Adventures Series, Episode 47, "Reunited at Last!" Despite all of the delays, trials, tribulations, excuses, laziness, and anything else that might have occurred over the past few months, my first printed fanfic and only Pokémon one now begins the long awaited third season! Time and time again, Season Two was shortened. What remained were thirteen episodes, with the last four being released simultaneously with the start of this season. Luckily, those last four are not really needed to continue on, so I'm pressing on with Episode 47, the first of the new season. Although I do intend to continue writing fanfics far into the foreseeable future, this may very well be the final season of the "Adventures Series." Since its start, I have always looked forward, trying to figure out how far to take the series. What characters should be introduced, which shouldn't, and how would I keep all of the plot points in line? Technically speaking, it's getting to the point where keeping this series alive is a chore rather than a joy. As of right now, I believe there are twenty-six episodes or so in Season Three, give or take a few. This is the beginning of the first, and I trust you, of several mini-series. Reading the first two seasons is essential before starting to read this season's episodes. Prior to this, two movies were scheduled to air. "Love Affair in Pallet Town," which takes place between the first and second seasons, and "The Return of Mewtwo," which takes place between the second and third seasons. I've decided not to do those at all, because of the length of time it'll take to write those, as well as commitment to other projects over the next few months. There will be a few plot elements from those movies that will be seen in the first few episodes of this season. As for the contest I had back in Season 2, it has come to a premature end. There will not be any additional questions past the ten that have already been printed. To compensate, the winner will get that guest appearance, as stated in the rules of the contest. That person will be notified by week's end. Thanks to all of you who participated! I really appreciate it! As the series resumes, this takes place almost an entire year after the end of Episode 42. Now, at long last, on with the show! Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon, or any of the characters from the show. Cassie Banks, Arius McFly, Patti Masters, Jane, Calamity, and Pidgeo were all created by me and cannot be used by anyone else without my permission. *** Wednesday, July 4th, Seafoam Islands It's a beautiful sunny day on the south beach of Corny Island, the second largest island of the Seafoam Islands. Plenty of people of all ages have made their way here for vacation. The crashing of the waves against the shore can be heard as adults, teenagers, and children of various shapes and sizes sift through the salt water, splashing around and having fun. Some people would rather lie on the beach and bask in the warm glow of the sun, despite the dangers of sunburn. One particular person is a thirteen year old girl named Cassie Banks. The blonde haired girl is wearing nothing but a one-piece yellow swimsuit and a pair of sunglasses as she rests peacefully with her hands to her side as she stares up at the sky, with only an umbrella and her sunglasses to protect her from the harsh rays of the sun. As she continued to lie there, she could hear footsteps hastily approaching from behind her. The figure appears right next to her. It's fourteen year old Arius McFly, a golden haired boy who could pass for the up and coming Pokémon photographer, Todd Snap. He was wearing much more than the sky blue swimming trunks that he had on. He also had blobs of ketchup and mustard in his hair and numerous drops of soda dripping all over. Cassie took off her sunglasses and stared at her boyfriend curiously. Cassie: What happened to you? And where's lunch? Arius: I ran into someone, and it's all over me. Cassie: (trying to stifle a giggle) I can see that. Arius: Oh, and it's all because of a call I got. Cassie: Call? What call? Arius: (sighs) It's Patti. She said someone broke into headquarters last night, crashed our entire computer system, killed anyone that was in the laboratory, and stole the only computer disk we had full of information from the cloning experiment that Team Rocket was working on last year. Cassie: That's terrible! Arius: It's probably Team Rocket. Cassie: (growling) I bet Jane and Calamity are behind this! Only they would be ruthless enough to pull off something this horrible! Arius: (squatting down and putting his hand on her shoulder) Don't worry, Cass. We'll figure out who did this and make them pay! Cassie picks up her duffel bag and starts heading up towards the boardwalk, stomping all the way. Arius watches her, wondering why she left the rest of their bags behind. Arius: Cassie, where are you going? I can't carry all of this myself! Cassie: (without looking back) You know dang well why I'm walking away! Arius stands there for a moment, confused, before realizing what he had done. He quickly gathers everything there and attempts to run after her. Arius: (stumbling all over the place) Cassie! Wait! I'm sorry! Honest! I'll never call you by that name again! Just help me, please! Arius then trips and falls to the ground, dropping everything in the process. ************************************************************************ Adventures Series, Season 3, Episode 1 [47] "It's All on the Disk," Chapter One: "Reunited at Last!" Story Written by Freedom Fighter, Pre-reading done by Matt Lenz ************************************************************************ Thursday, July 5th, Pokémon Trainers' Association HQ Patti is in her office, tending to some paperwork, when Arius and Cassie come bursting in. Arius is wearing his normal auburn and brown striped short sleeve shirt with blue jeans, while Cassie is dressed in her light blue 'Dorothy' dress