get around the town quite easily, thanks to his knowledge of different languages, not that it mattered all that much. Everyone seemed to know Japanese fine.

He'd parted ways with Ash and Misty, and told them that he wanted to check out a camera shop and look for a gift for Kenji before going to the gym. He wasn't all that enthusasiastic over going, though. Ash was anxious to head to the gym. Misty noted to herself that the dream the boy had had, had fired him up.

'Let's see, if I were a rare Pokémon, where would I be…' He gazed off into the distance, '…besides the mountains…'

His thoughts were soon broken by that of his phone. He pulled out the pocket-sized video phone from his pocket.

"Hola; habla Toru aquí," he answered without realizing it. 'I've been here too long,' he inwardly muttered. "I mean, hello, this is Todd," he translated in slight annoyance of himself. He was growing anxious, as he really wanted to find some more Pokémon to photograph. The gym was going to be a last resort. "What can I do for you?"

The video cleared, and a heavy set man with dark brown hair appeared on the small screen. Todd couldn't help but cringe at the sight of this porky man.

The man scoffed, his chunky face red in what seemed to be anger, which wasn't a surprise to the young photographer. "What can you _do_ for me?! You have a lot of nerve!"

"Mr. Kaneko?" This was the editor and photo editor for the magazine Todd worked for.

"Where _are_ you?" the man demanded of him. He looked about ready to pop. "Are you _still_ on vacation?!" He didn't give the photographer the chance to answer. "Your vacation ended two days ago!"

"I'm on Lost Kage Island, sir. I just got here yesterday."

"And _why_ are you there exactly?"

"Mr. Kaneko," Todd was trying his best to keep his cool, "you told me to come here to get some photos of the Pokémon here on this island…Shadow Pokémon. I just discussed this with you _yes_ter-"

"You _idiot_!" the man yelled, his harsh voice echoing. "I didn't tell you anything like that! There are no such things as Shadow Pokémon! Besides, they all died off centuries ago, and there's no definitive proof that they ever existed at all. It's all speculation," the man seethed, his nostrils flaring. "Shadow Pokémon were special dual types that seemed crossbred with other Pokémon…like how a Pokémon could specialize in water, but at the same time, fire that supposedly predates Mew.

"They all started to die off, but when they bred, the Pokémon they had were only of one specific or predominant type. Only their descendants, if it's true, roam the planet today, you stupid moron! Why would you seek out something that doesn't exist? I wanted you to go to Indigo Island for a photo of the Flame of Moltres and of the different Pokémon being used by the early bird trainers for our special issue on the league games!"

Todd had grown to know that his boss had an extremely bad temper, and he was trying his best to keep from losing his, which hadn't been easy to do in general lately. The boy also knew of his boss' true disdain and dislike towards him. Lately, the assignments he'd been forced to take on, hadn't been ones of enjoyment.

Todd enjoyed going out into the wild, witnessing Pokémon in their natural habitats, doing whatever it was they did in nature, not at some Pokémon show or even a Pokémon League competition. Those, to him, were extremely boring and lacked creativity and inspiration.

When he'd come across the Articuno while in the mountains, that he later gave to Ash and Misty, he was only on that assignment because of his cranky boss' daughter, and Assistant Editor, Kaneko Sara, taking over since her father was sick. The woman knew how skilled and talented he was whenever it came to wildlife photos, sent him out on assignment to get some photos of Pokémon residing in the mountains.

"Sir," he kept telling himself to keep cool, and also felt his headache coming back from the previous night, "no, you didn't."

"Are you insinuating that I'm a liar?"

"No sir. Of course not," Todd replied obediently, a gloomy look about his face.

"I doubt you can get back by the end of today, so I want you here first thing tomorrow! I want you to get set up to go to Indigo Plateau and check out the different trainers!" A cruel smile appeared on the fat man's face, which was a bit difficult to distinguish since his double chins made up his entire lower face. "You are only on that island to goof off to prolong your time off! If you keep this up, I _will_ dock your pay!" Todd knew that this man would find any excuse to cut his pay, and this would've definitely sufficed.

"Yes sir."

"Good."

"_damn bastard_," Todd mumbled under his breath while rolling his eyes.

"Did you say something?" Todd shook his head. "You better not have! I can't believe you'd try to pull this kind of BS and trying to pass off your incompetence as a mistake of mine! _Why_ would I tell you go there?"

"I don't know, sir. I'm sorry for making the mistake and inconveniencing you. I will never make this type of mistake again." The man, to Todd, seemed to be enjoying his groveling way too much. His grin had even started to widen, which annoyed him tremendously.

"It better not!"

The screen went black and Todd was now able to relax. He wasn't sure how much longer he could put up with his boss and how much longer he could keep his temper in general with him, but at the same time, he was slightly confused. 'Why would he insist I come here and then change like that? I also still wonder what he has against me…but he disliked me even be_fore_ that disagreement we had a few weeks ago. At least before then, he gave me halfway decent assignments, but now since that dislike has turned to complete loathing, he's giving me these stupid, lame assignments!

'Why couldn't he be more reasonable, like his daughter? At least _she's_ kind, sweet, caring, and an actual friend.' His mood completely shot, he sighed. 'I guess I could head over to the gym since the gym leaders will probably have some unusual Pokémon, but since I'm still here in town, I should shop for Kenji's gift now.'

Todd came across an art supply store and bought Kenji a new set of special pencils made specifically for scientific sketches and a brand new state-of-the-art sketchpad, where the sheets of paper were made to leave no smudges when erasing. Next on his agenda was to find him a birthday card. He asked the shop keeper where he could go, and the keeper pointed him to a store called _Pok__émark. _He picked out a card, signed it and sealed it. He also picked up gift bag for the items and then carefully stuffed that into his backpack.

The boy started off towards the direction of the gym, cutting through an alley, according to the map he'd printed out from the previous night, but he didn't get too far. Something jumped him from behind, causing him to fall. It felt like a powerful headbutt. Todd stood up and turned to see a dark, shadowy, purplish Pokémon. He looked puzzled, as he'd never seen anything quite like it before. This Pokémon was at least the size of a Growlithe, but something about it reminded him of a Flareon. This creature also had a bright jewel located in the center of its forehead and its color reminded Todd of a dark-shade of Starmie.

"Flamie!" it chanted, looking as if it were about to attack.

Todd didn't know what to do, although instinctively, he was about to go for his camera. This Pokémon was too quick for him, though. It shot a strange beam of water from the jewel, which felt like boiling water. The feeling was awful, and he fell back down to the ground.

The photographer didn't know why, but he felt unusually drained from the scorching water beam, and began to twitch from his spot uncontrollably.

The next thing Todd knew, he felt himself being dragged off by the large Pokémon, and everything going black…  
>x x x x<br>Duplica awoke, well-rested and refreshed. She hopped from the bed to go see if Brock and Joya were around so she could start helping with the preparations for Kenji's surprise gathering. Everyone already knew what time to return…18:00 (6:00). Jen had her work cut out for her to keep Kenji distracted that long.

While she was asleep, she did end up having the same strange dream again, but tried her best to shrug it off. Unfortunately, there was something irking her this time around…like the dream could've actually meant something or that something was going to happen, but whatever it meant, she truly sensed that Todd would be connected with it and gave her an unsettling feeling of worry regarding him. 'Nah, I'm just being paranoid and unreasonable,' she told herself as she headed downstairs. 'Why in the world am I even thinking about Camera Boy anyway?'

She searched part of the house to find that neither Brock nor Joya were around. Unsure of what to do exactly, other than decorate, she headed to the kitchen for a drink. When she entered the kitchen, she saw a familiar figure with dark brown hair hanging loosely down her back, preparing a cup of coffee and also nibbling on a piece of toast and marmalade.

Startled, the person turned to Duplica and smiled. "Hey there, cuz."

"You're back!" Duplica rushed to the girl and hugged Laura, who didn't return the hug right away. When she did, it was a bit lackluster, but Duplica was much too glad to see her there to care. "Where are Brock and Joya-neesan? They're supposed to be here."

"They, along with Kenji-san and Jen-chan all went to the gym to cheer on your friend."

"Together?" She nodded, a stoic expression replacing her smile. "But those two are supposed to help decorate and I was going to help and…" her cheeks went slightly red, her voice growing shy, "…I was hoping Todd was okay after last night and that he'd help us too."

"He's probably fine, so don't worry about him or the others so much."

"If you say so. Anyway, what are you doing here? I thought you would've been at the hospital."

"No, I have the afternoon off. I have to work the night shift," she answered dully.

Duplica didn't know what to make of the woman's dull tone and somewhat deadpan attitude. Was work getting to her? "That's good. Maybe you can stay around for the party."

Laura put down her cup of coffee and tossed out her half-eaten slice of marmalade and toast. "Let's go out for a while. Joya-chan, Jen-chan, and your other friends have moved the party elsewhere. That's why Takeshi-san and Joya-chan left. They're going to meet you there. They told me you were asleep and for me to take you there. They didn't want to wake you up."

"Okay…" Something didn't feel right, figuring she was still a bit uneasy from her dream, but still found her cousin's lack of energy or emotion in her way of speaking strange. She almost sounded like a robot to her…like she was being programmed to speak in such a way which completely put her off from discussing their uncle for the time being. 'Probably nothing…'

The two bundled up and put on their coats, scarves, gloves, and hats.

"Okay, let's go." Laura opened the door, leading Duplica out. After closing the door, she shivered. "It's really nice today, isn't it?"

"It's better than it was yesterday," she shook. It was breezy.

"That's good." A small devious smile appeared on her face as she suddenly pulled out a Pokéball. "Chitto, get her!"

"What? Chitto?"

A strange-looking Pokémon popped from out of the sphere, chanting the name, "Chitto".

"Wh-what _is_ that?"

Duplica backed away from her cousin, astonished that she'd called out such a strange Pokémon to go after her. Before she could call out her Ditto to help, the Pokémon used "Headbutt", right in her stomach, knocking the wind out of her. She fell the ground, wheezing from the hard hit.

The Pokémon then looked over her. Duplica looked up weakly at it. It was about the size of a Charmeleon, its skin was a dark-shade of pink, and the texture looked almost gummy-like.

The next thing Duplica knew, it shot out a streak of black electricity from its mouth. This caused the girl to scream in agonizing pain, her body growing weak from such an attack. The Pokémon ceased its assault. Duplica felt her eyes closing, due to the loss of energy.

The last thing the girl heard before falling completely unconscious was the uncharacteristic, cruel laughter of Laura. "I've done my bidding, master! I have captured one of them for you!"

"L-Laura…" Duplica managed to get out before finally losing consciousness…  
>x x x x<p>

Author's Note

Note 1: I wanted an excuse to finally use this. In the dub, she referred to Ash teasingly as "Ashie Boy". For the original, Imité referred to Satoshi as "Sato-chan", much to his dislike, but he ignored it later on.  
>x x x<p>

Fic Chapter Changes

Originally, I had Ash explain his dream more thoroughly, which covered half of the battle that he will inevitably have later. I decided to drop it since it seemed drawn out and pointless for him to give the play by play, so the battle will be rewritten. Instead of only half the battle being shown, I'll try my best to write out the entire battle. Originally, the battle at the gym only focused on the second half and the other reason I did it that way was because of my never being all that good at writing out battle sequences.

The entire exchange between Brock and Kenji was changed. Both, originally, were literally arguing because they were caught and embarrassed. I even had Kenji accusing Joya of "bad judgment" if she allowed her self to be charmed by Brock, but regretted saying it because Joya is a nice person and he'd technically just insulted her character and intelligence. Brock took offense to this and was about to say something, but Misty stopped them from speaking any further.

I had Joya get on Todd about going to the doctor to get checked out. Originally, I'd forgotten about doing that or even having it addressed at all. lol

I changed where Todd was attacked by the strange Pokémon.


	18. Mysterious Leaders

Hello again everyone. I hope you liked the previous chapter. Well, the wait is over and we will now see Ash battle for the Shadow Badge! I just thought I'd apologize ahead of time for this. I'm just not very good at writing out battle sequences, so I'm a bit disappointed with what I came up with, which is why this story isn't classified as action and why it's part - ok, mostly - fantasy. Either way, please let me know what you think. Also, the Rockets will definitely meet up with the twerps this chapter, which is why the Rockets' age info is included, although, the only ones to appear for this chapter are the former Rockets, Ash, and Misty.

Now, as always, I do not own anything dealing with the Pokémon franchise. Nintendo, 4Kids, Gamefreak, etc., have those rights, and here are the age reminders once again...

Ash/Duplica: 13  
>MistyTodd: 14  
>KenjiJen: 17 going on 18  
>Joya: 18<br>Brock/Mondo: 19  
>Jessie: 22<br>James/Cassidy/Butch: 23

Part 18: "You can do it! I believe in you!" Mysterious Leaders and Badges…

Last time, everyone had their agendas set to prepare for Kenji's birthday and Ash decided to go to the gym after all, not only to challenge it, but because something was attracting him there. While shopping, Todd was attacked by a strange Pokémon and Duplica was lured out by her cousin and attacked as well. Meanwhile, the Rockets are on their way to the island and Giovanni is well-aware of this, but will they be free of his wrath? Will Ash manage to get the badge at the gym?

Ash Title: Mysterious Leaders and Badges…

"That was a nice ride, outside of that strange bout of airsickness we all seemed to get," Cassidy said as she stepped off the plane at the Imité Kage Airport.

"At least it didn't last long," James mentioned with a sneeze.

"Yeah, but it was still a strange feeling...like my brain was being picked," Butch said.

"Well. we're here and that's all that matters," Cassidy plainly stated. "Oh yeah, it was also nice that we got to Cerulean so quickly."

"Too bad we couldn't get to the island yesterday like originally planned. They cancelled all flights going to the island and then they suddenly called up and said they had a flight going out this morning," Mondo pointed out. "But either way, taking a jet to Cerulean was awesome! I'd never flown in a jet before!"

After arriving at the Cerulean airport, their connecting flight was cancelled, so they took the next one the following morning, first class, of course via James and because of the inconvenience to them. The group had just hung around Cerulean and stayed in a hotel.

The group gathered their luggage and stepped outside. Cassidy was quite steamed at the sight. "What kind of weather is this?!" Cassidy shivered, a snowflake falling atop her head. "It's _free_zing out here, and all of the clothes I packed are for tropical weather. Isn't the weather during this time of the year tropical like?"

"It's supposed to be. That's what I read when looking up information on this place," Mondo explained.

"It's not supposed to snow at dis time of da year," Meowth complained with a sneeze. "What kind of place _is_ dis, anyway?"

The others felt the same way, outside of Jessie. She started dancing around.

"Snow snow, I love it so! Snow snow, I love it so!" she laughed playfully as she caught a snowflake on her tongue.

"Not again," Meowth muttered with a sweatdrop.

Butch stared at Jessie like she was crazy. He'd never seen her act so carefree. "So…I guess she really likes the snow…"

James sighed sadly. "It's a _long_ story."

"As far back as I can remember," Cassidy reminisced, "she always seemed to like the snow, but I never knew why."

"This is a bit strange," James ignored Jessie who was now making a small miniature snowman, "but we should go shopping for some warmer clothes."

Getting Jessie's attention, the group decided to find a hotel first. Once settled there, they went out shopping for warmer clothing and all were glad that the sun had come out, but it was still chilly out. Once done, since there wasn't much else to do, they decided to explore the town and see if anyone knew about the trainers and also to get a quick bite.

"The food at that café we just came from was pretty good," Mondo said while rubbing his tummy, "but no one knew what we were talking about when we asked about the Pokémon League participants."

"Where should we go now?" Butch asked. "It's a bit weird around here, with all these different languages."

"Didn't you guys mention something about a gym being here?"

Cassidy nodded to Jessie. "Yeah, there's supposed to be. Maybe if we go there, the gym leader can tell us what's going on and then maybe we can let Mr. Goodshow know about it."

"Dats nice and all, but _how_ do we get there?"

"We could just ask for directions or pick up a map," Mondo suggested.

The group decided to just ask for directions from one of the townspeople. The person looked confused when they asked, but soon figured out what they wanted and pointed them in the right direction.

"That's one strange-looking gym," Butch noted. The building seemed to resemble an old haunted house than an actual gym.

"So," James started, his voice quivering some, "want to come back later?" He wasn't going to stick around if he didn't have to. This place just gave off a very creepy vibe.

"Hey, look," Mondo pointed. He noticed a couple walking by, only they were a good distance away from them. "Isn't that Ash?"

"Yeah, along with that redheaded twerp…erm…Misty," Jessie added.

"Why don't we go surprise them?" Mondo proposed, excitement in his voice. "I bet he's going to battle the gym leader! We could probably watch without interfering."

They all agreed, and kept a distance behind the two, entering the big, disturbing looking building…  
>x x x x<br>Ash and Misty made their way down a long, dimly lit corridor. There were other paths one could take, like one that led to possibly the second floor, but both felt it would be best to just go straight ahead. There was something eerie about this place…almost like when they'd gone to the Saffron City Gym the first time.

Once reaching a sliding door, Ash gulped a bit as he slid it open, Misty, Togepi, and Pikcahu slightly behind him.

The arena to this gym was unlike one they'd ever seen. There were a multitude of windows, but they all had battered dark curtains drawn over them, blocking out the main source of light. There were a few dimly lit candles in torches mounted to the walls, and everything here looked to be centuries old. Misty wondered if this place had any electricity at all. The floor of the gym was wooden and unusually slick, where the reflections of the lit torches could be seen crystal clearly, as if the floor was really an unpolluted tan-colored lake.

On the opposite side of the arena, there looked to be a stage. Four people were seated there. Due to how dark it was, it was very difficult to distinguish one from the other, especially with the looming shadows that seemed to hang over them.

"I would like to challenge the gym leader to a match!" Ash called out. 'This feeling is overwhelming...Mewtwo...my friend...why do I feel like you're connected to this place...almost like you're here?'

One of the figures eerily rose from her seat and walked slowly forward, the shadows of the gym seeming to hide her presumably beautiful face. The lady wore a white midriff, which they all found unusual, given the cold chill this gym had, a short close-fitting dark-blue skirt along with white heels. Though it was difficult to see, she also had long flowing violet locks. "Hm, what a pathetic looking boy," she replied in a dull voice.

One of the other figures rose and joined the woman. She was easier to make out, as her skin was pearly white. She had a sickly grin plastered to her face. Her long, stringy red hair was tied back into a single ponytail, some of her long hair hanging down in spiral curls on the sides, which made her look as if she were glowing. She too wore a midriff, only it was an aqua-marine blue, and she wore a pair of long bright white shorts and a pair of white heels. It was like staring at a specter.

"Yeah, he doesn't look like he'll be a challenge at all." The second girl crossed her arms, cutting Ash a look. "What Pokémon do you have that's actually worthy enough for ours to take on?"

"Oh, and the limit will be two Pokémon, which means you'll have to battle both of us. We're the gym leaders."

The second girl chuckled. "We will use one each. Make sure you choose your Pokémon wisely. No substitutions after the match has commenced."

Based on the dream he'd had, he decided to stick to that. He'd been replaying portions of his dream in his mind multiple times since he'd made up his mind to challenge the gym. Ash called out Bulbasaur.

The remaining two figures way in the back, seemed to be monitoring the match. The first, and shorter of the two, laughed loudly. "A puny _Bulba_saur? This guy really _is_ pathetic!"

To both Ash and Misty, the laugh of the one ridiculing seemed very familiar to them. 'I know him,' Misty thought, trying to make the boy out.

Ash, growing tired of this group, told them, "I'm ready and so is Bulbasaur! Are we going to battle or are you going to stand there talking all day?"

"I've never met anyone so eager to lose before," the second girl commented blandly as she stood back to let her partner battle.

The boy from the back was, once again, laughing over Ash's eagerness.

The first girl held up a Pokéball. "Okay, fine, let's battle," she told him in monotone. "Since you called out Bulbasaur, I shall call out…Chitozen!"

The Pokémon to emerge was the same exact one Ash had dreamed. It stood on all fours and it had dark brown fur. Its eyes were an icy color and the tail was short and fuzzy. It was about the size of an Eevee.

