From: Tree Spirit <dryad48@aol.commoner> Subject: [PW!] Rockets of the Stars and Moon Date: Sunday, October 10, 1999 8:05 PM It had been hours by now, and Derrick was still wandering around the dark, glum, sharp caverns of Mt. Moon. An occasional Zubat glared it's sharp eyes from a murky corner. Sometimes, a wandering Paras would be seen ahead, but before it was reached, it dissapeared into the darkness. Out of the corner of his eyes, Derrick was almost certain he saw rocks moving. It was an awful time to play hero. ". . L . .e. .f. . t. ." Once again, Derrick was being creeped out by the whispers in the dark. He wandered his eyes again, expecting to see a shadow glide across the walls, or a darker figure hiding amongst the mist. There was nothing there. There was eerie silence, yet cracks of senses and whispers crept through the holes battered in by sureness. ". .R . .i . .g . .h . .t . ." Though he had choices, Derrick seemed to have an urge to listen to whatever was calling him. It might lead to something good. It might lead to something grand. It might lead to nothing. It might lead to death. Whatever was directing him didn't sound too friendly. In it however, Derrick sensed security, assurance, and even a bit of Anti-Team Rocket. "Lead on," Derrick thought to himself. And it seemed as if the voice heard his answer and did just that. [PW!] Rockets of the Stars and Moon by Dryad48 small part by M.W.F Starring: Derrick Co-Starring: Neo, Rigel, Dernam, Splash, Luke, Keri, Orion, White Blade, Samuraichu, Blizzard, Draconi Guest Starring: ???A Special Guest??? As the corridors of Mt. Moon stretched on, as Derrick walked more, the wandering whispers seemed to become more excited. They seemed as if Derrick was about to stumble onto a gold mine, or maybe he was to stumble into a trap? He didn't care now, nothing really mattered to Derrick anymore. He had his disease, he was separated from Neo and Rigel, his pokemon were stolen, and he came to the realization that he was lost. As he stalked on throughout the various caverns, the light seemed to dim a little more each step, there were fewer spots in which the light penetrated through the emptiness. There was no darkness in Derrick's eyes. Like a Paras, he had become accustomed to living in a cave by now. "Paras. . " He wondered what was going on with his pokemon. He wondered how they could ever stand against Team Rocket. He wondered if Team Rocket actually had anything to do with why he awoke alone in a bath of ground water. -=Within A Cavern Somewhere=- Awakening in small cages, Derrick's pokemon found themselves in the clutches of Team Rocket. *What's going on?* Paras rattled his cage. the last thing he could remember was sleeping by the campfire. Now, he was cramped without his owner and Team Rocket was in the same room. "Quiet you!" A Team Rocket man directed Vileplume towards Paras and it started shooting out a mix of spores. *cough*cough*cough* Paras choked on every word and fell to the ground holding his throat. Vileplume turned to the others who remained quiet for the fear of losing their breath as well. *Anyone else speaks, and they get it!* Even in it's cuddly, Vileplume voice, the TR pokemon sounded rugged, tough, and ready to kick some pokemon ass. *Today is the end of everything,* Exeggcute thought to themselves. *Goddish. . . * Butterfree got down on his knees and prayed. -=Within A Cavern Somewhere=- *Draconi, the cages are reinforced! You gotta try something else!* Mindbender stepped into the center of the room. He shimmered for a brief moment. *Draconi, pull them apart wth me.* Draconi didn't understand, but he complied. The bars just ripped open like twigs. *A little Strength works wonders.* About a half hour later, everyone was free. The Rockets (foolishly) left the weapons they found and the pokeballs in the same room with them. Mindbender gave White Blade back his katana. Everyone seemed set... They sneaked out, assuming that the Rockets were dumb enough not to post guards. So far, they seemed right. White Blade whispered to Mindbender, *Any chance I can find a Moon Stone around here?* Mindbender blinked. Why this critter was asking for one, he didn't understand. He had one in his pocket though. He pulled one out and gave it to him. *Thanks. This'll be useful later. Are you coming with us?* *No, I'm heading back to my place. I want to live here in peace.* *Alright then, we won't keep you. Good bye, friend.* *Good bye, RK.* He vanished. Orion asked quizzically, "RK?" White Blade simply said, *I'll tell you later.