Dark side of the Carnival By mewtwo And Showdown in Aksum City By TimeTraveller

Dark side of the Carnival
by Mewtwo

"Did you get everything?" Brock called out from the gate.
Lana closed the door to her small home and locked it. She stood there a moment, gazing at it one last time. Then she turned around and grinned at Brock.
"Yep! All set!" She skipped down the steps and stopped near the bottom.
She’s really coming with us, he thought. He watched her bound up to him, backpack in hand, and absently flushed red as he stared at her smile.
"Wow, Lana, you’ve got a beautiful… uh-- house!" he said, recovering quickly. The house was an earthy tan color, and the rooftop reflected the sunlight like glittering gold. Good save… I think…
"That’s the nice thing about Aksum City’s houses," she replied. She took in a deep breath. "Well, let’s meet up with Misty and Ash, then."
They began walking down the path to the PokeCenter, but the conversation was eerily silent. Feeling a little uncomfortable, Brock decided to try out one of his old "ice-breakers."
He cleared his throat. Ho-okay boy, don’t screw up. Here’s your chance to talk with her without Ash or Misty teasing you… !!! Silence. Come on, say something!!
"Er, ah, great weather today, isn’t it?" Brock’s brain mentally smacked him over the head. OH YEAH, a real Romeo… He wondered if she would notice that normal people didn't exactly break into sweats talking about the weather.
Instead, she grinned back happily. "Yeah, that’s just what I was going to say."
"Uh…" She liked it! Think of something, stupid!!! They walked past a sign holding small flyers on it. He took one and read it.
~~C A R N I V A L~~
Today Only!
Check out the fun rides, games and amusements at the 5th annual
~Ruto Town Carnival/Fair!!!~
(Directions on Reverse)

His mind sparked. "Say, you had told me before that you never really had a chance to explore the world, right?"
Lana nodded. "That’s right. I never could get very far from the city without the curse drawing me back…. Why do you ask, Brock?"
He froze. Here’s your chance!! He tried to talk, but his lips felt sewn shut. What’s wrong with you?! You embarrass yourself in front of girls tons of times! Why should asking out this one be any different?? Brock sweatdropped. But Lana’s different, he answered his subconscious. I can’t explain it, but… His impatient conscious got the better of him—If she’s so special, then you really better ask her out then!! Come on, build up your courage! You can do it!
"Brock…? Are you all right?" She had noticed his almost whimsical inner turmoil, but had mistaken it for some kind of illness. "Are you ok?" She put her hand to his head to feel if he had a fever.
That did it. The catalyst that snapped him into action. Instinctively, he grabbed her hand and swallowed hard.
"L-lana," he began, "would you… would you…"
She looked at him curiously. "Would I what?"
"Would-you-like-to-go-to-the-fair-with-me-today?" he burst out in a quick breath, nearly falling over.
"The fair?"
He held up the flyer with his shaky hands. "T-this one," he sputtered. "It’s in a town really close t-to here… if y-you’d like to…"
She glanced at the wobbly paper, and then at Brock’s super-red face… and then broke out into a small set of giggles. He looked at her with an odd expression of dread.
She thinks I’m stupid… ahhh, why did I ask her?! Why’d I have to make a fool out of myself?!?
She smiled and looked at him. "Sure I’d like to."
If Brock was an explosive, he would have had enough power to blow up the entire city’s radius. He nearly blew out her eardrums. "YOU WILL???"
"Of course I will," she laughed.
A five-foot long grin etched itself to his face. "Great!!" He pinched himself. "Ow!!" Not a dream!!! Woohoo!!!
"Are Ash and Misty coming?" Brock facefaulted. Lana knelt down, giggling. "I was just kidding!"
"Riiiiight…" Brock said, sweatdropping. "I knew that."
She helped him back up. "But let’s go meet up with them first, before we do anything."

*****

"The breakfast of losers," Jessie grumbled as they ate some old canned food.
"And the lunch, and the dinner, and maybe even the dessert!" James added, waving his fork around as he talked. "Ooh!" Jessie smacked him over the head.
"This isn't the kind of meal Team Rocket members should be having!" she said, "we need a new plan to catch that Pikachu, and we need it fast."
"Well, we're gonna have-da skip dat scheme dis time," Meowth answered, entering the thicket where Team Rocket was scarfing down their 2 course aluminum-contained meal.
"Meowth, where were you, and what are you talking about?"
"Well," the cat answered, stroking its whiskers, "I was just on da phone wid da boss." Jessie and James stopped eating, utensils frozen near their mouths. "Don't worry, it wasn't a bad chat… but, he gave us a chance ta redeem ourselves."
"He actually gave us a mission? Wow," James exclaimed looking at Jessie, "maybe he doesn't think we're such failures after all!"
Meowth sweatdropped. "Oh no, he's still thinks we're failures." Jessie and James facefaulted. "But," he continued, "I think he's giving us another chance. I told him where we were at, and he said he'd send us a package wid information on our next job."
No sooner after Meowth finished the sentence, a buggy zoomed into the underbrush near where they were sitting. A confused man exited it, wearing a Federal Express uniform. He dusted off his clothing and looked around, carrying a package.
"Uh, over here," James beckoned.
"You guys expecting a delivery?" the man asked. They nodded. "Sheesh, I've delivered to strange places, but I think this one's the new winner!"
"Just save your comments and give us the package!" Jessie snarled.
"Uh, right, right." He brought it over. "Who's signing for it?"
"Here, I'll do it," Meowth said. He grabbed the pen and scrawled in "Meowth" in the blank.
"Wow, a talking Meowth?! Now I really have seen everything."
Jessie snatched the package. She flicked her hands. "Now shoo."
The deliveryman looked at them oddly, and then, shrugging, got back into his buggy and sped off.
They opened the box eagerly and found a pokeball, a newspaper clipping, and a handheld tape recorder.
"Does he want us to pretend to be news reporters?" James mused.
"Idiot!" Jessie said, hitting him over the head. She picked up the recorder and pressed the PLAY button. Even their boss’s recorded voice snapped them into instant attention.
"If you’re listening to, this, then it means you’ve done at least something right," the tinny recorded message spat out. "Now, listen carefully. I am giving you this assignment because you are the only Team Rocket members close enough to get the job done.
"Now, I’m sure you know that Team Rocket shall control the world someday, but in order to do so, we must have excellent members…" Giovanni paused a moment. "And remind me to inquire as to how you became members in the first place. But I digress…
"In any case, I, as well as my advisors, am always keeping up with current events to see just who might be Team Rocket material. It has come to our attention that a new… ‘candidate’ has become available, one who has incredible power. I have included a clipping referring to this particular person. Additionally, I have included a Hypno."
"Hypno? Why a Hypno?" James asked no one in particular.
"You are probably asking yourself why I have done such a thing. You see, this ‘new recruit’ most likely will not want to become… affiliated with us, so you must persuade them otherwise."
Meowth snickered. "Dat’s da boss for ya."
"If you cannot reach an agreement with the recruit, use Hypno. You are fortunately in just about the precise area where you should be able to meet this person." Giovanni cleared his breath. "DON’T SCREW UP THIS TIME!" The tape ended, and Jessie pressed the STOP button.
"Hmm," James murmured curiously, "let’s see who this lucky person is." He picked the newspaper article out of the box, while the others sat near him to read it.

