The Misdreavus Menace

Chapter Twenty-Six — Cinnabar in Danger

"Incredible. That's very similar technology to what I work with every day. I just hadn't realized what you could do with it."

"What work do you do, Mr Brown?" Misty asked.

"Dad makes Poké balls," said Phil.

"Poké balls!?" blurted Ash. "You mean this vehicle is a huge Poké ball?"

"You could say that. Here, I'll show you." Dan pulled a Poké ball from his belt, twirled it on his index finger, then grabbed it in his palm. He pressed its button, it hinged open, and a Charmander appeared in a flash of red light.

"Char!" it said, and looked around.

"OK, Charmander, come back now." A laser-like beam shot from the Charmander's Poké ball. The Pokémon was swallowed back up in another reddish blaze. The two Clefairy looked on, speechless and astounded at the thought of storing a Pokémon in a small sphere.

"What are you trying to show?" asked Misty.

"Well," answered Dan, "I just teleported my Charmander from inside the Poké ball into this room, and then I teleported it back again."

"Hey, I never thought of it like that before," said Ash.

"The flashes of crimson light that you saw are produced by the same physical process that causes the pink flash when this transporter appears and disappears. Some of the optical frequencies are shifted due to modal differences in teleportation."

"Was I supposed to understand that?" asked Ash.

"You're showing off again, Dad," said John.

"Oh sorry, I haven't figured it all out myself yet either, but in simple terms, the colour's not exactly the same because of an important difference. What we do with a Poké ball is keep it more or less fixed and teleport the Pokémon relative to the mechanism. What the Clefairy have done is found a way to teleport the mechanism and its payload together."

"I think I see," said Misty.

"That means," continued Dan, "that there's no limit to where they can travel to. With our Poké ball technology we're limited to teleporting Pokémon in the near vicinity of the ball."

"How's that gonna help us get the missing transporter back?" asked Ash.

"Hmm... I'm still working on that one."

"Hey guys," interrupted Brock, "it's getting late for me. I've got to go to Dad's and pick up the baby. I've also got to get dinner ready before Jen comes home."

"OK, Brock," said Misty, "thanks for helping out."

"No worries. I guess I better take Matthew and Travis back home."

"Aw Brock," Matthew complained. "We only just got here."

"Can't they stay a little bit longer?" asked John.

"It's all right," offered Dan. "I can take them back home."

"Well... if you're sure, Dan," replied Brock. "Hey, I promised you guys a map."

"Phil," said Dan, "can you go with Brock and pick up his map, then come back here?"

"Sure thing, Dad."

"Actually, John, how about you go home and ask Mom for some food and drink? Phil can help you carry it back. Don't forget something for the Pokémon." Dan turned to Kadabra. "Fruit OK?"

Fruit will be fine.

After having said their goodbyes, Dan went back to work.

"Kadabra," he asked, "do you know if there's any way to operate the other teleport vehicle remotely?"

I don't believe so. However, I'll set up a psychic link between you and the Clefairy again.

"Matt," asked Ash, "what sort of Poké balls does Mr Brown make?"

"I think he's working on a Fire ball now," replied Matt.

"Does that have something to do with fire Pokémon?" Ash asked.

"Mr Brown's been making different types of Poké balls that work best for catching different types of Pokémon," explained Travis. "John says you don't even have to battle a Pokémon, and it usually catches it."

"Wow!" said Ash. "Hey Misty, I wonder if he's got any Poké balls for catching water Pokémon?"

Misty was looking at Ash wistfully. She recovered her composure and forced a smile. "Yeah, that'd be really cool, Ash."

Suddenly a sound like a tinkling bell was heard. It appeared to be coming from a control panel where a light was flashing.

"Clefairy, Clefairy!" called out one of the Clefairy.

"Clefairy!" replied the other.

"Hey, is that the other transporter?" asked Dan.

The two pilots busily pressed buttons and pulled levers. The hatch closed and the machine hummed into life.

You better sit down. We have a signal and we must depart. Sit down—it may be unpleasant.

"The kids are on board," protested Dan.

There is no time to waste. Our mission to save both our worlds takes priority.

All occupants apart from the pilots sat down at Kadabra's insistence. At the same time they could feel the craft rise off the ground.

"Hey, we're taking off," said Travis.

"Awesome Alakazam!" said Matt. "This is gonna be cool!"

The transporter continued to rise. Out the window, the quarry disappeared from view and only a few treetops could be seen. Matthew and Travis were eagerly awaiting a new experience. Before they knew what happened, their world flashed a bright, hot pink. Then, for only a moment, all sensation ceased and pink turned to black.