with white high heels. Their supervisor, at twenty-five years of age, is sporting a tight black short sleeve shirt with the words 'deal with it' on it, and a long black skirt. Her black long hair extends all the way down to her waist. Patti: (getting out of her seat) I trust you've already seen what's left of the lab. Cassie: (sadly) I'm going to have nightmares for the rest of my life. Arius: (squeezing his fist) We'll get them back for this! Patti: Don't worry, you two. We'll make sure of that first hand. For now, though, we need you to recover the disk that was stolen. At that moment, Cassie began to cry. She had never thought that things would be this bad. As she wailed, Arius ushered her to a nearby seat and started to comfort her. Patti went over and attempted to help. Cassie: (through her sobs) I knew all of those... people down there... I was supposed to become an... apprentice for them at year's end! Arius: (patting her on the back) Don't worry about that, Cassie. Patti: We can easily find replacements for all of them. Cassie: But I don't want replacements! I want the old gang! They were my life and in just an instant, they were all taken away from me! They were like my family here. And now, they're dead! All dead! Cassie leans over and begins crying into Arius's chest. Arius starts to rub her back with his hands as he looks up at Patti. Arius: I'm not sure if sending us out on a mission right now is the best thing. Patti: I totally agree with you. Unfortunately, we don't have any other agents available. Those that are here are helping with the recovery efforts, while those that aren't are too far away to get here any time soon. This mission is very time sensitive. If it is Team Rocket that has possession of the disk, then we must track them down and reclaim it. Arius: So that means we're going back to Viridian City, huh? Patti: (shakes her head in disagreement) No. We're sending you to Valencia Island. Arius: Valencia Island? Where's that? Patti: In the Orange Archipelago. We had placed a tracking device on the disk in the event that it had fallen into the wrong hands. We discovered that the signal coming from the disk stopped moving somewhere on Valencia Island. That's where it's been for the past six hours. Arius: So this is just a simple search and retrieve mission, right? Patti: Yes. Find the disk and return here, without arising any suspicion from the local inhabitants. And whatever you do, bail out if you run into anyone from Team Rocket. We can't afford to lose you two. Arius: I got it. We'll book the next flight for Valencia. Meanwhile, over at the Valencia Island Pokémon Center, Nurse Joy and one of her Chansey exit from the emergency room, pushing out a Wartortle on a stretcher. The Pokémon's trainer runs up to the duo. Trainer: Is Wartortle okay? Joy: (with a smile) Wartortle is just fine. He just needed some rest, that's all. You have to be careful not to overwork your Pokémon, okay? Trainer: (nods) Okay. Wartortle: (standing up) Wartortle war! The trainer picks up his Wartortle and carries him out of the Pokémon Center. As he departs, Joy heads back behind the front desk. She sits down on her swinging chair, props her legs up on to the desk in such a manner that no one can see between them, and leans back, sighing in relief. Joy: Eight Pokémon in a row! It seems that every time I finishing operating on one Pokémon, another injured one comes in. Sometimes I wish that Valencia wasn't as popular as it is today. Trainers from all over come here to relax and train their Pokémon in private. But sometimes, they push themselves too hard. It's a shame, I tell you. Suddenly, the Chansey she had been working with in the ER pulls something out of the trashcan. Joy spots it and takes it from her co-worker. It happens to be a computer disk. Joy: What's this? Chansey: Chansey! Joy: A computer disk. I wonder what's on it? Curious, Joy slides the disk into her computer. The disk begins to run. A little window appears, with a file named 'Project CB' the only object in it. Joy double-clicks on the folder icon and opens it. In an instant, the screen fills up with formulas, computer programming commands, and a picture of a group of scientists. Joy: (surprised) Look at all of this! There's so much stuff here! It's unreal! Joy attempts to figure out what any of it means, but she has no luck in doing so. She closes the program on the disk and ejects it from the floppy disk drive. She waves it back and forth in front her face, with it pinched between her left index and middle finger, as she tries to figure out what to do next. Joy: (sighs) It's going to take a genius to figure out what all of that means. (jumps out of her seat) A genius! That's it! Joy grabs her white coat and starts heading out the door with the disk in hand. Joy: (yelling back) I'm going out for a little bit! Watch the place while I'm gone! Chansey: (waving goodbye) Chansey! A few minutes later, after riding her motor scooter up to the top of the hill, she arrives at a giant white house, which doubles as a Pokémon research laboratory. She goes to knock on the door when three young girls suddenly greet her: Faith, Hope, and Charity. After talking for a minute or so, the girls lead Nurse Joy deep into the confines of the laboratory. Finally, they find the island's resident Pokémon researcher, Professor Ivy, working on a report detailing what it takes to evolve a simple, helpless Magikarp, to a powerful and almost unstoppable Gyarados, and having the patience to wait for that to happen. After all, a Magikarp is not the most ideal Pokémon to take into battle. The purple haired professor is dressed in her purple swimsuit, with an unbuttoned lab coat draped over it. Faith: Professor! Hope: Professor, professor, professor! Charity: Nurse Joy needs to speak with you! Ivy: (looking up from her notes and spotting the nurse) So, I see. You're here early for our little experiment. (points to a nearby