Pokemon Fan Fiction ❯ Team Rocket Strikes Back! An AAML Story ❯ Chapter 17: Time ( Chapter 20 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

By: ST Pika

Chapter 16: Time

I would like to apologize for the delay on this chapter, I hope my readers enjoy the wide variety of themes and ideas I've put into this chapter. From this chapter on, this will be totally in narrative format. I will be going back in the future and changing the prior chapters to narrative so it can be on fanfiction.net again… also, please R and R! Thanks! My NGE story is also going to be reposted on fanfiction.net as soon as I change it to narrative, watch for it!

I don't own anything Star Trek… that's copyright Paramount Pictures and created by Gene Roddenbery. The reference to one of the TNG episodes is mainly for reference purposes only and it helps illustrate an idea later in the chapter.

Professor Oak starts explaining all of the new information that he had just received to his captive audience.

“Basically, we've received some information stating that Team Rocket is looking into time travel again... it seems like their technology is nearing the level where it was at 25 years ago. Our group cannot let that technology be redeveloped... the consequences could be disastrous.”

Delia nods her head and then continues her husband's thoughts… “I agree... the last thing we need is for Team Rocket to have even more advanced technology, especially in that area. No one on earth would be safe...”

“By using time travel... Team Rocket could in theory overcome almost any current defense known to man...” Samuel nods his head.

A very surprised Brock can only utter one word… “Damn...”

“That's pretty scary...” Misty comments aloud.

Delia pushes some food over to her husband and he pauses to take a few bites of the chicken and rice on his plate. The four teens continue to eat and ponder what was just said... a common thought runs through all four minds... `This future is definitely not good... and it's getting worse every minute...'

Delia, wanting some more input on what her Samuel just said, decides to ask the teens a question. “What do you guys think about what Samuel said?”

Ash is the first to speak up. “Well, umm... it sounds pretty bad. Team Rocket went from bad to worse in 25 years and this future is...” Ash's voice trails off. “... scary.”

Misty takes Ash's hand and then voices her opinion. “I agree with Ash... I would have never imagined the future being like this... it's kinda depressing...”

Prof. Oak and Delia nod their heads, understanding some of the feelings that the others seem to be having about this.

“You're absolutely right, Misty. This world has turned into a war zone... it may seem peacefully around here at the moment, but there have definitely been some rough times around here...” Delia sighs aloud.

“Well, I think it's the calm before the storm- especially if the new information I just got is correct.” Samuel pauses for a moment and then speaks again. “There was one more thing...”

Delia looks at her husband curiously. “What is it, dear?”

“ I hope this isn't true... but there was also an unconfirmed rumor about Team Rocket trying to develop a time machine that could go back in time...”

Duplica, curious about that idea, decides to speak up. “Is that possible?”

“Well, it could be... you guys are here because of the only successful time machine use in history. It's quite a complex subject... but it seems for some reason that heading back is a lot harder then moving forward…” Samuel sighs.

“Oh... then that means it may be hard to send us back... if we ever can go back...” Duplica says softly.

Brock looks at his girlfriend and can tell she's worried. ”Hey... don't feel bad.” Brock takes her hand and gently holds it. ”Whatever happens, you know I'll be here for you.”

Duplica smiles and puts her hand on top of his. Delia is impressed by the maturity Brock is showing towards his girlfriend in this truly dire situation.

“ We'll get back... don't worry. I just got this feelin' inside...” Ash says, trying to be positive about the situation.

Misty sighs aloud. “I wish I was as optimistic as Ash here... I mean, if Team Rocket doesn't even have the technology yet and they have all of those resources... then how are we gonna get back?”

“Well, I do have some good news. Our little group has some very intelligent minds working on time travel at the moment... we may not have as many people or resources as Team Rocket, but they're certainly making some progress...“ Professor Oak says while trying to cheer everyone up a little.

Ash is the first to respond. “Great!”

Misty is a little surprised by that revelation. “I didn't know you had people working on that...”

Professor Oak nods his head. “It's a secret... most of the people in our group are unaware of it... or who's participating in it, for security reasons of course. If someone from our rebel group gets captured, Team Rocket may use extreme methods to get information out of them...”

“Torture?” Brock says aloud. “If that's true… I'm sure it's a lot worse then what they did in the past…”

Professor Oak nods his head in agreement and then stretches his arms towards the ceiling.
I'm getting tired... it's been a long day.” He wipes his mouth with a nearby napkin and looks over at his wife. “Dinner was wonderful, Delia.”

“Thank you. Don't worry about the plates and silverware, I'll clean up after everyone's done.” Delia says with a smile.

Samuel stands up and heads out of the room… stopping briefly at the bathroom to brush his teeth before going to bed. The four teens finish eating and then Delia begins to clean up the dining area...

“You guys can do whatever you want...” Delia pauses to yawn. “I think I'm going to bed after getting the dishes into the dishwasher...”

“Okay, mom...”

The four teens head into the living room and start looking through some picture albums that were left on the coffee table. As they flip through the pictures, they find many pictures of Delia and Samuel Oak in various places.

“They certainly look happy in these pictures...” Misty comments aloud.

“Yeah... I guess they found happiness in each other, despite all of the stuff that was going on around them.” Brock says as he thinks about the pictures in the book.

Duplica points at a picture and asks “Who's that?”

Ash can't believe his eyes. “That looks like... Gary Oak?”

Misty looks down at the caption and reads it aloud. “It's Gary… and it looks like a wedding photo to me...”

“We sure did miss a lot...” Brock says as he shakes his head.

Brock continues to flip pages and the four are simply stunned by all of the pictures of people they knew from before. After finishing with the albums, Brock puts them back just like they were on the table. Duplica rubs her forehead and Brock remembers what had happened earlier on the boat.

