Haunting Past (Part A) by Michael Keens/ Exodus  

Fireworks flew into the air and exploded in a dazzling array of colours, yet 
another celebration was being held in Maiden’s Peak, but not the one that 
coincided with the legend of the ghost maiden.  
The town had quite a few annual events that led to any excuse to throw a party, 
and one individual felt somewhat out of place here.  
With a small Meowth hung over her shoulder, extremely dark hair, and a violet 
suit and black skirt, Veronica continued her journey, trying to make a change 
in her life after promising an old friend to do so.  
She’d picked up most of her Gym Badges already, since she was a highly skilled 
Pokémon Trainer.  
Her skills had mostly come from training with the best of Team Rocket, her own 
home and family, but she no longer used them to beat and steal from trainers.  
Her current Pokémon were:  Swipe, a Meowth kitten abandoned at birth, a 
significant Pokémon as Veronica once promised Meowth of Team Rocket, a talking 
Pokémon with a rough past, that she’d train a Meowth and raise it with care, 
sort of to give one of its kind a good upbringing to make up for his not having 
one.  
Flash:  Formerly an Eevee, it teamed up with a turquoise haired trainer 
Veronica had beaten in battle, and evolved to save her.  
Veronica had preferred to remain anonymous to him as he was persistent in 
trying to get to know her, but she was thankful he’d listened to her when she 
said she wanted a Jolteon, and then gave up a Thunder Stone in order to save 
Veronica from a quiet but dangerous warrior from a rival evil organisation 
Veronica once thwarted the plans of.  
Veronica’s other current Pokémon were:  Haze, a useful Venomoth, Radiant, a 
powerful Alakazam, Blade, a dangerous Scyther, and Spooks, a skilful Haunter.  
The other Pokémon Veronica owned, she had owned during her time as a Rocket, 
these Pokémon were mostly used to performed evil deeds, and had to adjust to 
the new path Veronica was walking on:  Vixen, a touchy Ninetales, Toad, a young 
Poliwhirl, Mushroom, an adept Parasect, Vampire, a swift Golbat, Viper, a 
creative Arbok, and Skull, a gruff and deadly Marowak.  
Veronica had enough Pokémon and so hadn’t recently caught any new Pokémon, 
instead focused on training her newest Pokémon, the first group hadn’t received 
as much training due to Veronica’s concerns of how they’d act, and kept to her 
newest six Pokémon mostly.  

Veronica took a seat in a less crowded and noisy area, feeling out of touch 
with all the cheery people, and reminiscing why she remained on this hard 
lonely path rather than have a place in Team Rocket:  
Ricky Zane, her childhood friend and sweetheart had made an unexpected 
appearance in her life, after Veronica had accidentally but tragically took the 
life of his mother.  
He’d seen her once before when Veronica’s old gang, the Lunar Crew ambushed 
him, but because of her guilt, she let him keep his Pokémon, and offered him a 
place in Team Rocket.  
When he refused, she let him go, tired of hearing his ideas of her leaving 
too.  
They met again in Mount Lead, and that was where Rick recognised his mother’s 
crescent earrings on Veronica, and then pieced together who ended her life.  
Veronica explained herself, and then called a truce with Rick in order to 
escape, but because of Rick’s good nature, he set aside his anger and instead 
forced Veronica to promise to leave Team Rocket.  
She betrayed her old group and then walked alone to find her place in the 
world, and perhaps redemption with the only true friend in her life.  
She looked out at the many people, but then saw the ghost of Marisa Zane, the 
image she’d constantly seen in her nightmares, she turned away and looked 
again, this time looking clearly into the crowd, but it had gone, and Veronica 
must have imagined it.  
This wasn’t good, it was bad enough that Veronica had had many sleepless 
nights, but for her to be seeing these things during the day would leave her in 
fear and raise her guilt for what she’d inadvertently done...  

