I've nothing better to do right now, so here's Chapter Four ahead of schedule. You Steven/Ashley fans out there---look alive, they get some spotlight love in this one. A certain magician trainer also makes his Enigma Shadow debut here......and the plot thickens!
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CHAPTER FOUR: The Riches of Ruby Island
As soon as the heroes stepped off the yacht, they could tell Ruby Island was different than the others. Bright lights pointed up into the sky and a single huge skyscraper towered over.
“Whoa….” Ashley was in awe. “This place isn’t one you would come to to sleep all day!”
‘You’re exactly right,” Steven responded.
“So, guys….” Rich added. “Remember, Prof. Ivy mentioned a casino. I’d guess that tower is it, so let’s go check it out.”
The others nodded, then they walked to the tower and entered. Rich stepped up to the registration counter.
“I would like to rent the best suite you have.”
“Yes….of course…” the clerk answered. “Your name, please?”
“Richard W. Mistbloom.”
“We welcome you, mister Mistbloom……your room is the penthouse on the top floor. Here is your key…….”
The clerk handed Rich a card key, which he took. The four then entered the main lobby and sat down.
“Your full name is Richard W. Mistbloom?” Anabel asked. “What’s the W for?”
“Wallace. My full name is actually Richard Wallace Mistbloom. What’s yours?”
“Anabel Linda Ein.”
“Huh? Ein is your last name?”
“Yeah. Ein is my father’s last name, his real first name is Michael but he likes Ein better.”
“Alright……”
“Yo Rich! Fancy seein’ you here!”
Jimmy T. walked up to the group.
“Hey there, Jimmy!” Steven greeted. “What’s up?”
“I’ve been traveling these islands to dance, and I keep running into you all! You know what, Rich? I want to battle you!”
“A challenge? I accept!”
Rich got up and took position to battle Jimmy.
“Good luck Rich!” Ashley called.
Out in the middle of the lobby, Rich and Jimmy stood at opposite ends facing each other.
“Four Pokémon on each side. Are you ready, Jimmy?”
“Awwwww yeah! Let’s rock!”
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Pkmn Trainer Rich ---vs.--- Disco King Jimmy T.
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“Time to get shakin’! Go, Bellossom and Ludicolo!”
Jimmy threw two Poké Balls, releasing Bellossom and Ludicolo.
“Go, Alakazam and Ludicolo!”
Rich sent out Alakazam and his own Ludicolo.
“Alakazam, Ice Punch!”
Alakazam hit Bellossom with an icy punch, doing high damage.
“Ludicolo, fight back! Show ‘em a groovy Hydro Pump!!”
Jimmy’s Ludicolo blasted Alakazam with a jet of water for a strong hit.
“Now, you show him what you can do! Ludicolo, Ice Beam!”
Rich’s Ludicolo answered right back with an icy attack that defeated Bellossom.
“Waahh!! That ain’t cool! Bellossom, come back! Go, Magneton!”
Jimmy threw another Poké Ball, deploying Magneton.
“Alakazam, Fire Punch!”
Alakazam hit Magneton with the fiery punch, strongly damaging it.
“Magneton! Zap Cannon ‘em off the dance floor!”
Magneton focused, then hit Alakazam with a massive electrical blast. Alakazam fainted.
“You got some good moves, Jimmy! Alakazam, return! Go, Blaziken!”
Rich replaced Alakazam with Blaziken.
“Ludicolo, you got the last dance here! Hydro Pump!”
Jimmy’s Ludicolo repeated its attack on Blaziken, immediately defeating the Fire and Fighting type.
“Whoa!! Blaziken, return! My most cherished Pokémon….Milotic, go!!”
Rich threw a Poké Ball and his majestic Milotic appeared.
“Now it’s your turn, Ludicolo! Fire Punch!”
Rich’s Ludicolo hit Magneton, causing it to faint.
“Time to get the groove shakin’! Come back, Magneton! Now, in this harsh battle, I shall use the very first Pokémon I got as a child……Minun, go!!!”
The tiny Electric type Minun appeared.
“Ludicolo, get this place dancin’! Rain Dance!”