The Pokemon TimesELITE LEADER DEFEATED!Aksum CityYesterday, history was made as the first person to ever beat the Aksum Gym Leader successfully won the pokemon match and saved the Leader from a curse, one thought to have only been a city legend for a very long time.The Gym Leader had supervised the gym for several years without having lost a single match. Rumors began floating across the land that the Leader had picked up a curse from the fabled resting-place of the Ark of the Covenant, a sacred relic that Aksum City is famous for. The gym coincidentally had been constructed on top of land that archaeologists had once explored for the Ark."Yeah, that Leader gave me the creeps!" a young boy commented. "I remember trying to win a badge there once, but she really kicked my *expletive deleted*! Her eyes glowed and some weird stuff, too."Needless to say, the city is relieved that the curse is ended, but to be safe, the gym has been closed for extensive examination. In the meantime, however, the Elite Leader has decided to travel with her newly made friend.Few witnesses were present at the time of the match, but a friend of the victor claimed that it was an incredible battle. "I’ve never seen him that determined before," the friend (who calls himself "Ash") exclaimed. "It was really something!"For some citizens of the City of Aksum, the young man who defeated the Leader could well be considered a hero. But we here at the Pokemon Times declare you our "trainer of the year"! Well done, Brock!
Team Rocket’s eyes widened in surprise. "BROCK?!" They yelled unanimously.
"You mean that friend of that twerp that’s always ruining our plans is the fantastic member we have to catch??" Jessie asked incredulously.
"Looks like it," Meowth replied, frowning.
James held up the lone pokeball. "Well, I guess it looks like we’re going to need this after all…"
*****

Ash was desperately trying not to burst into a fit of laughter. The gang was outside the Ruto Town PokeCenter.
"Are you sure you wanna go hang out with Brock??" he asked Lana. Brock was secretly fuming behind Lana’s back.
She put her hands on her hips. "And what’s wrong with that?" Lana asked, slightly miffed. She pointed behind herself at Brock, nearly poking him in the eye. "He’s a wonderful friend, and I’d love to spend a day with him! Is that so strange?" Her sentence caused him to break out in a red hue.
"It’s just that," Misty explained, "he’s never really gone out with a girl before."
Lana dropped her hands. "Oh, he hasn’t? Why’s that?"
"Well… he’s not exactly… popular around the ladies."
"Hmm, he might be a little misunderstood, but hey, a friend can hang out with a friend without getting weird looks from people," she eyed Ash evenly, "ok?"
"Yeah, sure," Ash answered, sweatdropping.
"Anyway," she said, changing the subject and brightening up, "you sure you guys’ll be ok?"
"Oh yeah, no problem!" he responded. "I’ll drop my pokemon off at the Center for the day. I think Pikachu could use a breather."
"Pikachuuuu," the electric mouse agreed tiredly.
"Ok then… hey, why don’t you guys go out for some fun?"
Misty and Ash both got pretty startled by that unexpected comment.
"Uh, ah, well, we’re not really--" Ash started.
"Yeah, we don’t really hang out--" Misty added.
They were stammering so much that even Brock laughed at them. "Ok guys," he said, "I think Lana gets the message. Why don’t we all meet back here at the PokeCenter later tonight?"
"Ok," the two mumbled.
"Well then, we’ll see you two later!" Lana called as she and Brock left for the fair. Misty and Ash watched them go with interested expressions.
"Wow, I never thought he’d pull it off," Misty mused.
"Yeah," Ash said, then realized something. "Hey, that’s ten bucks you owe me."
"What!?!" Misty thought for a moment. "No fair!! That was months ago!! How was I supposed to know he’d actually get a date?!"

