Final Challenge - Advanceshipping, T

[Matkin22]

After another long delay, I bring you all the next installment!

Chapter 28: Farewell?

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Max stood at the summit of one the foothills of Mount Silver. He stood almost perfectly still, his only movement the flickering of his eyes as he scanned the sky. A look of anxiety creased his face as the day dragged on, and the brilliant blue of the sky began to fade to a dusty blue. He was waiting for an old friend, a friend that was already several hours late.

"It can't be lost," he muttered, biting his lip in worry. "This is where we met last time, and it's internal compass never lets it forget where a place is." His hand loosely fingered the five Poke Balls that lay attached to his belt; the usual sixth now safely back at Professor Birch's lab, courtesy of the nearest Pokemon Centre.

"Claydol, I need you!" he called, grabbing one of the Poke Balls and tossing it high into the air.

"Nyen," it hummed, revolving slowly in the air as it descended to within a few inches of the ground.

"Deoxys is late. We were supposed to meet here at noon, but the sun is setting now. I need you to use your Psychic to try and see if there are any Pokemon in the sky nearby that I can't see. Can you do that for me?"

"Nyenn," his Claydol nodded, closing it's multiple eyes. Max watched, fascinated, as the air around his Pokemon began to glow a bright blue. Humming, the Claydol began to spin, slowly at first but picking up more and more speed with each revolution. It began to levitate higher off the ground, glowing tendrils from the Psychic spurting off in all directions as the Pokemon spun at a rapid rate. And then the revolutions began to slow, the blue aura dissipated, and his Claydol dropped back to Earth.

"Anything?" Max asked anxiously.

"Nyen," Claydol nodded, pointing an arm and slowly turning in the direction of Mount Silver. Max looked with narrowed eyes towards the mountain. A small, dark shape slowly became discernible as it appeared from behind one of Mount Silver's rocky slopes. Max breathed a sigh of relief, but the sigh was quickly cut short when a second shape appeared from behind it. A faint roar came to his ears, and he cringed unwillingly from it's sound. The two shapes circled around each other, passing in front of the dying sun. He squinted his eyes and was able to make out the sight of two tiny pricks of light, one red and the other green, colliding with each other.

"What on earth is that?" he muttered.

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Drew grinned, holding on tightly to his Flygon with his knees. It rolled in mid-air to avoid a Dragonbreath from J's Salamence, and then flipped over backwards to dodge a powerful Dragon Claw. J cursed inwardly as the larger but more manoeuvrable Flygon avoided every attack thrown it's way.

"Fall back and use Dragonbreath!" she yelled, leaning along her Salamence's neck to make sure it heard her.

"Climb and counter it with a Flamethrower!" Drew shouted. He gripped more tightly as his Flygon soared upwards, twisted around, and shot straight back downwards, intense flames spewing from it's mouth.

J's Salamence let out a blood-curdling roar that halted Flygon in it's tracks. It charged up towards it's opponent, scarcely noticing the force of the Flamethrower as it charged through the heart of the attack. Drew gaped in surprise as the dragon-type burst out of the Flamethrower, dispelling the flames entirely. At full-speed, it smashed itself into the lower-jaw of Drew's Flygon, sending it reeling backwards in pain. Stunned and disorientated, the Flygon didn't realize when J's Salamence got above it.

A devastating Dragon Claw crashed down onto the top of Flygon's head, causing it to let out a shriek of pain. The Salamence quickly followed up by spinning, and mercilessly smashing it's thick tail against Flygon's neck, knocking it unconscious and flipping the Pokemon upside-down. At the sudden, violent twisting apart of the world, Drew lost his grip. With a scream of fear, he plummeted towards the foothills that stretched out far below..

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May moaned as her temperature rose even higher, now at 109 degrees. Nurse Joy looked through her medical equipment frantically, knowing that if it rose just two more degrees, May would die. She grabbed the instruments she would need and darted back to May's side.

The door to the emergency room smashed open and Ash, Brock and Pikachu burst into the room, all three panting heavily. Nurse Joy shrieked with fright at the sudden intrusion, dropping her instruments on the floor in the process.

