Chapter 17:A pyrrhic victory
The entire place was in ruins. The trees were burning, the Phantump population captured and transported to the Rocket bases somewhere on the planet. There were no traces of Trevenant either, however few they were initially. The forest looked completely alien now, not a single thing reminiscent of how it was a couple of hours ago.
Just like the St. Anne, prior to the attack and after the devastation had been wrought on it by Team Rocket.
However, the entire battle had resulted in a pyrrhic victory at best, on both sides. Executive Butch had come in with an army of grunts, each having a single Umbreon at command. He had with himself, his precious Magmortar, several Houndoom, and that powerful Dusclops. Sure, he had accomplished his mission—the Phantumps were captured and transported instantaneously to the Team Rocket Base, but the cost had been paid by his entire army.
Not a single grunt, nor any of the Umbreons were left alive. The Houndoom had their entrails expelled out, yelping in pain at the corner. His Magmortar had suffered several injuries and would in all probability, need a lot of treatment before he would be of any actual use in the future. The only one still active was the Dusclops, who was currently, locked in a shadow-ball battle against the three ghosts of the Gastly-line.
Butch stared in horror, as he felt himself surrounded. He had lost, horribly so. His chopper was gone, while the brat's pokémon were still up and battling. And then there were the three ghosts to be considered, and the overly powerful shadow-energy flaring the middle of them, formed as a result of colliding otherworldly energies.
Wait.
An idea germinated in his mind. It would not be without cost, but he had lost a lot. What did a single pokémon even matter now? He could always get more. Besides, if done right, it would, surely kill the kid, as well as the ghosts. If he were lucky, that powerful; Metagross and Rhydon would be affected as well.
Yes, revenge did taste good. Butch grinned.
He plucked out a single remaining pokeball from his waist. This, he reminded himself, was a pokémon he had meant to use as a quick exit. Never in his mind had he even suspected that he would need to use it so soon.
The pokeball released red light, condensing into an Abra, as the psi pokémon looked up at its owner.
"Get ready to teleport." Butch barked, holding on to the somewhat frail arm of the little psychic. One more attack, and he would recall Magmortar, escaping before the flames from Hell consumed everything in this place.
"Magmortar," he ordered, as the fire-breathing behemoth managed to stand, ready to fire at his command. "Use fire blast on that shadow ball collision."
Fire Blast. A rather powerful fire-type move, in which the caster creates a concentrated mesh of scorching flames, before propelling them towards the victim, who is then scorched in an all-consuming blaze. When used by someone like Magmortar, who had some of the highest stats in all fire-types in the world, it was a fatal weapon of destruction. Considering that ghostly energy was a good conductor of fire, an accurate example being the infamous will-o-wisp itself, the addition of such an attack on the colliding shadow-balls could only mean one thing.
Destruction.
Ash widened his eyes, as he noticed the spitfire pokémon send out the fire attack towards the colliding ghostly energies, before his attention turned towards Metagross and Rhydon, who were taken by surprise, and were barely a couple of feet away from the impending disaster. For a moment, he forgot that he didn't have Metagross's steel exterior, or Rhydon's nigh impenetrable hide. For a moment, he forgot that his own legs where in a fragile state, and that he wasn't supposed to run. For a moment, he forgot that he was still under Gengar's curse, and was almost devoid of energy, barely managing to remain on his feet during the course of the battle.
Ash forgot all of it, as he leapt towards them, his lungs paining as he yelled out…
"NO…."
And then the world exploded in light and fire.
Kadabra, in general, were pacifist by nature. The psi pokémon found humans interesting, especially considering their shared love for order in the universe, and importantly, their own ability to be like them in some respects. That was why most species of the Abra line were found in cities, amongst the populace. However, that didn't mean that Kadabra didn't, or couldn't be battlers. After all, their final form Alakazam, were one of, if not the most powerful psychics in the world.
However, there was one thing that Kadabra wanted more than anything else.
Perfection.
When he had evolved from the Abra stage, Delia had told him that he had all the time to hone his power, develop his skill, procure new abilities and manifest them. And he had done so too. Anything that was worth knowing, Kadabra knew it. It took a long time, but he had done it. Each and every technique that he could learn naturally, he had learnt it, and perfected it. Years of due diligence had gotten him the result.
Kadabra had attained perfection as a psychic.
However, that didn't quench his ambition. He had asked Delia to imbue him (with aid of those infernal devices the humans called TMs), move sets that belonged to other types, but which could be learned by the Kadabra line.
Move sets of the otherworldly type. Move sets of the void-users. Move sets of the common animals, and even some move sets of mindless beasts. After all, anything that was usable was beneficial to the enlightened mind.
That was until a week ago, when Delia had asked him to do something odd.
She had sent him to aid his son, Ash Ketchum.
Ash Ketchum. Delia's child. The midget. The nuisance. The little human who liked to mess with Kadabra on a good day, and even more so, on a bad day. The child who had started on his journey to become a trainer.
Kadabra hadn't understood why. Oh he knew the official reason—protection for the kid who was going ghost-hunting. Kadabra believed he recognized bullshit when he saw it.
And Delia was, plain and simple, bullshitting all over the place. And Kadabra, despite all his enlightenment, could fathom the reason behind it. Why send him, and not… the Alakazam from the lab? In battle, an Alakazam would be a better option should Ash have to fight against ghosts. Better yet, why not send one of the ghosts? And yet, Delia had stressed on sending him over.
He didn't know why back then.
The good thing (or the bad, matter upon perspective), was that Kadabra found the answer (or at least, what he thought was the answer) in no less than a couple of hours of being in the boy's presence, and he wasn't sure he liked it.
Mewtwo.
