"She's beautiful....." "Sure is...." Ash blinked as he found himself in a hospital. The light was streaming in the window. The figures were too brightly illuminated for him to recognice. "What will we call her?" the woman asked. "Sakura." "Then it's Sakura." To punctuate the statement, the scene froze. Ash then scowled. "Okay old man, come on out!" "I can't, and there's a perfectly good reason for it!" the voice protested. "Oh PLEASE!" Ash snorted. The door then opened to reveal Ranma. "Ash?" "Ranma?" Ash inquired. "Ash?" Then, all went white. <><><> "Damnit! Not this again!" Ranma groaned as he sat upright. He was in a forest as he sat up. "I found it!" Ranma turned to see a young man with long blue hair and a sword strapped to his back holding something in his cupped hands. He was addressing a blonde girl in a dress with long ears. "Isn't it hot?" the girl asked. "No, it's alright!" Ranma walked up to them as he asked, "Um, excuse me...." But the pair ignored him as they continued their conversation. Ranma waved his hands, phased through them a few times and then tried to bash the head in of the blue haired boy. Nothing. Ranma grunted angrily. "Damnit. HEY OLD MAN!" "What is it?!" the voice snapped. "When are you gonna show yourself?!" "Not yet, later. Later boy." Then, a door materialized in the middle of the field where the pair had once stood. "Take that door out of this dream. We'll see each other again." "Yeah.... okay." Ranma did so, the door opening to a hospital room where Ash stood. "Ranma?" Ash asked. "Ash?" Ranma blinked. Then all went white. <><><> (Opening theme : Liberi Fatali : Final Fantasy VIII) (A shot of something racing across the seas) Excitate vow e somno, liberi mei. Cunae non sunt. (An eyecatch of a pair appearing out of thin air, weapons at the ready.) Excitate vow e somno, liberi fatali. Somnus non eat. (A shot of a figure locking together) Surgite. Invenite hortum veritatis. Ardente veritate Urite mala mundi. (A scene of Misty looking up, Jenette at her back) Ardente veritate Incendite tenebras mundi. (A pair fighting in the middle of a broken district, explosions everywhere.) Valete, liberi, Diebus fatalibus. (Then, all goes white as the Logo appears.) A Pokemon, Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction Developed for the new Millennium Pokemon 2000 : The Directors Cut The ReWrite of Pokemon 152 - ? 2000 written by Shaun Garin revised by WarChild based on an idea by Kahlil Noriega written with the authors permission <><><> Episode 3 : Designs of Power <><><> "MOM!" Mrs. Sora Ketchum raced out to greet the wayward Pokemon trainer, sweeping Ash up in a big hug. Behind him, Brock, Misty, Ranma, and James all piled out of the balloon. "So Ash, who's your friends?" asked his mother. "Mom, this is Misty, Brock, James and cousin Ranma, auntie Nadoka's son." "How'd you do Auntie?" Ranma said, bowing respectfully. Sora burst out into smiles and hugged the taller boy. "My, Nadoka did well for herself. And who's this again?" she asked, turning to James. "I'm James, an EX-Team Rocket Member. Ash and I resolved our differences back in Tokyo. Nice to meet you ma'am." Mrs. Ketchum nodded, then thought. "That's funny, there's three Pokemon here, looking for a man named James. There's a Lickatung, an Arbok and a talking Meowth." "Meowth is here?" James moved past the crowd and opened the door. "Meowth! Answer me!" The group entered the dining room where the three Pokemon were eating away at the food set before them. Meowth looked up and grinned. "Hey James. Finally showed up huh?" "Yeah. Wait, if Arbok and Lickatung are here, then..." "CAAAAAAAAT!" Ranma headed for the hills as the group sighed. Meowth and the other two paused in their eating to watch the other run far far away. "James, sit down and I'll tell you what happened to Jessie." "What happened to Jessie?" went Misty. "Long story you guys, and I came to ya cause I figure ya can probably help us," Meowth answered. "You guys must be desperate to come to us. What's wrong?" Brock added. "Well, it's like this..." Meowth began, as he related the tale of his and Jessie's eventual encounter of the ex-Grandmaster of the Pokemon League and founder of the Anything Goes martial art style Happosai, up to the awakening of the demon Pokemon Missingno. "And that's the whole story," Meowth concluded. "Are you sure? You and Jessie met up with that Pokemon? The Pokemon that can actually warp your brain?" asked Brock. "Of course I did and I'm glad to be with you guys. Missingno is not a pushover of a Pokemon. And Happosai, despite being a shrunken old man, is very much a dangerous guy himself," Meowth answered. "I hate to break this conversation but the food is getting cold and Ranma's not here," interjected Mrs. Ketchum. "I forgot. Cousin Ranma practices Anything Goes. Maybe he knows Happosai. We should get him," Ash left the table to get his cousin. "Meowth, you should leave. Ranma has a fear of cats and he doesn't want to be near one in close proxmity." James explained. "Well then... I guess I'll be off then. See you twerps later." <><><> "Know Happosai? I LOATHE him...." was Ranma's response. "Man, you the sound of it you really hate the guy," Ash replied. "Hate only begins to describe it. The old freak is a major pervert. He's always coming up with a plan to glomp my curse form, whether it's splitting my curse or locking me in it. Not to mention he always has a penchant for stealing woman's underwear. Pops and Mr. Tendo are afraid of him, and are always kowtowing to him because he is the founder of the Anything Goes Schools of Martial Arts," Ranma explained. "When I think your life didn't get any worse, you always find a way to top it." remarked