"Nurse Jo-"

"There's no time for this now, Brock!" she screamed, forestalling the love struck breeder. "If I don't get this lump on her chest removed, she'll die!" Ash stopped cold at the sight.

"I knew it," he muttered.

"Knew what?" Joy shouted, stooping to pick up her equipment with fumbling fingers. Ash hesitated a minute, trying to think of how to say what needed to be said.

"We know that it's impossible for the disease to be transmitted between Pokemon and humans, but Ash thinks that May has somehow been infected with the Pokerus," Brock said baldly. Nurse Joy stared at them both, her mind racing.

"I have a Pokemon that was infected with the Pokerus before," Ash added. "It had the exact same symptoms, and it had the same growth that may does too." Nurse Joy made a snap decision.

"Brock, there's a videophone in the corner. I know almost nothing about Pokerus, but there is one person who knows a hell of a lot. Call Professor Oak. His number is -"

"Professor Oak's lab was destroyed," Ash interrupted. "He's staying at my Mom's house until it's rebuilt. You should try there instead."

"Got it," Brock nodded, running over to the corner. Nurse Joy turned back to May, a scalpel clenched tightly in her hands.

"Ash I need you to hold her steady. I tried to touch the growth before and she attacked me," she said as she lowered the instrument to within an inch of the pustule.

"Delia, we need to talk to Professor Oak right away. It's an emergency; is he there?" Ash heard Brock say as he strode quickly up to the bed, trying to avoid looking at the growth for reasons of modesty. Nurse Joy took a deep breath, moved the scalpel in close and dropped it with a shriek of surprise as the thermometer beeped once again. The instrument fell onto the growth, and with a yowl of pain May lunged forwards, her eyes staring madly as her hands closed around Joy's throat.

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Forrest knocked nervously on what he hoped was Dawn's and Rey's bedroom door, hearing the chatter within cease abruptly. He had never been very good when it came to dealing with girls, especially the pretty ones. His training with Lt. Surge had been more of a joint deal than anything else. He was going to help Surge with speed attacks, while Surge helped him cope with girls. He hoped that Surge's coaching would pay off now.

"Who is it?" he heard a clear voice call, and his knees trembled slightly. This was definitely a girls room.

"Umm, my name is Forrest. I'm Brock's brother." There was a pause and then he heard footsteps approach the door. Nervously, he stood up as straight as he could as the door opened. His knees melted away as he found himself staring into two of the most beautiful blue eyes that he had ever seen.

"Yes?" Dawn asked him quizzically.

"I... my... ahh..."

"Oh, wonderful," a second voice said from behind Dawn sarcastically. "He's as lovestruck as his brother."

"Rey!" Dawn shouted, looking back over her shoulder at her roommate, her cheeks turning crimson. She turned back to Forrest and her eyes softened as she saw how nervous he was. "What's the matter, Forrest? Where are Brock and Ash?" At the sound of Ash's name, something in Forrest's brain clunked into place.

"Oh, uh, Ash wanted me to keep you two away from the emergency room because of how bad May is." Dawn stared at him for a moment, and then Rey shoved her way into the doorway. Forrest gasped, almost falling over at the sight of her sparkling emerald eyes and luxurious long brown hair.

"Well, that was a pretty stupid thing to say," she said sarcastically as she forced her way past Forrest into the hallway. "If you tell us not to go somewhere, we're obviously going to anyways." Forrest stared after her, his brain not really working.

"She has a point, you know," Dawn said kindly as she squeezed past and walked down the hallway too. Forrest watched them both walk towards the emergency room, a sinking feeling in his stomach.

"I guess Lt. Surge still needs to teach me a bit more," he mused, before the reality of what had just happened sank in. "Hey, wait!" he yelped after them, only to realize that they had turned a corner and vanished.

"I guess I should have tried to keep them away by not mentioning it at all," he muttered, starting off after them.

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The next few moments were a blur of confusion for Ash. The thermometer beeped, Nurse Joy yelped, and May leapt forwards, trying to strangle her. There was a lot of yelling coming from the direction of Brock and the videophone, and then the breeder ran forwards, trying to prise her May's hands away from Nurse Joy's neck. May backhanded him in the gut with one arm, doubling him over onto the floor with pain.