An unfathomably powerful psychic, and yet not. A being with powers as powerful as the Legendaries, and yet not one of them. A being with skill, one that came with great experience, and yet… he felt barely older than the human child himself.
And he was interested in acquiring Ash for himself, as his property, because of… strange likenesses. And Ash, by virtue of the same… strange likenesses, wanted to reverse.
It was almost like looking at a single thing and its mirror image through the mirror of time. Ash Ketchum, young and inexperienced, but with skill. Purposeless. Hoping that finding power would give him purpose. Wishing to build the strongest team on earth.
On the other end, Mewtwo… young and inexperienced, but with skill. Purposeless. Power beyond comprehension (even to himself, Kadabra felt). Hoping to find someone like him would give him purpose. Wishing to be the most powerful on earth.
It was like looking at one self through a broken mirror shard, and yet, these two mirror-images, who should have been on the same side, are antagonistic to each other. Mewtwo… it seemed, hated the fact that someone just as purposeless like him, and was doing all he could to make others happy, hoping to find purpose in them, instead of achieving power for himself. Ash, it seemed, hated Mewtwo, because someone just as purposeless as him, was doing all he could to gain power, even at the expense at others, when he should be using that power to aid others, and find his own purpose through them.
And now Kadabra was stuck in the rivalry between the two.
One year. The boy had one year to train, to progress, to grow strong, and to achieve the impossibly lofty heights he had set for himself… quite ironic for someone so purposeless….
And his team, despite being powerful at first look, was in shatters.
Shelgon. A pseudo-legendary baby dragon. Stuck in his shell. Needed a lot of time, training and care before he could evolve.
Poliwhirl. The tadpole was strong, and growing stronger. However, his diligence was severely lacking, and it seemed, even the kid sensed it at times, which was why he used alternative incentives to get his job done.
Rhydon. The beast was strong, and yet… had an extremely limited move set. An experienced battler should be able to figure him out in a minute.
The serpent. Gyarados. Powerful and deadly at first sight, but horribly untrained, a true child on deeper notice.
Crawdaunt, the crustacean. Too much pride, and yet, too little talent.
Charmander. A deformed creature, still stuck in his baby-form, frail, useless.
Lairon. New, and excitable, but lacking in experience.
Pidgeot. Overwhelmingly powerful, but unable to truly comprehend the true depths of her own power.
And finally, Metagross. A pseudo-legendary. A psychic, like himself. Jumped up into his final stage, because he wanted brawl over his psychic awareness. So much talent, and yet, so poor decision-making skills. Disappointing.
In fact, the only one of any value in the entire team seemed to be the void-using feline, Absol. Experienced, and with skill to back it up. Ruthless, and one who understood and appreciated her own limits. Kadabra could respect that.
Of course, Kadabra had underestimated her, and lost the battle. That was still acceptable. After all, Kadabra wasn't a battler.
A team with the potential to be one of the strongest ever, but currently in shatters. Yes, helping the midget with directions seemed like a good way to improve his own abilities, Kadabra mused. He had gained perfection, and now it was time to impart that to others, and who better than her son's team to begin with? This must have been the reason why Delia had sent him here.
Kadabra believed he had finally comprehended the actions of his trainer.
He had been dead wrong.
The moment Kadabra saw the fire blast shooting towards the churning mass of otherworldly energy, he was alarmed. His first reaction, in such a situation, would have been to teleport away, consequences be damned. But then, he saw something even more alarming.
The midget was running, despite being fragile, despite being cursed, despite having no backup, was racing head-on into it.
You fool! Kadabra cursed loudly. I didn't come here to have you killed today!
The fool in question, didn't seem to bother listening at all, as he raced, having eyes only for the beast and the foolish steel behemoth who had been stupidly taken off-guard.
You owe me, for this. Delia.
And Kadabra called in his entire psychic awareness, sharpened to the Tee, into the execution of a single command.
Hold.
His psychic powers concentrated, his awareness extended, forming a protective shield all around the churning mass of ghostly energy. It was difficult, very difficult, trying to hold otherworldly energy, especially something this thick, and this invasive with psychic powers. It was like trying to hold oil with empty hands. Despite his best attempts, he could feel the otherworldly auras seep out of his shields, ready to meet the fire blast, which was simply the matchstick for the hay heap, something that would ignite it, and bring the wrath of Hell onto the world.
The flames hit the shield, and came in contact with the shadow energies.
And it exploded.
Kadabra was almost thrown back by the sheer backlash of his shields breaking, but he held on, imposing more and more shields into place as the explosion kept tearing through them. Even though it was visible for now, Kadabra knew it.
It is beyond my power to contain this… explosion.
But control he must. Else the midget would die, and while he didn't specifically care, the ghosts on either end, or the midget's pokémon would probably die as well.
Not on my watch.
Not on my… damned watch.
And Kadabra made his decision. His eyes glowed, as a necklace that he made a point to wear on all occasions, zoomed up from his neck into his hand. Said necklace, was a piece of thin fur, with a single rock at one end.
An Everstone.
Something that had kept Kadabra from evolving all this while. Something that had enabled him to ignore the lure of evolution while he diligently run his course to perfection.
And suddenly everything made sense.
There was a reason, why despite being so skilled, he had been brutally defeated by the feline. There was a reason why the midget believed that his own pokémon could fare better in a situation than him, despite knowing him all his life. There was a reason why Delia had sent him to Ash.
It was not to train the midget's pokémon. No, it was to ensure that Kadabra learnt the most fundamental thing he had ignored in his quest for perfection.
Experience. The difference between perfection and stagnancy.
Kadabra sent a mental nod towards his trainer, hoping that she would know how grateful he was for this impromptu lesson. With a single snap, the stone shattered in his hand, as Kadabra felt it.
It was coming.
And then Kadabra exploded with bright light.