Misty. "No kidding. You know, Pops and Mr. Tendo would always hoped that he would kick the bucket one day. Heck, before I was born they tried to get rid of him by getting him drunk, knocking him out, and sealing him in a cave with lots of dynamite. It was only recently that the old freak decided to breka out and make my life worse." "Um... what was that all about a curse, nephew?" asked Mrs. Ketchum. "Let me show you." With that, Ranma demonstrated his curse, and went into full detail about his life from his training trip to the present. "If it wasn't for my old man, I wouldn't had a life such like that..." Ranma stopped, as Sora began giggling to herself. "Hey, it isn't silly. This is my life we're talking about." "Sorry nephew," Sora replied, keeping her giggles down. "But it's good to know that some districts of Tokyo hasn't changed since I moved to the islands." "What do you mean mom?" Ash questioned. "Well, when I was your age Ash, Tokyo is at what you could say a crossroads. Three of its districts, Odiaba, Juuban, and Nerima, seemed to be targeted for some kind of weirdness," Sora began. With that Sora related all the weirdness that occured during the seventies. The Sailor Senshi in Juuban, the Tag Race and the Tomboki group in Nerima, and the Digital Encounter in Odiaba. "You see, ever since then, certain districts of Tokyo has been a magnet for weirdness." "Now I see what you mean auntie. But I still think I got the crazy life of all us," Ranma replied, now knowing he wasn't the only one with a weird life. "Well don't worry about it cuz. We're relatives right? We'll stick it through the good and the hard times," Ash said, placing his arms around his cousin. "We'll find a way to beat this Missingno and stop Happosai as well." "You're right. I'll never back done from a fight. Ranma Saotome doesn't lose." "Well, now that we know there is a major problem ahead of us, what's next?" asked Misty. "The only one thing we can do," Ash said, standing up. "Train hard for the Pokemon League." <><><> And that's what they did. With the help of his cousin Ranma, his friends Brock and Misty, and his former enemy James, Ash prepared for the Pokemon League, for two weeks at least. Because as the time went by, somewhere, deep within him, a faint power grew within him. Ash, in bed, grimaced as he turned over, clutching at his pillow, still asleep. Again came the wave of pain. Not full screaming pain, but a dull deep pain that kept him grimacing in his sleep. Ash groaned as he turned over. The reddish object pulsed twice more before settling down in the night. Pikachu cracked open an eye as he sat up, touching Ash's forehead. "Pika," he muttered. "Pika pi, pikachu." <><><> "Good morning honey," Sora Ketchum greeted. "your friend Brock made breakfast today." Ash nodded absently as he sat down slowly, in seeming pain. Misty noticed this and blinked. "Are you alright Ash?" "Yeah, just some heartburn or something like that from last night's meal." "My meals NEVER gave you heartburn before Ash," Brock said, frowning. "Something the matter?" "I'm fine," Ash protested, earning a glance from Ranma who was eating in front of him. Ranma eyed him. "Not even close Ash, you're running a fever." Ash closed his eyes. "I'm fine, really." "You're not doing ANY Pokemon Training in this state," Sora said, folding her arms. "You are going to march right up to bed in this state." "Aw mom!" Ash protested. "I feel fine, really!" Sora laid a hand over his forehead and shook her head. "No, you're burning up. Go to bed now young man, that's an order." Ash sighed. "Yes mother." Sora sighed. "Misty, can you make sure Ash gets into bed?" "Sure Mrs Ketchum," Misty replied. "Brock, in the cabinet there's a bottle of Tylenol. Can you give that to Ash? I need to make a phone call." "Sure thing Mrs. Ketchum." Brock and Misty went off to acomplish their respective tasks as Sora picked up the phone. "Who are you calling Mrs. Ketchum?" James asked, walking into the room, yawning. The phone rang for a minute. Then, someone picked up. "Hello, UN? Yes, this is Mrs. Ketchum, I'd like to speak to my husband please. Yes, I'll hold." "Ash's dad works for the United Nations?!" Ranma exclaimed. Sora nodded. "He's the ambassador to the Digital World." "I thought the twerps father was a soccer player," James added. Sora shook her head. "Oh, hi Tai. Ash is sick. Are you able to make it home?" <><><> "Sora, you know I'm kinda busy right now," Tai said over the phone as Agumon and Biyomon flipped through the channels, fighting over the station to watch. "Between Soccer and trips to the Digital World, things are a bit hectic." "This is important Tai," Sora replied. "Ash.... looks even paler than Kari looked when she was sick. And he's showing that stubborn streak you do." Tai sighed. "I'll be on the next flight home. And Sora? Sorry about the long absence from home." "It's okay," she replied. "Just come home now. I know that your work takes up a lot of time. Just like my dad when I was Ash's age. Just come home." "Okay. Love you." "Love you too." CLICK. Tai sighed as he buzzed his secretary. "Linda, cancel my appointments. I'm headed home to the Archepalgo." "Yes sir," came the reply. "Are we finally going home to see Sora?" Biyomon asked. "Yeah," Tai nodded. "Get your stuff together, we'll take the jet to the Archepalgo." <><><> "Ash, for the umpteenth time, get back in bed!" Misty practically shoved the younger boy into his bed as Ash finally relented. "Okay, okay. It's not like I'm gonna die from this cold." "A sick Pokemon Trainer never trains when he's not 100 %. It affects the Pokemon itself," Brock intoned wisely. "Pikachu," Pikachu nodded as well. "Okay, so it's all of