And now, PokeRanma, chapters prolouge and 1-5, all in post C&C format.
C&C was done by Angus McSpon.
Enjoy!
************************
"You sure this is the place?"
"This is where they said they found her. Right outside this building." The
building in question was a blocky cement structure sitting on top of a low
hill just outside the city.
"Well, let's go in."
Slowly, the two young men ducked through the hole in the fence and made their
way through the tall grass.
"What is this place?"
"One of the sisters said it was an old lab, dating back to before the League.
Lot of stuff involving high end physics."
"Great."
It was at that point that they reached the front door. A small sign
proclaimed it to be Nerima Research.
"Hey. Check it. Tire tracks!" The older of the two bent and examined the
small depression in the ground under the overhang.
"Bicycle tracks," he confirmed.
"I don't get it," the younger one said as he removed his hat to run a hand
through his thick black hair. "Why would she come here? It doesn't make any
sense."
"Well, she was adopted."
"Yeah, but. . ." The younger man trailed off. "What I mean is. Why would she
say she was going home, then come back here?"
"Maybe this is her home."
"A two hundred year old laboratory? Be serious."
"I am. She never talked much about her past."
"Yeah. . ."
"This was your idea. In or out?" The younger one hesitated. She had extracted
a promise from them that they would not try to find her. Ever. No matter
what. Now they were here because they needed her. He knew she would never
forgive them for breaking their promise, but he knew even more that she would
kill them if they left her behind.
"In," he said firmly. His friend nodded and reached for the door.
The inside was dusty and stale. Lights flickered and flashed.
"Ew," they chorused as they took out their flashlights, the powerful beams
piercing the blackness and revealing sterile steel walls and plain gray
carpeting.
"Reminds me of Sabrina's."
"Yeah, only less weird." They both snickered. "So which way?" The older one
shone his flashlight at the floor.
"Straight ahead," he said, indicating the bicycle tracks and the footprints
beside it, which were visible only because the dust was lighter there then
around it.
"Okay." Said the younger one as they moved off, stepping carefully to avoid
the disturbing the dust.
It was perhaps five minutes later that they came to a bike sitting next to a
door and the younger one knelt beside it.
"Its hers," he confirmed.
"The footsteps lead in here," called the older one from a set of double doors
further down the hall.
"Great." Then the younger one noticed something. "Hey, look." He pointed to a
spot on the door where there was the faint sign of a handprint where somebody
had pushed the door open. Both men nodded to each other and entered.
The room was huge. In the center, surrounded by strange crystalline
formations, was a raised dais carved from some sort of glossy black
substance. The older one went over to the dais while the younger one moved to
the controls.
"Hey! Come look at this!" the older one called.
"What?" Asked the younger, moving to join his friend. He did not see the
controls suddenly light up or the monitor screen which displayed the number
sixty and began to slowly count down.
"Look," said the older one, pointing. Neatly inscribed into the dust was some
letters, some faded by time.
"Mi. . .as. . .ere." The younger one's face lit up. "Its her! She was here!"
Excited, he leapt up onto the dais.
The screen briefly flashed the number thirty and continued.
"Get off of there!" snapped the older one as he too, got onto the dais and
grabbed his friend's arm. "We don't know anything about this place!"
"But. . ." He sighed. "Its just that. . .hey, what's that noise?"
"What noise?" The older one cocked his head as he too heard it. A humming
noise that was slowly getting louder.
"That noise."
Unseen by either one, the countdown hit fifteen and continued onwards.
"What did you touch?"
"Nothin! I swear!"
Ten
A bright flash flared around the edges of the dais.
"What's that?"
The older one removed a piece of paper from his pocket crumpled it up and
tossed it at the edge. The paper burst into flames with a bright flash.
"Electrical field," he said quietly. "Enough to fry us into ash."
Five
"Not funny."
Four
"Sorry. Unintentional pun."
Three
"So now what?"
Two
"I think we're being sent to her."
"I hope you're right."
One.
Both young men threw up their hands as there was bright flash and then the
dais was empty.
Chapter 1
It was just another day in Nerima.
Like most major cities, Tokyo was divided up into several districts. One of
them, Nerima, had something of a reputation and was the breeding ground for
most of the local urban legends. A travel writer had labeled the place as
mostly harmless.
But that's another story.
Nerima had seen its share of strange going-ons over the years. But none quite
as strange as the pig-tailed youth in chinese clothes.
His name was Ranma Saotome, and considering he turned into a girl when
splashed with cold water, he was about as weird as one could get without
being part of the Democratic Party.
At the moment, he was standing on a small hill just outside of Nerima. His
opponent was a tall youth with short black hair. He wore a gi and carried a
wooden bokken.
His name was Tatawake Kuno and by all accounts, he thought of himself as a
Samurai.
He also talked like a bad Shakespearean play. Between the Shakespeare and his
samurai shtick, there was no room for the notion that Ranma had not kidnapped
his beloved "pig-tailed girl", because the pig-tailed girl was Ranma as a
girl.
This led to where we are now.
"Saotome!" he bellowed. "The vengeance of heaven is nigh! Produce my beloved
pig-tailed girl or taste divine wrath!"
"Correct me if I'm wrong Kuno," Ranma said dryly, "But wasn't the 'wrath of
heaven' nigh just last week?"
"And the week before that," noted the third person on the hill as he crossed
his arms over his yellow shirt.
