"Why are we on guard duty again? It's been just us for two days, well, till that big guy comes out so we can sleep." James sat there with Meowth on a tree stump listening to the angry man banging around the inside of the box truck.
"Because Jessie is helping them with their costumes still, and youse and I got's the short end of the stick." He said before he licked a paw and cleaned his head with it.
"You're all a bunch of fools! You can't keep me in here like this! It's inhumane!" Graves shouted through the metal wall separating him from the outside world.
"How's it going guys?" Ash and Pikachu walked up to the duo. He held out some snacks and drinks to them, which they gladly took.
"Might ask Jess to come out here and knock him back out." James sighed. "He won't stop shouting."
"Didn't you guys wonder why I was the only Ranger that came to help? She called me! I hope you idiots realize that."
"Well us idiots out here don't cares about your stupid plan." Meowth shouted back at him. "We's done some schemes in our day, but you sir are a shady human. Tricking that nice lady for alls those years."
You could hear him bang his body against the wall. "She was supposed to be my prize if I kept her away from the orb and Giovanni till he got his wish! Then that thing showed back up in her life and ruined everything!"
"I think you're going to have to fight Commander Ki for her man." James shouted with his head in his hand. "He's got his eye on her too. Didn't you hear him back at the mountain?"
"Why do you think I let your stupid pet shock their craft?" He banged the wall again.
"Pika, pi..." Pikachu stood up on Ash's shoulder with his tail in the air looking angry.
Ash wasn't one for being mean... but this guy had it coming. "Go ahead buddy. You shocked me for less than that when we first met." He pet his friend caringly letting him know he had full permission to do what he wanted.
Pikachu jumped off of Ash and landed on the top of the truck.
"What was that?" The trapped man asked.
"Pikachu!!!" He called out as he shocked the whole back end of the truck.
"Ahhhhhhh!" Graves shouted before you could hear a thud.
"That'll knock him out for a bit." Ash laughed. "Maybe we can trade you guys for a while. They don't need me anymore. I got my part down. You two should go and take a break. Pikachu and I got this."
"Thanks man. We really appreciate it. I've needed to use the bathroom for a while now. Just holler if you need us." James and Meowth stood up and stretched before they walked away.
Luke and Brock had just put their costumes back on after the crafters refitted them, when Jessie and Luca walked into the performance tent with theirs on too.
"I... I can't do this..." Luca stammered as she tried to turn around to escape before anybody else could see her.
"Oh no you don't." Jessie said as she got behind the woman and pushed her in. "They need to see if it fits you right."
"Fit...? There isn't anything to fit! My sleeping clothes cover more than this and they're shorts and a tank top!"
"Hey, mine doesn't have much more to it than yours does." She continued to push the woman till they made it through the entrance all the way. "Now be good till they come in and check you out."
"You're not allowed to complain! You helped them design it!" Luca balked to the woman.
"Not the point missy... move your butt." She continued without wavering.
Luke and Brock looked up from where they were on the other side of the area to find the ladies in barely there clothes. "I don't know if I should keep looking or turn away." Brock said as his face turned bright red.
Luke couldn't turn even for the sake of modesty. Their outfits all matched what the Ancients of Munara wore. The new theme the leader had decided upon when she hatched her plan, which she had yet to divulge. "She looks beautiful."
"Yeah... she does..." They both looked at each other then back towards the ladies. Their cheeks glowing like neon signs.
Never in his life had Luke wished what was in his mind and heart right now. He was just thankful that she was too far away to feel his thoughts.
Jessie pulled Luca across the tent towards the guys. "So gentlemen, how do we look?" She said as she released the other woman's wrist and struck a pose.
"I... " Brock stammered, "Your hair looks great down like that Jessie."
"I'm dressed like I came straight out of harem monthly and you focus on my hair?" She laughed at this poor soul in front of her. "Well I think you look great. Like some pyramid guard defending us against the bad guys."
"You look really nice Luca." Luke mentally slapped himself for the idiotic understatement of the year award.
"You look like an ancient deity in yours." Her face felt like it was on fire right now. If somebody were to throw a bucket of water on her it would turn to steam instantly.
"That's because he is one." Ami said as she joined the group, seeming to come from out of nowhere. "They will all have the ancient mask of Anu on once they are finished. All of the guys will so they blend in together. We are lucky that the Lucario were the spirit beings for the Munaran's. Everything is fashioned after them besides the armor. The bad guys know what you two look like. So we must do our best to hide you two in plain sight. After confiscating that jerks Pokégear we found that he hadn't sent a message out in regards to where you guys are yet. So nobody knows you're with this troupe. I know it's dangerous to send you both out as Vi and Anu, however I still believe that this is the best plan. This is where Luke's extra tall height will come in handy. He and Ash will be really close to each other once they have everything on. So Ash will be our decoy. We will let them all see Ash before and after he puts his mask on. Then we will swap him for Luke before you two go on to perform." She walked around the four of them, inspecting how everything looked thus far. "With your makeup and wig Luca, you won't be recognizable. You will just look like another dancer. Once you guys go up you will have to do your best to keep that light show of yours in check. We can't let you two be discovered till you can make a grab for the orb."