* The group walked down the corridor and came to a fork in the tunnel. Going straight forward was pitch black. Going left was a lamp resting on the table and beside the table, a TR Arcanine rested it's eyes like a lazy puppy. They stopped in their tracks. "Which way?" Luke asked nervously. "We go down the dark way and take our chances without a lamp," Splash suggested. The others agreed. They knew just how powerful these members of Team Rocket were. They wanted to take no chances at being omni. "I just want to get out of this hell hole," Keri said. So, everyone crept quietly across the corridor without making a sound. First Keri and Orion made it through, followed by Dernam, Splash, and Luke. Samuraichu and Blizzard went next. White Blade went next with Draconi, Rigel, and Neo. Just as he passed, Draconi accidentaly knocked over a loose rock on the walls. It made a thud-like sound and Arcanine's eyes widened. No one noticed as he crept up slowly, no one. Suddenly, he started charging forward and and leaped. At the last second, Rigel turned her head and saw an orange blur dashing forward. "LOOK OUT!" She shoved Neo out of the way and Arcanine rammed into her and the rock wall. You could hear the thud very loudly. "RIGEL!" Neo sent out all his pokemon and Draconi turned to fight. Neo's Cloyster clamped onto the phased Arcanine while ther others tackled him like crazy. "KILL KILL!" Neo was going crazy. *I guess he doesn't need my help,* Draconi sighed. *O well.* He slammed his body into the near-dead Arcanine and it dragged to the other side. Neo returned Cloyster and the others and ran towards Rigel. "Rigel, wake up!" Neo shook her furiously. She made no sound. *Is she dead?* Blizzard asked. *No, just fainted,* White Blade checked. *But I think she has some cracked bones.* "Which means that she has to be taken to the pokemon center outside of Mount Moon." Neo picked up Rigel. "You need to get her out of here," Keri said. Neo nodded slowly. Dernam walked over to pick up the lantern that lit up the room with an ungodly glow. "This should help us." Dernam led the way through the dark hallways with Blizzard and Samuraichu close behind incase anyother rockets showed up on the scene. Draconi and White Blade guarded the back. Neo walked in the middle of the wandering party with Rigel in his arms. ---Half an Hour Later--- It was pitch black in the cave now. The group of people and pokemon were tiring out. Orion and Keri, who were behind Neo and Rigel looked back. With his eyes slightly closed and looking to his feet, Neo wandered off the wrong corridor. It was until he realized he couldn't see his feet at all, that he was lost. Neo turned behind him with Rigel in his arms, who was very much weighing him down. He didn't see anyone nor anything in front of his face. "Guys?" No reply. Neo could sense that creatures in the night black were watching him and he slagged on faster. It was getting brighter, slightly, and Neo's eyes ached as he saw the moonlight. He was finally outside and saw the pokemon center ahead. Neo sighed, "The moonlit sky never looked this beautiful." It's shadows of white glows emanated throughout the valley. The trees of the valley reflected it as if it were the face and they were the mirror. Those trees certainly seemed to greet Neo as he walked closer to the pokecenter. He had no plans of turning back. Though he expected to never see Derrick again, Neo strided on for the sake of Rigel. Her bones felt as brittle as sand under his arms. "Rigel, you're safe now." The autumn wind felt good under all his sweat from traveling in circles throughout the great mountain. "The most beautiful night of Mount Moon must be today. And I am the only one who sees it." Neo opened the door to the pokemon center and walked in slowly. -=We'll Be Back After These Messages=- This is the Pokewars Shoping Network! ::A lady walks onto the stahe with items on the walls:: "Welcome, for any of these amazing pokewars items, call 1-800-POKE-CRAP." ::She walks to the left end:: "Our first item is a clickety pen signed by Saber of ATR." Retail Price: $250 "Next, we have a special edition foon sighed by Agent 007." Retail Price: $200 "Here is Sirius's TCG Collection." Retail Price: $150 "This is the Holy Libel signed by the writer, Cat-Gonk." Retail Price: $200 "Now we have Simon Locke's well known paper back." Retail Price: $400 "This is Derrick's newest creation, designed to turn any pokemon in a delightful mood. Observe as I give this pill to Pikachu." ::She gives the pill to Pikachu and waits. Pikachu starts getting horny and attempts to hump the other Pikachu on the table:: ". . . . . . " ::Price goes up from $300 to $1,000:: "ugghhh." She hauls a gigantic book on the table. "This is Icy's autobiography signed by himself." "It is called: My Path to Sucess." Retail Price: $50 ::she hauls on