Iron and Copper Ep. 8 P. 1

Iron and Copper Episode 8: Tomb of the Ten Tickles, Part 1/2

Ep 5: Tomb of the Ten Tickles

Are you ready kids?
Aye-aye Captain.
I can't hear you...
Aye-Aye Captain!!
Oh! Who lives in a pineapple under the sea?
SpongeBob SquarePants!
Absorbent and yellow and porous is he!
SpongeBob SquarePants!
If nautical nonsense be something you wish...
SpongeBob SquarePants!
Then drop on the deck and flop like a fish!
SpongeBob SquarePants!
Ready?
SpongeBob SquarePants! SpongeBob SquarePants! SpongeBob SquarePants!
SpongeBob.... SquarePants!
SpongeBob SquarePants

"All right," shouts Ash. "Pikachu, use Iron Tail!"
"Chu . . . Pika!" Pikachu's tail glows white as it whips it around and catches Decapitree by the neck stump, sending him flying backward. The Headless Armor Pokemon lands on its feet, skidding backward.
"Ichabod, use Bullet Seed!" shouts Danny. "CREEEEE!!!" Decapitree promptly unleashes a spray of glowing green seeds from the same neck stump.
"Dodge it!" shouts Ash, but Hiponea gets there first. Knocking Pikachu aside, the Sea Horse Pokemon unleashes a Water Gun that blocks the Bullet Seeds.
"Zach, go for Hiponea and use Whilrwind!" shouts Andy, his wings furling and unfurling excitedly. "One step ahead of you, pal," says his faithful talking Frimbella, and with that he opens his frill and whirls around, creating a powerful tornado that catches Hiponea and sends him spiraling through the air.
The kids are all training for their respective events at a pier by the Eastern Kroel Seaboard, and what better way to prepare than a full-scale battling free-for-all?

[Andy:] "A beautiful seaside pier provides the backdrop for a practice battle as me and the boys continue our way towards Cauldron City. Much as everyone's excited to battle, however, something still seems missing . . ."

Hiponea twirls through the air, whinnying, as he lands back on his front flippers. "Good balance, Triton," says Lapis. "Now, use Ice Beam on Frimbella!"
"Hipoooooo . . . NEEEEEEEEAAAAAA!!!" Hiponea unleashes a beam of blue-white light from his mouth. "Dodge it, over!" shouts Andy to his communicator. Zach obliges, soaring into the air on his umbrella-like frill. But somehow, he seems to be moving slower than usual, which means not all of him can get out of the way in time. His tail takes the full force of the Ice Beam, and the resultant frozen weight drags him back down to earth.
"Now, use Fin Slap on Zach!" shouts Pi, and the Sea Horse Pokemon obeys, his fins glowing white as he streaks toward the fallen Gliding Pokemon.
"No you don't!" shouts Aang the Avatar. "Scalite, use Focus Punch!"
"Scalite! Scaaaaaa . . . LITE!!!" The Balance Pokemon streaks across the ground, striking Hiponea with a perfect Focus Punch that knocks it aside. But Hiponea isn't ready to give up just yet, and he Water-Guns Scalite out of the way and turns to face Zach.
"Zach! Get ready to use Sandstorm!" shouts Andy. "Andy, I can't!" Zach cries out desperately. "My tail is frozen!"
"Blast those Status Ailments!" Andy curses. "Use Poison Sting!"
Hiponea lets it loose with a powerful jet of water as Zach shoots a rain of poisonous purple needles from his mouth. The Water-Gun is more powerful, and smashes into Zach, sending him skittering dangerously close to the edge of the pier. The good news, though, is that the force of the impact shattered the ice on his tail.
"Gaaah!" gasps the Gliding Pokemon, acting as though he had been struck by a bomb in some heroic war battle. "I'm hit! I'm hit! Well, at least the ice is gone," he adds in a matter-of-fact tone, checking his tail again.
"Zach! Are you all right?" asks Andy as he rushes over to his friend. "I think so," says Zach, "save for the fact that I'm like, soaking all over?"
"What's the matter?" asks Ash, Pikachu on his shoulder. The battle has died down, but everyone's made good progress. Decapitree has pinned down Scalite, while Hiponea, having taken a Thundershock to the face, lies knocked out upon the pier, Lapis trying to comfort him.
"Ash," says Andy as he turns to his friend. "We need to talk. Alone."

