The Misdreavus Menace

Chapter Ten — Try to Spy

The transporter hummed into life and raised itself several inches off its landing frame. Inside, Ash sat nervously on the cold metal floor of the brightly lit control room next to Pikachu and Kadabra. Two Clefairy were standing at a control panel, operating levers and knobs. Two other Clefairy were standing nearby. Ash checked through the provisions he had in the makeshift backpack the Clefairy had prepared for him.

Kadabra warned Ash about what to expect.

You should not have any severe ill effects this time, but you need to brace yourself nonetheless.

Outside, the transporter emitted a pink glow beneath and rose several metres about the buildings below. A moment later, Ash was almost blinded by a flash of hot pink, then, for only a moment, felt nothing, as if he did not exist. Sensation returned suddenly with a lurch, nauseating him and sending his head in a spin. As he resisted the urge to throw up, he was glad that the control room had not been tall enough for him to be standing. He noticed Pikachu had lost his balance, but Kadabra reached out and caught him on time. He wondered if that was how Pokémon felt when they were teleported in Poké balls.

I'm sorry for the discomfort, Ash. You may be aware that the planet rotates. This is what causes night and day.

"Yeah. So what?" Ash replied to Kadabra. Science was not one of his strong points.

We have just been transported half way across the continent. The process tries to take the difference in local motion into account, but it's not perfect. One gets accustomed to the sensation eventually.

Ash finally breathed a sigh of relief when the transporter landed and the party disembarked save for the two pilots, who remained to guard the vehicle.

After an hour's walk, the party stopped for a rest.

I regret the long walk. We can't leave the transporter near the menace's territory for fear they may try to apprehend it.

"That's OK," Ash replied. At least he had had a chance to familiarize himself with the alien world. There was so much in common with his own planet: the sky was blue, the clouds white, plants were green. The ground had soil, somewhat paler in colour than earth's and often stony, but for all he knew that could have been merely a local aspect.

The differences from Earth, though, were striking. There was no bird life, not even flying insects. The plant life was recognizable as such and diverse as Earth's, but the shapes of the leaves, the texture of the bark, among other things, were distinctly unearthly.

The most striking difference was the thorough blend of rural and urban. Everywhere there were buildings and cobbled pathways, yet everywhere there was vegetation. Nothing was organized in columns and rows of a typical earthly town. It looked like the Clefairy were right: the whole land was occupied, at least by their sparse concept of the term.

Along the way, Ash had asked how come the three species of Pokémon lived on separate continents. Kadabra, and the two Clefairy through Kadabra, explained what they knew about the legends. According to old tales handed down, there were once only two continents. The Jigglypuff and Clefairy used to live on one, though they could not evolve because the mineral that they needed for that was only to be found on the other, as yet undiscovered, continent. According to the old legends, at that time Jigglypuff and Clefairy could interbreed.

Over the millennia, the continent split in two, and the two isolated species diverged to the point where interbreeding was no longer possible. The two pieces of the split continent eventually reached the opposite sides of the larger land mass where the Nidoran lived. Travel between all the land masses then became possible, but mountains rose up to keep the species apart. The Nidoran's continent also contained poisonous substances, and the Nidoran themselves were poisonous and their evolved forms dangerous, so travel between the continents was kept to a minimum. For these reasons, the Clefairy and Jigglypuff tended to keep to themselves.

In known history, apart from expeditions to prospect for Moon Stone, travel throught the Nidoran's land all but ceased when the Clefairy developed their teleportation technology. While that increased the social interchange between the Clefairy and the Jigglypuff, the two now divergent species essentially maintained their own independent societies.

Kadabra communicated again to Ash.

Ash, we'll go through the plan once more. Over that hill is a bay. Across the water is enemy territory. As the Clefairy cannot swim, the menace will not be expecting anyone to enter via the water, so, at least we hope, that approach to their land will be unguarded. You are to wait until nightfall, then swim across on your Wartortle. Scout around quietly, learn what you can, and swim back. We'll meet you here again at dawn.

Ash nodded.

Whatever happens, don't get caught.

Kadabra then pointed to a nearby house.

The Clefairy who live there are expecting you. They will offer you food and water and a place to rest until it's time for your mission to begin. You should take the opportunity to sleep now. Have you understood all that?

Ash nodded again.

Good luck.

Ash hugged Pikachu, said his good-byes, left the group and walked up to the house.

Wartortle came out of the water bearing Ash on its back. Ash moved behind the cover of a large boulder before recalling his Pokémon. He did not want the crimson flash to attract attention. He then put his shoes and socks back on, which he had removed to keep them dry. He was wise enough not to walk around squelching. He was sent here to spy, with next to no training, so he was forced to use what wits he happened to possess. He was told that the menace communicate psychically with each other, and that some sense of their conversation could be picked up if one was attentive enough. All he had to do was lurk around quietly, not get caught, and try to tune in.

Very carefully and stealthily, he made his way throught the darkened landscape with nothing but starlight to guide him. There did not appear to be any moon, at least none he had seen so far in his short time on the planet, but the Milky Way was brighter than on Earth. Ash had to be careful to remember his way back, so he made a mental note of every distinctive landmark he encountered along the way.

For some time, Ash did not see or notice anything. He was beginning to wonder if his mission would accomplish anything. Then, as he peered out from behind a bush, trying to plot his next step, he thought he saw something. He looked more carefully, and could barely make out a shadowy mass approaching. An occasional sparkle suggested eyes, probably catching the faint starlight.

It wasn't long before he could begin to sense their thoughts.

Plan...ready?

Attack soon.

Gather group...go...rock area.

We win this time.

The shadowy mass moved away, and as they did so, their thoughts faded.

Ash pondered. They were moving to his right, which meant towards the inside of the bay and towards the battle zone between their two territories. They were obviously gathering together for an attack, maybe a surprise attack. Unfortunately, Ash had no means of warning the Clefairy. Maybe if he tried to follow them, he could find some way to overtake them.

He tried cautiously to move out from behind the bush and spied the dimly lit landscape to his right. There was plenty of cover for him, and he tried to follow the distant shadowy figures for a few minutes. Soon, though, he completely lost sight of them. It was no use, he realized, considering the lack of light, his cautious advance and the unfamiliar environment.

He hid again and stopped to consider his next move. It wasn't long before he sensed the presence of another group. Peering out again, he made out a smaller group, maybe only three or four, again moving in the same general direction.

...Pokémon planet...plan underway...

...capture...

...humans...?

...yes...in place...ready...

...we help humans?

Humans? Ash wondered what humans had to do with anything on this world. He "listened" in more intently. It became easier as they approached closer.

Yes, we help human allies rule Pokémon planet.

In return, help us defeat Clefairy?

Correct.

Ash suddenly felt very sick. The conflict was somehow affecting his own world. He decided he had to get back to Earth as soon as possible and warn them of the possible danger. As the creatures moved on, their intercommunicating thoughts began to fade.

...if attack tonight succeeds...

...we can take...

He tried hard to tune in to more, but it was no use. In any case, he had an urgent message now to take back to Earth. He got out of his hiding place and turned back towards the way he came, planning to retrace his steps back to the shore.

As he turned, he suddenly came face to face with two beady eyes embedded in a floating shadow. In shock and horror, the creature screeched and Ash yelled, doubling their mutual fright. Had this not been a war zone, the event might have been construed a comedy scene, but, matters as they were, Ash's heart fell, doubly worried not only for his own safety, but for that of his entire world.