“Maybe you should lie down...” A concerned Brock says to Duplica.

“Well... maybe you're right. I feel a bit better, but my forehead is still a little sore…”

Misty, seeing an opportunity to help the couple out, decides to make a carefully worded comment. “You should take it easy, Duplica. Brock here is great with medical stuff...”

Brock smiles. “Well... someone had to keep everyone patched up during our Piketon journey, especially with the number of situations we got into.”

“Yeah...” Ash says, remembering the past.

Brock stands up and then motions Duplica to climb onto his back. She does so and feels his hands once again on her legs. `I could get used to this...' she thinks as he carries her back to their room.

Ash and Misty look at each other for a moment after the other couple leaves. Misty is the first to comment on what they just saw.

“It looks like those two are getting really close... but I think that's a good thing. We all need that special someone... especially during the tough times.”

“Misty...”

Misty leans in and kisses Ash on the cheek. He pulls her into a hug and the two quietly hold each other, enjoying the warmth of the other persons' body.

Ash suddenly has an idea. “Hey, Misty... would like me to carry you back to our room?”

Misty smiles and knows what Ash is thinking. “Sure...”

Misty climbs onto Ash's back and he starts to carry her back to their room. On the way, Misty cannot help but make a few jokes...

“I bet you're enjoying touching my legs... they do seem to get your attention...”

Ash blushes. “Umm... yeah... they're ummm... nice...”

When they get to the door, Misty stands on her own two feet and heads inside to change, leaving Ash with a few words- “No Peeking” and a glare. Ash patiently waits for her to get ready for bed and then she opens the door. Ash is very surprised by what she's wearing...

“Wow... it's been a long time... since you've worn that...”

Misty looks down at her former “trademark” yellow top. “Yeah... I thought that maybe I could still use it as a pajama top... but it seems to be a little smaller, there's more of my stomach showing then before.”

Ash looks at her stomach and nods his head. “Yeah...”

“Ash, why don't you change and then call me when you're done, okay?”

“Sure...”

Ash heads into the room and closes the door. `Whew... that was close. She looked... very nice... and my heart started beating really fast. God, she's becoming so pretty...'

Ash changes into his pajamas and then calls Misty back into the room. She finds him relaxing in the bed, under the covers.

Misty walks over to the bed. “Ash...”

“What is it?”

Misty blushes as she gets in the bed and goes under the covers. “Ash... you know... I've been thinking... about us.”

“Yeah?”

“You know... it's pretty unusual for couples to be together like this... unless they're... you know... “ Misty's voice trails off. “Intimate...”

Ash has a simple response for her. “Misty... you're my girlfriend... and I wanna be with you. I don't care what other people think...”

Misty swoons. “Oh, Ash...”

Ash feels Misty snuggle her body against his. He starts to run his fingers through her hair as the two talk about their relationship and the current situation. Both promise the other that no matter what happens, they would get back to where they belong to be with the people that love them. The two fall asleep a short time later and dream of each other...

Over in Brock and Duplica's room, the beautiful sight before him stuns Brock. Duplica had just changed into her new pink nightgown and had just emerged from behind a privacy screen.

“What do you think?”

Brock is at a loss for words. “You're... wow...”

Duplica giggles. “Works for me...”

Duplica walks up to Brock and gives him a hug. She feels his arms wrap around her and soon their lips meet. Warm, passionate kisses are exchanged between the two lovers as their bodies move closer and closer…

A short while later, Duplica gently breaks the kiss and now sports a blush on her face. “Mmm... that was wonderful.”

Brock is blushing a little as well. “Yeah... you have umm… warm lips…”

Duplica smiles. “Brock... no matter what happens, as long as we have each other... I'll be happy.”

“Same here... there's no other girl I'd ever want to be with besides you.”

Duplica nudges Brock. “You really are a Casanova, aren't you?”

Brock just smiles. ”Hey, I gotta live up to my reputation.”

Both teens take a momentary glance at the bed and then back at each other. `I'd never thought I'd actually be doing this... being with a woman like this... I tried so hard, but I never got anywhere- until I met her...' Brock thinks as he looks into Duplica's eyes.

Duplica is also thinking to herself. `Brock and I have come so far... and I'm feeling pretty comfortable with him and what we're doing. I just need to be a little more comfortable with my own body and I'll be set...'

Brock takes a step back and pulls up some of the blanket on the bed.

“Ladies first.”

Duplica smiles and then crawls under the covers. Brock does the same thing a moment later and the two stretch out and relax.

“Brock... I got something to ask you... “

“Sure, go ahead.”

Duplica continues with a slight bit of nervousness in her voice. “Well... when the boat made that sudden move and I landed in your lap... were you... really going to touch my chest?”

Brock blushes. “Well, umm... you see... I was just umm... teasing you a little... uh... if you didn't say anything, well...” He turns and looks in another direction, away from Duplica.

“Brock, look at me.” She waits until Brock turns his head back to face her before continuing with narrow eyes. “I bet you wanted to... I'm sure those thoughts were running through your mind...”

`Damn, she's got me...' Brock thinks as he tries to come up with something to say. “Well... I may have been really excitable around ever girl in sight before I met you, but still...”

Duplica smiles. “I was just kidding, Brock. I know that you're a good guy... I wouldn't be with you if you weren't. You don't have to answer my question... but I want you to tell me something...”

“ Sure, what is it?”

“You must really like my body a lot, right? I mean...” Her face turns even redder. “You want to... touch me... and I... want to touch you, too...”

Brock is silent for a moment. He's surprised at her admission... but only for a moment. He was certain about his feelings towards her and what he wanted to do... and now he knows that she feels the same way.

“Duplica... I... feel the same way about you. When I look at you, I... I get this really warm feeling inside... and I wanna do certain things with you.”

