Well since discovering the wonders of Kigo several months ago (I'm a bit behind the times, heh heh) I knew the time would come that I'd have a go at writing my own Kigo fic. There were several different story ideas I had, but decided to pursue this one first, as it appealed to me the most... anyway I'd like to dedicate this to all the wonderful Kigo writers out there who have kept me busy reading their fics over the past few months, particularly the likes of King in Yellow, Starving Lunatic and The Humbug. You guys are the fashizzle, yo.
Anyways, this is somewhat of a crossover story, the crossover being Pokemon. And no, the human characters from the Pokemon anime are nowhere to be found, I'm not a huge fan of the anime... its more like the KP characters in a universe where Pokemon replace the normal animals of the world. But it is still a Pokeverse, with Trainers, Gym Battles and whatnot.
Better do the disclaimer thing too I guess. I own nothing. Nothing, I tell you! Oh and the standard Kigo-shoujo-ai-goodness warning applies, so no likey, no read-y.
"Fire Red, Emerald"
Chapter 1
"Back in Business"
Kim stared, absentmindedly, at the pile of books that adorned her bed. From her position at her computer desk, she wished for the mountain of homework to somehow complete itself. With a heavy sigh and fractional slump of her shoulders, she then turned back toward her softly glowing LCD computer screen, intent on losing herself in a mind-numbingly simple game of solitaire.
Everything has been so quiet since graduation. At first, the eager-to-learn Kim had been understandably excited about beginning her college studies. She had even been granted special permission to study at several universities across the world due to her globe-trotting hero activities, so she would not fall behind in her classes. Yet the irony was, with so little villain activity occurring in the past six months, she mainly stayed at home, still with her parents, to attend her primary campus, Middleton University, seemingly with ample time to study… but could currently not force herself to stay up-to-date with her homework. Wild dorm parties were not to blame, either.
Kim could not ascertain when precisely her mild depression had struck, but such ailments tended to have a way with sneaking gradually into one's life rather than suddenly exploding onto the scene with fanfare and streamers. All Kim knew was, for the past half-year, since graduating from high school, something had felt… incomplete about her life. A growing feeling of emptiness that seemed to worsen everyday. It left her lethargic and unmotivated, and this certainly did not go unnoticed by those closest to the redhead.
Despite the inherent danger of missions, Ron almost wished the villain world was more active—if only to see Kim resemble her usual self, at least for a little while. He, and Kim's family, were loathe to see her in this depressive state, and utterly clueless as to how to help her. Not through lack of trying; quite the contrary, in fact. Just, nothing seemed to have any long term effect. She may perk up for a while, perhaps genuinely or perhaps for show in order to ease her loved ones' concern, but before long she's descend into the doldrums again.
Kim's altered mental state had even contributed to her breaking-up with Ron. Ron had believed that somehow, he was to blame for her consistently low mood of late, and offered to take a break, if that was what Kim needed. Kim, of course, was adamant that her depression had nothing to do with Ron. If anything, he was one of the bright shining lights of her life; and she herself felt guilty for dragging him down into her uncharacteristic melancholic condition. All this, plus the added pressures of starting college—at different universities, nonetheless—and they both agreed it was probably for the best to revert their relationship to that of Best Friends Forever, at least for the time being. They knew they loved each other, and always would, but whether it was romantic, platonic, familial… they weren't entirely certain, but it didn't matter. They'd always be there for one another.
Ron had also chastised himself on being an unworthy boyfriend for being unable to lift Kim's spirits recently. He knew that the hole, the emptiness that now existed inside of her, could not be fulfilled by him, and that made him feel… inadequate. But, he would be there as a friend. Always. He just wished he knew how to bring the old Kim Possible back…
Kim sighed again, running a hand through wayward auburn locks as she continued to ponder the digital playing cards onscreen. Despite what her family and friends thought, despite what she'd told them—that she did not know why she had been so miserable lately—that was not entirely the truth. Deep down, as much as she wished it wasn't true, as much as she tried to ignore and deny the building despair that gnawed at her insides… she knew.
She knew because of the fleeting images that danced across her vision when she was drifting between sleep and wakefulness. She knew because of the dreams her subconscious created, a mixture of real-life memories and images intermingled with fantasy. She knew because of the uneasy twinge she felt in the pit of her stomach whenever she saw a certain combination of two colours…
Shego… she missed Shego.
In what capacity, she wasn't even certain. Perhaps it was the physical contest; the thrill of fighting someone who was her equal. Perhaps she simply missed the very presence of the older woman… as much as the latter explanation confused and disturbed her slightly.