Jimmy’s Ludicolo danced around, summoning rain---which was odd seeing as they were indoors.
“Now! Rock this house, Minun! THUNDER!!!!!!!”
Minun forcefully blasted Rich’s Ludicolo with Thunder, defeating it. Rich was down to his last one.
“Return, Ludicolo! Come on, Milotic…..HYDRO PUMP!”
Milotic reared back, then attacked Minun with a strong water attack. Minun fainted, leaving Jimmy with only Ludicolo.
“Minun, return!”
Suddenly, an upbeat disco tune began playing on the hotel’s radio system. Ludicolo, hearing it, began dancing energetically.
“It’s time for our big grand finale! Ludicolo, Giga Drain!!!!!”
Jimmy’s Ludicolo jumped onto Milotic and drained its energy. Milotic struggled against Ludicolo’s attack, but eventually fainted and fell to the ground.
“Jimmy is the winner!” Anabel called out.
“Awwwwww yeaahhhhh!!!!!! That’s the way I like it, uh huh uh huh!!!!”
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Rich recalled Milotic, then held its Poké Ball in his hand and stared at it.
“You did well, old friend……there’s no shame in your loss.”
Jimmy walked over, then pulled out his cell phone.
“Rich, that was one groovin’ battle, man. Let me register in your PokéNav!”
Rich entered Jimmy’s number in the PokéNav, then a tall gentleman in a tuxedo and top hat walked up to the group.
“Ah, Rich and friends, you have come at last. Allow me to introduce myself. I am the governor of Ruby Island, Max Bet.”
“Mr. Bet, my name is Anabel, and this is Ashley, and Steven.”
“No need for explanations. Bloomfield from Port Emerald told me you were coming. Allow me to show you to your room.”
“Alright,” Steven replied. “See you again, Jimmy.”
“I’ll be lookin’ forward to it!!”
Rich, Anabel, Steven, Ashley, and Governor Bet entered a grand elevator, then began up to the top floor.
“My friends….” Max Bet began, “I am sure you would like to know why you were told to come here, no?”
“Of course,” Ashley answered.
“I’ll tell you. Besides being this island’s governor, I am also the director of this hotel and casino. You see, strange things have began happening here. Patrons have been spotting Shadow Pokémon, and even worse, it’s been rumored that gamblers who win the Double Header----jackpot on the slot machines and Super 21 at the blackjack table ---have been recruited to their side and given Shadow Pokémon. I want you to find out what’s going on, and drive Enigma Shadow from this island.”
”Wow…” Rich said in awe.
The elevator then stopped, and they got off. Rich approached the big double doors at the end of the hall, and opened them using his card key. The group entered the expansive room.
“I shall soon be leaving you to your devices,” the governor told them. “This room is perfect. Four beds, one for each of you. There’s also a spa, a mini-bar, and a big screen TV. Please do enjoy your time here…”
Max left the room, then the four heroes looked at each other.
“Good thing I won the Battle Tower tournament. That money will go a long way towards paying for this!”
Anabel and Steven laughed at Rich’s joke, then Ashley picked up the TV remote.
“I gotta say…..I have never seen a bigger TV than this one, ever!!”
“Let’s see what’s on,” Steven suggested.
“Good idea.”
Ashley pushed a button on the remote, and what appeared to be a news program appeared.
“This is Ron Burgundy with the breaking news story that has engulfed the entire region. Of course, it is the bombings at the harbor of Port Emerald!”
“What!!?!?” Rich nearly fainted in shock. “Y-you think….they….were aiming at….us???”
“Here is what we at MNB know right now. At about 8:55 am today, a series of explosions rocked the harbor of Port Emerald. It appears that a bomb was planted in each of the seven ships in the harbor. Also, witnesses reported battling a shady man nearby who used a Milotic to attack them following his victories. The man appeared to be a member of terror organization Enigma Shadow, but his identity remains a mystery.”
“I think you might be right, Rich….” Anabel said in horror.
“We now go to Chancellor Lawrence addressing the Island Congress live. You stay classy, Metalico Islands.”