Duplica rests her head on his chest. “Oh…”

“Duplica... I really like the way you look. You're a beautiful woman... and I'm lucky to be with you.”

Duplica swoons. “Oh, Brock...”

Brock watches as Duplica sits up and then turns and looks at him. Before he can say anything, she starts kissing him and he wraps his arms around her body. Brock's hands gently run up and down her back as they kiss; he cannot help but notice the soft fabric of the nightgown or the warmth of Duplica's body against his.

After a short but passionate kissing session, Duplica slowly lifts her body off of Brock, giving him a nice view of her chest. She notices his wandering eyes right away...

Duplica leers at Brock. “Brock...”

Brock shrugs his shoulders. ”Hey, I can't help it!”

Duplica backs off and then heads back under the covers. She snuggles her body next to his and yawns.

“I think I'm going to bed...”

“Good night my love...”

“Good night...” Duplica says with a slight blush.

Brock yawns and falls asleep right away. Duplica, despite what she just said, doesn't fall asleep right away. She thinks about Brock and their situation, all the while stealing glances at her sleeping boyfriend. `It seems like my life lately has been all adventure... falling in love, the bombings, traveling around with Brock, Ash, and Misty... and now this. At least, even now, I have something stable in my life...' With that, Duplica falls asleep and dreams of being with Brock...

The next morning, the four teens wake up on their own and with some yawning and stretching, make their way into the kitchen.

“Good morning! I was wondering when you guys were going to get up...” Delia says as the teens enter the kitchen.

Ash rubs his eyes. “What time is it anyways?”

His mother quips back right away. “Almost ten...”

Misty is surprised by that fact. ”Wow... we must've really been tired... we normally don't sleep in this late...”

Delia notices Duplica's new nightgown and decides give her a complement on it. “That looks so good on you, Duplica... is that from Ethan's store?”

Duplica smiles. “Thanks... his daughter helped me pick this out.” She pauses to nudge Brock. “I know Brock here likes it...”

Brock blushes and says nothing. Delia notices Brock's reaction and thinks to herself `How cute...'

“Why don't you guys sit down at the table while I whip up some breakfast...”

Delia starts to hum a tune to herself as she gets to work on making breakfast for the four teens. Pikachu runs into the room and jumps on Ash's shoulder just as he was about to sit down at the table... and he nearly falls on the floor. The other three teens sit down and begin to laugh...

“Pikachu! Don't sneak up on me like that!” Ash says as he looks at Pikachu.

“PIKA!!!”

Misty tries to calm Ash down. “Relax, Ash. I'm sure Pikachu here didn't mean any harm...” Misty gently pats Pikachu on the head. “Right, Pikachu?”

“Pika!”

Misty's Togepi comes waddling into the kitchen and heads over to Misty, who picks it up and holds it.

Misty goes into her “Cute voice mode”. “Good morning, Togepi!”

“PRI!” The Pokemon happily responds back.

As Misty plays with Togepi, Delia takes a glance at the young woman. `She's going to be a great mother one day... I just know it...'

The teens talk amongst themselves while Delia finishes off breakfast and then places the scrumptious food on the plates of the very hungry Pokemon trainers...

“Eat up!” Delia says as she continues to serve the hungry teens.

Ash sniffs the air and is brought back in his mind to the “good old days”. “Smells good, as usual mom.”

Delia smiles. “Ash... you don't know how good it makes me feel to hear you say that... I had to live through twenty-five years of not hearing it...”

Ash nods his head and starts ravenously devouring his food. Samuel comes in the room just long enough to whisper a few words in Delia's ear. She nods and then he leaves the room.

It isn't long before all four teens are finished eating... even the Pokemon chow down in a hurry. Ash stands up and stretches his arms towards the ceiling...

“That was great, Mom!”

“Glad you liked it. I'll clean up... you guys head over into the front room. Samuel wants to ask you four something...”

“Okay.” Duplica says as she stands up.

Duplica is the first to leave the room and is followed by the other three teens, who upon entering the front room find Samuel Oak sitting down on the couch. Pikachu runs into the room with Togepi on his back. He jumps on the couch and sits down next to Prof. Oak.

“You guys are done already? That was fast.” Samuel says with a chuckle.

Misty nudges Ash with her elbow. “I guess all of us were hungry... we ate at the speed of Ash...”

“Ha-ha Misty...” Ash says wryly.

Prof. Oak clears his throat and both Brock and Duplica cannot help but laugh a little.

“Anyways, as I was about to say, Delia and I have figured out what to do, at least for the time being about you guys being here...”

“What do you mean?” Misty asks, curious as to what he means.

“Well... since you've moved forward 25 years, all of you have missed quite a lot. We think it'd be best if we schooled you on what has happened... so others will think that you're `normal' teenagers of this era.”

“That makes sense…” Brock says a moment later.

Samuel continues. “I've also made a few phone calls... in a few weeks; all of you will be off to a special training camp.”

Misty is surprised by what he just said. “A training camp?”

“What kind of training will we be doing?” Duplica asks wondering what kind of training camp this is.

Professor Oak decides to elaborate a little more on the camp. “It's a special camp, just for Team Rocket recruits in your age group...”

Before Professor Oak can say anymore, Ash's eyebrows go up and he says loudly “Team Rocket?” The other three teens are also surprised by what was just said.

Professor Oak sighs aloud. “Calm down, Ash. It's not what you think... this camp is actually a secret camp run by one of our military advisors. I thought it'd be a good idea for you four to get in some really serious training with all of your Pokemon. This world is definitely not a safe place...”

Misty thinks about what was just said. “Well, if you put it that way... I guess it wouldn't be a bad thing. What do you think, Ash?”

Ash responds excitedly. “Sounds like fun... it's been a while since I've used some of my Pokemon in battle... and I'm itching to have a Pokemon battle again!”

