She bites her lip, smiles, and opens up the laptop. The sun's rays wash the room in a bright morning light. A young brunette girl stands next to her. The two look almost identical.

Her eye sparkle with excitement.

There is no hesitation. She's waited for this.

Immediately, she begins to type.

...

Okay! Deep breath, deep breath, I can do this...

All right! Yes! I can do this!

Okay...

WLCOME ONE, WELCOME ALL TOOOOOOOO... The Ash Conspiracy: An Endless Journey!

I'm so totally psyched that I actually made it through the first book and can now officially start the second! :D of course, I've gotta thank all of you guys who reviewed for me (250+ reviews?! Insane!) for being my motivation to keep going. ;·)

ATTENTION! ATTENTION, ALL! EVERYONE! HEEEYYYYYYYYYYYYY! If you haven't read The Ash Conspiracy: Down in Flames, do be aware that THAT fic comes before THIS one.This story is the SEQUEL to that one. So if you haven't read The Ash Conspiracy: Down in Flames, go read it now, otherwise you'll get totally lost trying to make sense of this one!

Thank you. Glad that's over. Okay, moving on! Let's do the disclaimer!

Gary: Kit doesn't own Pokémon. If she did, I'd probably have died about as many times as Ash did in the movies and in far bloodier, more brutal ways, considering her fanfics... *shudders*

True, true. You probably would've. And if I DID own Pokémon, Typhlosion8 would be vice president of the company and Cindy the Cyndaquil would be our secretary. PikaGelly would be the manager, because I'm no good at organizing things and if I tried to be manager I'd fail miserably and the whole company would go down in flames... SEE WHAT I DID THERE?! "Down in Flames"?! SEE THAT?!

Gary: *sarcastic tone* Ha, ha, ha. Yes we did. Soooooooo funny, Kit.

Gary, shut up.

So, yeah, if I owned Pokémon I'd probably just stick with being in charge and taking all the credit for everything, let PikaGelly do the managing...

But we don't need to worry about that, since I actually don't own Pokémon, anyway...

Cindy: =.=

All right! Let's get this story started! And I decided to kick it off with a scene that will shock you and scare you and possibly make you want to almost cry, so brace yourself!

...

The night sky was dark, but the stars illuminated the world well enough; the full moon, as well, lit up the scape of Sootopolis City so that Steven Stone, Champion of the Hoenn region, had no problem seeing everything around him.

Well, almost everything.

There were just a few things he missed - out-of-place objects obscured by darkness and overlooked by many a pair of eyes, including Steven's own that night. Some were simple, unimportant objects; those which wouldn't have much effect on him one way or the other, such as the small Glameow that perched in a tree just above his head, sleeping soundly.

Others were more important objects that his eyes missed, but even had he noticed these, he wouldn't have seen the importance in them: objects that were, if you will, hidden in plain sight. Such as the door to a house that he passed, hanging slightly ajar, not blown open by the wind but left open by the person who had left the house only minutes earlier, who had not quite closed it. The open door carried a meaning no one would have known or managed to guess.

And then there were the things that he was unlucky to overlook. Because if he had noticed them, then perhaps the night would have gone in a very different way. Perhaps it would have ended quite differently than it did. These were things such as the four shadowed figures crouched in an alleyway just up ahead of him.

But he didn't notice - and that cost him. Badly.

Steven, however, knew none of this. So he kept walking, eyes darting back and forth across the cityscape, taking in what he could of the urban area around him in the full moon's light.

It was one o'clock am. Steven shouldn't have been awake; this, he knew, yet here he was walking the streets, rather than in his bed.

The reason was simple: Steven was sleepless. It was Thursday night, and the quickly approaching Friday morning (or, if you thought about it, the Friday morning that was already upon him) came with a 6:00 am hastily scheduled emergency meeting which Steven was in no way looking forward to. But, nevertheless, he had attempted to go to bed somewhat early so he wouldn't be completely exhausted when 6am came.

Of course, it just had to be one of those sleepless nights where he couldn't seem to drift off no matter what he did. Finally, come 1am, Steven felt like he had tried everything, and yet he was no closer to falling asleep.

So he thought to himself, maybe a midnight walk will help. After all, it was an awfully warm night, given Hoenn's subtropical climate and the fact that it was early May, so the weather was warming up. Not a bad night at all for a stroll. He had eased himself out of the bed in Wallace's guest room - Steven had told his friend that he could stay in a hotel room just like the rest of the Elite were that night, but Wallace had insisted he stay with him - and been careful not to let the front door creak as he stepped outside, not wanting to wake Wallace. And now here he was, Champion of the Hoenn region, just casually walking through the streets and enjoying the peace he had.

He knew Lance wouldn't have approved. Actually, none of the other Champions probably would have. And the Elite Four - particularly Wallace, considering the fact that they were such close friends, and had been since childhood - wouldn't be happy that he'd just gone off for a walk in the middle of the night without any protection, any G-Men agents or even any of his Pokémon (he had left them at Wallace's home; they were all fast asleep). He knew it was never a good idea to go out alone at night, especially as a Champion - a huge political icon and government figure for the entire Hoenn region.