"We couldn't control what we were doing before. When the music starts to play it's like our bodies are moving on their own." Luca stated as she wrung her hands together nervously. The orchestra had played for them a couple more times since that day and it hadn't been any different than the first time. Each time the aura became way too bright, they stopped the music. They had yet to perform through the whole piece.
"I have a plan for that too." She smiled as she held a recording device out in her hand. "I don't expect you two to learn a routine in the less than a week before we head out. It's just not gonna happen. The fact that you guys have that dance inside the both of you when the music plays is fantastic! So I want you two to listen to the music as much as possible. I have a hunch that the effect won't be as strong since it's not live. If you listen to it enough I'm hoping that you guys will be able to desensitize yourselves to the strength of the pull it has on you. Also..." She nodded over to where the instruments sat. There was a new drum set that hadn't been there before. "We kept the same notes, but added some beat to it. We hope a small difference will help some as well."
"I would have never thought of that." Luke took the device from her. "We will try our best."
"I guess we should go change then." Luca kept her hands in front of her midsection in the futile attempt to cover the exposed flesh. "That way we can start as soon as possible."
"Killjoy." Jessie laughed. "I like mine. I may just walk around with it on."
Brock felt like his nose was about to start bleeding any second. "I guess I could wear mine for a little longer, just so I can get used to it."
"That's the spirit!" Jessie grabbed Brock by the wrist. "Let's go for a walk." She then pulled the man with her as she walked towards the tents back exit.
"Well I need to get back to the others and check up on their progress. No slacking off you two." Ami turned and walked out of the tent as well.
"Well I guess we should get to it." Luca switched back to her telepathy as she was more comfortable using it over regular speech now.
"I will see you outside after we change." He didn't really want her too, but it would be selfish of him to expect her to remain uncomfortable.
She stopped him mid turn by grabbing his paw. "Does... does it really look okay?"
"Much more than Okay. I bet you look just like Queen Vi. Even better." He smiled at her. "Everything is going to be alright. We are going to beat Giovanni, Rocket, and the Afterburners. I just wish I knew if Maxie and Magma were going to make an appearance as well. I do not know if we could handle any more surprises."
"Me neither. I don't know how much more I can handle with all of this." She gently let him go. "I'll... I'll meet you outside."
Three more days had passed and it was time to pack everything up and hit the road. It would take them most of the upcoming week to make it there in time for the gala. Jimmy, Melanie, and Medicham were going to stay behind to keep an eye on Graves along with the ones that were staying with the camp. There wasn't enough room for them all to go now with the extra 'performers' they had taken on. Plus they didn't trust leaving him with authorities till after everything was said and done for fear of a spy hiding wherever they would take him. Everything hinged on nobody finding out their plan.
Jessie and Brock were once again driving one of the box trucks filled with supplies since Jimmy wouldn't be behind a wheel. Luca and Luke were pilot and co-pilot of a large van that carried Ash, James, Meowth, and Pikachu, along with a few other performers. It was decided that it would be best to leave the motorcycle behind since it would easily be recognized. Ami and Melana drove another van full consisting of performers and crafters. Each van had a trailer attached, also carrying supplies they needed.
They continued till it was time to break for the night. Luca and Luke were the last to rest, for they continued to step away from the group and practice at every stop they made during the trip. Even with the small changes to the music on top of it being recorded, they still had issues finishing the song to the end. The leader had been smart and recorded it in quarter, half, three quarter, and full parts, knowing that they wouldn't be able to stop the music themselves if needed. Quarter and half were good to go. However the end of the three quarter track was where they would begin to glow, unable to hold it back much longer. So they resigned themselves to try at every single stop. Even if it was a short one because somebody needed to use the facilities. Even then they still practiced.
They were out in the middle of the woods now, practicing, away from the rest of the group so not to disturb them.
"Do you think we can get this down in the next few days?" Luca rushed out between pants. Even as a ranger, she had never worked this hard and worn herself out this much.
"We do not have a choice. We need to be able to get close enough to Giovanni to grab the orb. I know that we can though Luca. We can do anything together." Luke grabbed her hand, trying to reassure her of their hopeful success.
"I think you guys are going to help with your little plan there." Came a voice from behind a tree. When he stepped out into the clearing he watched the two he had been spying on back up. "Oh come now. If I had wanted to hurt the two of you I would have sent my lackies. Or at the very least not announce my presence."