Brock looks at Duplica and wonders what she thinks about this idea. He decides to ask her...

“How about it, Duplica? You can train your new Oddish... and become even more of a Ditto master...”

“Well... okay. I could use some training… I haven't done much of any training with my new Oddish…”

Samuel nods his head. “Well that settles that. I'll let you guys know the exact date, as the time gets closer. (Snaps his fingers) Oh, one more thing... Delia asked two of her friends in the clothing industry to stop by a little later. If you guys are going to be posing as Team Rocket recruits... you have to have the proper clothing.”

“Oh yeah... our Team Rocket uniforms are a bit small...” Ash says, remembering the way the uniform fit.

Misty has a similar observation. “Yeah, mine was kinda tight...”

Duplica blushes slightly. “Mine too...”

“I guess I could use a new one, too...” Brock says, knowing that the uniform didn't fit as well as it should.

Delia walks into the room and makes an announcement. “I have good news. Our clothing specialists will be over in about an hour.” She then looks at the four teens. “Until they arrive, I want you four to start studying...”

Prof. Oak gets up and heads into another room. He returns a few moments later with four textbooks and hands one copy to each teen.

“This is my new history textbook... it'll get you up to date with all of the things that have happened in the last quarter century.”

Misty opens the book and flips through a few of the pages. “It looks interesting...”

“Why don't you go back to your rooms and study there? I'll let you know when my friends arrive.” Delia says, trying to make the assignment a little more comfortable for them.

“Sure thing... it's been a while since I've cracked open a book... “ Brock says as he takes Duplica's hand and heads back to the bedroom. Misty imitates Brock's example and does the same thing with Ash. Delia and Samuel Oak decide to talk to Pikachu and Togepi, since their trainers are busy studying.

Eyebrows go up on all four teens as they read through the book. Misty and Ash make comments to each other as they continue to read, while Brock and Duplica just make comments to themselves as they continue through their books.

A gentle knock on both doors informs the occupants that the tailors have arrived. The four teens make their way in to the front room and find two new people sitting on the couch. Brock takes a deep breath and looks at Duplica… the woman on the couch would have made Brock go into one of his routines… at least, in the days before Duplica came along. The brunette's eyes turn and look at the four as they enter the room. Misty looks at the pair on the couch and guess that they must be in their 30's …

“These must be the four that Samuel was talking about.” The brunette stands up. “Hi, my name is May and this is my younger brother Max…”

“Hello.” Max says with a slight bow.

Brock clears his throat and tries not to stare at May. “Hi, I'm Brock… and this is Duplica.” He pauses to put a hand on Duplica's shoulder. “The other couple over there is Ash and Misty…”

Misty and Ash blush slightly and then introduce themselves as well. Ash, ever the curious one, asks about the contents of the two large black suitcases sitting next to the couch.

May decides to field that question. “Well, that has all of our material for the uniforms that we're supposed to make for you four today… and to make it look official…” May points at the side of the nearest suitcase. “Max and I put an official Team Rocket symbol on the side of each… so we look official, too.”

Max nods his head. “That was my sisters' idea… but it was my idea to pose as Team Rocket tailors… who'd suspect us of anything?”

Ash nods his head. “Yeah… you two look like normal people…”

“That's the idea…” May says with a smile.

Max, feeling a little impatient, decides to ask a question. “Why don't we get started?” He turns and looks at his sister. “May, where do you think we should start?

“Hmm… let's see… are there some separate rooms where we work in private with the boys and the girls?”

Misty has a suggestion. “Well, I guess we could go to my room… and Max could take the guys over to Brock's room…”

Max nods his head. “Sounds good… just lead the way.”

Misty stands up and starts walking towards her room, waving “Bye” to Ash. Duplica and May follow suit and soon all three are out of sight.

“Ready, guys?” Max asks, wanting to get started with the tailoring.

“Sure!” Ash says as he nods his head.

The three men head over to Brock's room and Max begins taking measurements and taking notes, preparing to make some “genuine” Team Rocket outfits for the guys. Over in the girls' room, May is talking with Misty and Duplica while she takes measurements…

“I hope you two don't mind showing a little skin…” May says as she jots down a few notes in her notebook under Misty's name. “The female leader of Team Rocket made the ladies uniforms a little… showy…”

“That's no problem… we have the uniforms we used right over here…” Duplica says, pointing at the closet. A curious May opens the closet, takes a look at the uniforms, and whistles.

“You guys got over here undetected… with these?” May asks as she closely examines the old uniforms.

“Sure… thank goodness Duplica brought those with, or else who knows what would've happened…” Misty comments as she looks at herself in the mirror.

May turns and starts taking Duplica's measurements. “Well, the reason why I mentioned that… is that this style of uniform isn't used anymore. The uniforms are more… form-fitting and have shorter skirts now…”

“Shorter?” Duplica says with a blush.

Misty sits down on the bed and takes a deep breath. “Well… I can handle a shorter skirt I guess… the only bad thing is that more of my legs will be showing…”

“Wait a second… I thought you said that Ash really liked your legs…” Duplica says as she glances over at Misty. Duplica winks and then speaks again. “Maybe this won't be a bad thing after all…”

“I guess…” Misty says as a slight blush creeps across her face.

After taking the final measurements, May sits down on bed. “All done…”

“So… how are you going to make our new uniforms?” Duplica says as she sits down next to May and Misty.

“With this…” A clicking sound is heard a moment later and May opens the suitcase. “This little machine makes uniforms…”

Misty and Duplica peer inside the suitcase and then look at May, a look of disbelief on their faces.

“The… suitcase… makes uniforms?” Misty says as she tries to think of the way the suitcase could do that…”

“Future technology… highly specialized… what can I say?” May says she shrugs her shoulders. “The tops will be tight… so no bras. Otherwise… just give me a few minutes and you'll be all set…”

May reaches inside the suitcase and presses a few buttons. Synchros and servos begin to whirl inside the suitcase and the fabric reserve at the bottom starts to be fed into the main machine.