But right now, Steven didn't really care. He was feeling lighthearted. What was the worst that could happen, anyway?

Steven's hands casually rested in his pockets. He was just as perfectly dressed and polished as usual; even climbing out of bed to go for a stroll at 1:00 in the morning, Champion Steven Stone never failed to look perfectly groomed in doing so.

"My," he murmured aloud, but quietly; when he was alone, he had a tendency of thinking aloud to himself. "What a quiet night it is tonight."

It was true. Save for the blowing of the wind and Steven's own soft and barely audible footsteps, not a sound penetrated the silence of Sootopolis City that night.

Suddenly, Steven stopped.

He turned. Slowly. Casting his eyes over the cityscape, as if searching for something. He could have sworn he had heard something.

Yet his eyes found nothing; so, attempting to shake it off, Steven continued his walk.

But he was left feeling a bit jumpy, so after a few seconds, Steven decided he had better go home - he was beginning to get somewhat sleepy, anyway, so the walk was doing its job.

He hurried in the direction of Wallace's house with quick, long strides, and each step seemed more urgent, more rushed.

Steven was getting a bad feeling.

He had not taken ten more steps when it happened.

In seconds, he was shoved from behind and pinned to the ground. He was rendered helpless.

Steven tried to cry out, but his shout for help was silenced by a beefy hand covering his mouth. Helpless, unable to move or shout, and without his Pokémon, Steven was dragged into a nearby alleyway. Whoever was holding him slammed him up against a wall, knocking the breath out of him.

"Why, hello there, mister Champion," a deep, surly voice snarled. "My, my. So helpless. It's quite a good feeling, you know, to have such a powerful figure completely at one's mercy." He laughed derisively.

Steven could see his attackers now: four large, muscular men in dark black clothing with cruel, sadistic smiles. The worst part, however, was the logo on their uniforms: each wore a large, red "R" on his shirt, the symbol of Team Rocket.

"Team... Rocket," Steven choked out. The man holding him shoved him harder up against the wall. He was finding it hard to breathe.

"Why, yes. How observant of you." This time it was one of the other men.

Steven was shoved harder up against the wall.

Harder.

Harder.

Eventually, the pressure was too great. He felt something inside his chest crack, and pain exploded through his chest. Steven cried out, but the city of Sootopolis was fast asleep. No one heard him.

"Ooh, it seems I've broken a rib of yours," the man cackled. "Oopsie." He smirked and pressed harder. Steven felt another crack, but this time he didn't cry out - the Rocket was pushing him so hard, he could hardly breathe.

"You see, Steven," the man hissed, coming closer so he was in his face, "Team Rocket needs many things if we're to take over Napaj. Fear is one of them, and that's already done. The people of Napaj are terrified of us - you know that well enough, don't you, Steven?"

Steven didn't respond. His face was a deep purplish-red now.

"But the second thing we need," the Rocket continued, "is to weaken the government. You Champions. You're our main threat. We need to shake up the Champions and the G-Men, scare them, weaken them."

Steven was beginning to get a horrible feeling in the pit of his stomach. He knew where this was going.

"And what better way to shake up the G-Men," the Rocket said with false, sugary sweetness, "than to take one of their Champions? Hold 'im hostage? Hmm, let's see, how about the Hoenn region Champion - that seems like a good idea, don't you think?"

"Looks like it's your lucky day, Steven," one of the other Rockets laughed.

The man holding him raised a fist and, still pinning him to the wall, punched him hard in the chest. Steven groaned as he felt several more of his ribs crack beneath he sheer force of the blow. With another cruel laugh, the Rocket flung him to the ground, where he lay dazed and helpless. Pain shot through his chest whenever he tried to move - sharp, biting, unbearable pain. The men gathered around him, and began to beat him ruthlessly, without mercy.

One of the men grabbed him by the shirt collar and slammed him against the wall again. Steven's head smacked the wall, and pain shot through his chest. He moaned.

The man dropped him, and two of the other men began to pummel Steven with both hands, their hard fists slamming brutally into his body over and over again. Steven choked and gasped for air. He tasted blood in his mouth.

The men were laughing now. Enjoying it. Steven heard it all in a daze. The only thing that wasn't blurred was the absolute pain of it all. That he felt clearly.

One punched him hard in the face. One grabbed his arm and twisted it backward, resulting in a pained wail - but he knew that the city was fast asleep; no one could have heard his helpless cry. One planted his foot on Steven's chest, digging his heel into the Hoenn Champion's broken ribcage. This time, Steven only gasped in pain. He saw spots dance in front of his eyes. Pain blocked out everything else.

He felt himself lifted roughly off the ground and dragged out of the alleyway.

He felt as his body was tossed carelessly into the road, skidding across the pavement, his skin scraping against the rough blacktop. He moaned in pain.

Several moments later, he heard a voice calling his name, but it was distant, so distant...

As a familiar face appeared over him and a familiar voice cried his name desperately, Steven Stone felt his world slowly begin to fade.

...

Wallace woke because he was thirsty.