"You will not confuse me with talk Sorcerer!" Kuno shouted. "Defend yourself!"
"Oh Brother." Ranma rolled his eyes as Kuno began his charge, swinging the
wooden sword wildly. He had done this so many times that it was automatic.
Leap in air, land on sword, kick Kuno in head, walk away.
Ranma leaped. Kuno swung. There was a bright flash, a loud roar, and Ranma
found himself tumbling head over heels before hitting the ground hard enough
to knock the wind out of him.
Wheezing for breath, he rolled over to see that there were two young men
standing on the hill.
"Mis. . .ty. . ." groaned the shorter of the two before both fell over.
It was just another day in Nerima.
***********************
Kasumi Tendo hummed softly to herself as she polished the wooden table. She
liked housework. It was comforting and it allowed her to focus. In many ways,
it was akin to the Art for her. Her katas.
"Kasumi!" Turning at the sound of her name, she turned to see Ranma, followed
by Kuno and Ryouga enter. Between the three of them, they were carrying two
young men.
"Oh my," she gasped, moving to help them. "What happened?"
"We were up on that old hill. The one that's supposed to be haunted?" Kasumi
nodded, though her mouth had thinned to a line. None of the guys noticed.
"Go on," she said.
"So anyways, all of a sudden, there's like this thunderclap, flash of light,
and then there they are."
"I see." She turned to the only other female in the room. "Nabiki, call
Doctor Tofu and then inform Father we have guests."
Doctor Tofu was a slender athletic man with black hair. He had been
practicing medicine in the Nerima area for only a few years but had already
established himself as a kind and caring doctor. He was intimately familiar
with the Tendo residence, having been summoned numerous times to deal with
various injuries and poisoning attempts.
Quickly and professionally, he examined the two young men.
"Shock," he pronounced. "Looks like they were exposed to extreme cold and
vacuum briefly."
"Will they be all right?"
"Oh most certainly. All they need is some rest and hot food."
"It will be as you say, doctor." said Soun. "Will it be okay if they rest
here in the living room?"
"I think so." Tofu said as he stood up. "I'll be back later tonight to check
up on them."
"Of course."
Waving good-bye, Tofu left the house.
***********************
It was almost dinnertime before they woke up. The first thing they noticed
was the smell of food.
"Huh?"
"So you're awake."
Opening his eyes fully, the younger one found himself looking at a dinner
table. All of the people seated at it were looking at him.
"Where?"
"This is the Tendo Anything-Goes School of Martial Arts," said the man at the
head of the table. "I'm Soun Tendo."
"Ash Ketchum," he said, sitting up slowly. "This is Brock." He indicated his
friend.
"Hello," Brock groaned, apparently not able to do anything more complicated
then speak.
It was two more hours before Ash and Brock were able to answer questions.
"So where are you from?" asked the middle sister who had been introduced as
Nabiki.
"We're looking for someone." Ash said as he removed a photo from inside his
vest. "The three of us have unfinished bisnuess."
"What sort of unfinished bisnuess?"
"We'd rather not say." Brock put in as Ash handed the photo to Nabiki.
"It's...personal." Not sure where they were, or even when they were, both had
made the same decision to say as little as possible.
Crowding around to look, the Saotomes found themselves looking at a photo of
three people, two boys and a girl. The boys were recognizable as younger
versions of Ash and Brock. The girl on the other hand was in her early teens
with short reddish brown hair tied up in a short pigtail that stuck out
sideways from her head. She was seated on a rock, holding a strange creature.
Looking closer, they realized that all three were surrounded by strange
creatures.
"Her names Misty," Ash said. "I guess she'd be about what by now, twenty?"
"Nineteen." Brock corrected.
"Nineteen." Ash said. "Likes water, hates bugs." The Tendos and Saotomes
traded looks and then shook their heads.
"Sorry man." Ranma said. "Can't help you there."
"Oh," Ash said, crestfallen. Nabiki however, was frowning. The girl did look
familiar, but she couldn't place it. Smiling, she handed the photo back.
Much later that night, she knocked on Kasumi's door.
"Come in!" Nabiki entered to find Kasumi sitting on her bed brushing her
hair.
"Do you have some construction paper?" Nabiki asked. "I need it for a class
project."
"Of course," Kasumi said and went to her closet. Nabiki took a moment to look
around. She was rarely in Kasumi's room since the older girl could usually be
found elsewhere in the house. It was then that she noticed a photo on the
desk. Curious, she picked it up. She recognized a young Brock and Ash, as
well as the girl Misty. Surrounding them was more people and more of the
strange creatures. Turning it over, there was some writing on the back.
Victory Party. Ash's first time in the League. Pallet Town. Then some numbers
which she guessed were a date of some kind.
"Here you go Nabiki," Kasumi said walking back. "It's for Home Ec, right?"
"Y-yeah," Nabiki said, staring at the photo. Then she held it up. "You know
them. Don't you?" Then she saw the look on Kasumi's face. It was Angry.
"As I said. Here you go," she said, all but throwing the papers at Nabiki
even as she snatched the photo from her hand.
"Oneechan," Nabiki said softly as Kasumi slammed the frame face down on the
night stand hard enough to break the glass.
"Get, out." Kasumi said softly. Nabiki started to speak and then, seeing the
look on Kasumi's face, decided against it.
"Thanks for the paper, see you in the morning!" With that, she quickly left
the room.