"Chitozen, go! Tackle!"

"Bulbasaur, dodge it and use Leech Seed!"

The plant did as instructed and managed to barely dodge the strange Pokémon's tackle, but when trying to leech it, the girl had ordered her Pokémon to use agility, increasing its speed tremendously. It also used the shadows that the gym was casting out to its advantage, also causing Bulbasaur's accuracy to drop.

No matter what Ash commanded of Bulbasaur, it seemed like the strange Pokémon had the upper hand. Even when Bulbasaur tried Razor Leaf and Vine Whip, the Pokémon still managed to avoid the attacks, as, like the entire battle, it had definitely been using the gym to its advantage and there _was_ the fact that its agility and speed were quite high.

Desperate, hoping it would throw the Pokémon and the Gym Leader off, Ash instructed, "Bulbasaur, Lunar Beam Reserve!"

"Bulba!"

'Lunar Beam Reserve?' Misty wondered in thought. 'He trained Bulbasaur to use such an attack? Why bother getting new Pokémon to train if he's been powering up Bulbasaur so much?'

Ash wanted Bulbasaur to use Lunar Beam during the day, but knew it wasn't likely that he'd ever get to show off that move. He would use any power he would've used from his most current Lunar Beam. He knew it'd confuse his fellow trainers. The small, milky white beam hit the Chitozen head on, but it didn't do anything to it. It had taken a little damage, but nothing worth talking about.

Bulbasaur was really tired by this point, but definitely wanted to keep fighting, despite Ash wanting to recall him. Bulbasaur shook his head, while standing in his spot shakily, the gym leader, her partner, and her assistants mocking Ash from behind her. The young trainer from Pallet noticed a small ray of sunglight, shining into the dark room. It wasn't much, but Bulbasaur gave Ash a look. He understood his Pokémon companion's feeling and left him to it.

The Chitozen started towards Bulbasaur again, going in for a bite attack, Bulbasaur continued to dodge. He just needed time to execute his infamous Solar Beam. "Evade!" Ash told him. At this point, the boy figured battling defensively would work best. The Chitozen had stopped using the shadows and seemed to be frustrated that it couldn't land hits on Bulbasaur. Ash saw a chance, "Bulbasaur, wrap it, now!"

Bulbasaur wrapped his vines around the Pokémon, and finally had an opportunity to power up. He took in the small beam of light, while keeping the Pokémon tied in place. The gym leader was trying to figure out what to do, and only stuttered out, "Break out of that! Slash attack!"

It slashed at the vines, which caused Bulbasaur to give way, thus freeing the Pokémon, but it didn't matter at this point. He'd taken in enough energy and executed "Solar Beam". The Chitozen tried to block it, as it shielded itself, but it was of no use. The shadowy creature fell to the ground, knocked out. The Solar Beam was a success.

"It-it can't be," the second gym leader cried, "how could Chitozen faint!"

The two assistants, who were still far in the back, looked to be discussing something, their voices hushed and low. The first girl growled lightly, her left fist clenched. "How _dare_ you defeat my Chitozen!"

"Don't worry," the second girl stared over at Ash, a dangerous glint in her eyes and a Pokéball in hand, "I'll beat him with my Kagezu."

A Pokémon emerged. It was a very dark blood-red color, and the scaly skin it had reminded Ash of a Charmander or any other reptilian like Pokémon, also the way it stood reminded him of Charmander. It also had two small wings on its back…maybe the size of a Zubat's. They were definitely too small for its body, and there was no way these wings were meant for flying. The trainer wasn't sure what type it was, but he had a battle plan already in mind.

Before the battle could even begin, the second guy stood, and walked over to the second girl. He wore a brown cloak; underneath he wore baggy black jeans, a skin-tight black muscle shirt, and black sneakers. The shadows covered his face well, especially with the cloak. He looked to be about the same age as the two girls; late teens, maybe.

"Why not let _me_ battle him?" An estranged smile spread across his face as he looked over in their direction. "I find it _fun_ to battle," he stated eerily.

Misty felt a slight uneasiness when that person looked in her and Ash's direction, as it was quite familiar to her.

"You already had your chance," the second girl snapped, "it's my turn now."

The first guy, who had been laughing earlier, rushed up to the group. Even _his_ face was obscured and indistinguishable due to the shadows. It almost seemed like these four truly wanted to keep their identities a secret, as they would only come within a certain distance of them. He was wearing a long-sleeved black sweatshirt with a hood, which was drawn, a pair of loose grey pants, and white sneakers. "Yeah, if _any_one should have a go at that loser, it _ought_ to be me!" the youngest of them protested stubbornly, yet unsurely. He had no idea why he felt inclined to challenge this trainer. "My Pokémon would be perfect! It has one powerful Flame Tackle attack!"

"No!" the first girl argued back. "_We're_ the gym leaders; you two are here to assist us, and we do not require your assistance at the moment."

"She's right. We have more of a reason to battle the trainers and besides, we let you guys battle yesterday and the day before that, and it displeased our superior."

The second guy, who had seemed calm and collected the entire time grew rather annoyed. "Fine, battle for all I care."

"Good, now go back to your seats," the second girl commanded.

"Since I can't convince you to let me battle in your place, use one of my Pokémon." He pulled out a monster ball and tossed it. She caught it in her small hands. "Michu is more powerful and skilled than your Kagezu, and can blow that plant away with probably only one hit!" He laughed, giving Ash a look. "_I _would know."

"Aw man," the younger one muttered in disappointment, "I wanted to battle that guy…I just know it was meant for me to…"

The two made their ways back to their seats, while the first girl stuck by her partner. "Fine," she huffed. "Kagezu, return! Michu, it's time for a battle."

"Hm, I had a feeling you were going to use a Michu!" Ash stated triumphantly. 'There was one in my dream, but that Kagezu thing was too…I was going to use Squirtle against it…'

"Oh, so you _know_ you're going to lose?" She looked down at the Pokémon. "Michu, it's time to teach this kid a lesson and knock him down a peg!"

Michu nodded, ready for battle…  
>x x x x<br>Meanwhile, in the hall…

"What a strange and unusual gym," Mondo commented while squinting. "We actually managed to get lost, and were we su_pposed_ to climb that stairway?"

"I wonder why dis gym is so dark and seemingly empty," Meowth said to no one in particular.

James, along with his Growlithe, who was leading, replied, "It would make sense to go to the second floor. There has to be an observation deck someplace. We could hear the battle going on, but seems things have settled down now."

"I can't believe we ended up lost," Cassidy muttered.

"You guys picked up on dat Pikachu kid's bad sense of direction," Meowth uttered under his breath.

The group continued walking down the corridor until they came to a sliding door. They peaked through it to see a platform. They entered and realized they were in the observation area. They looked over the rail to see Ash, Misty, Togepi, and Pikachu; Ash was about to battle a Pokémon that neither of them had ever seen before.

"What da heck is dat?!" Meowth asked in alarm.

"You're a Pokémon and _you_ don't know?" Cassidy asked in disbelief.

":I don't know what it is either.:" James' Growlithe barked softly in confusion while shaking his head.

"I don't think Growlie knows what it is either."

"No, he doesn't," Meowth quickly relayed. A sneaky grin appeared on the feline-Pokémon's furry face. "That's one _rare _and unusual Pokémon." He pulled out a net. "Let's capture it for da boss!"

Both Jessie and James smacked Meowth back to reality.

"Meowth…"

"…stop being an idiot!" Jessie screeched.

"We don't work for Team Rocket anymore!"

Meowth shuddered from the twos' outburst. "Oh yeah, I forgot." He put the net away, and laughed sheepishly. "I guess some old habits are hard to break," he paused briefly, and suddenly grew angry, "and _so_ is this!" He jumped up and slashed the two in the face. "Don't you _ever_ hit Meowth again!"

Jessie began to twitch, fire surrounding her. "Why you _rotten_ little alley cat!" She pulled out a mallet and smashed Meowth into the floor. "Don't you _ever_ touch my beautiful face again, or I _will_ hurt you!"

"Um guys," Butch began, "we don't want to draw any attention, so we better keep quiet if we don't want them to see us."

Jessie and Meowth calmed down, and continued to watch the match, glad that they hadn't been heard, much to Butch, Cassidy, and Mondo's surprise…  
>x x x x<br>"Bulbasaur, are you sure you want to keep going? I could call you back and let you rest up."

Bulbasaur shook his head mulishly. ":No, I want my revenge for losing earlier!:"

"If you really want to keep going, I guess it's okay, but if you grow tired at any point, I'm calling you back."

Misty smiled humorously. 'It's like Brock said, Bulbasaur just can't settle for second best.'

Ash gave the plant Pokémon one of the revitalizing potions he'd gotten from Joya earlier. Bulbasaur drank down the bitter-sweet concoction, and was ready for battle in no time at all.

"It's a shame that your pitiful weed is going to lose."

":'Pitiful _weed_'!:"

"Don't worry about it, Bulbasaur. _She's_ the one that's going to lose! You're strong."  
>x x x x<br>"That kid sure has a lot of faith in his Pokémon," Cassidy observed.

Butch nodded. "That's a good quality for any decent Pokémon trainer to have."

"He's determined too, and so is dat Bulbasaur. He said that he refuses to leave da match because he wants his revenge for losin' earlier," Meowth told the others. 'I wonder what he meant by dat…'

"It makes you wonder why we spent the majority of our time trying to capture that kid's Pikachu when his Bulbasaur is equally strong, just on a different level," James pointed out.

Jessie huffed out a disgruntled sigh. "*The boss in_sisted_ that we go after Pikachu after we told him about our first encounter with that kid. His attack destroyed the Viridian Pokémon Center and he became interested after that. How many Bulbasaur do you know that's capable of using a Solar Beam that's on the level of a Venosaur?"

"None."

"Exactly!"

"Hey guys, da match is about to start! Quiet, quiet…"  
>x x x x<br>"Only a _lo_ser would think he has an actual chance against a strong Pokémon!" the same boy from earlier taunted from his seat, laughing cruelly. Misty and Pikachu were starting to grow annoyed of this guy using the same old taunts which was starting to get old.

Ash bawled up his fists. 'Bulbasaur will do his best! I have faith in my Pokémon!'

"Like he said, you're living in a dream world, kid if you think you have a chance. Let's get started!" She looked down at the borrowed Pokémon. "Michu, Shadow Punch, now!"

Ash retaliated quickly, as he still remembered how it affected Pikachu the previous day. "Bulbasaur, dodge it!"

Luckily, Bulbasaur dodged in time, but the pale, redheaded woman had issued another attack, the name he didn't catch. Before the trainer could blink, the Michu seemed to create some kind of dark, electrical force field around its entire body.

Ash was about to give a command, but it shot a black streak of the strange aura towards the Bulb Pokémon, who was too slow to evade it effectively. The shock knocked Bulbasaur back, and looked to have actually harmed him. This surprised Ash, as electric attacks, usually, didn't hurt plant types much, but figured that he was actually fatigued from the first battle he'd had.

Bulbasaur stood up, slightly trembling.

"Bulbasaur, return!" Ash called, but the plant Pokémon avoided the red beam and stubbornly shook his head.

He gave Ash a reassuring smile. He was determined _not_ to leave this battle, unless he couldn't move. ":I'm not going back!:"

Ash, realizing he couldn't force him back, nodded. Michu was coming after him again, trying to use Shadow Punch, but Ash ordered Bulbasaur to use Headbutt. The impact knocked Michu way back.

"Now's your chance, use your Sharpened Razor Leaf!"

"Sharpened Razor Leaf?"

As he overheard his redheaded companion, he answered hastily, while he kept his eye on the battle, his face twisted up in concentration, "It's another move I've had him practice. It's just a more powerful Razor Leaf."

"Michu, Double Take and Block!"

Michu cloned itself in two, just like it had before. It used its cloned body as a shield so that the Razor Leaf attack wouldn't harm it. The leaves flew towards the Michu, spinning like the propellers of a helicopter. The leaves finally connected with the clone and bounced off of it, heading back towards Bulbasaur. The plant Pokémon dodged it, barely due to the incredible speed, but it was still in motion. Ash's eyes widened as the leaves came towards both him and Misty. He moved and shoved Misty out of the way, the leaves sliced the door behind them as easily as a hot knife going through butter.  
>x x x x<br>The former Rocket members' mouths were literally hanging over what they'd just witnessed.

"Th-th-that Razor Leaf attack was…amazing," Mondo gaped, pretty much star-struck. "He's a pretty good trainer."

"The twerp actually _does_ train his Pokémon," Jessie blinked in surprise.  
>x x x x<br>"Give up," the girl mused. "You're going to lose and your Bulbasaur looks like it's about to die from exhaustion."

Ash looked down at Bulbasaur, who remained in his spot, breathing heavily. "Bulbasaur, come back. You need rest!" He shook his head, and looked back at Ash, and then up at one of the windows. The trainer instantly understood what his Pokémon friend wanted to try.

"Michu is getting bored here," the girl mocked.

"Bulbasaur, tackle and evade!" the trainer instructed. While doing this, he pulled out a pair of sunglasses and put them on. He then pulled out three other pairs for Misty, Pikachu, and Togepi. "Put these on."

"But, wh-"

"Just do it!" he ordered shortly.  
>x x x x<br>"_Sun_glasses?"

"In _dis_ dark place?"

"Maybe he's up to something?" Mondo replied with uncertainty.

James scratched his head, also puzzled.

"Dat kid's losin' it."

"I think Meowth's right." Jessie rubbed her chin, as if in thought. "Those glasses are a_tro_cious! You know, now that I see it, his outfit isn't all that great either…"

Everyone nearly fell over from Jessie's irrelevant input.

"This is a Pokémon battle," Butch reminded her, "_not_ a fashion show!"

"I can't help it if I have such a high and defined sense of fashion," she told them haughtily.

No one said anything, as they returned their focus to the battle…  
>x x x x<br>"What is he trying to prove with those sunglasses?" the violet-haired girl questioned.

"Maybe he's trying to start some type of a fashion trend for _lo_sers!" laughed the mocking boy.

'We'll see who the loser is after _this_ move,' Ash thought confidently.

The Michu had managed to dodge Bulbasaur's tackle attack, and the second gym leader had ordered it to use Shadow Punch, but Bulbasaur dodged it and wrapped Michu with his vines. He then tossed Michu back as far as he could manage.

Misty who was still puzzled, finally put on the sunglasses, as did Pikachu. Togepi glee'd happily as Misty put the glasses on him.

"Okay Bulbasaur, Ultimate Solar Beam, or should I say, *Solar Flash _now_! Fill up this entire _room_ with sunlight!" Ash commanded ecstatically. 'Those strange Pokémon seem to be weak against sunlight, which is probably why Lunar Beam Reserve didn't work. I just hope I'm right.'

Bulbasaur didn't need to be told twice, and illuminated the entire room with immense sunlight, which blinded the Michu, who had been about to launch an attack itself, as it had cloned itself again. As for the others in the room, it practically blinded them, including the former Rockets, who definitely had to shield their eyes. Thinking fast, Mondo called out his Ditto who transformed into a big sheet of glass to block off the extremely powerful bright light.

The Michu now looked confused and waved its hands around blindly, as was its clone. The light was also still lingering.

"Okay Bulbasaur, you only have one shot at this! Use the light from Solar Flash and use Solar _Beam_!" Ash then pointed. "Aim it towards the Michu on the right! _That's_ the real one!"

Bulbasaur powered up once again, the bulb on his back glowing a bright sunny yellow. He then released the energy and aimed it at the real Michu, hitting it dead on. It tried to block it with its clone, but it couldn't withstand the powerful beam, and fainted and its clone dematerialized.

Ash looked towards the pale redhead, whose jaw was hanging low. "We," he took off his glasses, acting very macho and smug, "win."

"But, I, you-"

Ash ignored her and rushed over to Bulbasaur, picking him up. He hugged him tightly. "Great job, Bulbasaur! You got your revenge for losing earlier!" The plant Pokémon smiled weakly as he nodded, feeling rather proud. "Okay, back in the Pokéball you go. You need to rest until I can get you to the Pokémon Center or either give you another revitalizing potion."

"Bulba, Bulbasaur!"

Ash put him down and recalled his friend, praising him once again. Misty rushed over to Ash, chanting, "You and Bulbasaur did it! You won!"

"Pikachu!" the rodent cheered.

Misty hugged Ash, just as Pikachu did, all happy that Ash and Bulbasaur had managed to win a seemingly impossible battle.  
>x x x x<br>"Wow, what a move!" Mondo whistled. "Good job blocking off that bright light, Ditto. Thanks."

"Ditto!"

"Ditto, return."

"Man, I bet if we woulda brought in dat Bulbasaur to da boss, I woulda been da top cat for sure!"

"We would've been the new leaders of Team Rocket!"

Meowth and James hugged one another, tears streaked down their faces in happiness.

"We could do it right now, Meowth! We could capture that Bulbasaur for the boss!"

"Yeah, we'd get promoted for _sure_!"

"We'll become champions after _all_ these years!"

"We'd live like kings! Caviar, fried chicken, sushi, three times a day!"

"We'll have more money than we can count!"

"We'll have soivents to soive all of our very needs! We'll be _right_ beside da boss, and we'll _never_ have to go out on assignment for the rest of our lives, and dat Persian dat da boss has, will be history!"

"The easy life!" both said in unison, their tearflow increased.

Butch, Cassidy, and Mondo all sweat dropped from the scene, but didn't say a word. Jessie pulled out her fan and smacked the pair.

"We do _not_ work for Team Rocket anymore! James, you just mentioned that a while ago."

"Oh, that's right," both said sheepishly.

"I forgot I said that."

Jessie shook her head in disbelief, and smacked him lightly again with the fan. 'Even though we're no longer a part of Team Rocket, James is _still_ clueless and goofy sometimes.' She inwardly smiled. 'I still love him, though.'  
>x x x x<br>The second assistant sprinted up to the second gym leader, the first assistant a little ways behind him. He stopped in front of the shorter girl, yelling, "_How_ could you let him win and beat my Michu?! You should've given faster commands to avoid this! I would've definitely found ways to counterattack like using Dig!" He snatched the Pokéball back, and recalled the fainted Michu, apologizing to it for the "incompetence" of the redhead.

The first assistant scoffed while crossing his arms coolly. "_I _could've done a better job with a Magikarp," he sneered sarcastically. "You could've avoided a lot of those attacks."

"I-I lost?"

"_Yeah_, you 'lost'," the first gym leader yelled in true annoyance.

"Um, excuse me," Ash interrupted, still on the opposite side of the room, "could I please get my badge and winnings now? Also, if it's ok, I'd like to-"

"What makes you think that you're going to actually get our badge," the first assistant interrupted, his face still hidden by the shadows of the gym. Even though Bulbasaur had used Solar Flash, it was still too bright to see any of them clearly. The boy pointed a finger at Ash. "You're _still_ a pathetic loser!"

The four started to make their way towards Ash and Misty eerily. Neither liked where this was going…  
>x x x x<br>"They seem…scary," James whimpered.

"Maybe we should help them," Mondo said.

"But, what can we do?" asked Jessie.

"Don't worry," James ceased his whimpering, "I have an idea…"  
>x x x x<br>At this point, both Ash and Misty were growing slightly scared. The vibe just felt dangerous.

"Misty," the boy gulped, "I don't think this was a part of my dream."

"What do you mean? I thought you said you got the badge."

"Well, maybe I did, I don't know. I just remember that I managed to win."

":Don't worry guys, I'll slow them down!:" Pikachu used his Thundershock on the four, but it didn't hit all of them. The two boys leaped aside, while the two girls were hit dead on.

"You can harm these bodies," the violet-haired girl demonically snarled, her clothes singed, "but you cannot harm _us_!"

The now darker pale redheaded gym leader concurred. "We will conquer this puny island, and then this entire world!"

"We will also be allowed get our revenge on Junsa, Kei, Hoshi, and Mizuna! That damn brat…she sealed the barrier!" she spat bitterly.

The two trainers gave one another a look, confused, unsure of what to make of this situation. They had no idea what they were talking about.

