New Scene()
In the fog-filled Petalburg Woods, Ash and company walk along what they think is the path, trying their best to not get separated. The fog is so thick that they can’t actually see each other. As they walk, Benjy notices something crunch under his feet, and then he suddenly crashes into a tree.
Narrator: So Ash and company leave Rustboro for more adventures! And I can’t believe I forced myself to say that. Wait, the mike is still on?!
Benjy bends down to get a feeling of where he is on the ground, and is forced to sit down as he holds his forehead where he bonked it.
Benjy: This is ridiculous…
Benjy: Ash?!…
Benjy waits and listens for a reply, but none comes his way.
Benjy: May?!… Brock?!…
Again, Benjy waits and listens for a reply, but none comes his way.
Benjy: This was insane…
Yami Benjy: But you said that Max has a point wanting to get away from Rustboro this morning.
Benjy: And it’s a fairly excellent point for him. If I can’t find my feet in this fog, then Officer Jenny has about a snowballs’s chance on Infernus.
Yami Benjy: But I thought–
Benjy: Yeah, yeah, taking time off to spend more time with her family. Don’t believe everything you hear.
Benjy carefully surveys the ground, or as much of it as he can see.
Benjy: And for the record, I expected I’d be able to see my feet without bending down.
Yami Benjy: That could be a problem.
With this, Benjy sits down in the fog by the tree.
Yami Benjy: What are you doing?
Benjy: I can’t go anywhere until this fog clears.
Yami Benjy: Then please, let me help with that…
Benjy: Can you?
The Millennium Gameboy Advance pulses slightly with light.
Refresh Scene()
In the fog, Yami Benjy stands up.
Yami Benjy: Satolite, I need your help!
Yami Benjy removes Satolite’s ball from his pocket.
Yami Benjy: Satolite, please defog.
Satolite emerges from it’s ball in a flash of light, and is immediately obscured by the fog.
Satolite: Coa?
Yami Benjy: It’s a technique you can use. If you flap your wings fast enough, it will blow the fog away.
Satolite: Lite. Sato–
Suddenly, a massive gust from Satolite pushes the fog back a bit, but it only allows Yami Benjy to see a few more feet forward. Satolite looks around stumped, as does Yami Benjy, both having expected more of the fog to be parted.
New Scene()
Elsewhere in the forest, May, Max and Brock are walking through the fog.
Brock: Hey! Is everyone back there?
Max: I’m here!
May: And I’m here!
Brock waits for a few moments.
Brock: Ash?! Benjy?!
Brock waits a few more seconds but there is still no reply.
May: Should we split up and look for them?
Brock: Not in this fog. If we get off the path it’s going to take a long time to find our way again. We need to stay together–
May: Max, can Jirachi teleport them to us?
Max: If he wasn’t asleep…
Brock and May stare at the ground in disappointment.
Brock: That actually wasn’t a bad idea, provided Jirachi can locate them in this fog.
May: Yeah…
New Scene()
QST.camera moves through the fog as if it is representing someone’s field of vision. After a few steps QST.camera switches to the normal, third-person view, showing Ash and Pikachu.
Ash: Hey Brock–
Brock doesn’t respond as Ash’s voice echoes into the fog. Ash continues calling for everyone else before he realizes that he is separated from the group, alone with Pikachu.
Ash: I mist have lost them in the fog…
Pikachu: Pipi-chu
Ash: Yeah, I guess that wasn’t that funny… It was punny!
Pikachu: Pi– Ka–
Pikachu crackles with electricity, annoyed by Ash’s jokes. Ash starts to take a step forwards.
Pikachu: Pika!
Ash stumbles backwards as Pikachu points down and in the direction that Ash was headed. As Ash kneels down he sees that in front of him is a steep drop off. Gulping, Ash carefully takes a couple steps backwards before tripping over a log. Gasping for breath, Ash sits down on the log.
Ash: Man, this fog is thick. I don’t remember fog that’s ever been like this…
As Ash stops to think, a whirling noise catches his attention from somewhere behind him in the forest.
