Pokemon - The Twilight Zone

Episode 5: Burning the Scourge

Author's Note: This chapter is based off of the Twilight Zone episode "Deaths-Head Revisited."

Deep within the dark night, within the vast wilderness, in a clearing, a young Pokemon Trainer stood humming to himself. He had light-brown hair that was curly and little messy and a medium skin-tone. His voice was pleasant, rich, warm, and friendly.

"Hello. It's me, Matthais Unidostres," he said to you through the mysterious Fourth Wall, "Welcome back to the different dimension. The dimension not only of sight and sound, but of mind. A world where Pokeballs are portals, where all Pokemon can speak human language, and where human babies sometimes hatch out of Pokemon eggs. Out of this world come stories of the future, adventures that could only occur in a million could be years in a thousand maybe worlds. Ash, Pikachu, Dawn, Brock, and all of their friends are really in for it now, because they are about to enter... The Twilight Zone!"

Thunder and lightning flashed in the cloudless night sky.

"Here is a definition of the verb 'to scourge': To afflict with severe or widespread suffering and devastation; ravage. Keep that in mind as we observe what awaits a certain Pokemon Trainer. . ."

A straight faced young man walked out of the Striaton Gym in Unova, having earned his first Unova Gym badge: the Trio Badge. He had long brown hair, and wore brown sweatpants with a blue jacket.

"How pathetic," he remarked, "A gym with three gym leaders. Are they really that desperate? And the third one isn't even there! And really, Panpour and Pansear? What weak Pokemon."

He soon arrived at the Pokemon Center he was spending the night at. Skipping diner, he went straight to his room and entered quickly. He turned on the light. . .revealing the Infernape sitting quietly on his bed.

Matthais stood in the far corner of the room. He folded his arms and said, "Impunity is defined as 'exemption or freedom from punishment, harm, or loss.' This Pokemon Trainer, named Paul, will learn that there is no such thing as impunity. . .in the Twilight Zone."

Paul stared at the Infernape for a moment. Then he came to his senses and shouted, "What re you doing here? Get out and go back to Ash! You just looooooove him so much, so leave me alone!" Paul reached for his Pokeballs, only to find them all gone.

"What?" Paul gasped, digging through his pockets, "Where are they? What's going on?" Paul then looked up at Infernape. "What is this?" he asked.

Infernape answered by turning around, and using Flame Thrower onto the wall. Paul could look on in disbelief as the flames melted through the wall, creating a hole. Infernape gesture for Paul to follow him as he enters the hole. Entranced, Paul follows without a word.

Once through, the hole seals up, and lights flash on. Paul held his hands over his face against the blinding light. As he lowers his hands, he finds himself in a large throne room of an old, ruinous looking castle. On a golden throne sat a man with long green hair, a white shirt and tan pants, a pendant, and a black and white cap.

"My name is N," the man said, "And I will be your judge." The man pointed to his left, and there appeared Kyurem, Reshiram, Zekrom, Victini, and the four Swords of Justice. "They are the jury!" The man got up from the throne and pointed an accusing finger at Paul. "Paul! You are accused of crimes against Pokemon! How do you plead?"

Paul stared at him, "You're insane. You're completely out your mind. What crimes? I haven't committed any crimes! How dare y-."

"So you plead not guilty. . ." N said with a smile, but then it turned to a scowl, "Humans like you. . .who treat Pokemon like slaves and abuse them! You all sicken me to the core!"

Paul turned away from N, "Huh! Been talking with that fool Ash much? Well, you keep talking, and I'll keep not listening."

N sat back down on his throne. He clapped his hands and called out, "I call Azumarill to the stand!"

Paul's head jerks up at the mention of the familiar name. He looks at the round, blue Pokemon that suddenly appeared in front of N's throne.

"By the power of Zekrom and Reshiram, I give you telepathy. Speak!" N declared.

Paul kept a straight face, but he couldn't stop the hairs on the back of his neck from standing up as Azumarill's voice spoke English in his mind.

He caught me for a type advantage. A stupid type advantage. He just wanted to beat Roark's Rock types and get a little bit of metal. Who knows what I could've gone through had I helped him win. But of course, I didn't help him win. I lost. How could I win with a Trainer who saw me as a tool. Then. . .he cursed me. He cursed my weakness, and just gave me away to some kid. The kid was average, but still, he gave me away. . .