table) Just put the Pokéball on the table over there and we'll start immediately. (to Faith, Hope, and Charity) Girls, start preparing the equipment for an elemental examination of a Heracross. Joy: Actually Professor Ivy, the Heracross hasn't arrived yet. Ivy: It hasn't? Then what brings you here? Joy: (pulls out the disk) I want you to take a look at this. Nurse Joy hands the disk to Professor Ivy, who starts heading over to her computer. She slides the disk into the disk drive and begins to type away. Ivy: Any particular reason why you want me to see this? Joy: Well, one of my Chansey found this disk in the trashcan. When I put it in my computer to find out what was on it, all I ended up was a bunch of binary code. And a whole lot of it, I might add. Ivy: Let's just see this binary code of yours. Professor Ivy accesses the disk's files, only to find it had only one. Double clicking on the file's icon, it opened to reveal exactly what Nurse Joy had said... a whole lot of binary code. Ivy: That is a lot of code. Joy: I got a whole bunch of images and other stuff too. Do you know what it all means? Ivy: No, but since it is just binary code, it shouldn't take too long to crack. If only there wasn't so much of it. It's going to take awhile before I can completely decipher this, but those images you mentioned should help. I think you should leave the disk with me. Joy: Fair enough. If anyone can crack that code, you can. Ivy: Thank you. I think you'd better get back to the Pokémon Center. Joy: I will. Take care! Ivy: Girls, would you be so kind as to escort Nurse Joy out? Faith, Hope, and Charity: Yes, professor! Ivy: Oh, and one more thing. I want to spend some time working on this, so I need you three to handle all of our scheduled afternoon experiments. Okay? Faith, Hope, and Charity: Yes, professor! With that, the three girls lead the nurse out as the professor got back to work on the electronic enigma. She then remembers that Joy said that her Chansey had dug it out of the trashcan. So Professor Ivy gets up and goes over to the sink to wash her hands clean of any germs. On her way back to her computer, she retrieves a binary code translation book, a notepad, and a few sharpened pencils. She then sits down at her computer and resumes her work. After working at it for several hours, Professor Ivy had only managed to translate part of the file. But when she had read what she had written, her hopes of finding out something groundbreaking like a new Pokédex program were dashed. It turned out that the information was actually data from some type of experiment. She wasn't exactly sure what type, but from what she had figured out, it involved two Pokémon at once. Maybe it was some way of enhancing the Pokémon mating process. She thought of the possibility of having two completely mismatched Pokémon mate and successfully produce a baby Pokémon. Possibly even new Pokémon that had yet to be discovered. Professor Ivy wanted to decipher more of the file, but then she noted that the clock on the wall said that it was already past midnight. Ivy: Oh dear. I didn't mean to work on this all day. I hope the girls managed to fix themselves dinner. Speaking of which, I'd better get a bite to eat before I go to bed. She gets up from her chair and heads for the kitchen. She turns off the lights in the room on her way out. Meanwhile, outside the laboratory, three familiar figures were sneaking around. They were all dressed in nothing but black burglar garb. They wanted to make sure that no one recognizes them as members of Team Rocket. Naturally, these three happen to be Jessie, James, and Persian. James: Isn't it neat how the boss keeps us on board despite all our mishaps? Jessie: He won't keep us on much longer if we keep failing all of our missions! Persian: Don't worry! Stealing from a research lab in the middle of nowhere should be easy! Jessie: Let's just get that disk so we can get out of here. After walking around the entire compound, they finally find a window that is unlocked. They enter and find themselves in the same room where Professor Ivy was just working. Jessie: Start looking! That disk has got to be around somewhere! Persian: We've got to find that disk! James: No problem. How hard can it be to find that disk? James opens a cabinet and finds nearly five hundred computer disks, with each of them encased in a labeled plastic case. James: (with a mushroom shaped sigh) Me and my big mouth. Persian: Which one is it? Jessie: It's a green, unlabeled disk. Persian: (sarcastically) Like that helps! Suddenly, all of the lights in the room come on. The trio panics, realizing that they've just been caught. But when they turn to see who their discoverer is, it turns out to be a black-eyed young girl dressed in a sleeveless, knee length black dress. She also wore ankle length black boots, as well as some white gloves on her hands. Her waist length dark brown hair was her most noticeable feature. That, as well as the three Pokéballs strapped around her waist. Girl: (thinking) Hmmm. It looks like I'm not the only one here. Jessie: You're going to regret coming here, little missy! James: I'd scat before you really get into trouble. Girl: Trouble? Jessie: (smiles) Yes. Prepare for trouble! James: And make it double! Jessie: To protect the world from devastation! James: To unite all peoples within our nation! Jessie: To denounce the evils of truth and love! James: To extend our reach to the stars above! Jessie: Jessie! James: James! Jessie: Team Rocket, blast off at the speed of light! James: Surrender now, or prepare to fight! Persian: Persian! That's right! Girl: (sweatdrops) Just who are you clowns? Jessie: (clenching her fist) Clowns? How dare you! James: We're the great Team Rocket! Weren't you paying attention to our motto? Girl: Nope. So you three are the great Team Rocket? Pretty pathetic, if you ask me. James: You mock Team Rocket? Do no mock Team Rocket! Persian: Just who do you think