"Idiots," Kasumi muttered as she resumed brushing her hair. "Those stupid
idiots."
Chapter 2
As soon as they recovered, Ash and Brock set out to scour Nerima for any sign
of their friend. As the days passed, they had been ranging further and
further out from the Dojo.
"Maybe we should be using a more recent picture," Ash sighed as he, Brock,
and Ranma headed back towards the Dojo. They had even gone down into Tokyo
proper that day, only to be met with less luck.
"Its the only picture we have," Brock pointed out.
"How come you didn't bring a more recent one?" Ranma asked. Bored, he had
been tagging along on their search.
"Honestly? We didn't think about it. The decision to try and find her was
something of an impulse."
"I know all about that," Ranma sighed.
***********************
"How goes the search?" Nabiki asked as they sat around the dinner table.
"Not good," Ash said as he helped himself to another bowl full of ramen. "No
matter who we talk to, it's the same thing. 'She looks familiar, but I can't
place her. Sorry.'"
"It's like she's a ghost," Brock said. "And we can't stay much longer. Bill
and Professor Oak will be setting out soon."
"Oh yeah."
"Perhaps Misty only passed through Nerima," Kasumi said. "She could be
anywhere in the world by now."
"That's what we thought," Brock replied. "But everyone we talked to is sure
she lives around here somewhere. They just can't place it."
"Just how old is that picture anyway?" Nabiki asked.
"Three, maybe four years old," Ash replied.
"No. That was taken at your house after you went to the Pokemon League for
the first time," Brock said. "That was about a year or so after you started
out and you weren't quite eleven then." He frowned. "Let's see, Misty was
twelve. . ."
"So she said."
"Misty was twelve," Brock began again, "and she's nineteen now, so that was.
. ." he trailed off.
"Seven years ago," Nabiki said as she placed some fried noodles into her
mouth.
"Thanks."
"So you're wandering around with a seven year old picture?" Ranma asked,
"Man, that's a lousy plan."
"At least they're trying!" Akane growled as a glowing nimbus began to appear
in her hand.
"Ash? Brock?" Nabiki asked as she set her bowl down.
"Well at least she's not some uncute tomboy!" Ranma retorted without looking
up from his beef bowl.
"Yes?" They asked in unison as the nimbus in Akane's hand began to take shape.
"Get back."
Seeing that everyone else was backing away from the table, Ash and Brock did
the same as a loud cry filled the air.
"RANMA NO BAKA!" The table shattered as the mallet in Akane's hand came down.
"Hey!" Ranma yelled.
"Jerk!"
"Hm," Nabiki said, tapping a pencil against her chin as she consulted a
notebook and her watch. "Saturday the fifteenth, six thirty. She's three
minutes late. Must be our guests."
"Huh?" asked the aforementioned guests.
"About once a week at dinner Ranma and Akane put on that little floor show
you just witnessed." From outside there came a shout and the sound of stone
against stone.
"It's an act?"
"Nope," Nabiki said as she moved to help Kasumi clean up. "She's really
trying to maim him."
"Remind me again why we came here?" Ash asked as he bent to pick up the
shattered remains of dishes."
"Because Misty would kill us if we didn't at least make an effort."
***********************
In Japan, Sunday is considered a day of rest. A time to sleep in.
Kasumi, a habitual early riser for many reasons, was always up before the
rest of the household. Because everyone else was asleep, she always made a
cup of tea and sat on the back porch. She spent the time in reflection and
light meditation. By the time everyone else had risen, she was ready to face
the day and the rest of the week.
This particular Sunday, however, she could not find her center. No matter how
hard she tried, she simply could not still the inner turmoil whirling inside
her.
Ash. Brock. Of all the people to show up, it would have to be those two and
it was taking every ounce of self control she had not to slip up and betray
that she was anyone other then who she appeared to be.
"Kamis take them both," She swore to herself and tried once more to find the
inner calm that had let her deal with the chaos that had been a part of her
life since Ranma had arrived on their doorstep.
But the peace wouldn't come.
She had dealt with many things. Mother's death. Crazy fiancee's. Sword
wielding mothers, revenge obsessed lunatics. Through it all, she had kept it
up. Kasumi Tendo. Sweet natured, oblivious, and-and-
A lie.
Angrily, she pushed such thoughts away. The part of her life represented by
the two slumbering forms in the living room was over. Done with. Buried.
"I've always admired your self control," said a voice behind her. Turning,
Kasumi saw her father.
Who was up at least half an hour too early.
"Good morning Father," She said as the mask slid into place. "Was there
something?"
"No, no," He said and showed her the cup of tea in his hand. "I thought we
might talk for a bit." With that, he sat next to her.
"About what?" Kasumi asked, putting sweet smile number six on her face even
as alarms were going off in her head.
"You spent nearly ten years somewhere and when you came back, you weren't the
same person." Seeing the look on her face, he held up a hand. "I know I
promised not to pry, but the events of the past week is more then I can
stand." He looked at her. "Kasumi, as your father, I am asking, no, demanding
you tell me. What happened during those missing years? Who are those two
young men in my living room, and what does it have to do with those creatures
in the photo?"
"Father," Kasumi began, "it's a part of my life I don't want to revisit."
He looked at her out of the corner of his eye.
"Please," she said, her voice a half whisper. "I don't want to go back. It's
over for me." Seeing the distress on her face, Soun nodded.