Ash fell back to the ground, the shockwaves coming out from the colliding shadow-balls pushing him back. He heard the angry tones of Kadabra's voice coming into his mind, but ignored them, after all, he needed to save his pokémon.
That was when it happened.
Pure, unadulterated psychic energy coalesced all around the shadow-balls, containing them inside itself. It was awe-inspiring- a contraption of psychic energy created to contain ghostly energy, a juxtaposition if there ever was one. He turned back in awe, watching Kadabra channel his reserves into creating and maintaining the shields in effect, as Metagross zoomed in, to lift him up, and away from the colliding masses. Even Rhydon had stomped his way backwards to try avoid the collision.
And then the fire blast hit the psychic shields, as the entire thing exploded out in a mixture of light and fire.
Ash might have tried to shield his eyes, but the scene was too mind-boggling for him to do anything but stare blankly. Standing there, a little distance from the exploding energies, was Kadabra, continuously creating newer and newer shields to contain the explosion which was simultaneously shattering through the existing shields, a dynamic equilibrium maintained between the opposing forces. That was when Kadabra took out the Everstone he always kept on his person, and shattered it with a single psy-strike.
And then Kadabra exploded with bright light, as his shape condensed, altered, became larger. His moustache increased in length. His head elongated a little, as his tail entirely disappeared, giving him a more humanoid appearance than it previously was.
"Alaka… Zam!" Ash breathed.
Alakazam turned completely corporeal, his humanoid appearance now for everyone to see, as he now gave the detonated explosion his undivided attention. The flame had come into contact with the energies swirling within, and was now exploding outward.
But it didn't matter.
For Alakazam was a psychic. The master of manipulation of all that is real in the world.
Mind will, always, triumph over matter.
He channelled his newly acquired reserves, bending nature to his will, bending reality to ensure his one, single command.
Stop.
And it did. Without fail.
"Impossible…" Butch whispered.
But Alakazam wasn't done yet. He might be a pacifist, but once threatened, he would do anything to stop, and completely annihilate the threat. And currently, the biggest threat was the angry, fire-breathing monster of a Magmortar.
Luckily, Alakazam had just the means to end the battle.
With a single flick of his spoon, Alakazam sent the now contained, compressed sphere of exploding energies towards Magmortar, hitting him face-first, before enclosing him within several hundred layers of psychic shields, all formed on top of each other, cocooning the Magmortar and the energy in the centre of it.
Then, Alakazam let the shields keeping the explosion compressed, suddenly disappear.
A moment ago, Butch felt that he had had his revenge. Then, that nasty excuse of a Kadabra just had to evolve into an Alakazam, and all of his plans came to a rummaging stop. He watched as the vengeful creature not only control the violent mixture from erupting out into a large-scale explosion, but also redirect it to Magmortar before letting it go.
"Teleport, now!" Butch whispered in fear, as Magmortar exploded outwards. However, before he could have seen newer shields form to contain the explosion again, he had already teleported away to the Base.
The explosive mixture and Magmortar exploded inside the highly sealed environment, the temperatures within reaching temperatures higher than even what the spitfire pokémon could have dealt with. Besides, the sheer pressure was enough to literally liquefy the spitfire pokémon in the first place.
When Alakazam had finally let the last of the shields disappear, only a thick, gooey mess of volcanic substrata remained, which was immediately doused by a rather excited Poliwhirl, before it could cause any further damage.
Meanwhile, the Gengar and the two Haunter, not having to maintain the Shadow ball any longer, viciously attacked the Dusclops, who cried out in pain, as his innards were dug up by the powerful shadow claws employed by the three ghosts of the Gastly-line.
"Enough…" Ash cried out, and before the ghosts could even understand what happened, he threw out an ultraball towards the Dusclops, capturing it, the ultraball displaying a successful capture with a single 'ding'.
"That was… end…." Perhaps Ash wanted to speak something out. They would never know, because right at that moment, his eyes rolled up upwards, as blood coughed out of his mouth, making the fourteen-year-old fall down upon the ground, unconscious.
The curse had finally made its assault.
Sometime later.
….
Trainer Ash?
Meta…. Gross?
Ash slowly opened his eyes, glancing at the thick canopy above, no more distorted with ghostly energies like he had known it ever since he had stepped inside the region, By the looks of it, it looked like early morning, with thin beams of sunlight trickling through the thick canopy. He smelled smoke, wondering if the flames all around had been doused by Poliwhirl and Crawdaunt. That brought around the next point.
Did we win?
We did, trainer Ash.
Ash pushed himself up, revelling for a moment in the return of his physical strength. His muscles no longer pained with the slightest movement. In fact, even his legs, which had somewhat… fragile, now felt strong enough to support him once again.
Strange.
He looked around. Standing beside him, was Alakazam… Kadabra evolved… to save me… he realized. He and Kadabra had always had a love/hate relationship over the years, but there was no doubt in his mind that Kadabra would stand with him when it mattered.
And now he is an Alakazam. Wonder if that's what Mom wanted.
There was Absol, lying on the forest floor, licking her wounds. There was a singe gash on her abdomen, one that was slowly being healed by her innate dark energies, excreting out the ghost-substrata and reorganizing tissue. Rhydon seemed a little restless, the Lairon near him ever more so. A part of his mind reminded him to take a more active interest in the steel-type, who had been somewhat… ignored since his acquisition. Of course, Ash himself had been in a coma, so that was a good reason for it.
He couldn't see Crawdaunt or Poliwhirl around, though Shelgon and Charmander were on his other side, looking at him with concern in their eyes. He somehow managed to caress Shelgon's shell with his left hand, before proceeding to do the same with Charmander. The fire lizard licked his palm with his tongue, as Ash chuckled at his actions. Shelgon just made his own declaration of happiness.