you are, little girl? Jessie: Isn't it past your bedtime? The trio laughs at Jessie's joke. But the girl is obviously not impressed. Girl: The name's Francine. Francine Maple! Jessie: Francine Maple? James: What kind of name is that? You sound like a type of syrup! The trio laughs once again. But once again, Francine doesn't react. Francine: Yeah, I know. That's why I came up with the coolest nickname! Persian: And what's that, kid? Francine: (while doing a Sailor Moon pose) Green! James: Green? I don't get it. Persian: You named yourself after a color of da rainbow? Green: (with dollar signs in her eyes) I named myself Green because I love money! Jessie, James, and Persian all fall over and hit the ground. Jessie: (getting up) Okay, now that introductions are settled, may I ask what you're doing here? Persian: Yeah! You're disrupting a well-planned out burglary! Green: (beginning to walk towards the computer) Well, as I said, I'm a swindler. I make a living off of conning trainers into buying fake Pokémon enhancers such as TMs. Once in awhile, I might swipe a Pokémon as well, if they have any good ones. But then I overheard you guys talking down by the blimp airport. Green smiles as she reaches over to the disk drive and pushes the eject button. She takes the disk out and shows it to the trio. Green: From what you three said, this disk must have some pretty valuable information on it. James: The disk! Jessie: She's got the disk! Persian: If you think you're getting away, youse got another thing coming! Jessie: We're the thieves on this show! James: Yeah! So give us the disk so we can do our job! Green: (heading for the window) You gotta catch me first! As Jessie and James reach for Pokéballs, Green quickly leaps out the window and starts running towards the front of laboratory. Once there, she pulls out a small case from the top of her dress. She dumps the disk into the case and then puts it back in her dress just as fast. Green then reaches for one of her Pokéballs and throws it into the air. Green: Jigglypuff, you know what to do! Jigglypuff: (coming out of her Pokéball) Jiggly! Jigglypuff holds her breath, causing her to pump up like a mini-balloon. As the wind picked up and the round Pokémon began to float away, Green grabs a hold of Jigglypuff's tiny feet, carrying the two of them high into the air and towards the Pokémon Center. Jessie, James, and Persian arrive at the front of the building just as Green blows them a kiss goodbye. Green: Sorry I can't stay, but I've got things to do! Jessie: Quick! We've got to stop her! Persian: Come on! James: Here we go! Team Rocket runs down the hill after Green. As they disappear from sight, the lights come on from inside the laboratory. Professor Ivy runs into the main lab, only to find it just the way she left. With two notable exceptions... the open cabinet and... Ivy: The disk! It's gone! Friday, July 6th, Professor Ivy's laboratory, Valencia Island It had been several hours since Professor Ivy had contacted the local Officer Jenny to look into the theft. By sunrise, two other Jennys from some nearby islands were also around to help. While the first Jenny was called in to check out the crime scene itself, the other two were brought in to begin a search for the disk and the thief who may have stolen it. Professor Ivy and her assistants were so busy helping with the investigation as much as they could that they were unaware that their only male assistant was coming back from vacation early. It seems the weather on Trovita Island had taken a turn for the worst. Down at the Pokémon Center, a fourteen year old boy stepped in. The black haired boy was sporting a red headband, a green short sleeve shirt, orange shorts, and a pair of slightly dirty white sneakers. He had an orange backpack strapped to his back, a sketchbook in his right hand, and a Pokéball in his left. He walked up to the front desk, where Nurse Joy waved him hello. Joy: Hi there, Tracey! Back from vacation so soon? Tracey: (as he stopped in front of her) Yep. I barely got out of Trovita Island alive. Typhoon Kasumi hit the island just hours after I got a flight out of there. I just hope Rudy and his family are alright. Joy: I heard about that. But the news this morning said that Rudy had contacted the Orange League and reported that there weren't any casualties. Tracey: That's a relief. Joy: There was some damage to their compound, though, so the League is sending a few repair crews there to help with the rebuilding process. Tracey: At least they're all okay. Joy: I agree. But don't tell me you came in here just to tell me you've returned? Tracey: (laughs) Of course not, Joy! You see, in all of the rush to get away from Trovita, I didn't get a chance to heal my Pokémon. (a little angrier now) And then some guy challenged me to a battle. Joy: Oh my! What happened? Tracey: (sweatdrops) Let's just say that the fight didn't exactly go my way. Joy: I see. (notices the Pokéball in his left hand) Just Venonat, then? Tracey puts his sketchbook down on the desk and hands Venonat's Pokéball to Joy. He then reaches back into his backpack and pulls out a second Pokéball. He hands that one over as well. Tracey: Venonat and Marill, actually. Joy: Okay, Tracey. (yelling to the back room) Chansey! Take these two Pokéballs back to the recharger, please! Chansey: (appearing from the room) Chansey! Chansey takes the two Pokéballs from Nurse Joy and then heads back. Joy then focuses her attention back to Tracey. Joy: So, did you run into any trouble once you got off the plane? Tracey: (blinks confusedly) Trouble? What do you mean? Joy: (gasps in surprise) You mean you haven't heard? Something gotten stolen from Professor Ivy's laboratory last night! Tracey: Professor Ivy's lab? ******************************************************************************** After Nurse Joy healed his Pokémon, Tracey ran as fast as he could up to Professor Ivy's laboratory. As he got on the scene, he