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It simpered. The arc across its broad green lips couldn't be referred to as a smile nor a smirk, yet a simper. It was synthetic, a creation of man. A real creature has real thoughts, real feelings, and real emotions. A real creature is made by God, not man. This is synthetic. It has synthetic thoughts, synthetic feelings, and synthetic emotions. It can't comprehend right from wrong.

I adjusted my glasses and looked down at my clip board. "Codename: Scyther," I read aloud to myself. "ID number eleven-thousand, three-hundred ninety-four, species number one-hundred twenty-three, specimen A." I tapped my obsidian black boots on the cold, hard, wet lab surface and continued reading thoughtfully to myself. "Non-elemental weaknesses - none. Government weapon protocol 123A...series one."

"....pssssh...."

The hair on my neck stood up. I could have sworn I heard something, but I brushed it off and continued reading the clipboard. "...level twenty-five...specimen is born...level fifty...specimen becomes more intelligent...can figure out logic problems with ease...level one-hundred one...specimen is unstoppable...specimen placed in cryogenics tube for the next fifty years in hopes further experiments will be a success..."

There was the problem...Pocket Monsters powers are classified into levels...one level being an extra percentage of it's attack power. A level twenty-five monster would be classified as harnessing twenty-five percent of its expected power while a level fifty-six monster would be classified of harnessing at least fifty-six percent of its power. One-hundred is usually maximum but...one-hundred and one? How is it possible for a Pocket Monster - or PokŽmon - to exceed one-hundred and one percent beyond its expected level?

"Psssh..."

I heard something again. Frightened and paralyzed with fear, I run my old and worn hands toward a cool, metal bar located on an object unseen from my field of vision. Gripping the end of the bar, I pull the object closer to me. Discovering the stool in my hand, I raise it over my head and with all my might, heave the stool into the cryogenics tube in which the monster rests in...

...and then the lights went out.

-----

"Government weapon, codename: Scyther, has escaped Area 51 today. Government officials deny the existence of such a weapon, but be on the lookout. Rumors say it was last seen sneaking in with the cargo of a local airliner, heading for Midnight City in PokŽland." Brock turned off the radio and laughed, returning to cooking his homemade stew over the newly lit campfire.

"What's so funny, Brock?" Ash asked, concerned.

"Those press...they'll say anything for top-story."

"...chu..." the brown and yellow electric mouse said agreeingly to Brock, stuffing a round, red apple whole into his mouth.

Brock stirred up the broth and poured heaping chunks of vegetables, meat, and the natural stew juices into the three cups he had placed for himself and his friends, Misty and Ash.

"Turn it back on for a minute..." Misty demanded softly, shivering in the cold, night air.

Brock switched the radio back on. In mid-sentence, the radio blared, "...but unknown to police officials of Midnight City, is the extreme brutal force this creature packs in its punch. There is no accurate description of this creature, so proceed Midnight City with caution."

Above the treetops in Twilight Forest, where our heroes reside, a group of onlookers listen in on the action.

"To protect the world from devastation!" a girl with long, flowing, red hair and a trench coat says softly to herself, looking through a pair of wide-rimmed binoculars.

"To unite all peoples within our nation!" her debonair, purple-haired partner replies reluctantly.

"To denounce the evils of truth and love!"

"To extend our reach to the stars above!"

"Jesse!" She stands upright, removing the trench coat from around her, revealing a white blouse with a bright-red 'R' across it and a white mini skirt to match.

"James!" he says, hopping onto his partners back as he throws the coat high into the air, also revealing a bright-red 'R' on his T-shirt and matching white sweat pants.

"Team Rocket blasts off at the speed of light!"

"Surrender now or prepare to....fiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight!" James screams as him and his partner tumbles down to the fertile forest ground below.

"Meowth...what a bunch of idiots..." their boss, a white cat with a golden medallion on its head, sighs. He takes the easy way down and uses his catlike charm to climb down the tree with his claws.

"What was that?" Brock asked, searching his surroundings. He removed a red and white orb from his belt and opened it. A white swirl of energy circled the campfire and before them, a blue, eyeless, bat materialized.

"Zubat," Brock told the creature, "use your 'supersonic' abilities to direct us to the source of the sound." Zubat flapped agreeingly and flied high into the air. The creature let out a loud screech which echoed across the trees of Twilight Forest. As soon as the creature was assured, it flapped off deep into the forest, as Ash, Misty, Brock, and Pikachu, Ash's pet electric mouse, followed.

