@QST.SetPrerequisite("FLCL™");
New Scene(Previously_On_Trigamon) {
This is a quick recap of the battle against Groudontwo, ending with Coal’s catching it in the chaos ball, and then leaving.
}
Theme Song()
New Scene(@Temporal = Morning)
Ash and company (a term which hereafter no longer includes Coal) continue picking their way through the dead canyon.
Ash: It looks even worse in the daytime…
May: I can’t believe it did all of this.
Salamence walks behind Ash and company, like a dog walking after its owner, it’s bandaged tail held high to keep it from dragging on the ground (and thus causing the bandage to come undone)
Brock: It boggles the mind how we survived that.
Ash, May, Benjy, and Max look at each other nervously.
May: Do you think Jirachi could teleport us to the trailer? I’m really…
Jirachi: Jirachi too sleepy…
Benjy smiles slightly.
Benjy: If you look ahead, the grass has some life to it, I’d say we’ve passed it already.
The group moves on in silence, staring at the canyon for about 10 seconds (real time); after which the silence is broken by May’s loud sigh. The group now walks out of the dead section of the canyon and starts walking through a wilted one.
May: Do you think Jirachi could revitalize everything with some of the comet’s anima?
Benjy: Don’t try it. Please don’t try it.
Brock: I agree.
May: Huh?
Brock: We’re in no position to mess with anima, especially given the shape we’re in.
Jirachi: Jirachi too tired anyway.
Ash and company now, picking their way through the wilting plants, walk past a pillar, and as they do, a large blue flag displaying a single, nine-pointed white star flaps in the distance. Ash and company see the flag, and immediately head in that direction.
Brock: Wow… They’re fast…
Ash: Or it must have been a real emergency…
May: Of course it was a real emergency! We almost died!
Ash: But still… Them…
Benjy: Who are they?
May, Max, and Brock look curiously at Benjy while they continue to walk towards the flag, and the tent in the distance.
Ash: Remember, he’s not from around here…
May: It’s the Star Guard!
Max: The planetary police!
Benjy: Planetary police? Planetary?
Ash: The Star Guard’s more than just a police force. Really more of a rescue team slash military unit…
Brock: It’s hard to explain.
Benjy shutters.
Benjy: I suppose we’ve got some explaining to do.
New Scene()
Ash and company approach the Star Guard tent, and start to walk around it. Here, they immediately see a woman with blue spiky hair tending to an injured Dusclops on a table. Brock walks towards her:
Brock: Hello?
Blue-Haired Lady: Rudy! We have stragglers!!!
Ash and company stand confused, while the Blue-Haired woman slaps her forehead.
Blue-Haired Lady: I mean RUDY! We have survivors!!!
The lady finishes bandaging Dusclops’s leg, then turns to Ash and company.
Blue-Haired Lady: Children… Are you injured?
Ash: Uh, who are you?
Blue-Haired Lady: Field Medic Killjoy. Are you in need of assistance?
Ash hesitates at the lady’s abruptness. At this time, two men in blue uniforms with the same white, nine-pointed star emblazoned on the front of them (the uniforms) emerge from the tent.
Man: Relax, K-J. Whatever was there isn’t here now.
Blue-Haired Lady → F.M.Killjoy: It doesn’t make me any more comfortable.
The man now approaches Ash and company.
Man: I’m Rudy. Are you kids okay?
Seeing the men in uniform seems to frighten Ash and company to the point where they are unable to talk.
Benjy: We’ve been better.
Rudy: I can see that. Did you see anything unusual around here? Did you see the grass die last night?
Benjy nods. The other man now speaks up:
Man: What did you kids see?
Rudy: Lets get them into treatment first.
New Scene()
Inside the tent, Flygon sits in a corner with a bowl of pokémon food. Killjoy carefully removes May’s bandages and utters a small incantation, causing a blue glow to appear in her palm. She moves this over May’s burned skin, causing it to start to heal.
F.M.Killjoy: Does it feel good?
May shudders, and nods slowly. Next to her, Salamence is lying down on the floor of the tent. In a corner of the tent, Benjy is shaking as he tries to remember of how things worked.
Rudy: Please, sit down…
Benjy: I’m okay… Okay, maybe I will.
Rudy: I don’t really need all the details. Just a few questions: Did any of you cause this?
Benjy scoots away from Rudy.
Rudy: Relax, relax. I already know the answer. Asking that question is my way to see if your memory has been tampered with.
Benjy: What?
Rudy: Let me explain. We’ve been taking measurements all morning. The person who caused this–excuse me. We’re missing three important things: What caused this, who summoned what caused this, and who got rid of it. All three of those key folks are no longer on this planet.
Rudy: Do you remember causing this? If so, then your memories were tampered with.