saw the Valencia Island Officer Jenny wave goodbye to Professor Ivy, Faith, Hope, and Charity. Jenny got on her bike and sped back to the station as the quartet spotted Tracey approaching them. Tracey: Professor Ivy! Ivy: Tracey Sketchit! I thought you weren't supposed to be back until Monday! Tracey: You mean you didn't hear about Typhoon Kasumi? Faith: The professor had more important things to deal with. Hope: Such as the theft that occurred last night! Tracey: What was stolen? Charity: It was a computer disk that Nurse Joy had given to the professor earlier in the day. Tracey: Funny... Nurse Joy didn't mention anything about a disk. Ivy: She gave it to me to examine because she couldn't decipher any of the machine language that the program that's on the disk was spewing out. I had managed to translate a small part of it yesterday, but just minutes after I had left the lab to get something to eat, someone broke in and stole it! Tracey: Any idea who? Ivy shook her head disappointedly. Ivy: We don't have any security equipment in the lab. We never had the use for it. Tracey: Then our only hope is that someone saw something last night? Faith: If someone did see something... Hope: Then they're not coming forward. Charity: Either no one knows any anything, or they're all hiding something. Ivy: It's probably the former, girls. No one here on Valencia Island has ever had a grudge against me or the lab. Tracey: That means the thief must not live on Valencia. Ivy: Exactly. That's why I've called on some help. Tracey: Help? Ivy: I contacted my old associate Professor Oak in Pallet Town. Tracey: (with his mouth wide open) Professor Oak? THE Professor Oak? Ivy: Why, yes? Is there a problem with... Tracey: (beginning to jump up and down with glee) I've always wanted to meet the great Professor Oak! I've read all of his editorials, downloaded pictures of him off of the Internet, and videotaped all of his public appearances within the last two years! Ivy: (sweatdrops) Quite the fanatic, aren't you? Tracey: You bet! And I'm glad he's coming here to help! Ivy: Actually, he's not. This made Tracey stop his joyous celebration. Tracey: You mean he's not coming? Ivy: Yes. I just contacted him to see if he could find five trainers who would be willing to help us. Jenny said it was okay for me to do so, as long as they didn't interfere with police business and stayed out of trouble. Tracey: Why don't you let me help, professor? (pulls out his two Pokéballs) I've got two Pokémon that can battle any thief! Ivy: No offense Tracey, but I've never actually seen you in battle. There's no way I could've known how good of a trainer you were. Tracey: But what about all of the stories I told you about me? Ivy: All of your stories were about your amazing discoveries while working as a Pokémon watcher. Those experiences are much different than those of a Pokémon trainer! Tracey: Oh yeah? I'll show you how good of a trainer I am! I'll catch that thief myself! Ivy: (as Tracey runs off) Tracey! Wait! Tracey disappears down the hill, on a mission to catch the thief himself. Faith: There... Hope: He... Charity: Goes. Ivy: Why do I even put up with male assistants? They always try to go their own way. Faith, Hope, and Charity: (simultaneously) Ain't it the truth, professor? Unknown to the professor and the triplets, Cassie was sitting on a branch in a nearby tree. Through a pair of binoculars, she watched the whole previous exchange transpire. Unfortunately, she was not a lip reader, and her psychic powers weren't developed well enough to listen in on a conversation from this far a distance. Cassie raised her right arm in order to reach the inside of her right ear, where a small microphone was attached to her earphones. She began to talk as if the person she was talking to was right next to her. Cassie: Arius, this is Cassie. The black haired kid that ran up the path a few minutes ago seems to know Professor Ivy. But I don't remember his face from that personnel file we downloaded earlier. Arius: It's okay. Maybe he's just a friend. Cassie: Just to be sure, we'd better question him. He sure seemed happy about something. Arius: Leave that up to me. I'll get him. Cassie: Okay. I'll see if anything else develops here at the lab. I'll meet you in ten in front of the Pokémon Center. Arius: Got it. Down on the path, Tracey was on his way back to the Pokémon Center. Tracey: I'll show Professor Ivy that I'm more than just a Pokémon watcher! All of a sudden, Tracey hears the sound of four Pokéballs opening, one after the other. A giant Snorlax appears first, in front of him. The behemoth Pokémon keeps Tracey from preceding any further. A Venomoth then appears to his left and a Golbat to his right. To make matters worse, a Beedrill appears behind him. Tracey reaches into his backpack to withdraw his two Pokéballs, but he is stopped by a boy's voice. Boy: That is not necessary. I am not here to battle nor take your Pokémon. Arius appears out of a set of nearby bushes. The four Pokémon close in on Tracey, but none of them motion as if they were about to perform an attack. Arius: I just want to ask you a few questions, you see. Tracey: (pointing to the Pokémon) Is this really necessary? Arius: Well, I wasn't sure you'd stop and hear me out. Tracey: So? What did you want to ask? Arius: Why were you talking to Professor Ivy? Tracey: I'm one of her assistants. I just came back from vacation, had heard what happened, and came up here to make sure the professor was okay. Arius: What were you talking about? Tracey: What else? About the disk that was stolen from the lab last night! Arius: Who stole it? Tracey: I don't know! Arius: You'd better not be lying! Tracey: I'm serious! The professor doesn't have any security systems! Arius: (noting to himself) That's true... I don't remember reading about any in the lab specs. (to Tracey) What were you so happy about? Tracey: What do you mean by that? Arius: My partner watched