Pokemon Fan Fiction / Pokemon Fan Fiction ❯ A Midsummer Night's Scheme ❯ Many Paths are Taken ( Chapter 4 )

Act IV

"Many Paths are Taken"

Fate and coincidence have a way of making even the most delicate situations turn out rather well. Chance meetings, unusual findings, and brushes with destiny and danger can (or cannot) happen at any moment's notice, and how a person reacts results in things as trivial as their mood for the remainder of the day, to the crucial outcome of the rest of their lives. A good example was one cool Thursday evening, when three close friends, paired up with two new allies, were in extremely close proximity to the very people that were pursuing them.

Ash, Brock, James, Jessie, and Misty had already made it as far as the port town that could carry them towards the continent where the Legendary Pokemon master was, and they had done so without too much interference. They had a few bumps and scrapes along the way, but they were otherwise fine and ready to continue their journey. For the moment, Misty and Jessie were off buying food and Brock and James were off reserving a hotel until the boat sailed in the following morning, leaving Ash to recreate as he saw fit.

But unbeknownst to the small group of "friends" (nobody trusted Jessie or James just yet), there were two other people in the small port town that were after the Legendary Pokemon Master. They were Marion and Morrison, Team Rocket's newest and deadliest employees. They were both master assassins who sold their skills to the highest bidder, and their initiation into Team Rocket was the mission to find the Master of Pokemon. They, too, were in the port town, and had chance and fate seen any differently, a brutal confrontation would have been in store.

But thankfully, as mentioned before, fate and coincidence have a way of making even the most delicate situations turn out rather well, and in this case, neither Marion nor Morrison, nor any of the five traveling companions, ever met up with their competitors. It was something strange to consider, especially since the town was so small and a few of them were unusually conspicuous, but miracles still happened in that day, and it was a miracle that spared Ash and his friends from meeting their most dreaded adversaries yet.

However, miracles do not last forever. Although the team of five escaped one dreadful encounter, there was still another to face as they moved into their hotel room. James and Brock were not the most reliable people when it came to finding good rooms, so the group had to improvise most of the way. The room was small and not completely clean, and it didn't exactly have five or even three beds to it. James tried to smile with pride as he presented to his comrades the "best room that this hotel had to offer", but they were anything but enthusiastic.

"James, you're a nincompoop," moaned Jessie, noticing the two beds. "How did you manage to find a room that ONLY had two beds?"

"Well, um, uh, it was, uh, the, uh, best I could, uh, afford…" he muttered sheepishly. Poor James hung his head and tried so hard to look innocent, but as usual, it failed utterly. He could at least be thankful that Meowth was no longer around to insult them or crack bad jokes--that would have been disastrous. At least they had been spared that.

"The best you could afford!" parroted Jessie in a snappish, bitter voice. She snorted, crossed her arms, and gave the room another look. The situation was bad, but it could have been worse. "Well, whatever. I hate to say it, but unless there's somebody who wants to sleep on the floor, we'll have to share beds."

Needless to say, Ash and his friends didn't exactly squeal over the prospect.

"Oh, great," moaned Ash. "How are we gonna decide who sleeps and who doesn't?"

"Well Misty should get a bed!" declared a quasi-chivalrous Brock. "After all, it's ladies first!"

"Then that means that I get one too!" beamed Jessie proudly. Brock grumbled, but it was a bit too late to go back on his word.

"Mph, fine. Us guys can draw straws to see who we bunk with."

"Oh, that's not going to be necessary!" sang James as he buddied up with Jessie. "Jess and I are used to sharing close quarters! How else do you think we sleep when we chasing after you all!"

"UGH!!" All three friends recoiled in disgust, their eyes bugging out as they heard just a bit too much information. Now forever cursed with thoughts of the ex-Rockets sharing a bed together, the three friends looked at each other and began to think of how they could arrange themselves best on what was left of the second bed. The only thing they could hope for was that it was a large mattress, and a short night.

