Here's the second episode of my little Pokemon experiment. As promised,
there's a bit more humor in this one, and frankly, it needs it. This
chapter's a bit on the heavy side.

C&C appreciated. Standard disclaimers apply.



******

"If you are serious, boy, you must first prove your loyalty," the dark,
mysterious figure said.

"Uhhh...how do I do that?" the nervous boy stammered.

The figure held up a picture. "Bring me this Pokemon." He handed it to the
boy, who studied it intently.

"But..."

"No buts. I want that Pokemon, or you can forget about joining up."

The boy sighed, and nodded. "Alright." He walked heavily out of the
secluded office, staring at the picture of an egg-like Pokemon...


******


Episode 2: Prepare For Trouble! Make It...Ash!?


Brock glanced worriedly at Misty as they walked down the dirt road. She had
not eaten much breakfast, and had been very quiet all morning. *She's
taking this really hard,* he mused. *I had a feeling she cared about Ash,
but...*


After walking for a while, the pair spotted a small village up ahead.
"Finally," Brock said. "Good thing too, we're running low on supplies."

Misty offered little in the way of acknowledgement. Brock sighed, and led
the way into town. "Hmm...Sepia Valley," he stated, glancing at a road
sign. "I wonder--" He stopped short as a net suddenly sprang up out of the
ground, nearly snaring him. "Hey, what the--?"

"Prepare for trouble!" an annoyingly familiar female voice called out.

"Make it double," added an equally annoying, equally familiar male voice.
Jessie and James of Team Rocket infamy stepped out from behind a brown
wooden fence nearby.

Before the two could enter into their usual spiel, Brock calmly uprooted
the road sign and whacked them over the heads with it. "Get lost," he
snapped. "This isn't a good time."

Jessie laughed. "It's always a good time for crime," she said.

"Team Rocket does whatever we want, whenever we want, and however we want,"
James added. "And what we want is Pikachu."

"Hand over the rat," Jessie continued, "or you'll regret it."

Misty suddenly exploded. "Do either of you idiots SEE Ash here? Do you see
a boy with a Pikachu anywhere here?"

At that moment, about twenty yards down the road, a plump, squat blonde boy
walked out of a toy store, holding a plush Pikachu toy.

"There's one there," James pointed out. Jessie, Brock, and Misty
facefaulted.

"Look, Ash took off during the night," Brock snapped. "We don't know where
he is. So why don't you go find someone else to bother?"

Jessie began to retort, but was cut off as Misty's Starmie suddenly
appeared in between Brock and the two Rockets, and cut loose with a
powerful water blast, sending the hapless villains flying.

"Looks like Team Rocket's blasting off agaaaaaaiiiiiiinnnn!" their cries
faded into the distance.

Misty recalled Starmie, and sighed. "Come on, we've got more important
things to do." She headed in the direction of the local Pokemart.

Brock started to say something, then stopped. He shook his head, and
silently followed Misty, lost in his own thoughts.

All was quiet on the road leading into Sepia Valley for several moments.
The calm was disturbed as a squat figure standing in the middle of the
street tilted its head curiously.

"Psy?"


******


An enormous sweatdrop rolled down the back of Brock's head as he watched
the spectacle that was currently the center of attention at the small diner
they'd happened upon.

"Poor dear," mused an elderly lady nearby. "She's going to lose her figure
if she keeps that up."

Misty was currently sitting amid a pile of empty ice cream dishes, and was
deep in the middle of a hot fudge sundae. Despite the amount of ice cream
she had consumed, she didn't look one bit happy.

"Stupid," she mumbled around a mouthful of chocolate. "Thoughtless...little
jerk..." A pause for a bite of ice cream. "Taking off without a word...who
does he think he is?" More chocolate. "All this time...then he just up and
leaves..." With a growl, she slammed her spoon against her dish. "Ooooohhh,
I'm gonna KILL that little turd!"

Brock's sweatdrop multiplied in size until his neck could no longer support
its weight, and he fell off his stool. "Uhhh, Misty?" he prompted.

"WHAT!?" Misty roared, executing a perfect Giant Demonic Head in his
direction.

"You're...making a scene," Brock said weakly.

Misty blinked. She looked around at the pile of ice cream dishes, at the
people watching her with mixed curiosity and amusement, and blushed.
"Ummm..." she offered sheepishly.


******


"This is the direction they were headed in, isn't it?" the boy asked.

His companion nodded.

The pair walked up the dirt road toward the small town. "Hey, look there.
In the middle of the road," the boy pointed out.

A short, feathery figure turned towards them, almost showing some signs of
recognition. "Psy?" it asked.

"No doubt about it," the boy concluded. "They're here."

The pair walked into town, pausing only to collect the motionless Psyduck
standing in the middle of the road.


******


Misty was embarrassed and upset as Brock paid their tab. The pair left the
diner, and Brock tried to think of something to say. Just as he was about
to open his mouth to ask an inane, hopefully safe question, he was
interrupted.