"Team Rocket!" Ash exclaimed angrily. "What are you doing here?"

"Well," Jesse stepped forward, dusting herself off hastily, "we're here to get Scyther and hand him to the Rocket Boss, Giovanni."

"And I will then once again be top-cat!" Meowth chimed in.

"That's stupid," Brock shouted. "There is no such thing as any Scyther PokŽmon...it's just some stupid creature the tabloids made up."

"That's what you think...James show them!" Jesse shouted at her partner.

At that cue, James pulls a microphone out of his white sweat pants pocket and announces cheerfully, "Introducing our new line of RockŽt PokŽmon Scyther Hunting Products..." Meowth pulls down the drawstring of a nearby curtain hanging from a treetop and reveals all kinds of stolen Area 51 goods.

"We have lots and lots of stun guns!" Jesse says, cocking a huge blaster in her hand towards our heroes.

"So just remember, get your Scyther equipment today!" James finishes his speech, putting the microphone once more in his deep, and almost bottomless, pocket.

"I don't get it," Ash says, unimpressed, "their routine is dull, they say the same speech everytime we see them...don't you think it is time for some change?"

"Pikapikachu..." Pikachu nods in agreement.

"Shut up, you dork," Jesse shrieks, advancing closer with the stun gun. "Now, hand over your Pikachu nice and easy and you won't have to feel this...too much. Understood?"

"I thought you were after Scyther?" Misty asked, eyeing Jesse confusingly.

"Yeah...well, first things first..." James cocked his head angrily. "Hand us Pikachu or else!"

"Or else this..." Jesse pulls the trigger back and...

"It...didn't fire, Jessica." James yelped. "We're in for it now..."

"James! YOU IDIOT! The electric charge in these guns expired thirty years ago...what were you doing when you stole these?" Jesse cringed and smacked James upside the head with a nearby tree branch.

"1960, eh? Must've been my retro-sixties side," he replied, smiling regretfully. "You idiot!" Meowth cried out, clawing James across the face.

"Ch...chh..."

The leaves above them rustled. "What do you think it is," Ash asked, squinting his eyes to adjust to the darkness of the treetops above them. Brock gestured softly to them all to stay quite. Zubat, frightened, flew back into the orb he called home.

"I am going to check it out," Brock whispers in a hushed tone.

"Then I am coming with you!" Misty demanded, stepping behind Brock.

"It'd be best if I went alone Misty," Brock sighed. "I am the eldest of the group and I should take most of the responsibility."

"Well, you aren't going alone," Misty said. "JAMES!"

"Who, me?" James asked, confused as to why Misty would address him.

"Follow Brock while Ash, Jesse, Pikachu, Meowth, and myself stay here...and Brock?"

"Yes, Misty?"

"Be careful..."

-----

The green, half-mantis, half-dinosaur hybrid glowered. It had no idea where it was, no idea why it was here, or how to show affection. It had no hands...only sharp blades dangled from its wrists. It sighed.

Staring at the wreckage before it, the burning twisted, metal of the passenger plane it terrorized, the creature screeched painfully. It didn't mean to hurt anyone...it came in peace...but when it was attacked, it didn't know how to react and destroyed everyone of them.

It was taught to kill, not to help. It was a war-machine, not a creature. It was crafted by the hands of man and not the hands of God. It was a demon with a killer instinct burning within its synthetic veins.

But somehow...it didn't need to help. It needed help. And deep, down inside, the creature realized this as the salty vapor that emerged from its eyes moistened the soil of the forest.

-----

"Vulpix, EMBER!" Brock shouted to his fox-like friend in front of him. The fox lit the twig that Brock had placed in front of him with his fire breath. With the twig, Brock could light the way down the path him and James were headed in the deep Twilight Forest. "Good Vulpix...return!" The fox happily jumped back into the orb that it came from.

"I'm scared, Brock!" James yelped, grabbing Brock's shoulder. "What do you think it is?"

"I am pretty sure it isn't a Scyther," Brock laughed, matter-of-factingly.

"What's that?" James pointed to the wreckage ahead. He adjusted his eyes so he could see the faint light.