you against me." Ash grumbled. "I should feel so lucky." "Well, you should," Misty grumped. "Ash!" Sora stuck her head inside the room. "I made you some chicken soup!" Sora emerged with the soup as she gave it to Ash. "This should help you." "Thanks mom." Ash took a sip of the warm broth as Sora smiled. "So much like your father. Oh, he's coming home now." Ash did a classic Jerry Lewis spit take as he hacked and coughed. "WHAT?!" he exclaimed. "Dad's actually coming home?" "Isn't your father the famous Tai Ketchum, the soccer player AND Digital World ambassador?" Brock inquired. "Yeah. He was always away, but he tried to come home for every christmas AND birthday." Ash smiled. "I suppose sometimes, it was a blessing to see him when I got home at times." The glowing red seed pulsed. Ash clutched at his chest, shuddering. The soup bowl dropped to the floorboards as Misty, Brock, Sora and Pikachu were at his side immediately. "Ash!" Misty exclaimed. "Are you okay?" "I'm... fine," he managed. "But what a loss of soup." "I'll make another one," Brock said, picking up the bowl. "And get a mop in here as well." Sora nodded. "Soup base is in the cupboards." "Are you sure you're okay?" Misty prodded. "Geez Misty, you sound like mom," Ash said, smiling weakily. "Don't worry, I'll be fine." <><><> Ranma punched against the tall smooth log he found. Having wrapped the top in thick rope and buried most of it into the ground, the board was roughly shoulder height on him. Several smooth branches had been an added bonus as he weaved hands and feet around the front of it. "Do you do this all the time?" Meowth asked behind him. Ranma stiffened in fright as Meowth sighed. "You're pretty frightened of Meowth ain'tcha?" "Petrified," was the reply. It took all of Ranma's will power to not scream and run halfway across the small mainland. "So, what's this fighting stuff all about?" Ranma took a steadying breath. "It's basically a harmonization of the body, mind and soul. Things just move in tandem once you've actually learned and integrated it into instinct." Meowth nodded, keeping a careful distance from Ranma before he went ballistic, run screaming for the hills or Neko. Or a combonation of all three. "Hey kid, Meowth's got a deal for ya. I help you with your fear of cats, and you teach me this Martial Arts thing. Okay?" "And how will I know you won't scratch me?" Ranma stuttered. "You're just gonna hafta trust Meowth." "I've... gotta think about this for a bit." Ranma turned towards the house and headed inside where Ash and Misty were having a heated arguement. Misty was forcing Ash back into a recliner while Ash was protesting. It was fairly obvious he was running quite a temperature. "I'm fine, really!" Ash started to cough as Misty forced him down onto the recliner with a shove. "You, are not going anywhere," she stressed, grabbing a blanket, draping it over the younger boy. "You are running a fever today. You need some rest. Someone else can train your Pokemon for a while." Ash sighed, leaning back in the overstuffed chair. "Fine, fine. Be that way." Ranma leaned on the doorstop. "Hey, can I have five minutes alone with Ash?" Misty looked up. "As long as he gets some rest. And if needs something, you get it for him or call one of us." With that, the red head stomped out into the kitchen where the sound of Brock and Sora cooking in the kitchen. "Feel any better?" Ranma asked, sitting down beside him. Ash rolled his eyes. "I'm fine, really." "Seriously, you look pale as a sheet," Ranma said, resoaking the cold cloth and replacing it on his cousin's head. "You'll need to get some rest. Even pop's made sure that I recovered before I continued training." The younger man groaned. "I suppose so. So.... who's gonna train my Pokemon if mom and the others want me in bed?" Ranma shrugged. "I'll do it." Ash chuckled. "Seriously." "No seriously." Ranma replied. "I'll do it. I need the practice and maybe I can pick up a technique or two from them." Ash reached down next to his belt and picked up the Pokeballs that were situated on the side. "Here. You'll need this then." Ranma took the Pokeballs and strapped the belt on, adding his own Pokeball to it while Pikachu accended his shoulder. "I'll get right to it." "Thanks cousin, I owe you one. Can you release them for a second?" Ranma nodded and did so. Ash then quickly instructed them to learn from Ranma and were recalled shortly afterwards. The elder teen then got up as he moved to the door of the kitchen and said, "I'm going out to train Ash's Pokemon!" "Okay, be back for supper!" Sora called out. "Alright!" <><><> "And one and two and three and four...." The Pokemon had quickly fallen into the patterns of Anything Goes, as Ranma drilled the techniques into them for the past two weeks. Ranma had discovered that they had quite the learning curve, much like he did and they were steadily improving. Already, Ranma had assessed their innate chi reserves and started to work on different aspects of their technique. Charizard was the problem but after getting his butt kicked by Pikachu in a short sparring match, he had become determined to learn. Another challenge for him was teaching Bulbasaur Anything Goes. But the small plant dino had proven to be surprisingly adgile for it's four footed statue, and was able to move it's vines quickly to mimic front arms. And another challenge was adapting Pigeotto to the Anything Goes style. But since he was an aerial type, it was actually easier for it to maintain attacks in the air. Most of Ash's Pokemon were picking up very quickly on Ranma's techniques, as with Ranma. Due to his incredible learning curve for the art, Ranma had picked up the basis of the Solar Beam