As he reached over May's shoulders with both arms, the door burst open and Dawn, Rey and Forrest fell into the room, skidding to a halt as they saw what was happening. Dawn screamed at the sight of May strangling the Pokemon Nurse, and May recoiled at the sound, letting go of Nurse Joy as she clamped her hands to her ears. At the foot of the videophone, May's pack burst into flames, unobserved by all but one. "What's happening?" Professor Oak shouted from the videophone, unable to see anything that was happening from the smoke.

Ash wrapped his arms tightly against May, trying to prevent her from harming anyone else in her incapacitated state. May let out a high-pitched scream of fright and turned, trying to claw her attacker. Unfocused blue eyes met worried black eyes that were filled with worry, concern, and love. Ash continued to hold onto her protectively, never once blinking or looking away from the Coordinator. Slowly, miraculously, she relaxed, her arms snaking around him in turn and her head gently coming to rest on his chest.

As Nurse Joy climbed unsteadily to her feet, Ash held May tightly. He could feel her fever even through his shirt, and tears began to cloud his eyes. The thermometer beeped one final time, and May's sapphire eyes turned glassy, the last sparkle slowly fading. Her tight grip on Ash turned limp, and her breathing steadily slowed until it halted altogether.

"Ash..." she whispered.

Tears began to stream down his face as the girl whom he loved moved no more, her light frame resting on his. His body shook and convulsed as he fought back the sadness, staring into two sapphire eyes that had always seemed to be full of joy, to be full of life. He slowly lifted off his necklace, half-a-ribbon dangling from the end. Tenderly, he put it around May's neck before kissing her gently on the forehead.

"May..." he said softly. "I... I'm sorry..."

[Matkin22]

Chapter 28.5 (April Fools): Fight

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As her body cooled, Ash looked at her with tears in his eyes. She was dead. There was no doubt about it. Her eyes were glazed over and the spark had left her irises. The girl whom he had travelled with, trained with, and fallen in love with had left him forever. Dawn crept forwards slowly and sat on the bed next to him.

“Ash,” she whispered, “I’m sorry for this. She shouldn’t have died this way.”

“No,” he answered hoarsely. “She shouldn’t.”

“But… life goes on, right?” she continued. “You can’t grieve for her forever and, well, now that she’s out of the way, I think you should be with me.”

“Huh?” Ash, Brock, Forrest, Rey, and Nurse Joy all said in unison.

“I mean, she’d be dead now anyways thanks to the Egg Bomb that I put in her pack a couple of days ago, but at least this way it’s Mewtwo’s fault and not mine,” she went on.

“So that’s why her bag exploded and there was all of that smoke,” Professor Oak said thoughtfully from the video screen. Rey rolled her eyes and turned of the monitor.

“You put an Egg Bomb into her bag?” Ash said blankly. “Why?” He frowned. “Come to think of it, how?”

“Oh, you silly boy,” Dawn teased. “You two were all over each other, and I had to get rid of her somehow so that we could be together. As for the how, I just borrowed it from Rey’s Exeggcute and slipped it into her bag.” Rey gasped.

“So that’s where my Exeggcute’s other egg went!” she exclaimed. Then, her eyes narrowed. “Wait a minute, what do you mean so that you could be together? Now that May’s out of the picture he’s mine. I’ve known him longer.”

“I know him better!” Dawn retorted.

“Back off, Missy,” Rey warned.

“Just toddle on off and accept that he’s mine,” Dawn snorted back. In a burst of light, Latias released herself from her Poke Ball and assumed her human form. She draped her arms across Ash’s shoulders and began to yell at Rey and Dawn silently.

“Wow, lucky Ash getting all of that attention,” Forrest remarked to his brother as the girls continued to argue.

“It must be nice to be so popular,” Brock moaned, twiddling his fingers.

“Ladies, ladies, please!” Nurse Joy shouted, stepping into the centre. “This is a Pokemon Centre! There’s a time and a place for something like this, and that would be in five minutes out back. I have a special pitch set up for this kind of thing, and you can fight over Ash there… in bikini’s.”

“Say what?” Dawn and Rey yelped (Latias mouthing the words in her own surprised manner).

“Well, the boys and I have to get as much entertainment out of this as possible,” Nurse Joy blushed.