Meanwhile, of course, Marion and Morrison waited patiently for the boat to arrive…

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Many paths were taken in the morning, but all of them led to the boat that would be sailing towards the island where the Legendary Pokemon Master supposedly lived. That information had been blurted out by James the other day, in an attempt to gain Ash's trust. Of course, the young boy still suspected his former enemies of some nasty and complex scheme (despite the fact that Team Rocket usually never did anything nasty or complex), but he at least let them tag along with his friends as they made their journey through life.

Ash had dreams of becoming a Pokemon Master himself (and to an extent, so did Misty and Brock), and learning from a man whose mastery of the monsters was legendary was a chance not easily passed by. The information had been just enough to allow Jessie and James to stick around, and so far, they hadn't done anything too treacherous…

And so, this was the path that Ash, Brock, and Misty took--the path to knowledge, and information, and assistance on their much-longer journey. The path that Jessie and James took was a simpler, more basic one. They now had no more need of finding rare Pokemon or going off on strange expeditions or anything else that they had been accustomed to. Now, they were their own persons, free to live out their own lives, according to their own rules. Theirs was not a path of finding, but simply a path to see what laid in store for them. And, of course, they hoped to genuinely make friends out of their companions.

The five of them each bought a ticket and got on the boat an hour before it sailed away. The ride was calm and quiet, leaving everybody with plenty of time to reflect and spend in solitude. Ash, who had not gotten enough sleep thanks to Misty's constant kicking and Brock's ability to talk in his sleep, found a place to lie down and vowed never to get back up unless the boat arrived at their destination (naturally, Brock and Misty slept like rocks). Everyone else busied themselves in one way or another, usually in a book or a conversation.

Again, a miracle happened that day, as Marion and Morrison never caught sight of their competitors while on the boat. Having never slept, they had waited all night for the ticket booth to open, and were the first to receive them (being from Team Rocket, they never had to pay a single coin). They now had plenty of time to rest, although both assassins had little need of it. Their path was provided to them though a payment and a job, and minor things like sleep and thought usually never got in the way.

In a way, they set each other off perfectly: Marion was wild and uncontrollable in battle, like a tornado, and loved to rip anything apart with her clawed gauntlets. However, outside of a fight, the icy-cold blonde was enigmatic and mysterious, and disturbingly quiet and thoughtful. Morrison, on the other hand, was a tall and powerful man, though quite polite for a killer. He used brute strength and uncanny precision to plow through his opposition, but could also be dangerously barbaric at times.

None knew their past and none dared to know--and besides, the past was not important. The only thing they were concerned with was the mission--to find the Legendary Pokemon Master and to "escort" him back to Team Rocket Headquarters. The two killers rarely questioned a job that paid good money, and this was no exception. All they had to do was relax on the boat, and wait until everything came into place.

The stage was set, the players were ready, the path was before them, and more than one surprise was in store for them all. Everything was ready to begin.

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The boat ride over to the next continent was smooth and uneventful, and the five traveling companions got off without fuss. They packed up supplies in the new port town and made their way out as quickly as they could. Since the former Rockets claimed that the Legendary Master was still some distance away, they both volunteered to purchase a more practical means of transportation. Unfortunately, James had used up his last coins to rent the hotel room, and Jessie was almost out thanks to the brief shopping sprees they had to make in the two towns, and Ash and the others didn't have much in the ways of income either, so they had to earn their money the hard way.

Luckily, a small group of Poke-fanatics had gathered in the town, and were holding an annual tournament there. It was decided that the five cohorts would each participate in the event, since they were all moderately experienced at training their Pokemon. It seemed a good idea, since out of five of them, surely one would be able to win at least some money, if not all of it. Marion and Morrison thankfully didn't attend, but instead, they used the time to wisely gain a day's head start.

By that time, Ash and his friends had nearly forgotten about their lethal adversaries, and if any memories did persist, they were quelled during the tournament. Thirty-two other people were there as well, from young novices to some of the most advanced professionals in the business. One by one, they all fell, leaving only the toughest trainers left to brawl it out in the finale.

Jessie and James both advanced fairly well, and showed off several impressive moves with Arbok and Wheezing that none of the three younger people had ever seen before. They made it fairly far--that is, until they both were faced up against Brock and Misty. The younger man and the younger woman had both been doing rather well, and a sort of climax was reaching the air as they met their respective rivals. But for the first time since… well, ever, the fight was not for survival but for fun.

