Author's notes:

Hello and welcome to the latest fic! :D Yeah, I have about a dozen others in the works, but at least with this one I also have about a dozen chapters already written...ahem!

So, this fanfic is a crossover of Sonic the Hedgehog and Pokemon (the Anime, mostly) but emphasis is probably more on the Sonic characters, like...70/30? This also might be moved into the crossover section as more content develops. As always, I will try to make this fanfic understandable for anyone who only knows one of the two fandoms, though! Pokemon elements will also likely be mostly limited to first gen pokemon and the kanto season of the anime, because I'm...old.

Short(!) Pokémon Primer:

For anyone who doesn't know Pokémon at all, the basics are: Pokémon are powerful animal-like creatures with elemental powers and they are nearly always named after the sound they produce (a Pikachu is named after the 'Pikachu' call that species does, etc). The main characters of Pokemon are the young trainer Ash Ketchum, who wants to explore the world and get better at Pokemon Training (that is, catching Pokemon and training them to make them stronger so they can fight against other Pokemon) and his two friends, Brock and Misty (who are also Trainers but are focused less on fighting and more on nurturing). They all occasionally stop by at Professor Oak's laboratory who is a Pokemon Researcher and generally an enthusiastic (if bumbling and scatter-minded) encyclopedia on Pokemon knowledge. You can catch Pokemon with devices called Pokeballs if you defeat them, where they are then stored as data inside. You can carry the fist-sized Pokeballs around with you and call forth the Pokemon whenever you wish.

And there you go!That's all you need to know for this fic! Soooo...

...hope you like! Now please enjoy...

Catch Them If You Can!

by Taranea

Prologue:

"Well, that worked out brilliantly."

"Shut it."

"Shut it? It is your chaos-damned fault, faker, that we ended up here! You completely wrecked what was supposed to be a stealth operation-!"

"Stealth, shmealth. Maybe I wouldn't have ruined your little trip if you for once deigned to tell the rest of us what you were doing, ever thought about that?"

"…Rouge said it was supposed to stay secret." Shadow's voice sounded ever so slightly sullen at this last bit. Sonic shot him a non-impressed look.

"And yeah, when GUN command says something it's secret, of course you don't tell the hedgehog who's trying to save everybody's bacon, sure. You know, I know you're only helping Rouge out on her missions occasionally to pay her for rent, but if that's true, you should really rather trust us than GUN." Sonic took a breath, trying to sound slightly more amenable before he continued, hoping that he might finally, finally get something through the ultimate lifeform's apparently ultimate bonehead. "Seriously, we're your friends, Shadow. You can trust us."

"...trusting is not something I really do."

Sonic the Hedgehog gave a quietly frustrated groan. Since he was currently sitting in a large, unbreakable-even-for-Chaos-sharpened-quills-cage, opposite his also-trapped rival, both of them imprisoned in the laboratory of his worst enemy and effectively helpless, he felt he was entitled to it.

Well.

At least Sonic was sitting in a cage, Shadow was spread-eagled in a much more worrying-looking vertical metal ring over five feet in diameter, his wrists and ankles encased in clamps attached to the contraption. His figure was actually now reminiscent of a certain famous drawing, if maybe Leonardo da Vinci had been less focused on human anatomy, and more on that of anthropomorphic hedgehogs.

The split second distraction only a few minutes ago had been enough to land them in this predicament. When Sonic had charged into the laboratory just a few moments earlier with the intent to surprise Robotnik, it had instead been him who had almost caught a Chaos Spear to the face, surprising Shadow already engaged with the Doctor instead. Which had led to both of them getting caught in the Doctor's stun gun blast. And now they had regained consciousness alone, in their respective restraints, with the human scientist nowhere to be seen. Sonic gripped one of the bars of his cage more tightly.

"If Robotnik manages to complete his plan, Tails said we'd be, well...toast. I mean, I didn't understand half of what he's even trying to do-"

("Probably because you didn't pay attention in a single science lesson in your life-" Shadow muttered, but was ignored)

"- but I think it boiled down to him getting a lot of energy and, uh, making stuff blow up, I think?"

Shadow rolled his eyes. "Technically, his plan is to create a trans-dimensional quantum funnel that allows him to access the void between worlds, where he would then be able to transform pocket dimensions into pure energy able to power a high-frequency extraterrestrial laser cannon, but-"

"So yeah, basically what I said," Sonic cut him off. "Something something, eggy being a jerkface not only to Mobius but to other worlds as well. Makes it twice as important that we stop him."

Shadow showed for one moment the pained expression any learned individual had when Sonic the Hedgehog started mangling science, but it was gone as soon as the sliding door to the laboratory opened with a swish and their current captor walked into the room.

"Well, well, well, a spat among friends?"

"We're not-" Shadow started, hands in their restraints already starting to curl into fists, but Sonic interrupted him, nothing but a pleasant smile on his face.

"No, actually we're just having a lively discussion about running techniques, egghead, care to join? 'Course in your case it might be more to do with rolling, but..."