Azumarill vanished.

"How is giving away a weak Pokemon a crime?" Paul asked bitterly.

"You took away his freedom!" N shouted back, "He was a free Pokemon in the wild, but then you caught for no reason what so over. Now he's still someone's slave because of you. If a trainer catches a Pokemon, they better devote themselves to it to make the loss of freedom worth it! They shouldn't be stored away in a PC, or just cast aside hoping someone nice will come across their Pokeball!"

"You're unstable. . ." Paul muttered nervously, looking around in search of an exit.

"What was that?"

"Are you done?" Paul said quickly.

"I call Lucario to the stand! By the power of Zekrom and Reshiram, I give you telepathy. Speak!"

Maylene's Lucario suddenly appeared before Paul.

You called my trainer weak. The weakest leader you've ever fought. Well, if you call my trainer weak, that reflects upon me. All the battles I've fought with my trainer. The bond that we shared. Do you know what you did? You nearly destroyed it! We were in sync! We were friends! You tore us apart. You made us enemies. We only barely recovered with some much needed help from others, but Maylene still remembers what you said. And you. . .you. . .YOU CAUSED ME TO HATE MAYLENE! My own trainer. I know what you are: YOU ARE THE CATALYST OF HATRED BETWEEN POKEMON AND HUMANS!

The scowling and enraged Lucario vanished, leaving Paul staring with a shocked expression at the space the Pokemon once occupied.

"Pokemon and humans must be friends," N said softly, "Or else Pokemon will continue to suffer and be treated like tools and slaves." N then raised his voice and said, "People like you fuel the fires of hatred and apathy. You spread bad feeling wherever you go, so that more people will mistrust Pokemon, and only take without giving back! What did you tell Ash that one time? 'Just imitate me?' Yes... imitate you. . ." N closed his eyes, "Imagine what the world would be like if we all imitated you. . ." N kept his eyes closed for a minute, but then gasped and jumped in fear. He blinked his eyes and gasped, "Oh. . .oh Lord, may the majority never become the likes of this person. . ."

Paul clenched his fists tightly, glaring angrily back at N. Paul was fuming, anger builidng up inside of his very being, giving him the desire to break something. "I've had enough of this," Paul growled out, "I won't stand for this. . ."

"I give you, exhibit A!" N shouted.

The lights dimmed, and all of Paul's Pokeballs appeared around them. They didn't open, but holographic figures of the Pokemon appeared over each one. Drapion, Gastrodon, Aggron, and Ninjask were all bent over and trembling. Those with limbs long enough were attempting to cover there ears. Soon, more holographic Pokemon joined in, all performing similar actions. There they were; Torterra, Ursaring, Honchkrow, Weavile, Magmortar, Gliscor, Hariyama, and Nidoking.

Paul eventually noticed that one of the Pokemon, namely Electivire, wasn't in the tormented position. Paul gazed at the Electivire as it communicated telepathically to him, "Take a good listen, Paul."

Paul would have refused to listen, if he could. But he could not get the voices out of his head.

Stop. . .please. . .make it stop. . .the words. . .the complaints. . .the curses. . .the scornful tone. . .the hatred. . .stop. . .

"NO! You stop! Shut-up! All of you, shut-up!" Paul shouted at the moaning Pokemon around him. His hateful glares seemed to have no effect on the Pokemon, and no matter how hard Paul pressed his hands against his ears, he couldn't shut out the voices.

"You had a moment, Paul," Electivire communicated, "At the Lilly of the Valley Conference. You thanked me for a job well done. But I see now that it was just because I was with you the longest, that I fought the longest, that you felt I was the strongest of your Pokemon. . .but. . .I am not the only Pokemon in the world. You were less cruel to me, but that does not make up for all the years of cruelty and callousness you gave every other Pokemon you encountered, and will ever encounter! Do you think words. . . a simple collection of letters arranged in a certain order, can make up for all the evil you have done! NO MORE! I spit upon your token gestures! I will not turn a blind eye as your lash out at my fellow Pokemon!"

And with that, all of the Pokemon vanished.

Paul felt his strength suddenly leave his legs, and he fell painfully to his knees as N looked down on him.

"One more witness," N said softly.

Infernape appeared.