your conversation. You seemed happy about something. Tracey: (beginning to worry) You're not going to hurt any of them, are you? Arius: No. We're not after any of you. Just the disk that was stolen. Tracey: Why? Does it belong to you? Arius: You could say that. Tracey: Then why don't you tell the police? Arius: You didn't answer my question. Tracey: What question? Arius: Why were you so happy? Tracey: If you want to know, I was happy because I thought Professor Oak was coming to the island. But Professor Ivy told me that she contacted him only so that he could get in touch with five trainers who could help with the investigation. There! Are you happy? Arius: Not really. But I got everything I need from you. Arius pulls out his Pokéballs and starts recalling his Pokémon. After doing so, he starts to walk away. Arius: I'm sorry about the intrusion, but it was necessary for our little investigation. Tracey: Your little investigation? Who do you work for, anyway? Tracey then noticed that Arius had completely disappeared. He looked around for him, but he didn't see anything. Tracey, deciding that moving on before something else happened to him was a good idea, continued down the hill. Once Tracey was out of sight, Arius appeared from the bushes once again and began to talk through his headphones back to his partner. Arius: Cassie, interrogation successful. Cassie: What did you find out? Arius: According to the trainer, he was happy because he thought Professor Oak was coming to assist with the police's investigation of the stolen disk. Cassie: Professor Oak? Really? Arius: Actually, no. It turns out that Professor Ivy just contacted Professor Oak in hopes of recruiting five trainers who would help with the investigation. Cassie: Oh, is that all? I knew that already. Arius: Huh? How? You weren't reading his mind, were you? Cassie: No. Professor Oak just contacted me a few minutes ago, asking if I would be willing to help. Arius: Did you accept? Cassie: Of course! If I'm part of the investigation crew, that's one less outside trainer we have to worry about. Arius: Whom do you think he'll send? Cassie: I think I have a pretty good idea. Pewter City Pokémon Gym A battle for a Boulder Badge was drawing to a close. The challenger was a young boy, who using a Pidgey in an attempt to take down the gym leader's Onix. Obviously, the gym leader is Brock, and this battle's result is a no brainer. Brock: Onix, finish it! Use your rock slide! Onix begins throwing rocks at Pidgey. The rock snake's attack quickly grounds the small bird. Pidgey doesn't recover from this attack. Brock: (nods his head) This match is over. And you have lost. Maybe you should spend some time training with your Pokémon before attempting to battle me again. As the young trainer leaves the gym with his head hung low, Brock's dad, Flint, appears behind the gym leader and puts his hand on his shoulder. Flint: Weren't you a little too harsh on him? Brock: Of course not. It's just that I've been battling with my Pokémon so much the past few months that none of the new trainers are much of a challenge. Flint: Then maybe you wouldn't mind embarking on a new journey with your old friends. Brock turns to his father and blinks curiously. Brock: What are you talking about? Flint: I just put Professor Oak on hold on the videophone. He wants to talk to you about a trip to the Orange Islands. Brock: (his eyes lighten up) The Orange Islands? Wow! (begins to daydream) Sand, surf, and sexy women wearing nothing but bikinis! It's a teenager's dream! Brock quickly runs past his father and out towards the house. Once there, he goes over to the videophone and releases the hold that his dad had put Professor Oak on. Brock: Professor Oak! It's me, Brock! Oak: (appearing on the screen) Ah, Brock! Good to hear from you again! Brock: So what's this I hear about a trip to the Orange Islands? Oak: Allow me to explain. As Brock listens as the professor explains the ordeal, we move on to another city... Cerulean City Pokémon Center Misty entered the Pokémon Center, wanting to get away from her sisters at the gym. It seems that they were putting on another one of their water ballets. Besides, they usually could pull it off by themselves, and Misty only got involved when a ballet really required four people. But she was tired of it. She'd rather engage in Pokémon gym battles, which to her were much more fun. Or she could go on the road again. Misty missed the old days, when day after day, she was traveling from city to city with Ash, Brock, and Pikachu. She missed having to pull Brock away from every pretty girl that crossed his path. She missed watching Pikachu attempting to make friends with every Pokémon they found. But most of all, she missed cheering Ash on every time he got into a battle. Yes, Misty missed Ash a lot. She'd do anything just to see his smiling face again. After she got through the Pokémon League Novice Tournament almost a year ago, her sisters had invited her to train to become a gym leader. That was great and all, but that meant spending some more time away from Ash. She had already done enough of that while completing her badge journey. But she couldn't turn her sisters down. So after the tournament, Ash, Brock, and Misty went their own ways once again. But after Misty spent two months dedicated to nothing but gym leader training, she tried to find Ash again. Her best bet was using the Poké-Com device to contact him. But every time she tried, she got no answer. She tried to contact his mom, but the only contact she had had from her son was through the mail every few weeks. She even tried to get Professor Oak to track down Ash's Pokédex. But he refused... he said it was an invasion of Ash's privacy. Besides, since Ash was in regular contact with him, he wasn't worried at all. Of course, you'd expect Misty at this point to pack up her things and attempt to look for Ash herself. Unfortunately, her sisters wouldn't let her