The second assistant chuckled darkly as he pulled out another Pokéball. "I'm going to assume that my assistance can come in handy now. I have a Pokémon that'll take care of them." He tossed the ball into the air and caught it, his arm outstretched. "Artictreon, go!"

The most elegant, yet strangest, looking bird emerged. Its coat of feathers was an icy midnight blue, only a very dark shade of it. The tips of its wings were a bright yellowish color, and its eyes were a hollow black. It looked to be about the size of a Fearow, and its orange beak was short and stubby. The tail-feather of this bird trailed behind it gracefully, the very tip of it, a bright yellow.

"This is so unfair," the younger assistant whined, "_I _wanted to be the one to go after them for our master!"

"Quiet! I'm the better trainer!"

"What_ever_…" he grumbled.

"Artictreon, use your most powerful attack on those two!" He winked. "You know which one I'm talking about."

The bird gave off a "cawing" sound in understanding, as it began to flap its wings and wave its tail feather. A whirlpool began to form in front of it, its height rising higher and higher. Both teens felt cold winds coming from the whirlpool, due to the ice that seemed to be forming within. They also heard a crackling sound, which was electricity – coming from the tips of the wings and tail feather – surrounding it.

"This is for Michu! Attack them now!" the boy yelled erratically.

Ash and Misty's faces had gone chalky as the whirlpool headed towards them. Both simultaneously pulled out a Pokéball. It took a while, but Ash managed to force Pikachu into his, but got shocked in the process. Misty had to force Togepi into one as well, as he'd never actually been caught in one.

"We need to get out of here," Ash murmured.

The two could've run, but neither could bring themselves to for some reason and clutched one another instead. It's like they were suddenly too stricken with fear to move, which increased dramatically, and due to this, the four seemed to grow more ferociously hungry, thirsting for their demise.

The first girl's voice had grown very deep and demonic. "I can finally leave this body! I can finally break free of this terrible entrapment!"

The second girl's voice was just as demonic, only higher in pitch. "The same is true for me, brother! I can finally break out of this retched body! Let's go!"

Hearing these strange, and different voices, the two stared at the two girls curiously. The girls seemed to be stuck in place, and then suddenly fell to the floor with a thump. Two strange, shadowy looking figures seemed to leave their bodies, which, in a way, was beneficial for Ash and Misty. When these strange entities left their bodies, the two assistants having practically ignored them, the launched attack by the "Artictreon" was blocked off. Relieved, the two young teens slumped to the floor.

"_That_ was close," Misty managed to get out between breaths while holding her chest.

"You said it!"

"Look at that! You can't even _attack_ right or give decent instructions!" the whiny-voiced boy complained.

"It wasn't my fault!"

"Yeah, sure," he scoffed to the older, usually calm, cool and collected boy. "Let me get a shot at it. I have the perfect Pokémon for this situation!" He pulled out a Pokéball, and kissed it. He then began to toss it out arrogantly. "Arcaking, g-"

Before he could call out his Pokémon, smog filled the room, which caused everyone to cough.

"Wh-what's going on?" the first assistant nearly gagged from the gas being created by a small, floating Pokémon.

Through the thick gas, both Ash and Misty recognized the familiar figures. Two female figures jumped down in the center of the gym and posed. A large, snake Pokémon was beside the pink-haired woman, and beside them, was a blonde-haired one.

"To show the world we've turned over a new leaf!" they said together.

Next, two male figures jumped down beside the two women. The one with the blueish hair grabbed hold of the pink-haired woman around her waist, while the green-haired man held the blonde one in the same fashion, also posing.

"To prove to the world that we are no longer thieves!"

A brown-haired boy jumped and landed in front of the four, kneeling, along with three Pokémon (rat; cat; dog), also posing.

"We all now believe in only truth and love!"

"We now give our help to those who aren't as fortunate above!" the blonde continued.

"Jessie!"

"James!"

"Cassidy!"

"Butch!"

"And don't forget Mondo, that's right!"

"Team Rocket, the company that is no more!" Jessie and James said.

"And take it from us, Team Rocket was evil to the core!" Cassidy and Butch said.

"Now that we are all good…" Mondo started.

"…we all will now soar!" the other four finished up.

"Ratticate!/Meowth! (arms crossed)/Growwwwwlithe! (:You got that right!:)"

The smog was clear at this point. Misty just blinked. "Team Rocket?"

"What are you guys doing here?" Ash asked.

The two assistants, their hoods from their cloaks still concealing their faces, looked at the posing group and then burst into laughter.

"Who _are_ these pathetic fools!" the second assistant nearly choked.

The first assistant coughed, wiping away a tear. He was laughing so much, no one could understand what he was saying, outside of, "rejects".

Jessie, whose veins started to show on her forehead, rolled up her coat sleeve. "Losers! Rejects! I'll show _you_ a reject and a loser!" She pulled out a mallet, about to mutilate the two, whom were still laughing too much to notice, until she felt herself being held back by James.

"The plan was to create a diversion so that we could all get away, Jessie," he urgently whispered.

Butch turned to Ash and Misty. "You guys better get out of here."

"Run!" Mondo instructed.

Seeming to have been brought back to reality the two teens took off, Cassidy and the others right behind them. James and Growlithe brought up the rear, dragging along an aggravated Jessie who still wanted to go after the two boys for insulting all of them.

While they ran down the corridor, they all heard a strange creaking sound, but ignored it. Once they got outside, getting as far away as they could, they looked back at the gym, which looked like it was about to collapse, but miraculously didn't.

The danger now past, everyone catching their breaths, Ash and Misty released Pikachu and Togepi from their monster balls. Both Pokémon emerged, and were pretty happy to be released from such a confined area.

":I hate being inside a Pokéball!:" Pikachu complained.

":It's scary.:" Togepi shuddered.

"We're sorry about that," Misty told them gently as she picked up Togepi.

Ash was still in a bit of a stupor over what had just happened, and asked no one in particular, "What's going on?"

"That gym is just strange," Cassidy commented as she stared back at the building.

"Sorry we couldn't help you guys against that weird bird Pokémon. With all the winds and stuff, we couldn't see where to land and then those dark things just flew out of nowhere…" James explained.

Still surprised at the recent events, Ash resolutely muttered out a, "No problem."

"I think we should go find the others, Ash. I know that today is Kenji's birthday, which is why Jen-san is keeping him busy and stuff, but I think we should let Jen-san and Joya-san know about what happened."

He nodded. "Oh, we didn't get the chance to get him a present, but I guess it can wait." He turned to the former Rocket members. "Thanks for helping us out back there."

"No problem kid." Cassidy then cut him a suspicious look. "Now, what's going on?"

"Huh?"

All of a sudden, Ash was sitting in an interrogation room, a light shining down on him. Butch and Cassidy were dressed as detectives, and quickly tossing out questions left and right.

"What the-"

"What's going on, kid?" Butch asked.

"I don't know what you're talking about!"

"Where were you on the night of Friday 13th, 1974?"

Ash looked at Cassidy as if she were insane. "I wasn't even _born_!"

"What were you doing two days ago at the Cerulean City Gym?" Butch continued.

"What's your mother's unmarried name?"

"What's your blood type?"

"How many pails of water did Jack and Jill fetch when they went up the hill?"

"How many pecks of pickled peppers did Peter Piper pick?"

"How many people did it take to put Humpty Dumpty back together again!"

"Which came first? The Pidgey or the egg?"

"Why did the Pikachu cross the road?"

"Waah!" Ash held his head. "You're going too fast and your questions aren't making any kind of relevant sense!"

Neither ceased, and Cassidy continued questioning the young hero. "What is your father's mother's unmarried name?"

"Where _is_ your father?" Butch queried.

Ash jumped out of his seat, and stepped up to the two, a bit peeved. "Why do you want to know about my father?"

"Sorry, I guess we got carried away with the questioning," Cassidy replied apologetically, but quickly went back into interrogation mode. "How _dare_ you speak to us in such a manner! Do you have something to hide?"

"You haven't answered _my_ question yet!"

"What about the league games?" Butch asked, ignoring him.

Ash slightly calmed down. "What about them?"

"Where are they being held this year, and don't try anything funny!" Cassidy threatened.

"I don't know anything about them," he answered, wondering why they'd asked such an unusual question in the first place.

"You're the one trying to become the world's best trainer and to complete the Pokédex!" Cassidy retorted.

"You're going to enter the league!"

"_You_ should know."

"Shouldn't _you_ two know? _You're_ gym leaders and _why_ do you care about my father and mother's history?!"

"Ash, calm down…"

He ignored his redheaded partner and continued ranting. "Do you know where he is? If you do, tell him he has a _son_ who is very _eager_ to meet him!" he spat vehemently.

"We've never met your old man," Butch commented dryly as everything went back to normal, "or _any_one in your family. It was just the writer's bad attempt at humor."

"Yeah, we were only asking what she made us ask, so chill out."

"I will _not_ calm-"

"Ash! Stop," Misty said in a loud voice.

He huffed in annoyance, and uttered under his breath, "well, they were asking for it." He went back to his normal tone, focusing on the current gym leaders. "Anyway, why _are_ you asking me about the league games if you two are the gym leaders?"

"Well, yeah, we are gym leaders," Cassidy sheepishly laughed, "but we were curious what you knew."

"Professor Oak said that I needed to win the badge from the gym here in order to qualify for the league, which is why I haven't completed my registration yet."

"I spoke with Professor Oak after speaking with the Cerulean Sisters about that, and he said that the league games are being held at the Indigo Plateau, like always, and that you only need eight badges still."

"My sisters said Professor Oak said that?"

"That's the unusual thing," Mondo commenced, "they were the only ones who named this place. All the other gym leaders said the same as the Professor."

"Ash, we really need to talk to Brock and the others about this. Something just isn't right here," Misty said in a worried voice. She turned her attention to the former Rockets. "I guess you guys could come along with us too. We have to cut through town to get back to where we're staying."

With nothing else better to do, they all agreed and followed behind them. During the walk, Misty suggested that since they were going through the shopping district, that maybe they still could pick out a present for Kenji.

"I guess that'd be okay, but we should be quick about it," Ash responded distractedly, his mind still on Mewtwo and the battle.

"We should probably get something for him too," Cassidy said. "What kinds of things does the kid like?"

"He's a Pokémon Watcher and Researcher, and as part of his job, he sketches a lot. He also does paintings on the side," Misty told them.

With that settled, the group came across a Pokémon Science Supply shop, which was near the one that Todd was at earlier. Ash and Misty bought him a Pokémon Research kit, which was an upgraded version of the one he currently had. Misty had recalled Kenji mentioning picking up a new one when meeting him in Cinnabar.

Butch and Cassidy bought a book about all of the latest Pokémon discoveries, which was written by *Professor Nishinomori V of the Pokémon Symposium.

Jessie and James bought him a mini computer organizer for all of his Pokémon information, data, and research. It was similar to the Pokédex, only it was specifically catered and made for researchers who added in the information themselves based on their own observations and research, which in part helps with actual Pokédex entries.

Mondo and Meowth settled on a birthday card and a paint set, which they all signed.

After the shopping was done, the group hurried to Jen and Joya's place, hoping someone would actually be there and that bringing unexpected guests would be okay.

"Wow, you guys are staying _here_?" Jessie asked after they arrived at the cozy-looking home.

The two nodded and entered, the door being startingly unlocked, as there were no shoes around. 'I guess Brock and Joya-san stepped out for a bit,' Misty concluded.

Misty and Ash led them to the living room, where everyone took a seat. "I wonder what was up with those gym leaders and those two guys," Ash queried.

"Did you get the feeling that you knew them?" asked Misty.

"Yeah…even though we couldn't see them clearly, I definitely felt like I'd met all of them before."

"While we were watchin' da match, Bulbasaur said somethin' about getting his revenge for losin' earlier…like dat battle was a rematch or somethin'."

"Ah, how'd we miss it! Ash, remember one of those girls said that the older guy battled you before!"

"Wow, I was so distracted and intent on winning, I didn't pay attention. He had that _Mi_chu…"

"So it was that strange guy you battled before getting here. I gues I was too intimidated by the gym's atmosphere to put two and two together."

Ash rubbed his chin. "He also said that a certain element could defeat the type of Pokémon that the gym leaders used. A weakness…"

"Sunlight!"

"Yeah, that's why I had Bulbasaur use Solar Beam."

The former Rockets were confused over the conversation. "You wouldn't mind filling us in, would you?" requested Cassidy.

The two took turns and explained how they'd arrived on the island and of the mysterious trainer with the Michu.

"I wonder who the other three were. Those two gym leaders are super familiar to me…but I've met a lot of people on my journey, and that other guy in the sweatshirt who kept calling me a loser is disturbingly familiar to me…"

"I guess we'll never know because I have no intention of _ever_ going back there," Misty declared, despite Ash already planning to return somehow, as the group started to converse more over all that had just recently happened…

Author's Notes

Note 1: So, as you know, the reason the Rockets were after Pikachu was because Pikachu was considered to be a rare Pikachu. Stronger than your average one, I guess you could say, and they witnessed just how strong Pikachu was back in ep 2 of the original series. As the show went on, it seemed to give off the impression that Giovanni was also interested in Pikachu. Well…for the original, that really was never the case. Sakaki never seemed particularly interested in Pikachu. Those three just saw how strong it was and figured it'd be a good fit for Sakaki.

Getting down to it, even in the original Kanto series, seems the Rockets had their plans and schemes and just happened to come across Satoshi and his friends and just took advantage of the situation. Think about it; sometimes they had some other nefarious scheme going on, the twerps show up, "Hey, let's steal the Pokémon we're already trying to steal, and that Pikachu too while we're at it." This is how the show felt to me most times.  
>x x x<br>Note 2: Solar Flash. Yeah yeah, it's just a souped up "Flash" move mixed with "Sunny Day". Of course, as pointed out, I hadn't played past the first generation games when this was originally written, so the move "Sunny Day" didn't exist yet.  
>x x x<br>Note 3: Professor Nishinomori V is the original name for Professor Westwood V. He was the guy who appeared in the Kanto episode, "The Evolution Solution" where he was studying evolution, but specifically how Slowpoke evolve to Slowbro.

Something interesting to note about his name, is that "nishi" can mean "west" and that "mori" can mean "forest" or "woods". The "no" shows possessiveness, meaning his name can mean, "West Forest" or "Forest of the West" or "Woods of the West", etc. "Westwood" was actually a good name change and pretty close to the original.

Fic Chapter Changes

Originally, this chapter was a lot longer. Too long, imo, so I trimmed it down a lot and focused only on the battle and the aftermath of it. The rest of this chapter dealt with Todd and his whereabouts, what happened after Duplica was attacked by her cousin, and more of the Rockets and Ash and Misty talking about what they've all been up to, which we'll see in the upcoming chapters.

The other changes for this chapter were pretty miniscule. Dialogue changes here and there and actually including the Rockets acknowledging that "Artictreon". Originally, I'd forgotten to.


	19. Split Personality

Hello again everyone. I hope you liked the previous chapter and sorry for the late update. Nothing much I can say, other than we get to see what's happened to Todd this chapter and Duplica, briefly. The only characters to appear this chapter, though are Todd, Giovanni, and the Professor...and as I said earlier, cery Duplica, briefly. Enjoy.

Oh, something I forgot to include last chapter as a note...the reason I had Bulbasaur semi-overpowered. I was inspired by the song "Minna de Arukou" at the time. The song was performed by Matsumoto Rika (Satoshi), Iizuka Mayumi (Kasumi), Ueda Yuuji (Takeshi), and Tomokazu Seki (Kenji) and I personally loved it at the time because those four together made up my ideal traveling group. They were all singing about their favorite Pokémon to walk with or whatever. Satoshi mentioned Pikachu, Kasumi mentioned Togepi, Takeshi mentioned Rokon (Vulpix), and Kenji mentioned Marril...but the "true star" was...Fushigidane (Bulbasaur). lol So yeah, I was inspired because of that song, and given that Satoshi's Fushigidane was portrayed as being very _very_ stubborn in the original series in the beginning and hated being second-best as well as losing, that's another reason why I wrote the battle in that way. Personality wise, I felt it suited him.

Now, as always, I do not own anything dealing with the Pokémon franchise. Nintendo, 4Kids, Gamefreak, etc., have those rights, and here are the age reminders once again...

Ash/Duplica: 13  
>MistyTodd: 14  
>KenjiJen: 17 going on 18  
>Joya: 18<br>Brock/Mondo: 19  
>Jessie: 22<br>James/Cassidy/Butch: 23

Part 19: "I can't believe it…it's you!" Todd's Split Personality Dilema!

Last time, Ash went to the Kage Island Gym and challenged the gym leaders there. He managed to defeat both of the strange girls, but instead of giving him his earnings or the badge, they refused and tried attacking the trainer and his friends instead. Thanks to the former Rockets, the two managed to get away and headed back to Joya's place to inform them of all that had happened…but what's become of Todd and Duplica?

Ash Title: Todd's Split Personality Dilema!

Todd awoke, rubbing his still-bandaged head from the previous night. He noticed that he was on a cold, cement floor and that his bag, camera, and phone were gone.

"Where am I?" he grumbled grumpily as he investigated his surroundings, finally realizing that he was in some kind of a cell.

While inspecting his surroundings, he sensed something behind him, and suddenly turned to see the strange-looking Pokémon that had attacked him earlier. Todd instinctively backed away cautiously, but noticed that the Pokémon wasn't trying to attack him; instead, it looked as if it was studying him. Its expression looked to be that of confusion, as it tilted its head.

':Could _he_ be the one?:' it questioned in thought. ':If I could _only_ remember, but at least one good thing has come of this…I have regained control of my mind again.:' It gave Todd a somewhat sympathetic look. ':It's quite disheartening how I've caused harm to this innocent one…:'

The Pokémon took a step towards Todd, who backed away even more, finally bumping into the bars of the cell. "What kind of Pokémon _are_ you?! Wh-what do you want from me?" he asked, his voice a little shaky.

The Pokémon only responded by saying, "Flamie", and took off to the back of the cell. Todd rushed after it, but it seemed to duck out of sight through the floor. This didn't help the photographer any, who grew tired of trying to figure out how the Pokémon had managed to get out. "Must've gone through some kind of trapdoor…or maybe it teleported," he muttered as he returned to the front of the cell.

He decided to look out and definitely saw that he was in a dark, dank dungeon. There were a pair of stairs connected to the hallway, and the fact that everything was cement didn't help, as it was very drafty. He also shuddered slightly, wondering if this place had any diseased vermin. Dismissing the thought, he finally noticed that across from him, were some more cells and that one was filled with kids about his age, staring around dismally. He, surprisingly, recognized all five of them.

"I know you guys," Todd pointed. "You were all participants at the Pokémon competition at *_Articuno's Ice Palace_ in Viridian. I remember a couple of you battled against my friend Ash; Ash Ketchum."

"That name…it sounds familiar," a boy with short black hair answered dully, staring blankly at the wall from where he stood in the front of the cell. His clothing consisted of light blue-jeans and a plain, baggy t-shirt with a picture of a Vulpix using Flamethrower on the front. Todd could see him best, given that he was the closest.

"Yes," a girl with shoulder-lengthened brown hair commented drearily, "yes, it does." She was just as dull-looking as the other kids in the cell. She was seated "Indian-style" in the middle of the cell, staring at the floor, her eyes lackluster without any signs of true life. She was wearing a white blouse, a short, dark navy-blue skirt, and baggy white ankle socks. Beside her sat a pair of black dress shoes, presumably hers, as she wasn't currently wearing any.

"What're your names?"

The boy with the short black hair answered first. "*Tad Smith."

The girl with the bouncy, shoulder-lengthened hair, who was currently shoeless, answered, "*Cherie Avery."

The next one to speak up was a pretty, slender girl with long, dark-blue hair. She was wearing a pair of white shorts and a thin, light-pink t-shirt, hugging her knees up to her chest, staring who knew where, but her dullness matched the other twos'. "*Shelley Johnson," she answered in monotone from her spot in the back of the cell.