Kim could admit though, if only to herself, within the silent recesses of her mind, that without the temperamental brunette in her life, something felt… missing.
Six months had passed, with no sign of Drakken and Shego. Which was good, in and of itself, as it insinuated that the criminals had, hopefully, retired from the super villain lifestyle. But Kim couldn't help but wonder… were they just laying low, waiting for the perfect time to strike? Had they gone their separate ways? Was Shego reclining on a tropical beach somewhere, without a care in the world? Did she… did she think about Kim at all?
Gah! Kim shut her eyes tightly, hoping to banish her unsettling thoughts. She'd probably laugh in my face if she knew I was feeling like this…
She drew in a deep breath, ran a hand through her tresses again, and slowly opened her eyes. When she did, she was somewhat astonished to discover her game of solitaire had been replaced onscreen by Wade's visage.
"Hey Kim," the young African-American genius greeted, "seemed like you needed a moment there."
"Hi Wade," Kim returned the greeting, trying to sound more cheerful than she felt. "How long have you been waiting for me to notice you there?"
"Not long. College getting to you?" Wade half-joked, not believing a meager endeavour such as college could slow the great Kim Possible down.
"Uhhh…" Kim cast a brief glance toward the stack of books ominously awaiting her upon the bed. "Yeah, something like that."
Wade's eyes widened momentarily, as he wondered if he had heard correctly. His expression quickly settled though, as he remembered the intention of his call. "Well, something's come up. You'll never guess who's bothering the peaceful rut of Team Possible."
Kim felt her mood lifting considerably; having a mission to distract her from her thoughts would be all too welcome. "What's the sitch?" Even saying her trademark quote brightened the redhead; missions had been few and far between of late.
"Drakken and Shego are back."
Kim's smile, which had been growing since the notion of a mission first became apparent, immediately dropped. Speak of the devil… well not that I even had to speak. Just thinking of the devil, it seems, will make him—or her, rather—appear…
Kim was conflicted, and it became evident on her face. On one hand, the silence of Shego's absence had gradually become deafening. On the other hand, no news was good news, as one could have assumed that she had turned over a new leaf…
"I know…" Wade, to a certain extent, knew what Kim was thinking, and sympathised. "Just when we think they've quit the villain game for good..." He sighed and glanced away briefly before continuing. "Thing is, Drakken doesn't even seem to be trying this time."
"What do you mean?" Kim's voice was quiet, and faintly tinged with sadness.
"Recycled idea," Wade scoffed, seeming borderline disgusted. "It appears he's stolen some new, improved version of the Pan Dimensional Vortex Inducer."
Kim groaned and rolled her eyes toward the heavens.
"I know, I know," Wade continued with a slight laugh. "He's even returned to one of his old lairs. I'll send the co-ordinates to your car's GPS now."
"Thanks Wade."
"Hey, no problem." With a warm smile, he turned his attention toward his keyboard for a moment, fingers whizzing across the keys with practiced efficiency. "And… done. Ron should be waiting for you when you drive by his house."
Kim was half-standing now, somehow eager yet hesitant at the same time to change into her mission clothes. "You rock, Wade."
"I know."
Kim couldn't help but grow a small smile at her friend's casual immodesty. "So any idea what Drakken has got planned for the PDVI this time?"
"Nope, no clue. But this is Drakken, remember. Could be anything…"
"…And then Kim Possible will be no more, and I will be free to take over the world! Mwahahahahaaa!" Drakken threw his head back and cackled evilly, as only a super villain could. In one of his tiny gloved hands, he held a contraption resembling a ray gun, with the enhanced Pan Dimensional Vortex Inducer snugly fitted between the ray's barrel and handle, obviously a vital part of the weapon.
Drakken let his maniacal laughter die down, and when he received no response to his proclamation, the mad scientist spun around angrily.
"Shego! Weren't you even listening?"
"Huh?" Shego glanced up, having previously been transfixed with her talon-like nails. "Oh, yeah, right. Your new invention thingy will do something to Kimmie, leaving you to take over the world, blah blah blah, then you have a nice cup of cocoa-moo. Whatever."
She was seated several feet away from the blue madman, her legs resting casually upon an adjacent table. She could not believe Drakken had reneged on his plan to retire from villainy, interrupting her lovely vacation when he called up practically begging for her to return to his employ. Not only was that annoying enough, but he had decided to set up operations in one of his abandoned, decrepit lairs, and had hired no henchmen, so it was just the blue dolt, herself, and some bleak scenery. Oh, and said blue dolt's 'new' plan which, Shego fumed over silently, was a blatantly rehashed idea!