"Very well," he said.
"Excuse me," she said as she stood, "I should get breakfast started." Picking
up her teacup, she didn't notice Soun attaching a baseball to her belt.
Turning to watch her enter the house, Soun used the Anything Goes Mimic
Technique.
"Misty!" he said, in a perfect imitation of Ash's voice, drawing on words
from when she had called out in her sleep after her return. "Behind you! Its
a Onix!"
It was poetry in motion, he would later reflect, as Kasumi turned, whipped
the ball off of her belt and sent it speeding towards him with a viciously
fast underhand throw. Without batting an eye, Soun caught it, feeling the
impact through his entire arm. He didn't let it show on his face.
"Well?" he asked as his eldest turned several interesting shades of red.
"I thought I had buried it completely." She sighed as she rejoined him.
"What happened?" he asked in a much gentler tone.
Slowly, almost hesitantly, Kasumi told the tale.
". . .And after the fifth night of dreaming about Mother's funeral, I knew I
had to try and get back. So I left everything behind and came home." She
stared into her cup.
"You miss it don't you?" Soun asked. Kasumi nodded.
"My life was in danger on an almost daily basis," she said. "Ash was
determined to be the Greatest Pokemon Master and he let nothing stand in his
way. I soon lost track of how many times I survived falling off a cliff,
getting shot at, falling in general, getting electrocuted, and drowning. That
was the other reason I came home. I was getting sick of waking up and
wondering if I was still going to be alive at the end of the day."
"And yet you miss it," Soun said. "The joy of being out among nature, of
risking your life because you believe in what you do."
"Yes," Kasumi whispered. "How did you know?"
"I was young once too," Soun said as he placed his arm around her shoulders.
"When I was scarcely older then Ranma, Gemma and I used to compete for
Nodaka."
"Ranma's mother?"
"Oh yes. We were both students of her grandfather and we would waste huge
amounts of time trying to outdo one another."
"But I thought Happosai-" She broke off, her eyes going wide. "You mean. . ."
"Yes." Soun confirmed. "As I was saying, Principal Kuno was an archeology
student back then and he would hire myself and Genma as bodyguards on some of
his expeditions. After each one, and especially after Laos, we would vow that
never again would we take one of his offers."
"But you always did."
"Yes," Soun said, smiling. "The lure of the adventure was too great to
ignore."
"What happened to him?"
"Nobody knows." Soun sighed. "He went on a solo expedition to a small island
in the Pacific, near Hawaii. When he came back, he was as he is now."
"How sad."
"Yes," Soun said as he stood up. "Whatever it was that he found there, it is
perhaps best left buried. As for your past, you must decide if you wish to
tell them or not."
"Thank you, Father." Kasumi said and then paused as a new thought struck her.
"Father?"
"Hm?"
"How did you know?"
"A Father," Soun said as he looked back over his shoulder, "always knows his
children."
Part 3
Sunday, at least for the Tendo/Saotome household, was peaceful. Which was
fine by Kasumi. She spent most of the day in her room, thinking.
At the moment, she was staring at the jacket hung on her bedpost. It was a
sort of grayish white with sleeves made to adjust to the arm length of the
wearer. The fabric was made with some material, Kami knew what, that was
virtually indestructible and darkened or lightened to blend with the current
light conditions. A sphere, divided in half horizontally with the top half
red and the bottom white adorned the back. Pockets were scattered across the
inside and out.
Every Gym leader had one. Brock kept his in storage. As did Ash. She had worn
hers on and off throughout their adventures. Everything else she had left
behind in Cerulean City.
Well, she amended, everything but the jacket, and the picture on her night
stand.
Standing up, she snatched the jacket off the bedpost and slipped it on before
moving to stand before the full length mirror in the corner of her room.
It was a little tight in the shoulders, she thought as she pulled on the
fabric, trying to adjust it. Well that was to be expected, she was a lot
smaller when she got it.
Still, it was comforting to wear it. Like taking the hand of an old friend.
In fact, it didn't seem so tight anymore.
It fit. . .perfectly.
With a startled gasp, she pulled it off and held it at arm's length. It was
definitely larger.
"What in Kami-sama. . ." she whispered as she dropped it on the floor and
backed away.
Upon reaching her bed, she sat on the floor and stared at the jacket for a
very long time.
***********************
For the rest of the Tendo household, the day passed smoothly. Ash and Brock
spent the day learning about some of the finer points of Nerima living.
"How often does she come after you?" Ash asked as he, Brock, and Ranma walked
towards the Dojo. Behind them, smoke curled up lazily into the air, a
souvenir of an encounter with a fiancee.
"At least once a week," Ranma snorted. "I think they have some kind of deal
set up where they take turns."
"How many are there?"
"Ask pop, half of 'em are his fault."
***********************
Ash and Brock stood in the courtyard.
"We can't wait any longer."
"But we're close! I can feel it."
"I'm sorry Ash, but we don't have any more time. If you want to get Raichu,
Ivysaur, Charizard and the others back, we have to leave soon."
"But. . ." Ash looked up into his friend's face. "Yeah. . ."
"Look. We can always come back when we're done and have all the Pokemon
again. We'll bring Growlith, maybe he can sniff her out."
Ash nodded his silent agreement.
***********************
"Where's Kasumi?" Ranma asked as they sat down to a meal of take-out.
"She's been in her room all day," Nabiki supplied.