Meanwhile, Rick’ Zane was celebrating his having gotten all eight Gym Badges, a 
little late since it had happened some time ago, but Maiden’s Peak was a good 
place to celebrate.  
He didn’t have anyone to celebrate with but his Pokémon, since Rick travelled 
alone and his only candidate for a friend, and his new rival, was heading out 
to Cinnabar Island in hope of a final Gym Battle.  
Rick’s Pokémon had grown and evolved, and now he had a Jynx (although she was 
more family than a Pokémon), Electrode, Muk, Golem, Dodrio, Pinsir, Dragonite, 
Machamp, Mr Mime, and three stone-induced evolution Pokémon, a Victreebel, a 
Poliwrath, and a Growlithe puppy that was fully trained, only a bit young to be 
evolving.  
“Growl!” barked Blazer, hung over Rick’s head and enjoying the sights.  
“I shouldn’t have agreed to let you ride up there, my hair’s gonna be a mess.” 
smiled Rick.  
He’d checked out many stalls and picked up some cheap and useful items here and 
there, eaten enough junk food not to want any more, and watched some amazing 
shows with acrobatic people and Pokémon alike.  
“I wish I had a friend or a female to escort around this place though.” he 
sighed, “Or a rival that was on trainer’s leave.”  
“Be careful what you wish for.” said a female voice from behind him.  
Rick instinctively turned around and pointed a finger at the speaker, assuming 
it was a Rocket, Blazer did the same and leapt forward, paws outstretched.  
It fell into the arms of a tanned young lady with long blue hair and tight 
magenta and yellow clothing, but broke off its attack stance as it landed.  
“Aw, how cute.  Aren’t you just the cutest?” she said to the Growlithe in the 
sort of voice people made when speaking to babies.  
“I’m So Sorry.” Rick apologised, “Its just that with a line like that, I 
thought you were a Rocket.”  
“Who me? There’s nothing bad about yours truly.” she grinned, releasing her 
hold on the Growlithe who immediately jumped back on Rick’s head.  
“Um, can I help you?” asked Rick.  
“Oh yeah, its my sister, she’s got something for you, but she’s shy.”  
“She does, does she? Well I’ll go easy on her if she wants to speak for 
herself.”  
“Sis, get over here, he’s okay with it.” called the girl loudly before leaving, 
but her position was soon filled by a slightly younger girl with long straight 
red hair wearing tight blue and magenta clothing.  
“Hi there, my name’s Rick, and you?”  
“Aimee...  So, er, would you like to join me on the tunnel of love ride?”  
“Excuse me? That’s a little forward isn’t it? I don’t even know you, but, I’ll 
go anyway, after you give me something.” asked Rick a little shocked and 
confused.  
“Give you... something? You mean a kiss?” questioned the girl nervously.  
“No, I mean your sister said you had something for me.”  
She let out an angry groan, “A thing, not something, A Thing!...  This is so 
embarrassing...”  
“You mean...”  
“Uh, yeah, I think you’re cute.  I’m so sorry about the confusion, I should 
go.”  
“No don’t, I wanted someone to hang out with and you’ve signed up for it, so 
why don’t we just start over...”  
“Um, Sure...”  
“Way to conquer your shyness Sis!” called the blue haired girl.  
Aimee exhaled, “Aw man, Electra set me up, she said the wrong thing on 
purpose.”  
“Don’t worry about it.” comforted Rick, “We’ll look back on this one day and 
laugh...”  

Veronica sighed as she walked through the funfair attractions, kids played 
happily with their friends and family, while lovers embraced each other and 
looked so happy.  
Veronica had long lost her parents, and her only friend, she’d pushed those who 
wanted to be around her away, and the only person to show feelings of affection 
for her was a creep who had no boundaries.  
She turned to the tunnel of love, and felt a sadness inside her since she 
probably would never have the opportunity to try one out.  
It was then that she saw Rick, and another girl, chatting and laughing away, 
and bringing out the worse in her.  
At least when she had Team Rocket, she had a place in the world and a purpose 
in her life, and there were days that she wished she could give up her promise 
and rejoin them.  
She often thought about, and had nightmares about the life she’d inadvertently 
taken, the beautiful, sweet and caring woman called Marisa Zane, although had 
shown so much kindness and care towards a young Veronica, the look she gave to 
her before she died haunted her.  
Marisa had a look of disbelief, she had recognised Veronica and looked deep 
into her soul as if to say, “How could you?...”  
Her face, and her apparent words mutated in Veronica’s nightmares, the words 
were twisted and questions that Veronica had sometimes thought about but buried 
deep inside her had surfaced with Marisa’s face and voice to ask.  
It was sometimes too much for her, especially when Rick had reentered her life 
and discovered what she had done.  
Even though he seemed to forgive her (because his mother would have otherwise 
died from an illness), his face had also ended up in Veronica’s nightmares, 
taunting her, punishing her, and because of something she never intended to 
do.  
She hadn’t joined Rick in his travels just because it would be too awkward, but 
because the guilt had started those nightmares.  
When she was with Team Rocket, Veronica had managed to hide her feelings of 
guilt because she represented a cold and heartless team, and that was the 
person she had become, but now that she was on her own, trying to be good, it 
was so much harder to deal with her anxieties.  
She shed a tear as she caught a glimpse at Rick, so strong, so happy despite 
his loss, some part of her considered going after him, but that scenario took a 
nose dive as she saw the image of his mother again, this time right in front of 
her, she still wasn’t sure if she was imagining this or actually seeing it, but 
it stopped her from going after Rick, instead she darted away, nearly dropping 
her Meowth in the process.  