Rudy sighs.
Rudy: Tampering with someone’s memories is a serious crime, for obvious reasons.
Benjy: Our memories weren’t tampered with; we were trying to stop it…
F.M.Killjoy: Do you want me to take karmic readings?
Rudy: It won’t be necessary. Everything’s obscured by now anyway.
Benjy takes a deep breath.
Benjy: Where do you want me to start?
Rudy: If you can, just give me the quick overview. This is just an investigation and rescue, so the minutiae isn’t important.
Again, Benjy takes a deep breath.
Benjy: We met a magi at the carnival back down the road who was trying to create a Groudon for Team Magma on the side, using Jirachi to suck anima from the millennium comet.
Rudy: We know about that. He came to the cavern, right? And he then tried to create one here?
Benjy: Correct, we were returning Jirachi to it’s home, so he couldn’t use it again.
Rudy: And he caught up with you, stole Jirachi, used it to siphon anima, you guys stole it back. He wound up summoning something which drained all the anima out of the cavern, and somehow you managed to destroy it.
Benjy: We had help.
Bayleef approaches Benjy and rests his head on Benjy's shoulder.
Rudy: Did the guy who summoned it try to stop it?
Ash: When he finally realized that it wasn’t what he wanted.
Rudy: He must have put some kind of spell on you to prevent it from killing you though…
Ash: That was Dianne’s doing.
Rudy: Who’s Dianne?
The other man now enters the tent.
Erik: Lyman found the van. Dianne was a reporter that was traveling along with Butler, looks like they might have had something going on.
Rudy: By what this young gentleman said–
Rudy gestures to Ash.
Rudy: Sounds like it was a pactio.
Erik: Well, whatever. I’ve confirmed that the Salamence we have here with us and the Dusclops are his orphaned Pokémon. The Mightyena we treated almost certainly also belonged to him. That Flygon’s a wild Flygon.
Killjoy has now finished healing May’s burns, and she (May) approaches Rudy and Erik.
May: So what’s going to happen to them?
Rudy: Flygon’s free to go on it’s way as soon as it feels better, but you’re asking about Butler’s pokémon, right?
May nods.
Erik: Standard procedure. We’ll see if either Butler or Dianne has a next of kin, else we’ll send them to Professor Birch, who will probably mark them as yours. Both of them seem like they have no experience in the wild, but Lyman will have to get back to determine that, as he’s the one who’s good with pokémon.
F.M.Killjoy: Anyone else injured?
Max turns towards Killjoy, but Brock volunteers ahead of him, and Killjoy has him sit on the pad, while she quickly runs a diagnostic on him. Ash shakes, seeing this.
Ash: Some of us have real injuries, you know…
F.M.Killjoy: Erik! I’m detecting an N-O channel!
Rudy and Erik turn in the direction of Killjoy.
Rudy: That could explain where that dreamshot came from.
Erik: Just seal the channel.
Killjoy now turns to Brock.
F.M.Killjoy: I’m going to seal your N-O channel so robots don’t start pouring out of your forehead, but other than that you have no real injuries. You were lucky.
Brock: Um, thanks–
Before Brock can finish his comment, Killjoy finishes doing something to her hand, then slams it on Brock’s forehead, and surprisingly it does not go through. Brock pulls away a split-second later holding his forehead.
F.M.Killjoy: That cold feeling will go away in about a minute, who’s next?
Refresh Scene()
Killjoy, Rudy, Erik, and two other members of the Star Guard are looking over Ash and company.
Erik: So to recap, you had a friend with you who pulled a dreamshot piece by piece out of an N-O channel, assembled it, and used it to catch that Groudon-shaped monster, once you weakened it.
Max: Yup.
Jirachi confirms Max’s confirmation.
Brock: And they’re not dead?
Lyman: Highly unlikely, given what you’ve said. They’re probably caught in a state between life and death, which isn’t nearly as bad as it sounds.
Rudy turns to Lyman.
Rudy: That makes Dianne the ceiling and Butler the floor?
Lyman: Unless we have some kind of karmic inversion going on. Whomever this Coal person is, he seems to have handled it okay.
May: So what happens to someone who’s in between life and death?
Rudy: In this case, they could come back to life or they could die, or so I believe. We don’t know much about these barrier dimensions.
Lyman: And I have a favor to ask you kids.
Max: What?
Lyman: Keep Jirachi with you. I want that canyon cleaned out entirely.
Erik: I thought you said it wouldn’t be necessary!
Lyman: After listening to them, I want to make sure…
Man: You realize how much power that will take?
Lyman: If we don’t clean it, then we risk corrupt anima. Yes, I know that probably doesn’t exist, but…
Rudy: I have a feeling that there’s a lot we’ll learn…
Erik: How much?