A boy with bright spiky red hair wearing a grey t-shirt and baggy black jeans spoke up next. He was seated next to Shelley on the cold cement floor in the back of the cell. His head was lolled back, like he didn't have a care in the world, or was stripped of this luxury. Just like the others, he was very monotonous and bored-sounding. "*Eric Bailey," he breathed out.

The last person to answer was a girl with long blonde hair, which flowed all the way down her back. She was lying opposite of Cherie, who looked just as miserable. Todd noticed her exotic dark green eyes, which looked sad and devastated. Right now, the girl was wearing a long-sleeved bright red dress with matching sneakers. When asked her name, she sat up, and stared at Todd eerily, which was how he'd noticed her enhancing, yet piercing, eyes. "*Toni Buchanan," she answered, lying back down.

Todd looked from Tad to Toni, wondering why they all seemed to be acting as if they had no souls of their own and lacked free will and spirit. It was a bit creepy to the photographer.

"What's _wrong_ with you guys? You all look and sound so…out of it…"

Eric looked forward – his bright blue eyes, dim – right into Todd's curious eyes. "We only listen and obey one."

Toni sat up again, and stared at Todd in the same way the strange Pokémon had…like she was studying him. Her stare caused the boy to feel uneasy. "You are not our master."

"'_Mas_ter'?" He scratched his head. 'What are they talking about?'

Tad gave Todd a suspicious, yet threatening, look. "Do you not believe in what our master says?"

Shelley squeezed her legs tighter as she stared blankly at him. To Todd, it seemed as if she were trying to warm herself, but had no sense of knowing it. "We only obey master. It is wise to obey master."

Toni was, once again, lying on her back. Todd saw her wince, as if she were quite uncomfortable, but like Shelley, didn't seem to realize that what she was feeling was discomfort. "Do you think that _he_ could be the 'Chosen One' master was talking about? The one that he fears?"

Tad nodded slowly. "It seems so."

"Oh-okay," Todd stuttered, growing perturbed. "You guys aren't…right. Who's this 'master' guy you keep going on about, and what do you mean by 'Chosen One'?"

Neither of them answered, as they heard the echoes of footsteps coming from the stairs, and the cruel laughter of a man. Todd craned his neck to get a better look at his presumed captor. At that moment, he could only make out that he was wearing a grey suit, had balding hair, and holding what looked to be a Persian.

"I see we have brainwashed you all well," the man said after he'd reached the bottom step.

The boy stared on in shock, as the man was finally in full view, recognizing him instantly. His shock, though, soon turned to that of anger. "Gio_va_nni!" he growled irately. "How in the _hell_ did you manage to get free!"

Giovanni stared over at Todd, a sinister smile on his partially wrinkled face. "My my my, such hostile language," he mocked coolly. "We _all_ know that I'm too good for prison life _or_ being locked up in some mental hospital." He set Persian down, and blew on his nails arrogantly. "I have my ways."

"Was the hospital just a set up for you to escape and go after Misty?!"

"I have no interest in that scrawny redheaded brat, fully. I got over that long ago, and of course people as powerful as I, are much too good for prison life. Of _course_ the hospital was a set up."

The teen stared at the middle-aged man in disgust as he ignored the Persian sniffing at his feet. "So you mocked poor Growlithe's death just so _you_ could get out of prison?!" he bellowed so loudly, it caused the sneaky feline Pokémon to jump and hiss.

"No, of course not! Even _I _know the price of mocking the dead," Giovanni snapped, as if he'd just been slapped in the face. "All of it was _some_what true and it happened only once in a dream. I just made a bigger deal out of it than what it really was and started plotting."

"You better let me out of here, or-"

"You better calm down, my little shutterbug."

"Why _should_ I!" Todd argued back defiantly.

"Do you want to end up like them over there?" Giovanni gestured to the cell across from him with the bleak children. "They're some of the best trainers here _and_ they're helping me out quite nicely, doing a few chores here and there. They're so well-trained, they won't eat unless I tell them to." Todd had grown incredibly annoyed by this point, and just shook his head. "What about that little _girl_friend of yours?"

"Duplica?" His eyes widened. "What've you done to her!" After realizing what he'd said, his face grew red. "Um…she is _not_ my girlfriend! She's a girl and she's a friend…nothing more…."

Giovanni gave him a look meaning, "Yeah right" and pulled out a strange looking remote from his pocket. He pushed a button and a small monitor lowered from the ceiling in Todd's cell. He instinctively looked up and moved closer to it to get a better look. Giovanni pushed another button, and an image came up on the screen. Todd's heart fell at the sight. It was Duplica, laid out and unconscious in a cell similar to his, only she was on a soft, straw bed.

The boy rushed to the bars of the cell, wishing they weren't separating him from the former Viridian City gym leader. "Let her go _now_!" he demanded vehemently.

"My my my," Giovanni yawned, shutting off the monitor, "what an attitude this one has."

Right at that moment, Giovanni's assistant walked down the stone steps and stood next to his mentor. Persia rushed up to him, and rubbed herself against his legs. He kneeled down to pet her. "I see he's awakened, sir."

"Yes, professor. That Flamie you sent out really did the trick."

"True sir," he stood up, "but for some unusual reason, it has vanished. For, I cannot find it anywhere, nor did it return to me after completing its task of capturing Satoshi or any of his friends."

"It doesn't really matter," Giovanni told him briskly, "it served its purpose. We got one of them."

Todd, who still had Duplica's welfare weighing on his mind, finally looked over at the professor. He couldn't believe it, as he recognized the figure, even though this was his first time to directly meet him. How could _he_ of all people work alongside such an evil man?

"It's….no it can't be! No…no no! Are you controlling him too, Giovanni!" Todd demanded. "Everyone trusts and idolizes him! Those like Kenji, Brock, and Professor Oak have high respect for him! Professor Oak even recommends him to his friends and students studying to become great Pokémon scientists, researchers, and watchers!"

"No, I am not under his control," the professor told him frankly. Todd couldn't find any words to describe what he was currently feeling over this situation, wondering if he was even hearing this man correctly. "I have always been an unofficial member of Team Rocket." He took out a remote that was similar to Giovanni's and pushed a buton. Todd looked back at the screen to see a certain psychic Pokémon attached to machinery and wires.

"Mewtwo?"

"Yes, I helped the research team in the creation of Mewtwo," the distinguished professor continued. "Kenji-kun asked me about Mewtwo once and of its type as he'd stumbled across a picture of him when running an errand for Professor Oak, but told him it was nothing to worry over. I'm surprised it hasn't hit him yet after all this time." He rubbedd his chin lightly. "It's even more interesting how Mewtwo has been trying his best to warn you all with his telapathy through probably either Satoshi or one of the Pokémon."

"So that's what was going on with Misty's Togepi...and this morning Ash even said it felt like someone was picking his brain…"

"This set up is quite nice, don't you think professor?"

"Indeed it is, sir."

"What do you want with me?" Todd murmured quietly, starting to feel strange. In his view, he felt he had the right to know that at least. Giovanni seemed to go into a whole different persona, and started to tell the renowned photographer about the myths and legends surrounding the island. "That still doesn't explain what you want with me!"

Giovanni smiled slightly before answering. "We plan on using you against your friends." Todd looked at the two men confusedly. "I can tell by the look on your face that you want to know _how_, right?" He nodded slowly as Giovanni went back to his other persona. "A ritual was performed on you to resurrect another spirit," he went back to his normal self, shook his head, in what seemed to be slight confusion, "and you were also injected with an experimental mind control serum. You will help us along with my freed Shadow Demons. You will become one of them, only in a physical sense."

"_What_ are you talking about?"

"You were tested when you were brought here to see if you were one of the destined we're indeed in search of, hence our ritual, but unfortunately, you weren't." Todd held his stomach as the man spoke. The strange feeling he'd had earlier had grown. He was starting to feel sick. "You will now have a new power and _nothing_ will be able to break you from it!"

"I-I'm going to turn into some type of monster?" he asked, growing queasy. 'S-something's not right…'

"Not completely. You will be your same stubborn self, I suppose, and you'll have your same physical features and form, only now under _my_ control with extra powers!" He began to laugh and at this, the kids in the other cell bowed to him. "You will be thinking with your subconscious mind, more than likely." He then lowered his voice, "my brother, you will work alongside me once again. I'm giving you another chance! I've been planning this for ages."

"Pure genius sir…I think, but who is this 'brother' that you speak of?"

"Huh, brother?"

"Yes, you just said something about a 'brother'."

"Oh, um…it's probably nothing, sorry."

'I still don't understand this, but it's not the time. Whatever he has planned is about to be unleashed…I just hope he actually knows what he's doing,' the professor thought on in slight worry. "With him on your side, sir, you can get rid of the Imité girl indefinitely. She wouldn't hurt him and it would also make for a good test of the photographer's abilities."

Todd broke out into a sweat, his stomach growing even more sensitive. He didn't like the sound of his possibly being used as a tool to hurt his friends.

"By the way, sir, how much longer until this 'spell' as you call it, takes effect?"

"It shouldn't be too much longer," Giovanni answered. "I'm surprised he lasted this long. With those two girls and the mayor, it happened faster…but I wonder if it's because this spirit is of actual importance to me and is stronger…"

"Pardon?"

"What?" He once again held his head. "I must be tired. Anyway, how's Imité's other niece doing?"

'Duplica's cousin? Laura?'

"She's doing fine, sir. She did a wonderful job of luring the Imité girl out and capturing her for us. Her trance should be wearing off quite soon, though."

"Just toss her in the cell along with the mayor and send over someone to check out the gym. I sense that the final two Shadow Demons have been released. I have no further use for those girls or the assistants."

"Yes, sir."

'I can't believe this is happening…' The boy grew wan as his head felt a little peculiar.

"It's finally happening!" Giovanni looked on joyously. "My precious brother will finally be fully awakened! I have found a container that can handle his spirit!"

The professor ignored the fact that Giovanni, in a voice quite unlike his own, had once again referred to Todd as "brother" and asked, "How will we know when everything is fully done? This is my first time actually witnessing this."

"His dark eyes will change color," he answered plainly. 'My brother had dark-red eyes. That's the color his will be.'

After his question was answered, the professor left the room to make arrangements to get the subjects over at the gym. The hypnosis that they were all under, would be wearing off soon.

The cell door across from Todd flipped open and he heard the professor's light voice on a loud speaker. "You five are to retrieve the leaders and the assistants from the gym above," he ordered. "Use the teleporter at the top of the stairs to get them quickly, and also mention that 'master' urgently wants to see them to help out with some of Mewtwo's maintenance."

The children obediently left their cell, Cherie putting on her shoes, and made their way up the stairs.

A short while later, the five teens returned to their cell and their positions from earlier, the door shutting right behind them. They had put the two singed gym leaders and their assistants into a cage along with Mayor Imité and Laura, which was in another part of the facility. Once they were secure, by the professor's standards, he rejoined Giovanni.

At this point, Todd was breathing unstably and had to seat himself down on the cold, cement floor. Earlier, it had bothered him, but now, the cool concrete against his clammy skin felt good. His insides felt as if they were burning or that he had the fiery craters of hell forming in the pit of his stomach. Giovanni was just watching him suffer, like he was part of some kind of a sideshow attraction.

"Professor, I want you to keep an eye on him. I think I'll go pay a visit on the Imité girl. There are some things I'd like to discuss with her."

"Don't worry about that sir, I'll go. I have to go check up on a few other things anyway."

"Okay, fine, go. When you come back, then I'll go to her cell."

The professor took off, but a brief moment later, rushed footsteps were heard coming back. Todd was now laid out on the floor, twitching, grunting, trying his best not to scream (he didn't want to give Giovanni the sick satisfaction), since his head felt like it was splitting in half.

"So, how's our prisoner doing? Did you pass along the message that I'll be coming up to talk to her?" Giovanni asked, his eyes fixated on Todd.

He frowned slightly and stared down at the floor. "she is gone, sir…"

Giovanni rounded on the professor quickly. "Wait…what did you say?"

He gulped and looked at the soon to be fuming man. "She's gone, sir."

"_What_?! How?!"

"I-I don't know sir. I'm very sorry!"

"Did she have any Pokémon with her?"

The professor felt his mouth go dry, unable to speak momentarily for making such a blunder. "I forgot to check, sir, since we were tending to the photographer and you were ordering me to get everything prepared for your ritual. She arrived after him, so I put her in the cell and continued on with our other tasks. She wasn't on the list of candidates to be tested." He then uttered in a low voice, "She must've used her Ditto to get away."

The temperamental teen looked up dimly at the two, and smiled gratefully. "Du…plica…is safe. She…got…away. Thank…goodness," he managed to get out, his energy completely drained. He couldn't even lift himself into a sitting position due to how awful and weak he felt.

"Not for long," Giovanni shot back dangerously. "Pretty soon you will be completely mine! I may have lost one, but I'm gaining another!"

The shutterbug knew that he was right and that fighting against it was pointless, even though maybe he subconsciously was this entire time. Even though he felt like complete and utter crap, he did feel as if his body was filling with a power he couldn't quite explain. It was one he'd never felt before and strange images were popping into his mind…like memory flashes, but they obviously weren't his.

Todd hoped that whatever was happening to him, that the others would get away safely or that he wouldn't encounter any of them. He would rather _be_ killed than to actually commit the act himself, even if he wasn't in control of his mind or body. He wasn't sure what he would be capable of after this supposed transformation, or how that drug they injected him with would fully affect him…but for some reason, "murder" popped into his mind and that maybe it could be committed by his hand. Another memory flashed into mind…but he couldn't make it out. It was like he was going in and out of consciousness…but the fact that the urge to kill was becoming stronger, terrified him...even though, at the moment he wanted to hurt Giovanni...somewhat...

He closed his eyes, as he felt silent tears trickling down his hot face. 'Everyone, please forgive me for what I'm about to do. Please, stay safe…Duplica, since you're his main target….I'm sorry…I'm sorry…'

x x x x

Author's Notes

Note 1: Articuno's Ice Palace was used in the prequel to this story. It was a place in Viridian, and after Misty felt okay, Ash, Todd, and Misty hung out there that evening. It specialized in ice cream. There was a small tourney being held, and Ash joined in.

If you're wondering, Brock and Kenji had gone to another club like area that catered to those their age and met two nice girls. *whistles innocently*  
>x x x<br>Note 2: Just some info about the other kids in the cell. They aren't important, but at the time, I just decided to reuse them. Here's some basic info on them, though, and they were all in the prequel…

Tad Smith: Tad had a Persian and a Vulpix in the last fic, and battled against Cherie Avery and Ash. Tad managed to beat Cherie, but Ash didn't get the chance to battle him due to an interference caused by Misty, disqualifying Ash.

Cherie Avery: Cherie had a Wartortle.

Shelley Johnson: Shelley had a Flareon and battled against Toni, and managed to beat her. She also battled against Ash, but lost to his Squirtle.

Eric Bailey: Eric had an Ivysaur and battled against Ash, but lost to Ash's Pikachu.

Toni Buchanan: Toni had a Bellsprout, but lost to Shelley's Flareon.  
>x x x<p>

Fic Chapter Changes

Okay, first, and only, change deals with Ash. So, originally, I had Ash acting a bit perverted…like a miniature Brock every time Mewtwo tried to create a psychic link with the trainer. For Ash to talk romantically and such is very unlike him. It's like Mewtwo was accessing the forbidden part of Ash's mind and he would say things he generally wouldn't regarding Misty…but it was all implied. Every time Ash implied something suggestive, he would say it felt like something was controlling his mind. As you can see, I dropped that altogether as it wasn't really necessary, and replaced it with Ash worrying more and each time, the worry growing stronger. Also, originally in the dream chapter where Todd and Ash were arguing over the bed, Ash said he'd been acting like Brock and had no idea why. Brock then popped in to say that the notion was disturbing and then went into his "the Brock" persona, pretty much saying no one could be as good as him and Misty came in to drag him out so that the story could continue


	20. Mysterious Power

Hello again everyone. I hope you liked the previous chapter, and I'm sorry about taking so long to update this. Still busy with real-life stuff, including moving to another part of Japan…again. Anyway, for this installment, the other characters show up. The Rockets, Duplica, Ash, Misty, Brock, etc. They're all curious over what's going on and what they all should do. Oh, I also apologize in advance…there's one part in this chapter – okay, maybe two – that's completely irrelevant. I was tempted to drop it altogether, but decided to keep it in…for nostalgia purposes. lol

Now, as always, I do not own anything dealing with the Pokémon franchise. Nintendo, 4Kids, Gamefreak, etc., have those rights, and here are the age reminders once again...

Ash/Duplica: 13  
>MistyTodd: 14  
>KenjiJen: 17 going on 18  
>Joya: 18<br>Brock/Mondo: 19  
>Jessie: 22<br>James/Cassidy/Butch: 23

Part 20: "What just…happened?" Duplica's Mysterious Power!

Last time, we saw that Todd had been captured by the one, and only, Giovanni, who is now planning on using him against Ash and the others somehow. Giovanni fears Duplica and those close to her, but still doesn't fully understand why. Also, Duplica was being held captive, but thanks to a blunder by the overworked professor, she managed to escape. What'll happen now?

Ash Title: Duplica's Mysterious Power!

Duplica, in a flash, appeared in the shopping district of the town, with her Ditto by her side, who was in the form of Kadabra. Some people looked on at the girl and her Pokémon, wondering how she'd managed such a thing, while others ignored it, realizing that Kadabra was a psychic type. Just the previous day, on the news, Mayor Imité had told the citizens of Kage Island, "not to worry" and that the "attacks will soon stop" and that "everyone is working hard to solve this mystery". Ironically, like Duplica, Mayor Imité had also never been involved in an attack, something else Laura and the others had been pondering over.

"I can't believe what just happened," Duplica said to Ditto. "I'm so glad you were with me. We wouldn't have been able to teleport out of that cold place if I'd left you behind." Kadabra nodded in agreement. "We need to tell the others about this and about that strange Pokémon that attacked me. I'm not sure if it was a psychic type or not, but if it was, I guess I'm not immune after all." Duplica noticed the looks some of the inhabitants were giving her; they were fearful. "Ditto, please transform back to normal. People are still a bit nervous around Psychic Pokémon."

Kadabra transformed back into Ditto, and went back into its Pokéball. The girl began making her way through the shopping district that Todd, Ash & Misty, along with the former Rockets, had been earlier. While there, she spotted Brock and Joya coming from a party favor shop with some bags.

"Brock! Hey, Brock, Joya-nee!" the girl called, running up to them.

Brock looked around and saw the blue-haired girl running towards them. "Duplica?"

She stopped short in front of them to catch her breath.

"What are you doing here? Takeshi-san and I came here to buy some decorations for the party tonight. We knew that you were napping, and didn't want to wake you. I hope you didn't mind our leaving without you."

"We also ran into your cousin on our way out. She told us that she'd fill you in once you awoke."

"Never mind that now," the younger girl told them urgently. "Something strange is going on, and I have this feeling that Mewtwo of Ashie Boy's is connected in some way."

Both gave her a curious look, which prompted Duplica to explain all that had happened to her, and how her cousin had been responsible for her kidnapping.

"No, no!" Joya protested in denial. "I've known her for many years! She would _never_ to such a thing! It couldn't be true!"

"Well, she did," Duplica replied with a depressing sigh, a frown on her face. "I don't know why she did that. I don't know what to think right now. First my uncle attacks me and hurts Todd, and now Laura-nee has me kidnapped…" She felt like crying. 'Why is this happening?'

"Did you get a good look at the person you were taken to?"

She shook her head. "Sorry, Brock. When I woke up, my vision was a bit blurry, and it was a little dark. I did overhear a guy talking about Mewtwo, then he rushed off. I also heard him say something about 'master' and a 'teleporter' and 'gym leaders' or something.

"After he fully left, I got a glimpse of his hair. It looked short and wavy. I then checked to see if I still had Ditto, and was grateful that I did and we both teleported out."

"Should we split up and go look for the others?" asked Brock.

"I don't think that'll be necessary. Everyone could be on their way back to the house. We should head there first and get rid of these bags. If no one is there, then we can go out and search around for them. We can check the gym, the Pokémon Center, the park…"

With the decision made, Brock and Duplica agreed, and rushed back to Jen and Joya's place…  
>x x x x<br>Meanwhile, back at the house…

"So, what've you guys been up to?" Ash asked the former Rocket members slightly absent-mindedly, still trying to think of a way to return to the gym.