Later, Ash and Andy, along with Pikachu and Zach, are walking along the docks, discussing something important.
"So you're saying that you can't control your Pokemon as well as you did with that talisman?" asks Ash.
"Yeah," says Andy. "It's been that way for a while. That thing is the only way I can control my Pokemon and myself."
"I thought you said that without it you couldn't speak to Pokemon?"
"I like to call that, 'selective misinformation.'"
"You mean you lied? You mean you can speak to Pokemon without it?"
But as soon as Andy opens his mouth to speak, a huge shadow passes over them. They both look up - and gasp in shock and awe! The transparent image, neither serpent nor bird, swoops low over their heads and cruises over the ocean spray, coiling through the wind like a Seviper.
The creature appears to be headed toward a little island off the coast. It circles once, and with a piercing screech, it ascends once more, and dissapears into the clouds.
"More or less," the winged teenage Pokemon Watcher finishes, stunned by what has just happened.
"What was that?" asks Ash, staring out over the ocean.
"Oh, THAT?" Andy snaps sarcastically. "That, my friend, was me."
"You?"
"Yeah. Or the guy whom I'm the avatar of, to be more precise."
"Avatar? I thought Aang was the Avatar."
"That's true, if you call that Avatar the avatar of Arceus, the God of Pokemon. But there are many more avatars out there, incarnates of legendary Pokemon. I happen to be the incarnate of Zizclone, the King of the Bird Pokemon. That's why I need that talisman. It's the only thing that can keep my power under control."
"Wow. I've known myself to be an Aura Master. I was trained in Aura power for weeks to prepare for going to Kroel. But being an incarnate of a legendary Pokemon?" He scoffs at this thought. "You have GOT to be kidding me."
"I sometimes say that to myself too," says Andy. "But Crossbow Jerk has known this for years, and that's one of the reasons why he, like a whole host of other jerks out there, wants to kill me and sell my spleen on eBay. It's always Zizclone's guidance that saves my sorry butt at times like that. Even when he's chained up at Frioul Island, which he's been for centuries by the way, he still watches over me, in visions and dreams. I can't stop thinking about him, especially when he shows me something important."
"Like when?"
"Like now. You see that island? The one he flew over just now?" Andy points to the little island in the distance.
"Yeah? What about it?" asks Ash.
"That's the Mausoleum of the Sea Queen. Rumor has it that it's haunted, but I get the feeling that if we go there, we'll find my talisman."
"That's great! Let's go tell the others right away!" But as Ash rushes back to their pier, Andy stops him for a second. "Before we go," he says, "you and Pikachu have to promise us something."
"And what's that?"
"Can you keep this a secret between the four of us? What we just saw and all the stuff I told you about just now?"
"But why?"
Andy pauses to make sure nobody's looking, and brings his face close to Ash's, saying in a dark tone, "Let's just say that when you're an avatar, there's bound to be someone who wants you off this existence on the count of three."
"Oh," says Ash. "All right, we'll keep this a secret. But if anyone absolutely has to know, at least it would be our friends, right?"
"I suppose so," says Andy, and with that, the two friends grab their Pokemon and sprint off down the dock.

"What's taking the guys so long?" asks Danny as he and Ichabod the Decapitree pack up the last of their stuff.
"They should be here soon," says Pi. "It's half past one right now. Ah, there they are!"
Ash appears at the docks, and Andy glides in on long purple wings. "Where were you?" asks Aang, his expression of concern.
"We were just taking a walk," says Ash. "Well, we happened to, uh, see a little island off the coast - "
"The Mausoleum of the Sea Queen," says Andy darkly. "We have to go there right away. My talisman is down there."