Following this statement, the image on the TV changed to that of a dark chamber. A representative from each island sat in a box, with the box seats arranged in a circle around a pit. Lawrence stood on a platform in the middle.
“My fellow residents of these islands, these are dark days!” he thundered. “The fair harbor of Port Emerald has been attacked in a vicious deed surely that of Enigma Shadow!! I fear….I fear that as we are now, we will be unable to sufficiently protect our lands. Therefore, I am taking emergency powers to keep order and declaring martial law…..”
Rich picked up the remote and turned the TV off.
“I can’t stand to watch anymore.”
“Understandable,” Ashley replied. “Say, me and Steven are gonna go down to eat. You two want anything?”
Rich and Anabel shook their heads, then Steven and Ashley left the room. Suddenly, Rich collapsed to the floor.
“Rich!!!!” Anabel shouted, then ran over to help him up. Rich was a mess, crying.
“I-I….can’t do this…..anymore….”
“What? What’s wrong?”
“Anabel…..I know I try to look like I have confidence in myself when I battle….but now..ever since the Wishmaker Tower incident….now…e-every step I take…reminds me of that!!!”
“I can’t say I blame you…..”
“And then….this…..knowing that we all came this close to being hit by them too…..I shouldn’t have ever gotten involved in this conspiracy…”
“Come on, Rich! I’m sure that even if you hadn’t been so hurt by what Enigma Shadow did, you would fight them anyway….think of the Pokémon they’re hurting by turning them to Shadow. Think of what would happen if they succeeded and took over. We’d all be puppets for Queen Shadow, Nascour, and Lord Regidon!”
“Anabel…….y-you’re right…..” Rich jumped up, recomposed. “You’re really inspiring, thanks! We must stop them at all costs!”
“Now that’s the Rich I know!!”
“But……to get into their plot here, we would have to win the casino’s Double Header, no?”
“Yeah, I’d think so.”
“There’s no guaranteed way to do that unless we cheat.”
“Uh….you know what? You’re right. This isn’t good.”
“Actually…..I’m sure the governor wouldn’t mind if we did cheat a little bit….we both have Alakazams, so……”
Rich whispered his plan to Anabel, who smiled.
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In a lab somewhere far away, Nascour, Regidon, and another man in a sleeveless trench coat and red cap stood around a hologram of Queen Shadow.
“I must say that I am impressed with how you had him attack Port Emerald, Nascour.”
“Thank you, your greatness, but that wasn’t my idea. It was Noland’s.”
“Yes, it was I!” the red-capped man said. “I figured once Rich heard about it, he’d break.”
“Good work, Noland. Regidon, what is the status of our other projects?”
“The Dark Lugia is nearly complete, my queen. When it is done, Nascour shall pilot it.”
“Excellent.”
Suddenly, two men in lab coats rushed into the room.
“Master Noland!”
“What, Paul? What’s got you and Harrison so worked up??”
“M-master Noland!!!” Harrison said in excitement. “We did it!! XD-02 is complete!!”
“XD-02?” Queen Shadow wondered.
“It is the ultimate Shadow Pokémon,” Paul explained. “We used DNA found on Faraway Island to make it.”
“I am proud of each and every one of you. I shall be coming there to see it with my own eyes quite soon.”
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The next day, after telling Steven and Ashley of their plan, Rich, Anabel, and the others went down to the casino. Rich walked up to the chip counter.
“I would like to get $40,000 worth of credits over four cards, please.”
“Yes….....Mr. Mistbloom, we have been expecting you…….” The clerk then handed Rich four credit cards. “Four cards, earch with 10,000 credits on them…..”
“Thank you.” Rich took the cards, keeping one and giving the others out among his friends, then handed the clerk $40,000. The four entered the casino.
“Well, which one should we go for first?” Ashley wondered.
“Let’s do the slot machines first,” Steven answered. “I’ll take this one, so Anabel and Rich…..”
Rich and Anabel nodded, then released their Alakazams.
“We’ll wait here,” Anabel told Steven. “You and Ashley have……fun!”
Steven and Ashley left Rich and Anabel and walked to the slot machines. They sat down, put their cards in the machines, and began playing. They played for about fifteen minutes, then Steven looked towards Rich and Anabel and raised his hand to his face. Rich and Anabel nodded.