"Well, as you already know, Butch, Mondo, and I are still running the Viridian City Gym, and so far, we outrank all of the other gyms, with the exception of the newly remodeled Cinnibar Island gym, the Saffron City gym, and the Fuschia City gym."

"Yeah," Mondo concurred, "we have a 95% winning rate."

"*I'm glad I got _my_ badge without having to actually battle for it," Ash murmured under his breath.

"Oh-ho!" Misty shrieked, overhearing the trainer. "You mean getting a badge out of pity or charity?"

"I've _never_ received a badge out of 'pity _or_ charity'!"

"Hm, let's count now, shall we?" She put up her hand, and started counting off. "Now, you got the Boulder Badge because Brock felt sorry for you; my _sisters_ gave you the Cascade Badge because you saved our gym; you got the Marsh Badge out of pure luck because Haunter made Sabrina laugh, throwing off her concentration; you got the Rainbow Badge because you saved Erica's Gloom from the fire Jessie, James, and Meowth started; you got the Earth Badge because Cassidy and Butch gave it to you." She counted again. "So let's see…that's…five pity or charity badges out of eight?"

"You don't have to rub it in," Ash muttered quietly, poking his index fingers together innocently.

"It's true, though."

"But you have to admit that if it weren't for Team Rocket busting into your sisters' gym, I would've beaten you!"

Misty laughed heartily. "Beat _me_? Yeah right!"

"Your Starmie was low on energy!"

"_I _was winning!"

"You might've beaten my Butterfree, but I was making a _great_ comeback with Pidgeotto!"

"I bet if," she pointed over to the quiet, embarrassed Jessie, James, and Meowth, "_they_ hadn't have busted in there, my Starmie would've whipped your butt!"

"Oh yeah!"

"YEAH!" Misty pulled out one of her Pokéballs. "Okay Mr. Pokémon Master, how about _we_ battle? Same Pokémon as before?"

"You're on!" Ash went towards his belt, but stopped after coming to a realization. "Wait a minute! When I battled you before, I used Butterfree and Pidgeotto. I don't _have_ Butterfree anymore since I released him. You used Staryu and Starmie, and *you got your Starmie back from your sisters weeks ago! No fair!"

"Hey yeah, you're right." She put the Pokéball away and smiled triumphantly. "I guess this means that you still only earned three out of eight badges on your own, and until we have an official rematch, we'll never know if you _truly_ earned the Cascade Badge or not."

"So, what about you guys?" Ash suddenly asked, wanting to get off the topic.

"Have you guys ever heard of J & J's?" asked James.

The trainer crossed his arms. "Nope. How about you, Misty?"

She shook her head. "I don't think I have…"

Meowth shook his head in disappointment. "Da only thing kids think about these days is pizza."

"Why don't we show them what J & J's is all about, Jess?"

The woman nodded. "Roger!"

"My name is James. Who is this 'Roger' person? Please don't tell me that you're cheating on me with someone named _Ro_ger. How _dare_ you Jessie!" His voice grew slightly whiny, yet cute, and tears began streaming down his handsome face. "After _all_ we've been through together. We've been together for so long that I can't imagine a time without you in it at this point! I am shocked and appalled! I'm going home to mother! I-"

Everyone sweat dropped from James' overly dramatic outburst and Jessie, while shaking her head, smacked him lightly with her fan.

"Stop acting foolish and let's get _on_ with this! I meant that I was _ready_!"

Meowth rolled his eyes. "Here we go again…"

The room suddenly went dark. A spotlight then shined down on Jessie, who was now wearing a fry cook uniform and holding a tray.

"Jessie!"

Another spotlight shined down on James, who was standing back-to-back with Jessie. He was also in a fry cook uniform and holding a tray.

"James!"

Jessie took out a plate, which held a big hamburger with a side of fries. "Want a burger and fries without trouble?"

James took out another plate, only it held more food than Jessie's did. "If you're _really_ hungry, make that double!"

Jessie gracefully twirled, and handed her plate to Misty and Togepi. She also took out some drinks, and handed them out to the two teens, Togepi, and Pikachu. Once done, she struck a pose. "To protect the world from hunger and thirst!"

James handed his plate to Ash and Pikachu, also striking a pose, winking sexily and now holding a rose. "Our food isn't bad, at least not the worst."

The two hugged onto one another, Jessie's left arm outstretched, while James' right arm was outstretched, the two still posing. "The J & J restaurant blasting for a bite!" Jessie continued.

Both then finished up, "We stay open all day; we stay open all night!"

"That's right!" Misty exclaimed while snapping her fingers. "I'm pretty sure I know this place."

"Yeah, I remember it now!" Ash added. "Brock was reading about it in the paper a good while back. It was about a newly established restaurant and how it had gotten four stars."

"We didn't know it was _your_ restaurant. It's one of the best new places around."

"We'd never heard that motto either. I'm sure if we had, we would've realized it."

Everything went back to normal, the pair back in their normal attire. "It became a dream of mine to open up that kind of place," James told them dreamily, his eyes starry. Coming back to reality, he then added, "For a side job, Jessie models."

"That is _so_ cool!" Misty squealed, as her eyes became as starry as James' had. "Maybe _I _should become a model."

Ash laughed playfully at the girl. "You're too _scrawny_ to be a model."

Everyone stepped back and/or moved away from the young trainer, who was still guffawing. They knew what was in store for him as they saw Misty's eyebrow twitching. A big mallet fell upon Ash's noggin. "I meant scrawny in a _pretty_ way!" he said in defense, falling over.

Pikachu shook his head sadly. ":Stop acting dumb, Ash…:"

Misty shook her head, still holding the mallet. "I'm starting to wonder if he's _actually_ acting, Pikachu."

Pikachu laughed a bit as Ash came to. "Hey, I _heard_ that!"

Misty put the mallet away and smiled sweetly. "I was just teasing, Ash. I know you're not dumb."

":Are you sure?:"

Ash stared down at his Pokémon friend, looking a bit hurt. "_Pi_kachu!"

Right at that moment, Joya, Brock, and Duplica rushed into the house, stopping in front of the living room. Seeing that they had company, they entered it.

"Hey guys, what's up?" asked Ash. He noticed their looks. "What's wrong?"

Ignoring the fact that the living room was filled with former Rockets, Duplica hurriedly explained her story once again.

"You mean your own family turned on you?" asked Cassidy in surprise.

"She wasn't acting like herself. She seemed slightly cold and distant to me…almost like she was in some kind of a trance."

"Wait, does this also mean that you're _not_ immune to being attacked?" asked Misty.

"I don't know, but I'm going to say that I'm not immune. I'm not all that special anyway. Guess the other times were just coincidences." She looked over at Ash urgently. "Ash, that Pokémon you were worried about is a super strong psychic-type, right? The strongest in the world, right?"

"According to Professor Oak, he is…so far, but-"

"He must have something to do with what's going on," she continued, panic-stricken. "The guy with the distinguished voice I heard, kept going on about Mewtwo and gym leaders."

'Damn…I knew something was wrong….but where could Mewtwo be? I have to go back to that gym. I don't know how…but that gym definitely will have some answers…'

"Have either of you seen Jen-san or Kenji?" asked Brock suddenly.

Everyone shook their heads. "We ran into the former Rockets here after my match at the gym. We then picked up a few things in the shopping district along the way, and then we came here. I wanted to go back out to the Pokémon Center and give Joya-neesan Bulbasaur to heal up. I gave him another one of those Revitalizing Potions after I got back here, though."

"Wait, wasn't Camera Boy going with you to the gym?"

"Yeah, but he went to the shopping district. He told Ash and me that he'd come by the gym afterwards…" Misty trailed off, a worried feeling in her stomach.

"Oh no…he's not with you guys!" The girl ran her hand through her hair, and uttered softly, "Ever since I woke up from my nap, I've had this strange feeling regarding him, but brushed it off as nothing, figuring that maybe I was overthinking things…worrying for nothing, you know? But now…what if he _is_ in some kind of trouble?" Her face burrowed in a bit of distress, and anger, and her eyes seemed to glisten slightly with tears. "If that distinguished gentleman guy managed to get his hands on Todd, I'll-"

Before Duplica could finish her statement, her entire body began to glow majestically. The glow subsided, but seemed to flow down to her right hand. The glow remained there for a moment, and then without warning, launched itself towards the couch that was directly in front of her in the form of a white beam. Mondo ducked behind the couch just in the nick of time, avoiding the ray, which hit one of the small cushions instead.

Everyone stared at Duplica with looks of confusion and amazement. The performer was too stunned to reply at all.

"Wh-what was that?" asked the gym leader assistant after he poked his head back up.

"The Ditto kid is possessed!" squealed James.

"Knock it off!" Meowth shouted, refusing to believe what he'd just witnessed. "It's probably just some type of…an-an illusion! Yeah, that's it! An illusion!" he managed to get out. Even though he was trying to approach the situation with logic and reason to convince everyone that all was okay, it sounded more like he was trying to do so for himself. "She's a performer and she was just performin' a trick!"

"She is _not_ a magician or an illusionist!" Jessie pointed out shakily, unsure if she wanted to distance herself away from the girl, or remain in her spot.

Butch stood up calmly and picked up the now smoking cushion. He tossed it to Meowth. "Can an 'illusion' do that?"

Ash looked at the girl, who still was frozen in place, and still too shocked to speak. "Duplica?"

Joya, who was in the same state as the others, finally asked what everyone else had been thinking. "How did you do that?"

Duplica swallowed slowly as she finally found her voice. "I-I don't know. I was thinking about Todd, hoping that he was okay and how upsetting it would be if something had happened to him, and then," she pointed to the cushion, "_that_ happened."

"How did you feel when you did that?" asked Ash curiously.

"I-I guess I was okay. It all happened so fast...but my heart…it skipped a beat..."

"Hm, maybe-" Misty began, but was soon interrupted. Togepi started to shake violently in her arms. "Togepi!"

":Uncle Snap…trouble…Uncle Mew…trying contact…father….Aunty Imité…only hope…three others…:"

This time, Pikachu was able to catch what Togepi had said, as did Meowth.

"Togepi, what's wrong?!" He stopped jarring and looked up at Misty like he had before, and wondered why she seemed so concerned and worried.

"Dat's strange. Togepi said somethin' about 'Uncle Snap', 'trouble', 'Uncle Mew', 'three others', 'Aunty Imité', and somethin' about 'hope'. What does all of dat mean, anyway?"

"Uncle Snap, trouble?" Ash questioned. "Togepi must mean that Todd's in trouble, and that Mewtwo is too! 'Uncle Mew' is Togepi's name for him!"

Misty gasped. "Is this what Togepi has been trying to tell us this entire time?"

"I'm not really understanding this completely," Mondo started while he scratched his head, "but maybe we should find your friends."

"Yes," Joya nodded in agreement, "let's go, everyone. We must find Jen-chan and Kenji-san. What if they're in danger or run into the same trouble like Toru-kun presumably has or Lauira-san?"

"Someone should stay behind just in case they return," Brock suggested. "I'm sure some of you have a mobile phone. We can exchange numbers and contact one another if they do return."

"As gym leaders, it's required for us to," Cassidy spoke up.

"Yes, and we have phones as well," Jessie spoke up.

"I'll stay here," Misty volunteered. "I really feel I should watch over Togepi right now."

"Yes, that is quite wise. The rest should be good for Togepi," Joya said as she gave Misty a gentle, sympathetic smile.

"Okay, we'll catch you later, Mist," Ash told her.

"Yeah…" she replied quietly, a slight uneasiness in her voice.

With everything set, and Ash leaving Bulbasaur with Misty, they all went on their way to look for Todd, Jen, and Kenji…  
>x x x x<p>

Author's Notes

Note 1: I was tempted to drop the entire scene here…but decided to leave it in. Looking back, though, I just couldn't see Ash actually saying that if the Cerulean gym ep is any indication. He actually didn't want to take the badge because he didn't earn it and only agreed because the girls were adamant about it. Satoshi said something similar as well and how he didn't feel right about not earning it through battling.

So yeah, this is only a note to let you all know that I was going to get rid of it altogether but left it in for nostalgia purposes and to lighten the mood some. This was originally written because of a writer's block.  
>x x x<br>Note 2: This is a reference to the prequel of this story. In the last story, when on the way to Viridian, the gang met up with Kenji. Kenji had just come from Cerulean when on his way to Viridian. He was called in to do a portrait of the Cerulean Sisters. After finding out that he knew Misty, they gave him two Pokémon to give back to her when seeing her. One was Starmie and the other was a Vaporeon. So yeah, Misty has a Vaporeon in her team. Earlier, it was mentioned that Ash battled against one of the captive kids that Giovanni has and that Ash lost to him due to an interference caused by Misty, disqualifying Ash from the match. Misty called out Vaporeon to attack the Persian that particular trainer was using (forgot which one right off), and there was a reason for that…but that's in the prequel. I'll go back to attempting rewriting it someday, but it's difficult since the majority of the story is literally "lost".

Anyway, regarding the whole Ash vs Misty thing in Cerulean…it was definitely a draw and they didn't actually finish the battle. Even though Starmie was low on energy, Staryu was still okay just as Ash's Butterfree was still okay to battle. Still would've been nice to see that battle done again with their same Pokémon. Outside of the Waninoko (Totodile) battle and the one for Togepi (which really didn't count since Psyduck popped out), have they ever battled? I haven't watched the show in a long time, but it would be nice if she were brought back and the two battled to show off how much both have grown as trainers, especially with Misty being a gym leader now.

Fic Chapter Changes

There's only one change, really, aside from some extra dialog here and there, and that's the addition of mobile phones and the former Rockets having them.

I also cut the ending, which included what happened to Kenji and Jen, which you'll find out about next chapter.


	21. A Supernatural Stroll

Hello again everyone. I hope you liked the previous chapter. This one shows what's going on with Kenji and Jen and the return of a couple of briefly mentioned characters. Also, sorry for the long update. Very busy.

Now, as always, I do not own anything dealing with the Pokémon franchise. Nintendo, 4Kids, Gamefreak, etc., have those rights, and here are the age reminders once again...

Ash/Duplica: 13  
>MistyTodd: 14  
>KenjiJen: 17 going on 18  
>Joya: 18<br>Brock/Mondo: 19  
>Jessie: 22<br>James/Cassidy/Butch: 23

Part 21: "Are we…dead?" A Supernatural Stroll through the Park!

Last time, everyone met up and Duplica seems to have some strange power. Will it be limited to only her? Also, Togepi finally was able to get his message through, and thanks to Meowth, the gang now understands that Mewtwo and Todd are in trouble in some way. The group has now gone in search of Kenji and Jen, hoping that they're safe. Will they find them, or will they end up falling to the same fate as Mewtwo, Todd, and Duplica?

Ash Title: A Supernatural Stroll through the Park!

Over in Hoshi Imité Park…

"It was nice hanging out with you today," Jen bashfully told the Pokémon artist, her cheeks tinged pink from her slight blush and the chilling winds.

"I did too. There are so many places around here and seems there's plenty to do."

"There would be more, if it weren't so snowy." The two continued their serene walk through the white park, the snow crunching beneath their feet. "What do you want to do now?"

"It really doesn't matter to me," he smiled to her. "I'm just really glad to be able to hang around you like this, and appreciate your showing me around. I know it couldn't have been easy, given all that's been going on around here lately…"

"It's no problem." She felt her face going even redder. "Y-you're really special to me, Kenji-kun." Her face was blazing now. "You're the first guy I've ever met that I've actually…well…liked," she confessed once again. "I just have this strange feeling about you."

"Not a bad one, right?" he asked in alarm.

"No, of course not. Just like yesterday, my feeling about you is good…very strong…"

"It is strange, since I feel the same way…like…"

"-we're connected somehow," both finished up together, stopping in their tracks after realizing they'd both said the same thing and laughed a bit before resuming their walk.

"I usually don't believe in fairy tales, but after being with you last night, I just _knew_ our meeting one another was predestined…like fate and I know it's not reasonable to even feel this way towards a person after just a day, but…I just can't explain it."

"It's the same for me, and it was bothering me so much last night, which is why I went in search of you to talk. I know that was unethical of me to go to a young lady's room unannounced, and I, once again, apologize for that."

"Oh, it was no problem, and I did kind of…kiss you and all, which left you confused, and it was understandable as to why you wanted to talk privately about that. I did truly enjoy your visit and talking with you. I felt as if I could tell you my entire life's story. I've never felt so at ease talking with someone so openly, outside of Joya-chan, since she's my best friend here on this island."

"Thinking about it, I don't think I've ever been much of the open type and am a bit shy," Kenji admitted in a pitiful voice, "but you made it so easy for me. You too were very easy to talk to. I'm still confused over this though…it's just not _lo_gical, but we both strongly feel that we're meant for each other…" he trailed off. 'It can't be love, right? It's just not normal…I mean, I feel so complete when with her, like it's meant for her to be at my side and I know this isn't lust. I like her…I want to learn more about her…'

Just as Kenji was deep in thought, trying to sort out what he was truly feeling towards the young martial artist, she was thinking in a similar fashion. She too felt that she could throw everything that was dear to her, including becoming a Pokémon Scientist, just so she could be with the young artist. She felt so strongly, that if Kenji were to ask her to marry him right then and there, she'd answer, "Yes!" in a heartbeat. _Was_ it love? Was she _truly_ in love? Why did they have such a connection? Could she be mistaking it for something else?

Obliviously, the two clasped hands, which came across as very natural, just as their second kiss had. As they continued their walk, they couldn't explain it, but they felt an invigorating feeling from within…but it was strange, and this feeling was starting to intensify, which caused them both to break away from their thoughts.

"Kenji-kun?"

"Jen-san?"

"What's going on? I feel…weird."

They stopped walking, and looked down at their embraced hands. A soft glow surrounded it, and then it grew, completely engulfing the pair, causing both to black out...

After a while, Kenji awoke sluggishly, the sweet aroma of flowers tickling his nose. He rubbed his head with his left hand, trying to make sense of all that had gone on. "Where am I?" he muttered as he sat up. He finally realized that he couldn't truly move freely, and looked to see that his right hand was still embraced with Jen's left. He let go, and shook her gently. "Jen-chan," he softly spoke, enticed by her beauty. She seemed even more beautiful than ever at this particular moment. "Jen-chan, wake up…"

Her eyes began to open slowly, a gentle breeze brushing across her skin as she yawned. She sat up and stretched, unfamiliar with the place they were currently in. "Where are we?"

"I'm not sure. All I remember is a light surrounding us and then waking up here," he looked around again, "wherever _here_ is."

"Do not be frightened young ones," they both heard a voice say.

Another one then spoke up, mirroring what the first had, mostly. "Yes, do not be afraid."

Neither one felt as if the owners of these voices – the first being female; the second being that of a male – were threatening or harmful in any way, but Jen didn't want to take any chances. Despite still feeling slightly groggy, she jumped to her feet, alert and ready, positioned in a fighting stance. "Where are you?" It was very difficult for her to determine where the sound of the voices had come from. "_Who_ are you?"

"That is of no concern to you, _child_," the female answered shortly.

While Jen seemed intent on fighting, if it came to that, and trying to determine the location of where the voices were coming from, Kenji – who was now standing beside his female companion – was taking in their surroundings. Both were in a field filled with fresh sweet-smelling flowers, such as daisies, lilies, violets, and roses of all colors, which included unnatural flowers, such as blue roses.

The bright blue sky above didn't have a single cloud in it, and beautiful, exotic birds dominated the skies. Throughout the meadow, a few animals and field Pokémon were frolicking about peacefully, while a few Butterfree were pollinating the flowers. Nearby, was a babbling brook, filled with many water Pokémon, such as Goldeen, Magikarp, Seaking, Horsea, Seadra, etc. The water within this brook was extremely pure and clear, like no ounce of pollution had ever touched its surface, and it seemed that if anything tried to pollute it, that it would magically be rejected immediately.