The problem is that the only way into the Mausoleum is by taking a tour through an underground tunnel, which enters into a maze of many more tunnels, some of which are designed as traps for unwanted visitors.
The tours are organized by Krusty Krabby Tours, led by Mr. Krabs, a squat, stocky guy who wears a casual buisness suit with an image of a crab claw and has a Kingler by his side. The ticket booth guy, Squidward, is a skinny, gloomy-looking 20-year-old with a khaki buisness shirt, light blue buisness pants, and an Octillery on his head. And then, of course, there's the tour guide, Spongebob, a teenage guy no older than seventeen with blonde hair and buck teeth. He doesn't have a Pokemon out of its Pokeball at the moment, but his short-sleeved shirt, short brown pants with a black belt, large brown leather shoes with shin-high white socks, and his red buisness tie are recognizeable as ever. Today, he's bought his friend, Patrick, who is about the same age and whom most people like to call "the village idiot." Considering his obeseity, and the fact that he's wearing the most horribly mismatched outfit that Andy has ever seen - a pink shirt, blue pants with green floral print (or was that the other way around?), and tacky tourist sandals with pink socks - his looks don't help that much.
"Welcome to Krusty Krabby Tours," says Squidward apathetically. "How can I help you?"
"Yeah, well, I need four regular tickets and two kiddy tickets for a tour of the Mausoleum," says Andy, glancing at the others. "How much would that be?
"Regular tickets are 4 Pokebucks, and kiddy tickets are two Pokebucks," Aang reads from the ticket price board. Andy immediately fishes out a 20-Pokebuck bill from his wallet and hands it over to Squidward. "Here are your tickets," he says, giving the kids the little pieces of paper. "Have a nice day."
"As if," Andy snarls to himself as he turns to head over to the tour group, which is comprised of a dozen other tourists including two familiar-looking people and one familiar-looking Meowth dressed in tourist outfits. Spongebob is waiting for the tour group as usual. "Well, hello there, guys," he says, smiling and flashing his buck teeth as he leads everyone down the tunnel. "I see you're interested in a tour of this place!"
As Spongebob begins the tour, Andy rushes over to him and starts muttering into his ear so that nobody else can hear him. "I don't suppose why not," he says, "but I'm not here for sightseeing. I have an important errand to run here. See, I accidentally dropped something into the sea a while ago, and I get the feeling that it might have washed up here somehow."
"Lost things pop up at this place a lot," says Spongebob. "We think it's the work of the spirit that haunts this place. Rumor has it that he guards a heaping pile of treasure somewhere around here, and he's making sure it's still growing!"
"Wait - the Mausoleum is haunted?" asks Pi, who is flinching with fear at the dark tunnel walls lit by torchlight. "That's gonna make the tour even worse! You know I'm scared of the dark."
"Keep it moving, guys," says Andy. "Whatever that spirit is, it's not going to wait for some petty discussion."
Andy falls back to join the others when he hears some familiar voices. "If that Bibarel-toothed kid's words are true about a mound of treasure, we'll just have to go and find it," says Jessie.
"Good idea," says Meowth. "Only problem is, how do we get past the ghost who guards it?"
"That could be a setback," says James. "We'll need to distract him somehow. I could set up a nice ghost attractor so that he can go after the tour group instead of us."
"I wouldn't try that," snarls Andy, causing Team Rocket to stop dead. "Jerkwads," he adds sharply as he turns his head to look at them, his eyes turning ice-blue with slit pupils causing the crooks to flinch with fear.
"Just a suggestion," says James feebly.
"If you're planning to distract the Flying Dutchman, can you at least do it WITHOUT endangering any innocent people?" says Andy as he walks off.