"I was wondering when we'd meet again!" exclaimed Brock. His opponent, Jessie, smiled that same haughty smile of hers and prepared to unleash Arbok.

"Hm, you've done well in getting this far, but I'm afraid one of us isn't going to be raking in any money!"

"I don't think it's gonna be you!" he shouted. Brock summoned a Graveler, which slammed right into the Arbok with immense power. Jessie didn't appear worried, and called a Farfetch'd that she had found not long ago. The duck-like psychic easily fought off the Graveler, but the weakened rock would not go down just yet. It smashed into the creature, slamming it into the ground with amazing force, but was blasted away by a whirlwind of razor-sharp leaves in the process. Both Brock and Jessie gaped in astonishment as a draw was called, and both were given a random Pokemon by the officials so that the tie could be broken.

Brock began to perspire as he received a Venusaur, but his worries ceased as Jessie was given a Seel. The plant Pokemon beat the water Pokemon easily, and Brock was declared the winner--but just barely. Meanwhile, Misty pursed her lips and rolled her eyes, and was unafraid to make her usual comment.

"…Well, if it had been the other way around, Jessie would have won."

"It's all in the random system," shrugged Ash. "They didn't know what they'd get! But you're right; it could have gone either way." Misty nodded her head and mentally prepared herself for the battle with James. Meanwhile, Jessie's pride was suffering big blows as she forced herself to congratulate Brock. Surprisingly, he did the same to her.

"We were pretty evenly-matched until that random intervention," he said as he shook her hand. "I have a feeling that we could have fought forever if we were given Pokemon of similar type! Maybe you Rockets aren't as clumsy as I thought!"

"…Hmph, whatever," she snorted. "Anyway, I guess it was a good match. But do me a favor, kid, and try to win that prize money for us. You got this far, and it'd be a shame to stop now." Brock agreed with her statement, and went to refresh his Pokemon in the nearest clinic while Misty and James fought it out.

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Marion snorted. She and Morrison had been on the road for hours, and they were still coming up dry. The Legendary Pokemon Master certainly lived on that continent, but they were the only ones that seemed to know it. As they went around the towns, asking people (or "forcing" people to tell them) and turning up stones, they could find few clues to lead them into the right direction. Marion snorted again, and cursed violently as her partner drove them both across the empty road.

"I don't understand," she grumbled darkly. "We've been searching high and low and we haven't been able to find a thing. I'm beginning to wonder if our clueless predecessors really knew what they were talking about. I don't think they did!"

"We have no other leads," noted Morrison as he drove. "This is the best we can do for now. I suppose, though, that we should've been tailing them, instead of going out on our own…"

"Hold it, stop the car!" she shouted suddenly. Morrison slammed his foot down on the brake, and gave his blonde partner a questioning gaze. "…What did you say?"

"I said that it might have been a good idea to follow them."

"…I see," she murmured. "Morrison, I feel like kicking myself, but we've been going about this the wrong way. We have to work smarter, not harder! Yes, you're right; we'll have to follow them around. Let them lead us to where we're supposed to be! Wait for the right moment, and strike! And just to stir up some suspicion, let's utilize that distrust they have for each other!"

"I think I know what you have in mind," he replied. "But I do not want to go back to that town just to follow them all over again. I'm certain they went on that ship; I just didn't see them there. Do you suppose they were in that last place we were in?" She nodded her head.

"I wouldn't doubt it. There aren't many roads that go out from there--heck, we've been following this one ever since we left, so they're bound to come past here. We can just wait, and take our time in memorizing the territory. I'll bet that the old man will want some info."

"We've got nothing to report," he shrugged. "No offense on his part, but I don't believe he will understand it if we tell him we have nothing, except a closer proximity. Yes, we had better wait here for now, and make sure we know where we're going. It isn't like we're on a time restraint here."

"No," she purred wickedly. "Besides, I'm the type of girl that can wait for as long as it takes…"

And this, they agreed, was what they did.