“The bikinis are fine by me,” Dawn declared.

“They’re fine by me too,” Rey agreed. Latias looked sad, gazing down at her own clothed body.

“Umm, Latias doesn’t have a bikini,” Brock said. “She’s never really needed one before.”

“She can borrow one of mine,” Rey offered.

“Your bikini will be too big for her,” Dawn objected.

“Hey, I’m not complaining,” Brock muttered, earning himself a smack on the ear from Dawn who had overheard.

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“The fight between Rey, Dawn, and Latias is about to begin!” Referee Joy declared officiously. “The winner will be the last girl left able to fight on! Extra points may be awarded for ripping off an opponent’s bikini! The winner of the fight gets Ash Ketchum! Begin!”

With a screech, the three girls launched themselves at Ash simultaneously. They bounced off the ropes that surrounded the pitch and collapsed into a heap, before struggling to untangle themselves and hit one of the others with a punch, kick, bite, or scratch.

“Hey, Ash, how are you taking this?” Brock asked, keeping his eyes firmly focused on the battle and enjoying the sight of clothes flying everywhere. “I mean, ten minutes ago May was alive and now you’re being fought over.” Ash shrugged.

“I miss May, but this is the next best thing to being with her,” he answered with a sly grin.

“It is pretty fun to watch,” Forrest admitted.

“No kidding,” Ash said. “I mean, come on; what guy wouldn’t want to see three girls in a catfight over him?”

And they all lived happily ever after.

Well, except for Rey and Dawn, who lost the catfight to Latias. And May, because she was dead. But everyone else was pretty happy after the fight (especially Brock. Hooo boy, was he ever!)

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Oh, and as I'm sure you've all guessed... April Fools!

[lazyslothboy]

Great April Fools Chapter, it had me going for a second... and then the bikinis somewhat clued me in =)

Any whoo, I enjoy your story and can't wait for the next one

[Matkin22]

Well, these next two chapters are, quite possibly, the two most important to date. I've introduced so many different plot elements and it's time some of them were wrapped up. There's lots going on, and we'll find out the answers to some of the oft-repeated questions.

I'd intended to make this a double-update and have it up... two days ago, actually. Well, that didn't happen so you'll have to settle with a single-update for now!

Before we get into this chapter, I just want to thank everyone who nominated my work in the 07-08 SPPf Shipping Oscars. It means a lot to me to have my work thought so highly of, and I want to thank everyone who nominated me for the awards.

Now, on to the chapter!

Chapter 29: Egg

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Tracey stretched his back, groaning as he felt the stiffness. Still, as he worked his shoulders in an attempt to relieve a knotted muscle, he had to admit that the strain and back pain was definitely worth it. Rebuilding the lab would take time, but it was going much more quickly than any of them had anticipated.

We were very lucky, he reflected. The Rayquaza had destroyed most of the lab, but the foundations weren’t damaged. That alone had saved them a month’s work. Professor Oak had also been very cautious when he had originally built the lab. The basement, where he kept his research and backed-up computer data, had been reinforced by two-inch steel walls during it’s construction. It meant that months, years of research was safe from harm. It meant that all of the decades Professor Oak had put into studying his unpublished data, and that the millions of yen he had spent on ancient Pokemon artefacts was not a waste.

Tracey turned and surveyed the land. In just a few days they had already finished reconstructing the skeleton of the lab, and they would soon be able to start on the more solid constructions. The extra hands they had to use was a huge bonus. Caroline had returned to Hoenn, but Norman had volunteered to stay and help rebuild. Gary had decided to postpone returning to Sinnoh, and Rey’s parents had also volunteered their help. Even Delia was chipping in, in her own way of course. Each night the workers would troop down to the Ketchum residence and be greeted by a massive spread. It was the perfect way to relax and unwind after a long and hard day of work.

He had to admit, though, that as welcome as all the unexpected help was, the biggest factor had been Ash’s 29 Tauros. Usually, they were filled with energy and rampaged around the lab’s grounds completely carefree. Now they were, well, filled with energy, and their strength and eagerness to help was the main reason why the skeleton had been erected so quickly. Lots of other Pokemon, including Gary’s Blastoise, Nidoking, and Nidoqueen, as well as Norman’s Vigoroth and Slaking, had also been a huge help, but there was no doubt that it was because of Ash’s Tauros that the first stage of work had been completed so quickly.