“Ashley……I feel lucky.”
“You do, Steven? Take a spin, then!”
Steven pulled the handle on his slot machine. The reels spun, then stopped on three golden Poké Balls. Sirens and bells went off to signify Steven’s jackpot win. Suddenly, a blonde woman walked up to him.
“So, you’re our latest jackpot winner…..want to meet my friends??”
“Your friends aren’t members of a certain….organization…..are they?”
“Oh, we just make these special Pokémon that are really strong………”
“So Enigma Shadow IS here!!!! I ain’t going anywhere with you!”
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Super Trainer Steven ---vs.---- Beauty Sheila
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“Ohoho……you will learn, yes you will….go, Kirlia and Jumpluff!”
Sheila threw two Poké Balls, sending out Kirlia and Jumpluff.
“I choose…..Alumineon and Claydol!”
Steven released his Claydol and new Alumineon.
“Jumpluff, use Shadow Mist!”
Jumpluff waved its arms and created a shroud of dark mist that clouded around Steven's team.
“Alumineon, Iron Tail!”
Alumineon hit Kirlia with its tail, defeating the Psychic type.
“Wow, that thing is strong…just like master Noland told us……..Kirlia, return!”
“Claydol, Ice Beam!!!”
Claydol hit Jumpluff with an icy beam, causing it to faint.
“Nooooooooo!!!! M-master….I’ve failed you…”
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“Waaahhh!!! You’re gonna pay for this!!!
Sheila ran off, then Anabel and Rich came up to Ashley and Steven.
“Heh…..I guess our plan worked?” Rich asked.
“Yes it did, and quite well!” Steven answered.
“Let’s see…” Anabel thought. “How about Ashley and I hit the blackjack tables next?”
“Good idea,” Ashley agreed.
Anabel returned her Alakazam to its Poké Ball, then Steven released Metagross. Anabel and Ashley walked over to the blackjack table and sat down.
“How many chips you girls want?” the dealer asked gruffly.
“10 grand for each of us,” Ashley answered. The dealer shoved some chips to her and Anabel, then asked for bets. Each of the four people at the table bet one chip, or $100. The dealer then dealt out cards, giving Anabel a 5 and a 7, Ashley a king and a 3. The dealer himself showed an ace up.
“Any of you want insurance?”
They all shook their heads, then the dealer looked at his down card.
“Too bad! Blackjack!” he exclaimed, flipping over a 10. “Bets for the next hand?”
Anabel and Ashley repeated their earlier bet. Ashley got a 2 and a 3, Anabel a jack and a 5, the dealer showing a 9.
“I’ll hit,” Anabel said. The dealer gave her an 8 as the next card, totalling 13. “Hit again.”
“Busted!” the dealer called, as he gave her a 10. “Now you, blonde lady?”
“Hit me,” Ashley replied.
“You’re gone!” was the answer to a 9. The dealer flipped an ace, giving him 20. “New bets, people?”
Before Anabel placed her bet, she turned to Rich and Steven, and showed a black chip to them. She then bet $5,000. Ashley went in with another $100 bet. As the cards came out, an ace with Jirachi on it landed in Anabel’s hand.
“Whoa!!! Look at this!” the dealer shouted. “If I deal you another card, and it’s a jack with Ho-oh, you have won the Ultimate Blackjack contest! Here goes!” He dealt another card-----the infamous Ho-oh jack. “You’ve won!!! Congratulations!!!”
“Wow!! What do I win?”
“A Shadow Pokémon!”
“No, I don’t want that.”
“What?!?!?! This job is nuts….boss must be kidding!” the dealer spun around and revealed himself as a Shadow Peon. “Maybe I can salvage this by beating you!”
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Tower Maiden Anabel --vs.-- Shadow Peon Donald
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“Go, Luvdisc and Chimecho!!”
Donald sent out his Luvdisc and Chimecho.
“Time to show you a thing or two! Snorlax and Manectric, go!!!”
Anabel threw two Poké Balls, sending out Snorlax and Manectric.