Rudy: Enough to make you stop complaining.
Rudy now paces the tent with his hands behind his back, muttering something about a "barrier between dimensions."
Rudy: Benjy is it? What did the summoning look like?
Ash: He drew a large picture on the ground with a… a…
Benjy: What appeared to be a ray that focused anima. When the picture was complete, a large creature in the shape of a Groudon emerged. Too large to be a real one though.
Lyman: Sounds like an arcane summoning ritual.
Benjy: It was a picture of a Groudon though…
Lyman: And the ground rose up?
May: And everything else died, and it’s spikes turned into tendrils that tried to consume–
May suddenly shudders, while the members of the Star Guard look at each other in confusion.
Erik: I’m out.
Rudy: It rose out of the Ground, siphoning anima into itself…
Man: Maybe it stole the power and abilities of an S.A.B.?
Brock: Do you guys know what happened?
Lyman: What you’re saying is impossible, though…
Rudy: It’s what they saw, but it makes no sense. We were sent out here to investigate some minor fluctuations, but…
Brock: You don’t know what happened?
Rudy: Lyman, call the eco squad. Something’s rotten here.
Brock backs away from Rudy nervously.
Lyman: Sort of rotten or really rotten?
Rudy: Really rotten. That should not have had the effect it had… And I want backups too!
Erik: Why backups?!
Rudy: In case it’s a monster nest of some sort…
Rudy now turns to Ash and company, then to Killjoy.
Rudy: Scan them for millowcine.
F.M.Killjoy: Millowcine?! (surprised)
Rudy turns to Ash and company again.
Rudy: It’ll just take a minute. Please let out your pokémon.
Refresh Scene()
With all of their pokémon out, the entire group faces Killjoy who pulls out a scanner and presses a button. A blue pulse of energy shoots through Ash and company, causing human and pokémon alike to fall to the ground nauseous, with all emitting a greenish-white glow, which disappears within a second.
Ash: What was that?
F.M.Killjoy: No millowcine, just a bit of a residual spell…
Rudy: Then what the zark is going on?
Rudy holds his head in confusion as Ash and company recall their pokémon.
Lyman: Can they go now?
Rudy nods.
Rudy: Kids, where are you heading?
Ash: Lavaridge…
Rudy: Take the northeast trail for twelve miles, and then go southeast a mile after the trail bends. It’ll keep you out of trouble when the spell fades.
Rudy turns to Flygon.
Rudy: You too.
Flygon: Gawn…
New Scene(@Temporal = Evening)
Ash and company are standing on a grassy knoll watching the Millennium Comet in the sky.
Brock: Millowcine…
Ash: You keep thinking about that…
Brock: They wanted to check us for millowcine.
Narrator: Millowcine is the body’s defense against supernatural rot. It’s unheard of on many planets, but all mammals are capable of creating it, as are all pokémon and most Trigamon.
The wind blows by the group as May folds down another section of her wishing star. Max is is facing the place where Groudontwo was summoned/created, and Jirachi is sitting on May’s shoulder looking backwards in the same direction as Max.
Benjy: Why do I get the feeling that…
Benjy clenches his fist tightly.
Benjy: …we were meant to fight it. Why? Why us?
Yami Benjy: And it was I who told you that that feeling might actually mean something here.
Benjy: …Why didn’t we–
Yami Benjy: I don’t know, but it wasn’t dumb luck we survived. I’ve ruled that out. I’ll let you know when I figure it out.
As Ash and company watch the comet, a bit of it breaks off and begins to fall through the atmosphere. (This is likely due to the friction of the atmosphere.)
Narrator: That can’t be good.
May: I never noticed that there were two comets…
Max: There aren’t.
May: Then what’s that?
Brock: Wasn’t that part of the comet?
Benjy: Possibly…
Ash: Huh?
May: And it’s coming straight at us.
Benjy: Checking the trajectory…
As the piece of the comet plummets, Ash and company are fixed in place out of fear. As the piece falls, they (save for Benjy who is trying to get his limbs to move) close their eyes. The piece of the comet rushes past them causing a huge breeze and crashes about five miles away.
Benjy: So we’re still alive.
May: Can I make a note of this?
Brock: ?
May: Huge success!
May lets out a long sigh.
Refresh Scene()
Ash and company open their eyes, one at a time.
Benjy: Now I know how the dinosaurs died…
Ash: Where’d it hit?
Benjy: Somewhere in the distance.
Ash: We’ve got to get moving!
May: Why?
Ash: Don’t you want to see a comet up close?!
Max: Come on!
May: Well, maybe. Wait a minute, could it have been from Benjy’s home planet?
Benjy: I calculate the odds of that are somewhere in the range of one in 10 to the trillion. I am interested in seeing it though
Ash: Then it’s settled!