go. They were worried that she might get hurt somewhere and that they'd never see her again. Misty countered by reminding them of her recent badge journey, but they still were unsure that their little sister could take care of herself. So they refused and suggested that Misty find another boyfriend, since it was obvious that she'd never see Ash again. That, of course, made Misty furious. She refused to talk to her sisters for several weeks. But finally, Misty got over it, and decided that waiting for Ash to reappear was the best chance she had at seeing him again. Besides, she wasn't so sure herself that the gym wouldn't go under once she left again. It seems that the reason her sisters were training her was that the Cerulean gym was quickly getting the reputation of being the weakest gym in the Kanto region. And Misty was probably the one who could save the gym and keep them from losing it to some other family. So basically, that had been her job for the last nine months. She's served as the main gym leader of Cerulean City, has participated in a few of her sisters' water ballets, and has even helped them train their Pokémon, to some extent. But once again, she's worried about Ash's whereabouts. She was hoping that one day her sisters would allow her to go out and search for him. Maybe that day would come soon. Until then, she would have to make due with Duplica. That's why her sisters allowed her to go out while the ballet was going on. Duplica was coming to Cerulean for a visit, as a part of her first ever city-to-city tour. Misty was to meet her at the Pokémon Center so that she could lead Duplica to the gym. She was hoping that in the weeks since Duplica called informing her family about her visit, Duplica would've had the chance to look for Ash. Misty was hoping that Duplica would come through for her. After about ten minutes of waiting, the sliding doors to the Pokémon Center opened. Misty looked up and saw Duplica walking in, with her first Ditto riding on her right shoulder, as usual. Duplica had grown a few inches since Misty had last seen her in person. Although Duplica still had her green hair tied up in ponytails, she was dressed in a new outfit. She was sporting a red and white short sleeve shirt with a picture of a Ditto appearing across her chest. With that, she had on a pair of tight blue jeans and some black sneakers. Misty got up out of her seat and ran over to her old friend. Misty: Duplica! Duplica: Misty? Gee golly, is that you? Duplica opens her arms as she and Misty wrap their arms around each other as the duo shares a friendly hug. After a few seconds, the two separate and look each other over. Misty: My, you've changed a lot since the last time I saw you in person. Duplica: (smiles and laughs nervously) Well, you see, I've made sure that all the money I've earned from my shows doesn't go to waste. Misty: I can see that. Duplica: Speaking of changing, I can't believe you're still wearing those clothes! You look like you're about to grow out of them! Duplica was referring to Misty's regular outfit... the yellow sleeveless shirt that was cut off at the midriff, along with her blue jean shorts, that were held up with suspenders. Duplica could already spot how much the shirt had shrunk since last time, and it seemed that Misty was taking a heavy breath for every fourth one or so. Maybe the shorts were getting a bit tight as well. Misty: Oh, these old things? I'm just holding on to them in hopes that Ash will remember me when he appears again. You know how easily he forgets sometimes. Duplica: You mean you still haven't seen him since the tournament last August? Misty quickly remembers that she had told Duplica about not seeing Ash in almost a year. Misty: So I guess that means you haven't seen him either. Duplica: (shakes her head disappointedly) Nope. No luck. Misty: (sighs) So much for getting my hopes up. Duplica: (puts her right hand on Misty's left shoulder) Don't worry, Misty! I'm sure that Ash will make his reappearance when he wants to. Misty: I'm sure he will. But the question is... why doesn't he want to talk to me? Every time I try to call him, he never answers his Pokédex! Duplica: I'm not sure. Maybe he just needs some time to train on his own. Misty: I hope you're right, Duplica. All of a sudden, the duo begins to hear a beeping sound. Misty reaches into her pocket and pulls out her blue Pokédex. She notices that the Poké-Com light is flashing. She opens her Pokédex and activates the Poké-Com device. Professor Oak's face appears on the screen. Oak: Misty! Am I glad that I was able to reach you! I tried to reach you at your gym, but no one was picking up. Misty: Yeah. My sisters are in the middle of one of their water ballets right now. What's up? Oak: I have a proposition for you. Duplica: (off-screen) What could he be talking about, Misty? Misty: I don't know. (to Oak) What for? Oak: Let's just say it'll give you a chance to reunite with some old friends. Misty: (brightening up) Old friends? Do you mean Ash and Brock? Oak: Possibly. Does that mean you're up to it? Misty: Of course! I'd do anything to see them again! Oak: In that case, allow me to explain the situation. Professor Oak began explaining the task to Misty, as Duplica listened in. Friday, July 6th, Valencia Island After packing up their belongings, the gang catches the next available flight to Valencia Island. They only knew two things: they were going to reunite with each other and they were going to assist a local Pokémon researcher in retrieving something that had been stolen from her the previous night. They were to go to the Pokémon Center upon arrival on the island, and wait for the others to show up. Brock ends up arriving their first, just after one o'clock in the afternoon. We finally get a good look at him. He too has a grown a few inches, but luckily he was able to find a bigger size for his clothes. He promptly replaced them so that he now looks like his clothes