“Manectric, Thunderbolt!!”
Manectric blasted Luvdisc with electricity, defeating it.
“This is a joke! Luvdisc, come back! Chimecho, Psybeam!”
Chimecho shot an odd beam at Snorlax, doing very little damage.
“Aha, now show him! Shadow Ball!!!”
Snorlax formed a dark lump, then fired it at Chimecho. Chimecho fainted.
“Awww! The boss really had it in for me with this job!!!!”
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“Oh, forget this!”
Donald ran away, then Steven and Rich came up to the table.
“Good work, Anabel!” Rich said. “You sure did a number on him!”
“Thanks!”
“Now what, though?” Steven wondered aloud.
“Wait…..” Ashley said. “Look at this.” She held up a paper that had fallen on the floor. “’The Great Butler’s Magic Show.’ And it’s tomorrow!”
“Butler…….” Rich thought. “That name sounds very familiar. I cannot place it though….”
“It doesn’t matter, really,” Anabel answered. “We’ll go rest and then tomorrow we’ll check it out.”
.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Back in the Shadow Pokémon Lab, Queen Shadow stood in front of a tank filled with cloudy blue fluid. Noland, Nascour, Regidon, and the researchers stood behind her.
“Excellent,” the queen said. She looked up into the tank, which contained a shadowy creature. “I am proud of each and every one of you. This Shadow Pokémon will be our ultimate weapon in this phase of the plan.”
“Thank you, your greatness,” Nascour answered.
“Now our plan is nearly complete. We have one Element Plate, XD-02, and the Dark Lugia almost ready for launch. What we need now is Jirachi and the other Plates. Regidon, what is the status of those projects?”
“Queen Shadow…..we have all of the Element Plates.”
“What!?!?! Is this true?!”
“Yes, my queen. Except for the Emerald and Sapphire Plates, we have them all. Nascour has the Ruby, Karen stole the Pearl Plate on Pearl Key, and Brandon found the Diamond Plate at Diamond Rock.”
“Hmmmm……..Regidon, give them orders to hold their positions even if Rich finds them.”
“Huh? You mean….you WANT Rich to battle them?”
“Ahaha…..you will see in time….Noland.”
“Yes, Queen Shadow?”
“Add this upgrade to the Dark Lugia.” Queen Shadow handed Noland a piece of paper. “Make sure this is in there. Rich may beat all the Shadow Admins.....but even if he does, he cannot win….ahahahha….”
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The next day, the heroes sat in the stands of the casino’s showroom, waiting for the show to start.
“I’m excited!” Ashley commented. “I really like magic shows.”
“Me too,” Rich answered, “but I still have a strange feeling about this...”
“It’s starting!” Steven told them as the lights went down.
“And now,” the announcer called, “the man, the myth, the legend! The one and only! Here comes.....The Great Butler!!!”
A spotlight shone on a tall man in a white suit on the stage. He waved his hands, magically summoning a wand. The crowd cheered for his trick.
“Thank you!!! I am The Great Butler! I’m here to entertain you with my magic, but I cannot do it without my assistants. Behold!” Butler waved his wand, making a tall box appear. “This box is empty, see?” He opened the box to show the crowd, then closed it. “I shall summon my main assistant from ths empty box!”
With that, Butler tapped the box with his wand. It transformed into a top hat, which Butler caught. He set it on the floor and waved his wand over it. The hat levitated, revealing a Gardevoir underneath. The crowd went wild.
“Did you see that?!?” Anabel exclaimed. “That was amazing!”
“Gardevoir!!” Butler shouted. “And my other assistants, Mightyena and Dusclops!!”
The hat exploded in midair and transformed into a Mightyena and a Dusclops.
“Thank you, thank you! For my next trick, I shall defy all laws of science! Go, Tropius!”
Butler threw a Poké Ball, releasing his Tropius.
“Now, Gardevoir...Mightyena....Dusclops.....get on Tropius!” The three Pokémon jumped onto Tropius’s back. “Folks, this weight is rather heavy, as you may imagine. Watch as I effortlessly levitate the entire stack!”
