Pokemon Fan Fiction ❯ Team Rocket Strikes Back! An AAML Story ❯ Chapter 14: A Quarter Century of Change ( Chapter 17 )

Chapter 14: A Quarter Century of Change

 

8/31/2005- One more chapter to repost after this and then the story will be back up to its original length...

 

Professor Oak takes a moment to compose his thoughts in preparation for the crash course in history he is about to give. Delia continues to relax, being supported by her son. Misty, Duplica, and then Brock are sitting in a row on the bed next to Ash. Professor Oak clears his throat and then begins to speak...

 

Prof. Oak: Well, let's start at the beginning. After the last time we talked to you, Delia and I both kept our eyes open for anything suspicious. We called Prof. Elm the day before the fire, and he said that you guys were heading into Northern Johto. The next day, when we heard about that awful fire...

 

Delia: We both began to worry... I was hoping that you guys were still in Blackthorn City. I called Claire... and I was heartbroken to learn that you guys weren't there. It only got worse from there...

 

Ash begins to comfort Delia as she pauses telling the story. Old memories are once again brought to the surface, and a few tears run down her cheeks...

 

Ash: (In a very comforting tone) It's okay mom, we're all here...

 

Delia takes Ash's left hand and holds it. She nods at Prof. Oak, who continues the story...

 

Prof. Oak: After she told me how the call went with Claire, we just had to go out there and find you. I had Tracy watch the lab and Officer Jenny keep an eye on the place here. I took one of my Pidgeot and we flew out there, pronto...

 

All four kids look at Professor Oak in total surprise. They cannot picture him flying on a Pidgeot with Delia...

 

Prof. Oak: (Looking around the room) Is something wrong?

 

Duplica: Um... no.

 

Brock: (Trying to break the sudden uneasiness that has suddenly pervaded the room) You had a Pidgeot? I don't remember you having one of those...

 

Prof. Oak: I had a couple, actually. They were part of my lab's Pokemon security force... (Pauses)... and yes, we both rode on a Pidgeot...

 

Misty: (Nervously laughing) Sorry, professor...

 

Prof. Oak: (Takes a deep breath, then continues to speak) It's okay. Anyways, like I was saying, we flew out to Blackthorn City. After talking to Claire and some other townspeople, we discovered that you guys were seen heading north... right into the area where the fire was...

 

Delia: They told us that several people were discovered in the ash... including some Team Rocket members. They had a base of some sort in that area...

 

Ash: We saw that base, and we were checking something out nearby when that machine or whatever it was that knocked us all out and took us to the future...

 

Prof. Oak: That must have been the test site for that time travel experiment they were doing. I talked to several of the firefighters that survived, and they said no one could have survived that blaze... the chief also showed me that burned out base. On one computer screen, there was a graph on it, it said... "Temporal distortion"... (Pauses) That should have triggered something in my head, but I was too worried about what happened to you guys to remember it later.

 

Delia: We spent days in the area, looking for you and talking to police and fire officials, trying to see if anyone had seen you guys. After two and a half weeks of searching and making phone calls... (Voice gets lower)... there was no sign of any of you. They never found any bodies, but the fire fighters told us that you guys could have been... unrecognizable in the ash...

 

The grim picture that Delia has painted of the situation makes all of the kids stop and think... and attempt to feel what Delia and Prof. Oak went through. After a moment of silence, Prof. Oak takes over the story...

 

Prof. Oak: After that last talk, I had to make the hardest set of phone calls that I ever had to make in my life. Delia here was too overcome with grief to make the calls... I had to call Brock's dad and Misty's sisters. (Looks at Duplica) I learned later that day that you were an orphan, Duplica...

 

Duplica: (Sighs loudly) It's... true.

 

This news hits the other three kids and all feel sorry for her. They never had any idea that she was an orphan...

 

Brock lovingly wraps an arm around Duplica and pulls her closer. She totally surprises him by hopping into his lap a moment later. He blushes and then wraps both arms around her stomach, letting her know that he is here for her. The instant she feels his arms against her bare stomach, she relaxes and then speaks to Brock...

 

(A/N: In case you forgot from last chapter, the kids are in those small TR uniforms, and Duplica's stomach is visible in the uniform)

 

Duplica: (Very softly) Thank you, Brock...

 

Brock: (Very red) Umm... no problem. I never knew... that you were an orphan.

 

Duplica: I was going to tell you... all of you... but I never got a chance to.

 

Misty blushes as she looks at what Duplica is doing. Part of her realizes how intimate she is getting with Brock. In her head, there is a debate over whether that would feel nice... if she did that with Ash. She shakes her head and banishes the thoughts for the moment.