Dan groaned as the transporter rematerialized. "What on Earth!?"

Misty turned anxiously to the two boys.

"I think they've fainted," she said as she saw them slumped on the floor. She was about to get up, but Kadabra intervened.

Stay seated, they'll be all right. We have to establish the position of the other transporter by triangulation.

"Oh no," Dan complained, and his field of view flashed pink once more.

"Clefairy!" said the Clefairy pilot.

"Clefairy, fairy!" replied the co-pilot.

"What's going on?" Ash inquired.

It appears that the other craft has teleported somewhere else. Hold on, we must establish their new position.

Three teleportations later, a very sick-feeling Dan broached, "Is that it?"

Yes. The other transporter is not far away. Does anyone know where we are?

As Misty attended to Matthew and Travis, Ash and Pikachu went to look out the main viewport. They were over the sea. To the far left, the sun was nearing the horizon. To the right could be seen an island that bore a steep mountain. A gentle column of smoke from the top of the lone summit shimmered as it caught the evening sun.

"That's Cinnabar Island," said Ash.

"Pikachu!" shouted Pikachu excitedly, pointing out the window. The others followed its lead and noticed a metallic object floating in the air.

"It's getting closer to the volcano," said Misty.

"Clefairy!" said the pilot, deftly operating some controls. Their vehicle moved in closer as the other one closed in to the volcano.

Travis stirred awake. "Oh... what happened?"

"I think the human body isn't made for teleportation," replied Dan. "Just take it easy."

In the viewport, the other transporter came closer into view. Quite unexpectedly, a Misdreavus floated out of it.

"What's it holding?" said Ash.

"I don't know," replied Misty. "It's hard to see in the smoke."

Dan managed to force himself onto his feet to have a look.

Quick, open the hatch!

A Clefairy obeyed Kadabra's request as Kadabra teleported himself to the opening hatch. A current of air swirled in throught the half-open doorway, rousing Matthew.

Through the window, the group saw the Misdreavus drop the object it was holding. It fell and disappeared into the haze.

"Hey, you don't think it's a bomb?" suggested Dan. "The whole island'll blow."

As if an answer to their fears, an explosion could be heard throught the open hatch and resonated throughout the control room. Ash felt sick in his stomach.

"All those people..." he said.

"Pika..." echoed Pikachu, looking sadly at Ash. Misty and Dan stood stunned, gazing at each other with their mouths open.

Have no fear. I teleported the bomb from the volcano to the open sea. Please close the hatch.

Everyone loooked down at the island. It was unchanged. Kadabra had saved the day.

As they turned their attention back to the other transporter, they noticed another four Misdreavus had come out. They attempted to attack them with psywaves.

It's all right. The shielding on this vehicle makes it impervious to both Psyhic and Ghost attacks.

After a few moments, Ash asked, "Why are they still attacking?"

"I don't know," answered Misty.

"Clefairy!" said the co-pilot, pointing to something. The others had a closer look.

"What is it?" asked Dan. "Hey—what's that other one doing?"

"It's got another bomb!" cried Ash. "Kadabra can you do something?"

If the hatch is opened for me to teleport the bomb, their attacks will get through.

"Bomb?" muttered Travis, coming to his senses. "Hey, Matt, wake up!"

"Clefairy," said a Clefairy, trying to tell them to hold on for some evasive action. Their craft dropped in altitude, abruptly lurched forward and under the other one, and swerved around again in a tight, aerial U-turn. In a matter of seconds, it was on the opposite side of the enemy's transporter and facing it again. Of course the occupants were on their faces at the opposite end of the cabin.

Kadabra righted himself up and teleported to the hatch. The Clefairy opened it enough of a crack for Kadabra to do his stuff. In an instant, the bomb vanished from the enemy's hands and was made to expolde harmlessly in the air high above the sea.

Inside, after the sudden manoeuvering, Travis and Matthew looked terrible.

"I'm gonna be sick," Matthew managed to say.

"So am I," said Travis.

"Try to hold on," said Dan, feeling that way inclined himself.

Meanwhile, the others saw the Misdreavus disappear into their craft, which did not take long to disappear itself.

"Where have they gone?" Ash asked.

"Clefairy, Clefairy!" said the pilot.

"What did it say?" asked Ash and Misty in unison. Kadabra answered.

We're going after them again.

"Oh no!" Dan complained, yet nonetheless resigned.