and Pikachu's Thundershock, albiet a bit weaker than normal thundershocks. But the power was growing. As the group of Pokemon and a suppliment trainer took a break, Ranma dished out the food as he heard a loud arguement taking place. The martial artist looked up to see a group of black clothed men with hats and red R's on thier chest, attacking a small group of beginner trainers. Two were girls, one of them dressed in travelling clothes while the other was dressed in a skirt with a jacket and backpack. The boy had a net strapped to his back. "Give us your Pokemon!" the leader of the black uniformed men demanded. "No!" Jess, one of the female trainers shouted, holding her Pokeball. "They' re mine!" "We're warning you!" another man shouted. "There's too many!" Don, the bugcatcher of the group said, backing up from the mob of men. Suddenly, a electric bolt lanced out as two of the men were cut down and Ranma with the Pokemon landed in front of them. "I suggest you guys leave them alone," he declaired, cracking his knuckles. "Get lost kid," another man said. "No wait Charlie, he's got Pokemon. Heh, this'll be easy since they're all out of their Pokeballs." Charizard snorted something while Pikachu leapt off of Ranma's shoulder, his cheek pouches sparkling. Squirtle and Bulbasaur took stances while Pigiotto circled overhead. "I doubt we'll let you take these kid's Pokemon." "We'll see about that. Go Rhyhorn!" "Golem! Go!" "Stantler, attack!" The three remaining Rockets threw out their Pokemon as Ranma grinned. "Okay people, lets plow the road!" With a battle cry, Ranma and the Pokemon leapt into the fray, punching and kicking, squirting, whipping, flaming and shocking. Within moments, it was all over as the Rocketeers joined their friends in unconciousness on the ground. Ranma shrugged. "Hmm... too much force?" "Pikachu," Pikachu said, shaking his head. "Pika pika." Ranma turned to the two girls and the boy and said, "You kids okay?" "Yeah," Lasselle said. "That was amazing!" Don proclaimed. "I never saw anything other than fighting Pokemon take on Rocketeers bare handed." "Can we battle?" Jess inquired, holding up her Pokeball. Ranma shook his head. "I'm just training the Pokemon for my cousin who's sick for a while. If you wanna battle later, find the Ketchum residence and ask Ash for a chance to do so." "Okay!" The three trainers moved off, talking amidst each other as Ranma let Pikachu back onto his shoulder. "Lets get back to our meal guys," Ranma said, turning back into the woods where they were previously training. <><><> "Hi Usagi, this is Linda, Tai's secretary. Something has come up and Tai has to cancel the appointment with you. A family emergency came up, and I don't know when he'll be back. Sorry. Bye." With that the answering machine stopped. "Family emergancy," Usagi said to herself as the answering machine ran it's course. She then reached into her desk and pulled out a bottle of Tylenol 3 and headed over to the water cooler. It would be a long day without Tai around to field some things. Just then, the intercom beeped once again. "Mrs. Chiba, there is a Rei Hino on the phone. She wants to speak to you." "Rei wants to speak to me?" Usagi asked herself, downing the medicine. She then pressed a button on the Intercom. "Patch her through." A few minutes later, the phone rang. "Chiba." "Hey Usagi," Rei said. "It's not like you to call me at work," Usagi said to her friend. "Is something the matter?" "Yeah.... can you come to the Temple? I know your busy and all but..." "Sure thing," Usagi said smiling. "I'll be there in a bit." <><><> "Doorbell," Brock said. "I'll get it, you can keep on working with Ash." Sora wiped her hands on a rag as she headed to the door and opened it up. "Hello?" "Hey there short stuff!" boomed the voice. In came Bruno, one of the Elite Four, and Sora's longtime friend as he hugged her. Sora smiled as she pulled away. "I got the message. So, where's the kid you wanted me to see so many years ago?" "You could have just called beforehand," Sora said, shaking her head. "What, and miss out on this?" Bruno said with a grin. "Who's at the door Mrs. Ketchum?" Brock asked, walking into the room. His jaw dropped a meter. "This him?" Bruno asked, jerking a thumb at the boy. "No, that's Brock, from Pewter City Gym. Ash! Someone's here to see you!" "If it's Gary, send him away," floated Ash's voice down from his room. "It's not Gary! It's an old friend of mine, Bruno!" Ash walked down, still in his pajamas. "Bruno? What WHAAAGH!" "Hey there kiddo," Bruno said, waving. "Heh, looks like his old man and you but with a WAY different hair color." "It's from my side," Sora said. "Ash, this is Bruno." "I KNOW who is is mom," Ash exclaimed. "Wow, my mom knows Bruno of the Elite Four!" Bruno grinned as he shook the younger boys hand. "Nice to finally meet the kid Sora's been calling me about for so long." He then cast a glance at Sora and raised an eyebrow. "You trying to look like Delia there short stuff?" Sora blushed. "It's something I picked up." Brock, by then had rewound his jaw and was chanting, "I'm not worthy, I'm not worthy!" over and over again, bowing. Ash nudged him in the ribs as he got up. "I'm forever honored to be in your presence Master Bruno!" Brock exclaimed. "Just Bruno," the man said, "I HATE titles." Ash eyed the master. Tall, about six foot five with huge muscles, studded leather bracelets and wearing a pair of white ragged pants with no shoes. The member of the Elite Four was a sight to behold. <><><> "So you're Ash's friend?" Ranma asked of the teen beside him. Gary shrugged as the pair walked along the road towards Ash's house. "I wouldn't call him a friend, more like a Rival. Of