Disclaimer: I don’t own pokemon as it belongs to Nintendo.

Notes: <> for telepathy, ** for thoughts, italics if a pokemon talks

Chapter 3: Dance with the devil

It was a good hour before Ash regained consciousness.

“How are you feeling?” Charlotte asked.

Ash shook his head. “It had to be done. Exactly how many lifetimes were in that potion?”

“Well, all of the ones I remembered.” Charlotte said helpfully. “You might be missing some.”

“Well, better most than none.” Ash replied. “Erika, the situation has just improved. Do you have any essence of Gloom?”

Erika blinked at the strange question, but nodded. “Plenty. As a perfume base, I keep a supply on hand.”

“Good.”

A strange smile flitted across Ash’s face as he pulled from underneath his shirt a little blue key.

“Key that hides the power of the stars, reveal your true form before me. Your master under the seal of contract Ashura commands you, Release.”

Erika shielded her eyes from the bright light and froze.

There were a lot of water pokemon.

They filled the area, swarming.

Master!

We were thinking you’d never call on us again!

We missed you!

“I’m glad.” Ash said with a smile. “But right now, can you help? Celadon is burning.”

Instantly, the pokemon scattered over the area and began hunting down the rockets. They were smart enough to do that on their own.

“Now, after they knock out all the pokemon, we’ll attack with our gas masks and that essence of gloom you had.”

Erika’s eyes widened in understanding. “I get it….”

“Devious, little brother.” Charlotte said, as they suited up and waited. Soon, sounds of battling filtered in from the outside air.

Taking a peek, Erika was in shock as she watched a Blastoise single-handedly send six Ekans flying, before dealing with a muk. Then, it used Rain Dance and recovered itself, facing another wave.

Over the city, the same situation was occurring.

< Now, the game corner is our main target. > Ash sent to Kyogre, who nodded his understanding. Besides the mall, it was the only area large enough.

< I shall be back shortly with success, Master Ash. >

< Thank you all. >

Charlotte was hiding underneath the bed. “Just tell me when it’s over.” She whispered. Mantine was protecting her.

“Hydrophobic?” Erika whispered.

“You have no idea.” Ash whispered back. “It’s only gotten worse.”

Erika looked sympathetic as she finished filling the squirt guns with essence of gloom.

“Will she be well enough to come along?”

“Yes, I think.”
Charlotte closed her eyes and gulped down six caramel frappuchinos. That solved the problem, so when the pokemon reported back half an hour later, she was ready to go.

They were all suited up, special gas masks on, as they spread out and each took a section of the city.

Charlotte noted that in her area, most of the rockets were already out, either a pokemon attack or fainting from sheer fright. She went around tying them up with psychic bungee cords, before banishing them all to the police station in Cerulean, the closest one.

It was annoying that not every town had a capable one. Celadon and Saffron had to be the worst.

Well, some unmitigated shock could not hurt.

Sensing movement behind her, Charlotte jumped up eight feet into the air and landed on Mantine’s back, before Mantine blasted the rocket with a supersonic before it could fire its gun.

Charlotte then got the man in the face with a good shot of Essence of Gloom. The poor rocket fainted from the smell.

“Natu, Psybeam.” Ash said nonchalantly as he sensed the aura of a rocket behind an old shack. The old shack exploded in cardboard and tin fragments.

The rocket quickly released his Ekans, which got nailed with Future Sight. Then, Ash took careful aim and fired his squirt gun.

“EEWWWWWWWW!” The rocket screamed, running away as fast as he could. Only about nine or ten yards passed before the scent took effect.

He blacked out.

Ash looked satisfied as he waded through the muddy road and continued on his path.

Elsewhere, Erika and her grass pokemon were tying up the last of her gang. It wasn’t too hard, and the poor Celadon police department got a heart attack when they received a call from Indigo Plateau about Team Rocket invading the city.

Well, it served them right for being corrupt and useless.

Erika wanted to force them out of the city, but she knew she didn’t have the power to do so yet.

She could wait. She had time. She was a gym leader trained in the art of patience, after all.

She will wait until the time is right.

Ash yawned when he returned to the gym. At least Erika was safe. Even though all those cards had been tiring. Still, it was worth it.

Prices paid.

It was the balance of equivalent trade in alchemy. But he was using magic. The theory was still somewhat applicable, especially concerning guardians.

Well, it was too much for him to take in at once.

Ash went upstairs, found an empty guest room, and promptly fell asleep.

Charlotte came back a while later and sent him to the dream realm.

End Chapter

Created 1/3/04, completed 3/15/04