"I'll go get her," Akane said, starting to stand.
"Kasumi has some decisions to make," Soun said stiffly. "I suggest we leave
her to make them."
Akane sat back down.
***********************
The daylight streaming in through her window had begun to fade. But Kasumi
didn't notice. She didn't want to get dragged back into the Pokemon League,
back into the craze of Pokemon Trainers trying to be the best, the danger. . .
And yet, the thought of being on the road again stirred her blood. The call
of the adventure.
One more time, one last adventure.
But she had built a life here. Tofu, her sisters, the house, Tofu. . .
The open road, Pokemon. . .
Tofu. . .
Why? She had finally managed settle back in, to put the person that was Misty
of Cerulean City behind her.
"I don't want to go back," She whispered into the stillness of her room. "I
can't go back." But above it all, something kept going through her mind.
'Because Misty would kill us if we didn't.'
What was so important that they would follow her across time and space?
***********************
Ash picked at his food. His mind was not on the conversations swirling around
him, but on the past.
***********************
Cerulean City Gym. . .
Four years ago.
"You what?" Ash asked.
"I have to go home."
"But you are home!"
"My real home, Ash," Misty said as she stood up. Her hair, once bright red,
had darkened to a more brownish color and was longer. "I'm adopted, you know
that."
"Yeah, but. . ."
"Ash, please don't make this any harder then it is. What I have here, with
you, is special. But I can't take it anymore. My life. . ." She clenched her
fists and stared out the window. "I'm sick of my life being in danger, I'm
sick of those two psychopaths coming after you. I can't. . .I can't take it
anymore."
"So you're running away?"
"No!" Misty yelled turning to face him, her eyes ablaze with anger. "I mean.
. ." She trailed off again and took a deep breath. "If I don't get away, I'm
going to go crazy. I have to get away and I have to do it alone."
"But-" Ash stared to say. She placed a finger on his lips and shook her head,
smiling.
"What we had Ash, I will always treasure. But this isn't my world," She
leaned forward and kissed his forehead. "And where I have to go, there's no
place for a Pokemon Master." She squeezed his hand and then walked out of the
room.
***********************
Two days later. . .
Ash stood at the door with the sisters, their parents, and Brock. Misty,
wearing her traveling clothes and Gym Leader jacket, slowly moved down the
line.
"Ash? Brock?" she said when she was done. "I want you to promise me
something."
"Anything."
"No matter what. Don't try to find me. No matter what."
"But-"
"Promise me!" She half-yelled.
"We promise."
She nodded and then walked to her bike, climbed on, and rode out of their
lives.
***********************
Tendo Dojo,
The Present. . .
"Ash?" Hey, Ash!"
"Huh?"
Startled, Ash looked up from where he had been staring into his food to see
Ranma looking at him.
"I said, you wanna come with me to the Arcade tomorrow after school?"
Ash looked at Brock and sighed.
"Actually, Brock and I have to leave tomorrow," Ash said. "We're grateful
that you let us stay here while we searched, but our time is up. We have to
go home."
"Aw. That's tough, man. Wish you coulda stayed longer," Ranma said.
"So do we," Brock said. "You've all been most gracious."
"Hey," Ranma said as he looked at the ceiling," whaddya suppose Kasumi's
trying to decide?"
"My life." Turning to look, they saw Kasumi standing at the base of the
stairs, a grayish-white piece of fabric slung over one arm.
"Nabiki, Akane, Ranma? Would you please take care of the dishes?" Soun asked.
The three named nodded and began to clear the table. "How about a game of
Shogi Saotome?"
"Sure," Genma said, picking up on the suddenly changed mood in the room.
Within moments, the room was empty except for Ash, Brock and Kasumi.
"I wanted to speak with you," Kasumi said as she moved to sit across the
table from them.
"Of course." Brock said, then his mouth dropped as Kasumi held up a Gym
Leader Jacket.
"Now then," she said her voice taking on the distinctive Cerulean City
accent. "What's so important that you two idiots had to break your promise?"
"Uh. . ." was Ash's response.
"Well?" She asked, looking at Brock.
"Uh. . ." was all that came out of Brock's mouth.
"Well, what is it?" She asked, her tone flat with anger. "Is there another
clone of Mew? Team Rocket steal all the Pokemon?"
"Actually," Ash said, finding his voice. "There is no more Pokemon."
Part 4
Kasumi was shocked. Of all the reasons for Ash and Brock to break their
promise, the announcement that there were no more Pokemon was the last thing
she expected to hear.
"What?" she asked quietly.
"There's no more Pokemon." Ash repeated, unconsciously shying away from the
look in Kasumi's eyes.
"What?" she asked again. The look on her face was one that promised horrible
destruction.
"There's no more," Brock said, and then swallowed as she turned that gaze on
him.
"What do you mean, 'no more?'" Her voice was deathly quiet. Deciding to just
plunge ahead, Brock started talking.
"It all started three months ago. Pokemon of almost every type suddenly tore
their way out of their pokeballs and started migrating East. It started with
the weaker ones, but it soon progressed. Except for a scattered few, there
literally are no more Pokemon anywhere in the world." The look on her face
suggested he'd better have more. "There's only two constants, All the Pokemon
passed through the area where Ash saved Pikachu from those Spearrows, and all
went past Bill's lighthouse."
"Where were they headed?"