And so the tour enters the Mausoleum. Spongebob shows them a lot of landmarks where the Sea Queen used to live. "And this is where she and the Mountain King made out," he says, indicating a large cathedral-like chamber with intricate designs of Water Pokemon all over. "The Mountain King used to visit her all the time. They were ever the romantic couple, and they even had three children - three children who in turn became avatars of the Legendary Dragons: Garaday, Spyrako, and Artikon. And then, of course, the war began. The two great beasts that the Sea Queen and the Mountain King represented, Leviathide and Trehemorth, battled over who got to keep the world. Fearing for their lives, the Queen and King broke up their marriage, and the Queen told the King to take their kids with him to the safety of the mountains. It is said that they still live there to this very day."
Andy has been listening to this whole story and is quite intrigued at the possibility of other avatars out there, but that would have to wait. He has other important things to do right now.
Later, as the tour group continue down another tunnel, Andy notices that there is a door on one of the walls. But he knows it is locked, because the tour group passes right by it.
"There's a whole lot of blocked tunnels around," says Spongebob, because he has just noticed Andy stopping to look at the door. "They say that the Flying Dutchman does not like it when guests take certain tunnels. We had to board them off after one tourist group had to go to the insane asylum, saying that they saw horrible visions of stuff I don't think I can discuss for the sake of you kids."
Andy isn't sure whether he's talking about his team or the guys watching this on TV right now. But he does know that if his talisman isn't behind that tunnel, there would be no point being here.
"I don't care," he says. "I'm finding my talisman, whether he likes it or not."
But just as he moves toward the door, Danny gives him a nudge in the ribs. "Andy! We've got to get out of here!"
"And why is that?"
"My ghost sense went off! And it definitely wasn't a Ghost Pokemon!"
"What do you - "
"He's coming! We gotta go warn Spongebob!"
Danny whisks Andy along to join the others, who have arrived at another large chamber, this one more somber and with a single pedestal at the center. On top of that pedestal is an statue of a young girl, around Danny's age, screaming in terror as a gigantic sea monster that could only be Leviathide coils around her, its mouth open and ready to chomp on her face.
"Spongebob!" says Danny, rushing over to the tour guide. "We have to get out of here immediately!"
"Yeah? What about it?"
"The Flying Dutchman! He's - "
"He is here," says a terrible booming voice. The tour group looks up at the statue of the sea monster, which suddenly comes to life! It opens its mouth wider and as it rears back its head, a terrible phantasmic monster erupts forth. Tourists scream and flee as the Flying Dutchman swoops down upon his prey. His pirate's hat and outfit look grungy, but Andy can see numerous jewels adorning him, and the pride of his collection is an ornate crystal necklace bearing, at the very center -
"My talisman!" Andy shouts, outraged. But he has to duck as the Dutchman swoops at him, roaring.
"That does it!" shouts Danny. "Cover me!"
Andy shields Danny with his large wings as the latter transforms into his Ghost form and swoops upwards at the Flying Dutchman, firing Ghost Rays that bounce off the towering big phantom. "Fool!" shouts the Dutchman. "Do you think you can beat me that easily? Minions! After them!"
"Danny!" shouts Ash. "It's useless!"
"We have to scatter!" cries Aang. "He can only focus on us one at a time!"
"Run for it!" screams Lapis, completely terrified. Spongebob whisks her away in one direction while Ash, Aang, and Danny follow Andy in another. Andy runs headlong back where he came, until he reaches the locked door.
"What were you possibly thinking?!" shouts Aang. "The Dutchman's so going to kill us!"
"I know," snarls Andy, staring at the locked door. "But whatever happens, I'm not leaving this tomb without my talisman." And with that, he unsheathes the razor-sharp retractable claws in his hands and slices through the door like paper. Everyone rushes inside, and Aang fixes the door shut again with some Metalbending he learned from Toph, although he knows that the Dutchman can simply phase through.
A while later, Andy and co. are walking down one of the secret tunnels. It is darker and more sinister-looking, but Andy doesn't care. The Dutchman has got to be around here somewhere.
"I'm glad you came along, Danny," says Andy. "That Dutchman has my talisman, so if he's near, it's gonna be near too."
"So the main problem will be defeating him, right?" asks Aang.
"Go figure," says Andy. "If only we had a way."