He sat up groggily from his bed and stumbled out of his room and into the kitchen, where he pulled out a glass and began to fill it from the sink. He didn't bother to check the guest room as he passed it, for he was assured that Steven must have been sleeping soundly, and didn't want to disturb his friend.

He was glad that the meeting the next morning was to be held in Sootopolis City - his hometown, and where he had been the Gym Leader before he rose to the position of Elite Four member. With all that had been happening lately, Wallace was not in the mood for travel, and it was a relief to be able to sleep in the comfort of his own bed even amidst all of the chaos.

The hotel that the other Champions and Elite Four (besides Steven) were staying in wasn't too far from Wallace's own home - about five minutes' walk. The building where they'd be meeting in was farther away than that, but still not too far. Despite the city's size, everything in Sootopolis City always seemed very close. That was one of the reasons why Wallace liked it so much. It was cozy, not to mention easy to get around in.

Suddenly, Wallace paused, thinking he heard something.

He reached out and turned off the faucet, stopping the water flow.

After a few moments of tense silence, he heard it again - a cry of pain.

A human cry of pain.

Wallace's eyes widened. "What... what could that..."

He set down his glass and hurried over to the front door, pushing it open and stepping outside.

There it was again - but no, it was different this time. This time, instead of a cry, all Wallace heard was a low, agonized moan. It was masculine, he could hear that much - but there was something else about it. Something familiar. As if he knew the voice, but couldn't quite place his finger on how or where from or whom it might have belonged to.

"Hello?" Wallace called out, somewhat hesitant.

No response.

Wallace stepped out onto the street. "Hello?" he called again, slightly louder this time.

There it was again. The moaning. Whoever it was out there was clearly in a lot of pain. Then he heard cruel laughter.

Wallace's eyes darted around, and then he saw it: the figure of a person, lying faceup, crumpled and motionless in the street. Above the person stood four huge, muscular men in dark uniforms.

They had attacked him. Ganged up on him.

Wallace's eyes widened. He raced forward, toward the group of men and the figure on the ground, and as he did, he saw something that terrified him: the man lying on the ground had pale blue hair. A familiar shade of pale blue.

That hair...

That voice...

No...

"No," Wallace breathed, horrified. It can't be. Surely Steven was sleeping peacefully in the guest room in Wallace's house? Surely this couldn't be him, beaten senseless and lying motionless on the street in the middle of the night?

Wallace saw his face, and his suspicions were confirmed, much to his horror. "Steven!" he gasped, shock and fear shown clearly on his face. Turning to the men, his voice rose. "What have you done to him?!"

The men turned toward him. There was a logo on their uniforms, but Wallace didn't notice it. His focus was on Steven, his best friend, beaten nearly to death.

"Would you look at that," one man laughed. "We got another Elite comin' our way. Should we get this one, too?"

In seconds, he was slammed to the ground, helpless.

Wallace's eyes darted to the man on the ground. He was sure it was Steven - absolutely, horribly certain.

What... what are they... they "got him," what does that...

No, they can't mean... Steven can't... he can't be...

"No need to kill 'im or anything. We gots his friend - we's done our job." One of the men shrugged.

"It'd be fun to beat 'im up some, though."

"Good point. Let's see how Mister Elite Four likes a good beatin', eh?"

Wallace gasped in pain as a fist connected with his cheek, smashing his face into the ground. He heard laughter, and then it happened again. Then he was lifted and slammed up against the wall of a building. He felt a couple of his ribs crack.

Wallace cried out in absolute pain. Another punch to the face, and he cried out again, weaker this time.

They dropped him, laughed some more, and Wallace heard Steven's weak, desperate moans as they grabbed his battered, broken body.

He tried to move, but the pain in his chest was unbearable. Finally, Wallace struggled to his feet. Blood dripped down the side of his face, and the front of his shirt was soaked red, but he didn't even notice.

The men were gone.

And so was Steven.

But what was the most horrifying was what they had left behind: made with some sort of paint, and left right in the middle of the street, was a black handprint.

"S-Steven..."

Wallace shook his head in disbelief as he made the connection and realized who the men had been and what had happened. His face twisted with horror.

"No..."

...

So, there you go. Yeah. I'm kicking off TACAEJ with THIS kind of craziness. I guess I don't need to warn you to be prepared (or, in my case, SUPER EXCITED) for worse later on! *evil grin*

Gary: *muttering* Kit, you are having WAY too much fun with this...

Well, 'course I am! It's a fun job!

Don't forget to review... *thinks of Ty8's review* she's not gonna like me for this... PikaGelly or Patient 0 Zero or QUEENSPELLER either, probably... or ANYONE, for that matter... *shudders* anyway, BYE GUYS! See you next chappie! And I promise I'll try not to throw myself on any more random temporary discontinuations that last about one week! :D

(I know... I'm weird..)

...

She closes it and give a satisfied sigh.

"Finished it?" The brunette beside her smiles warmly.

"Yes I did, May," she says happily. "Yes I did."

"Great! Now, I'm hungry..." May frowns.

She laughs. "Yeah, me too."

She gets up, and the two rush out of the room excitedly. Moments later, a brown-haired boy enters the room. He walks over to the computer and smirks.

Then he closes it. He leaves.

And all is quiet.