"Funny, Sonic." Robotnik snorted, mirthlessly. "But there's not much you could do to anger me today – not after you've so thoughtfully provided me with just what I needed to power my machine." So saying, the human scientist pressed a few buttons on the contraption in the center of the room – the contraption, which incidentally looked like someone had tried to build a hollowed-out Death Star pickled with Star Posts, the dark blue Chaos Emerald glowing worryingly in the middle – and it started to ominously hum as machines built by madmen are wont to do.

Far more concerningly, Robotnik then bent down to retrieve several clamps on cables leading from it, and started attaching them to the metal ring Shadow was spread-eagled inside.

"Whatever it is you're planning to do, I am not going to cooperate, doctor," Shadow said coldly, but it didn't seem to impress the human much. Sonic could see the black hedgehog's body stiffen as Robotnik moved around him, connecting more cables to the ring, the entire process looking as if Robotnik was somehow trying to use a hedgehog to jump-start a car. Sonic thought he probably would have laughed if the situation hadn't looked quite as dire. Shadow appeared to know this, too.

"Also, Rouge already knows that this mission has gone south, so she's off to get back up. GUN will be here in less than 15 minutes," he said, voice strained.

"Well, fortunately by then they'll just be here in time for their annihilation," Robotnik purred, voice still as smooth as oiled machinery. "When I will have sucked all the worlds of the multiverse dry of their energy, using you as the ultimate Chaos siphon, Shadow." He patted the black hedgehog's cheek as he attached the last cable. In his restraints, Shadow snarled viciously and appeared to actually instinctively tried to bite the human's hand before Robotnik hurriedly drew it back.

"Now, now. It appears someone is eager for this experiment to start…"

"No!" Shadow's eyes had at once widened as the doctor moved away to the console of his contraption, before he then glared straight at Sonic, his words hissed through his teeth. "This is all your fault!"

"Well, I mean, uh, 'fault' is really a harsh word here, Shads, don't you think-" Sonic started to hedge, mostly talking to simply hopefully bide some more time, trying to work out how on Mobius they were ever going to get out of this – when there was an ever so quiet noise from above, only audible if you knew what to listen for. Sonic exhaled, all at once feeling like he had to hide a smile.

"…you should just relax, Shadow?"

"Relax?!" Shadow snapped, still struggling against the restraints around his ankles and wrists, the hum of the machine growing louder and louder, "The Doctor is charging up his machine right this minute, I will be fried to death-!"

"Like I said," Sonic said, and now he couldn't help a grin. "It's all about trusting in your friends."

"What?" Now both Shadow and Robotnik were staring at Sonic, interestingly equal expressions of irritiation on their faces.

"I'm not like Shadow, doc," Sonic said casually. "Did you think I came here alone?"

"…oh no. Please don't tell me-" Shadow started, his own expression of slowly dawning dread actually still pretty much a replicate of the doctor's, and that was as far as he came before the ceiling of the lab caved in.

xxx

(and the Pokémon part starts - it is quite short, though, and only serves as an introduction to the characters. If you want Pictures to go with it, ask Google for Professor Oak, Misty and the Pokemon Psyduck)

xxx

About the same time, just a quantum leap away…

"And if we tighten a screw here...and one here...if you could hand me that other screwdriver, Misty?"

"Sure, here you go." Handing Professor Oak what felt like the 100th tool in a row, a (slightly despairing) Misty was currently wondering whether the scientist had, in fact, more screwdrivers than there were Pokemon, and whether she wouldn't have been better off going out with Ash and Pikachu for a stroll in the forest or with Brock to feed the ranch's Pokemon.

She sighed.

And here I thought since we actually came to Pallet town to *relax* for a few days I could simply put my feet up inside for a day, but nooo...

"Is this going to take much longer, Professor?" the red-haired young girl asked a little bit too brightly, but Professor Oak simply waved her off, at the same time straightening up from the machine he had been fiddling with.

"No, in fact, I am almost done. You are looking, Misty, at the first translator of Pokemon language in the world!" he proclaimed proudly, gesturing at the bulky mechanical box looking a bit like an ancient computer crossed over with a submarine radar.

"Oh, wow. That does sound impressive," Misty blinked. "Shall I go get Brock and Ash so they can have a look, too-" she began, already edging toward the door, but the professor interrupted her, his hand landing on her shoulder with that particular grip of steel talkative old people often seem to have.

"No, no, wait, let's have a trial run right now!" Professor Oak gestured to the pokeballs Misty had deposited on the lab table next to the newly-built machine. "For example, we have been wondering why your Psyduck is suffering from a headache for ages, now we can finally ask it directly! Please let it out!"

"Uh-" Misty hesitated for a moment, as always slightly overwhelmed by the scientist's sheer enthusiasm, but then of course, the decision was already out of her hands as one of her pokeballs (as always) suddenly started to shake unbidden, opening and -

"PSYYYYDUCK!"

...the familiar figure of an utterly confused duck Pokemon had suddenly materialized on the lab floor, blinking up at her and also holding its tilted head.

"Psyduck?"