Ash and Max take off in the direction of the meteor. Benjy follows more slowly, May and Brock close behind him. Benjy looks up at the comet and suddenly shivers as it seems to him that the comet is looking at him. May and Brock soon catch up to him.
May: Benjy, you alright?
Benjy: I think so…
Benjy’s shivering doesn’t let up, although it doesn’t really hinder him as he continues to move on.
Brock: Are you sure?
Benjy: I’m not consciously hiding anything from you. We need to catch up.
Benjy, May, and Brock keep walking and slowly Benjy’s shaking eases up and things are calm for a few minutes (story time).
A whirring noise is heard, and Benjy looks up to see a missile. The three instantly duck and cover as the missile hits the ground roughly 10 yards away, and detonates. Benjy gets up slowly, despite Brock’s advice to stay down. Benjy sees a missile detonate in the distance.
May: What the (bleep) is going on?
Benjy: No (bleep)ing clue.
Brock: Someone’s testing something, if we don’t make our presence known we’re going to get hurt.
Benjy: You sure about that?
Brock gets up slowly.
Brock: Be careful! There are people here!
No one appears to hear him. Meanwhile another missile explodes in the distance.
May: Max!
May takes off running, with Benjy and Brock following. Someone appears in front of her and grabs her. Brock hollers at him and he dives into the grass at the side of the path.
Benjy: Satolite, air cutter!
Benjy and Brock arrive where May was taken to find tracks. Benjy has Satolite thunderbolt a rustling in the brush.
May: Aaaaah!
The thunderbolt blasts the brush away. May is stunned but ok, although the same cannot be said for the Team Aqua grunts beside her. They lie on the ground, collapsed and unconscious. Strangely, only one is crackling with electricity. He tries to sit up, only to collapse again.
Brock: Why is…
May: I guess I knocked him out…
Brock examines the unconscious grunt and determines that he’s alive. Benjy tries to talk to the conscious grunt, but the grunt collapses and falls asleep. Brock determines that they will both be ok, and all three hurry off in the direction of Ash and Max. Benjy insisting that they stay together.
Another missile detonates nearby, and Brock calls out again. This does nothing, but a few moments later a missile shoots straight towards them. Benjy has Satolite use mirror force to counter the missile, and it explodes harmlessly.
The Millennium Gameboy Advance suddenly shines.
Yami Benjy: That was no coincidence…
Yami Benjy: I DON’T CARE WHO THE (BLEEP) YOU ARE, OR WHO THE (BLEEP) YOU THINK YOU ARE, BUT I’M GIVING YOU TEN SECONDS TO DROP YOUR WEAPONS AND FLEE. REFUSE AND YOU’LL BE IN PINE BOXES BEFORE THE SUN RISES!
May: Benjy…
The Millennium Gameboy Advance shines again.
One last missile explodes in the distance and all goes quiet. May, Benjy, and Brock continue to move again once the quiet has been in place for a full minute. The grass rustles and Benjy has Satolite use flash. Ash and Max sit terrified in the now illuminated undergrowth.
Refresh Scene()
Ash and company continue on towards where the meteor landed. They quickly find themselves at the edge of an enormous crater. More rustling in the grass is heard and Benjy has Satolite use thunderbolt just as headlights emerge.
Satolite’s electric attack strikes the convertible, golf-cart-like vehicle, and while the vehicle itself appears unharmed, the driver crashes against the windshield, stunned. She is seen to be wearing a Team Aqua uniform, slightly different from the rest.
Brock: What the zark is going on here?!
Team Aqua Admin: That I can’t say. But messing with Team Aqua is a mistake. If you want, I’ll let you go this time with your tail between your legs.
Brock: …
Benjy: Let me handle it.
Team Aqua Admin: So you’re in charge of them?
Brock: …um–
Benjy puts his hand out to signal Brock to stop.
Benjy: No one’s in charge. We’re a group of friends, traveling.
Team Aqua Grunt: Just kids?
Benjy: The that’s beside the point. Your explosions almost–
Benjy gulps.
Benjy: Just tell me what you’re doing and where so we can avoid getting blown to pieces and we’ll be on our way.
Team Aqua Admin: You’re giving Team Aqua and ultimatum?
Benjy: I don’t believe I phrased it that way, but I can make it into one if it helps.
Team Aqua Admin: You’ve got guts! Mightyena, lets go!
The Team Aqua Admin calls on a Mightyena, which glares down at Benjy. Benjy doesn’t appear one bit scared, however he finds himself moving backwards slowly. Quickly realizing Brock is pulling him, Benjy quietly, but still loud enough to be heard by the Team Aqua Admin, orders Brock to let him go.
Brock: Benjy come on! We don’t want to be messed up with them.
