From: Mobius101 <mobius101@aol.compactpika> Subject: [PW!] [NC] Follow Your Heart (conclusion of the Seth Saga) Date: Friday, April 23, 1999 4:24 PM written by Adrian Tymes: >"...hyPEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEER..." > >Only after the intense, burning light faded, leaving a void where about >half of Seth's assailants had been, did everyone remember to blink. > >"...beam?" Momemtarily exhausted, Aerie fell into Jessie, who recovered >just in time to catch her. > Previously in a half crouch, Seth blinked his eyes open. Rising he looked around, his gaze finally resting on Aerie. "What in the...?" Jessie looked down at the girl in her arms. "I guess Mimic wasn't kidding..." "All that careful planning..." Doppler was seething now. "Aerie!" Seth moved towards her just as a Rocket slipped behind them and pointed a gun into Jessie's back. "Go stand with your folks over there, or these two get it!" Seth glared as he placed his hands behind his head and walked over to stand besides Mimic. He glanced over at his double. "Hi Dad. Nice day, ain't it?" Mimic didn't answer, and Doppler looked like he wanted to get his claws on something and rip it apart from the way he was flexing them. Seth grimaced. "I'm gonna die by Missingno or by being ripped apart by my own crazy uncle....swell. I don't know about you, but I don't feel like dying today," He whispered. Mimic steeled his eyes up at the ray above them. "Mimic no feel like dying either. Mimic just hope Seth be right about this." "Right about what?" Seth blinked. A roaring whirring noise answered as a deep blue glow grew above their heads. Gary had his hand over a control box on his belt. The energy generated by the dubbed disposal system created a false wind that pushed at everyone in the room. At its center was Mimic, Seth, and Doppler, who were under its greatest pressure. #I'm dying....I'm dying!# Seth cried inwardly. #Aerie, I love you....Mom, Dad, I'm sorry!....Jessie, have a good life!....Why didn't I have a last meal!?....I..# #Seth, you're not dying.# Mimic's voice snickered in his head. Seth blinked. "I'm alive?" Now all was still. All was unnaturally silent. Jessie, still holding up Aerie looked very surprised, as did Slasher and Meowth. All the other Rockets were gone. Gary just looked smug with his arms crossed. "Heh, it actually worked." "WORKED!?" Doppler looked around in rage. "If it had worked right, *ALL* you humans would have been destroyed by the ray! Why are you and that other one still here!?" "Maybe Doppler stupid," Mimic quipped with a quick grin. "YOU!!! You've been annoying the heck outta me for as long as I care to remember! Now you'll die along with all the others!" He roared. Seth bolted out of the way as the Charizard went running at his double. Mimic just kept a few feet out of his reach, taunting him as Doppler chased him around the room. As this went on, Seth took Aerie from Jessie into his arms. "Aerie? Wake up...." Aerie's eyes opened into a blurry world. "S-Seth?" Her eyes finally focused on a face with green eyes framed by blue....."Seth!" She reached up and embraced him. "You're alive.....oh, I had this most awful nightmare..." "Don't think about it..." Seth closed his eyes as he rubbed her back. "We're going to be okay now..." "NO!" The room shook with Doppler's roar. They all turned to see Doppler, smoke pouring from his mouth and with one foot crushed down on Mimic. Mimic struggled visibly with a look of discomfort scratched across his face. "M-Mimic....never say...Doppler...not heavy!" "Damn....still have him to deal with," Jessie growled. Gary bit his lip. "Okay....no one said anything about what to do about this part..." Doppler spread his wings out as he opened his mouth wide. "The only way I can destroy you brother....is to consume you!" Mimic suddenly looked nauseous. "Mimic not nutritious....you'll get a tummy ache..!" He glowed as if to transform. For the first time in a long time, a look of helpless horror spread over his face. "Uh..." He furrowed his brow and tried again, but to no use. Doppler grinned a sharptoothed grin. "A side effect of being in direct contact with the ray. You won't be able to transform for at least twenty-four hours. Not to mention the glitch factor has randomly disabled some of your other powers." Eyes wide, Mimic became even more frantic under Doppler's claws. "Doppler....you can't....!" "Can't I?" Mimic flinched as Doppler turned down to take a bite out of him. "STOP!" A lasershot went off, tearing through one of Doppler's wings. Eyes filled with hatred, he looked down at Seth weilding a small laser weapon up at him. "Get. off. my. Father." Seth's grip tightened around the weapon. He was so scared his legs were tensing to the point they nearly hurt. The bright gleam in his green eyes were hidden