“This will take a few minutes before it starts… why don't we indulge in some girl talk until then?” Duplica and Misty slowly turn their heads away from the suitcase and look at May. “Impressive, huh?”

Nodding her head, Misty answers May's question. “Yeah…”

“So… what did you wanna talk about?” Duplica says as she lies back on the bed. “I swear… this future is getting… weirder all the time…”

“Hmm… I noticed that you both have your boyfriends with you… how's everything going with them?” May glances over at the two girls' and then speaks again. “Oh come on… you two can ask me anything… I've been friends with Delia and Samuel for a long time, so you can trust me…”

“Well… I think Ash is starting to really notice me… you know… as a woman instead of just a friend. After those bombings, we got a lot closer… and he's finally… looking at my body and…”

Misty stops speaking and blushes. May, seeing an opportunity to help, speaks up a moment later.

“It seems like Ash is a little younger then you are… and boys take longer to mature then us… so give him time, okay? I'm sure moving forward 25 years in time is pretty stressful… I wish I were in the past, too… I had a dream about being a Pokemon coordinator…”

Misty reflects on what May just said. `Everyone's dream got messed up because of what Team Rocket is doing… people have died… lives ruined…'

Noticing that Misty is deep in thought, May decides to turn her attention to Duplica. Before she can ask any questions, however, a loud beep is heard. “Looks like the machine is ready… let's get started…”

Reaching into the suitcase, May pulls on a small lever and the machine begins to shake slightly, wobbling back and forth on the bed. Slowly, black fabric begins emerging from the inside of the suitcase…

“Amazing!” Duplica exclaims as the new black top falls onto the bed. The machine pauses for a moment and then starts working on top number two…

About ten minutes later, May spreads the two sets of clothes out on the bed. “Let's see… a black top… white shirt with a red “R”… and white mini-skirt. Everything looks to be in order…”

“Looks good to me…” Misty comments as she examines the clothes visually.

“Go ahead… put them on and let's see if my machine did a good a job…” May says, passing the clothes over to the two teens. Misty and Duplica try on the new clothes and model in front of the mirror… May cannot help but grin.

“Looks like you two really like these costumes, huh? I bet your boyfriends can't wait to see you in them…”

“I bet they can't…” Misty says with a smile. “What do you think the guys are talking about in Brock's room?”

“Probably us…” Duplica says, knowing enough about Brock and Ash to make such a statement.

“You two wait here and I'll go see if they're done…” May stands up and walks across the hallway. She gently knocks on the door and Max opens it.

“You're done already?”

“Yeah… the girls can't wait to show off their new outfits…”

“Well, we're almost done here… I've been talking with Ash and Brock… they seem like pretty interesting guys…”

“Just knock on the door when you're done…” With that, May returns to Misty's room and closes the door. Max turns and looks at Ash and Brock.

”My sister says that the girls are done… and that they can't wait to show you their new outfits…”

Brock grins. “I bet they are…”

Ash is curious about something else and decides to voice his thoughts. “Hey Max, umm… what kinda outfits to the Team Rocket women wear anyways?”

Max can only smile. “You'll see… but you guys need to get dressed…”

“Sure…” Ash says, slipping the new black undershirt over his head. “This is cool… that machine does a pretty good job…”

“I'll say…” Brock says as he puts on his new white pants.

Max fills them in on a little history while they finish getting dressed. “The new leader of Team Rocket really didn't change the men's style of uniform all that much… but I'm sure you appreciate a new uniform that fits properly…”

“Yeah, thanks a lot…” Ash says appreciatively.

“Yeah, thanks…” Brock says a moment later.

Max nods his head. “No problem…”

A few minutes later, May hears a knock on the door. She turns and looks at the two women sitting on the bed who now appear to be a little nervous…

”On your feet ladies…” May giggles. “Your men are waiting…”

Duplica rolls her eyes and Misty sighs aloud.

“Let's do this…” Misty says, taking a deep breath before walking over to the door.

In the hallway, Ash and Brock impatiently wait for the door to open. When it does, May and Max watch both male's jaws drop to the ground… and laugh.

“I take it they like your work, sis…” Max says, nudging his sister.

Misty and Duplica blush… and notice that their boyfriend are giving them a slow look over…

“It's not that much of a difference…” Duplica says softly.

“I like it… Misty, you look very nice…” Ash says, his face turning a little red as well.

Professor Oak and Delia walk up a moment later; Delia clears her throat and gets everyone's attention. She looks at her son and Brock and knows what they're thinking…

“You guys can ogle later… Samuel and I have something important to show you.” After saying that, Delia turns and walks back down the hallway.

Brock and Ash both turn red with embarrassment and then follow Delia… the rest of the group is right behind them. When the whole group gets into the front room, Samuel has them sit down in front of the television screen.

“It's time to show everyone our new project… code name “Yesterday's Enterprise”…”

”That's an odd name…” Misty says as she leans over and lets her long red hair fall on Ash's shoulder.

“Wait a second… that sounds familiar…” Duplica says as she rubs her chin. “Wasn't that the name of a Star Trek episode?”

Samuel nods his head. “Yes… it is. Since this project and the ideas behind it are based off of the episode, I'm going to play it for you guys now… it may be our best hope of restoring a future that's a lot brighter…”

As Professor Oak sets up the DVD player, Brock takes a moment to talk to Duplica. “I didn't know you're into science fiction…”

Duplica nods her head. “A little… I remember seeing this episode before… it's one of the best they ever made… I even had a Next Generation costume…”

Brock's eyebrows go up for a moment as he pictures his girlfriend in the form fitting uniform. “Which color was it? I mean… what did you imagine yourself being?”