Team Aqua Admin: While you’ve got guts, it looks like your friend has the brains.
Benjy struggles in Brock’s grasp for a couple seconds, but can’t manage to break free.
Benjy: Got to do something drastic–
Yami Benjy: Leave that to me.
Benjy: You’re awake!
Yami Benjy: I am.
The Millennium Gameboy Advance emits a burst of light, and Yami Benjy’s foot finds a hold on a root.
Yami Benjy: Satolite–attack direct!
Satolite shoots a powerful beam of electricity straight for the Team Aqua Admin, which startles Brock into letting go of Yami Benjy. One second later the beam hits, and the go-cart explodes from the charge. The Aqua Admin’s Mightyena jumps aside with a yelp to avoid the shrapnel from the blast. The explosion leaves the cart fully destroyed, and the admin lying on the ground, moaning. Behind Brock and Yami Benjy, May and Max stand completely speechless, while Ash silently removes a poké ball from his belt, ready for the impending conflict.
Brock: Benjy…c’mon!
Brock grabs Yami Benjy’s hand and tries to pull him away again, but the MGBA emits a pulse that forces Brock to let go and fall to the ground on his bottom.
Yami Benjy: Let it be known that I don’t run.
The Millennium Gameboy Advance emits another burst of light.
Brock: Has beating Groudontwo overinflated his ego? No, that’s not like him. I’ll bet there is a reason for this…
Team Aqua Grunt♀: Shelly!
Team Aqua Admin → Shelly: This is unexpected… And we’re almost out of time…
Benjy walks towards Shelly and the grunt while the Grunt looks around nervously.
Team Aqua Grunt♀: Don’t come closer!
Benjy stops walking and takes a deep breath.
Benjy: Then I need to know what those explosions were about! What were those missiles? Are you setting land mines?
Brock: Land mines?! Was that–
Behind Benjy, Ash is also shaking, slightly.
May: Land mines? Aren’t all mines on land? (Whisper)
Max: Might be an acronym…? (Whisper)
Shelly: …
Team Aqua Grunt [from before]: All attack!
This attack runs in two stages, first the grunts from before have their Poochyena use shadow ball on the locations that Ash, and May and Max are standing on. Ash, May, and Max all dodge the attack, and Ash calls on Corphish.
Ash: Corphish, crabhammer! Pikachu, thunderbolt!
These attacks collide with the Poochyena in mid-air and knock them backwards into the dirt, inflicting moderate to severe damage. Now, across the area, the other Magma grunts order their respective Zubat and Corphish to use supersonic and bubblebeam respectively. Brock counters this by sending Forretress in to use explosion, a blast which knocks out both Corphish and Shelly’s Mightyena, Zubat manages to evade the attack.
Team Aqua Grunt♀: Now, use that supersonic!
Benjy: Dodge and zap it!
Satolite zips out of the way of supersonic, and delivers a small bolt just powerful enough to knock Zubat from the sky in a faint.
The grunt next to the female grunt pulls out a poké ball just as the female grunt recalls her Zubat. Beside her, Shelly is trying to get up.
Brock: This was a bad idea…
Shelly suddenly collapses back to the ground, shocking all of the grunts.
Team Aqua Grunt♀: Stop! We surrender! Please don’t hurt her!
Team Aqua Grunt: What do you want with us?!
At this, May walks forwards with Torchic at her heel.
May: If you guys had been at all listening…
Benjy: What’s going on with these missiles? Are there hidden explosives in this area?!
Max: And what did you guys do with the meteorite…?
Team Aqua Grunt♀: We didn’t do anything to the meteorite! It was Team Magma!
Max: They’re both here?!
Team Aqua Grunt♀: Team Magma hit the comet with some kind of missile. We think they’re going to use it’s energy to make Mt. Chimney erupt! Eep!
The female grunt quiets down from a stern look from Shelly.
Ash: Is that true?!
Shelly says nothing.
May: If it’s true, we’ve got to get out of here…
Benjy: …
Benjy stares ahead at Mount Chimney in the distance.
Benjy: I think I see something…
Brock: The trouble is that Lavaridge town is right at the foot of the volcano… If it erupts…
Benjy: And we’re about ten miles from the mountain… I don’t know if we could get away in time, even if we were to run…
Ash: We saw what that thing could do on it’s own. With that power and the volcano…
Shelly: Fine. Those missiles were designed to stop the Team Magma convoys…
New Scene()
Ash and company, on foot, are running along a dirt trail towards Mt. Chimney. Brock holds a Team Aqua communicator in his hand, which he is using to avoid traps.
New Scene<Flashback>()
Shelly addresses Ash and company:
Shelly: Team Aqua’s been trying to stop this for as long as they’ve been planning this. Our intel believes that Team Magma believes that Groudon is sleeping within that mountain.