behind his now cracked black shades. He didn't dare break eye contact with Doppler, though at the same time he feared the consequences of doing so. In any case, Doppler didn't seem to be looking at him anymore... "SETH! WATCH OUT!" At the sound of Jessie's voice, Seth was hit hard in the back. He crashed to the ground and was immediately set onto with two vicious slashes to the back. With a cry he threw his fist back to dislodge his attacker. Once on his back however he was greeted with the snarling teeth of a Persian. "SLASHER!?" Seth's green eyes grew wide in recognition. "Aerie..?" His voice rasped to a near whisper. She roared in his face, murder in her eyes. Two sharp clawed paws reached up and lunged for his face. Seth grabbed them fast and struggled to keep them away. "Aerie....what's wrong!? It's me!" Jessie, Gary, and Meowth stood by helplessly. Slasher yowled and crouched to attack. "No, Slasher, stay back! Don't hurt her!" Seth yelled, straining to hold her back. Slasher stopped. "Siannn...." (She isn't herself...she'll kill you!!) Doppler laughed manically. "Of course she's herself....this is how she was meant to be. Ruthless, powerful, and completely loyal to me." He sneered. "And since you and my brother have proven to be lost causes, she will assist me now. Despite some complications, she has proven to be flawless in completion." "You have her under some kind of mind control! Let her go!" Seth struggled to push Aerie further. "Heh heh..."Doppler looked down at Mimic beneath his foot. "I think I'm going to let you see your son die at my daughter's claws....how's that for poetic justice?" Mimic shook with rage and glared at the ground. "Doppler have no sense of justice....Doppler...." It became too difficult to find the words, and Mimic just conveyed the rest by shouting incoherently and pounding his fists on the ground. Doppler cackled. "Aerie...kill him! I have given you the power....use it!" Doppler growled. "Purrrr.....yesss.....Fatherrr...killll...." Aerie glowered down at Seth. The gun was in his reach now. Seth knew he could easily grab it and take it to Aerie's chest in an instant. He was fast enough. His arms began to quake against the strain of holding the powerful Persian at bay. "Aerie..." He whispered hoarsely. "I-I love you....don't do this..." Aerie's jaws opened and took Seth's neck, tightening on it. Seth gasped as her fangs started sinking into his throat. He finally let go of her paws and embraced her torso. "If this is how I have to go..." He wheezed to himself. "Seth!" Jessie wailed. "Not you too!" As Seth finally went limp, Aerie watched his eyes close. Emerald eyes still shone with love for her as they faded out. She had done her Father's wishes....she was complete....no, she wasn't. She was empty. Seth....she removed her teeth from his neck and moved back. He was everything to her.....his laugh, his feelings, his touch, his love....he said he loved her? "Purrrr...." Her big feline eyes filled with tears. And she had killed him. "Aerie." She looked up to see Mimic looking at her though very messed up blue hair. At the moment he was the splitting image of Seth and it broke her heart. "Aerie," He whispered. "Don't forget." "Kill the others now dear," Doppler waved to the others. "Grrr....." Aerie slunk off Seth's still form. "I'll not..." Doppler blinked in surprise. "Aerie....this is your Father speaking....do as I say!" Aerie advanced on him growling. "Very bad parent Doppler be...daughter lose all respect." Mimic said blandly. He glanced over at Seth and grimaced as he gave another attempt to free himself from Doppler's claws. WHOOOSSSH!!! There was a torrent of water, and Doppler went flying against the far wall screaming in pain. Aerie, now a Vaporeon, ran after him. "POR!" Jessie, Slasher, Meowth and Mimic quickly ran to Seth. Jessie pulled him up and shook him. "Seth! Breathe! Breathe!" Mimic reached over and put his hands around his neck. He frowned deeply. "Mimic can't help....damn ray cut off softboiled...." He muttered. Slasher paced worriedly. "POR!" Aerie sent another blast of water at Doppler, which was barely dodged. "INSOLENCE! You will be severely punished for this!" Doppler growled and leaped up into the air. He crashed down in front of a very frightened Gary. Doppler looked down at the Missingno weapon in his hand and grinned. "Why, thank you so much....." He snatched it away and turned abruptly, slamming Gary with his tail and throwing him against a wall. Gary was unconscious on impact and slid slumped to the floor. Doppler activated the weapon with an insane giggle. He aimed it at Aerie. "The low setting should be just enough to scramble you to a more correctable state..." "Vapor...." Aerie lay low, glaring at Doppler. #Seth, I need you!