Meanwhile the noise is getting closer and closer, and it becomes slightly distinguishable as the cry of a Baltoy. Ash takes out his Pokédex and points it in the direction of Baltoy:
Ash’s Pokédex: Baltoy, the Clay Doll Pokémon. A Baltoy moves by spinning on its single foot. It has been depicted in murals adorning the walls of a once-bustling city in an ancient age.
(Note: Ash’s Pokédex displays Baltoy’s types as Ground and Psychic)
Pikachu: Pi–
Ash: Erk–
Ash looks down from his pokédex at Baltoy as it spins towards the cliff, as if in a trance. Pikachu sparks to alert Baltoy, but Baltoy isn’t affected.
Ash: Right, it’s a ground type…
Ash: Quick attack on it’s foot!
With a sudden burst of speed, Pikachu shoots at Baltoy, striking it’s foot and knocking it over. Suddenly, a girl’s voice cuts through the fog:
Girl’s Voice: What’d you do that for?!
Ash turns around, but doesn’t see anyone.
Ash: Your Baltoy was heading straight for the cliff.
Girl’s Voice: What cli…
The girl stops talking as she sees the ledge an stares in shock. The girl then steps out of the fog.
Girl: I almost…
Ash: Yeah, me too.
Girl: What are you doing here?
Ash: What do you mean?
Girl: Not many people go into this part of the woods…
Ash: I’m Ash, and this is Pikachu. We got separated from our friends in the fog when we were traveling to Petalburg City.
Girl → Calista: My name is Calista. I’m here because I always wanted to be an archeologist, and then I got a message.
New Scene(Flashback) {
In her room, Calista turns on her computer to discover that there is an email message, she opens the message but the message is too blurred for QST.camera to read.
}
Ash: A message?
Calista: It said that something ancient was here, and that whomever sent the message needed my help… They gave me a map…
Calista now starts rummaging around for the map.
Ash: An anonymous message… Are you sure it’s safe? Are your parents here too?
Calista now goes onto explain how her parents are determined to have her become a doctor like them. Finally, she pulls out the map and shows it to Ash, who is quickly able to pinpoint their location by locating the cliff nearby them on the map.
New Scene()
Ash and Calista walk down the forest path through the fog, their pokémon at their sides.
Ash: Are you sure that e-mail wasn’t a trick or something? Maybe Team Rocket was trying to steal your Baltoy…
Calista: Well now that you mention it the coincidence was astounding. But I have to investigate at least! I can’t not take the chance!
Ash shudders.
Ash: I hope it’s Team Rocket, because otherwise…
Ash shudders again, earning a slight bit of attention from Calista.
Ash: I won’t make any deals with them. No matter what.
As Ash and Calista walk along, QST.camera moves backwards to show Team Rocket staring at them with binoculars.
Meowth: So what have they got there…
James: Well, there’s Ash and then there’s this twerp I’ve never seen before–
Team Rocket quickly comes to the conclusion that the map is a treasure map.
James: So what do you say we follow them and then when they find this treasure–
Meowth: We swoop in and grab the treasure before they even know what hit them!
New Cutscene { 5-second chibi diagram of the Team Rocket plan onscreen }
Team Rocket chuckle to themselves.
Jessie: I like it…
Meowth: And the boss will be so thrilled…
New Cutscene {
Jessie, James, and Meowth are standing at Giovanni’s desk, Giovanni accepts the artifact from Jessie.
Giovanni(Meowth's voice): For bringing me this incredibly ancient and valuable artifact, Meowth and his friends deserve a raise and promotion.
}
Jessie: That depends on what it is, of course.
James: What do you mean?
Jessie: Certain things we could make better use of ourselves…
Meowth: Well, you better make your decision quick because they’re getting away!
Jessie and James look up to see that Ash and Calista have left their area of sight, and Team Rocket immediately starts to chase after them. QST.camera now zooms up ahead to where Ash and Calista are walking. Ash turns around suddenly, and Calista pauses a second later.
Calista: Something the matter?
Ash: I thought I heard something…
Ash takes a step forwards, and then a tune can suddenly be heard faintly.
Pikachu: Pika?
Calista: That tune…
Ash: You hear it to?
Calista: Yeah, it seems familiar…
Ash: I know it’s impossible–but if *they’re* here, I won’t show mercy.
