From: Cat-Gonk (catgonk@azureheights.com) Subject: [PW!] Three Decades Newsgroups: alt.games.nintendo.pokemon Date: 2000-12-06 19:33:35 PST Night Shade stared into the polished surface of the Pokeball she had recently stolen, examining Kirsty's features reflected onto the enamel. Things were different now, much different. [PW!] Three Decades. - By Cat-Gonk. In the distance, Night Shade's senses picked up the heavy beat of a Charizard's wings. It had to be her companion, she'd been waiting long enough. A quick psychic examination revealed that it was indeed her Charizard. He might react differently to the two corpses on the road beside her after countless years of non-violence and the company of other Pokemon. Night Shade briefly considered hiding the bodies, but Charizard's strong sense of smell would detect them. A psychic illusion to hide them from his mind didn't seem right, considering that Charizard was the last living being on the planet that she held in any sort of regard. Charizard was definitely a lot stronger after his time spent in Rosetta, which was a good thing considering that she had four new Pokemon which needed "disciplining". Kirsty had been carrying a Gyarados when Night Shade possessed her, two had been stolen off that boy with the shirt, Damon or something, and the fourth was the sole survivor of her recent skirmish. Night Shade had hoped that the recent battle wouldn't have had to come to this, as now the Magneton and Sandslash she had maimed were going to die with their owners. If she were to take them to a Pokecentre, there would undoubtedly be some sort of investigation as to how two Pokemon were allowed to be hurt in such a horrible manner. Strangely, she felt remorse for her actions, though she dismissed this as a by-product of her being a Pokemon. Yet inside, she felt angry with herself for doing such an unspeakable act. using her psychic powers to snap all the Sandslash's joints as well as bending its claws back, and frying the threads of every screw that was holding the Magneton together. Perhaps she had always cared for Pokemon, she knew that she preferred the company of her faithful companions to those of other humans. Save for that one man, his identity lost in the swirling void of her injured memory. Her memory was the one thing she had truly lost through death. Had she always been cold and cruel? Was she always so evil, with such little regard for the lives of others? Charizard was within the range of Kirsty's vision now, and Night Shade stood to greet him. She holstered a the Jigglypuff's Pokeball and waved her hand. "Hey! Charizard! Down here!" she shouted. Her voice had lost its usual malice and sounded just like Kirsty. The fire-lizard Pokemon brought itself down in front of her, trying not to kick up too much dust into his trainer. "That was a great diversion back there. It's good to see you haven't lost any of your skills." Night Shade threw her arms around Charizard's body, and embraced him tightly. "It's been so long." Charizard gently stroked her back with a claw, and smiled. <I missed you. It's been thirty-six years since we last saw each other.> Did he hear a soft, muffled sob coming from his trainer? "How have you been?" said Night Shade, drawing back and taking Charizard's left claw. "Did they treat you well at the University?" <As well as can be expected, I guess. As I didn't have a trainer, they didn't really try and teach me anything. Most of the students are afraid of wild Pokemon that are larger than they are, even if they've been taught otherwise. The food was good, and I got a lot of training in with the other Pokemon.> "Has the poison been bothering you? Did they give you enough Poisoncure Berries?" A prototype Toxic TM had been installed in Charizard while he was being used as a guinea pig in the Sliph Co. laboratories, which every so often managed to overcome his immune system and poison him. <I had to fake it for the first few years. I made friends with a Nidoking, also abandoned, and I just pretended that it had poisoned me during training. After evolving, I must have gotten strong enough to overcome it.> "That's good to hear. How about your abilities? Have you learnt any new ones? I remember you using Flamethrower back in Rosetta." <I tried to keep the skills you taught me just incase you came back. That wasn't really an attack, I was just breathing normally and hoping that no-one would notice that it didn't have any energy.> "It made a good diversion though. Hey, have I shown you the new Pokemon I got?" Night Shade sounded genuinely happy now that she had been re-united with her beloved Charizard. "I've got a Gyarados, a Hitmonchan, a Hypno and a Jigglypuff." Charizard wanted to sit down and talk with her for the rest of the day, but there was one other thing on his mind. <Have you tried to contact Team Rocket yet? We can't go it alone forever, and you're going to need some medical attention as well as money and weapons.> "Oh, yeah, I forgot. Okay. I'll do that first." Searching through Earp's coat, Charizard picked up a small phone and handed it to his mistress, but she could only stare at it. There was a message on the screen about a baby Aerodactyl, but that wasn't the thing concerning her. "How do I use this thing? It doesn't have a dial." <Let me.> Charizard searched through the phone's memory for a number leading to the Viridian Gym, and pressed the Call button before handing it to Night Shade. "Viridian Gym? How many I help you?" said the voice on the other line. Obviously enough, it was a TR member answering and using the Gym for cover. "It's Night Shade. I've returned, and I need some assistance." There seemed to be a bit of shuffling going on in the background, followed by a muffled conversation. "I need food, supplies, and a fake identity." "Don't lie to me, little girl," sneered the operator. Though he voice was full of spite, Night Shade was, after all, speaking through Kirsty's body. "Night Shade died thirty years ago. You can't possibly be her." "Shut up and listen." Her personality had reverted back to her malignant self, losing the little-girl persona she took on around Charizard. "I'm back, and I've taken over the body of," Reaching into Kirsty's backpack, Night Shade took out her wallet. "Kirsty Williams. Did you hear what happened in Rosetta a week ago?" "Yes. Some BS about a Gengar claiming to be from Team Rocket possessing a little girl. You can't be serious." "Believe it. Two of your agents are dead on the ground beside me because they didn't believe it either. Little girls don't throw around psionics and shoot people. Oh, and it was a Haunter. " There was more murmuring in the background, and the operator returned to the phone. "You're bluffing." "Get f**ked." Charizard laughed, the last time he'd heard a human swear was when a narcoleptic Snorlax conked out right infront of him, and fell forwards. "If you want proof, I can provide it. I'll be in the Saffron Rocket Centre, talk to you there." Night Shade handed the phone to Charizard, who hung it up for her. Technology certainly had changed in the past thirty-six years. "The Pokecentre's only a few miles away. Do you think I should change out of these clothes? They've got blood on them." <What should we do about the bodies?> "Burn them, as well as this top. I've already taken their IDs, and the phone's in my bag." Charizard looked away as Night Shade changed clothes, then spewed forth a swirling mass of fire. The Fire Spin engulfed the bodies and reduced them to a pile of ash, without setting the surrounding vegetation alight. "No-one's seen us, I'd have picked them up by now. Come on, let's get out of here." TBC...