# The sudden psychic impulse darted through Seth's mind and body like an electric jolt. He gave a sharp gasp for air. His eyes opened blurrily. He saw the faces of Jessie, Slasher and...himself? They looked relieved, worried, and surprised all at once. Seth blinked and grasped his head. "Owww....I hurt." "That happen..." Mimic broke into a smile. "Aerie must have healed you with a psychic impulse....ache but work good." Seth sat up. "Aerie? Where is Aerie?" Everyone turned around. Doppler had finally caught up with Aerie by threating her with the gun, and had her held above his head. "Away with you!" He threw her against the far wall. "Por!" Aerie fell in a heap. Her form shimmered and reformed into her human shape. "AERIE!" Seth scrambled to his feet and hurried over. He pulled her up in his arms. "You okay?" Sobbing, Aerie held him tight. "You're alive!" "Yeah, thanks to you...." "But, I-" "Don't think about it. You came past it, that's all that matters." He looked into her violet eyes with a smile. "Looks like you and I are more alike than we thought." Unable to help herself, Aerie began kissing the deliriously laughing Seth all over his face. She hugged him close. "I love you too." She whispered in his ear. A big smile spread across Seth's face and he held her closer. Doppler growled and aimed the gun at the two of them. "Please, you two are making me sick." Seth pulled Aerie to her feet and put his hand in his pocket. He looked back at Doppler. "Uncle Doppler.....don't you ever get tired of being a jerk all the time?" "You've been a bad influence on Aerie...." Doppler reached over and swiped the shades from Seth's face. "And I will teach the entire world to respect me." He crushed the shades in his claws. Seth frowned. Doppler aimed the Missingno at them. There was a bright green glow as it began to fire. Everything suddenly seemed to go in slow motion. Mimic, Meowth, and Jessie both reacted and tensed helplessly. Slasher was about to leap out, but Mimic quickly grabbed the Persian by the tail and yanked back hard. The Persian nearly doubled back and clawed at Mimic in pain and anger. But it merely roared. Seth and Aerie's eyes widened. Seth grabbed Aerie and turned her against the wall. As he pressed her against the wall, his body covering her, he pulled his hand out of his pocket. In his palm was a tiny Pokeball. As far as he knew it was empty. He had only kept it as a lucky keepsake from his mother. Now, unsure of anything else, he threw it at Doppler. The Pokeball lodged inside the Missingno weapon. All this took place in a matter of seconds. Doppler laughed as the weapon fired. But nothing happened. "Huh?" He stared at the gun as it began to hum in a high pitched way. "What's wrong with this thing?" Seth took the opportunity to grab Aerie and run towards the others. Still inspecting the weapon, Doppler shook it angrily. Then suddenly...."WIGGGGGLLLYYYYYYY!!!!!!" Came the screech from within. Out of nowhere a big pink Wigglytuff popped out of the gun and hugged onto Doppler. "WIGGLYTUFF!" "HUH!?" Doppler blinked in shock. Then as a result of being too long overloaded, the Missingno gun exploded. KAALLLLLLOOOOMMMMMM!!!!! Everyone else fell to the floor in the blast. When the shockwaves finally cleared, Aerie was the first to look up. "F-Father?" Where Doppler had once stood, there was nothing more than a puddle of pink goo. "Is he..?" Rubbing at his eyes, Mimic stood up. "No." He walked over and reached into the goo, pulling out a small unconscious Ditto. "Doppler just sleep it off. Then Mimic can toss him in dumpster somewhere," He shrugged. Taking Gary's pack from the floor, he tossed Doppler inside and zipped it shut. Seth was hugging Aerie like there was no tomorrow. "It's over! It's finally over!" "Hold on, what about Giovanni?" Jessie asked, looking down at Gary. "And how the heck are we going to get this bottle back to Earth?" "Giovanni taken care of. As for bottle....Jessie sure want to go back? Once Gary wake, going to take ship off on predestined course.....fulfill Grandfather's dream. Gary have crew hidden elsewhere on ship, would take anymore with, Mimic sure." Mimic eyed Jessie. "Giovanni will be returned to Earth...may not be safe for you there no more." "I...don't know." Jessie looked uncertain. Seth sighed. "I just wish Mom and Dad were still here...." "We could go off to the stars....no one would ever bother us again....and maybe find out where Pokemon came from." Aerie smiled at Seth and wrapped her arms around his waist. "Who knows, maybe we could start our own new race of Pokemon," She said with a wink and a kiss on his nose. Seth turned a bright red. "Well, looks like you two sure have gotten friendly," Meowth snickered, finally finding his voice again. Meanwhile, Mimic turned and silently walked towards the far wall. Seth turned from Aerie in time to see