course, he and his loser Pikachu couldn't stop me," Gary smirked, his cheerleading squad trailing right behind him. Pikachu's electric sacs sparkled at the casual insult but Ranma waved it off. "So, how come you're visiting Ash?" Gary shrugged. "Far be it from me to insult someone while they're sick. But I just wanna make sure he's well enough so I can kick his butt in the Pokemon League, if he's going to be well by the time it begins." The girls behind him started to chant some kind of Hail Gary thing as Ranma smirked. "He'll be fine." "Hey Ranma!" Ash then called from the side of the road. Ranma looked up and scowled. "Ash, you should be in bed!" Ranma exclaimed. "Like what I said," Misty seconded, hauling him into the house. "Come inside, one of Mrs. Ketchum's friends is here to visit." Ranma and Gary exchanged glances as they entered the house. Gary did a creditable Brock imitation as Ranma just blinked. "So, who's the bodybuilder?" he asked. "Hi," Bruno greeted. "Oh, you must be Ranma and Gary Oak. Ash has been talking about you." His expression was strange, as if he was turning something over in his head. "Tell me, is your name really Saotome?" Ranma nodded as he relinquished Pikachu to Ash. "Yeah, why'd you ask?" "Thought so...." he sighed. "Nadoka." Ranma blinked. "You know my mother?" Bruno nodded as he let the pair sit down. Even Gary's Cheerleaders were shocked beyond comprehension. <><><> Back then, the Pokemon League held a tri monthly competition to see who was the best Pokemon Trainer in the world. Pokemon were more frequently seen outside of the Island, and I was down to one Pokemon: my Hitmonchan. My Opponent, a woman named Nadoka had beaten me down to one Pokemon, as I had done. Nadoka, already part of the League, offered me a charge: beat her, and gain an audience with the Elites and her. The other Elites, Loralei, Agatha, Lance and Samuel were surprised when I pulled out a hyperslam attack on Nadoka's Kingler. But, true to her word, she let me meet them. A fantastic banquet was thrown in my honor for beating the League Champion, and that night, Samuel announced that he was retiring to become a Professor. That, was how I became Bruno of the Elite Four. <><><> "It was almost twenty years ago," Bruno said, a wistful smile on his face. "Then, to my surprise, I wound up marrying Nadoka. I wish it lasted but a fight lead to a premature divorce." Jaws dropped around the room in shock as the nightimes cries of the Hoot Hoot were heard. Gary, who had stayed to listen to the tale, had a wistful and annoyed look on his face at the same time. "MOM?!" Ranma exclaimed. "Auntie Saotome?!" Ash added. "PIKA?!" Bruno looked at Ranma. "Mom? You mean to say that YOU are..." Ranma cleared his throat. "Ranma Saotome, son of the League Champion." Bruno facefaulted. "Then that means that..." Misty started. "That Ranma is your step-son Mr. Bruno." Brock finished. "The Twerp's family gets bigger than ever now," James commented. "Great, Ash gets all the breaks," Gary muttered. Bruno recovered from his shock. "But your mother...that is to say... she had only one kid, and that was with me!" Ranma's eyes widened. "What are you saying?" Bruno cleared his throat. "Nadoka had fallen ill after conceiving the baby. I had visited her in the hospital and the doctors said that a high temperature had caused sterility. She was married to Genma, (never liked that guy), and he was off on a training trip with some sort of ancient pervert." "So Mrs. Saotome is actually..." "Mr. and Mrs. Bruno Miyabi." "Ranma Miyabi...." Ranma turned the name over in his head, testing the name given to him. His true name. Somehow, it felt right, as if he knew all along Genma was not his father. "I remember that day clearly. Before all this happened your mother had some kind of dream that caused her to toss and turn. When she did wake up, she was sweating furiously. I asked her what happened and all she said she had a nightmare. But before I could ask her to elaborate, the contractions started and I rushed her to the hospital. The rest, you know. The odd thing was, she never said anything more about the nightmare to me at all." Bruno shook his head. "But enough of this. We got to get some sleep, expectally you Ash." As the younger group retreated upstairs and Gary and his cheerleaders left, Bruno turned to Sora who sighed and said, "This is about Delia, isn't it?" "Yeah. I wanna know exactly what happened." Sora sighed and hung her head. "It was.... almost ten years ago. Tai and I had just broken up, I thought for good. My cousin Delia, your best friend, came over to comfort me and take me on a night on the town with some of her girlfriends." Sora paused before continuing. "It was.... well... she had a son, a little boy named Ash. A darling thing, his father skipped out on Delia so we were both in the same boat." Bruno wrapped an arm around Sora's shoulder. "You don't need to go on if you don't want to." "No, it's alright. When we were coming home, a drunk driver was speeding down the road. We didn't mind it at first but then he swerved to miss a cat.... and struck both me and Delia in front of my mothers shop. Fortunately, my mother was waiting up for me and saw the accident. I was in the hospital for two months recovering in a coma. Delia was... dead on arrival." Sora sighed as she picked up a picture. It showed Professor Oak, a much younger Delia, her hair in pigtails, two others, an older man and his wife, and a baby Ash. The other woman was a few months pregnant. "This was the last picture I had of her. In my sorrow, I started dressing like Delia, even dying my hair and wearing a similiar hairstyle. I even took on her mannerisms, like I was trying