“The red one… I was a captain of course…” Duplica says as she leans her head against Brock's shoulder in an attempt to relax and get more comfortable.

Brock turns his head and whispers a few words into Duplica's ear, causing her to blush.

“Hey, you have to ask her, not me!” She says in return to Brock's idea.

“Fine, fine… I'll ask later…” Brock says with a sigh.

All eyes turn towards the TV screen as the episode begins playing. The introduction begins playing and soon the credits are rolling for the opening sequence.

(Author's note: To get the full concept of the idea about to be presented, I recommend watching the episode “Yesterday's Enterprise” from the 3rd season of Star Trek: The Next Generation.)

“Make sure and pay attention… especially near the end.” Delia says as the credits continue.

The main part of the episode begins to play, illustrating the consequences of the ship from the past, the Enterprise C, coming into the future. Guinan tells Picard that the ship doesn't belong there and there's a debate about that… and then the ships get attack by the Klingon's, who the Federation is at war with because the events of 22 years ago didn't happen/

Further along, the ships are surprised attacked by a Klingon ship and the Enterprise C's captain is killed. Samuel pauses the DVD for a moment and decides to ask the teens some questions…

“Do you guys understand why I'm playing this video… the scenario is the same…”

Misty finishes the Professor's sentence. “The same as us… we've traveled into the future and it seems like it's… it's just not right…”

Delia snaps her fingers. “Exactly. It seems like my son is a real focal point for world events… you guys should know that better then anyone else. Major things seem to find their way to my boy…”

“So you're saying… that if we went back… we could stop this from happening?” Brock says, trying to figure out the whole point of this, as far as he can see from the episode so far.

“That's what we're hoping…” May says as she glances at the four teens. “That's why we're sending you to the special Team Rocket camp… for training. If we can arm you with skill and knowledge about the future…”

Max continues his sisters' thoughts. “Then you can go back and stop Team Rocket… hell, the old Team Rocket would have been a million times better then this new version. That scientist must be stopped at all costs…”

“Then Giovanni would have to live… or else the organization would collapse and break up into different factions, right?” Duplica says, thinking of different scenarios in her head.

“That's true… and you four seem to know most if not all of the people involved with the main betrayal at the end…” Delia says, triggering a recall of this info in the four teens heads from prior conversations with the Oaks'.

“Are you sure that we can do this? I mean… Team Rocket has real weapons… even in the past… if we really threaten them, I'm sure they'd use them against us…” Brock says; concerned about this idea and what it could mean for everyone.

Professor Oak sighs aloud. “It's worth a shot… but it's up to you four if you want to go back. Think about it as we watch the second half of the episode.”

After pressing the “play” button, Prof. Oak sits down and thinks about the reactions he got so far. `Hmm… they're worried… but this might be the only way… Team Rocket is on the move again and I'm afraid they'll be a world war here soon… Team Aqua/Magma is only one of several people that Team Rocket wants under their thumb…'

Events continue to unfold… the new leader of the Enterprise C decides to go back… in the present time, one ship won't make a difference… but if they went back, they could prevent a war that the Federation was losing (and would be forced to surrender in 6 months according to Capt. Picard) and save 40 billion lives from being lost.

The final sequence begins to play as the Enterprise D maneuvers to protect the Enterprise C as it makes its way back to the temporal displacement to go back in time and “restore” the original timeline. Brock feels Duplica's hand in his as the fight continues… her grasp tightens as the Enterprise gets pounded again and again by the three Klingon cruisers. The Enterprise fights back and continues to buy time for her sister ship to get into the distortion…

“Are you okay?” Brock whispers in Duplica's ear.

“Yeah…” She says back softly. “It's just… I've seen this before… and I know how it's gonna end…”

“Oh…” Is all Brock can say as he returns to watching the DVD.

Delia is surprised to see her son's eyes totally focused on the episode… `He's hardly said a word… he must be watching this intently…'

The remainder of the episode plays out… the scene changes as the Enterprise D is getting pummeled by the two remaining Klingon Bird of Prey's to that of the Enterprise C going into the temporal distortion… and the restoring the original present day.

“So… what'd you think of all of this, Ash?” Delia asks her son, who looks up into her eyes.

“Mom… I understand…”

“If we have to… we'll risk it all to make sure that Team Rocket is stopped here… and that you guys get back to stop them… so we can all have a better future… a real future… one without so much oppression and death…” Samuel turns his head away and the others realize that people, people they knew, are never coming back. The only way to even have a hope at a better future is to change a few key events in the past.

“Well… I agree… let's working on getting back. The world needs us back where we belong…” Misty says as she gently rubs her hand through Ash's hair.

“It's never everyday that we get to make history…” Duplica says, realizing that they will be making history, as well as changing it if they go back.

“Duplica's right…” Brock says as he looks at his girlfriend. “Let's work on going back…”

Delia smiles. “That's great to hear… but we have to work on getting you guys back as soon as possible… Team Rocket is on the move again. They're moving on all fronts… they're getting close to redeveloping that technology that brought you here… and we're shaping up for a big war with other countries. This is the calm before the storm…”

May and Max nod their heads in agreement. Max looks at his watch and nudges his sister with his elbow.

“Time to go…”

“Aww… just when we were having fun…” May mock pouts.

“We'll see you guys later…” Max says as he moves towards the exit.

Brock, remembering his prior conversation with Duplica, stands up and walks over to May. He motions her off to the side and asks her a question.

“I know this sounds kinda odd… but Duplica mentioned that she used to have one of those red Star Trek uniforms… and I was kinda wondering if…”

May giggles. “You sly dog. Of course I can make one… I do have her measurements after all. Tell you what… I'll make it this afternoon and have someone drop it off, okay?”