"Well, I've got Pikachu," says Ash. "We always win."
"Against a Ghost Pokemon, true," says Danny. "But against the Flying Dutchman? No way!"
Then the four of them turn a corner, into another chamber - and gasp.
"Whoa."
The whole room is full of treasure. Red things, blue things, green things, gold, silver, crystals, rubies, sapphires, emeralds, diamonds, pearls, platinum - and iron and copper, of course. Name any of the existing Pokemon Games, and this room was bound to have something of that color.
"My talisman has got to be here somewhere," says Andy. "But wait . . . maybe he left it here becasue he knew we'd arrive. This could be a trap."
"You're just acting paranoid, that's all," says Ash. "Hey, there's something I can use!" He has just spotted a sword sticking out of the treasure pile, its blade gleaming a brilliant gold. He moves toward it, his fingers reaching.
"Uh, Ash?" says Aang, uncertain.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you," says Danny as he comes up behind him. "This isn't exactly your playground."
"Yeah, right," scoffs Ash. "Like I'm afraid of a pretty piece of metal."
But as soon as he touches the sword, there is a flash of black and something wet and sticky slams into his chest causing him to sit down hard on the sandy floor. Same happens to Danny, and when they look up they find themselves staring into ten pairs of glowing yellow eyes which belong to ten black-and-orange jellyfish-like creatures, no larger than Pikachu but looking very angry indeed.
"Bet you didn't see that coming," says Danny with an "I told you so" sort of look. Then the Octanoleo attack. Little gobs of oil fly at Andy and Aang, but Andy shouts "DUCK!" and they hit the floor, oil drops whizzing over their heads. Danny and Ash are not so lucky, for the Octanoleo are all over them within seconds. Four shoes and two pairs of socks are thrown across the room as the two trainers are slammed into the opposite wall . . . with four dozen tentacles tickling them all over. Feet, belly, armpits, face - these guys don't miss any ticklish spot.
"HAHAHAHAHAHA HAHAHASTOPPITHAHAHA HAPLEEEEAAASEHAHA HAHELPHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAH!!!" Danny and Ash screech with helpless laughter, but the Octanoleo apparently can't understand through the noise. The more the two of them struggle, the harder the Petroleum Pokemon tickle. All the trainers can do is wait until someone can help them.
Fortunately, there IS someone who can help them. "Aang! Get Appa out and tell him to use Ember on the Octanoleo ASAP!" shouts Andy. Aang wastes no time. "Right," he says, twirling his Airbending staff and loosing a Pokeball. "Appa, lend me your service! Use Ember now!" Appa the Dragorsy appears with a flash of white light, the Fire Spirit Pokemon appears and promptly lets loose a spray of firey particles.
It works. The Octanoleo screech in alarm, and let go of their captives, who are still too busy laughing to notice. But when they turn their attention to the other two trainers, they find that they are ready for them!
"Zach, use Sand Attack, over!" shouts Andy. "You've got it!" The Gliding Pokemon promptly does a spinning headstand, unfurling his frill as he does this, and creates a tornado of sand that forces the Octanoleo backwards.
"Their Accuracy stat is lowered!" shouts Andy. "Now's our chance! Get your shoes and follow me!"
Danny and Ash quickly snatch up their shoes and socks, with Ash picking up the sword as well, and dash off after the other two, the angry jellyfishes in hot pursuit. Aang is ever the fast thinker, however, and Earthbends their exit shut, leaving them to squish against the rock wall in a futile attempt to get through.

"Whoa," says Ash. "Thanks, Andy. But why do the Octanoleo hate fire so much?"
"Oil Skin, my friend," says Andy. "It's their special ability. Physical attacks make half damage, Water attacks make no damage - but Fire attacks become super-effective."
"How do you know about this?" asks Danny.
"I ran into a nest of those once. It took me a little while to figure it out, which almost cost me my life. Frankly, I was surprised that these Octanoleo were that small. The ones I ran into were the size of Tentacruel."
"Ouch," says Aang. "But no matter - the Dutchman still has your talisman, remember?"
"Oh yeah," says the winged Pokemon Watcher. "I almost forgot about that. But now that I think about it, I get a strange feeling that the Dutchman may have enslaved these guys as his 'minions.'"
"I remember they attack by slathering their enemy in toxic chemicals," says Danny. "They replenish them in oil spills, but the Dutchman won't let them go anywhere. That must explain why they were so ticklish."
"I agree," says Andy, scowling. "That Dutchman is a selfish jerk if I ever saw one. And I'm going to end his reign of terror and get my talisman back . . . even if it costs me my life."