actually grew with him. Of course, being without the others in the Pokémon Center has rekindled the old-fashioned Brock. Which of course, meant that Brock's first objective was to flirt with Nurse Joy. And as usual, Brock's advances are all for naught, as Nurse Joy simply ignores him. To some degree, anyway. She hands him an unsealed express package from Professor Oak and tells him to not look inside it until his friends arrived. Deciding to waste some time until he could think of another way to impress the Pokémon healer, Brock takes a seat in the lounge and opens the package anyway. Inside, he finds a note from Professor Oak, as well as six empty Pokéballs and three Pokédex upgrade modules. Brock reads the letter as if the professor was there himself, reciting the letter by heart. Oak: (voice-over) I figured that now is a better time than ever to reunite you three. As I told you over the phone, Professor Ivy needs your help to track down an important piece of research that was stolen from her Wednesday night. She will provide more details for you upon her arrival at her lab. You can ask Nurse Joy for directions. I have provided you with two Pokéballs each, as well as the latest Pokédex upgrade. I know you five will use these well. Good luck, and keep me informed of any developments! Brock: (puts the letter down and blushes) Professor Ivy's a woman? I hope she's cute. She sounds like the Pokémon researcher of my dreams. Misty's Voice: (laughs) It's nice to know that you haven't changed. Brock snaps out of his daydream and looks up to see Misty and Duplica standing at the door. Misty has Togepi in hand, while Duplica has Ditto on her left shoulder. Brock: Misty! Duplica! Duplica: It's been awhile, hasn't it? Misty: Boy, I'm glad to see you again! Brock: Me too. Brock goes over and hugs Misty. He then goes over and gives Duplica an even bigger hug. Brock: You two sure have grown! Maybe you two are now old enough to go out with me! Misty: Oh, grow up! Brock: (sadly) Can't blame a guy for trying. Duplica: Tee hee. I'm surprised you still remember me. Brock: How could I ever forget you? You're so beautiful now! Duplica: (a little peeved) So, you mean I wasn't beautiful before? Brock: (jumping back) No, that's not what I meant. Honest! Duplica: (smirks) Oh, you're going to get it now, Brock! Brock: (nervously) What's that supposed to mean? Misty: Okay, you two! Break it up! Duplica: Okay. I think I've picked on Brock enough for one day! Brock: Hey! Togepi: Toge-toge-priiii! Brock: Say... isn't that that Togepi of yours? Weren't your sisters keeping her? Misty: Well, I thought that my sisters weren't doing a good job of raising her, so I decided to train Togepi myself. Brock: You mean you're actually going to use Togepi in a battle? Misty: Depends. But she definitely won't fight against a strong trainer. Besides, Tentacool could use a sparring partner. Duplica: You could use my newest Ditto, too. I just got it two weeks ago. Misty: Gee, Duplica, how many Ditto do you have now? Duplica: (happily) A full team of six, I'm happy to announce! Now I'm ready to show the world just how resourceful a Ditto trainer can be in battle! Brock: (sarcastically) Great! Misty: Remind me to avoid battling you the next time we're in a Pokémon League tournament. Duplica: That reminds me... are you competing in the annual level tournament at Indigo next month? Misty: Unfortunately, no. Trainers with gym leader status aren't allowed to compete at any regular tournaments. Duplica: Can't you just get the league to revoke that temporarily? Misty: Only if my sisters decide to retake complete control of the gym. And given the perilous situation we have, I don't think that's going to happen any time soon. Brock: Too bad. Duplica: Oh well. Misty: Anyway, what exactly do we have to see this Professor Ivy for anyway? Brock: I'm not sure. But the professor did give us a pack of Pokéballs and a Pokédex upgrade. Misty: (happily) Really? Can I see? Brock hands her the package. Misty reaches in and pulls out the two Pokéballs and the upgrade. Meanwhile, Brock continues to converse with Duplica. Duplica: So... when does Ashy boy get here? Brock: I don't even know if it is going to be Ash. Misty: (looking up from the box) Didn't Professor Oak say he was coming? Brock: Well, yes, but he never confirmed it. Duplica: So you mean we have to wait until he arrives before we can see Professor Ivy? Brock: Yep. Misty: Well, if it's Ash, we might be here awhile. Sure enough, the trio waited for several hours for someone to arrive. Before they knew it, the sun began to lower in the sky. Finally, at eight o'clock, Nurse Joy walks from the back and finds the group chowing down in the center cafeteria. Joy: Professor Ivy just called. She said to go ahead and come up to her lab and that I should send your friend up whenever he arrives. Misty: Thank you, Nurse Joy. Duplica: (getting up from her seat) We'd better get going. As the threesome head for the door, it opens up. Someone steps through the door. Misty, Duplica, and Brock gasp as the individual's identity is revealed. To be continued... Don't forget to review! Your comments and suggestions are greatly appreciated! In our next episode... the gang's finally reunited after a year apart! But where has Ash been all this time? What will happen when Cassie and Arius reveal that they think they're responsible for the death of Duplica's old love interest, TJ? And who is this girl that runs into Ash on the beach? Could she know him? In Episode 48, we're "Green with Envy." You don't want to miss this one! Note: I am starting up a mailing list for all of my fanfics. If you wish to be kept up to date on when I release any new stories or chapters, then e-mail me at jgg121@yahoo.com, with the subject labeled 'Mailing List.' In the body, please list which fanfics you want to be notified of. For a list of all current and future projects, go take a look at my profile! Copyright Date: 1/15/02