This serene, unknown, warm place, definitely felt like the type where one could feel relieved and relaxed. It felt like the type of place one would go to escape the perils of the real world; to get away from the pressures of reality and responsibility.

"Where is this place?" Kenji shouted out.

"You are in a special place that few have ever seen," the male voice explained in a calm, gruff voice. "_No_ living mortal has ever come to this place, unless something was going to happen in his or her world, or…"

"Or what?"

"Or if the person is deceased or close to it…" he finished up direly.

"Deceased?" Jen asked curiously, as she remained in her fighting stance. "As in dead? Are-are we…dead?"

"No, you're not," the male voice assured them. "For one to come here who _is_ deceased, the person would know it, as you receive a briefing before arriving. If one comes here without a briefing, it means you are here for another reason, and usually, it's to receive a message to relay back to the world of the living."

"Wait, so why exactly are we here?"

"Your world. Something is going to happen there."

"We must deliver a message," the female explained to them. "Your lives are in danger, as well as a few others. The fate of your world is also in danger."

"Danger?" both asked in perplexity.

"You two possess a power," the woman continued in a tired, exasperated voice.

"I don't understand," Kenji started. "We're in a field, talking to voices of people we cannot see. With how open this place is, I feel that it would be very difficult to hide as there aren't any places _for_ one to hide."

They heard the female give off an antsy sigh. "Calm down."

"Remember, this is a world for the deceased, which you are not, therefore, you are not allowed to see us in our true forms. Only one is allowed to, and she probably will in due time, to help resurrect another memory," the male continued brusquely. "Even if you two were able to view us in our original forms, you wouldn't recognize us because neither of you are directly connected to us in any way, nor are you family."

"I don't really like speaking with people and not being able to see them!" Jen told them sternly as she still seemed to be studying her surroundings suspiciously. "Are you friend or foe? If foe, you will have to fight me! I do _not_ take any chances with those I do not know; *especially after what happened to me almost three years ago!"

They heard the male chuckle lightly. "That's a warrior for you. A true warrior is always alert and ready to encounter most anything, and usually always have his or her guard up!"

"I _still_ don't like the idea of speaking to a person I cannot see!" The martial artist was growing more uneasy as she still couldn't sense their actual presence.

"_Fine_," the female huffed. "We'll take on the form of a Pokémon that best fit our personalities as well as our old lives. We were granted that ability, if we should ever have to reveal ourselves…"

"Come to the brook," the male instructed.

Kenji and Jen made their way towards the brook, although Jen was still remained alert, just in case. A glow shined from the water, which took on two forms. The two forms looked very human-like. The shine was so bright, the pair had to shield their eyes. When the glow subsided, in the place of the two human-like figures, were a Starmie and a Staryu.

"Is _this_ better?" the Starmie grumbled in the female's voice.

"Y-yeah, I guess so," commented Jen, who finally felt comfortable enough to lower her guard.

"Earlier, you two mentioned something about your old lives," Kenji noted, "…are you ghosts?"

"One could call us that, but we prefer to be referred to as spirits or guides."

"Enough with this chitchat," Starmie snapped, "we _have_ to finish delivering this message! Their world needs the two of them back as soon as possible! We aren't even supposed to interfere in these types of matters, but the process is going so slowly, we must! The gods are allowing it!"

Staryu cleared his throat. "R-right…"

"Um…you said something about our having some type of a…power?"

The Starmie turned her attention to the girl and nodded. "If I'm not mistaken, you two feel as if you're inexplicably connected somehow, correct?" The two nodded slowly. "Well, you are. The both of you possess a power that the all-mighty evil one fears."

Jen literally sweat dropped. "Are you serious? 'The all-mighty _evil_ one'?" The girl shook her head, and thought sarcastically, 'Well, that isn't a clichéd and lame name…'

"Too bad you two aren't real Pokémon," Kenji complained as he started to go completely off-topic. "I could research and study you, and then submit my report to Bill of the Lighthouse and Professor Oak. It would be a _very_ good report for them to review. Who knows, a report like that could even reach the Symposium, making me world famous! No one has _ever_ come across something as rare as a talking Starmie or Staryu!" Kenji slapped his forehead in stupidity. "Now _why_ didn't I think of doing that with that talking Meowth! Who cares if he belonged to the Rocket Gang!"

Within a flash, Kenji pulled out a few materials from his backback. Jen looked on in amazement, wondering why he carried all of that stuff around and why he'd bothered bringing his backpack in the first place. One of the things he took out, looked like a box with a funnel sticking out in the middle. "Now, this is a water pressure meter made specifically for water-type Pokémon." He sat the remote-sized box like object onto the ground, and took out his sketch pad and pencil. "Now, Starmie, could you use your most powerful Hydro Pump attack? Starmie are usually quite capable of this." He then turned his attention to the Staryu. "Staryu are normally capable of having Water Gun as a main attack, so could you please use your most powerful one so that I can measure its pressure after Starmie uses Hydro Pump? Just aim a t the funnel. I wonder if your Water Gun and Starmie's Hydro Pump is more powerful than that of your average water-type Pokémon.

"Let me know when you're ready. I want to sketch out how you actually use the attack so that I may study it and compare it later."

Starmie and Staryu sweat dropped from the researcher's passionate nature. Kenji soon realized that he had gone into researcher mode and apologized as he returned everything back to his bag.

"As we were _say_ing, the fate of Kage Island and the entire world is in your hands," Starmie continued.

"What exactly did you mean by that, anyway?" Jen asked while scratching his head. Starmie and Staryu explained the legends and the myths of the island to the two. The girl looked on in skepticism. "That sounds a bit farfetched and I already knew about this place being enchanted, which is also a bit hard to believe still."

"And there are two others with this so-called 'power'?"

"Yes," Staryu answered.

"Many centuries ago, on this very island – only it wasn't known as Lost Kage back then – the two of you were both a warlock and a witch, but good ones," Starmie clarified. "The two of you were an inseparable loving couple. This is more than likely why you feel as if you have some kind of a bond or a connection now. You two even died while fighting together…but you weren't com_plete_ly killed."

Kenji blinked. "Not completely killed?"

"That doesn't make any sense. You either die or you don't."

Staryu, noticing that Starmie seemed to be growing huffy again, stepped forward. "I shall explain this as best as I can." He cleared his throat before continuing on with the long-winded tale. "You," he motioned to Jen, "were known as *Junsa. You were very brave and a great warrior skilled with swords and fighting techniques in general." He turned to Kenji. "You, Kenji, were known as *Kei. Kei was a great strategist, smart, and calm. With the bravery of Junsa and the seriousness and intelligence of Kei, they both worked very well together. Kei was good at planning out battles while Junsa was good at fighting them."

"It seems that neither of you are in the same form you were all those centuries ago, but their spirits are resting within you. Both of you have the same powers Kei and Junsa did all those years ago, which defeated the evil one. Since their souls have rested for so long, both will definitely be much stronger.

"As it was said earlier, there are two others whom also have this type of power to help fight, only they ended up facing the same fate as your past selves. The youngest of you all was known as *Mizuna. She was very skilled, but her true powers were unknown at the time of the battle, and still are in her form now, like pretty much all of you, which is why we were allowed to intervene. Mizuna was an ordinary girl who hanged around with Kei, wanting to learn the ways of witchcraft.

"Back then, this place was known for its wizardry and magic, and everyone here showed to have some type of affinity for it, even if very weak. In the case of Mizuna, she wanted to enhance them. In her spare time, she would train her Shadow Pokémon, which were mostly ice and water types. She even managed to teach her Pokémon ice or water moves, even those that didn't naturally have the ability for it. Kei was also her tutor."

"Wait…I…I mean, _he_ was her teacher?"

"Yes, but let's try to stay on-topic here. She turned out to be the most powerful of you four. She was the only one who had the power to completely seal the barrier and entrap those demons, but when using that type of power, it drains your life energy. Call it a double-edged sword. Unfortunately, this is what happened to your past selves. All of you tried your best to combine your powers to seal them, but Mizuna was the one who could fully close it. Due to you all doing this to banish them, a spell was unknowingly cast by Mizuna…an ancient preservation spell, which would allow your spirits to rest. Your bodies may have died, but your spirits lived on…in a manner of speaking, and will awaken if that same evil were to resurface.

"Coming to this island is causing your spirits to awaken, only not fast enough. The fourth one of the group was also skilled with magic named *Hoshi. Hoshi always used magic as a way to entertain young children, which included her own. Usually playful, Hoshi would become fierce in the battlefield when trying to protect her family and friends. She had the highest defensive maneuvers, which allowed her to increase the protection of the troops, thanks to her old teacher."

"Overall, this was a peaceful place…until Sorcerer *Waruii came about," Staryu continued. "He was the one responsible for the demons attacking the island as he wanted to conquer it for himself and then eventually, the world. His powers were strongest on the island…and he had the power to increase his magic levels by defeating others in battle. For instance, as mentioned, Kei, Junsa, and Hoshi were the strongest magic users there and he knew this. Defeating them would've granted him great powers. He was an evil lord feared by most in those days. Your counterparts did manage to defeat him, but _not_ his Shadow Demons. He, unfortunately, had a strong protection/resurrection spell cast on himself so that he could get another chance at world domination."

"It seems like it was a very complex spell, but he too has been reborn in this world, which is why all of the things happening on the island have been happening. We know of his identity...he's caused lots of trouble in your world…our old world…our old lives…" the Starmie spat quietly. To the two teens, it almost sounded as if she were going to cry.

"His present-day self seems to know about the old legends surrounding the island…maybe for a long time now. You guys have to stop him before he shows his true power or fully awaken. It's obviously starting with the strange Pokémon attacks going on and the strange spell being cast over the island."

When the two seemed done, Kenji spoke up, looking rather perplexed. He wasn't sure how to truly respond to such a farfetched story. This story topped the "enchanted island" one that Jen and Joya told him and Brock about the previous day. "So, you're actually saying that in our past lives we were once a witch and a warlock with the power to fight off some kind of evil demons and they are now returning and we have to fight them again?"

The two water Pokémon nodded.

"Yeah, right," Jen scoffed.

Kenji, wanting to know more, as he was still trying to make sense of it, asked, "How do these powers work? How can we protect everyone if we don't know how to use these powers and who are we trying to protect everyone from?"

"You, Kenji, know him well," Starmie told him sympathetically, "but we can't answer anymore of your questions."

"But I want to know about-"

"Our allotted time grows very short," Starmie said again, only more firmly. "We're being restricted from giving you anymore information as you were originally supposed to have discovered this on your own."

"There is one person who will be able to explain everything, once awakened."

"Who is that person? Where can we find him…or her?"

"We're sorry, we're being sealed by the gods. We have to go since our time is up, but we will reveal ourselves again when truly needed, but only to one."

"But-"

"Our time is up," Starmie repeated again, her voice becoming faint. The world was also starting to fade around the two teens. "You'll figure out how to use your power in due time. Your resting spirits will guide you and come out."

"Just remember that the two of you are connected and is the key to your powers, which will definitely come naturally to you. Please remember all that we told you…"

"Wait!" Kenji called, as he ran towards the two Pokémon, whose bodies were going transparent. The babbling brook, the bright blue sky, the Pokémon and animals, and the meadow began to fade even more, the sky growing dark. "Tell us who you are! Who is Mizuna-san? Where can we find Hoshi-san?"

There was another bright flash of light, which caused the two to shield their eyes once again and obliviously clasp hands. When the light subsided, the two opened their eyes to see that they were floating nearly a foot in the air over the spot that they were in right before they ended up in the mysterious meadow. Both their eyes went wide as they fearfully let go, which caused them to fall to the ground, with a loud crunch in the snow below.

Kenji managed to stand first and extended his hand to Jen to help her up. "What just happened?"

The girl shook her head. "We have special…powers?"

The artist could only stand there and shrug, both still in slight shock. "I guess we should go now?"

"Yeah, okay," she said slowly with a nod. The two walked off aimlessly, as both their minds were occupied with all that was just told them. 'I only know of a few people with so-called 'special powers', and that was Mako-chan and her friends back in Tokyo. Could this be the same type of situation only involving me…'

x x x x

Author's Notes

Note 1: This is referencing my A New Enemy fic, which I've mentioned before. It's my unfinished Sailor Moon fic from about 2000 (give or take). Maybe one day I'll be able to get over my bothersome writer's block and finish it as well as rewrite it. Anyway, as mentioned earlier, Jen was a character in that story and was actually one of the victims for it.  
>x x x<p>

Note 2: Anyway, here's a brief explanation on some of these names…

Kei (慧): So yeah, Kei, using this particular character, means, "wise". The character is wise, hence why I used a name meaning that. Even though for the show, Kenji's name isn't written in kanji, if I were to choose one for him, it would be (研二), which would mean "studying second son" as that's how I perceive the character. Overall, I perceive him as being serious and wise and calm and level-headed, so I wanted his past-life counterpart to have those personality traits as well.

Junsa (じゅんさ): This isn't original at all. Junsaa is the original name for Officer Jenny. The name is written in katakana for the show, but I used hiragana for this and shortened the name and it comes from the word (巡査) meaning "police" which is, "junsaa".

Mizuna (みずな): This is a made up name, and…I used hiragana for it as opposed to katakana (even though it should be in katakana). I wanted something water-like. Mizu = water.

Hoshi (ほし): This is also a non-original name that's strange sounding I'm sure. Hoshi (星) means "star".

Waruii (ワルイー): This is another name that's not very original. The word for "bad" or "evil" is warui (悪い). I added the "i" for emphasis and am using katakana for his name to differentiate between the "good guys" and "bad guys"…just go with it…and this name is also very made up. This is also how the characters of Wario and WaLuigi were named. The "wa" part is pretty much saying, "Bad Mario" and "Bad Luigi".

Fic Chapter Changes

First, and only, change is the name of "Kei". Originally, the name was "Juudai (重大), which means, "serious" in Japanese. It's an adjective and strange for a name, then again, so is the name "Hoshi". lol


	22. Disappearances

Hello again everyone. I hope you liked the previous chapter. This one shows what's going on with the rest of our group and they all have an interesting encounter with a certain…someone. lol I apologize for the length of this chapter. It's very long and it's because I didn't want to break it up for each set of characters. It's like the chapter that took place in Cerulean. Instead of breaking it up, I just put everything into that one chapter to save on time. Either way, hope you guys enjoy it and sorry for the long update. As usual, real life stuff got in the way.

Now, as always, I do not own anything dealing with the Pokémon franchise. Nintendo, 4Kids, Gamefreak, etc., have those rights, and here are the age reminders once again...

Ash/Duplica: 13  
>MistyTodd: 14  
>KenjiJen: 17 going on 18  
>Joya: 18<br>Brock/Mondo: 19  
>Jessie: 22<br>James/Cassidy/Butch: 23

Part 22: "Why are you _doing_ this?!" Everyone Disappears!

Last time, we saw what happened to Kenji and Jen. They had an encounter with the supernatural and learned even more about the island and its unusual history. Right now, Ash and the others are in search of the pair. Will either of them find them or will they face another familiar face?

Ash Title: Everyone Disappears!

In another part of the town, Duplica and Ash were walking around. They all decided it was best to split up in pairs to search, and if neither of their friends turned up, they planned to regroup and go to the police.

"Do you think we'll find them anytime soon, Duplica?"

The girl, who was a bit quiet, was still pondering over what had happened earlier and how she'd somehow made some kind of energy eject itself from her body.

"Duplica?"

"Huh…what?"

"Are you okay?"

"Oh, sorry Sato-chan," she replied back, her jovial tone forced, "just thinking."

The trainer ignored the fact that she'd used her teasing name for him, and asked, "What about?" He had an idea, but didn't want to force the subject either.

"Stuff…."

"What _kind_ of stuff?"

"Well…I've been having a strange sense about some things…ever since my uncle attacked us and my cousin had me kidnapped and of course since I did that thing earlier that smoked that seat cushion." She put her hands behind her head and stared blankly up at the grey sky. "Even though it's…new, this strange power…I just can't logically wrap my mind around it. How is this supposed to work? How is this even possible?" She sighed. 'Why is it starting to feel familiar the more I think about it?' She looked over at Ash, and scoffed. "I doubt a person like me could figure something like that out."

"Okay, so yeah, it is a little…strange, but someone as smart and talented as you should be able to figure it out in no time!"

"Do you really think so?"

Ash stopped in his tracks, which caused the Ditto Master in training to do so as well. "I _know_ so!" he told her confidently, as he tried his best to keep her morale up. "You're an awesome girl who's been given a very special gift. Maybe it's for fighting off evil, and I know that's way out there, but you have that strange power for some reason." He thought for a moment. "It sounds like something from out of a storybook or a comic."

"Thanks for the pep talk, Sato-chan."

Before he could reply, Duplica leaned up, and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. The boy didn't know what to think, say, or how to even react. He knew he couldn't say something like "gross" because he didn't think of kisses in that way anymore, and hadn't for a long time, even _before_ he and Misty had become a couple. Either way, the first thing to pop into mind was an image of a certain peeved redhead swinging her mallet violently. At this moment, he wasn't sure if he was supposed to hug the girl or run away or anything.

The boy's face was deep red, and he seemed to be stuck in place. "Um, Duplica, I, um, erm…"

"I was just thanking you," she told him playfully, while she also trying her best to suppress her giggles over his reaction. Growing up with so many French influences, a kiss on the cheek was no big deal to the young girl. 'I know I shouldn't be doing this, but teasing him is just so much fun!'

"But Misty, I-I…Misty…"

"Calm down, Ash. It was only a friendship kiss. Now if I would've done something like…_this_…" she quickly pulled the boy close, and gave him a small peck on the lips that lasted barely three seconds, "…then it would probably mean more than friendship." She smirked wickedly. 'This is too fun…can't wait to tell Misty about it and how devoted Ash is to her…'

Ash was petrified as Misty came to mind once more. 'What would Misty do if she'd seen that? She'd probably nail me with her mallet and hurt Duplica! Why did she have to _show_ me the difference instead of just _telling_ me! Oh no…what if she…_likes_ me? What do I do?!' Ash managed to turn his attention back on the performer. "Um, Duplica, I, well…that is-"

"I was just showing you the difference, Ash, so don't worry about it."

"But-"

"And don't worry about Misty."

"Oh-k-"

"And to clear things up, I have no romantic interest in you whatsoever."

Ash let out his breath, which he'd been inadvertently holding for the past couple of seconds in relief. "R-really?"

"Nah…you're just not my type." She then looked away from him in slight embarrassment, her face partially red. "And, I think, I kind of, well…um…"

"…like Todd," Ash broke in. The girl faced her friend, surprised that someone like him was so perceptive. Her cheeks went even redder. "*It's kind of obvious, and just because I don't talk about that kind of stuff, doesn't mean I don't notice it sometimes."

"I didn't know you were actually so insightful."

"Duplica, can we stick to handshakes from now on? I don't think Misty would appreciate you kissing me," he then muttered under his breath, "_not to mention me_."

"Sure, and I'm sorry I made you feel so uncomfortable."

"Yeah, yeah, sure," he replied back, his voice a bit quirky. "I think we should figure out that new power of yours."

"How?"

"I'm not sure," he shrugged, "but I have a feeling we'll be able to figure it out."

"I guess…"

"I also think we should go to a secluded place first."

"Why?"

"Just a hunch. Know anyplace we can go?"

"Hm, the park should be okay."

"Let's go, then."

She nodded determinedly. "Right!"  
>x x x x<br>On another part of the island, were Butch and Cassidy. They were in an area filled with many restaurants with cuisine stemming from a multitude of different cultures and backgrounds.

"Cassidy, how exactly are we supposed to find those guys? We've never met this Jen person before."

"The breeder mentioned that she was with Kenji, and we both know him. He also told us before we split that she's related to the Police Chief or something like that, so she's probably well known."

They continued the brisk walk in partial silence as Butch was taking in the beautiful, yet frosty surroundings. "Hey, when was the last time we went out? Just the two of us?"

"With our gym duties, being stuck as witnesses for that trial dealing with Giovanni, being on probation, and our final strenuous days with Team Rocket…I don't even know," the blonde sighed.