A loud screech attracted his attention, as he turned further left. There stood Pidgeot, tall and proud, looking at him with concern, as Metagross floated beside him. Gyarados… he remembered, was still inside his pokeball. He would need to return to Mirage Island to get her, and everyone on the team, including himself, treated and checked for injuries.
You were abysmal, midget. Kadabra, now Alakazam's voice boomed into his mind. Ash curiously observed the other silver spoon on Alakazam's other hand. Where he had gotten enough pure silver to fashion himself a spoon was anybody's guess.
Ash let out a little cough, before he sat up, only to be faced by an odd sight. Standing right in front of him, was Gengar. Behind him, the two Haunter floated, their eyes observing his every single detail.
"I guess… we won, eh?" Ash asked bleakly.
Gengar grunted in affirmative.
He turned towards Alakazam. "What happened?"
Alakazam snorted. The fire-breathing monster has been permanently dealt with. The owner teleported away, with his Abra. The otherworldly population is… stolen.
"So… we lost." Ash sighed. "Team Rocket got what they came for, and escaped."
The avian made sure that they didn't. Only the owner escaped with his Abra. No other soul got free.
"Right… and, I guess… you removed the curse off me?" Ash directed his question at the shadow pokémon.
Gengar nodded her head, the devilish grin reappearing on her face. Ash remembered reading somewhere that Gengar's grin was not even remotely related to her emotions about anyone, even towards fellow ghosts.
The otherworldly one removed the curse, and intends to honour the clause that dictated her battle against the feline. Alakazam spoke in his mind.
You mean…
She is willing to be subservient to you, as your pokémon, though not without her own conditions.
Gengar made another couple of statements in her own tongue. Behind her, the two Haunter voiced their agreement.
Ash automatically turned to Metagross for translation.
The otherworldly one says that the population of the forest was stolen from them, but by the deaths that happened here, more Phantump will soon, be born.
Ash wondered if there was some reason why only Phantump were born in the forest, and none else. Filing that away for later, he nodded his head.
She also says that her… companions will be looking after the new-borns from now on, like she has looked after everyone for all these years. Metagross paused for a moment. However, she expects you to fulfil two of her demands.
Ash looked squarely upon the Gengar. "If this is about the Trevenant, I will release it, like I said in the very beginning."
Absol snarled in disagreement from her position.
Contradictory to his expectations, Gengar shook her head.
The otherworldly one has no qualms over your ownership of the otherworldly tree, since she finds herself trusting you, a rather queer thing for them, I must say. Her demands are… something else.
Which is?
The first is the demise of the otherworldly one in your pokeball.
"Not an option." Ash stood up. "I'm not going to allow that."
Gengar vehemently protested.
She says that she, and the tree are powerful enough to battle for you, and that the otherworldly one under your protection is an enemy, and must be obliterated.
"It's not." Ash retorted. "That… Dusclops is not an enemy. Team Rocket steals pokémon… and does something to them to make them follow orders without question." He paused, "they might do the same to the Phantump and the Trevenant they captured."
Gengar's eyes glowed an angry red at that.
Ash didn't allow that to deter him. "This is not the first time I've fought Team Rocket. They have caused a lot of deaths to humans and pokémon, over and over. I almost got killed because of that a week ago." He paused, not wanting to go on a personal diatribe. "Anyway, what's the second thing?"
The second thing is that you will aide her in her desire to get the Phantump back.
Ash grinned. "Now that I can agree with, completely."
Gengar grinned, as she picked up a pokeball - Trevenant's pokeball, Ash realized—and handed it over to Ash, who took it gratefully, before plucking out an empty fastball and touching her head with it. The fastball opened with a sound, sucking the ghost in.
Guess I caught a Gengar.
Alakazam made an odd, throaty sound.
And a Dusclops. Ash corrected.
Metagross repeated the odd, throaty sound this time, whispering something along the lines of …tree.
"Oh come on, that was in the past."
The steel-type hummed with amusement.
"So guys…." Ash drawled, looking around. "Anybody seen a Hoothoot around?"
Meanwhile back at Mirage Island.
"I'm seriously beginning to gain the impression that men, adult or not, are completely irresponsible." Cynthia snapped. "Who in the right mind would send someone like Ash into an illusionary forest filled with ghosts of all kinds?"
Steven made an incomprehensible sound with his throat, something that went completely unnoticed by the irritable Sinnoh girl.
"Even more, you even went ahead to encourage him to do it? I'm beginning to wonder how you even managed to become Champion, forget holding that position for all that time."
Steven arched an eyebrow."Now that's below the belt, Miss Sinnoh."
"Don't you Miss Sinnoh me," she snapped, her somewhat calm tone in no way reducing her irritation. "I clearly remember telling you that I'd personally come and visit Ash, and yet, I see him gone, and oh, not just that, he's gone, with his fragile health, to a ghost-hunting trip."
Steven opened his mouth but then closed it, deciding it was better to let Cynthia vent out all her frustration.
"And to that, you encouraged him. Encouraged him? You should have told him to just stay here and get a clean bill first. Didn't you tell him that I'd come to visit him?"
"I did." Steven raised his hands in surrender.
"And?" Cynthia arched an eyebrow. "You want to tell me that Ash decided to simply leave for the forest, without even bothering to wait for a day or two?"
Damn.
"Actually," Nurse Joy, who had been enjoying the barter from her vantage point, decided to put her two cents in. "Mr. Ketchum did wait for two days before leaving, Miss Shirona."
"Oh." Cynthia stopped her tirade, glancing back at the nurse. "Then?"
"He thought that since the two days were over, you had probably gotten too busy, and he left."
Crap. Steven cursed.
Cynthia narrowed her eyes. "And why would he arrive at that conclusion?"