The only reasons Shego had agreed to this so-called 'comeback' were because, one, she was becoming somewhat bored lying on a beach all day, and two, the chance to fight Kimmie again after a six month break.
Hmm, wonder if she'll have any new moves to surprise me with, Shego wondered idly, completely oblivious to the dark-coloured, manic eyes glaring at her.
"Shego," Drakken began through gritted teeth, "I would have thought after a six month hiatus you would have been more attentive to my plans!"
"Guess you thought wrong," Shego answered non-chalantly, not even bothering to look at Drakken. Six months away from you isn't nearly enough…
Finally, she glanced up, practically able to hear the whistling sound indicating steam escaping from Drakken's ears at his second-in-command's continued insolence. "So remind me again why we're doing this? I thought you planned to go legit with your sciencey-techy stuff."
Drakken's face partially relaxed, now that Shego appeared to be paying him some mind. "Well… I did plan that, but… they… those…" His blue features darkened, as he prepared to enter rant-mode. "Those other villains! Saying I'd gone soft! That I didn't have it in me! Grrr!" He threw his head back dramatically, glaring at the ceiling now. "I'll show them! I'll show them all! The Seniors, Monkey Fist, Dementor… they think they're all that, but they're not!!"
Shego scowled. "So basically this is just a giant pissing contest, huh?"
Drakken's head snapped back down. "EXACTLY! I mean… no, wait… GRRR!" The mad scientist then stamped his foot and whined, "Sheeeggooo!"
"Yep. Giant pissing contest. Men, oy." The green-skinned mercenary and thief extraordinaire crossed her arms and sighed. Man, Dr.D really needs to grow up. And people say I suffer from a bad case of Arrested Development…
Shego would never admit it out loud, least of all to Drakken, but she was beginning to feel jaded about her current line of work. Her heart just wasn't in the villainy game anymore, and needless to say she was in two minds about this whole 'comeback' business. Sure, she loved the rush, the excitement, the money that benefited from living such a lifestyle… but the more she pondered it, the more she reasoned that there were other less… nefarious ways to achieve those things. Not to mention that it was a harsh villain eat villain underworld, and she was tired with constantly looking over her shoulder, unable to trust anyone.
And then there's Kimmie. Shego couldn't help but break into a smile, half mischievous and half fond, as she became increasingly lost in her own thoughts. If I did drop out of the villain game, I guess I could always get my fix by showing up unannounced, start insulting her to provoke her into a fight for old time's sake… heh…
She returned her gaze to Drakken, who was now pacing the room whilst stroking his new ray-gun rather affectionately, his jaw clenched tightly. Shego knew that there was perhaps a 0.5 per-cent chance that Drakken's latest plan, whatever it was, would succeed as he had envisioned it. She was confident that the gun would most likely just blow up in his hands, and that Kimmie would be safe. Heck, she'd bet money on it…
Any further speculation was dismissed as both henchwoman and pacing madman were interrupted by a pair of creaking doors being powerfully kicked open nearby. Instantly, Kim Possible strode confidently into the room, followed closely by her ever-loyal sidekick Ron Stoppable. The third active member of Team Possible, the naked mole rat Rufus, sat perched atop Ron's shoulder, ready for action as much as his two human companions were.
"Kim Possible!" Drakken haughtily declared, "I knew you'd find your way to our little… reunion!"
"So not in the mood, Drakken," Kim shot back, placing her hands upon her hips. Her eyes then fell on Shego, who was still sitting, apparently not perturbed by Team Possible's intrusion. The raven-haired beauty only smirked and waved in their direction, causing Kim to first blink in confusion, then frown in disappointment.
"We thought you guys quit," Ron spoke up, expressing Kim's concerns also. On the ride over, Kim had been exceptionally quiet, particularly considering that there was a mission at hand. This concerned her Best Friend Since Pre-K, and although Ron wanted to ask what was on her mind, he chose to remain silent for the time being, intending to question her later. He knew, at least, that Kim was disheartened by the fact that Drakken and Shego had re-entered the villain circle, hoping that they had opted out of crime for good. It was a hope that Ron shared, if only to make the lives of Team Possible a little easier. "But I guess some things never change, huh KP?"
He was smiling, trying to lighten the mood, but Kim's gaze was intensely focused on Shego, her expression silently questioning: Why?
"Change is never easy, Pumpkin," Shego answered, as she now began to stand up. Although her words were spoken sagely, her expression was teasing. "Especially for Blue Boy over there."