“I owe you big time for this…” Brock says with sincere gratitude.

“Don't worry about it… you guys are going to help the world be a better place… I can't charge you for this…” May says as she bows and takes her leave.

`She said yes… I can't wait for tonight…' Brock thinks as he happily walks back over to his girlfriend.

Samuel and Delia head into the kitchen to work on dinner, leaving the other two couples alone in the room. Misty and Ash watch as Brock walks over to Duplica, whispers in her ear, and blushes. The two soon leave the room and head back to their bedroom… giving the remaining young couple things to ponder…

“Hey Ash, I wonder what Brock's up to…” Misty says as she looks down at her boyfriend.

“I'm sure it's nothing bad… he's just… wanting to get to know her better or somethin'… I guess…”

“You're probably right… but what do think about this plan? I mean… they had to sacrifice the ship in the end… and that probably means that they'd do anything to send us back…” Misty says in a concerned tone of voice.

“Misty…” Ash says, looking deep into Misty's eyes. “We can do it… I know we can…”

“Yeah… I guess we'd better enjoy some time together before we go to this training camp… who knows if we'll have a chance to…” Misty closes her eyes and puckers her lips.

Ash blushes and can see what Misty wants, what she needs at the moment- his love and support. `Here goes nothin'…'

Misty soon feels the warmth of Ash's lips pressed against hers. Her arms instinctively reach out and encircle her boyfriend, pulling his body against hers. Ash continues to kiss Misty; well aware of the feelings running through his body… and the fact that she's pressed against him makes those feelings even stronger. `I'll never let her go… never…'

Over in the kitchen, Delia takes a walk towards the front room. `It got very quiet in there…' Is the thought passing through her mind as she looks into the next room and sees her son in a deep embrace with Misty, their lips locked together in an expression of love. She backs away from the front room and soon runs into her husband.

“Let me guess… those two are doing something in the front room, aren't they?”

“Yes… my little boy is really growing up… but he shouldn't be moving so fast…”

“I don't think there's anything to worry about… they seem to be taking things slowly… and it's only natural for their bond to strengthen, since they're going through this stressful time…” Samuel says as he gently massages his wife's shoulders.

“I suppose you're right. He's becoming a man… and I have to stop treating him like a little kid…” Delia says with a sigh.

“Help me finish dinner and then we all can relax for the rest of the evening. Cooking will help get your mind off of this…”

“All right… let's get back to work…” Delia says as she focuses her thoughts on dinner and not on her son.

Over in Brock and Duplica's bedroom, the pair are relaxing on the bed. Both are lying on the bed, looking at the ceiling and talking about what they just saw on the TV… among other things.

“I saw you talking to May… did you ask her about… you know…” Duplica says nervously.

Brock smiles. “Of course… you'll see later.”

“I bet you can't wait…” Duplica says with a grin.

“Nope… I really like the fact that you're a master of disguise… I think we could have some fun with that…”

“Hmm… so you want me to be someone else?”

Brock shakes his head. “No, no… you're the woman I want…”

“Then what did you mean by that?” Duplica asks, wondering what he could mean.

Brock pauses for a moment to figure out his answer. “Well… I was just hoping that you'd show me some outfits that showed off… you… being you…”

“Oh… okay… that I can handle.” Duplica says with a slight blush. `He wants me… as I am… that works for me.' After a giggle, she makes a promise to herself. `I promise to be confident in me and my body… for me… and for him…'

Brock feels her hand slip into his… he gently caresses her hand as she closes her eyes and moves her head slightly to put it on the middle of her pillow.

“Brock…”

“Yeah?”

“What do you think is gonna happen when we go back? I don't know what time they're sending us back to… but won't people think we're dead?”

“Hmm… maybe that'd be a good thing… people won't expect to see us… it could be an advantage… it'd be easier to move around. No one would be looking for dead people… and if they saw us…”

Duplica finishes Brock's thought. “They'd probably think that they're seeing things… or think that we just happen to look like… you know… us…”

“Exactly…”

“Still… it's not gonna be easy…” Duplica's grip on Brock's hand suddenly tightens. “I'm… scared.”

“Duplica… to tell the truth…” Brock's voice lowers to a whisper. “So am I.”

Duplica sighs softly and loosens her grip on Brock's hand. Neither one says a word and both fall asleep, hand in hand.

About an hour later, Pikachu opens the door and finds the two asleep on the bed.

“PIKKA!”

“Huh?” Duplica rubs her eyes. “Oh, it's Pikachu…”

“PIKA!” Pikachu says, nodding towards the hallway.

“Dinner's ready?”

Pikachu nods his head and heads out of the room. Duplica takes a look at her sleeping boyfriend and smiles. `He looks so handsome in that uniform… I really don't wanna wake him up but it's dinner time…'

Back in the kitchen, Pikachu returns and hops up into Ash's lap.

“Sooo… what were those two doing?”

“Ash!” Misty says, shocked at what he just said.

Pikachu shakes his head and pretends to fall asleep…

“Oh, that's all…”

Misty narrows her eyes. “Why are you so worried about them all of the sudden?”

Delia interjects a few words before Ash can respond. “He's just worried about his friends, that's all… I'm sure they were wondering what you two were doing, too…”

Ash and Misty look at each other and blush. Duplica and Brock enter the room a moment later and sit down at the table.

“Hey Ash, is something wrong? Your face is as red as Misty's hair…” Brock says with a chuckle.

“It's nothing… nothing at all…” Ash says as he tries to focus on the food in front of him.

“Come on now, everybody, let's eat… the food's getting cold…” Samuel says, trying to bring everyone back to the main point of being at the table.

As the hungry teens eat the food in front of them, Delia cannot help but take note of the scene. `I know it's my son and his friends… but it feels weird to be eating dinner with four people dressed in Team Rocket uniforms.'