Ash clenches his teeth. QST.camera zooms backwards to where Team Rocket is hiding behind them in the fog. They determine that the tune is a clue, and decide to find the source before Ash and Calista can.
Revert Scene()
Ash and Calista hear footsteps nearby, but Calista is too absorbed in her map to notice.
Ash: Please just be Team Rocket, or better yet a wild pokémon…
New Scene()
Team Rocket approaches the source of the song, and as the fog clears slightly, they see in the distance a hooded woman playing an ocarina.
James: Hello there…
The woman doesn't look up, but keeps playing the tune on her ocarina.
James: What’s that song you’re playing?
The hooded lady pauses just long enough to reply.
Hooded Lady: That song is not for you.
Jessie: That’s mighty cold of you… Well if you won’t tell us you might as well prepare for trouble.
James: And while you’re at it, 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 th–
James suddenly cuts himself off.
James: She’s not listening…
Meowth: Then lets make her listen!
Jessie and James send out Dustox and Cacnea respectively. James orders Cacnea to use needle arm, but it decides to hug him instead, meanwhile Jessie has Dustox attack the lady with silver wind, but the hooded lady steps aside easily.
Hooded Lady: Xatu, please deal with these hooligans.
James: Xatu? OW!
James realizes something has just pecked him, and orders Cacnea to use needle arm on Xatu, but Xatu teleports over to Jessie and pecks her instead. Team Rocket now repeatedly try to attack Xatu but it keeps teleporting out of the way and pecking someone else.
New Scene()
Almost to their target, Ash and Calista hear the noise coming from Team Rocket’s battle with the hooded lady and rush to see what’s going on as fast as they can safely, given the fog.
As they approach the clearing they see suddenly see what’s going on.
Ash: Team Rocket!
Jessie: What’s the twerp going he–OW!
Ash: Hey, are they troubling you?
Meowth: Troubling her? We’re the ones being pecked!
Jessie now sends out Seviper, and in the commotion Cacnea is able to somehow land some attack on Xatu, doing minor damage. The woman looks hopefully at Ash and Calista with an expression that makes Calista slightly nervous.
Ash: Allright, Pikachu, thunderbolt!
Thunderbolt hits Team Rocket, zapping them, and then something explodes, launching them into the sky.
James: Oh, come on. That’s not fair!
The hooded lady smiles weakly.
Team Rocket: We’re blasting off again!
Ash and Calista look in the direction that Team Rocket "blasted off" in, but they can’t see where they went because of the thick fog.
Hooded Lady: Thank you. Ah, I knew I wou… I mean you would come.
Ash: Um, it was noth–
Calista: You knew?
Ash: Wait, were you the–
Hooded Lady: Yes, I’m the one who sent Calista that message. And who might you be?
Ash: How do you know who Calista is…?
Calista: He’s a friend who’s helping me–
Ash: Wait a minute, if she sent the message…
Hooded Lady: F-friend? I don’t remember you…
Ash: I don’t think we’ve met, I’m Ash.
The hooded lady now asks to borrow Calista for a second, but Ash puts his arm in front of Calista, worried as to what the hooded lady is up to. Calista also seems nervous, so after a couple seconds, the hooded lady sighs, and permits Ash to accompany them in through the hole in the rock behind her.
New Scene()
Satolite is shivering visibly from the moisture in the fog, so Yami Benjy recalls it and calls on Celebi, asking it if it can create a light source. Celebi nods and starts glowing, allowing Yami Benjy to see farther than he could before. Suddenly though Yami Benjy and Celebi both flinch.
Benjy: What’s the matter?
Yami Benjy: I felt something.
Benjy: Um…
Yami Benjy: And I think Celebi felt it too.
Celebi stares straight ahead, almost catatonic.
Revert Scene()
As Ash and Calista follow the hooded lady into the tunnel, they suddenly discover that they are on a slide, heading downwards. Both scream at first, but relax a little when they see that the hooded lady isn’t irked at all by the turn of events. Seconds later the slide ends, sending all three into a pile of straw about five feet below them.
Refresh Scene()
The lady stands up, followed by Ash and Calista.
Calista: Where are we?