The nurse shrugged, leaving Steven to the guillotine, all by himself.
"Steven?"
"I…. might have told him that you would… arrive in a day or two at most."
Cynthia opened her mouth, and then closed it. "So he waited two days, and left on the third, and since then… over the last three days, he's… what? Lost inside the forest?"
Steven opened his mouth, and then closed it. "Well, when you put it like that, I know it does sound fishy, but it is the forest of illusions. I remember it took me days to walk out of that thing."
"Somehow that doesn't surprise me." The blonde-haired girl snapped, before she turned towards Nurse Joy, speaking to her in a meaningful tone. "Could you please check if my pokémon are done with treatment?"
The nurse arched an eyebrow. Oh. "Sure." Saying so, she left the Champions alone, free to talk about whatever they wanted to, in private.
Cynthia turned back to face the brown-haired man. "I must admit too, Steven… What exactly are you doing here again?"
Steven looked a little surprised. "If you remember, this is my homeland."
"Yeah, and you are the Deputy Champion of two lands, and this isn't one of them." Cynthia challenged. "Seriously Steven, I've been sprinting between Hoenn and Sinnoh over the last week, and I do have an idea about how much this event has affected the Indigo League." She paused for a moment. "With Lance's defeat, you should be anywhere but here, attending to the needs of a… a single no-name trainer."
Crap. Steven thought. He had given Lance's order quite a bit of thought, and had finally decided on an approach. Considering that dealing with Ash, meant dealing with Cynthia as well, and considering how frequently Ash ran into… elite-level situations, a direct one seemed like the best in these matters.
"Makes you wonder, does it not?" He replied back.
Cynthia scrunched up her face. "Whatever do you mean?"
Steven smirked. "It's simple, isn't it? Both of us are much more experienced, much more better trainers and have scores of powerful pokémon that can beat his team any day. Both of us have become Champions of our own regions, and have ruled over the throne, while he still has to even qualify for a league… and yet," he paused, looking away towards the cliff on the other end, "—yet, I have yet to get the chance to even see a Legendary… let alone interact with one."
"Me too." Cynthia agreed, her voice a little low. It was no surprise that she was deeply interested in the research going on over the myths of the Lords of Space and Time, Palkia and Dialga. Cynthia knew almost every single archaeologist and researcher related to the topic, and always kept up with the ongoing developments, but she had yet to see anything for herself save colonies of Unown now and then.
"And yet, Ash, seems to come across them with alarming frequency."
Cynthia looked up, squarely at Steven's face. "Are you saying that you are jealous of him?"
The former Champion shook his head. "Just that the League is considering him as someone important and worth noticing."
That, cleared things up a little for the Sinnoh girl, who looked down at the ground. "So Lance is interested in Ash? But for what?"
There was no answer.
Cynthia looked back at the man's face. "Steven?"
But Steven was too engrossed, staring at the entity racing towards them from a distance, seated upon a glorious Pidgeot.
Pidgeot swooped down towards the ground, flapping her humongous wings to create enough wind resistance to slow down her momentum, as she landed onto the ground, allowing Ash to step down from her back to the ground. Once down, she beat her wings fiercely, pushing herself upwards for another flight in the air, leaving Ash on the ground with the two Champions.
"She's something, isn't she?" Steven asked, staring at the avian, a little bit of awe in his voice. "A permanent mega-evolution. I still am yet to believe if what I am seeing is the truth."
Ash chuckled. "Pidgeot certainly is happy. She was a real aid back in the forest." With those words, he turned towards the other person who was just staring at him with an inscrutable expression on her face. "Um… is something wrong with my face, Shiro- Cynthia?"
"Shirona is fine." The girl returned, the expression still sedentary on her features. "How was it like, being in the forest for all this time?"
Ash sighed. "Feels like a lifetime ago, even though it's been only a single night."
The two Champions simply stared at him, perplexed at his answer.
"What?" Ash defended, feeling awfully self-conscious, "I should let you know that I'd have been faster, if not for the curse."
"Ash?" Steven asked, a little slowly. "What was the date when you… entered the forest?"
"Why would you ask me that?"
"Humour me."
"May 13." Ash replied, without hesitation. "Sometime… around the evening, but that was yesterday and-"
"And…" Steven interrupted him, still maintaining his tone, "When did you leave the forest?"
Ash squinted his eyes. "Around… half an hour ago? Why are you behaving so oddly?" He took a step back out of caution.
"Ash," It was Cynthia. "Today's May 17. That was four days ago."
Ash, almost subconsciously, took a step backward. "Four… days ago? But I only entered it yesterday evening, and spent majority of the time walking until… I don't know, for hours perhaps? And then, with all that battles and everything, it took me a while. Else I'd have gotten out faster."
"Today is indeed May 17, Ash." Steven confirmed. "You spent at least three days inside the forest."
"But…." Ash's face looked shocked, "why didn't it feel like it?" His hands went to his waist automatically, as he released Metagross, who floated up in the air instantly. "Metagross, how long did we spend in the forest?"
The steel behemoth hummed for quite some time… I really… couldn't say.
"Guess even psychics need watches to keep track of time." The teen muttered.
That certainly is not the case, trainer Ash. The concept of Time within the forest is… convoluted. Without a more detailed grasp of the situation… I really… couldn't say.
Ash wasn't sure what to think anymore, but his wide-eyed expression seemed to convey the message pretty well.
"Ash? What is it? Did Metagross tell you what happened?" Cynthia asked, concerned.
Ash gulped. "He says… that the concept of Time inside the forest is… convoluted."
That, grabbed Steven's attention. "Hold on, are you…" he turned towards Metagross, "saying that the forest has its own… independent time stream of some sort?"
Metagross hummed gently.
Steven grabbed the hairs on his head. "This is blowing my mind."