*****
The Ruto Town Fair/Carnival was about as loud and over-flourished as most typical carnivals are. Booth after booth of shooting and ring-tossing games were scattered throughout the fairground, along with food booths, and a fortune telling tent here and there. A moderate sized rollercoaster was visible in the background as muted yells echoed from it every now and then. The ground had smatterings of popcorn near the busiest booths. Clowns were all over, making balloon hats for kids and freaking out most of the little toddlers.
"Wow," Lana said as they walked among the crowd, "I don’t think they ever had a carnival like this in Aksum." She smiled, "but it is very colorful." She was picking at a huge cotton candy Brock had purchased for her.
"Yeah, the ones in Pewter City weren’t really this large."
They passed by a flashy ring toss game, where the rings seemed unusually large. Hey, this could be my big chance, he thought, to win her something she’ll remember. He looked at the prizes. A doofy looking stuffed Rhydon and a couple of dinky over-stuffed Caterpie dolls. He sweatdropped. Well, they’ll have to do. He pointed over at the booth. "Hey, that one looks like fun. Wanna try it?"
Lana smiled. "Sure!" They approached the booth. "Hey, those rings look pretty large." Brock facefaulted. "Must be easy to win, eh?"
"Ah pretty miss, the rings of chance look simple enough, but it takes a skilled hand and a determined mind to win this game," the roly-poly booth owner chuckled.
Brock piped up. "I’ll win for you, Lana!" He deposited some money in the owner’s eager palm and received three rings.
She grinned. "Good luck, Brock!"
Hah!! I can do this, he thought, confident. He flicked back his wrist in an odd, stylistic motion, and flung the ring towards the milk bottles standing upright in a triangular pattern. The ring bounced on the lid of one, and then tumbled to the ground.
"Uh, just warming up!" he said, sweating. Ok, ok, calm down… still two rings left. The other two rings had just about as much success.
Lana patted his shoulder. "It’s ok, Brock," she soothed, "these games always have some kind of optical illusion. I’ve never really seen anyone win before."
"Then I’ll be the first!" Brock bellowed triumphantly. He dumped more cash and kept at it. Somewhere along the line, Brock had wasted almost ten dollars on the game. He looked rather defeated.
"Miss, would you like a try?" the owner inquired.
"Um… if he can’t do it, I probably can’t either," Lana wavered. But she did have a few dollars. And she did want to win something for Brock, since he had tried so hard. "Well, all right," she said at last, giving the man a few dollars.
"Here ya go," the man said, handing her three rings.
Brock watched her a little nervously. She knew he was wondering if she could win, and so she couldn’t concentrate. Her first two rings went straight to the floor almost immediately.
"Oh shoot," Lana said, exasperated. She took her last ring and tossed it away, frustrated. The ring flew high in the air for a bit, and then landed unsteadily on top of one of the milk bottle lids. Everyone was silent as they watched the ring spin around and around until finally it landed around the milk bottle’s center!
Loud bell dings could be heard. "We have a winner!!" the man yelled out. He looked at Lana happily. "My, you do have good luck." He pointed to the stuffed pokemon. "Choose one."
Lana perused the three dolls, and then finally decided on the Rhydon.
"Well done, miss," the man congratulated her. Lana and Brock moved away from the stand. She handed him the stuffed doll.
"Here, you can have this," she offered.
He looked at the doofy Rhydon and smiled, sweatdropping. "Uh, thanks. Too bad I couldn’t have won it for you, though…"
"That’s ok," she replied, "It’s the thought that counts!"
*****

Team Rocket approached the entrance to the fairgrounds.
"Ooh! I love a good carnival!" James said excitedly.
"We’re not here for games!" Jessie growled through gritted teeth. "This is a big gathering, so maybe we’ll find Brock here."
"Yeah, but knowin’ our luck, dat might not be so simple," Meowth remarked uneasily.
"Well, the only way to find out is to go in," Jessie said.
*****

"It sure is sunny today," Lana said, blocking the sunlight with her hand.
"Yeah, it is," Brock answered. He looked around and saw a small ice cream vendor. "Hey… would you like an ice cream cone?"
"Sure! That might cool me down a bit."
Brock set the stuffed animal on a table nearby, and Lana sat there as Brock bought them some ice cream. He came back, and gave her a greenish-colored ice cream with chips.
"Oh, mint chocolate chip!" she said, smiling. "How did you know it was my favorite?"
"Uh," Brock blushed, "lucky guess?"
"Mmm, thank you, Brock."
They sat there for a while, eating their cones and watching the carnival-goers walk by.
At last, Lana spoke up. "So, you were saying that Pewter City has carnivals?"
Brock stopped eating. "Yeah, maybe once a year. But no one’s really that excited about them anymore. I guess it’s kinda like how people aren’t excited about Christmas when the trees are up in October. People know it’s coming, and there’s no fun in the surprise."
Lana nodded, interested. "Tell me what your family’s like back there."
Brock blushed. "Well, I was really the only one in charge of my family for the longest time," he said slowly.
"Why’s that?"
"Well… my father ran out on us to become a Pokemon Master." He made a bitter smirk. "He didn’t even get that far. So, I was stuck back at home with my ten brothers and sisters--"
"Ten?" Lana interrupted, surprised.
"Yep, ten. Anyway, I was left to take care of them, because a little while after my father left… my mother… well, she died."
Lana covered her mouth. She placed her hand on Brock’s on the table. "Oh, I’m so sorry… I’m sorry I brought it up."
He shook his head, smiling. "No, it’s all right. I’ve told that story a lot of times. Besides, it’s been a long time since that happened. And my father came back too, so he’s taking care of my relatives now." He looked at her. "That’s why I’m here now, traveling and trying to fulfill my dream of becoming a Pokemon breeder."
"So that’s your only family?"
I don’t really talk with the rest of my family. They’ve all gone their separate ways. I did get along really well with my uncle, though. He’s a high school teacher in Japan. He’s a little rough with the language, and the liquor, but deep down he’s a good guy, and was always there to talk to me and to listen to my problems. I haven’t seen him lately though… I wonder where he went off to…?" Brock mused.
Lana was silent for a moment, thinking.
Brock snapped out of his thoughts. "But tell me Lana, about your family."
She sat back and rested her chin on her propped-up arm. "Heh, well, I wouldn’t mind hearing that for myself," she said glumly.
"What do you mean?" he asked, confused.
"My family’s past is a bit of a mystery." She sighed. "I haven’t seen my parents for who knows how long, and I don’t know where they ran off to, either."
"Were you an only child?" Brock asked.
Lana smiled. "No, but that would have been interesting. I have a younger brother, about Misty’s age. Let’s see," she thought aloud, "he’s probably thirteen now."
"You mean you’re not sure?"
"Well, I’m pretty sure, but he ran off too, a long time ago." She smirked. "It seems like everyone wants to be a Pokemon Master these days." She looked off into the distance. "But… he was a very good trainer. Who knows, maybe he finally became one?"
Brock chuckled lightly. "Well, I guess everybody’s got their own unique family stories. Lana…" he spoke up slightly, "do you have a ‘dream’?"
"A dream?" she repeated.
"Yeah, like what you want to do with the rest of your life."
Lana considered the question thoughtfully over her ice cream cone. "Well," she admitted finally, "I don’t really have any major dreams in life." She smiled at him. "I know Ash wants to be a Pokemon Master, and you want to be a Pokemon breeder, but… I’m kind of happy the way I am," she finished cheerfully. "All I want is to live a long, happy life… with someone to care about." She realized what she had blurted out and blushed.
"Sounds good to me," Brock replied, just a bit red.
That’s no good… I have to think of a better response than that!! Maybe it was the sugar from the ice cream, or perhaps Brock had finally built up the courage to really say something bold, but all of a sudden, he looked deep in Lana’s eyes and stared very seriously.
"Lana," he proclaimed, "I want to help you fulfill that dream. I promise, no matter what happens… I’ll protect you, Lana… so that you’ll have the future that you’ve always dreamed of." He fell silent after that.
Did I just say that?!? How did I… what caused me to… His mind spun. But somehow, I wanted to—no, needed to tell her that.
Lana was a bit speechless. Ok, very speechless. Still, she managed to find her voice again. "Brock…" She beamed a large smile at him. "That’s sweet. No one’s ever told me that before. Thank you."
They sat there, unsure of what to say next, so instead, they ate their ice cream silently, looking at the passersby, but stealing small curious glimpses at each other, too.
He’s so easy to talk to, Lana thought to herself. I feel like I could talk to him forever.
She’s so kind and she actually listens to what I’m saying. I’ve never met a girl like her before, Brock thought.
"KEEPSAKES!! TRINKETS AND CHARMS HALF PRICE!!" The vendor’s loud chant jarred them back to reality. Lana glanced over at the booth and something caught her eye almost instantly.
"Hey Brock," she said, "I see something really nice that I just can’t pass up buying. I’ll be right back, ok?"
"S-sure," he answered. She got up from the table, and, before leaving, turned and looked at him. Smiling, she walked over to the booth in the distance.
Brock sighed quietly, an unusually large grin on his face.
*****