two more books which are a great deal smaller:: "This is Icy's two-book biography written and signed by Marcus Yu." "They are called: The Egotistical Maniac, and: Identity Crisis." Retail Price: $100 "Call now and we'll throw in this." ::She picks up a very small pamphlet:: "Raven's very own, self written, Guide to Laziness." ::Lots of laughter is heard and the audience is shown:: ::One Magnemite holding a camera boes by:: ::There is a Gengar sitting with them making cracks about the news and other such:: "So then Lenny says, 'As if, don't go there sister!'" ::Laughter continues:: "Mike the Gengar, tonight at eleven." ::Destroyed buildings appear:: "ATR needs your help more than ever." "Call 1-800-ATR-HELP." "Donate money we so desperately need." ::Close up on the cute, pitiful girl in ragged clothing:: "Or call 1-800-ATR-JOIN." "Learn how you can become a member yourself." ::Raven, James, Saber, and Gohan are shown:: (e-mail Dryad48@aol.com if you want to place an advertisement) -=And Now, Back To The Show=- -=Within A Cavern Somewhere=- ". .K . .e. .e. . p. . . g. . o. . i. . n . g." Derrick was getting tired. For some reason, he still listened to the voice of the mysterious instructor, though he had passed by the entrance to the cave already. "Why? Why? Why?" Derrick was getting hysterical. The ghost or whatever it was remained silent as if it knew he would anyway. the question was why did Derrick chose to? Why did he bring himself through this pain? Then he remembered his pokemon. "I need them." Then he thought to himself a very pestering an awaring fact. What if neither Neo, Rigel, nor his pokemon were here? "N. . .o . . . . . g. . .o . ." Derrick had no choice but to listen to the nothingness following him. It was as if it were his conscious guiding him to safety from the falling rocks. 'I'll keep going until I reach that place that I've been looking for,' Derrick thought to himself. 'I wonder what I'm looking for. . . " -=Within A Cavern Somewhere=- Orion turned his head back to see something bad. "Where are Neo and Rigel?" Everyone stared at the empty center. *You were supposed to be watching!* White Blade complained. "What now?" Keri sighed. Dernam was about to speak, "We should loo. . " "We keep going," Luke said. "There is no time to search, we need to find the exit." *There ARE other trainers in here, hopefully,* Samuraichu explained. "It's night as you can tell by the darkness," Splash stated. "We'd never find them." *Right,* Blizzard agreed. *Let us have a moment of silence for them.* They remained silent for the two, then moved on. Dernam moved on with the lamp. Suddenly, something went by fast and the lamp went out. "Shoot!" Everything darkened quickly and a commotion was heard. Draconi shouted, there was a beam-like noise, then the rolling of what sounded like a great, round rock. When Dernam re-lit the lamp, Orion swiped the lamp from him. "We don't need an act of clumsiness like that again." The two glared at each other, then heard a gasp. "What, White Blade?" *Draconi is. .gone?!* "What?" Everyone shouted at once and looked back. The towering Dragonite that was once behind them was there no longer. Everyone ran fast along the corridor searching for an answer. -=Within A Cavern Somewhere=- The voices seemed to be gone now. Derrick stopped dead in his tracks to see Team Rocket in an opening. They were standing there with a gigantic pokeball by their side which apparantly, was still shaking. To the other side, there were cages with Derrick's pokemon. Beside the cages were locked suitcases. One leading rocket member had a suitcase in his hand and was preparing to trade it off for cash. "You have the TM's?" the other man asked. "Right in here, but first we have to deal with an intruder." One Team Rocket member put his hand on his head for some reason and shook it. He then directly looked at where Derrick was, saying nothing. Derrick froze. The were very mean pokemon there too: Golduck, Magneton, Golem, Dodrio, and Vileplume. All Rocket members walked over to the other corner of the room to another rocket who was tied up. "Tell us what you know!" They whipped him. "You ATR scum!" The man kept shouting out that he wasn't an ATR member. Magneton hovered above him and started shocking him. "AAAAAIIIIIIIIIIIIIHHHHHHHHHH!" "Tell us where the other TM's are!" "I. . . don't. . . .have . . them. . " "Then why are half missing?" Magneton continued to shock him. "AAAAUUUIIIIIIIIIIIIGGGGGGGHHH! I. . .a. .not. . .A. .T. .R. . " "LIAR!" Magneton shocked him once again and Dodrio started pecking at his flesh. he could barely speak. "WHERE?!" "I. . . . only. . . .stole. . . one. . .suit. ..case. . . . I. . . needed. . .them . . . . . ." The boss nodded to his Golduck, who's eyes began to glow. The man started screaming with his head in pain, then, his head went to the side. He was dead. "See what you get?" the Kingpin turned to the rockets. For only having HALF the TM's I wanted, you will get half of your money. The Kingpin looked like a big, important man in the crime business and the other rockets nodded in agreement. Suddenly, Orion ran into the room with the others behind him. He stopped and everyone tripped over each other. Golduck levitated the bunch into the air and Derrick gasped. The rocket that saw Derrick stripped off his uniform to reveal the letters: ATR. He grabbed onto the Kingpin and held a gun to his head. "Let them go or I'll shot him!" "Do as he says you fools!" The Kingpin shouted. The other rockets lowered their guns, but Golem leaped into the air, crashing down, causing an earthquake. The ATR lost balance and fell over. Everyone pointed their guns to the ATR man, but Derrick leaned forward too far and fell over. Just before he hit the ground however, Derrick was levitated for some reason. An idea rushed into Derrick's head. "I am a powerful psychic trainer!" he shouted. One TR man ran to him, but they were forced back. Some strange power was at work here. They fired at him with all their bullets, but they were blocked somehow. Derrick felt the presense of the same thing that gave him directions earlier. "Leave!" "Let's get outta here!" All the TR members shouted as they ran away with their pokemon. "That was fun." Derrick landed swiftly on the ground. "Are you really a psychic?" Dernam asked. "No." Everyone laughed, but out of the distance, Dodrio came back and flung himself at the group. In the nick of time, Derrick and Splash jumped out of the way. Soon, Golem, Vileplume, Golduck, and Magneton appeared on the scene. *These guys don't know when to quit,* White Blade muttered. Vilplume immediately shot out a chunk of acid, but Luke ducked and the acid melted away the cages which trapped Derrick's pokemon. The gigantic pokeball was still shaking. *That's gotta be Draconi!* Samuraichu made a run for the pokeball, but Magneton glid in the way. The two then, started to fight my continuously hitting each other with thunderbolts. Derrick ran to his pokemon who were in a deep sleep. Suddenly, Vileplume rammed himself into Derrick, waking up the other pokemon. The humans already had all their pokemon out, ready for a showdown. White Blade ran up to Samuraichu to help by using Metronome, with luck he began using thunderbolt as well. Blizzard and Dodrio were having a one on one fight and Blizzard had no time to send out a pokemon, since this Dodrio was supperfast. The humans' pokemon began duking it out with Golem and Golduck. Though they had many pokemon, Golem and Golduck were at extreme levels. The TR pokemon were on the defensive side. Golem made earthquakes to make everyone lose balance while Golduck forced all the pokemon back. The heated battle became hotter and hotter. White Blade jumped onto Magneton and kept on shocking him. "Go! Free Draconi!" Samuraichu nodded and climbed ontop of the gigantic pokeball. And kept stomping on the button to make it open. This was VERY hard work considering the fact that he kept losing balance to Golem's earthquakes. Vilplume had Derrick and his pokemon back up to the corner and started shooting acid. At a very high level, this really stung. Then, Vileplume shot out his sleep powder/poison powder/stun spore combo. Gloom walked in front of Derrick and inhaled the gases. *Impossible!* Vileplume screeched! *Nothing is impossible!* Weepinbell shouted back and shot some of his powerful acid into Gloom's mouth. Gloom then swished it around with the gases for a second and barfed it out all over Vileplume. Vileplume ran around back and forth as the acids melted away into his face and finally, he fell to the ground, faceless. The Team Rocket members watched in horror from a dark corner. *Ugghhhh!* White Blade was running out of power. The Magneton was defeating him. *Metronome!* Samuraichu shouted from above. *Oh yeah!* White Blade used Metronome and out came a rock slide from above, smashing the Magneton. *Alright! This battle is looking up!* White Blade climbed on top of the giant pokeball with Samuraichu and they stomped on the button at the same time. The ball opened and out came Draconi. To Be Continued Today's Story Includes Music From: Garbage "You can't use what you can't abuse. . . " _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ ~Dryad48: Weekly Quote: "Laughter is the shortest distance between two people." -Victor Borg "Hide people from bad things, and you've made them weaker." -Me