him disappear into the wall. "Hey! Don't run off like that now!" He reached out, but it was too late. Jessie threw her red hair around and gave a look to the wall. "He sure didn't stick around." Seth sighed. Just then, there was a loud sliding sound, and two large doors suddenly appeared in the back of the room. They slid open to reveal to forms walking towards them. Seth's mouth opened in surprise. It couldn't be... "Seth?" Maria blinked. Behind her, James was looking up at the doors in confusion. "Mom? Dad?" Seth whispered. He broke into a fierce run across the room. When he finally caught them, he pulled them into his tightest bear hug. "You're alive!" Tears were flowing freely now. Maria held him tight. "You made it....thank Goddish..." James was crying. "Son..." Seth smiled and patted his back as he held him. "Dad, I love you too." Then James opened his watery eyes and spyed Jessie and Meowth behind him. Seth released him, and he went running across the room. Jessie ran up to meet him and hugged him so hard he gave a squeak. "Jessie...." Jessie's eyes shone with love. "Don't say a word. I understand." #Sometimes things just can't work out. I understand these things, believe me. But just let her know....give her peace.# A small voice echoed in James' mind. He blinked and looked into Jessie's blue eyes. He leaned over to her ear timidly. "I love you Jessie.....I always will. But Maria needs me more..." His voice wavered. Jessie gave a small nod. Her heart skipped a beat as he leaned in and kissed her hard and deep on the lips. It was short and sweet, and he pulled away with a stroke of her hair. "I owed you," He said with a wink. Then he drifted away as Seth and Maria walked in. Maria had seen, but chose not to bother about it. Upon greeting the others, she took a glance around, and at the ray. "So, anyone know how we get off this thing?" At this point, Gary finally awoke. "Whoa....what happened?" He clutched at his head. Then he looked around wildly. "Doppler?!?" "Eh, you missed the action. Doppler's gone. Now how do we get offa here?" Seth looked down at Gary. "Simple." Gary rose to his feet and pulled a control box from his pocket. With the push of a button there was a deep rumbling from the heart of the bottle. Then reality itself seemed to shift around them..... Everything was shifting into doublevision. "Ooog...I think I'm gonna be sick," James mumbled. Seth held onto Aerie. "This is normal, right?" He yelled at Gary over the noise. "Yeah..." Gary looked up from the controls. "But if you're coming, you need to tell me now. Or else you're going to be sent back." Everyone looked at each other. Jessie shook her head. Aerie looked at Seth pleadingly. But he looked at the others and back again. "Aerie....please...I can't." A look of disappointment crossed her face. "Oh well...." She brightened again. "We'll be happy wherever we are." Seth pressed his cheek against her with a smile. Gary shrugged. "Well, nice workin' with you people and all that." He glanced around. Mimic, you better be in the right position or you'll end up in the wrong place!" With that, he pressed a final switch, and everything jolted into one again. "Smell ya later!" But now Gary had disappeared. "What happened?" Meowth spun around in confusion. As if in reply, part of the wall suddenly became transparent, revealing the space beyond. Looking out, they could see a gigantic bottle drifting off to deep space. Jessie blinked. "The bottle split in two!" "So....how do we get back to Earth now?" Maria moaned. Then she noticed her hair floating in her face. "Oh dear..." Everything in the room started floating. "We've lost gravity!" Jessie yelped. Then the bottle went hurtling full speed towards the blue sphere below. "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!" *** Meanwhile, somewhere directly below in Mt. Moon, a figure with wings was pacing around angrily. "Where the hell did my bottle go!?" At that moment, there was a faint whistling sound. And it got louder. And louder. The figure looked up. And his eyes grew wide. Before he could move, a gigantic bottle crashed down where he had been standing. The Diet Coke Bottle from Heck (evolved version) had returned to its resting place. *** Inside, the occupants were scattered all over the room. "W-We made it..." Meowth squeaked. "It's a miracle..." Maria moaned, rubbing her head. Then a humming noise came from the other side of the room. She looked up to see the ray was glowing. "Um, but it looks like the impact screwed up that thing...." Seth looked up in shock. "We've got to get out of here!" Then he looked down to find that his hand had somehow become stuck in the floor. He pulled and pulled, but it was no use. He looked up to see that the overloading ray was aimed straight at him. "Oh damn." He groaned. "Seth!" Aerie cried. The ray was rising in pitch getting brighter. A wave of Missingno energy went flying at Seth. He flinched, then saw Aerie throw herself into the beam. Her entire form was engulfed in neon blue light. "AERIE!!" He screamed. Then he saw her sad eyes turn back and look at him. They were filled with love, and she tried to say something. Then her light filled form exploded into an incredible shower of blue sparks. "NOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!" Seth screamed and yanked his hand from the floor painfully. He leapt out to grab her but fell empty to the floor. "No....don't let it end like this..." He sobbed. "Seth..." Maria closed her eyes sadly. #Follow your heart.