"Now is not the time to get philosophical, Shego!" Drakken complained, waving his arms like an attention-seeking toddler. This drew attention to his newest weapon, which Kim eyed suspiciously.
"Running out of ideas, Drakken?" The redheaded hero began, taking a step forward. "Isn't that the Pan Dimensional Vortex Inducer I see there?"
"Ah, good times," Shego joked, closing her eyes and shaking her head slightly, as if reminiscing. Kim couldn't help but smirk slightly at the mercenary's display.
"This," Drakken puffed his chest out with pride, "has the power to send any person or object to another dimension entirely! Behold!"
Kim raised an eyebrow skeptically. "And that's useful… how?"
"Simple," Drakken spoke in a low voice now, as a sneer turned his thin lips upwards, "I will use it to get rid of YOU! So long, Kim Possible!" With that, he aimed the clunky gun-like contraption squarely at the young auburn-haired woman.
"Hey, hey, woah!" Shego interjected, waving her hands in front of her employer's face, much to his annoyance. "What, I don't even get to fight her first? Where's the fun in that? C'mon, it's been months!"
"SHEGO!" Drakken bellowed, his face becoming purple with anger, "STOP DISTRACTING ME!"
But alas, distracted he was, and Ron saw this as an opportune time to lunge forward and tackle the cobalt-skinned scientist to the ground, before frantically try to pry the inter-dimensional ray gun from the madman's tiny fingers.
"Wow, you're becoming an even better distraction than Ron," Kim quipped, moving into her fighting stance as she stared the older woman down.
"I try my best," Shego smugly replied, before positioning herself in her own martial arts stance. "Shall we dance, Kitten?"
"It's been too long," Kim couldn't help but smile, as she became filled with nostalgia at the familiar situation in which she currently found herself.
"Indeed."
And with that, the dance began.
Attacks, counters, dodges, feints… they all, and other moves besides, contributed to the intricately woven display of graceful violence that Kim and Shego quickly became engrossed in.
Swaying to dodge a kick aimed at her midsection, Kim noticed how remarkably swift they were to fall back into their usual rhythm, as if the last time they had fought like so was merely yesterday. She also noticed that Shego was enjoying herself immensely, practically laughing as she circled around Kim, poised to strike or defend at a millisecond's notice.
"It has been too long, Pumpkin," Shego chuckled as she swiped her talons towards Kim's face. "I've missed this."
Kim easily blocked the swipe, before grabbing Shego's forearm and twisting around behind the villainess's back, taking said forearm with her. Shego didn't have a chance to grimace in pain as Kim placed a lightening quick kick squarely between the older woman's shoulders, sending her stumbling forward. Shego recovered quickly though, as was to be expected, spinning around mid-stumble and using the momentum of the impact to hop a few more sprightly steps backwards. A grin was still plastered on her pale green face, and Kim didn't know whether to feel annoyed, wary or relieved that Shego did not seem to be taking this fight too seriously.
"What gives, Shego?" Kim asked, now that there was some distance between them. "I mean, you haven't even lit up your hands. And you're enjoying this WAY too much."
"Doy. I said I missed fighting you," Shego replied matter-of-factly, her hands placed upon her hips now, despite Kim not breaking her fighting stance. "And hey, what's with you? Thought you woulda missed it too. But you just seem to be going through the motions. That's not like you, Princess."
Kim relaxed her stance a little, but not her facial expression, which was a mixture of concentration and frustration. "You… you were supposed to not be doing this anymore! I thought you might have come to your senses, finally given up this life, but no. You just wanna continue to take the easy way out!" Kim couldn't quell her rising anger, glaring now at her opponent, who seemed unfazed by the accusatory tirade.
"I told you before. Change isn't easy." Shego had moved her arms to fold them across her chest, and despite her defensive posture, her voice was surprisingly soft. "Old habits die hard, or something like that, y'know?" She chuckled at the end of her statement, and Kim was sure she witnessed a glint of… uncertainty in the older woman's striking emerald eyes. Her own glare lessened in intensity, as her stance relaxed even further.
"But…" Kim's voice was quiet, as her head swam with a tumultuous mixture of emotions, "you'd be willing… maybe… to try?" Her last words were hopeful, more hopeful than she wished to sound, for reasons even beyond herself.
Shego never had a chance to answer however, as Ron's startled cry of "KP, HE BIT ME!" interrupted her slightly strained conversation with her redheaded adversary.
Whirling around toward the scuffling males, Shego wore her most condescending smirk when she said: "Don't worry, I'm pretty sure Dr.D has had his rabies shot."