Team Aqua Grunt: Shelly! That’s classified!
Shelly: It’s an emergency.
Shelly turns back to Ash and company.
Shelly: I have no idea what’s going to happen if they shoot that volcano full of that meteorite’s power.
Ash: That’s okay. We do.
Brock: There’s no pleasant way to say this, but we’ll probably all die.
</Flashback>
May: Will we get there in time?!
Brock: There’s no way to know…
Ash: I can’t believe that they all moved around in that one cart…
Brock: Max! Ahead of you at one o’clock!
Ash and company change directions to run around the hidden tripwire.
Ash: Wait, do you think they said that just to get rid of us?
The MGBA emits a pulse of light and Yami Benjy projects a hologram of himself.
Yami Benjy: I sensed truth to her words.
Max: So what if they *do* succeed?
Yami Benjy: Lets hope the Star Guard is still around–and they have something up their sleeve.
Immediately after Yami Benjy finishes taking, Benjy starts to tire and trips over a root. Quickly, the Millennium Gameboy Advance glows and Yami Benjy catches himself, catching up with the others.
Max: Are we going to make it?
Yami Benjy: Shelly said it’s in 30 minutes that they’re going to start. To get there, we’re going to have to travel another nine miles in twenty minutes, which means we need an average speed of twelve miles per hour.
May now collapses to her hands and knees, causing Ash and company to abruptly stop running.
May: We’re never going to make it!
Max: Don’t give up now!
May: I can’t keep running like this!
Ash: May… We’ve got to hurry!
Max: Ash, my legs are just about to give up, too…
May: I’m never going to make it…
Ash: Never say never…
Yami Benjy: Satolite can get you there in a few seconds, Ash. But you’ll be on your own until we can catch up.
Ash starts to ponder this.
Brock: And how are we going to stop them when we’re all tired out from running.
May: If only you hadn’t blown up their cart…
Yami Benjy: Read my lips, we’ll find another way.
Refresh Scene()
Too tired to run, Ash and company are still walking towards the foot of the mountain. Yami Benjy helps support May.
Ash: How much time?
Brock: Eighteen minutes. Lets hope Team Magma’s running late…
Yami Benjy: With any luck, we can simply tell them what happened with Butler and they’ll abandon their plan.
Max: You think so?
Ash: Actually, that’s worth a try.
May: Huh?
Ash: Benjy, I’m going to need to borrow Satolite–
Yami Benjy nods.
Refresh Scene()
Satolite secures itself to Ash’s backside with it’s tractor beam.
Brock: Ash, we’ll be there as soon as we can!
Max: So just hold on!
Ash nods, and Pikachu climbs up onto his shoulder.
Yami Benjy: Satolite!
Satolite: Ah-oh?
Yami Benjy gestures at Mount Chimney in the distance, and Satolite scans this, then suddenly takes off surprising Ash. Satolite drags Ash’s shoes for several yards as it’s going too fast for Ash to keep up with and not high enough for Ash to be completely off of the ground. After 25 yards or so, Satolite manages to get into the air and zooms off with Ash and Pikachu towards Mount Chimney.
New Scene()
Carried through the air by Satolite, Ash relaxes his body slightly, preparing/bracing himself for what he will be facing in the next few seconds.
Ash: What’s different now that they’re trying to make Groudon all of a sudden? Or are they always like this?
New Scene()
Team Rocket’s balloon is floating high above Ash and company. Jessie and James are not paying attention to Ash, but instead focused on a laptop through which they are talking with someone.
James: Stop it?! Shouldn’t we wait until they make it and then steal it.
Meowth: It’s because of our track record, isn’t it!
The Team Rocket Admin on the laptop screen now speaks.
Team Rocket Admin: You have no idea what you’re dealing with. Even the chaos ball, which you report was used, couldn’t hold it for more than six hours and forty-five minutes. It’s not a pokémon!
Jessie: It’s not?
Team Rocket Admin: We picked up the information from a PSA from the Star Guard themselves.
James: The Star Guard?
Team Rocket Admin: Our own intel has indicated that Team Magma thinks that there is a Groudon inside the volcano, and they’re going to use their anima to try and awaken it.
The Admin pauses, and then resumes.
Team Rocket Admin: However, there’s no telling whether or not that’s actually true, and if it is true, what will happen if they shoot up Groudon with that much anima. That’s why you need to stop it.
James: But why not just steal it; whatever it is…
Team Rocket Admin: Because it could wipe out all life on the planet, us included. We, Team Rocket, have no way of containing that kind of creature, and there’s no way Team Magma does either!