Hooded Lady: See for yourself…
The hooded lady gestures around the roughly circular chamber at a wall full of carvings, and Ash and Calista quickly walk over to them. On closer inspection, these carvings show people interacting with Baltoy and Claydol. Unsure of what Claydol is, Ash points his pokédex at the wall, but nothing happens.
Hooded Lady: You’re looking at a picture of a Claydol, the evolved form of Baltoy.
Ash: Claydol…
Calista: Wow! This is amazing! Thank you for showing me this, um…
The hooded lady rubs her eye, as if she’s wiping away a tear.
Hooded Lady: You’re very welcome.
Calista: Do you know what the diagrams are trying to show?
Hooded Lady: I can get to that in a minute, but can I first ask your help with something?
Ash looks over his shoulder nervously at the hooded lady.
Calista: Help with what?
The hooded lady gestures to a large stone stage with intricate carvings on it.
Hooded Lady: I need those rocks cleared.
Ash: And how are we supposed to do that?!
Hooded Lady: Baltoy’s confusion.
Calista: What?
The hooded lady now explains that her own Baltoy is trapped under the rockslide, and she needs Calista’s help to free it. Ash wonders if Baltoy can do that, and the hooded lady assures him it can. Calista looks to her Baltoy, which nods, and slowly begins sifting the rocks off of the platform. Baltoy suddenly has trouble with a larger rock, so the hooded lady order Xatu to help. This isn’t enough, so Ash rushes onto the stage to give the rock the last bit of force it needs to get it off the platform. After this, Baltoy and Xatu are able to clear the rest of the rocks, without much incident, and finally, a Baltoy is revealed to be lying in the middle of the stone platform.
The hooded lady rushes to her Baltoy picks it up.
Hooded Lady: Thank you. That was scary for us.
Xatu nods.
Ash: So how did you know to contact Calista?
The hooded lady turns to Ash curiously.
Calista: Um, I was wondering that too…
Hooded Lady: I’m sorry, but that would be giving away the ending. Let me show you something though, about these ruins.
The hooded lady moves towards the carvings while Ash stands dumbfounded by the comment. Calista follows her.
Ash: Giving away the ending?
Pikachu: Pi–Kachu.
Hooded Lady: You see, these carvings are from roughly twelve million years ago.
Pikachu’s ears perk up.
Ash: You mean twelve thousand, right?
Hooded Lady: It’s hard to believe, but… I can’t place them in any other time period. It doesn’t make sense. They’d have to have been created right after the great war.
Ash: Great war?
Hooded Lady: Back when the sky elves lived here, on Fenyra. Do you know about the Stone of Jas.
Ash: Um… Stone of Jas… Who is Jas?
Calista: I’ve heard it’s a rock of incomprehensible power!
Hooded Lady: Correct.
Calista: …But that’s all I know…
Ash: I haven’t…
Hooded Lady: Over the eons it’s been called other things as well. Have you heard of the Eye of Saradomin?
Ash: What do Saradomin's eyes have to do with–
Calista: Is that how he became a god?
Hooded Lady: The Eye of Saradomin is just another name for the Stone of Jas. It has also been called the Fist of Guthix or the Cabbage of a Thousand Truths.
Ash: A cabbage?
Hooded Lady: Make no mistake, it’s really a stone.
The hooded lady looks back up at the carvings.
Hooded Lady: The sky elves found it and brought it here to Fenyra. And the resulting war nearly wiped out all life on the planet.
Calista: They fought over a rock?! (surprised)
Hooded Lady: It’s the single most powerful rock in the known universe. Jas bound guardians to the stone, and as soon as they discovered it missing, they gave chase, and plunged the world into war. A horrible war that lasted millennia, the sky elves versus the dragonkin.
Calista stares at the carvings in awe.
Calista: Who won?
Ash: Um, we had to, right?
Hooded Lady: Yes, humanity won. The sky elves fled this planet, and humanity was forced to fight the dragonkin.
Ash stands looking at the carvings, dumbfounded.
Calista: But what does that have to do with the carvings?
Hooded Lady: Because it’s about the creation of Baltoy.
Calista takes a step back in surprise, and suddenly the ground starts shaking.