"It has been a while, hasn't it?" The green-haired man turned to his blonde mate. "How about we go out someplace after all of this craziness is over…before we head back to Viridian. Maybe we could join up with Jessie and James, if they're up to it."

"They'd probably agree to it. What made you come up with that, anyway?"

"The restaurants," he pointed. "There are so many of them in this part of the town, I just figured, why not?"

The two continued their search, asking different inhabitants if they'd seen anyone fitting Jen, Kenji, or Todd's description. Most everyone said "no". Growing frustrated with the search, Butch was about ready to call it quits, but a young man walked up to them, stopping the pair in their tracks. His face was a bit obscured by his blue cap. He was about Cassidy's height and he wore an over-sized blue suit with a large red bow-tie.

"Hello there!" he greeted the two loudly while ringing a hand bell.

"Um…hi?" Butch greeted back, as he wondered if this guy was out of his head.

"You two are the winners of a free dinner at one of the best restaurants this place has to offer, unless you aren't the famed Viridian City Gym Leaders, Butch and Cassidy, and I'm usually never wrong about these things." He smiled widely.

"Wow, really?"

He nodded to the blonde. "The name of the place is Imité no Kyuuden, and is run and owned by the Imité family, who pretty much runs this entire island!" He laughed goofily.

"But how did we win? Cassidy and I didn't enter any contests."

"Your airline ticket, sir. There is a number on each and every one of them, and according to the roster, you were seated in B-2 and B-3. Those are the two that came up in the drawing!"

"Hey, this is awesome! A free dinner at a fancy restaurant!" the green-haired man said.

"In order to claim your prize, you will have to follow me to the Mayor's Mansion."

"Wait, why?" asked Cassidy.

"He was the one who sponsored the contest."

Butch, eagerly, grabbed Cassidy's hand and pulled her along. Cassidy was hesitant, and was starting to grow suspicious of this character. Maybe there _had_ been some kind of drawing, but how did he manage to find them so randomly and why not at the airport after they first got off.

He continued to lead them through town and came to an alleyway. "I hope you guys don't mind," he goofily laughed again, which was starting to irritate Cassidy, "it's a shortcut."

'Something just isn't right,' Cassidy inwardly murmured as she reluctantly followed, surprised that Butch didn't object more to this unusual guy.

At the end of the alleyway was a dead end.

Butch looked around. "Where's the mansion? I think you made a mistake. There's nothing here."

"Where exactly _are_ we?" a confused Cassidy questioned.

The young man, who had had his back to them, started to chuckle darkly. "_Hell_!"

"What?!"

He turned to face them, a ravenous look in his eyes, which they couldn't fully see, due to his cap. He raised his hand, and somehow, a dark beam ejected from it, hitting the pair. This caused both to yelp out in pain, and double over onto the snowy-cold ground.

Behind them, a few boys and girls, who looked to be in their young teens, came out, forcing the two to stand and held them in place. They were all unusually strong, given their sizes…almost inhuman like.

The boy sneered and pulled off his cap. "We can't have you around to ruin our master's plans."

Butch, at this point, couldn't hold out, and had blacked out from the excruciating pain, but Cassidy still had a bit of strength left. Unfortunately, it was definitely leaving her, as her vision had started to become blurry. She gave off an inaudible gasp, as she recognized her attacker, despite his eyes having an eerie shade of red, which she didn't recall his ever having. "not…the…shutter…bug…"

He crossed his arms coolly. "In _this_ form you know me as the famous Pokémon photographer, Snap." His ravenous look now was that of a dangerous one. "This is your punishment for trying to *kill me earlier!" He laughed again and rose his right hand. "Smile for the camera!" He shot out another dark beam, which caused Cassidy to fall unconscious…  
>x x x x<br>Meanwhile, in a very secluded area of Hoshi Imité park…

"Okay, Duplica," a determined Ash told his friend, his hands bawled in anxiety, "focus _all_ of your energy. Just concentrate."

The two had been doing this for a good while now. Even though Ash knew that finding his friends and Mewtwo was important, he went with his gut. Deep down, he knew that helping out the Ditto trainer was of more importance at that particular moment, despite his being unable to explain it right off.

The girl did her best to concentrate and instinctively raised her hands. Earlier, Ash had told her to try meditating and something almost happened…but it was nothing like how it was when she hit the cushion on the couch. A white beam shot from both her hands, once again, quite small, and hit the ground, which caused the snow to melt in that particular area.

"That's better than before," Ash complimented. Even though this was a human, he felt like he was encouraging and training one of his Pokémon…but he also currently felt that the time he was spending with Duplica felt…natural, helping her get the hang of her strange and unusual powers.

"Thanks…I think I'm starting to get the hang of this," she told him gratefully, 'but it still feels like I've done something like this before…' Suddenly, an unfamiliar memory flashed into her mind. It was of a friendly-looking man with messy, dark hair, maybe in his mid-20s, giving her instructions….almost like a teacher.

"Duplica? Yoohoo, Duplica…"

"Ugh, wha…"

"You spaced out for a moment. Are you okay?"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine." She held her head. "Was just remembering something…sorry. What'd you say?"

"I was saying that it seems you have a little more control over your powers. Earlier, when we first started, you were missing your target, but when you concentrate on _where_ you want that strange beam to go, it actually does, like just now."

She stared down at the smoky area. "I wonder what else I can do…"

"I was thinking about that too, and I now wonder if you can use the elements."

"What do you mean?"

He scratched his head, trying to think of a way to put into words what he was thinking. "Since concentration is definitely the key here, maybe if you concentrate on a certain element, you'll manage to use it. Like, if you focus on water, you'll use a water attack or if you think about fire, you'll be able to launch some kind of fire attack. I'm not sure what that white beam is that you use but maybe it's…psychic like or maybe it represents light?"

"Oh, I think I get it. Should I try it out?"

"I don't see why not. Go on, try it, try it!"

The young girl closed her eyes and started to think of the surface of the sun, and the immense heat it produced. She obliviously raised her right hand while also trying her best to stay centered and focused. A small flame formed within the palm of it. Startled, she tossed it in the same area the white beam had hit, but then it started to burn, despite the snow around. Panicked, Duplica started to concentrate on water. In her mind, she pictured the open sea and a pure, crystal-clear lake. It wasn't enough, though to conjure up water. She focused as she kept firmly telling herself to concentrate.

Another thought came to mind…a rainstorm, the droplets falling serenely into the crystal-clear lake. This was obviously enough. A small orb of water formed in her left hand, she tossed it and concentrated on hitting the small burning area. It hit, and steam rose from the spot.

Ash was clearly impressed. He knew that his intervention wouldn't be necessary and clapped. "That was great!" he exclaimed.

"That was really strange. I had to concentrate even more to do that," she lightly explained. With the strange white beam, all she had to do was think about Todd and her friends' safety and well-being. "Your advice was great, how'd you come up with that strategy anyway?"

"Well, a person as intelligent as I, just thought about the situation and deduced from there," he told her in mock cleverness.

"Really?" she asked with a small laugh.

"Well, seriously, I don't know why. It just felt like an obvious approach to me. Anyway, I feel you should rest for now. Let's go back to searching for the others."

"You don't think I should practice some more?"

"Nah, for now, you're fine, I feel. You seemed to have gotten the basics down and it seems like it's almost natural to you."

"If you really think so…then okay. Let's go."

He nodded. "Right!"  
>x x x x<br>Back in town, near the park…

"We're supposed to be scouting around for a new location," Jessie partially complained, still not comfortable with all that had gone on regarding Duplica, "not searching around for a wimpy Pokémon artist and a bratty Pokémon photographer."

"Come on, while we're looking for them, we can still make note of this place."

"I suppose," she grumbled, "but is it really safe? You _saw_ what happened with that Ditto kid. That's not normal! "

"Just don't worry about it."

"I still don't like what's going on, James. What if something happens to us because we're associated with those twerps?"

"I don't think that's all that likely. Let's just find those guys and then we can go on our own way."

"Okay, okay, I'll try my best not to think about it," she said, as they continued their walk around the multicultural place, finally coming up on the park. As they entered, a Hoothoot started to fly around them. "Shoo, go away!" It hooted eerily and seemed to fall back, staring. This caused the woman to feel uneasy. 'Okay…I just want to go back to Cinnabar…forget the restaurant.'

"Jess, wait a moment."

"Why, what's wrong?"

"I have to go to the restroom. There has to be one around here someplace."

"Wonder where the park map is…"

"Oh, look, it's over there."

The Hoothoot flew over to the big wooden map, and perched there. Jessie growled and waved her hand at it.

"Jess, it's just a Pokémon. Why are you so bothered by it?"

"I don't know…maybe because it feels like it's watching us."

James laughed. "You're being paranoid because of all the weird stuff that's happened. I'm sure it's fine. Now, where's that restroom…" He looked over the map some more, finding the restroom symbol. "Here it is. The nearest one isn't too far from here. Let's go."

The owl Pokémon hooted again as they walked off. Even though James didn't want to admit it, he felt a little awkward as well. It felt as if it was definitely watching them. He glanced back, and saw that the Pokémon had flown off.

Once arriving at the restroom, James rushed in, leaving Jessie outside who started to explore a short distance away. After entering, he noticed that it seemed to be completely empty, as he didn't hear anything, despite the fact that they'd passed quite a few people along the way. The lights were also off. He felt around for a switch, and grumbled, "Who would shut off the lights in a public restroom…"

He found the switch and flipped it, only for the dim light to flicker. James' eyes went wide in surprise, as he noticed three male figures standing in front of him with cold, hard expressions on their faces. The first of the three boys spoke first. The upper half of his face was shrouded in mystery, as the shadows from the blue cap he wore, was covering it quite well. "So, how are things, _James_?"

James grew edgy. "How do you know my name?"

The second boy had short, shiny black hair, and his voice somewhat robotic. "We know all."

The third boy had spiky, bright red hair and spoke in the same manner as the second boy. "You're taking a little trip."

The blue-haired man backed away cautiously, not sure what to make of them. "What do you mean? I'm not allowed to go on vacation until I capture Pikachu for the boss, but the gang disbanned and I can't even do that…WAIT, I'm already _on_ vacation!"

"Well, you've been cordially invited to go on another," the boy with the hat sneered. He snapped his fingers. "Eric, Tad, hold him in place!"

"Yes, oh mighty Todd," they obediently responded.

"Todd? The photographer, Todd?"

The two shorter boys held the much taller James in place. He tried to break away, but he couldn't manage to, as both were unusually strong.

"Get away from me, you! Un_hand_ me, you! Stop!" James commanded concretely, as he struggled. Unsurprisingly, his pleas went unnoticed, given the unsteadiness of his voice.

Todd ignored James and sighed sharply. "Yes, it is me, but I'm only borrowing this body." He walked over to one of the sinks and looked himself over in the mirror, removing his cap. James looked on in surprise; yeah, it was Todd, definitely, but something about his eyes seemed different to him. "If I like it, I just _may_ keep it." He walked back over to James, who still stared at him in confusion. "_You_ may know him as this 'Todd' person, but my true name is-"

"What?" James interrupted, confused over his babbling.

"How _dare_ you interrupt me!" Todd snapped. He elbowed him hard in the side. James winced from the sharp pain he now felt. "Now, that girlfriend of yours, according to my feathered helper, is with you. I was told to nab her as well. I guess now would be the perfect opportunity to test out another power of mine and see how long this body can withstand it, but I have an idea." He shook his head in shame. "Too bad this body wasn't equipped with _real_ powers." His voice grew bitter and annoyed. "I'm only using what that foolish '_mas_ter' of ours gave me, and I guess this was the best host he could find for me."

James, who had actually ignored Todd's entire speech, just squirmed to try and free himself of the younger boys' grips. "Leave Jessie alone! If you harm her, I'll-"

"You'll _what_?" he scoffed triumphantly. "You can't even break away from a couple of kids!"

"What do we do now, Toru-sama?" Eric questioned.

"I _really_ wish you all would call me by my true name, but in this body, to everyone, I'm known as this 'Todd' person." He sighed again and massaged his temples. "We take him back to our master," he explained. 'Of course that'll change once I get my chance. That stupid fool will pay for what he's done…for how he _hurt_ me in the past! His harm upon one broke my heart and spirit for all eternity, and I've been suffering ever since…'

James blinked. "Master?"

"Toru-sama, how do we get the one that travels with him?" asked Tad.

"I'll take care of her," the possessed photographer replied eerily.

After having said such a thing, James started to yell obscene things to Todd, and then he started to shout as loudly as he could, "Jess, run away!" Eric, who'd grown tired of James' intolerable behavior towards Todd, punched him in the stomach. This caused James to cower over and cough. Tad then kicked him hard in his side where Todd had earlier.

"You _will_ obey," Eric threatened.

"Never oppose Toru-sama or go against our master's wishes!" Tad told him spitefully, forcing him to stand back up along with Eric's help. James felt so miserable, he wasn't sure if he had the strength left to try to break free anymore. The kick to his side was so excruciatingly bad, he wasn't sure how much longer he could hold out, especially with the way he was being forced to stand. He hoped that nothing was broken.

"Just so you know, your girlfriend can't hear you. There's a sound barrier surrounding this area." James ignored him and mustered up enough strength to scream for Jessie to run away again. Todd shook his head. "Pathetic. We need to shut him up. He's starting to seriously annoy me." He raised his right arm, his hand open. A black, electrical beam shot from it and hit James directly. "That ought to keep him quiet for a while." James screamed in agony as he felt his body start to give way and slumped slightly. The two boys let go of him, as he crashed to the floor hard. 'Now I can try this new technique of mine.'

Todd raised his left arm, his hand bawled. A black, crackling sphere appeared within it. The sphere grew in size and engulfed the photographer. Todd's limbs grew longer, his body slimmer, and his hair lengthier. When the dark barrier broke, a weak James looked up and gasped. The young boy no longer resembled the friendly photographer, Todd, but instead, he looked exactly like James. Even their clothes were identical. "Prepare for trouble!" Todd's voice grew deep and sultry, "Yes Jess, and make that double!"

"How _dare_ you take on my identity!" he groaned.

"All I need is a rose," Todd laughed in James' voice.

"Jessie'll see _right _through you! There are some things that only we know!"

"Well then, I'll just have to find out those things for myself now, won't I?" James couldn't say anything and just scowled at him. "Besides, I've already been briefed on all of you."

"We will take him back now," Tad said.

"Good," Todd chuckled in his normal voice. "He's been expecting you, and please tell the girls to get ready at position point G. That's where I'll head next."

The two knelled. "Hai, Toru-sama."

James finally managed to lift himself from the floor shakily, ignoring his pain, his face pale. His fists bawled. "I will _not_ allow you to harm Jessie!" he growled at the boy. "I don't know what's wrong with you or what's going on, but you'll have to go through me! I won't let you get away with this!"

Eric and Tad were about to grab him, until Todd held up his hand. He stared at the wan and sweaty James, who occasionally winced. "I already have," he told James icily in James' voice. He shot out another one of his strange beams at him, but it was way more powerful than the first one. The impact of this unusual attack caused James to fly back into one of the stalls and bump his head. The impact knocked him unconscious.

The two boys picked up James' limp body, as if it were nothing, and teleported him to their "Master"…  
>x x x x<br>Outside, Jessie had grown tired of wandering around and was now tapping her foot. She let out a disgruntled sigh. "What is _taking_ him so long?"

"I'm sorry I kept you waiting," Jessie heard a voice from behind her say, which caused the pink-haired woman to jump. "I guess I ate something that didn't quite agree with me."

She turned to see James with a smile on his slim face. "Sorry, I didn't hear you walk up."

"That's okay," he told her sweetly. He pulled out a black rose and handed it to her. "Let's go back to searching for the others. I have an idea where we could look."

'_Where_ does he get those things? He seems to always just have roses on him.' She sniffed the rose, wondering why it was black. "Where do you think we should look?"

The man pulled out a map from his back pocket and unfolded it. "There are a few museums here on this island, so I was thinking that we look there."

"Museums? What makes you think that they'd be at a museum?"

"I don't know about the photographer kid, but Kenji is into sophisticated things and sciences, just like the breeder, so I felt that checking a museum would be a good place for a person like him to visit."

"Hm, guess that makes sense."

"Okay, it's settled then." He pointed to a spot on the map. "Let's go."

James led the way while Jessie followed behind him quietly. He was the one with the map, after all. A short while later, the two ended up in front of the gym Ash had battled in earlier.

"_James_, you led us right back to that disturbing, creepy gym!" Jessie snapped aggravatingly.

"I did?" he asked innocently. To Jessie, he looked to have been studying the map thoroughly. "Either I misread this, or it's faulty. Let's check out the gym. There has to be a phone there. I could call the museums and get some more accurate directions."

"I don't want to go back in there, even if those ignoramuses _are_ due a pounding! Besides, where's your phone?"

"Battery's dead."

"Oh, darn you James! Ugh, well, if we _must_, at least I can teach those fools what happens when you call me a loser!"

"Yeah, sure," James responded in a higher-pitched voice that didn't seem like his, exactly.

"Wait, what'd you say? You sounded funny."

He coughed. "Probably a cold with this crazy weather."

"You know, also now that I'm seeing it, your eyes look a little red…"

"Maybe it's an allergy. My eyes are a bit itchy right now, but never mind that. Those guys disrespected you. You're not going to take that, right?"

"Yeah, you're right! Let's go! I don't care how creepy this place is!"

James grinned as they entered the rickety old building. They went down the same hallway they had run through earlier. Despite the tough girl act she had put on earlier, she was slightly leaning on James' arm as they walked. The feeling surrounding the place was overwhelming and she just couldn't shake it. It also seemed darker than it had earlier. James just stared straight ahead, his pace brisk.

Once they reached the end of the hall, they saw a sliced, sliding door. James walked through, and stepped over the rubble that Bulbusaur's Razor Leaf had created, and entered the gym arena. Jessie still clung to his harm.

"May-maybe we _should_ leave James. Those idiots probably realized how serious I was when we saw them earlier." She let go of him as she looked around the barren room. "We probably shouldn't be here."

"Oh, but it was _meant_ for you to be here Jessie," James told her, his voice deeper than usual.

She didn't know what to make of him as she stared up at the man, half scared, half astonished. "James, what's the matter with you?" Jessie noticed that James' partially red eyes, were completely an eerie shade of red now, which caused her to back away.

He grabbed her right arm. "Nothing at all," his voice sounded even more monstrous, than it had earlier, "my _dear_ Jessie."

"James," she grunted, "you're _hurting _me!" She struggled as she tried to break out of his grasp. While she continued trying, he wore a deranged, satisfying smirk. She finally broke free and stumbled back. Jessie wasn't sure if she'd actually freed herself or if he'd deliberately let her go. "James, stop acting like this!"

James looked a bit angry, which caused Jessie to back away farther. She was legitimately frightened of him. He'd never hurt her in any way or form before. Yes, the two would have an argument from time to time, and in reality, what couple didn't. This time, though, was different. To Jessie, James just wasn't himself.

The blue-haired man raised his arms, his palms facing Jessie. He also still had that same wicked, dangerous glint in his eyes. He mumbled some strange words, which cause Jessie to stare on in confusion. He put his arms down and stared at Jessie, who was still instinctively backing away. Suddenly, she stopped. She felt herself hit something. She reached out and felt a wall…an invisible one. She rushed forward, only to receive the same result. She changed direction and once again, a wall was blocking her.

"James," Jessie punched the invisible wall, "what's _wrong_ with you?"

He didn't answer as three girls leaped down beside him. He looked to them calmly. "Hello Shelley, Toni, Cherie."

The first of the three girls, had long dark-blue hair wearing a light-pink t-shirt and a pair of bright white shorts. "We received your message," Shelley bowed.

The second girl with the long golden locks in the long-sleeved red dress, bowed obediently. "Do we take this one," Toni looked back at the distraught Jessie, "to our master as well?"

"Of course. Our," he looked repulsed, "_mas_ter," he shuddered, "_really_ wants her as well as the other former Rocket members."

The final girl with the shoulder-lengthened brown hair wearing the white blouse, short dark-blue skirt, and baggy white ankle socks, also bowed. "As you wish, mighty one."