"Psy-aye-aye..."

Misty groaned. "Psyduck, what are you--Psyduck?" she gasped. Brock blinked,
and looked around.

Across the street, Psyduck was tied rather securely to a lamppost. It
didn't seem overly agitated about its situation, but then, that was Psyduck
for you.

"What happened to you?" Misty asked the captive Pokemon.

"Psy, psy psy," Psyduck replied.

"Prepare for trouble," a voice called out.

The usual thought of 'Oh no, not again' didn't register in Brock's head.
Instead, he blinked. That voice...that wasn't Jessie. Or James. Or either
of the new pair they'd run across.

Misty gasped. "That sounded like..."

"Pi pika pikachu," another voice called out.

A spotlight mysteriously snapped on, highlighting the two figures now
standing in the middle of the road. The first speaker was, without a doubt,
Ash Ketchum. Something was different about him though. It might have been
the expression of menace he attempted to wear. It might have been the
aggressive, intimidating posture.

Or it could have been the clothes. He'd traded his usual jacket for a black
leather one, worn over a white T-shirt with a large red "R" on the front.
His treasured Pokemon League cap had been replaced by a black cap, also
bearing the trademark of Team Rocket.

"To shock the world to devastation," Ash said.

"Pika pika, pi pikachu pika pi," Pikachu added.

"To black out the evils of truth and love," Ash continued.

"Pika pika pi pika pika pika pika pi," Pikachu rambled.

"Ash..."

"Pikachu..."

"Team Rocket, streak like lightning across the sky! Surrender now, or
prepare to fry!" Ash concluded, putting as much menace into it as he could
muster.

"Pika pi," Pikachu added, crossing its paws.


******


"Ash? Pikachu? What's going on?" Brock wondered. Misty simply stood in
shock.

"No time for explanations," Ash said. "Let's just say we're not on the same
side right now."

"Pika."

"Ash...why?" Misty asked.

For a moment, a look of pain flickered across Ash's face. Then, he scowled.
"No chitchat! Hand over Togepi!"

"Togepi?" Brock asked.

"Prrriii?" the Pokemon in question echoed, mildly alarmed.

Misty hugged the egg Pokemon tightly. "No way you're getting Togepi," she
said.

"Hand it over," Ash said, "Or Psyduck gets it."

Pikachu glared menacingly at the tied-up duck, sparks dancing across its
cheeks.

"Psy-aye-aye!"

Brock's jaw tightened. "Ash, I don't know what the hell's going on here,
but you're not getting Togepi, or hurting Psyduck. Go, Onix!" Brock threw a
Pokeball, from which sprang the enormous rock Pokemon.

Ash smirked. "Bulbasaur, go!"

Bulbasaur emerged from its Pokeball. "Bulbasaur, Vine Whip," Ash said.

Bulbasaur looked around, and blinked. "Saur?" it asked.

"Just do it," Ash said.

Bulbasaur looked uncertain. "Saur..."

"Pi pika pi," Pikachu said. "Pika pika piakchu pi."

Bulbasaur hesitated for a long moment, then sighed. "Bulbasaur," it said as
its vines extended, lashing Onix and sending it flying.

"Onix!" Brock gasped.

"Stop it, Ash!" Misty shouted. "Why are you doing this?"

Ash walked over to Misty, and plucked Togepi from her arms. "I'll take
this," he said. As he turned to walk away, Misty thought she heard him
whisper, "I'm sorry, Misty."

"Come on Pikachu, we got what we came for. Let's get back to the boss." He
looked at his former friends, and grimaced. A flicker of pain and sorrow
flashed across his face.

"Pika pi," Pikachu said. It glanced back at Misty and Brock, a similar
expression of sorrow crossing its face.

Once they were gone, Misty sank to her knees. "Ash..."

Brock glared after the departed boy and rodent, then glanced at Misty. He
sighed heavily. *I don't know what you're up to, Ash, but I'm gonna find
out. And you're not getting away with this...*

He walked over to Misty, and knelt beside her, placing a reassuring arm
around her shoulders. The girl turned and buried her face in his chest, and
began sobbing.

*You're definitely going to answer for this, Ash Ketchum,* Brock thought
angrily.


******

Once Misty had composed herself, she and Brock quickly left Sepia Valley.
Both were determined to find some answers, but neither knew where to start.

As the sun began to set on the sleepy little village, a few locals murmured
curiously about the strange new addition to the local scenery.

As twilight approached, the street lamps lit, and one particular lamp
illuminated a small, brown form, tied to the lamppost. The squat figure
glanced up at the light.

"Psy?"


******

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
What kind of Pokemon are you?
How do you do the things you do?
Share with me your secrets deep inside...
What kind of Pokemon are you?
Are you loyal through and through?
And do you have a heart that's true?
What kind of Pokemon are you?

The Eternal Lost Lurker
(The Pokemon formerly known as Mewthree)
lurkerdrome@megami.net

"Pokemon, getto daze!"