Hooded Lady: It’s another earthquake! Everybody evacuate!
Calista: But the ruins!
Hooded Lady: I’ll tell you the rest of the story when we get to safety!
Voice: You’re not going anywhere!
Ash, Calista and the Hooded Lady turn to face where the voice came from. As they do, they see a cloud of dust and the shaking subsides. Two figures now become visible in the cloud of dust.
Person1: Prepare for trouble.
Person2: And make it double.
Person1: To protect the world from devastation.
Person2: To unite all peoples within our nation.
Person1: To denounce the evils of truth and love.
Person2: To extend our reach to the stars above.
Jessie now reveals herself through the cloud of dust.
Jessie: Jessie!
James now reveals himself through the cloud of dust.
James: James!
Jessie: Team Rocket blasts off at the speed of light!
James: Surrender now or prepare to fight!
Meowth: Meowth, that’s right!
Refresh Scene()
Team Rocket stands atop their vehicle, facing Ash, Calista, and the hooded lady.
Ash: What do you want?!
James: What do we always want?
Meowth: And that Stone of Jas sounds nice too!
Wobbuffet now pops out of it’s poké ball.
Wobbuffet: Wobbuffet!
Meowth: You’re late!
Hooded Lady: They were listening in!
Hooded Lady: The Stone of Jas isn’t here! It isn’t anywhere on this planet!
Jessie: Then we’ll just take Pikachu and call it a day.
The machine suddenly opens and sends out a rubber claw.
Hooded Lady: Wait!
James: What?
Hooded Lady: I don’t want a battle in these ruins. If you leave now, I’ll tell you the location of the stone.
QST.camera now split-screens six ways (Ash/Calista/Pikachu/Jessie/James/Meowth)
Ash: You’re just going to tell them–
Hooded Lady: You do want to know where it is… don’t you?
Ash: But if it’s as powerful as you say–
Hooded Lady: Relax. There’s no way they’ll be able to reach it. (Whisper to Ash and Calista)
Jessie: So where is it?
Hooded Lady: It’s light-years away on Gielinor.
Meowth: Gielinor?
Hooded Lady: In this time period, it should still be buried deep beneath the swamps of Lumbridge. You better hurry, it won’t be there for long.
James: Gielinor?
Team Rocket now starts descending back into their vehicle.
Jessie: We aren’t that desperate…
James: We’ll just take Pikachu and call it a day–
Hooded Lady: It’s looks like it’s unavoidable then…
Meowth: That’s the spirit!
The machine starts to make a grab for Pikachu on Ash’s shoulder, but Ash jumps out of the way.
Ash: Pikachu, thunderbolt.
Thunderbolt does nothing to the machine as Team Rocket laughs, explaining that their machine is grounded. The machine tries to grab at Pikachu again, and Ash dodges again, so the machine’s arm changes direction and suddenly grabs Calista’s Baltoy, before extending another arm at Pikachu.
Hooded Lady: Xatu, shadow ball!
Shadow ball obscures Team Rocket’s vision for long enough for Ash and Pikachu to dodge again. The machine now grabs for Xatu, but the hooded lady has Xatu teleport on top of the machine and attack it with peck. This doesn’t do much, and Team Rocket sends the arm with Baltoy whipping around, knocking Xatu off of the machine and sending flying into a wall, where it takes massive damage from the impact. Incidentally Baltoy is also freed by this maneuver, though Team Rocket doesn’t appear to notice.
Ash now calls on Treecko, but Treecko is unable to land an attack due to having to keep dodging the arms. Calista tells her Baltoy to use confusion, which starts to hold the machine’s arms in place so Treecko can get some attacks in, but even these don’t seem to do much damage to the machine. Behind Ash and Calista, the Hooded Lady begins to roll up her sleeves.
Hooded Lady: So it’s come to this.
Hooded Lady: Tesserum tol hydaeza!
Both sides pause their attacks as energy sparks from the hooded lady’s arms.
James: What’s she up to?
Meowth: It looks like magic–
Jessie: The controls are frozen.
{Meowth, James}: What?
Hooded Lady: Zel del sol tol!
As Jessie tries to move the controls, they break off in her hands. Seconds later, light arcs towards both of the mechanical arms, breaking them off.