"We’ll never find him here," James whined. "We’re wasting time!"
"Oh be quiet!" Jessie hissed. "Stop whining and keep your eyes open! He’s got to be here somewhere."
They wandered through the carnival, sweeping the area looking for Brock. James' eyes rested upon a cotton candy machine.
"Ooh! Cotton candy, I love cotton candy! Jessie, let's get some!"
Meowth sweatdropped. "Lamebrain, we're supposed to be doin' our job, not eatin' cotton candy!"
James put his finger to his lips. "Oh, right."
Suddenly, Jessie straightened up and grabbed Meowth and James, dragging them behind a nearby booth.
"Hey, what was that for?!" James said.
"Shh! I think I just found our prize," Jessie grinned. The three popped their heads out from behind the wall and looked to the right. A spiky-haired boy was sitting by himself at a table, ice cream in hand and a silly-looking stuffed pokemon beside him.
"That must be him!" James confirmed. "I can tell that wild hair anywhere!"
"Ok… nice and easy," Jessie whispered.
They began their descent upon the unwary boy.
*****

"Hello miss, would you be interested in purchasing some lovely items?"
"Uh, yes I would," Lana answered, smiling at the keepsake vendor. Her pointed finger moved slowly to a small glittering item in a glass case near the front of the booth.
"Ah," the man complimented, "you have wonderful taste. That is a very beautiful piece. Would you like me to take it out for you?"
"Yes, thanks." The man opened the case and placed the item carefully in Lana's hands. It was a small, yet simple, gold pendant connected to a simple gold chain. It shone in the midday sunlight, and Lana couldn't help but look in awe at it.
"How much is it?" she asked.
The man smiled. "For you, I'll be willing to make a good deal. How does 15 dollars sound?"
She looked at the pendant, and then nodded. "Yes, I think that's very fair."
Paying him the money, she moved to a small bench near the side of the booth to look over her recent purchase. Although the pendant was beautiful, it looked very empty with the hole for a mini-photo in the middle.
"Hmm, I don’t have a small photo, but maybe…" Lana grinned. She set to work.
*****

I wonder what Lana’s up to? Brock thought. She glanced at the stuffed Rhydon and sweatdropped. Too bad I’m not the man she’d probably be looking for. He sighed quietly. I couldn’t even win her a prize! He rested his chin on his arm as he lay back in his chair. Still… she didn’t seem to mind… His hopes lifted. Maybe I’m not out of the running yet. I need to do something… hey! I know! I’ll buy her something nice from the fair!
As Brock was deep in thought about what to possibly buy for Lana, a suspicious-looking bush hobbled its way up behind him.
"Ok, one… two… THREE!"
Six arms flung out of the bush and grabbed Brock.
"What the--?!" Brock yelped. "Let go of me you… you BUSH?!? Hey--- MMPH!!!" The hands covered Brock’s mouth and wrenched him inside the bush. There were quite a few sharp movements within, but after a few moments, the bush quieted down and scrambled away from the fairgrounds.
A few minutes later, Lana returned to the table.
"Brock? BROCK?" she called out. "Where’d he go?" She noticed that his ice cream had been splattered on the table.
"Looks almost as if it was dropped very suddenly," she thought aloud. The Rhydon was still there, too. She tensed up.
I don’t like this… not one bit, she thought worriedly. I’d better find Ash and Misty.
*****