"Out to sea. Tenatacool and Tentacruel have been transporting the ones that
can't swim or fly."
"You said almost every type. What's left?"
"Ghost, Psychic, and Psyducks."
"Psyducks?"
"Professor Oak thinks that the constant headache is interfering with whatever
it is that's drawing them towards the ocean." Brock ran a hand through his
hair. "The League's in total chaos. A lot of gyms and Centers got heavily
damaged when the Pokemon clawed their way out. People got hurt."
"What's left?"
"Nobody's sure. Sabrina's shut down, Maiden's Point is barely talking and
nothing's been heard out of Mount Moonstone for a week. Its bad, Misty, the
Pokemon aren't stopping for anything. The best we can get out of the Jennys
is that its war out there."
"Kasumi," She said absently.
"Huh?"
"My name's Kasumi. So why are you here instead of trying to solve the
mystery?"
"Cerulean City is the foremost experts on Water Pokemon. Everyone else is
busy but since you are a Gym Leader. . ."
"You decided to track me down," Kasumi finished. "I still don't see what that
has to do with me."
"One enterprising researcher managed to get a tracer on a Kabutos. It
vanished about six days out to sea. Professor Oak and Bill are organizing a
rescue mission to go out there and see what we can find."
"So what does this have to do with needing an expert?"
"Since they're all going out to sea, Oak and Bill think that a previously
unknown water type is behind it." he paused, "Actually, remember when we
spent the night at Bill's?"
"Yeah. . ." She trailed off and her eyes widened. "You don't mean-?
"Yeah." Brock nodded. "Oak thinks it was that, whatever it was."
Kasumi frowned, the ramifications of what Brock was telling her were rapidly
painting a very ugly picture.
***********************
On the other side of the Kitchen door, Ranma, Akane, Nabiki and Ryouga, who
had literally just stepped out of the closet, had their ears pressed to the
door.
"How did you get here anyway?" Ranma asked Ryouga.
"I was in London, I mistook the closet for the front door, when I stepped
out, I'm here." He glared at the wood of the door. "And then, while I'm in
the closet, they moved the door to another wall."
"Another wall?" Ranma asked dryly.
"Will you two keep it down?" Akane hissed, "we're trying to listen!"
***********************
Kasumi traced a finger along the grain of the wood as she mentally worked her
way through what she had just been told.
The world Ash and Brock came from was wholly dependent on Pokemon. Art,
society, economy, culture, everything was based on Pokemon. It was like
someone had taken an ax to the supports of a bridge. If anymore of the
supports were cut, they were all in trouble.
Furthermore, the events Brock had described suggested what her adopted
mother, Cerulean's top Pokemon researcher, had always feared.
There was a Pokemon king or queen out there somewhere and for some reason, it
had decided to call its subjects home. The one hole in that plan was that not
all the Pokemon had left. That suggested that the Pokemon were following a
beacon, but not all of them could hear it.
There was no choice though. As a Gym Leader, she was sworn to investigate
precisely this kind of mess. She would have to go. Besides, this was one
adventure she couldn't miss.
"Okay."
"What?"
"I said okay. I'll go back with you," She said and couldn't quite ignore the
increase in her pulse as Ash smiled happily.
***********************
"I approve." Soun said simply. He, Ash, Brock, and Kasumi were sitting in his
office where they had just gone back over the whole thing again. "However, I
must make one change to your plan."
"Father?"
"I want you to take Ranma with you."
"Ranma?"
"Ranma. It will be good for him."
"Father, please understand. What we're doing is dangerous. We don't have time
to teach him-"
"I have spoken," Soun said quietly, cutting her off in mid sentence. "If you
don't take him, I will not give you my blessing."
"Yes Father," Kasumi said, bowing her head.
"Good. Now when will you leave?"
"Tomorrow," Ash said.
"Three weeks." Kasumi said.
"But-"
"The portal between the hill and that old laboratory opens for twelve hours
once per month. According to my math, we have a little less then twenty-five
days before it opens and I have things that need doing before I can go
anyway."
"How did you know that?"
"I spent some time exploring the lab. I found the apartment of the head
scientist. According to his journal, they had locked the machinery to open a
portal between the two worlds to switch on once per month for twelve hours."
She gave them an embarrassed smile. "I knew I could go home anytime and the
Pokemon were so fascinating. . ." She trailed off and looked at her father.
He understood, she realized, and that realization forced her to reevaluate
her father. Her father had always seemed overemotional, prone to burst out in
tears at the slightest provocation. It didn't make her love him any less, but
now she realized that there was more to Soun Tendo. She was starting to see
what her mother had seen.
"Twenty-five days." She repeated, putting a note of finality in her voice.
Ash might be some kind of Pokemon prodigy, and Soun Tendo might have been her
father, but she ran both shows, and deep down, all of them knew it.
***********************
The days, surprisingly, passed quickly. Misty, Ash was still having trouble
thinking of her by any other name, passed it in seeming oblivion, spending
her time cooking and cleaning. She was happy.
"I don't get it."
"Get what?" asked Ranma. The two boys were lounging on the front porch. Each
had an apple and were enjoying the afternoon sun. Brock was inside talking
with Doctor Tofu, Akane was off with her friends, Soun and Genma were at the
bar, and for all Ranma knew, Nabiki was swindling the Chinese out of Hong
Kong. She certainly wasn't anywhere in the house.