# Seth opened his watery eyes at the sound of the voice. He looked up at the ray, and finally understood. "I will." The ray was charging up again. "Seth, get out of there!" James yelled. Seth gazed back at him and the others. There was a joyful despair in his face and in his voice. "I have to follow her.....don't worry about me. Just be happy now..." There was a flash. In the next instant, he had gone the same way as Aerie. No one said anything. They just stared. James took Maria in his arms and looked away. Jessie turned away. Then she blinked. "Where is Slasher?" They all looked around. The Persian was now missing as well. "He followed Seth. I saw him jump in after him..." Meowth whispered. "I can't believe it.." The scene was one of deep depression. Then someone stepped out of the wall behind them. "Huh?" Jessie turned around to find herself facing Seth. "Oh, Mimic." Mimic was looking up at the ray. "Don't worry.....they won't be coming back." Jessie blinked. "But you heard what that ray does! They'll be back....but they'll be...." She wailed. Mimic shook his head. "It overloaded. It won't work properly." Then he turned and walked towards the door. "How can you just walk out on them!?" James yelled. Mimic stopped but didn't turn around. "Mimic know. Seth and Aerie are alive. Just go home....they want you to be happy. Believe Mimic when Mimic say that they be happy as they are now. Seth and Aerie together forever now." Then he walked out the door. James was ready to go after him, but Maria grabbed his arm. "I...believe him." She paused and looked around. There was a soft glow that she could feel....and it brought a smile to her face. Soon they could all feel it. "Let's just go home now.....and move someplace nice where we'll never be found." At that moment, the bottle opened behind them to reveal the forest surrounding Mt. Moon. The sun was just rising over dewy leaves and grasses. Birds flew out on the cool air. Maria took James' arm and pulled him out. Jessie and Meowth followed. "Wherever we're going, it had better have a mall!" Jessie huffed. "And a good buffet!" Meowth chimed in. "Sounds good to me!" James cheered. Maria laughed. She looked up at the fading stars. 'Be happy.....Seth...Aerie...be happy.' *** "You too Mom....all of you." Three figures and an old Persian stood back at the mouth of the cave, shadowed by the rising sun. They watched the others walk off. "So, are you really going to put Doppler in a dumpster? Heh, waited long enough to find out if you meant that." "Sure did. Can help Mimic if want. Watch Doppler go splat when compactor come....he hate that." Mimic chuckled. "Sounds like fun," A female voice giggled. Just then, the winged figure from earlier kicked a door in the bottle open and stomped out dragging an unconscious Giovanni in one hand. Dreadite was seething. "I'm sick an' tired of you damned Dittos taking joyrides in my HQ! It's bad enough Giovanni's always messing around in it! Now git!" He roared. The three figures and the Persian sweatdropped and ran off. Dreadite hmmphed with a flap of his wings and dragged Giovanni off inside the cave. *** Infinity. The void seemed to go on forever....well, it did so that explained it. Seth couldn't remember anything since his being had been split into its most primal source and thrown to the far reaches of the galaxy. Was this death? Was this birth? There was light......but that was all. All other sensation had disappeared. He was looking for something...something he needed badly. That was all he knew. Then there was an incredible rush of starstuff that went through and past him. What was happening around him, he knew not....it seemed completely random, but yet felt that it wasn't. Then in an incredible pull, he felt himself finally come together....a presence...a bright blue light.....and then..... "Ditto?" The End! Or is it...? ^.~ ~Maria R "Psy yie yie..." ------------------------- Tha webber: http://hamstergirl.cjb.net/ ----------- "Taking Pokemon straight from your pockets, With the power of the stars, it's Maria Rocket!" -My corny PW! motto ^.^; ------ TEOTWAWKI