 

Delia and Professor Oak are also a little bit shocked at the move Duplica has just made. Delia had known they were going out, but would have never guessed they were getting that close...

 

Prof. Oak: We came back to Pallet Town and told everyone about the sad news. There was a funeral service and then Delia talked to the gym leaders here, in Johto, and also the Orange Islands about raising funds for a memorial- that was put up a month after the fire originally occurred.

 

Brock: That's explains the monument thing, and what you guys did after we "died"... but I want to know about his "Great War" that I keep hearing about...

 

Misty: Yeah...

 

Delia: That's another story by itself. Team Rocket was not really very active after this fire, that is, until one day about two years later...

 

Prof. Oak: Then all hell broke loose...

 

Ash: (Not sure if he wants to know) Umm... what do you mean by that?

 

Delia: It was the beginning... of a huge conflict that tore this area and Johto apart. Team Rocket would eventually extend their influence over the Orange Islands as well. Over 10 years ago, they tried to get into the Hoenn region. There was lots of fighting... and Team Aqua and Magma surprisingly joined forces and have kept Team Rocket out of there to this day.

 

Prof. Oak: No one would have ever saw that happening 25 years ago... but then again, no one would expected so much bloodshed...

 

Brock: (Startled) What do you mean?

 

Prof. Oak: I'm talking about the "Great War"... which had it's beginning about two years after you guys disappeared. It was a time... (Long pause)... that Delia or I could never forget. (Delia slowly nods her head) There was a split in Team Rocket, forming two different factions- those with Giovanni and those again him. The group opposed to him said that Team Rocket was moving too cautiously, too slow. The pro-Giovanni supporters argued that the time was now to make a significant move and start taking over. (Pauses and lets Delia take over the story telling)

 

Delia: We both learned later that Giovanni had indeed planned a major strike, but the other group ignored him and wanted action at that moment. What resulted was the "Great War"- Team Rocket vs. Team Rocket. Unfortunately, lots of innocent people were involved in the conflict, whether they wanted to be or not. Many people and Pokemon died...

 

Misty: That's horrible! Who started the split in Team Rocket?

 

Prof. Oak: The opposition group was led by two people, a scientist named Dr. Nemesis, which was just an alias. His assistant and co-leader was a young Team Rocket colonel named Jessica Braunstein. I don't have much information on either of them... at least, that dates back before that point in time. They convinced other members to join them and started that rebellion movement in Team Rocket.

 

Delia: After about six months, the two parties totally split and the fighting began. Neutral people and buildings were destroyed... (Deep sigh) Parts of Pallet Town burned to the ground and some of the gyms here in Kanto were damaged. Samuel helped to keep everyone in town together and safe. (Smiles) That's when I really started to have... deeper feelings for him... (Blushes)

 

Prof. Oak: (Flashes a smile back at Delia) That's right. It was only the beginning of a three-year conflict... in which the rebel group won. There were some high ranked betrayals within Giovanni's group that lead to his faction falling apart. Six people in particular, could have saved him. Looking back... it seems like greed and power can influence anyone...

 

Duplica: This is all... interesting. I have one question... how do you know all these details?

 

Prof. Oak: That's easy. The winning group later published a history book of sort, detailing what happened. It's biased towards their side of the story, but I have talked to some former Team Rocket members, so that filled in some gaps in the story. I've actually been writing a book about it...

 

Ash: Oh...

 

Prof. Oak: Some of the events are... (Pauses)... too traumatic to mention. (Delia nods her head) You guys just need a basic summary of what happened.

 

Brock: You mentioned six people... who were they?

 

Delia: I'm sure you guys will know these names- Jesse, James, Meowth, Domino, Butch, and Cassidy.

 

All four teens gasp and then their jaws drop to the ground in surprise. The names bring back many memories in their heads... most of them not good.

 

Misty: So what happened to Giovanni?

 

Prof. Oak: Well, those six were bought off just before a critical mission that probably would have crushed the opposing faction. They turned on him, and then the conflict took a turn for the worse...

 

Delia: Giovanni was assassinated and then the other group took power. Who killed him, we still don't know... many of the remaining followers were killed or jailed in a purge soon after...

 

Misty: (Nearly speechless) My goodness...

 

Prof. Oak: Like we mentioned before, they took over the Johto and Kanto regions after this. Delia and I are the leaders of a resistance force against them. We haven't had a chance to make a real difference so far... (Shakes his head sadly) It looks like Team Rocket may be here to stay.

 

Ash: (Trying to cheer Prof. Oak up) Hey, don't give up yet. I'm sure you can think of something we can do...