to emulate her being here for Ash. I grew it out, and even adopted Ash as my son. He knows, I told him years ago." "So that's it," Bruno said, heaving a sigh. "to think that you were beating yourself over the head about this all the time." "I always think... what if I was the one who died. Would Ash and Delia still be living?" Sora sniffed. "It's just so hard to talk about her right now." "It's okay. It's okay. And frankly, I'm a bit upset you never told me about this since we met. Delia was my friend too, Nadoka's as well. But keeping this from me for ten years?" Bruno put on a face of mock hurt. "I'm shocked." "You're not shocked," she said with a weak smile. "Maybe a bit upset. You knew, didn't you?" "I was at the funeral, and at your bedside during your coma." The phone then rang as Bruno grunted and rolled his eyes. "Just the luck to have someone call." With that he got up, heading for the stairs. "I guess I'll check on the kid." Sora smiled as she picked up the phone, noting the lack of video feed. "Hello? Tai?" "Yeah Sora. I'm at the airport. There seems to be a bit of trouble with the plane and some freak weather is coming up. I'll be back a bit later than planned." Sora sighed. "It's okay, Bruno came over." "I hope you're not swapping embarrasing stories," Tai teased. "Not even close." Sora giggled and then sighed. "Love you Tai." "Love you too Sora. I'm also really sorry honey, but Gennai called and he needs me in the Digital World right away! I'll come through the house when I'm done." "Okay then," Sora said, not liking the idea as Tai shrugged over the phone. "But keep frosty, and make sure you come home as soon as possible." "Thanks." Tai's cell phone clicked off. Sora put down the phone. "It's so hard being with him," she muttered as she put together a snack for Ash. Just the, the doorbell rang. "Who could that be?" Sora asked herself as she answered the door. Behind it was a lavender haired woman wearing a muted red skirt and blouse with large round lensed glasses. "Yolei?" Yolei nodded, tears welling in her eyes. "Hi Sora." Sora allowed the woman to enter the room. "What happened? Did and you Ken have a fight?" She wondered why in the world she had made her way all the way to the Archepalgo. "No... nothing like that.... oh Sora he's been missing for the past few weeks!" Sora lead the distraught woman into the living room. "Tell me all about it." "Well... he called one night to tell me that he was going undercover. It was supposed to be a day deal but he hasn't even reported in to the ADP about this. I'm worried out of my mind, so I left Hawkmon with the kids and came here, since his current assignment dealt with some Rocket based activity and.... did you dye your hair?" Sora blinked. "That's a bit off track, where'd that come from?" "Nothing it's just that... you look like your cousin Delia, that's all." The other woman rolled her eyes. "Tell you later. Anyways, so Ken has been missing for weeks now. That's not a big deal, he's been undercover for more than a month in the past." "I don't know, it feels... wrong somehow. That something is most definately wrong." "And you felt this way and left HAWKMON with the kids?" "He can take care of them, besides, Michiko, my eldest daughter can help with the chores." Sora sighed. "I guess it's alright...." "I'm still worried about Ken," Yolei said, sighing. "That man, I don't know what he's doing right now!" Then, her tone changed as she asked, "So, hows your son Ash?" "Same as ever." Sora got up and picked up a tray that she had for the younger Ketchum. "I need to see if he wants some food." "I'll help." <><><> "So this is what you wanted me to see Gennai?" Tai asked, looking at the temple wall. It was Centarumon's protectorate, the Temple of the Digivice. A large wall with a Digivice etched on the stone was seen. The eight glowing lights were new though. "Yes. It seems to me it does not react to myself, but if you touch it, perhaps it will react." Gennai said. "Go ahead Tai, try it!" Agumon urged. "There's no harm in that!" Biyomon added. "Okay, I know when I'm out voted," Tai chuckled, stepping up to the first light, glowing orange. Reaching out, the lights suddenly then flared and resolved into two items per glow. The item was shaped like a Digivice, except slightly bigger with a reader on the side. The other was a small egg shaped item but it was made of crystal with a symbol on the front. The Crest of Courage. "Another Digiegg?" Tai muttered to himself. "I don't think it's a Digiegg," Gennai said. "Those Digivices seem even more advanced than yours or even the second group. We'll call them D- Arcs. We'll call the stones the Digicrystals. One Crystal and D-Arc to one person." "So we need to get these things to whoever needs them." Tai reached out and suddenly, the eight objects flared and shot out through the wall without a mark. "This is getting wierd." <><><> Ash sighed as Bruno sat at his bedside, keeping an eye on the young trainer. Sure he was fainting at the slightest exertion. But that wasn't a chance to send him to bed, now was it? Frustration overruled common sence as he reached over and switched on the computer, intent on reading some people's online stories about their training journeys. Suddenly, Pikachu stiffened as a strange screen appeared on the computer. Bruno opened a bleary eye as he mummured, "Wha?" Sora opened the door. "Honey, would you like some... ASH!" With a cry, Ash, Pikachu and the nearby half asleep Bruno were sucked into the computer. Sora stood there for a brief second before she started to bang her head against the wall. Yolei came into the room, took one look at the screen with the Digiport still active. "Not again," she groaned