James: Backups!
Meowth presses a button and the machine and four more mechanical arms shoot out, two on each side, from panels behind the first on each side, and these immediately go after Baltoy, Treecko, Pikachu, and Xatu.
Hooded Lady: Schrism–
A shock wave rips across the machine tearing the arms off and leaving Team Rocket speechless.
Hooded Lady: Tesserum reseldeck col chorm. Zygo le-para leptras.
Team Rocket’s mecha now starts to reverse; it’s obvious by the look on their faces that this is not their doing. James pulls a lever and the machine starts to rumble, while the Hooded Lady is sweating nervously.
Meowth: You’re magic won’t stop us!
The machine is now moving forwards slowly.
Calista: Then we will!
Ash: Right behind ya!
Calista: Baltoy confusion!
Ash: Treecko! Bullet seed!
The machine grinds to a halt and Treecko sprays it with bullet seed.
Ash: Now Pikachu…
Jessie: Did you forget that this thing is grounded?
Ash: Not anymore with the damage you’ve taken! Thunderbolt!
Pikachu launches an electric attack at the machine, while the grounding blocks most of the current, Team Rocket is still zapped inside their vehicle, but it doesn’t explode. The Hooded Lady now looks up from concentrating on her magic.
Hooded Lady: Col darkum novir.
For a split-second, nothing happens. Then a light starts to glow near the drill in Team Rocket’s mecha. It shoots up the drill as Team Rocket watches in horror, and upon making contact with the machine, the machine starts to explode.
New Scene()
Yami Benjy is walking through the foggy forest when suddenly Satolite detects something. Before Yami Benjy can respond, Satolite yanks him backwards just in time to avoid Team Rocket’s mecha being blasted out of the ground right past where he was standing. Yami Benjy crashes onto his backside.
QST.camera now quickly switches to Team Rocket who yell that they are blasting off (again) before going back to Yami Benjy who stares after them in disbelief.
Wobbuffet: Wobbuffet!
Yami Benjy: Are they now trying to kill us?!
Refresh Scene()
The Hooded Lady stares at the carvings that Team Rocket destroyed, both on their way in and in their blastoff.
Calista: So what were you saying about Baltoy?
Hooded Lady: Right. Baltoy.
Hooded Lady: If these were still intact, I could show you. Baltoy were created by us humans during the great war.
Ash and Calista stand speechless while Yami Benjy jumps down the hole where Team Rocket blasted off through. The Millennium Gameboy Advance pulses slightly with light just as he lands.
Hooded Lady: They were beings, created from clay, and given life with the Stone of Jas for the purpose of fighting the dragonkin. This chamber shows the story of their creation and how later they were adapted to more peaceful times. That story is on the wall you were looking at earlier…
The Hooded Lady stops talking as the sound of Benjy, sitting on the platform, writing furiously in a notebook, becomes audible.
Hooded Lady: Who’re you?
Benjy looks up in surprise.
Ash: It’s okay! He’s a friend. You guys, this is Benjy–
The Hooded Lady sighs.
Hooded Lady: Could you please stand up, Benjy.
Benjy instinctively stands.
Hooded Lady: I need to use it.
Calista: What is that?
Hooded Lady: It’s a…
The Hooded Lady gulps.
Hooded Lady: It’s my ticket home.
The Hooded Lady now steps onto the platform and lets down her hood.
Hooded Lady: It’s a time machine, powered by Baltoy. The direction of it’s spin determines whether you go forwards or backwards in time.
Ash: How do you know that?
(Now unhooded) Lady: Because I came from the future. Ash, you asked me earlier why I contacted Calista. It’s because…
The lady now removes her sunglasses.
Lady → Future Calista: I was also contacted by a timetraveler at roughly her age, no, exactly her age.
The younger Calista starts to tremble, and Future Calista turns towards her.
Future Calista: It’s a bit disconcerting coming face-to-face with yourself, isn’t it.
Ash: Wait, do you mean to say–
Future Calista: Now I just… Baltoy has recovered enough to…
Future Calista calls on her Baltoy, but it immediately falls over.
Calista: Use my Baltoy!