Revert Scene()
As Satolite rapidly approaches Mt. Chimney, it starts to fly upwards, making a large curve as it flies Ash and Pikachu up the mountain. As they start ascending, Ash looks down to see people in Team Magma uniforms below him.
Ash: So Team Aqua was right about…
Satolite: Atoh!
Ash: Huh?–Ah!
Ash looks around in confusion at Satolite’s comment, and soon discovers that he has been noticed be a Team Magma patrol on the ground, about fifty feet below him.
Ash: That’s not good!
Ash: Aa!
Satolite zips out of the way to avoid a blast of light shooting upwards.
Pikachu: Pika!
Ash now realizes that either they have been spotted by more patrols, or the word has been relayed up the mountain. Ash urges Satolite to fly faster up the mountain, and Satolite follows as directed.
Cutscene(Split-screen.triangle) {
At the crater, Team Magma’s Maxie stands next to an odd machine when a grunt runs up to him to tell him that "the object is getting closer." A strange man in what looks like magical robes also walks closer to Maxie.
Man: Please let me handle it, sir!
Maxie: Not yet. Let’s see if we can shoot it down.
Maxie now addresses some grunts off-screen.
Maxie: Prepare one of our missiles!
Man: As you see fit–
Maxie: Let the grunts take care of it, you stay on standby.
Man: As you see fit.
}
As the previous cutscene ends, Satolite soars into the air over the crater, allowing Ash to stare down at the machines in an attempt to take in what Team Magma is doing.
Ash: What are they…
Pikachu: Pika!
Ash looks upwards, out over the mountain to see that Team Magma has just launched a missile straight towards them.
Ash: Satolite!
Satolite doesn’t move.
Ash: Hey, Satolite! If you don’t move, we’re about to be–
Ash gulps as the missile draws closer, but about two seconds before impact, Satolite zips out of the way with a burst of speed, flying up higher in the sky in less than a second, leaving Ash scrambled and trying to regain his wits. This alone isn’t sufficient to avoid impact, as the missile now changes directions, heading to their new location right by the cliff over the crater.
Ash: Satolite!
Satolite doesn’t move again.
Ash: Why is it waiting until the last m–
A split-second before impact, again, Satolite zips out of the way. The missile is unable to change directions in time, and explodes on contact with the cliff, causing debris to fall on the Team Magma grunts below who run for safety. Nearby them, and out of harm’s way, a female Team Magma Admin grabs another missile and loads it, preparing to fire. Ash directs Satolite’s attention to this just as the missile is fired.
Ash: And we’re going to wait until the last minute again…
Satolite does wait until the last second to dodge, but this missile doesn’t hit the rocks and keeps going after Satolite. Satolite waits and dodges again, but the missile still doesn’t go off course. Below them, Ash witnesses Maxie talking with the admin, then is forced to re-orient himself as Satolite rapidly changes locations. Ash now witnesses Maxie direct the admin to do something, and correctly concludes that he’s the boss. Satolite tries to destroy the missile again with the same method, but it misses and now speeds up as Satolite shoots into the sky to try and outfly the missile.
Quickly realizing that this won’t work, Satolite makes a u-turn and begins to descend, perhaps with the intention of knocking the missile into the lava. This fails when the missile takes the shortest path towards Satolite instead of following it’s path exactly. Ash gasps, and the missile detonates against Satolite’s mirror force. On the ground Maxie watches this with a look of relief, until Ash, Satolite, and Pikachu sail out from the explosion unharmed. Ash desperately addresses Maxie:
Ash: Hey!
Maxie: Who are you?!
Ash: I’ve come to warn you! That’s not going to wake Groudon!
Maxie: Huh?
Ash: It’s going to create something that’s going to wipe out all life on the entire planet.
Maxie: All life on the entire planet? Have you ever read State of Denial?
Ash: Huh?
Maxie: In the book. The large hadron collider, a particle accelerator that some said would destroy the world. It did nothing of the sort. This is perfectly safe. Begone with your harbingering of doom.
Ash: Uh…
Maxie: There’s no danger here. We’re sure of that.
Ash: And I’m sure of this! Bad things happen when you shoot anima into something!
Maxie turns to walk away.
Ash: We saw what happened when Butler tried it!
Maxie turns around again.
Maxie: Who?
Ash: The scientist you commissioned to create a Groudon.
Man in wizards robes: Maxie, should I…?
Maxie: Not yet, this guy has important information.
Maxie now addresses Ash:
Maxie: What happened with Butler’s experiment. Did he send you to report to me?
Ash: Butler’s dead!
The man in wizard’s robes shutters.
Ash: He created a Groudon-shaped monster that consumed him!
Man in wizards robes: Maxie…
Maxie: Then how did you survive?
Ash: We barely escaped with our lives! The Star Guard came, and…
Man in wizard’s robes: If the Star Guard saved him, then his story could hold water.