Delia suddenly remembers something important that she hasn't mentioned yet. “Oh, before I forget… there's a package for Brock over in the living room…”

“A package from who?” Misty asks, full of curiosity.

Brock looks over at Duplica and winks. “Just a little something for me and Duplica, that's all…”

Misty's eyes narrow. “I see…”

Ash places a hand on Misty's shoulder and whispers in her ear. “Don't be jealous, okay? Umm… maybe you and I can do something together later or somethin'…”

Misty places a quick kiss on Ash's cheek. “Sounds good to me…”

“AWWW!” Is the mock cry from all the other human inhabitants of the room. Misty and Ash blush and then quietly return to their meals. After that display, Ash decides to play it “safe” and ask Misty if she wants to watch some TV together… to which Misty happily nods.

“Don't forgot that tomorrow it's back to the books for you four… but… you can do whatever you want for the rest of the day…” Samuel says, reminding the four teens about the history that they need to learn.

“Sounds fine to me…” Brock says as finishes his food. “I'll meet you back in the room, Duplica…”

“All right… be there in a minute…” She says as she smiles at Brock.

A moment later, Pikachu and Togepi walk over to Ash and Misty and look up at the couple.

“Looks like they want to spend some time with you, too…” Delia says, observing the situation.

Misty picks up Togepi and puts it in her lap. “I don't mind spending time with them…”

“Dinner was good… thank you…” Brock says as he wipes his mouth with a napkin.

“Glad you liked it.” Delia motions towards the front room. “Better not keep her waiting…”

“Oh, yeah… see you guys later…” Brock waves at Ash and Misty and takes his leave. Pikachu hops up into Ash's lap and then takes on of the rolls off of his plate. Before Ash can say anything, Pikachu hops on the ground and motions towards the front room.

Delia nods at her son. “Go ahead, I'll clean up. You too, Misty… your Pokemon need you right now…”

Misty bows her head slightly and thanks Delia and Samuel for the meal. Ash does the same and the two leave the room, leaving Samuel and Delia alone.

“I think they'll be fine, don't you?” Delia says, nodding in the direction of the front room.

“Yes, I think so. The better these four work together, the better our chances of making this work, no matter what sacrifices we have to make…” Samuel says that last part gravely.

“I know, I know…”

While Ash and Misty are playing with their Pokemon in the front room, Brock grabs a change of clothes and changes while Duplica patiently waits behind the privacy screen.

“Are you done yet?” She says teasingly.

“Yeah, yeah…” Brock says with a sigh, playing along.

“Are you ready for me?” Duplica says with a giggle.

“Yeah… let me see…” Brock says, his voice filled with anticipation.

Duplica peeks her head around the corner and sees her boyfriend sitting on the bed, twiddling his thumbs. `He's really wants to see me… this could be fun…'

Brock looks over at the screen and sees Duplica glancing at him. He motions her to come out from behind the screen. He hears her clear her throat before she starts walking towards the bed.

“Captain Duplica reporting for duty!” She says enthusiastically while saluting Brock. He takes a moment to give her a look over… and blushes as red as the color of her uniform.

“Well, how do I look? It's very authentic… it's even better then the one I had before…” She says as she looks down at the uniform in question.

“Wow… very nice… you look… g-g-gorgeous…” Brock says with a slight stutter to his speech. `I didn't want to say that she looked hot… though she does… she might get the wrong idea about why I wanted to see her in this…'

“Thank you…” Duplica says as she walks over to Brock and, in a bold move, sits down in his lap. She stares at his blushing face, which is straining to maintain eye contact. `I must look really good in this… he's trying not to stare at the rest of my body…'

“Duplica…”

Duplica snuggles her head into his chest. “Yes?”

“Thank you… for being with me…” Brock says in a soft voice while gently encircling her with his arms.

“Oh, Brock… thank you… I don't know what I'd do if I didn't have you to talk to and spend time with…” Duplica gently runs her hand across his chest. “Especially now… in this future… and to help me with our mission coming up…”

Brock gently caresses her hair. “That's been on my mind ever since we saw that episode… it's not going to be easy… it'll probably be the fight of our lives. Still, we do have have to do… I wouldn't wish this kinda future on anyone…”

“That's true… but we can still enjoy a little time together…” Duplica looks up at Brock and has an idea.

“Since I'm the captain, I have some orders for you…” Duplica says, the grin on her face growing larger by the second.

Brock is surprised by what she said and wonders aloud what she means by that. Her response is along the same lines as her last comment.

Duplica giggles. “I'm ordering you… to have some fun tonight…”

Brock smiles. “That order I can handle… and of course, I want to have fun with you. Talking to you… holding you… kissing you…”

Duplica moves towards Brock's lips and closes her eyes, satisfied with his response. She feels his body lie back on the bed and his hand roaming across her back as their lips meet. `This is the kind of fun… that I wanted to have with him… mmmm…'

About a minute later, Brock stops his kiss for a moment.

“I love you… more then anything else on earth…” Brock says with his voice filled with love and emotion.

“I know… and I… I love you too… you're one of a kind, Brock.” Duplica wraps her arms around him and the two resume their passionate kissing, trying to express their feelings for each other and drown out, even if it's for a moment, the unpleasantness of their current situation.

The next day is the start of the school part of the training that Prof. Oak and Delia have for the teens…

To be continued in Chapter 17: Training Camp

Hope you, the reader, liked this new chapter. (This was the longest Pokemon chapter that I've written thus far, I believe) I know it's really WAFF-y in parts, but hey, that's one of the things I'm known for. I have some ideas for this chapter, but it'll probably be at least mid-August before I get another one of these chapter up. My next project is making another Neon Genesis Evangelion chapter and starting my reworking of that story. Please R & R and until next time, take care!