"Mis-Kasumi," Ash said, gesturing at the object of their conversation who was
sweeping the sidewalk outside of the gate. "I mean, when I knew her, she was
nothing like that. Ask her to clean and she would have taken your head off."
"Their mother is dead," Ranma said quietly. "Before she died, she taught
Kasumi to take care of the family. She's the mother, sister, friend,
everything. From what I understand, she gave up her entire life to take care
of Nabiki and Akane. This place would fall apart without her."
"No wonder she didn't want us to follow her," Ash said quietly. "By showing
up, we've turned her life upside down."
"Don't worry about it man." Ranma said. "She knows what she's doing."
***********************
The day finally came. Ash, Ranma and Brock stood at the base of the hill.
Since Kasumi couldn't be sure exactly when the portal would open, they had
all arrived early.
A small crowd, made up of well-wishers, Ranma's fiancees, and friends had
shown up. Off to one side, Kasumi and Tofu were talking, about what was
anybody's guess.
Standing with Ash, Brock, and Ranma was Ryouga. Periodically, Ranma would
pitch a rock up the hill to see if the portal was open yet. So far, nothing.
"Maybe we missed it," Ash fretted. "What if her math was wrong?"
"Then you wait till next month," Ranma said, scooping up another rock.
"We don't have until next month!" Ash exclaimed. They had been given only two
months before Oak and Bill were to leave and more then half that was gone
already.
"Then her math was right." Ranma shrugged and pitched the rock up the hill.
This time, they were rewarded by the bright flash of light and the
thunderclap.
"Alright!" Ash cheered as he scooped up his backpack. A violent shoving match
erupted between Kodachi, Shampoo, and Ukyou as all three had presents of food
for Ranma.
Then, the four travelers gathered just shy of the hilltop for a quick
conference.
As they talked, Akane nervously played with her sweater. She still had yet to
sort out her feelings for Ranma and now he was taking off to some unknown
world where she might never see him again.
"Here," Ukyou said, handing her a backpack not unlike Ryouga's.
"Ukyou?"
"Go after him," She said with a sad smile.
"I don't understand."
"We lost him to you a long time ago." Ukyou said. "The Amazon and the Lunatic
haven't figured that out yet."
"I-why?"
"Better you or me than them." Ukyou said, indicating where Shampoo and
Kodachi were trying to slip back through the crowd and look perfectly natural
doing it. "They stashed packs under that bush," Ukyou said with a vicious
grin. "Somehow, those packs got moved."
"Thanks," Akane said as she shouldered the pack.
>From atop the hillside, she heard the thunderclap of the portal.
"Just make him happy," Ukyou said with a smile. "That's all I ask."
Akane nodded.
"Count on it," She said, and the two clasped hands. Then Ukyou gave her a
lopsided grin.
"And invite me to the wedding."
"Just don't bring a toaster," Akane grinned back before sprinting up the
hill, not noticing the little black piglet in one of the pockets of the pack.
As the thunderclap rang out once more, Ukyou pulled out her giant spatula.
She and Akane were going to have to talk. Two years of rivalry were not so
easily put aside. But for now. . .
She grinned as Kodachi and Shampoo stalked towards her, pleasure before
business.
With a hearty battle cry, Ukyou Kuonji leapt into battle.
***********************
Part 5
Cold/No Air/Cold/Shock/Wind/
Akane fell to her knees onto the floor as the thunderclap rang in her ears,
her breath coming in short gasps.
"Akane?" she heard Ranma say. She couldn't answer as she tried to draw air
into her lungs.
"What happened?" she heard Brock say from far away.
"She wasn't braced for the portal." Even Kasumi sounded far away as Akane
spiraled into blackness.
***********************
"Akane!" Ranma shouted as he fell to his knees, cradling the girl's head in
his lap. "Akane! Speak to me!"
"Relax, Ranma," Kasumi said as she knelt next to him. She looked a little
pale, he noticed.
"Is she okay?" Brock and Ash were leaning on each other and looked awful.
"She'll be fine," Kasumi assured them as she took Akane's pulse and checked
her eyes to make sure the pupils were reacting normally. "But she needs to
rest. We all do."
"I think we can make it back to Cerulean City," Brock said.
"We have to," Ranma said he stood up. "We have to."
***********************
Officer Jenny of Cerulean City sighed as she watched workmen rebuilding the
city.
The anti-Pokemon fanatics were having a field day. Largely unheard by the
general populace, they were a group of religious zealots who insisted Pokemon
were nothing but demons who would one day turn on all of humanity. Now that
it had apparently happened, they were attracting followers by the hundreds.
"Of all the doomsayers, they had to be proven right," she muttered to herself
as she leaned on her cycle. Removing her uniform cap, she ran a hand through
her hair. Her cousins were all relating similar problems in their cities. It
was bad.
Ruefully, she looked up at the glass towers as the light of the setting sun
glinted off them. Another day survived. Stretching, she moved out to the
center of the road leading out of town and turned to take in the orange and
pink clouds. She liked sunsets, they always seemed so peaceful.
She started back towards the city when she noticed something on the horizon.
As she watched, it resolved itself into four figures, and one of them
appeared to be carrying something.
"Wha'cha lookin at?" said a voice from over her shoulder. Jenny jumped and
turned to see one of the workmen.
"That," she replied, pointing at the four figures coming out of the sunset.
"More refugees?"