"No. . ." Paul gasped in a uncharacteristically hushed voice, "No, not him."

"Brutal training that closely resembled torture. . ." Infernape began.

"No, stop it, stop it," Paul gasped, staring at the ground in shock.

"Launching powerful attacks and not allowing any dodges or attempts at defense. . ."

"No, no, no, you were weak. You're all just weak. . ."

"Forcibly reducing HP to 1 point while dragging battles onward. . ."

"You don't get it, you just don't. . ."

"Occasionally barring visits to Pokemon Centers to receive vital healing. . ."

"You don't-."

"Constant scornful talk and insults after both wins and loses. . ."

"SHUT-UP!" Paul shouted as he heaved himself onto his feet and began throwing punches at Infernape. However, even though the punches made contact, Infernape didn't move an inch. He merely stared down at the angry trainer who was assaulting him as he continued listing the atrocities.

"Complete lack of any remotely kind word or praise. . .

Complete lack of sympathy despite what is experienced in battle. . .

Complete apathy to feelings, thoughts, or fears. . .

Lack of respect for other trainers or other Pokemon. . .

Sick obsession with power. . . megalomania. . .

Abandonment during a battle. . .

Abandonment despite a long time of servitude. . .

No appreciation for said servitude. . ."

By the time Infernape was done, Paul had lost count of the number of punches he had thrown. Although Infernape withstood them all, Paul's fists were not bloody as you would expect. Infernape moved away, leaving Paul completely overwhelmed by what was happening to him.

"Jury, have you reached a verdict," N said coolly.

Paul had entirely forgotten about the Pokemon jury. He turned over to look at the three legendary Unova dragons and the Swords of Justice.

"Yes," Kyurem said.

"It is clear what this human is. . ." Virizion said.

"A scourge," Coballion said.

"Yes, a vile bringer of evil, suffering, and torment!" Terrekion said fiercely.

"There's no doubt about it, he's guilty!" Keldeo said angrily, his teeth clenched as he glare pure hatred at Paul.

"GUILTY!" the jury all said.

Paul turned to N, who had gotten up and was slowly approaching him.

"As judge, I shall now pass sentence. . ." N said softly.

Paul's strength failed him completely, and he collapsed to the ground. . .

Paul lay on the floor of his room, his eyes darting around erratically as his heart thumped like a stampeding herd of Rapidash. Paul leaned against the wall as he heaved himself up to his feet, still filled with fear.

"Dream. . .dream. . .it was a dream. . ." Paul said to himself. He looked around the room again, only to see Infernape standing in the middle of the room.

"You did this," Paul said with rage as he got up, "I don't know how. . .perhaps you just tried to play up my conscience, or maybe you learned some strange Psychic type move and sued it on me. Maybe. . .maybe there's Pokémon hiding around somewhere that are messing with my mind. . ." Paul then closed his eyes and smirked, "You failed, didn't you. I'm no worse for wears. I'm fine. Haha! I'm strong, not like you, weakling, I'm surprised you didn't die in that that tag battle with Ash-."

Paul's eyes opened and he froze up, the beginning of horror forming on his face.

"Ash. . .called me a while ago. Said I should know, since I was your original trainer. . ." Paul stammered.

Infernape nodded, as if urging Paul to go on.

Paul swallowed hard and licked his lips, which had suddenly become bone dry, "Professor Oak's Lab. . .was attacked by a radical extremist faction of Team Plasma. . .They were arrested. . .but in the attack. . .you were killed. . ."

Infernape slowly smiled a wide, gleefully gruesome smile.

Paul whirled around and ran for the door, but before he reached it, the whole world went black.

"Paul. . ." came the echoing voice of N, "You have been tried, and found guilty of crimes not just against Pokemon, but in fact, against life itself. Therefore, it has been decided that for the rest of your mortal life, you shall be rendered insane."

Suddenly, Paul found himself standing in a mountainous area. N was there also, glaring hard at Paul with a face of deadly seriousness.

"Remember this place, Paul?" N asked, "You had Chimchar battle a Graveler, and he used Rock Throw. You told him not to dodge. You wanted him to take damage so he could use Blaze."

Paul suddenly clutched his chest as something he couldn't see slammed into it, giving an almost slicing sensation.