Maxie: Did the Star Guard save you, child?
Ash: In a way…
Maxie turns to the man in wizard’s robes, as another grunt runs up to him, handing him a piece of paper.
Maxie: Something doesn’t add up. (whisper)
Man in wizard’s robes: Something unknown took out a Team Aqua unit… (whisper)
Maxie: Tabitha!
The female magma admin runs over to Maxie.
Maxie: Has anyone seen the Star Guard anywhere? (whisper)
Tabitha: The Star Guard? No, why do you ask?! (whisper)
Maxie: Our members observed a Team Aqua unit licking their wounds. It looks like the work of the Star Guard. (whisper)
Tabitha: Leader injured and grunts fine? (whisper)
Maxie: Correct. To add doubt to my mind, that kid says the Star Guard came out here when Butler’s experiment promptly ran amok and killed him.
Tabitha: He’s dead?! (Whisper)
Maxie: According to that kid up there.
Tabitha turns to Ash.
Tabitha: Who are you anyway? And what business do you have with Team Magma–
Tabitha is cut off by the man in wizard’s robes.
Man in wizard’s robes: The Star Guard ARE here, Maxie. I sense their magic.
Tabitha: Are they after us?!
Maxie: Doesn’t matter.
Tabitha: …
Maxie: Everyone! Change of plans! Gather all the equipment and retreat to area 144 immediately.
The grunts look around wildly in confusion.
Tabitha: That’s an order!
Maxie: Colin, take care of that kid. I don’t want him following us. (Whisper)
Watching everyone leave, Satolite prepares to return to everyone else, however this goal is rudely stopped when Ash, Pikachu, and Satolite are forced up against an unseen wall by a mysterious force. Satolite flaps it’s wings rapidly, trying to escape, but this is completely in vain as the unseen force holds it in place. Below them, Team Magma rapidly evacuates.
Ash: What’s going on?
Ash, Pikachu, and Satolite are now slowly lowered to the ground still caught between an invisible force and an invisible wall, as the last members of Team Magma clear out, Ash is finally brought to ground level to come face to face with Colin (the Team Magma magi)
Ash: Why are you doing this? Didn’t you believe me?!
Colin: I do. Maxie’s plan is iffy at best. But I have to cover our tracks; and thus, I must erase your memory.
Ash: Uh…
Colin: Or at least the last fifteen minutes of it. This won’t hurt.
Ash: But…
Colin: Arcocu met-ritis–
Ash: Hey! Stop!
Colin: Lyroxe tesserum hanux–
Ash: The Star G–
Ash is unable to finish his word before Colin fires the spell. What follows are two flashes, the first about a meter from Ash and the second at Colin’s chest. The forces holding Ash, Pikachu, and Satolite disappear as Colin collapses to his knees.
Ash: Uh…
Satolite: Ah-toh.
Ash: Ah! Satolite must’ve reflected the magic with its mirror force attack, or something…
Colin: Did you just reflect my own spell back at me?
Ash: He remembers!
Colin: Doesn’t look like a mage…
Colin: Ha ha, never mind. I’ll sober up soon. Did you see a bunch of people with red robes? Can you point me in that direction?
Ash: So it did…
As Ash trembles, a Team Magma grunt, looking like a slightly higher rank than the others, runs up to Colin.
Grunt: Colin! We’re evacuating!
Colin: Huh?
Grunt: Get it together!
The grunt now takes Colin by the hand and disappears off into the trees.
Refresh Scene()
Ash and company survey the things Team Magma left when they took off. Lyman stands behind them with a large scooter.
Ash: He got you here on that?
Max: Yup!
Behind them, Benjy hugs Satolite, while May giggles.
Lyman: Kids, the thing to remember is that Team Magma thinks and feels that they are doing the right thing. And the same goes for Team Aqua. Although their actions are entirely bizarre, and I can’t help but wonder what motivates them.
Benjy: Me too…
New Scene()
Above, in their balloon, Team Rocket informs their HQ that the situation has defused, and apologize for not actually doing anything to defuse it. Despite their worrying, the person on the other end only expresses relief.
Jessie: Alright then. We’ll get back to work.
Revert Scene()
Down below at the crater, Ash and company are saying goodbye to Lyman, when May suddenly mentions that she smells smoke.
Max: Smoke?
Ash and company, along with Lyman look up to see a large black cloud of soot descending upon them. Benjy calls on Bayleef to use safeguard, creating a dome around them to protect themselves from the soot.
Ash: Who’s there?!
Jessie’s Voice: *chuckling* Prepare for trouble…
Brock: Who’s there?
James’s Voice: And make it double…
…///To Be Continued///…
©July 25, 2014 by Benjamin Strauss