"Nice work, Jessie," James congratulated.
"And a very nice job yourself, James," Jessie smugly replied, smirking.
"We really did it dis time, didn’t we?" Meowth said, elated.
The three Rockets were celebrating their successful kidnapping back in their secluded thicket of solitude. Their captive, however, was fuming, and struggling in his ropes.
"MMPH!! RRMMPHH MPH!!!" Brock raged underneath his masking tape gag.
"Hahaha, looks like our prize is just a bit angry with us," Jessie joked.
Meowth went over and ripped off the tape. Brock screamed out. His lips felt like they were on fire.
"RRAAAAGH!!!" he yelled, "What is wrong with you?!? I thought you were supposed to steal pokemon, not PEOPLE!!"
"Hah, well this time our job was a little different," James replied snidely. "You should be grateful, really."
"Oh yeah? And why’s that?" Brock huffed.
"Because you’re going to become a member of the illustrious Team Rocket, of course!" Jessie said.
"WHAT?! Have you guys gone crazy?! I’d never join you!" He struggled in his bonds, but only managed to tire himself out.
"Why resist it, Brock? Da boss thinks you got real potential as a Rocket. Why not join da club, and get all the rewards dat come wid it?"
"Rewards? I’d rather get crushed by my Onix than join you," he spat angrily.
James sighed. "Well, we had really hoped you weren’t going to reject us this way. It would have been easier for you."
"Sorry to have disappointed you," Brock remarked sarcastically.
James took the special pokeball out of his pocket and opened it. Out came Hypno.
"Hypno, Hypno," the pokemon droned.
"Now we’ll have to do things the hard way," James said darkly. "Hypno, let’s persuade him with a Hypnosis attack!"
"Hypnnnoo…" The pokemon began waving his arms rhythmically. Small sound waves emanated from its low monotoned voice. Brock broke out in a sweat.
No… can’t… I can’t fall for it… can’t get… hypnotized… He shut his eyes.
"My, he’s strong, I’ll give him that," Jessie commented, "but not strong enough to resist Team Rocket! Hypno, increase your Hypnosis attack!"
Hypno scowled. "HYPNOOOO…" His voiced echoed, booming through Brock’s mind. The waves began breaking whatever mental barriers Brock had struggled to put up. Suddenly, everything went black, and he fainted.
*****

Brock awoke in a dark setting. He couldn’t recognize the scenery because… there wasn’t any. Confused, he stood up and looked around.
"Hello?" he called to no one in particular. "Is anyone there? Hello?" His calls echoed through the deathly silent black corridors. He grabbed his arms, shivering.
"It’s so… so cold," Brock murmured. "Where am I?"
He wandered around, but kept winding up in the same place. He stared at his desolate surroundings, and felt very lonely. He finally sat down to think, resting his chin on his knuckles.
An echo. As he sat, he heard the slightest echo of a voice far off in the distance. Hopeful, he hopped to his feet and ran in the direction of the sound. He ran for what seemed to be eternity until he reached a door at last. Bewildered, he entered, and gasped.
It was his family. His ten brothers and sisters were sitting in their living room. He looked at the doorknob he was holding and realized that somehow it must have been connected to his front door.
"What are you… what are you all doing here?" he asked.
A small boy came up to him.
"We were waiting forever for you to come home, Brock," Timmy answered, but his voice sounded almost like that of a ghost.
"Waiting? Why? Isn’t Dad home?" Brock asked, baffled.
Timmy looked at him blankly. "Daddy hasn’t been home for years. And Mommy…"
No… I don’t want to hear it… I can’t hear it… "Mommy’s dead."
"No," Brock said, his eyes watering, "No…"
"Yes," Timmy insisted. "She’s lying in the bedroom. Want to see?"
"NO!" Brock yelled, frightened, "No, you’re lying!!"
"But we don’t care about that right now," Timmy continued. "We’ve been waiting for you, Brock… waiting…"
The children all began chiming in hollowly at once.
"Brock, I ripped my dress again…"
"Brock, I want my corn flakes…"
"Brock, I don’t want to take a bath…"
"Brock…"
"BROCK…"
"BROCK!!!"
"NOOO!!!" Brock yelled, falling to his knees and covering his eyes with his shaky, work-worn hands. He trembled, shuddering with anguish and pent-up sadness.
Then suddenly, a hand touched his shoulder. He opened his eyes and saw that everything had vanished, and the blackness had returned. He looked up at the person who had rested their hand on him.
"Ash!" Brock said, unbelieving. "Oh, thank goodness you’re here, you wouldn’t believe what--"
"Don’t worry Brock," Ash interrupted, like an old recording, "You’ll find plenty of other girls to reject you!"
"What??"
Misty appeared next to Ash immediately.
"And did you seal your promise to Melanie with a kiss?" she teased, puckering her lips.
"Did Susie tell you she liked you?"
"Well… no," Brock said in a small voice.
"Hah! That’s because no girls like you!" Misty yelled, her laughter echoing in his head.
"All those Joys and Jennys look alike," Ash scolded, "why do you act the way you do all the time?"
"It’s embarrassing," Misty added.
"You’re an embarrassment, Brock," Ash sneered. "I don’t know why we let you travel with us."
Brock was frozen. "You… you’re not really Ash and Misty," he said slowly, but his voice was clouded with doubt.
"Of course we are! Why wouldn’t we be? We’ve been traveling with you for a year, and we still have to put up with you, you lovesick dope!" Misty chastised.
Overwhelmed by their hate and taunting, Brock covered his ears and sunk to the floor.
"Stop… stop it," Brock said weakly. Their insults ricocheted across the room and into his ears, no matter how hard he tried not to hear it.
"I’m not hopeless," he murmured, "I’m not! Not all girls dislike me…"
Not all girls…
"Brock?" A soft voice called to him. He looked up and saw that Ash and Misty had vanished.
"Lana?"
Lana stood above him, and helped him up. Relieved, he smiled.
"Oh Lana, I’m so glad you’re here… I didn’t know what I was going to do without you--"
"Without me? What do you mean?"
"Well," he said, stumbling over his words, finally saying what had eluded him for so long, "I… I love you, Lana."
"That’s interesting."
‘That’s… interesting’? "What do you mean--"
"I mean, I didn’t know you liked me that much," she said indifferently. "If I had known that, I wouldn’t have pitied you and gone with you to the fair."
"P-pitied me?" His heart ached.
"Yes, that’s right," she snarled slightly. She began laughing. "You mean, let me get this straight, you thought I liked you? Oh, that’s a good one!"
Crushed, he tried to plead with her. "But, you had such a good time--"
"Who said I did? You?" She put her hands on her hips. "You’re pathetic."
Melanie appeared behind Lana. "I didn’t want you with me," she said simply.
Susie appeared next. "I gave you my Vulpix so you would go away."
The woman from the St. Anne appeared. "Friends with you? Never."
Officer Jenny popped up. "Pitiful men are criminals that should be arrested!"
Nurse Joy came up, shaking her head. "I don’t like the diagnosis on this one."
Girl after girl came, shooting him down with their words, until he was surrounded by an army of angry and resentful women. They began verbally bashing him.
"Get a life and stop drooling over us!"
"Cooking? What are you, a Momma’s boy?"
"Why should you get depressed over us? You never had a chance to begin with!"
"What a loser."
"So pathetic."
Brock stared wide eyed at them, his fragile heart breaking painfully piece by piece with every hate-filled word that dropped from their mouths. When he was finally broken, he could take it no longer, and collapsed, heaving with misery and loneliness.
"No…" his voice, almost inaudible, echoed softly. "I don’t… want to be… alone…"
*****