Butler waved his wand, and Tropius began to float in the air with the others on its back. The crowd watched in stunned silence.
“Behold!!” Butler spun the wand, causing Tropius to effortlessly rotate in the air. The crowd cheered.
“Thank you! Tropius, come back!” Butler led Tropius down, then returned it to its Poké Ball. For my next trick, I will need two volunteers. Anyone?”
“Let’s do this, Anabel,” Rich said.
“Pick us!” Anabel called as they both raised their hands.
“Let’s see....how about the blue haired lady and her guy friend over there!” Butler pointed straight at Rich and Anabel, who screamed with excitement and ran down onto the stage. “May I have your name, sir?”
“Rich.”
“Welcome to The Great Butler’s Magic Show, Rich. And you, pretty lady?”
“I’m Anabel.”
“Rich and Anabel. Give ‘em a hand!” The crowd cheered for Rich and Anabel. “This trick will honestly be death-defying, and I promise you the thrill of your lives! Rich, Anabel, stand on these two platforms here.” Rich and Anabel each stood on a platform on the stage. “Folks, you can see that Rich and Anabel are not protected in any way, shape, or form. They shall be subject to the strength of legendary power! For this trick, I’ll need help from my very special assistant, Regice!!!”
At Butler’s command, the back of the stage exploded. A platform rose up with the large Regice on it.
“Ashley...” Steven said. “I have got a real, real bad feeling about this...”
“I do too.....”
“As you likely know, Regice is the legendary Pokémon of ice,” Butler continued. “Its freeze abilities are unmatched. What we will do.....is have Rich and Anabel blasted by its ice!!!! That is, ice of negative 150 degrees!!!” The crowd gasped. “And now, the big moment! Five.....four.....three......two.......one...........Regice, do it!!!!!!!!!”
Regice reared back, glowed with black mist, and blasted a huge beam of dark ice at Rich and Anabel.
“Metagross and Aggron, stop that thing!!!”
Steven lept from the crowd and released Metagross and Aggron, who absorbed the attack without harm.
“Whoa! What are you doing?!?!” Butler cried out.
“You fiend!” Steven responded. “That wasn’t a harmless magic trick, you were going to hurt them with a Shadow Pokémon!”
“It all adds up!” Rich added. “The Shadow Admin here is Butler!”
“Ohohohoho!!!!” Butler laughed. “You kids are quite intelligent! Now, we shall do the grand finale, a spectacular showing of the magic Pokémon show in battle!”
“Bring it, Great Villain!” Rich jumped off his platform to battle Butler.
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Pkmn Trainer Rich ---vs.--- Shadow Admin Butler
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[Butler holds his hands together, makes two fists, then pulls them apart to make a wand appear]
“I think I shall give you a taste of my power before I destroy you. Tropius and Gardevoir, go!”
Butler re-released Tropius, and Gardevoir came up next to it.
“This won’t be too big a deal! Milotic, Tyranitar.....go!!!”
Rich threw two Poké Balls, sending out Milotic and Tyranitar.
“Gardevoir, show them your powers! Thunderbolt!!”
Gardevoir hit Milotic with electricity, stunning it and doing strong damage.
“Milotic!!! Use Ice Beam!”
Milotic tried to attack, but couldn’t.
“Hahahaha!! See? Thunderbolt paralyzed your Milotic! Tropius, finish it with Magical Leaf!”
Tropius blasted glowing leaves at Milotic, knocking it out.
“Milotic.......come back! Go, Ludicolo!” Rich threw another Poké Ball, releasing Ludicolo. “Tyranitar, Rock Slide!”
Tyranitar launched rocks at both Gardevoir, which took some damage, and Tropius, which was knocked out.
“Good trick! Tropius, return! Mightyena, it’s your turn!” Mightyena jumped into the battle with a growl. “Gardevoir, Psychic!”
Gardevoir aimed a psychic blast at Ludicolo, which did an average amount of damage.
“And now, Mightyena, Crunch!!”
Mightyena followed up Gardevoir’s attack by crunching on Ludicolo.
“Ludicolo, use Hydro Pump!” Ludicolo blasted Mightyena with a jet of water. “Tyranitar, Crunch!”