"James, you better give me an explanation for all of this _right_ now!" Jessie heatedly demanded. "Let me out of this…this _thing_!"

"Sure Jessie," James replied in a voice not like his. "I should let you go," he told her sarcastically while rolling his eyes.

'That voice…'

Just as he had when transforming into James, a dark sphere surrounded him, which reformed the boy back to his original state.

"It's the _Cam_era Twerp!" Jessie gasped. "What have you done with James? What's going on?!"

"Quiet!" Todd's voice bellowed. "Girls, grab her."

"Yes sir."

The three teens entered the invisible boxed barrier and made their way towards the former Rocket, grabbing her. Jessie, on the other hand, wasn't planning on cooperating in any way, and broke free of the smaller girls.

Todd removed the barrier surrounding the three girls and Jessie. "Stop being so difficult," he told her coldly. He raised his right arm, his palm facing forward once again. He murmured something, and flames shout out, hitting the woman. She screamed in pain. "This'll teach you to not hinder me from my objective."

The pink-haired model was now charred, but angrier than she'd ever been in her entire life. Cherie and Shelley, at that moment, grabbed her again. "If you do _not_ let me out of here, I'll _wring_ your scrawny little _neck_!"

"You should know better than to talk to Lord Toru in such a way," Toni warned eerily while pushing some of her blonde hair behind her ear, which allowed her piercing green eyes to stand out even more.

"Master has chosen him," Cherie responded robotically.

"You _will_ follow his instructions," Shelley threatened.

"_No_ one tells me what to do! The only orders I follow are mine, so let go of me…_now_!" She struggled again, and freed herself from their grips. She pulled a Pokéball from her belt, and tossed it. "Arbok, go!" A large, purple cobra-like creature emerged, chanting, "Charrrrbok!"

"Arbok, get them! Use your Poison Sting, now!" The Pokémon nodded obediently, confused over why she would want it to use Poison Sting on an actual human. The snake-like Pokémon opened its mouth, its teeth gleaming. It then launched a bunch of bright white streaks and all three of the girls. Surprisingly, the three gracefully leaped out of the way. 'How in the world did they manage to dodge something so fast?!' She decided not to dwell on it and called out another Pokémon. "Lickitung, go!"

This Pokémon was big and pink, his tongue flailing around endlessly. "Lickitung, attack those three girls now! Use your Flamethrower!"

Lickitung took in a deep breath, and heaved out a massive flame. The three, once again dodged, by leaping into the air, and tossing some type of yellow powder on him. How they'd managed this, or where they'd pulled it from, was beyond her. Lickitung, gave off a "Tung" and froze in place. He tried to move, but looked to be struggling.

"Oh no…Lickitung! How'd they...manage to fully paralyze you? I don't have anything to heal you with! Lickitung, return!" Jessie growled, determined to win this battle. "Arbok, forget the girls! Wrap the Camera Twerp! Squeeze him until he tells me where James is!"

Before the girls could attempt to protect "Lord Toru", Arbok managed to quickly get to Todd and wrap its coils around him. It continued to wrap its body around him until Arbok's face was on the same level as his. "I do _not_ have time for this nonsense!" Todd's dark red eyes, started to turn dark blue. Arbok seemed mesmerized by the sudden eye color change. Next, two dark colored beams shot from the renowned photographer's eyes, right at the snake. Arbok's coils loosened, and it fell to the floor with an eerie thump.

Jessie's eyes went wide as she saw her Pokémon companion inertly slump to the floor. "NO!" she shrieked. Jessie hurried to her motionless Pokémon's side. "Arbok! Arbok! Wake up!" She looked over at Todd angrily. "What did you do to my Arbok!"

He ignored her. "Teleport her back to our…master," he stated dully.

"Yes, Lord Toru."

He looked back towards Jessie, who was now hugging Arbok closely. "And call back your weak Pokémon."

Jessie stared from Arbok to Todd as tears flowed down her face. "Arbok! You killed my Arbok, and you probably killed James too!"

"No, I didn't," he answered her plainly. "I just knocked it out with Psybeam. It's easy to do, and it's probably stronger than that of an actual psychic or shadow type. I'm also one of the strongest sorcerers to ever live, thanks to Waruii and the extra enhancements I now have.

"As for your pathetic boyfriend, he's fine. He just won't be moving for a while." He turned to his servants. "I need one of you girls to remain here, while I capture the next victim."

Shelley was the first to jump at such an honorable opportunity. She bowed. "I will stay behind, Toru-sama."

"Nice. Are you willing to cooperate?"

"Yes. Anything for you, Lord Toru."

"You may rise now." He took her hand and kissed it, which left her wooed, while the other two girls scowled in envy. "You two, take what's her name away, and as for you," he glared at Jessie, "_call_ back your Pokémon. I shouldn't have to tell you more than once." Jessie refused to move, and held Arbok. Annoyed with the lack of a response, he ordered Toni to get Arbok's Pokéball, and recall it. Jessie refused, and pushed the girl away.

Todd raised his hand again, and shot some kind of black beam at her, causing her to scream in pain. Toni finally managed to recall Arbok, while the other two grabbed Jessie, forcing her to walk. After that hit, she felt weak and overwhelmed. Todd just stared at her harshly and coldly, while shaking his head. They forced her to walk to the other side of the gym, where the stage was. In the middle was a strange-looking machine. Jessie felt her legs giving way, and her body slumping, but the girls didn't slow their pace as they continued to drag her along. 'no…why? why…is…this…happen…ing. what's...going...on? james…don't…die…need…you…' She passed out before reaching the machine…  
>x x x x<br>"I give up. No one's seen them."

"Calm down, Takeshi-san," Joya told the boy gently.

Brock nodded, as they continued walking around the shopping district, mostly talking about Duplica and the other strange things that had gone on. "It almost feels like they don't want to be found, but of course that's silly."

"Yes, I'm sure we'll find them."

"We've been to the other districts around and just finished checking the theater. Where else could they be?"

"Right here," they both heard a girl say from behind them with a small laugh.

They turned to see Jen bundled up from right behind them.

"Wow, where have you been?" asked Brock. "We've been looking all over for you."

"Where is Kenji-san?"

She pointed. "He's right over there."

They saw Kenji standing at an outdoor vendor buying some *kakigori.

"It's about 4°C (about 40°F) out here and _he's_ buying something like kakigori?" asked the breeder in surprise. "Isn't it too early to be selling something like that anyway? That's more of a summer treat."

"Actually, here on the island, many vendors start selling it during the spring, but yeah…I'm surprised that vendor is out here as well, given the recent weather lately" Joya explained.

Kenji walked over to the three and handed one of the orders of kakigori to her. "Thanks," she smiled.

"Walking around all day warmed us both up," Kenji said while taking about out of the fruity treat.

"Well, now that we've found you," Joya clapped, "why don't we all return home?"

"Sure, and Kenji-kun here even knows of a shortcut."

"But he's not even from here," Brock pointed out.

"Earlier, we were attacked by a strange Pokémon, and while getting away, Kenji figured out the fastest way to escape it with his map. We only came back to try all the foods that the vendors here were selling. We were planning on heading back to let everyone know about it."

"Well, then, if that's the case, show us this route of yours." The breeder was very eager to return to the nice warmth of the house.

Kenji nodded. "Sure my friend."

The two followed behind Kenji and Jen, Joya growing a bit confused as they turned the corner, ending up in a dark alley. "This doesn't look like the way to our home, Jen-chan. I've been here before; it's nowhere near here."

Kenji and Jen stopped in their tracks and turned to face them. "That's because it isn't," Jen told her darkly.

"What are you talking about?"

Frightened by her friend's tone of voice, Joya trembled. "Ex-excuse me?"

"What are you talking about?"

"You heard her," Kenji snapped at Brock.

Kenji tossed his shaved-iced treat aside, and raised his hand. This caused Brock to levitate above the ground.

"H-Hey, what's going on?! P-Put me down! How are you doing this?!"

"With pleasure," Kenji replied coldly.

He turned his hand, causing the breeder to look as if he were lying on air. He continued to struggle and panic over the current situation. He then lowered his arm, which caused Brock to lower as well, growing closer and closer to the snowy concrete below. A deafening, ear-splitting crack was heard as Brock smashed the pavement. Kenji then raised his arm repeating the process to once again cause the poor breeder to suffer through the same painful ordeal.

"I'm not going to waste any extra unnecessary time with this one. I wonder how _Brock_ likes the rock now!" he forcefully laughed. 'I really hate doing this. _Why_ should I bother hurting these innocent people? It's not exactly fair to them. I wish there was another way to fully gain the trust of our so-called master so I can finish him off to avenge the one I truly loved. _He's_ the one who deserves to be punished, not this innocent man, but I still need to continue testing my skills before facing him. I was hoping he'd never return or even manage it, but he _will_ pay for what he did in the past and how miserable he made my life!'

"Kenji-san, what are you doing!"

"What does it _look_ like I'm doing?" he asked her sarcastically. "I'm knocking out your boyfriend with _my_ version of a Seismic Toss."

After the first slam to the ground, Brock was knocked right out from the shock. He didn't even havean opportunity to scream. Joya rushed over to Jen and held her shoulders, pleading. "Jen-chan, stop him! Help me stop him somehow! I don't know how he's doing this, but we have to do something! Immobilize him! Do _some_thing!"

Jen stared blankly at Joya, and removed her hands from her shoulders. "Only he can stop," she saw Kenji slam Brock a third time, "and he's nowhere near finished."

"At least now I won't have to worry about a lack of cooperation," Kenji uttered as he ceased his inhumane attack. "The direct approach is generally the best approach…if you can manage it."

Brock was now sprawled on the cold ground and his blood seeped into the fluffy white snow underneath him. The back of his head was bleeding and his back was bruised. Joya looked at the two in fear, unsure of what to do. She could neither scream out, due to the shock, nor could she run off for the same reason. Kenji raised his hand again, but instead of the unconscious Brock rising, Joya was the one being lifted into the sky. She finally found her voice enough to scream for help, especially since she was so high up, and realized that she was more than likely going to receive the same treatment Brock had.

While Kenji was levitating her with his right hand, he used his left to create dark smoke around both him and Jen. When the smoke cleared, there stood another girl and boy in place of Kenji and Jen.

"T-Toru-kun!" Joya gasped in surprise. "But-but…why? How?"

"You'll find out soon enough," he told her callously. "It's nothing personal, but you've been chosen and since you've seen all of this, and I doubt you'll come along quietly, you'll have to suffer the same fate." Joya screamed as she was slammed on top of the unconscious Brock, the impact and shock causing her to faint.

"Well done, Lord Toru," Shelley complimented.

"Thanks." He wasn't very enthusiastic and held his head. "I feel I need rest so that we can help out with the next task."

"You must rejuvenate and replenish your strength."

"Yes, you're right, but instead, I'll use what's left of my strength to try and locate the remaining members of the group. I have enough energy to that at least."

"That's a wonderful idea, Lord Toru!"

"Please do _not_ call me by that name. I prefer to be called by my real one."

"Yes, Lord Toru."

'Idiot master! He could've at _least_ made it so that they all could address me by my true name!' He sighed. "Let's go, and get these two back to the professor."

Todd and Shelley left the scene, a knocked out Brock and Joya with them, anxious to get the next part of their plan into action…  
>x x x x<br>"I really don't know much about that Kenji guy," Mondo complained slightly, as he made his way through the town with Cassidy's Raticate, Meowth, and James' Growlithe by his side.

"Don't worry about it, kid," Meowth said, his paws propped behind his head.

":Yeah, we'll find them!:" Growlie barked confidently.

":It would be easier if you drove, Mondo.:"

"Raticate said it would be better if you could drive."

That's true, but where am _I _going to get a vehicle and a license to drive it? I was driving illegally when I was part of Team Rocket. That aside, all of the vehicles I used, like the jeep, were confiscated."

Meowth shrugged, as he had grown tired of walking around. He also wasn't sure why they were even bothering looking. Personally, he wanted to go home and leave the island, especially after seeing Duplica smoke the cushion.

As they continued their walk, a few paces a head, the group saw two figures running towards them. "Hey, dat looks like Jessie and James a little."

The two ran up to them and stopped. It was indeed Jessie and James and both seemed out of breath.

"Meowth, Mondo, are we glad we found you," James huffed.

"What's the matter?" asked Mondo in alarm.

"Loads of trouble, that's what," Jessie answered.

"All of you, get into your Pokéball now!" James ordered urgently.

"What's goin' on?"

"There no time to explain now, Meowth," Jessie answered quickly. "We have to get off of this island as fast as we can and make sure you Pokémon are safe; you _have _to get into your Pokéball."

James held up the red and white sphere. "Come now, Growlithe, in you go."

Growlie tilted his head and sniffed at James. He then suddenly started to growl. "I wonder what's with Growlie," Mondo said while holding the dog back.

"See, we cats are more civilized than mangy mutts!" Hearing this, Growlie faced the feline and blew a flame at him. It wasn't too powerful, but it did cause the cat-like Pokémon to fall over charred. "Dat ain't fair! I was tellin' da truth!"

Growlie's attention – no longer on Meowth – was now back on the two former Rockets. His growls grew louder and he even looked like he wanted to attack them.

"Calm _down_, Growlie," Mondo told the dog while trying to keep him in place. "I'm sorry James, I have no idea what's gotten into him. I've never seen Growlie act this way in the short time I've known him."

The blue-haired man shrugged, apparently not bothered by this. "Growlithe, get into your Pokéball…_now_!"

The fire canine barked at the two, and used a Flamethrower on the pair. Both fell over singed.

"Growlie! Stop!" Mondo called out.

James stood up and fumed, "You _stupid_ worthless dog! Get into your Pokéball now! It's for your own safety! I command you!"

He barked, about to attack again, but a red beam shot out from the Pokéball James was holding. Growlie tried very hard to avoid the beam, but unfortunately, it hit him and sucked him right in. It was quite obvious that this Pokéball was specifically Growlie's.

"Dumb mutt," James muttered bitterly.

Mondo felt it was strange how the dog Pokémon had reacted to Jessie and James, but not as strange as James losing his temper. That was somewhat of a rarity when it came to him. 'I guess a Flamethrower from your own Pokémon can do that to you. I guess I'd get upset too if one of my Pokémon friends turned on me…but I'd be curious as to why…'

"Cassidy gave me her Pokéball to get you, Raticate. Get in now." Confused, Raticate entered its Pokéball. Jessie pulled out another one and looked towards the third Pokémon of the group. "Come on, now, Meowth…get into yours too."

"What's _wrong_ with you two! You know Meowth doesn't like Pokéballs!"

James blinked in stupidity. "You don't?"

"_Dis_ Meowth doesn't!"

"Um…yeah, that's right!" Jessie replied slowly while smacking her head. "James just isn't thinking straight. We're in such a hurry, it must have slipped our minds."

"I don't under-"

"We're wasting time, Mondo. Follow us. It's our only hope. These people are after us because of that Ditto kid."

Mondo and Meowth gave one another a confused look, and then took off after Jessie and James who'd run off. Mondo tried his best to ask questions along the way, but kept getting the same response, "We'll explain when we reach our safe zone." The run lasted a bit longer, the island's gym coming into view. James led them to the back of the gym. There was a large hole there.

"Hide in there," they both told them.

"Why?"

"That's where everyone else is hiding," James explained.

Meowth crossed his arms, and turned his back on the hole. "There's _no_ way I'm jumpin' down there!" He peered down into it. "Besides, it looks too deep. Isn't there another way in?"

"Nobody asked you to jump!" Jessie snapped. "We're ordering you to!" She picked Meowth up by the tail, and violently swung him, tossing him into the hole. The only thing they heard was the sound of Meowth hitting the bottom with a thump and a painful yelp.

"Oh no, it's wearing off!" James hissed seriously to Jessie.

Jessie nodded, realizing the urgency of the situation. "You, jump down there now!"

Mondo backed away from the two. "You two are impostors!" he accused. "Jessie and James would know that Master Meowth doesn't use a Pokéball, no matter how distracted they are, and I've only heard James refer to Growlithe by 'Growlie'. Even though it's been a short time, I've never heard him refer to him as Growlithe. That's probably why Growlie was so hostile towards you! He would know his own master and friend!"

"You're a lot smarter than you look." Jessie told him coldly.

Mondo was about to run off, but James grabbed him and put him into an arm lock before he could get the chance. Jessie removed his Pokéball containing his Ditto from his belt.

"Hey, let go of me!" the teen struggled.

She tossed the ball up and down in her hand. "You won't be needing this anymore," she chuckled darkly, sounding remarkably like Jessie.

"Cherie…these powers are wearing off, help me…" James' straight blue hair was now starting to turn red and spiky, and he felt his body shrinking.

"Yes, I'm feeling it too." Jessie's dark pink hair grew shorter and brown. Her body also started to shrink in size. "That must mean that Lord Toru is in need of rest to revitalize."

"Hurry."

Both forced Mondo into the hole, which led him to the same place where Meowth was. It was a cage, which held the _real_ former Rockets.

After Mondo was captured, the spell had completely worn off, and the two were back in their original appearances and attire.

"We've managed to capture the last of the former Rocket members. I hope our master will be pleased, but we almost blew our cover. I forgot that Lord Toru said that the Meowth didn't use a Pokéball."

Eric nodded confidently. "At least we completed our task. I'm sure our master will be pleased. Let's return now. We have to help the Professor set up for the attack. The time is growing near."

"If only we had more time," Cherie sighed disappointingly. "We would be able to capture any of the others our master seeks, unless he's already managed it."

"That's a possibility. We'll learn of everyone's progress once we return to the Professor. Let's go."

With that, the two sealed up the opening, and entered the gym, teleporting back to the lab…  
>x x x x<p>

Author's Notes

Note 1: So, like I mentioned before, in the early Pokémon eps, Ash/Satoshi wasn't as oblivious to romance. The episode where Ash received the Rainbow Badge showed that. He knew why guys acted crazy over girls and understood it. He was also attracted to Giselle, so yeah, that's why I had Ash say that line. This was how I perceived him based on the Kanto eps I'd seen at the time I originally wrote this.  
>x x x<br>Note 2: So, it's obvious that the attacker is Todd and the comment he made, "This is for trying to kill me earlier" is in reference to the prequel. For part of that, when the Rockets were still carrying out Giovanni's orders, Butch and Cassidy had ended up encountering Ash and his group, and were about to kill them.  
>x x x<br>Note 3: Kakigori is shaved ice. On the ice, a type of syrup is added, depending on the flavor the customer chooses. It's a really popular treat during the summer. You'll definitely see Kakigori shops or places serving them during the hot summer months.  
>x x x<p>

Fic Chapter Changes

First change deals with a lot of dropped stuff. I cut out Misty and Pikachu from this chapter along with stuff dealing with the professor and Giovanni and some more things dealing with Ash, Dupilca, Kenji, and Jen.

The next change deals with the guy addressing Butch. Originally, I had him mess up his name (Botch). After that part, Butch interrupted and complained to RP about it. RP then went on about how she'd always loved that. So yeah, a fourth wall joke.

There was more added to Duplica and Ash's training session.

When James was gabbing on about a vacation, he originally mentioned that RP had made him a good guy, which was why he couldn't capture Pikachu for the boss.

When Mondo was going on about being unable to drive, there was a bit more to it. Originally, he went on about how he still had to wait a couple of years to legally drive a car, but how it's okay to use a moped or motor bike, but how he didn't want one. As mentioned chapters ago, the Rockets were aged up. Mondo was originally 16 for this fic (like he was for the original CD drama). In Japan, the legal driving age is 18…but a 16-year-old can operate a motor bike or moped.

After Meowth was tossed down the hole by Jessie, I had Meowth shout out something along the lines of, "I thought being out of Team Rocket wouldn't get Meowth hurt anymore!" and RP teased him and snickered saying something like as long as he's with Jessie and James, he'll probably always be unintentionally harmed in some way. His response was, "Dat ain't funny!" Main reason for this is because, as mentioned before, I'd only had exposure to the first series mostly at the time and back then, it was still pretty slapsticky and a bit punny.


End file.

Pokémon, Fantasy, Mystery