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James gave Misty a friendly smile as he congratulated her, and she desperately tried to do the same. Losing was not a brand new concept to the petite redhead, but losing to a former Rocket was. James had pulled out a Chansey and an Alakazam, seemingly from nowhere, and even Misty could not stand up to such creatures. She lost, albeit by a small margin, and accepted her defeat gracefully and with quiet dignity.

"THAT WAS FIXED! THAT WAS FIXED! YOU CHEATED, YOU FAT STINKING PIG! THOSE POKEBALLS WERE RIGGED! YOU OWE ME A REMATCH, YOU NO-GOOD SWINDLER! HEY, LET GO OF ME! PUT ME DOWN! HE CHEATED, I TELL YOU! THE MAN CHEATS! HE'S A DIRTY ROTTEN SCOUNDREL! FIXED POKEBALLS! FIXED POKEBALLS!!!"

Yes, quiet dignity and grace…

Anyway, Ash was kept busy during his matches, but he blew through them all with some ease and awaited his next opponent. He had faced both Brock and James before, and wondered which of the two he would confront first. While the former Rocket faced the skeptical young man, Jessie and Misty stood off to the sidelines and cheered for their respective friends (of course, Misty had been slightly "restrained").

"Go, Brock! Go, Brock! Beat that cheating Rocket!"

"You can do it, James!! You can do it! Give him one for me!"

"Brock! James is nothing but a lying dirty scoundrel! You can take him!"

"James, that Brock is a spineless wimp! Show him the pride of the Wyatt family!"

"James is a loser!"

"Brock is a weakling!!" Jessie and Misty glared at each other, and as James and Brock fought, the girls had a "fight" all their own. Ash could've sworn that he saw lightning bolts and fireballs dart back between the ladies' eyes, and hid his face from the shame of it all. If anybody asked, he didn't know any one of them.

"…Oh dear," noticed James as he saw the girls fighting. "This is a rather strange turn of events. Jessie, Misty, would you please stop arguing?! We can't even hear ourselves think out here!"

"Yeah!" agreed Brock. "You ladies can't fight in here! This is a Pokemon Battle Arena!" Both Misty and Jessie turned to their individual friends and stuck their tongues out spitefully, then returned to insulting each other. Brock and James looked at each other in confusion and awe, and shrugged simultaneously.

"Strange," they said at the same time.

"I'm glad us guys aren't like that!" exclaimed Brock. James agreed.

"For real. At least we're not squabbling like a bunch of babies. Here, Brock, let's see if you can't defend against this…!"

Two hours passed.

James and Jessie were quietly behind the wheel and dashboard of a small car they had bought using the prize money. In the back, the three younger friends kept silent vigil. Misty refused to say anything to anybody, and Jessie (fittingly enough) was equally adamant. It was funny how sometimes those girls could be alike, but then again, Brock and James were slightly similar as well. Their fight had ended in a tie as well, but instead of letting the chance of a random Pokemon control the outcome, they both forfeited and left the final two competitors to battle it out for themselves.

It did not need to be mentioned who won the whole thing. The small car was proof that the Tournament was won, and that was all that needed to be said. For the time being, silence really was golden, especially from the girls. Ash felt that Brock and James had finally buried their hatchets during that tournament back there, and secretly, Jessie and Misty did as well. He was at least glad that the ex-Rockets were being hospitable and generous, since they did have a small opportunity to run away with the money back then.

But no, Jessie and James wanted to prove their loyalty and worth, and had bought the car with the winning money. There was just enough left over to fit inside the pocket of the winner, but it was such a small amount that he too felt the need to keep silent. It didn't matter if anybody talked or not--James knew the way to the Legendary man's hideout, and Jessie was his reliable navigation, and for once, Meowth was not there to complicate things or annoy them.

And so, the team of five friends--and they truly were beginning to lean towards friendship now--the five friends coasted down the long country road that would eventually lead them to the house of the greatest Pokemon Master to ever live. A great adventure was just ready to be concluded, but the final act still had yet to be played. A small car in the distance behind them, with two people seated inside keeping watch over the other vehicle in front of them, was proof enough that one more confrontation would be in store before the adventure was over.