"Do you feel the rocks pounding into your body?" N asked in a monotone, "Do you feel the pain, the agony, the feeling of tortured stone?"

Paul began clutching at various parts of his body as the invisible Rock Throw attack sliced at his face, his arms, his legs, his nipples. There weren't any wounds or blood, but he felt every single bit of the pain as he stood doubled over, his mouth hanging open in complete shock.

Paul fought through the pain and found the will to run, only to find himself facing the wall of Hearthome City Tag Battle Competition stadium. Paul turned around again and ran off, not sure were he was growing. He arrived in a small clearing to see N standing there, waiting for him.

"And here, you had Elekid, Murkrow, Torterra, and Ursaring use there strongest attacks on Chimchar simultaneuously. Do feel the force of Thunder, Shadow Ball, Hyper Beam, and Focus Blast coming down on you all at once? Do you feel his torment now?"

Paul was suddenly thrown down hard into the ground. He felt forces repeatedly slam onto his chest, churning his stomach, bending his spine, squeezing his lungs, bending his ribs. Desperate thoughts shot through his mind as the forces went off and on, on and off, pushing and pulling and squeezing his body. The moment the forces stopped, Paul flipped over and desperately crawled away on all fours.

Before long, he found that ground had instantly changed. He looked up and realized that now he was inside the Hearthome City Tag Battle Competition stadium. Paul shakily got to his feet, and before him stood N, once again.

"In this stadium, Paul, what you did was unforgivable," N said, "Even a trainer that robs a Pokemon of its freedom and makes it fight would still remain loyal of it and guide it in battle. And yet, as Chimchar stood in front of the Zangoose's Fire Blaze, you turned your back on him, and abandoned him during that battle. Tell me, how does that Fire Blaze feel to you?"

Paul then felt searing heat hit his body. He held out his hands as if to block the unseen heat source, but then it began to crow in intensity. As the temperature shot up to insane amounts, Paul shouted out in pain as he felt as if his hands were ablaze. He held his arms across his face as the searing heat spread all over his body. Paul fell down and writhed on the ground, screaming like a wounded animal as every nerve in his entire body was experiencing 4000 degrees Kelvin. Paul's screams rang on and on and on for what felt like an eternity, and the fiery pain Paul was trapped in seemed to go on even longer. But then, all at once, at an unspecified time, it ceased.

All was silent, with the exception of the occasional whimper from the shell of a human being that was at one time Paul.

N stood over the figure and said, "Paul. If you can still reason, if there is any part of your mind that can still function, take this thought from you: This is not hatred. This is retribution. This is not revenge. This is justice. But this is only the beginning, Paul. Only the beginning. Your final judgment will come from God."

A small crowd was gathered in front of the boarding house as Nurse Joy and her Audino carried out Paul on a stretcher. The owner of the boarding house stood next to Officer Jenny and said, "What was that shot she gave him?"

"A sedative," Officer Jenny replied, "You said he was just screaming in pain? For no reason?"

"Not pain. Agony," the boarding house owner said, "I don't know what the heck was wrong with him though. He seemed normal when he paid for his room. A little cold maybe, but, that screaming and thrashing about. I couldn't believe it!"

After placing Paul in the ambulance, Nurse Joy came over and said, "From the signs I've been reading, along with a quick scan of his nerve impulses with the ambulance equipment, I believe I can say that-."

"He's insane?" Officer Jenny jumped in.

"A raving lunatic," Nurse Joy said with a shudder.

"He was fine two hours ago! He was perfectly sane!" the boarding house owner said, but then she shook her head sadly and put a finger to her chin. "What could have caused this? What happened to him? What did he ever do to deserve this?"

In the back of the crowd, Matthais Unidostres stood quietly, looking on. Then he spoke, "There is an answer to the woman's question. But first, we must realize this: he wasn't perfectly sane two hours ago. He had been one of the rare people who seek to kill the sanctity of life. And into its grave they plan on burying their reason, their logic, their knowledge, and worst of all, their conscience. They desire to turn God's Creations, into Man's Slaves. They want to see all the world become a southern plantation, and they're the plantation owners, with their scourges always in their hands. Therefore, we must guard against the likes of them, and focus on preserving the fact that all life is and always will be sacred. Something to dwell on and remember. Not only in the Twilight Zone, but wherever men walk God's Earth."

The End