Meanwhile, several Rockets had Veronica in their sights, and the leader lowered 
his binoculars and glared at her.  
“Ya belong ta Team Rocket...” said another male, “Ya belong wit’ us 
Veronica...”  
“I think we should just do away with her...” said the male with the device.  
“Hmph.  Only because she outranks you...” said a cold female as she stepped out 
of the shadows.  
“I agree with the leader, I think-  No, wait, she belongs with us.”  
“The plan’s already in action, she’ll come around...”  

Rick and Aimee were giggling like schoolchildren, they hadn’t gone into a 
make-out session during the ride, but had simply talked, much to the dislike of 
many other couples there.  
A connection was made, the friendship sort anyway.  
“I’ve had a real great time Aimee, and here’s my number, its a shame you’ve got 
to go, cos I’ll be here for the rest of the night.”  
“Its okay, I only live in Celadon City so its not too far to your home, plus me 
and my sister are competing in the Pokémon League this year.”  
“Then I’ll look for you there.”  
“Goodbye Rick.”  
“Catch you soon Aimee.”  
As Rick waved goodbye to a new friend, he caught sight of some figures huddling 
around a group of trees in the shadows.  
“Aw no, not those clowns, but clowns they may seem, they’ll outnumber me unless 
I battle with the best of them, I’ve gotta find a Pokémon Centre...”  

Veronica stopped to rest behind a large carnival tent and breathed heavily, she 
was in the same town as Rick currently was, anyone else would be glad to see an 
old friend, but not her.  
What if Rick had changed his mind, started feeling alone without his mother and 
started to blame her again?  
She picked herself up the floor and was about to take the flee option, when 
something floated down from above just ahead, now confirming that the image 
she’d seen several times at the carnival... was real.  
It was partly transparent, part solid, it looked human, it wore a spooky white 
gown, of which the lower half was made up of long tattered strips that blew 
around in the wind as did its long brown hair, there were no legs, and the face 
was horribly accurate.  
“Why did you do it?...” it moaned.  
“No...” said a shocked Veronica.  
“How could you kill me?...” questioned the voice of Marisa Zane, of which the 
ghost’s face looked exactly like.  
“Marisa Zane...” uttered Veronica.  
“You miserable wretch! How could you end my life after everything I did for 
you?!” she accused.  
“I...  I...”  
“You’re worthless!!!”  
“Please, I-”  
“You’re nothing but a killer, why did you leave your immoral friends at Team 
Rocket? Do you believe you can lead a life of good?...” questioned Marisa.  
“I promised...  I promised Rick...”  
“He doesn’t forgive you either, he loves me and misses me, because you took me 
away from him...”  
“I didn’t mean to...  It was an accident...”  
“You also wear my earrings, you’re virtually a graverobber.”  
“Please...  I’ve had too many nightmares, what must I do to make you happy and 
have some peace?!...” pleaded Veronica.  
“Abandon this useless quest, rejoin your teammates, and live up to who you 
really are...”  
“Why?...  Why would you want me to do that?”  
“Because you will be judged along the line, and you’ll receive the punishment 
you deserve.”  
“No...  I can’t...  Its too late for that.”  
“No, its too late to go to a good place at the end of your journey, you’re 
going to suffer after death, nothing you do can change that.”  
“No...  Noooo!” screamed Veronica, turning around and fleeing.  
“You can’t escape what you are and the road you will take!” threatened the 
ghost as it continued to follow her.  

She ran into a crowd of people, sweat dripping down her face and panting for 
breath, many people were interrupted from their talks and games and turned to 
look at her.  
“You don’t belong...”  
“You’re evil...”  
“You deserve the worst...”  
The ghostly voice of Marisa echoed through Veronica’s head, seemingly being 
spoken from different areas, but all around her.  
“Stop it!” shouted Veronica, clutching her head.  
“Hey, are you okay?” asked a male stranger.  
“You’re a monster...” spoke the voice in front of Veronica.  
She swung her arm forward and hit the man hard in the arm.  
“Hey! What’s wrong with you?!”  
“Just leave me alone!!!” screamed Veronica.  
“Call an ambulance.” said a female, “She needs help.”  
“Return to your wretched group!”  
“Noooo!!!...” screamed Veronica, holding her head and falling to the floor, the 
stress causing her to lose her strength and consciousness...  

End of Part A  

Part B
Back to the Side Stories
Back to the Pokézone