"James, I think that’s enough," Jessie nudged after about fifteen minutes of hypnosis. "You don’t want to overdo it, do you?"
"I just want to make sure it worked," he replied.
Brock’s eyes had glazed over after about five minutes of the treatment. They were about to stop when…
"Look!"
Brock’s unemotional fuzzy eyes convulsed, as if in pain. A small teardrop emerged and fell from his eye.
"What… what happened?" Jessie asked.
"Maybe dat hypnosis really got to him," Meowth mused. "James, you better stop it."
"Right. Hypno, stop." Hypno lowered its hands and stopped its eerie chant. But Brock still remained frozen.
"Uh… let’s see, what are we supposed to do after that? Hmm," James thought aloud. He raised his fingers and snapped them. Instantly, Brock blinked, and his blank eyes darkened and his face became a cacophony of bitter anger.
"Whoa, talk about mood swing," Jessie said.
"Now Brock," Meowth addressed the silent figure, "will you join Team Rocket, even goin’ against your friends for da sake of our mission?"
Brock slowly turned his head to coldly stare at Meowth. Without a word, he nodded his head.
"It worked!" Jessie and James cheered, dancing in a tight circle. They ran over to their hot air balloon and brought out a sewing box, and retrieved two needles.
"Now," James said enthusiastically, "a Rocket’s just not a Rocket without the right uniform!!"
*****

"And you say he just disappeared?" Ash asked Lana. She nodded, concern evident on her face.
"That’s not like Brock to just leave like that," Misty said. Especially if he was on a date.
"That’s what I was thinking," Lana agreed. Nighttime was fast approaching. "I’m really worried. I think someone might have kidnapped him."
Ash gazed up at the sky. "Well, we better hurry, whatever we do, because it’ll be too dark to do much of anything pretty soon."
"Hey," Misty piped up, "Maybe we should check back at the scene of the crime? There might be some clues there."
"Good idea, Misty," Ash said. "Let’s go."
*****

The carnival was in its winding-down phases, with few people still walking around the dimly lit fairgrounds. Lana led Ash and Misty to the table where she and Brock had been a few hours before.
"It was here," she said. She realized that she had left the pokemon doll behind and someone (some kid, probably) hadn’t hesitated to take it.
They scanned the area, when Lana startled them.
"Hey, look at this!" She pointed to a large dirt pile behind the table. They knelt down to examine it.
"Looks like someone was moving… a bush??" she said, quizzically. She pointed, "there are dirt marks and bush leaves arranged so that it looks like there was a great deal of scuffling… and the dirt marks lead off away from the carnival… and into that forest."
"Wow, Lana, that’s real good detective work," Ask commented.
She scratched her head. "But who would’ve dressed as a bush to kidnap Brock?"
Ash and Misty thought for a moment, and then sweatdropped heavily. "It’s gotta be," they said simultaneously, "Team Rocket."
"Who are they? I’ve never heard of them."
"You’ll probably meet them soon enough, if you’re right," Misty said.
"Well, we can’t waste anymore time," Lana said, determined. "Let’s go get Brock."
They began following the dirt trail. Don’t worry Brock, she thought, I promise I’ll find you.