Luca looked the man up and down. If the dark red and black trenchcoat and funky framed glasses didn't give him away, the symbol on the coat would. "Maxie!"
Luke placed himself between Luca and the leader of Team Magma. "If you are not here to harm us, what is it that you want?"
He walked around the clearing with his arms crossed. "Enemy of my enemy kind of thing. Do you really think I want Giovanni to get his wish?" The man laughed. "If I had gotten my hands on the orb, well let's just say that you would already be far too late. You're very lucky that he wants to show off his find. To make a grand stage of his moment. I would have made my wish, gained my power, and then introduced my new self to the world. You know what I mean?" He stopped within a few feet of the confused duo.
"We're listening..." Luca hesitated, however curious.
"Oh please dear, you don't need to use your voice if you don't want to. Just be yourself." He saw the shocked look on their faces. "Did you really think I didn't know about you? Both of you? Oh the things Magma has succeeded in because we don't show off as much as Rocket. Notice I did say not as much. My dear we've known about you guys since you were little and Rocket had taken Ranger Hart and Luke."
"Let me guess, Rocket just happened to beat you to it?" There was a bitter taste in Luke's mouth. To think that even if Rocket hadn't done what they had, then Magma would have been right there to fill in the unwanted blank.
"No no no... not at all. We're smarter than Rocket. I would have found a way to recruit the both of you. I knew that you two were a pair. They had tranqued Luca before they even noticed her aura building up. They didn't see you use it to save yourself and your nanny. You were only the little girl that had a decently strong Riolu, that's all. What they didn't know was that you were the Auracle. Not till they ran the tests on Luke and found how strong he really was. Then they thought the Auracle was your father and ran tests on him too. Only to conclude that your powerless father wasn't the one Luke was connected with, but you, the little girl they ignored. Escaping with Luke had always been his plan. However when your father realized that they had figured out that you and Luke were the destined pair that could either make or break Giovanni's plan...? Let's just say he did everything he could to prevent that."
"How do you know all of this?" She asked.
"I have my ways my dear." He pushed his glasses up with one finger dramatically.
"So you want to help us?" Luke asked the man sceptically. Maxie offering help wasn't to be believed easily.
"Yes, yes I do." He understood the tones in their voices. He wouldn't trust himself either. He did have an ulterior motive, however it was not something he was willing to divulge. "You can take my help or not. My desire to aid you is in earnest. The last thing I need is for that stale, old, imagination lacking man, to gain so much power that we will all be in danger. Including myself and my team. That does none of us any good."
"What is this help you have for us then?" She would be lying if she said she wasn't curious. Any help they could get would increase their odds of success.
"There is something missing, something that your little performance troupe doesn't have." Maxie began.
Luke looked at Luca then back at the man. "How long have you been following us?" There was no other explanation as to why he knew as much as he did.
"You don't want to know the answer." He waved it off with a flick of his hand. "Anyway... you're going to need somebody on the inside to help you out. I have an agent that has been working undercover as one of Giovanni's housekeepers for years. She will help your group out behind the scenes. That man had the audacity to invite me to his grand gala." He scoffed. "Of course he left out the occasion being celebrated. However I will not step in unless it's absolutely necessary. I'm not in the business of putting my neck on the line."
"Of course you're not." Luca said as she crossed her arms. "It's easier to put your chips on the good guy space when you gamble. You lose, well it's no real skin off of your nose. If you win, well then you get your desired outcome on top of your skin being intact. Except you really do have skin in the game. As you said, Giovanni getting that much power will ruin all of your future plans."
"She is right." Luke stated in agreement. "There will come a point in every person's life where they will have to stick their neck out against their selfish desires. This may be that time for you."
"I highly doubt it." Maxie laughed. "I am the leader of Team Magma. I'll just stick to betting my chips on you guys. Just keep an eye out for a woman with very long golden braided hair. She goes by Danni." He turned to leave out the way he came in. "Oh, by the way." He said without stopping. "You should try listening to the song separately when you're out of eyeshot of each other. I think the distance will let you get through the whole piece without the light show. Cause if you two can't even get through the music apart, good luck doing it together. Just saying." And like that, he was gone.
"That was really weird." Luke shook his head as the man disappeared..
"I mean I get it. It makes sense. The whole world will be in danger if we don't stop him." Luca sank down to the ground with her head in her hands and began to cry.
Luke fell to his knees and took her into his arms. "I cannot say that it is alright. It is a lot to ask of us. However we must do it." He held her tightly. "What I will say is that when this is all over, I think that we should go back home." He felt her nod against his shoulder.
"I would like that very much."