"Probably," Jenny said as she reached for her radio. "This is Jenny. I got
what appears to be four refugees comin' in with possibly a fifth who appears
to be injured."
"That's a roger. Send 'em to the Center."
"Roger that. Over and out."
"Hey Moe!" The workman yelled over his shoulder at his fellow workmen. "Grab
Cur and Lee and come take a look at this!"
"What?" bellowed the second workman as he came over followed by the other
two. "Larry, we got better things ta do."
"Yeah I know," Larry replied as he pointed, "but look, refugees."
"They got hit by Pokemon?"
"Probably," Jenny said as she went for her medical kit.
"Poor bastards. Wonder what got them?"
"Probably some Hitmonchans."
"Just cause yours-"
"Don't you start. . ."
"Hey ya mooks!" Moe snapped as he whapped both Cur and Lee on the back of
their heads. "Pipe down!"
"But Cur-"
"I said pipe down!" Moe yelled and whapped Lee on the head again.
"Ouch!"
As the fight among the workmen began to escalate, Jenny continued to watch
the approaching figures. It was then she noticed that the wind was blowing,
bringing with it the smell of the sea. It was a refreshing smell, like rain
had just fallen, and suddenly, for no reason she could name, she felt a sense
of hope
Finally, the travelers were close enough for her to make out details. She
recognized Ash and Brock, but there were two others. One was a boy, dressed
in loose fitting clothing carrying a girl with black hair. The other was a
girl, well, a woman really. She had long brown hair which was worn in a
braided ponytail and wore hiking clothes.
"Ash?" Jenny asked as they passed by, a dozen questions all rolled into a
single word.
"Yeah Jenny," he said, flashing her a tired grin. "We found her." Then they
were past and all Jenny could do was stare.
"Uh? Jenny?" She heard Larry's voice. "That girl, the one being carried? Was
that. . ."
Jenny could only nod. "I think so, yes."
Then Jenny did something she hadn't done in a while.
She prayed.
***********************
Daisy, eldest of the four sisters of Cerulean City, sighed as she looked at
her terminal. Fighting failing generators that had been hit by rampaging
Pokemon, the Centers and Gyms that were still functional were sending text
based reports. Because Cerulean was was one of the few which used the power
of the tides to generate its electricity, all reports were being sent to them.
So far, the only good news was that reports of Pokemon crashing through towns
had dropped off to the point of nothing, which meant that they could start
rebuilding. Leaning back in her chair, she looked up at what was once the
renowned Cerulean Pokemon Aquarium, now a jumble of broken glass and water.
Now all they had to do was deal with the refugees.
"What's the news?" Jenny turned to look at the woman behind her. Doctor
Emana, Cerulean's top Pokemon researcher, was a handsome woman, her graying
hair tied up in a bun. Her green eyes, once which once, sparkled and were
filled with life, were tired and dead. Uneasily, Daisy noticed the bags under
her eyes. They had all seen more then enough pain and suffering to last
several lifetimes.
"The attacks have slacked off to almost nothing, but the refugees are still
coming in." Daisy's mouth thinned to a hard line. "And those damn
anti-Pokemon freaks are advocating mass genocide of all Pokemon!"
"Now don't take it so hard," Emana said as she laid her hand on Daisy's
shoulder. "We have to have faith that it will all work out in the end."
"Don't tell me you believe the Trio will manage to save the day again," Daisy
groaned. "One of them is missing, remember?
Ash, Brock, and Misty had, for better or worse, been elevated to an almost
religious status by Pokemon Trainers. Their exploits were legend, and their
success unparalleled. Many referred to them as the Trio, and had come calling
when a problem arose that defied all other attempts to solve it.
Then Misty had started having those weird dreams and had left, cutting the
Trio down to two.
Then when the current crisis had arisen, Brock and Ash had taken off to find
Misty, even though she had quite clearly insisted that she didn't want to be
found.
Not for the first time, Daisy wondered what Misty's real name was. The poor
girl, when they had found her sitting by the roadside, her clothing in
tatters, had been in a state of shock. They had named her Misty, after one of
the great Pokemon trainers of old, a woman who came into town like mist, and
just as quickly faded.
"You have to have faith, dear." Emana said firmly.
"Faith? Mother, Misty is gone!"
"Faith," said a female voice behind her. "And you know, it really bugged me
that you never had any in me." Daisy slowly turned. Leaning on the ruined
remains of the counter was a young woman, dressed in hiking clothes, her chin
in her hand. She looked like she hadn't had any sleep in days, but her eyes
were twinkling.
"Mis. . .ty. . .?" Daisy started to speak and then trailed off.
"I mean," the young woman continued, "sisters always stick together,
right?" "I told you to have faith." Emana said, not without a trace of
smugness.
***********************
Violet, the second eldest of the four sisters, carefully closed the door
leading to the guest room and looked at her family.
"How are they?" Asked their father, a tall, powerfully built man in his late
fifties.
"Passed out wherever there was room," Violet reported, "all five of them."
"I wonder where they found her?" Lily, the third of the Sisters asked.
"I'm more interested in who the other two are," Daisy grumbled. "Didn't she
say anything?"
"Nope," Violet shook her head as she sat down. "She said she'd explain
everything later."
"How helpful," Lily observed sourly. "Meanwhile, we have messages pouring in
asking if its true that Misty has been found, what am I supposed to tell
them?"
No one had an answer for her.