*****
The dirt trail led very far into the woods, and it took them about a half-hour to reach a secluded thicket that looked recently inhabited. The trail suddenly ended there.
"They’ve got to be around here somewhere," Ash said. He really wished he had brought Pikachu from the PokeCenter, but the thought hadn’t crossed his mind early enough. (A.N. This is Ash we’re talking about here.)
Lana felt the air and tensed up. "I have a bad feeling about this," she said softly.
"Ah, so the girl’s got some force in her," a voice joked. "Well, sense this."
Two figures came out from the darkened trees.
"Prepare for trouble!"
"And make it double!"
"To protect the world from devastation!"
"To unite all people within our nation!"
"To denounce the evils of truth and love!"
"To extend our reach to the stars above!"
"Jessie!"
"James!"
"Team Rocket blasts of at the speed of light!"
"Surrender now or prepare to fight!"
Meowth hopped out in front. "Meowth, that’s right!!"
Lana looked at them, eyebrow raised. "So you’re Team Rocket?"
"That’s right!" James said, tossing his hair for effect.
"I’m not impressed," Lana said simply. "I faced trainers at the Aksum Gym more interesting than you."
Jessie’s mind sparked. "Then you’re--"
"Yeah, I’m the Aksum Elite Leader," Lana stated flatly, taking an angry, offensive stance, "but I’m not here to talk about me. We know you’ve got Brock, so let him go, and maybe we’ll forget about turning you in to the authorities."
Team Rocket began laughing loudly.
"What’s so funny?!" Lana demanded.
"Oh, I don’t think Brock wants to go," Jessie snickered.
"Is that right?" Lana snarled. She was getting irritated with their stalling.
"Why don’t you ask him yourself?" Jessie beckoned, raising her hand behind her.
Footsteps could be heard from a short distance, and a figure emerged from the shadows. Lana’s derisive sneer turned into a look of utter shock. Ash and Misty stared, their eyes wide in surprise.
"Brock!"
The man walked out quietly. He was dressed from head to toe in a crimson, blood red Team Rocket uniform. His arms were crossed tightly, and his steps were firm and hard upon the dense ground. His face reflected an evil glow, his eyes shimmering red, wider than usual. His chest rose and fell as he stopped, erupting in an evil laugh.
Lana shivered. Something isn’t right. Her hands involuntarily balled into fists.
"I don’t know what this is, but I know it’s gotta be one of your tricks!!" Ash yelled.
Jessie and James pointed to themselves. "Us? Oh no, no, no. This most certainly is Brock," Jessie stated, grinning. "Improved by the hands of Team Rocket."
"Yes the boss sure found a gem this time," James remarked, "your ‘friend’ is on our side now." They began laughing hard.
"Rrgh, you’re starting to annoy me," Ash said, gritting his teeth.
"We’re annoying…? Listen to him Jessie, we’re annoying him!" James laughed.
"Well twerp, we’re da bad guys," Meowth responded. "Dat’s what bad guys do!"
Lana turned her attention back to Brock, who almost resembled a maniacal zombie at this point. "Come on, Brock, snap out of it. You don’t belong with these guys, and you know it."
But Brock didn’t seem to listen. Or perhaps he had, but chose not to respond. Instead, he simply sneered. Lana froze. That expression… it’s so… heartless.
"It’s useless to try and stop us," Jessie said, "He’s under the most powerful hypnosis attack we could get."
"Yeah, nothin’s waking this guy up," Meowth said.
"Hey Brock, why not show these twerps what Team Rocket does to people who get in our way."
Brock’s eyes flared, and he nodded.
"Brock, what are you doing?!" Misty yelled, "we’re your friends! Can’t you remember anything??"
He narrowed his eyes. "Yes. I can remember." He darkened. "I remember people teasing me, torturing me with their taunts, their jokes… their hate."
"What are you talking about?" Ash asked, confused.
"Of course you wouldn’t know," Brock shot back. "You never realized how you hurt me!!!" The air around him trembled as his voice increased. "Both of you," he motioned to Misty and Ash, "always being so cruel to me!! I couldn’t help that I never had any friends… or GIRLFRIENDS!!!" He straightened up, furious. "But I’m not going to take it anymore!! No more jokes, no more insults, no more anything!!!" He raised his fist in a swift, angry motion. The ground began shaking, and his huge Onix emerged from the forest.
"Onix, CRUSH THEM!!!" he yelled, laughing out loud. Onix reared back as Ash and Misty stumbled to try and get out of the way. Onix’s tail swung and caught them partly, knocking them into a tree nearby.
Lana ran over and checked them. They were unconscious, but had fortunately avoided most of the blow. She stood back up and looked at Brock with hurt eyes.
"H-how could you, Brock…?"
He frowned. "They got what was coming to them. The whole world… always so cruel to me…" His eyes widened crazily. "But I will get my revenge… on all of it!!!!"
"Hey, he’s not supposed to do that!" James said to Jessie.
"Looks like we did too good of a job brainwashin’ him with that hypnosis!" Meowth said. "We better get him under control."
"Brock," Jessie called out, "you are a member of Team Rocket! Your team comes first, above all other missions! Remember that!"
Brock turned menacingly towards them. "And you," he quaked with rage, "would prevent me from getting my revenge?!!?" Team Rocket shrunk back slightly. "I’m not under your control," he glared, "not anymore!!" He turned to Onix wordlessly, and the giant snake swung back and charged into them, knocking them high off into the sky.
"There goes another brilliant plan!" James grumbled.
"Da boss is really gonna cream us for dis one," Meowth added.
"Looks like Team Rocket’s blasting off agaiiiiiin….!!" And with that, they disappeared.
Lana was left with Brock, who was still glowing red with fury. He recalled his Onix.
Nervousness grasped her stomach tightly, but she continued.
"Brock, please, just calm down. This isn’t you…"
"Oh isn’t it?" Brock mocked. "Do you know what I’ve been through? Do you know what a terrible life I’ve had to lead??!"
Lana raised her hands, hoping to sooth him somewhat. "No… no I don’t," she admitted. "But I can… if you’ll just tell me."
"All my life, I’ve worked hard… for my relatives, for my future, but there are always people getting in my way!!" His hands were gripped roughly. "My no-good father… my insensitive "friends," everyone!"
"But everyone cares about you Brock, we all do…" she paused. "We would never… I would never do anything to hurt you."
Brock shook his head. "It’s lies, all lies!" He closed his eyes tight, and then opened them, glaring even redder. "You’re just like all the rest," he said finally. "Women pity me, and so they act kind to me… but when I fall for it, they crush me! They destroy my heart, my feelings, over and over again!!" His head reeled as he spoke, and he grasped his head with his hands. He screamed out in anguish.