 

Delia: We have established connections with other former gym leaders and have a cross continental network, but so far nothing has changed. (Looks at Misty) Your sisters and their husbands are in charge of the Cerulean area, and some of their kids are also working with us.

 

Misty: (Very confused) K-Kids? Married?

 

Ash takes Misty's hand and holds it. He realizes that she must very surprised about what his mom just said. Misty softly sighs and then enjoys the warmth of Ash's hand as she thinks about what she just heard.

 

Brock: I'd expected those three to get hooked up with someone eventually. They probably spent too much time worrying about Misty and the gym before we disappeared to work on their own personal lives.

 

Delia: That's pretty much right on the mark, Brock. They were so heartbroken when they thought you guys died... (Pauses to wipe a tear from her eye)... and so was I.

 

Professor Oak stands up and takes Delia into his arms. He holds her close and then whispers into her ear, comforting her and calming her down.

 

Prof. Oak: We all were heartbroken. (Pauses then looks around the room) You guys are the first people to travel through time without the aid of a Pokemon, to my knowledge.

 

Duplica: That reminds me, you mentioned a Celebi earlier. That's a Pokemon that can travel through time, right?

 

Prof. Oak: Yes it is. These three guys had a little adventure with one of them...

 

Ash: I remember that! That Team Rocket agent tried to make that Celebi evil and use it for his own purposes...

 

The mention of this incident triggers something in Ash's mind, something that he hasn't thought about in a long time. When he told Professor Oak about the incident, he knew the name of the boy that time traveled and returned to the past. Ash had forgotten about the question soon after that as his journeys continued. He finally gets a chance to ask the question that had really bothered him for a time...

 

Ash: Professor, how did you know the name of the boy that traveled through time? I never told you his name, but you knew it on the phone when I talked to you.

 

Prof. Oak: (Takes a deep breath) I think that we should go back to my base and I'll show you something that should answer that question. Besides, we shouldn't linger here too long. Why don't you guys grab those photo albums and then follow me. We'll continue this when we get there, where it's safe...

 

Delia: Good idea, honey. Just follow us.

 

Brock: (Gathering up the albums) Okay... but where are we going?

 

Prof. Oak: You'll see... but be quiet. Team Rocket is everywhere...

 

Brock nods and then the group follow Professor Oak and Delia as they head down to the basement...

 

Ash: (Looking around the dust covered room) Aren't we supposed to be going somewhere else? This is the basement...

 

Delia doesn't answer Ash but runs her hand along on of the walls until a small "click" is heard. A door suddenly opens on one side of the basement, flooding the dimly lit room with artificial light...

 

Delia: Things aren't always as they appear, Ash. This is one way into our secret base...

 

Duplica: That makes sense- having an exit into an abandoned building like this. You guys certainly planned ahead...

 

Prof. Oak: Yes, we did. Follow me, please.

 

The group heads down a long, narrow hallway towards an unseen destination. The ceiling is a mere 7 feet above the ground and that combined with the narrowness makes for an uneasy trip. After about five minutes of walking they reach a large steel door. Professor Oak punches a code into the keypad on the side of the door and stands still as a scanning device scans his retina...

 

Misty: That's one high tech security device... what's happening?

 

Delia: It's scanning his retina, which is part of the eye. You can't duplicate someone's retina, so everyone has his or her own individual signature.

 

Misty: I never heard of that kind of device before... I guess technology has certainly advanced in the last 25 years...

 

Prof. Oak: (Stepping away from the door) Yep. (Pulls the door open) Come on inside and make yourselves at home...

 

Ash, Misty, Brock, and Duplica walk into the room and look around. It looks like a normal living room, with a plasma TV in one corner and a large leather couch in the other. A redwood table sits right in front of the couch and has a few notebooks on it, including one tattered and worn notebook, which catches Ash's attention...

 

Brock and Duplica sit down on the couch and Duplica snuggles her head into his chest. She is feeling tired and she just wants to relax with her boyfriend. Brock gently holds her hands and both enjoy a moment of rest with each other. Misty sits down on the other end of the couch while Ash just stares at the notebook, trying to figure out what it is...

 

Professor Oak and Delia notice what Ash is doing and go to the next room, returning a moment later with two chairs, which they prop up next to the table.

 

Ash: I've seen this notebook before...

 

Misty: (Looking at the notebook as well) Yeah, come to think of it, it looks familiar...

 

Professor Oak: It should be...

 

Ash: (Putting the pieces together in his head) You mentioned you knew about time travel... and a Celebi... (Pauses as the realization hits him) You... you were...

 

To be continued in the next chapter, Chapter 15: Story Time