It sounded quite hopeful.

"No, Psyduck, I didn't actually call you -" Misty began, rubbing her forehead, but then shook her head and sighed again. "But oh, alright. If you're already out. I guess you can switch on the machine now, Professor."

"On it! This will be the scientific revolution of the century!" Professor Oak proclaimed proudly, at the same time pressing a button on the machine's side that let it hum into life. "Now, in the telepathic field this machine creates around it, anything your Psyduck says will sound to us like human speech," he explained to Misty, before bending down toward the Pokemon.

"Now, Psyduck. Are you ready to be the first Pokemon to write history? If yes, then tell us: Why do you keep holding your head?"

The psyduck stared at him, blinking slowly. Professor Oak stared back just as intently. The Pokemon opened its beak. Even Misty could feel herself stop breathing, wondering how it might even sound for her Pokemon to speak, whether its voice would change, if it -

"Psyyyyyduck."

There was a distinct moment of silence in the lab.

"Uh...that didn't exactly sound like human speech, Professor..."

"Psyduck?" The Pokemon now sounded slightly concerned for the scientist, who looked somewhat shocked.

"But...I was sure this should work...!"

"Maybe it does?" Misty ventured. "I always thought Psyduck was, uh, kinda special, to be honest. Maybe it is actually just literally saying 'Psyduck'...?" she tried, but Professor Oak was already shaking his head, drumming his fingers on the machine.

"No. No. Something must be wrong with it, I need to go over the circuitry again-"

And then even he was drowned out, because suddenly, there was a booming noise of thunder from outside and a bright flash from the sky.

"Huh?!" Both the man and the girl's heads flew around to the window. "What was that?!" Misty asked. "It seemed to come from the forest around town..."

"Summer lightning?" Oak frowned. "I hope Ash is okay, he was heading out there for a stroll..."

"I think his hardhead would probably endure even a tree falling on it," Misty said casually, but even she looked a little worried.

"There doesn't seem to be any smoke, though. If there was a lightning strike even from a gathering of electro type Pokemon, I don't think it hit anything," Oak said. "It probably was just bright light after all..."

"Hm. Okay." Misty pursed her lips. "I said I'd go with Brock into town to get your supplies, professor Oak, but if there's news of anything bad happening, can you call us back? I heard Team Rocket is in the area, too, and those Pokémon thieves are always bad news..."

"Of course," Oak nodded as the red-haired girl collected her things into a backpack again. "Take care!"

"Thank you, you too!" Misty waved at him as she jogged from the house, but of course the professor was already pouring over the plans of his translator again. Misty privately supposed the scientist probably wouldn't notice if a lightning strike hit his own farmhouse roof when he was engrossed like this, but then again, probably nothing too strange had happened, right...?

xxx

"Hold it right there, Buttnik!"

"SONIC! I'LL SAVE YOU!"

"Human THIEF! Where is the Emerald you stole?!"

"NO!" Robotnik's face had transformed into a mask of horror at the spectacle of first a hammer, then two spiked fists, and then the curled form of a fox kit breaking through the ceiling of the lab, the neighbouring dimension of Mobius of course the very definition of 'too strange'. The explosion was also followed shortly by three furry bodies bursting into the room, as well as a giant hammer. In their wake, there were chunks of debris raining down, marvelously missing any of the three people inside, but only barely.

"Sonic! There you are!" the two-tailed fox kid of the invader trio shrieked, having discovered his trapped hedgehog brother first. "Knuckles, you have to get him out!"

"Do I really?"

"Knuckles!" the kit protested, looking at his echidna companion with an expression of deep betrayal, but it was actually Sonic himself who interrupted,

"Uh, guys, thanks for the save and all, but I think Eggman's machine is-"

"It's about to implode, you fools, that is what it is!" Robotnik roared at this point, already at the door and hammering furiously on the lock pad which was now refusing to open, sparks from the destroyed machinery under the fallen debris flying everywhere. The death-star-portal-funnel-whatever (as Sonic had mentally designated the thing in the middle of the room) was also badly damaged and now pulsing in a way that nobody needed an engineering degree to tell was a probably a really bad sign.

"Oh." Amy managed, eyes wide. "Do…do you think it would help if I hit it with my hammer?"

"This. This is how I die," Shadow muttered, right before barking, "WOMAN! When has this question ever been answered with 'yes'-?!" but by then, it was already too late. None of the people in the laboratory ever found out whether it would, in fact, have helped to hit the damaged machine with a hammer, because there was already a small supernova forming in its center, blindingly bright energy bursting from the top of every star post mounted on it, the searing sphere in its center expanding as pure lightning rushed along the wires still connecting Shadow to the machine, hitting the Ultimate Lifeform who screamed…

And then even that scream was cut off as Sonic abruptly had the feeling of the universe folding in on itself and a light as bright as the sun engulfing them all.

To be continued…

There, I hope you enjoyed! Actual interaction (gasp!) to come next chapter! Maybe I'll even be able to fit an update in before I leave for Summer of Sonic. ;) And as always, if you read, please review!