Tyranitar delivered the powerful Crunch attack, finally defeating Gardevoir.
“Argh! You are quite skilled, I admit! Gardevoir, return! Now, this is the end of the games for you. Go, Salamence!!!”
Butler threw a Poké Ball, summoning the massive dragon Salamence.
“Salamence, Aerial Ace!!”
Salamence flew up in the air, grabbed Ludicolo, spun around, and threw Ludicolo down. The attack caused it to faint.
“No! I-I........Ludicolo, come back! Go, Alakazam!”
Rich replaced Ludicolo with Alakazam.
“Hahahahah!!!! Mightyena, Crunch again!!”
Mightyena crunched on Alakazam, instantly causing it to faint.
“Ahahahah, what’s wrong, Rich? Could it be that one of us is actually stronger than you? Tell you what, I’ll cut you a deal. Forfeit now and join us, and you won’t be harmed!”
“You.......I will never join you. Never!!!” Rich began to lose his calm. “What you monsters did to me and my family and what you’re doing now....both are despicable!!”
“Oh, is the Great Rich losing his temper now?” Butler teased. “Go on, fight me. You won’t win.”
“Yes I will, as I can do some tricks of my own! Gooooooooooo.........Salamence!!!!!”
Rich sent out his own Salamence, to the shock of all.
“Rich, you have a Salamence?” Anabel asked.
“Yes. I deposited Slowking in the PC system last night and added Salamence to my team. Like it, Butler?!?!”
“It is a fine creature....but no match for me! Mightyena, Frustration!”
Mightyena glowed red, then charged at Rich’s Salamence. The attack did little damage.
“Tyranitar, time to win this! Brick Break!”
Tyranitar punched Mightyena with incredible force, knocking it out.
“This isn’t over, Rich!! Come back, Mightyena! Go, Dusclops!”
Dusclops arose from a shadow on the floor to take Mightyena’s place.
“Salamence, show that magician what you can do! Dragon Claw!”
Rich’s Salamence attacked Butler’s Salamence with a brutal claw move, defeating it.
“Hmmm....that isn’t right! Salamence, return! Go, Regice!!!”
Butler waved his wand, cuing a bolt of black ice that struck the ground, summoning Regice.
“Rich, be careful!” Anabel called. “That’s his Shadow Pokémon!”
“Like you’re gonna Snag it!” Butler taunted. “Regice, Shadow Chill!”
Regice blasted a beam of dark ice at Rich’s Salamence, doing heavy damage.
“Tyranitar, Rock Slide!”
Tyranitar once again used Rock Slide, doing decent damage to both Regice and Dusclops.
“Dusclops, Destiny Bond!”
Dusclops and Rich’s Salamence glowed with dark light, then both fainted.
“Ah, clever move! Salamence, come back! Blaziken, go!”
Rich sent out his last Pokémon, Blaziken.
“Blaziken, Sky Uppercut!”
Blaziken delivered a powerful uppercut to Regice, knocking it down to its back.
“This is it! Snag Ball, go!”
Rich wound up and threw a Snag Ball at Regice..........
...and Snagged it.
“Yes! We got Regice!”
“My show is ruined! I have no more tricks!”
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“Noooo.....how can this be??!?! After I was so nice to you and all.....”
“Huh?” Ashley wondered. “What do you mean?”
“Take a look,” Butler answered, then took out a shiny flower from his suit pocket. “This is a Time Flower, capable of recording events and playing them back later. When I activate it, Anabel, make sure you watch it through your Shadow Scope.”
“Alright...” Anabel responded, confused.
“Behold!”
Butler opened the Time Flower’s petals, creating a hologram of when Rich met the governor after battling Jimmy.
“Whoa!” Anabel shouted, startled. “Butler was Max Bet! The governor!!”
“Are you kidding??!!” Rich was equally startled.
“Yes, I posed as the governor of this island to observe you, knowing I would have to battle you. I can’t believe Jimmy beat you but I couldn’t.....”
“I don’t get it....” Steven said. “I remember the Fake Groudon incident of years ago. Butler, didn’t you become a full-time magician, not to mention your love for Dianne?”