Cynthia didn't say anything, but her shocked expression conveyed her mind well enough.
"Well…" Ash really didn't know what to say. He turned towards Cynthia. "So… when did you arrive?"
"Two days ago." The Sinnoh Champion glared at him with a stony expression. "Waiting for Mr. Ghost Hunter to return from his expedition."
"Hey, it's not my fault that time is convoluted in that place." Ash retorted.
"All right lovebirds, get a room." Steven deadpanned.
Ash and Cynthia both flushed, before glaring at Steven, who just smirked back shamelessly. "But either way, Ash, this is a good development. I was right, you do seem to get involved in Elite-level matters way too much for your own good."
Ash rubbed the back of his head. "Blame my luck."
"I do." Steven deadpanned.
"So… what are you doing back here?" Ash asked generally.
"Looking out for a young trainer?" Steven offered.
Cynthia just scoffed. "He's being too evasive with that. Either way, did you manage to catch any pokémon?"
Metagross hummed with amusement, as did Ash. "Yep."
"So… show it to me,"
"Nope." He denied, "They are too tired and injured right now. I need to… get them treated at first, as well as my pokémon."
"Which one?"
"All of them." Ash replied without much thought.
"Oh." Cynthia answered, before his words registered. "Wait, them? Why all of them?"
But Ash Ketchum had already sprinted past her.
A while later.
"I don't believe it. I don't fucking believe it." Steven yelled out, much to Ash and Cynthia cringing his loud tones.
"What I cannot understand is why Team Rocket would be concerned with Phantump of all pokémon? I mean, I'm not differentiating, but, wouldn't something like Dusclops or the Gastly-line be more effective?" Cynthia asked.
"Not quite." Steven negated. "Might I remind you about the pokémon they used back at the Anne?"
Cynthia looked wide-eyed. "Oh."
"Yes, oh." The former Champion reiterated. "The Rockets seem to prefer pokémon which are present in large numbers. Ratticate, the Nidoran-lines, Beedril, Weezing, serpent-types, and the Zubat-line. What does that tell you?"
"Poison types." Ash spoke up. "But I don't understand. Poison types aren't quite…" he paused midway at the look that Steven gave him, "you know what I mean—they have a bunch of weaknesses."
"Tut!" Steven shook his head in disappointment. "You are looking at the wrong perspective, Ash. Tell me, how many types are completely immune to poison attacks?"
The answer was ready on his lips. "Only Steel."
"Steel." Steven reiterated. "And how many trainers out there have steel-types?"
The question was rhetorical. Finding Steel-types was rather… difficult in Kanto. In fact, without the common Magnemite, it was almost unfathomable to spot a steel-type in Kanto, apart from very particular locations, like the Beldum colony for one. Fortunately or not, the locations weren't a matter of public knowledge.
"Every other type, more or less, will get affected should the poison reach into their body tissues. Under right conditions, even the strongest Dragonite can fall to poison types. There is immense strength in large numbers, Ash. Do not forget that. That is one of the reasons why young trainers are advised to catch pokémon, and lots of them. The more diversity you have, the better off you are as a trainer."
Ash nodded.
"Besides, poison types are useful against the trainers." Cynthia pointed out. "If the trainers are incapacitated first-hand before they can even summon their pokémon, the problem is solved. Even a pseudo-legendary needs to come out of its pokeball to fight."
Ash had to agree. She had a point there.
"Poison types. In immense numbers. That is exactly how team Rockets seems to operate." Steven declared. "Though I am surprised how they managed to land so many dark-types, or rather... Umbreon. Eevee aren't exactly common Catterpie."
Ash shrugged. He had faced Umbreon back then at the power plant. That was where Harrison had caught his Umbreon. Speaking of which…
"Uh, Steven… I was wondering if you had any news on… Harrison. You told me you'd look into it?"
Steven frowned. "I'm afraid I have to disappoint you, Ash. There has been no news about Harrison after that. Not in Little Root Town, or in Hoenn in general. I have sent up a missing notice in all three regions. Hopefully we'll get someone who can inform us about…." He didn't finish the line.
Ash nodded. It was troubling. Harrison had left on his Blastoise, and his pokémon were powerful in their own way. Then what the hell happened to him?
Where are you…? Harrison?
"Don't worry," Cynthia touched his arm to comfort him. "We'll find him."
Ash decided that he liked the gesture, as he tilted his head in return.
"What happened after that?" Steven asked, before clarifying further, "After the Rockets were gone?"
"The Rockets…" Ash paused, "they didn't well… leave. Only the main guy-"
"Executive." Steven suggested.
"Executive, he escaped with the Abra." Ash explained. "The Phantump… they were transported as soon as they got captured."
Steven arched an eyebrow. "An instant transport system configured within the pokeball. I should… like to meet whoever conceived of such a technology."
"But the PC console does the same thing." Ash countered.
"It does not." The former Champion corrected him. "It simply transfers the pokémon, while in the condensed poke-energy state, from one machine to another. To be able to incorporate it within the pokeball itself… I should very much like some samples if I manage to get my hands on one."
"What about the one that I had on me?" Ash asked.
"Irrelevant. Just an unregistered pokeball. I believe they use these… new pokeballs to capture pokémon first-hand, and then sort them out to the Grunts."
"That makes sense." The Sinnoh Champion answered. "Anyway. Please continue."
Ash described to them how he had unleashed his complete team against the Rockets—how Metagross and Rhydon had fought the Magmortar, while his Lairon had engaged the Houndoom with the two Haunter to his aid. He explained how Pidgeot had summoned a vast twister of ghostly energy, and after the flames that Magmortar threw into it, how she had effectively used it to complete burn each and every grunt and their pokémon.