as the Gate slammed shut. <><><> "Okay Ash, mind explaining this one?" Bruno asked, looking about the landscape. The air was clean, the sky was blue, and there were trees, grass and flowers as far as the eye could see. And high above was a flock of luminicent butterflies, flying across the sky. "I'm as much in the dark as you are," Ash replied. He then looked at the small device in his hand. In his other hand was a small orange crystal with a flame inside it and a thin metal piece that seemed to fit within the small reader on the side. "I wonder where we are." "Ash?" came a voice. Ash turned to see an elder man, short cut hair while wearing a suit. A small orange monster stood to his side that Ash dimly remembered, along with a big pink bird. Then, the face hit him. "Dad?" he asked, disbelieving. Tai smiled. "Hi son. What are you doing here?" "That should be my line," Ash replied as Bruno walked up to the elder Ketchum and looked him over. "Hi, I'm Bruno of the Elite Four," Bruno said, sticking his hand out. Tai grasped it. "I'm Tai, and this is Agumon." "Hi, welcome to the Digital World!" Agumon enthused. Ash gaped. "He can TALK?!" "Pi pikachu?" "So you're the neenerhammer that Sora married," Bruno continued, grinning. "She has good taste. Tai cast a glance at Bruno, grinning a half smile, and then he looked at the small device at Ash's belt. "A D-Arc. So THAT'S where the D-Arc went!" "What, you mean this thing?" Ash asked, holding up the small item in question, the item danging from a small strap. Tai nodded. "Gennai emailed me about a new Digi Core he found here on File Island. I think that there's some connection between that and the new D-Arc. How did you get here Bruno?" Tai inquried of the larger man. Bruno shrugged. "Got me. I was watching the kid and and I closed my eyes. The next thing I knew, I was here." "So you're still fainting from all that power in you?" Tai said to his son. "Yeah, I suppose so." Ash and Pikachu looked at Agumon and then he asked, "so, where are we?" "You're in the Digital World son," Tai said. "Lets get to the lab, and I'll explain on the way there." <><><> "You should have told us you were bringing guests Tai," Izzy joked as he, Ash, Bruno and Pikachu entered the large lab which was incidentially the Overdell Mansion. "Nice to finally meet you." "Ash, this is your uncle Izzy. His real name is Koushiro but we never call him that," Tai said. "Nice to meet you," Ash said, waving. Izzy nodded. "Thanks. So, Tai, Gennai beat you back here. Did you find out what happened to those D-Arc's you found in the Temple?" "Yeah, and we found where at least one went," Tai said, indicating his son. "Ash here got one, and Bruno was pulled in for the ride, as ludacrious as that sounds." "Sure, leave me out of it," Bruno joked, eyes twinkling. "In any case, you're the first few visitors to the Digital World. People know about this place but can't come here yet. Any reason why an extra person was brought here?" Izzy asked, now engrossed in the problem. "Not entirely sure," Tai said. "It could have been that Bruno was close to Ash when it happened," Agumon speculated. Tai nodded absently as he looked at his son. Then, he blinked. "You know, that hat is getting dirty and you need something." Digging into his pocket, he withdrew a brand new round lensed pair of goggles and handed it to Ash. "Consider it an early birthday gift." Ash blinked. "Goggles? What are these for?" "You wear them," Agumon put in. "They should look good on you." Ash shrugged and removed his hat, giving it to Pikachu who put it on his own head. Then, strapping them on, he looked in the mirror. The image staring back was quite a resemblance to his own father when he was younger, except he had black hair instead of brown. Pikachu smiled and nodded. "Pika pi." "Looks good on you kid," Bruno rumbled, looking over some of the outputs. The door to an inner room then whooshed open to reveal a young man in Jedi-like robes with short hair in the Obi-wan style, a small ponytail trailing down the back of his neck. "Glad to see you back Tai," Gennai greeted. Then he looked at Ash and his eyes widened. "What?" "Gennai, meet my son," Tai said, slinging a arm around his shoulder. "The resemblance IS uncanny," Izzy said, hiding a smirk at Gennai's open mouth. Few things could shock Gennai, and this was one of them. <><><> "We've gotta get him back!" Misty cried out angrily. "No good. Whatever sucked him into the computer at the bedside ain't giving him back," Yolei said, banging on the side of the monitor. "Argh! First Ken now Ash and Bruno! It's a conspiracy I tell you!" Sora rolled her eyes as she laid a hand on the younger woman's shoulder. "We'll find all of them soon. Trust me Yolei." Yolei grasped Sora's hand. "Thanks Sora." She then returned to working on the computer, the pace of her fingers revealing the worry she had for Ash and Bruno since Ken and Wormmon had dissapeared a few weeks ago. Misty sighed as she then retreated into the room behind her, shutting the door on the women at work. Ranma looked up, his expression concerned. "Still no sign of them?" "Nothing," she said, slumping into an easy chair. "Who am I kidding? It's like a conspiracy!" James shrugged. "At least Team Rocket isn't behind this," he added helpfully. "Thanks, I feel so much better," Misty stressed. "Calmness Misty, Mrs Ketchum and Mrs Ichijoji will find them," Brock said, pouring a cup of tea. "Here. Careful, it's hot." Misty acceped the drink as she sighed. "I don't know what to do anymore. It's like everything has been sent out of control." Ranma shrugged. When he was feeling helpless, his usual target of a log with rope wasn't around when he needed it. "Sorry I'm