"Brock…" Lana put her hand on his shoulder, but he knocked it away harshly.
"Stop it!!" He shook his head again. "No one’s going to hurt me again!"
"No, that’s not how people are, Brock!" she tried to reason.
Suddenly, with one swift motion, Brock reached out his arm and grabbed her neck. Surprised, Lana tried to break free, but his grip was unusually strong. He began lifting her up off the ground.
"BROCK! What are you *augh* doing?!" she gasped, gripping her hands on his to prevent from choking while she dangled in the air.
"It ends now."
"S-stop it, Brock!" she gagged, her voice shaking with fear. What’s come over you?! I can’t… I can’t feel your good side… She continued, determined to try and reach him. "Brock, whatever’s controlling you is making you do terrible things. P-please, p-please fight it, Brock…"
Brock looked at her, his eyes scanning her frightened expression. His eyes surged red, and then faltered. He shut them and grimaced, but then regained his previous position.
Oh Brock… She saw his newly infuriated face. He’s, he’s trying to fight it, but he can’t—
"AHH!" Lana let out a yelp. Brock had increased his grip.
"Trying to trick me, eh? Not smart."
The pressure against her throat was becoming too great. She could barely suck in a breath of air. Beads of perspiration began forming on her face, and she starting losing focus.
"Brock," she struggled to say, feeling water fuzz her eyes, "you have t-to… fight it… y-you c-can’t let… the h-hypnosis… brain w-wash you…"
His grip quivered for a moment, but held firm. Weak from the lack of oxygen, her hands dropped to her sides, and as her right arm fell, it brushed against her pocket, dropping an item on the floor. Brock looked down at it. It was the pendant.
"What is that…?" he asked, no, demanded, from the fainting girl.
"She looked down weakly, her eyes nearly rolling back into her head. "It’s… it w-was a gift… for y-you… from… the f-fair--" That was the last word she uttered, as her head silently slumped downwards.
Brock curiously looked at the pendant, when suddenly a flash of images rushed back to him. The fair… the carnival games… we ate… ice cream… she left to get something—
"I promise, no matter what happens… I’ll protect you, Lana…" his voice echoed to him from the past. His eyes shot open. No… NO!!!! Protect her… I promised… to protect her!!! What am I doing...?!? The hypnosis spell shattered, and his eyes flushed back their natural brown. He inhaled deeply in an involuntary response as his eyes adjusted to the evening light. He released his grip, and Lana fell to the ground.
He looked around, confused. It had all seemed like a terrible dream. But it was real, he thought solemnly. He looked over at the tree where Misty and Ash lay, their chests rising and falling in their unconscious state. If I did that… then-- He paled. No… I couldn’t have… Uncertainly, he gazed downwards and gasped in shock. Lana was on the ground.
He felt his knees shake. No… She was very still. No… Water blurred his vision.
"NO!!" Brock collapsed to his knees, and picked up Lana. He checked her pulse on her wrist. So faint…
"Oh god, what have I done?!" he coughed. He held her tight, his grief streaking his face. "Please, wake up, Lana." He clenched his eyes closed. "Lana, come on, wake up…"
He began panicking. "What am I supposed to do?!" he asked aloud, frantically. CPR… is that what people do in these situations?? Well, is it? He wasn’t sure, but he knew he had to act quickly. He lay her on the ground, stomach up. He tried to remember how it was supposed to be done. Crisscrossing his fingers, he pumped her chest and listened. The heartbeat’s a little better. He went to her face. Anxiety-stricken, he sweatdropped as he realized he’d have to do mouth-to-mouth. Sucking up all his breath (and his courage), he placed his lips on her mouth and puffed in a breath. He sat up again and observed. Seeing no reaction, he went to her lips again. As he puffed in a breath again, Lana’s eyes fluttered softly. She opened them finally and stared at him. Too surprised to move, he stayed there, looking back at her, his mouth still on hers. Time seemed to slow in that moment, and they remained like that for what seemed to be eternity, when—
"Brock!" Ash’s voice shocked them out of their trance.
Brock hopped back from his previous position and looked at Ash and Misty who had just woken up and had wandered over to them.
"Uhhh…" Lana groaned as she felt her head. Brock helped her sit up, blushing profusely. When they had settled down, he remembered all that he had done. He looked down, ashamed.
"I… I don’t know how I can ever say just how sorry I am," he said quietly, staring at the grass. "I’ll understand if you guys never want to speak to me again--" He felt a hand on his shoulder and looked back up.
"It’s not your fault," Lana said softly. "It was the hypnosis. It took all your pain and fear and exaggerated it. You couldn’t help it."
Ash and Misty sat down near him. "Brock, we’re sorry. We never realized that we hurt you that much," Ash said slowly.
"Yeah, you’ve had a hard life, Brock," Misty added. "We didn’t understand that."
Brock smiled, his eyes glistening. "You… you guys are real friends." They all hugged him.
After a while, Ash and Misty stood up. "I think we should all head back to the PokeCenter," Misty remarked. "I think we could really use the sleep."
"That’s a good idea," Lana answered. She paused a little. "Why don’t you two go on ahead, and we’ll meet you there?"
Ash and Misty nodded, and began walking out of the forest. When they had disappeared, Lana and Brock stood up. She was still a little weak, so he braced her as she stood. They started walking slowly, his arm around her for support.
"So," she said gently, "what made you snap out of the hypnosis?"
He smiled, reddening just a bit. "Oh, just a promise I had made…"
"Oh, that reminds me! I almost forgot!" She uneasily bent down and picked up the tiny fallen pendant. She blushed a little. "I had gotten this for you at the carnival."
She placed it in his free hand, and he looked at it. The picture inside caused him to smile for a very long time. "Thank you," he said. He unclasped the necklace and put it on, and as it disappeared underneath his clothing, he looked at her with clear eyes. "I’ll wear it… forever."
She looked at his outfit. "You know, you sure look interesting in red," she said, winking.
They both laughed, and walked out of the forest, together.
*****
Meanwhile, just a few yards ahead…
"I’m just glad that’s all over. I was scared for a while that we weren’t going to get him back," Misty said, relief in her voice.
"Yeah, you’re right," Ash agreed. He grinned. "But what was even more surprising was waking up to see them kissing."
Misty laughed. "That’s true."
Ash stopped, a spark of realization entering his brain. "Hey! Now that’s fifteen bucks you owe me!!"
"Hey! No fair!! How was I supposed to know he’d actually do that?!!?"

THE END