"GAH!" Drakken cried out, both at the frustration of being unable to fulfill his plan, and at Shego's smarmy comment. Ron, caught by surprise by the Doctor's underhanded tactic of indeed biting him, was wide open to the forceful elbow Drakken impacted his ribs with. The blonde boy went hurtling to the side, grimacing in pain, as Rufus was sent flying from the fray. Drakken now saw his chance at attaining victory, with Kim instantly moving to inspect the injured Ron. The mad scientist hastily grabbed his ray-gun, and without a word of warning, aimed at Kim and pulled the trigger.
Kim was mid-stride when the luminous white light enveloped her, sending a tingling sensation surging through her body. The last sight her large leaf green eyes saw was that of Ron, half sitting up, staring at her with a panic-stricken expression.
Then, Kim Possible vanished into nothingness.
"KP!" Ron croaked out, stumbling to his feet. He lunged toward the area where she had just been, before calling again in a louder voice. "KP!"
Shego stood frozen in shock. She had difficulty processing what she had just witnessed, that Drakken's invention had actually worked as it was meant to. The apparently successful blue doctor's laughter soon infiltrated her shock, however.
"YES!" Drakken declared in maniacal glee. "It worked! She's gone! MWAHAHAHAAA!"
Ron clenched his fists tightly, an all-consuming anger welling up within him. "What… did… you… do?!"
Drakken beamed at his latest invention, seemingly unaware of the younger man's fury that threatened to erupt at any moment. "Oh, you know, sent her to another dimension, alternate reality, parallel universe, whatever you want to call it."
"WHAT?" Ron practically barked. "What dimension? Where?!"
Drakken shrugged in response, unaffected by Ron's displays of extreme emotion. "Who knows? Do you have any idea how difficult it would be to actually pinpoint another dimension to send her to? Could be anything, a world similar to ours or vastly different, a world of perpetual Wednesdays…"
By this time Ron was moving forward, intent on strangling the demented doctor unless he agreed to bring Kim back. Much to Ron's surprise, however, another pair of hands shot forward before his, latching onto the collar of Drakken's lab coat, effectively manhandling him.
"Bring. Her. Back. NOW!" Shego demanded in a dangerously low voice, shaking Drakken with each word for added emphasis.
"What?! But Shego, I… ACK! Shego it's not that simple!" Drakken blubbered, unsure why his second-in-command was so livid, but fearing for his life nonetheless.
Ron stood, dumbfounded, watching intently. He was intrigued as to why Shego seemed as adamant to punish Drakken as he was, but silently pleased to have her onside.
Dissatisfied with Drakken's rambling explanations, Shego forcefully pushed him backwards, where he solidly collided with a concrete wall.
"Shego," Drakken pleaded as he slid toward the floor, assuming a seated position. "Shego, please, inter-dimensional travel is very tricky and I…"
"I don't care!" The green-hued woman practically roared with fury. "Just fix it NOW!"
Ron, face affixed with his own boiling anger, moved beside Shego and coolly added, "What she said."
Drakken gulped. As he contracted himself as much as possible, still seated against the chilly concrete wall, he couldn't help but become filled with a child-like terror. As he was glared upon by the blazing emerald eyes of his henchwoman, the sharp, focused chocolate brown eyes of one Ron Stoppable, and now a third set of eyes belonging to a certain naked mole rat, the mad scientist could only manage to conjure one coherent thought: I should really upgrade my health plan…
In the same instant that Kim vanished from the realm of her own reality, another Kim Possible, the Kim Possible of the alternate universe that the first had been sent to, was inexplicably spirited away to the gap that existed between dimensions. Time did not exist there, nor did pain, nor happiness. The Kim that was banished to this hollow abyss of infinity merely fell into a deep sleep, unaware of what had happened to her, as she began to drift peacefully and endlessly through the void.
Her sleep was filled with dreams, strange and vivid dreams that she would never be able to explain if anyone ever asked her of them. Dreams where she saw herself living an entirely different life, amongst a world filled with unusual creatures. They were pleasant enough dreams, more akin to memories perhaps, but perplexing nonetheless.
As this Kim drifted and dreamt, a single pair of red eyes watched silently from within the void. The being said eyes belonged to was puzzled, but not overly concerned.
A spatial anomaly has occurred… Haven't had one of those in what seems like millennia… The creature pondered as it watched, its glowing red eyes appearing thoughtful.
Do not worry child… It is impossible to send you home right away, as there are countless realities from where you might have come. But the answer will reveal itself eventually.
The creature knew the girl would befall no harm, and satisfied to leave the situation as it was for the time being, it thoughtfully nodded once.
In time, my child. In time…