not much help," he said. Misty shrugged. "Don't worry about it." She then stared off into space as she kept on worrying. <><><> "This is a really strange Digivice variation," Izzy said, inspecting the small device on the lab table. "So, what's the deal with this one Izzy?" Tai asked. "Well, it seems to have the same functions as a D-3, but with a compact Digimon Analyzer inside it. Plus it has a function called Hybrid, but I don't know what that exactly means." "Hybrid Digimon are legends," Mr. Takeonoushi, Sora's father said from the other side. "But there's no data except a small poem inscripted in a stone found years ago." Tai groaned. "Great. Just what we need. What does it say?" "When the Chaos Giver meets the Chosen One, the powers combined will tame the beastial hearts as two become one. The powers of Light will shine in the darkest hours, as the world gives birth to two and the worlds original Chaos Giver shall return." "Not much of a poem," Izzy admitted. "More like a prophecy." "I admit we've had more than our share of propecy's lately," Gennai said. "But I think this may be connected to the Hybrid." Tai cast a glance at the boy who was now asleep. "I hope for Ash's sake, we find out what this is soon." <><><> Jessie sat in the room. It was warm and plush, like all of the rooms of the flying airbase. Even the cell that they had imprisoned this Ken person and Wormmon into, though reinforced with Chrome Digizoid, was decorated with white and black. Looking in the mirror, she stared at the Team Rocket outfit she wore. Black shirt, white skirt, white jacket with an R and long gloves and boots in the same dark purple material. She figured it was time for a change. Opening the dresser she was provided, she found a pair of black jeans and a black shirt all in her size. The clothing was merely a distraction as she cast a glance towards the balcony where the engmatic Mewtwo was standing. The large bipedal Pokemon was easily stronger than many of the monsters she had seen prowling the halls. Jessie sighed as she walked up towards him and stood beside him, feeling the winds from the flying airship that was their headquarters. Mewtwo looked out into the skies. *Who am I?* he asked, startling Jessie. "You're.... a Pokemon," Jessie answered. *No... I'm not a Pokemon. I was created in a lab. I am...* His hand clenched angrily. *A monster. But am I superior than Mew? Or less than superior?* "I can't answer that," Jessie said, shaking her head. Mewtwo smiled a bit. *I wasn't expecting that you could.* Returning his attention to the blue skies, he scowled. *I WILL find my purpose. What and why I was created. For what purpose. What IS my destiny?* "Hey!" The pair turned towards a Red Vegimon who was waving it's tendrils. "Master Missingno wishes you in the main audience hall." Jessie swept back her hair as she followed the Red Vegimon into the large audience hall. There stood a plethora of very powerful looking creatures. The one who looked like a devil stood up, his long arms trailing near the ground. "Welcome back Jessie, Mewtwo. You must be wondering why I had you kidnap that particular person," he began. "That is why I'm showing you my true form. I am the devil Digimon Devimon, also known as the Missing Number. The person you kidnapped is a Digidestined, who has thwarted one of my comrade, Myotismon, here." "You brought us here... and infused me with this power," Jessie said, letting her hands crackle with ruby light. "Yes. I have another assignment for the pair of you." *Wait. I wish to challenge Mew.* Devimon looked at Mewtwo and his eyes narrowed. A ball of energy suddenly crackled to life as it flared forwards at Mewtwo. Mewtwo's eyes flared blue as he held out a hand, the energy ball crashing to a halt. It was pushed backwards and then exploded outwards, leaving the group unscathed. The Fallen Angel Digimon nodded in appreciation. "As you wish, you may challenge this Mew, when the appropriate time comes." Jessie cast a glance at the stotic Pokemon, amazed at the display of power. 'Wow,' she thought. 'that was impressive.' "As for your assignment. You must journey to the frozen wasteland of the Artic Circle, and retrieve a black Disc." "And what is this Disc we have to retrieve?" Jessie asked. "The Disc holds a very powerful being known as the King of Monsters. His power is untold, as powerful as the Megas you see before you. His power is what we need to achieve our rule over the Digital World and the Real World." "Got a map?" Jessie asked. Devimon snapped his fingers and a small Solarmon handed her a map. "This will lead you to the disc. Now go, take the Mechanorimon that are sitting in the hangar." Jessie and Mewtwo nodded and left. As they headed down into the depths of the base, Mewtwo scowled. *I do not like this plan.* "Gut feeling?" Jessie asked. *...Yes.* As they left the chambers, Happosai entered the chambers. "Well, Happosai, you have returned," went Devimon. "And again, I must thank you for providing a source of power since our revival." "Don't mention it," Happosai replied, "as long you hold your end of the agreement." "Yes, I know. You want us help you to in regard to this Ranma person. Speaking of the agreement, there is something I like for you to do." "Spill it." Devimon snapped his fingers, and called for two Bakemon, which came in carrying a map of the Pokemon Archepalgo. "We had detected a surge of power in this area. We wish to not yet expose ourselves, so we decided to ask you to check it out." "Not a problem. After all, I'm headed there. It has been awhile since I went after my pretties, and besides, Ranma there too." With that Happosai left the chambers, leaving the Digimon to their scheming.