Future Calista: The trouble is that Baltoy will travel through time as well. And it needs someone to watch the time period to make sure it’s right, it’s easy to be off by a few months with this thing. Please Baltoy…
Baltoy starts to move, but is heavily injured, and unable to stand.
Benjy: Hold on…
Benjy produces a poké ball from his backpack.
Future Calista: I don’t recall you having a Baltoy–
Ash: Wait a second…
Benjy takes a deep breath.
Benjy: Celebi!
Celebi emerges from it’s ball in a flash of light.
Ash: Right! Celebi can travel through time too!
Celebi: Celebi!
Pikachu: Pika!
Future Calista now recalls her Baltoy:
Future Calista: I forgot completely…
Ash: Before you go, what’s the future like?
Benjy: That’s sort of a loaded question. (whisper to Ash)
Ash: Am I a–
Future Calista: I’m sorry, but I need to keep my interaction with the past to a minimum, which is why I have to be going now. We wouldn’t have crossed paths if that rockslide hadn’t trapped me here.
Celebi now lands on Future Calista’s shoulder, and they both start to glow. Future Calista now gives Celebi a "wait" signal and the glowing stops.
Future Calista: There is something I need to tell you–or rather tell myself. Calista. Listen closely.
Calista stares at her future self.
Future Calista: Nine days before your tenth birthday: leave home and do NOT return.
QST.camera split-screens with Benjy, Ash, and Calista’s expressions.
Ash: W-why? Are her-I mean your parents really that…
Future Calista: The reason will become apparent in the months that follow. Leaving in midday will be the easiest, but any time will do. Put as much distance as you can between yourself and your house in the next twenty-block period.
Ash: But isn’t that…
Future Calista: A timetraveler told me the same advice at her age.
Ash: Hold on–
Benjy: She’s keeping the past the same. The question is whether our Calista will take the advice or not.
Benjy now looks from the present Calista to the Future Calista.
Benjy: But… Calista is then inevitably going to make the same choice you did, because she winds up as you, and therefore the decision will inevitably be…
Calista: Leave home…?
Future Calista: Don’t return until you’ve grown strong enough to defeat an entire army.
Future Calista gulps as she says this.
Future Calista: Celebi… I’m ready.
Celebi and Future Calista both start to glow, then Future Calista disappears, leaving Ash and present Calista in shock.
Ash: Wait–can Celebi send things through time without traveling through time itself?!
Benjy: It’s timetravel, not space travel. I’m guessing Celebi traveled to the future, flew around a little bit, then traveled right back to the present.
Celebi nods.
New Scene()
Benjy, Ash, and Calista are walking through the foggy forest, and the fog is slowly just starting to lift. Satolite flies right above and behind Benjy’s head.
Ash: So what now?
Calista: I guess I–
Benjy: The question is whether or not she’s legit.
Ash: When do you turn ten?
Calista: Seven months from now.
Benjy: I’ve got this.
Ash: How so?
Benjy: I’ll have Celebi do some investigating across time. Satolite here will contact you if there’s something wrong.
Calista: So I’ll just…
Ash: Benjy… um–
Benjy: If you don’t hear from me, then it’s safe to take her advice. Otherwise, I’ll have Satolite here let you know.
Calista: Okay, but what if she’s…
Benjy: She’s almost certainly telling the truth. If you get scared, come find us.
Calista nods, somewhat relieved.
Ash: But will we be in the area seven months from now?
Benjy: We can finish our investigation much sooner than that.
Refresh Scene()
Ash and Benjy are traveling through the fog, with Benjy explaining how he found them. Ash gets the idea to have Satolite try defog again, this time with a power boost from Pikachu. After checking with both animon, this idea is put to the test–and it works for the most part. Ash is able to spot May, Max, and Brock up ahead. Both start to run!
Ash: May! Brock!
Benjy: Max!
Pikachu: Pika!
The group re-unites with Benjy giving an extremely brief summary of events to the others, and then they start walking again.
Narrator: And in seven months from now, a dark secret, and a Red-Eyes Rescue, awaits! Seven months from now in the story, that is.
…///To Be Continued///…
© July 12, 2008 to December 1, 2015 by Benjy Strauss