Cynthia winced. "I should never like to be on the wrong side of your Pidgeot, Ash. That kind of move would give a lot of trouble to my Garchomp, if he fell into it."
Ash raised an eyebrow.
"If he fell into it." Cynthia repeated.
That was more believable to him, since to his mind, a Champion's pokémon were literally unbeatable, at least by other normal pokémon.
Steven's expression was a lot more… undecipherable.
"Look," Ash tried, "I know that thing caused the deaths of all those Umbreon as well. If I had been in a better condition to command her, then maybe-"
"I'm not blaming you for the deaths of those Umbreon, Ash." Steven interrupted him. "I'm only considering the repercussions of the event. A single trainer fought off Team Rocket's attack, and killed all the agents, causing an Executive to flee. I am merely worried about what they might do to you."
Ash looked slightly uncomfortable. "Do you think…?"
"That they might attack you later on? Perhaps. But then again, your record stands to prove that the chance of you falling into one of their ongoing programs are much higher."
Cynthia snorted at that.
"Hey!" Ash yelled indignantly, before a nasty thought hit him. "Do you think they might go after my… mom?"
Steven scowled. "A very rare chance, to be honest. Your mother is Samuel Oak's assistant, right?"
Ash nodded.
"There it goes. Legendary or not, I don't think Team Rocket would like t0 involve Samuel Oak into the equation. Not right now anyway."
Perplexed, the trainer from Pallet questioned back. "You speak of Professor Oak like he is just as dangerous as Lance."
Steven smirked. "He's not as dangerous as Lance, Ash. He's… much more. Besides, if Samuel Oak comes into the equation, he brings in a lot of deep shit with him, people the Rockets wouldn't really want to deal with." He very wisely kept himself from talking about Red coming into the equation.
"Oh." Ash muttered, completely humbled once again at just how little he knew about the apparently benign old man he had known all his life.
"What happened to the ghosts after all that?" Cynthia asked.
Ash continued with his story, explaining how Kadabra had evolved into Alakazam to save him and everyone else. Cynthia and Steven both looked rather content with the news that the Magmortar was now dealt with. That led to the explanation of what happened after that.
"So… you mean to say that the deaths in the forest… I mean, the souls will now be reborn as Phantump?" Steven questioned.
"That's what Gengar told me anyway." Ash explained. "She isn't much of a talker about all that."
"I am still having trouble believing that you caught yourself a Gengar. They are almost at the apex of the Ghost-types. Very few ghosts can match the abilities of a Gengar." Cynthia expressed. "And I am yet to see what the Trevenant can do."
Ash shuddered. The ability to control a forest at its will wasn't something Ash wanted to face on a good day. Absol might have defeated Gengar, but defeating the Trevenant had taken a lot from all of them together. He looked up at Steven… "So… what are you doing here?"
Steven sighed. "I mentioned Lance about your little tete-e-tete with Mewtwo."
"What?" Cynthia screeched, snapping her head towards Steven, and instantly back to Ash. "When were you going to mention that to me?"
"Uh…" Ash looked a tad embarrassed. "I forgot?"
"Really?" Ash shuddered at the cold tone, as Cynthia turned to the other man. "And what about you?"
"I might have forgotten to tell you about it, with the entire forest thing going on."
Cynthia muttered something incomprehensible under her breath, before addressing Ash directly. "I hope, for your own sake, that you do not have plans of leaving for another adventure already, Ash Ketchum."
Ash swallowed. "Not at the time, no."
"I thought you were going to leave for Pallet directly from the Forests, as you mentioned." Steven spoke up, before finding himself the object of the girl's glare, "—and I will shut up now."
"You and I have a lot to discuss," she returned, "—alone," emphasizing on the last word specifically.
Ash gulped. "Sure thing."
Cynthia turned towards the other man. "Now if you would please stop dancing around the point?"
Steven let out a long.-suffering sigh. "As I stated, Lance knows about… Mewtwo's interest in you, and has… sufficient reason to believe that it was you who summoned the Dragonite."
Ash swallowed, not sure if he was going to like it.
"Considering that Mewtwo made a… mockery of Lance's team, he's… quite paranoid, as of now."
Ash took a step back, panicking. "You are not going to arrest me or anything, are you?"
"Relax." Steven gestured, "However, Lance does wish to keep you within the League's own… scrutiny."
"He means to say that Lance wants you tied, where he can see and observe you at a distance." Cynthia pronounced.
Steven shot her a dirty look. "That's not what I meant." He turned around. "Have you checked your trainer profile? I remember telling you to do it?"
Ash looked a tad embarrassment. "I… uhm... might have forgotten, with the entire thing going on."
Steven arched an eyebrow, which was apparently enough for Ash to skip talk and activate his Pokedex to look at his trainer profile. What he saw, nearly choked him to death.
"Is it something to worry about?" Cynthia asked, concerned.
"Honorary associate…" Ash breathed, unsure of what he was seeing.
"Of the Indigo League." Steven finished for him. "Taking into account your contributions at St. Anne, both before and during the entire cataclysmic event, I believe it is well deserved."
"But I never-"
"We know." Steven almost smirked. "Besides, you just nearly defeated a Team Rocket Executive all by yourself. I think credit is due."
"I can agree with that." Cynthia smirked, seeing Ash, whose reaction resembled the Magikarp he had caught back then on the cruise.
"You will also find a monetary advancement of ten thousand pokedollars granted to your trainer profile as a reward for your services."
Ash was beyond caring now. "What do I have to do in return?"
Steven smirked. "Nothing much as of now. You can continue on your own path as a League aspirant. Being an honorary associate doesn't make you an Ace, or even put you in any position of authority. It is simply a proof that you are a trainer personally known to the League, and thus, should allow you some form of leeway if you encounter the Police or say… the Ranger Squad." He paused. "Also, you might be called in if the League demands your services at any point of time in the future. Of course, the League will obviously reimburse you for your aid."