"It looks like an airplane," he replied, suspecting the wreckage. "Nope, no survivors..." he sighed, regretfully.

"Ch...chhh...."

The leaves rustle once more. James screams, terrified, and runs towards the edge of the forest, which ends in the local park in Midnight City. "What an idiot," Brock sighs as he turns to follow James into the city.

"Chh...ch..."

Brock steps dead in his tracks. What is it he keeps hearing? He turns towards the source of the sound and walks slowly, yet wearingly, toward it. As he pulls back a branch, he is shocked with what he sees.

"Hey, little guy..." he coos softly, petting the dinosaur creature with the palm of his hand. "What brings you hear?"

"Scyther..." it caws out soothingly, nudge it's head against Brock. It sticks out its arms for a hug, but Brock backs away and pets it instead. "What happened to your hands?" he asks, suprised.

"Scyther..." it grimaces in pain, rubbing a wound on its bony, dinosaur-like leg with the dull edge of its blade.

"This will sting a little, but hold still..." Brock made a grab for his potion bag in his vest and pulled out a bottle of Oak Brand Super Potion. He sprayed a bit on the creature, which shrieked in return, but then laid its head trustingly upon Brock's chest.

"EW! A GIANT BUG!" Misty shrieked, stepping into the clearing.

"Misty? What are you doing here?" Brock asked, jumping to his feet.

"SCYTHER!" the creature shrieked. It raised its blade and striked at Brock, knocking him to his feet. As it prepared to lay a deathblow on Brock...

"Pikachu, Thundershock!" Ash called out, jumping before the creature. Pikachu hopped upon Ash's shoulder, then leaped high in the air. He filled the forest clearing with a big, electric shock, knocking over a few trees and hitting everyone.

"SCYTHER!" the creature cried, running into Midnight City.

"Brock..." Ash ran hurringly up to his friend. "Are you alright? That creature was about to kill you."

"No, I am not alright!" Brock threw a nearby stone between Misty and Ash. "That creature and I were doing just fine without you guys!"

"Pika...pika..." Pikachu apologized, sighing.

"Meowth, where's James?" Meowth said, stepping up behind Pikachu, with Jesse at his tail.

"He ran into Midnight City when he heard that creature," Brock sighed, brushing his vest of all the nearby dust and debris.

"But...that creature...that *thing*...is also in Midnight City! Poor James!" Jesse shrieked and fell over into tears.

"But Jesse, why are you concerned about James?" Meowth asked.

"Because..." she sniffed. "He didn't leave me all his incredible fashions in his will yet..." Pikachu handed her a tissue and she blowed into it.

"Oh brother..." Ash muttered.

-----

James fell into the muddy puddle at the edge of Indigo Park. As he dusted his Rocket uniform clean, he walked slowly into town, rubbing all of his bruises. Pushing open a door to a casino, he walks in. As soon as the doors close behind him, he sighs with relief, resting his aching back against the cold surface of the glass door.

"JAMES!"

"Giovanni...erm...what are you doing here, Boss?" James sweats with humiliation. "Good day for a nice gamble, right boss?"

"Shut up, James. Where's Jesse?" Giovanni asks, taking another chance at the roulette table. He is wearing a nice red, suede jacket and a blue tie. Blue is so yesterday, James thinks to himself. His red hat hides his identity.

"Erm...Jesse...well, she's...around..." James grinned nervously, edging slowly to the door.

"You idiot! You're supposed to be out catching Scyther!" Giovanni growls, smashing his hand against the roulette table. The money chips tumble to the ground.

"Scyther...well, erm...oh, yeah!" he snaps. "I think I've heard of that before...in fact, I think I am gonna go outside and get it now!" He bows nervously and runs out the casino doors, slamming the doors behind him. "Crash!" The glass doors shattered.

"You idiot, they're gonna take that out of my winnings!" he hears Giovanni yell.

"Safe...at...last." James says to himself, smiling while turning an alley corner. "Hey, watch it...budd-eeelp!" Now nose to nose with the creature he ran from earlier, James passes out.

"There he is...Vulpix, GO!" Brock calls out from down the street. He throws a red and white orb in the air. As the orb spirals, the red fox comes leaping out, landing in front of the creature.

"SCYTHER!" Scyther leaps high into the air, like a skilled ninja. He lands on a nearby roof and looks down at the group, simpering at them as if they were his playthings.