“You question my love for Dianne?!” Butler grew angry. “I joined Enigma Shadow out of love for her! It is the only way to protect her from the coming disaster! You just wait, Rich. I may have lost now, but I shall return and take great pleasure in destroying you with my amazing magic! And we already have the Ruby Plate, so your efforts were futile!! Ahahahahahahh!!!!”
Butler waved his wand again, disappearing in a puff of smoke.
“That....was disturbing,” Rich said. “But look, he dropped another one of those disks.”
[=====================================]
SHADOW POKÉMON PROJECT
REPORT #4
Ancient prophecy discovered at Diamond Rock:
Five stones, wielding the power of the rainbow.....
They shall be gathered....
The end is not the end.....
The true face of evil shall show....
The seas will rage, the ground crumble, and the sky fall.....
The Hero of Light will fight against the cataclysm......
But he alone is not strong enough.....
An ally will come forward at the darkest hour.....
He will do a brave deed to aid the Hero....
And the world shall be balanced again.
[=====================================]
“Whoa,” Rich said in shock. “That’s some heavy stuff there....”
“It sure is...” Steven agreed. “I gotta unwind after all this. Want to go to White Castle?”
“What, and end up like Harold and Kumar?!” Ashley joked. “Let’s go back to the room and relax.”
All agreed, then they left the theater.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Nascour, Noland, and Queen Shadow stood inside the completed Dark Lugia at the lab.
“All functions are completed,” Noland reported. “Development went well ahead of schedule, as did testing and reasearch and development.”
“Excellent,” Queen Shadow replied. “This airship will be what we need to complete the mission once and for all.”
Suddenly, Donald and Sheila ran up into the airship.
“Master Nascour!” Shiela yelled.
“What? What is it?”
“We were defeated!” Donald whined. “So was master Butler!”
“Ugh. So I assume Rich got the disk with the prophecy on it?”
“Yes, master Nascour....”
“You fools disgust me! Where are the rest of the plans?!”
“I don’t....”
“Idiots!! Tear these islands apart until you find those plans! And bring me those fools, I want them alive!!”
“Yes, Darth......uh, Nascour!!!”
Donald and Sheila fled the ship after Nascour’s outburst. Suddenly, Noland’s cell phone began ringing.
“Hello? You.....you what!?!???! Are you serious? You obtained the DNA for that too!??!? Clone it and make a Shadow Pokémon at once!”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The next morning, the heroes prepared to set off for Pearl Key.
“Well,” Rich said, “I must say that was a rather interesting leg of our quest.”
“To be sure,” Steven agreed.
Suddenly, the image on the TV switched to the news, like earlier.
“I’m Ron Burgundy, and this is another breaking news report! We are receiving word of bizarre weather conditions from various regions. First, the arid desert region of Orre is reporting heavy rains, as much as a foot every 24 hours. For that we go to Ancha, stationed at the weather lab in Realgam Tower.”
At that, a blue-haired woman appeared.
“Yes, Ron, this is completely unheard of for the Orre region. The rains began yesterday and have not stopped since. Meteorologists are baffled by the storm, which did not appear on any radar, instead it just seemingly materialized over Orre yester---“
The TV went to snow, then Ron reappeared.
“We seem to have lost our connection with Ancha. While we try to get her back, we have another quick news flash. Chancellor Lawrence, due to the recent rise in violence, has halted all boat travel among the Metalico Islands region.”
Anabel turned the TV off, then turned to Rich in disgust.
“Now what do we do?!!”
“Hehehe. I knew this would come in handy one day. Go, Milotic!” Rich released Milotic, then grinned at the others. “Are you thinking what I’m thinking?”
“I think I am....” Anabel responded, then she released a Kingdra. “We Surf to Diamond Rock, taking a stop at Pearl Key.”
“Great! Let’s do it!” Ashley answered excitedly.
Only two islands remain for the heroes to save. But with the Dark Lugia complete and another ultimate Shadow Pokémon being prepared, it may be too late. Queen Shadow’s plot is quickly progressing---it may be far too late to stop her.....
END of CHAPTER FOUR