Ash simply gaped. "But… but I am just a trainer, without any experience. Why would anyone even-?"
Cynthia sent him a glare, one that made him wisely shut up.
"Look kid, you might be a newbie in terms of time, but your actions and your team speak otherwise. If I'm not wrong, you already have at least two pseudo-legendaries on your team, one of which is fully evolved. You also happen to have a permanently mega-evolved pokémon, the first and only one of its kind in the world. Also, should I mention that you happen to have a fairly powerful Absol able enough to take on and win on a Gengar?"
Ash just looked down on the ground, which seemed highly fascinating at the moment.
"I'm not praising you, Ash." Steven replied in a no-nonsense tone. "If there is something about you that makes the legendaries and this… Mewtwo take notice of you, then that makes you worth the League's notice as well. Shit happens. Get over it and move on."
"That was some morale-boosting speech there, Steven." Cynthia deadpanned.
Steven shrugged, but he went on. "So that brings me to my last two questions. What are you going to do with the Dusclops and what are your next plans?"
Ash considered his words. "Well, Harrison had captured an Umbreon for himself back at Commerce City from the Rockets. I was wondering if I could have Dusclops as my own pokémon."
"In full knowledge of the fact that the pokémon might have been exposed to all kinds of… unknown treatment on its person? Knowing that it might be inclined to kill should it get an opportunity?"
Ash paused at that, before slowly nodding his head.
"I should have guessed." Steven sighed. "Very well. As it is, you have captured the Dusclops in your own registered ball, so there is no question about ownership issues either way. The second thing I need to know… are you, going to return back to Kanto as soon as your pokémon are treated?"
Cynthia simply stared at Ash with a stony expression, as if daring him to speak out something unpleasant.
"I… I think I'm going to stay here for a while." Ash answered, after a moment of thought. "Maybe get to one of the other islands in the archipelago, and spend a week training, after… you know, our talks," he nodded his head towards the Sinnoh Champion, "are done."
"Yes, of course." Steven smirked. "Talks and training… mighty important the two of them."
Cynthia just glared.
"In case you wish to know, you can fly off to Sootopolis city from here. Should take you an hour's flight at ordinary speeds. You can get yourself a ticket for the steamship that travels from there to the Seafoam Islands. The rest of the journey you can simply fly home."
"I was thinking… to fly the entire way."
Steven raised an eyebrow. "That's over a day of flight. Mega-evolved or not, pokémon require rest. You should consider alternate routes."
"I will… think of something."
"Please do."
In an underground location beneath Viridian Gym.
"And that is what happened." Butch stated, feeling nigh uncomfortable, both at the fact that he was having to confess his greatest failure during his career as an Executive, and the fact that he was doing so in front of a pokémon, and one that had the power to face off any Legendary and survive. A pokémon whom, his Boss called his partner.
So… you accomplished the mission but lost us too much in the process.
Butch took a step back. He knew it extremely well that getting on this… Mewtwo's bad side, would possibly be the last mistake he would ever make. Besides, any attempt to lie would instantly be caught by him, and thus, the raw, unadulterated truth was the answer.
The psychic levitated close up to him. This… trainer. Does he have a name?
"I… I don't know, but I was wondering if you could pluck the name out from my mind… and then check it on the League database. We could get his entire information from there."
Indeed… Mewtwo dove into his mind, viewing the memory for himself, irrespective of the man's screams at his rather blunt approach. It didn't take him a second to identify who the trainer was. He had already checked in the details the first time he had come across him back at the power plant. With the League's database all for him to skim through, it had been child's play.
How… interesting. An Alakazam. The boy keeps proving me right.
I see… very well. Report to my partner. He will need to know the details. It would not do to hide anything from him.
"Of- Of course." Butch stammered, panting as he did, before doing his best to walk out of the chamber slowly, despite his impulse to run as fast as he could.
Mewtwo watched him leave. Butch was right. With the boy's face plucked out from Butch's memories, it would be a simple thing for anyone to look the kid up on the central database.
The things one needs to do to gain amusement. He thought to himself.
Sometime later, in a different office.
The man in the shadows petted his Persian softly, making the cat purr at him lovingly, as he stared at the Executive in front of him, the other man's head down in shame.
"So… the infamous Executive Butch was defeated by a bunch of ghosts…"
Butch looked up, terrified... "Please… Please Boss, believe me. One second I was there, my entire team was there, attacking the ghosts from all directions, and the other moment, everything just…" Butch's face was blank. "And then, they blew off Magmortar, and killed the Dusclops you gave me."
"And yet, that didn't stop the men from capturing the Phantump population. Your story is… full of holes, I'm afraid, Butch."
"Boss… I'm speaking the damn truth. Believe me. Get a psychic, but whatever, just believe me. I have no reason to lie."
The Boss frowned. "As unfortunate as it is, you are speaking the truth. However, losing an entire fleet of our men has brought us shame, and it is you who are responsible for it."
"Boss…." Butch pleaded.
"Thus, it is my verdict that you are suspended from your Executive status, effective immediately. All your captures, all your prisoners, all your pokémon, will be transferred to Petrel, who is going to be the one you will answer from now on."
Butch paled. "Pet—trel? Why?"
The man in the shadows smirked. "You will find out soon enough. Contact Petrel immediately. He will tell you where to go."
Butch's knuckles were white. "Yes… yes, boss."
"Leave."
His head bowed, the man who was once an Executive, turned away to get out of the room.
"Wait."
He stopped.
"Exactly how many ghosts were there?" The man in the shadows sat up, a little straighter.
"Endless…. Endless. Terrifyingly endless." Butch kept on stammering, as he left the room.