"Pidgeotto, I choose you!" Ash shouted, throwing one of the orbs into the air himself. A bird comes flying out of the red and white orb and flies high into the air. "Pidgeotto...carry Vulpix to Scyther!"

"Pidgeot!" Pidgeotto flew high into the air, Vulpix in its talons, and dive-bombed towards Scyther. "VULPIX!" The fox let out a large gust of fire from its mouth but it missed. "SCYTHER!" Scyther knocked the two away like they were ragdolls and just laughed. "Sy-hai-hai-ther!"

Ash pointed his PokŽDex, an electronic index and encyclopedia of PokŽmon, towards the PokŽmon. "Scyther," it blared. "No data."

"Well, it's obvious it's a bug." Misty shrieked, screaming at the tops of her lungs. "Well, do something!"

"Right...Charizard, I choose you!" Ash cried out, as he made a grab for the PokŽBall containing Charizard.

"But Ash..." Brock screamed, grabbing Ash's arm back. "Charizard isn't tamed."

"Let's just call him back when Scyther is weakened." Ash replied, confidently. "Brock, you catch Scyther, got it?"

"Got it." Brock nodded.

A lump in his throat, Ash grabs the orb containing Charizard, the orange, flying, fire, dragon PokŽmon which has a will of its own, and tosses it high in the air.

"Char!" it coos, sleeping peacefully on the damp city streets.

"D'oh!" Ash yelps, throwing his official PokŽmon League baseball cap against the ground.

"Wait...Brock, maybe since Scyther was first faithful to you, it might follow your attacks." Misty suggests.

"Nope..." Ash sighs, looking sadly at Scyther and glancing at the statistics on his PokŽDex. "It's a level one-hundred and one PokŽmon...we don't have enough experience to control it ourselves."

"Wheezing, Poison Gas, NOW!" a battered James shrieks, as his PokŽmon, a black cloud of poisonous gas with two heads connected at the waist, flies high into the air, covering the already dark city with a cloud of poisonous gas.

Vulpix, slowly regaining consciousness, takes matters into its own hands and does its special attack - Fire Spin. "VULPIX!" it shrieks as three fireballs circle Scyther and set it's surroundings ablaze, keeping it from escaping.

"PokŽBall, GO!" Brock shouts, throwing the hollow red and white sphere towards the creature. "Shwoosh!" Scyther is caught.

"I think it's finally over..." Jesse sighs happily. "But..." she kicks a stone... "I wanted a new wardrobe!"

-----

"Congratulations, kids," says the officer standing before the group. "I, Sheriff Jenny of the Midnight City Police Department, reward all of you: Jesse, James, Ash, Misty, and Brock, as official town heroes." She places a medal on each of them.

"Aw..." Ash flushes. "It was nothing."

"This looks awful with my suit," James says, sighing in disbelief.

"Quiet!" Jesse warns him.

"Brock, may I ask for the Scyther?" Sheriff Jenny asks, approaching Brock with her hand sticking forward.

Brock falls head over heels for the girl before him. "Dah...on two conditions..."

"Why sure Brock?" the officer asks. "What are your requests."

"One, you prevent Scyther from being used as a weapon..." he said, firmly placing the PokŽBall in her hand.

"Sure thing...I will give him to the other Sheriff Jenny for preservation at the Safari Zone animal park. And the other thing?" she asked, smiling as she receives the PokŽBall handed to her.

"Will you go out with m-" Misty grabbed Brock by the collar and pulled him down the street. "Thanks for everything!" Ash shouts, following Misty and Brock. Pikachu jumps in Ash's open backpack and rides leisurely with him.

Our heroes have survived another PokŽmon adventure and Brock made a new, lifelong friend. However, whatever happened to Team Rocket?

"HEROES!" Giovanni shouted. "Town heroes!? You idiots!"

"But boss..." Jesse smiled. "We were also able to take the key to the city. Look!" She pulls a huge key out from behind her back and lays it humbly before Giovanni.

"Persian..." Giovanni's white tiger purrs softly, nibbling at the key.

"You idiots! It's chocolate!" Giovanni throws the key back at them and knocks the armchair he is sitting in over.

Well, that answers that question. Stay tuned, PokŽmon fans, for an exciting new episode of PokŽmon next week, same PokŽmon time, same PokŽmon network!