“Hey,” a voice called out from behind him. Turning, Tracey was surprised to see that only a few feet away, a dark-haired young man stood casually with his hands in his pockets, an expression of polite interest on his face.

Wow, he’s quiet. How’d he manage to get so close without me hearing him? he wondered. “Hey there,” he said aloud with a friendly grin to the man. “Come to help with the rebuilding? You’re a bit late for today’s work, everybody’s just finishing up. Want to join us for supper? We’ll be heading down the hill in a mi-”

“Thank you, but no,” the stranger interrupted. “I’m not here to help rebuild. I’m looking for Professor Oak.” Tracey frowned.

“You do know that we’re in the middle of a huge reconstruction, don’t you? The Professor really doesn’t have any time to spare for journalists, or to answer any trivial questions.” The stranger’s eyes gleamed curiously.

“I’m well aware that you’re in the middle of rebuilding the lab,” he said softly. “I’d have to be blind - and deaf - not to have realized it by now. As for my question…” He smiled slightly, and a sudden shiver ran down Tracey’s spine. “I can assure you that it is a matter of vital importance.”

Tracey eyed him. “The Professor left for a phone call about half an hour ago,” he said. “He’s taking it at the Ketchum’s house. Go down the hill towards Pallet Town and turn right. It’s the third house on the left. There may be a Mr. Mime sweeping or gardening outside.” Without a word, the stranger nodded, turned, and left. Tracey watched him go, apprehension flittering around his gut. Danger hung around this person. He could see it as clearly as a Lucario could aura. He could feel it. Something bad was about to happen. And if it did, the Professor was much better equipped to handle the situation than he was.

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“Kurt!” Professor Oak exclaimed, his eyes racing across the screen; he could hardly believe what he was seeing. “What… what happened to you?”

“I was attacked,” Kurt answered quietly. “Somebody stormed into my workshop, stole my last Apricorn Ball, and paralysed me.”

“Kurt, you need to see a doctor right away,” Oak said, eyeing the injuries on Kurt’s face and arms.

“It’s not important,” Kurt said roughly. He fixed the Professor with a watering, aggrieved eye. “Professor. Sam. He wanted the GS Ball.” Professor Oak went cold.

“Did… did he get it?” he whispered, almost afraid to ask. Kurt hesitated before answering.

“No,” he said finally. “But he knows that you have it, Sam. I’m sure he’s travelling to Pallet as we speak.” Professor Oak paused.

“What do you mean ‘he knows that I have it’?” he asked. “I thought you still had it.”

“I gave it to that girl with the Pidgeot, like you asked,” Kurt answered. “What was her name… May. Didn’t she give it to you when she arrived in Pallet?”

“No,” Professor Oak said in a strangled voice. “She arrived the morning of Ash’s match, and then what with the Rayquaza attack… I’d almost forgotten about it until now.”

“Then you're both in danger!” Kurt shouted. “He’ll get to Pallet and search you out, and when he finds out that you don’t have it he’ll start to track her down too!”

“May is travelling with Ash at the moment; she’ll be safe enough with him,” Professor Oak said slowly.

“And what about you, Sam?” Kurt asked. “This guy is ruthless. Once he found out I didn’t have the GS Ball anymore, he used his Pokemon to knock me out. He won’t be afraid to do the same, or worse, to you.” At this Oak grinned, and there was no fear in his gaze.

“I don’t like his chances, facing off against me, Gary, and Norman,” he said, a hint of steel in his voice. “Now tell me: what did he look like, and what Pokemon did he have?”

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Immediately after his video call with Kurt, Oak dialled up Professors Elm, Birch, Ivy, Rowan, and Aspen to see if any trainer had recently exchanged their Magnezone for a held Pokemon. After hearing a chorus of “no’s”, and gaining their assurances that they would contact him straight away if any such exchange was made, he slumped at the table feeling mentally exhausted.

“Dinner will be ready in a moment, Professor,” Delia whispered as she passed by him, a massive salad in her arms. That’ll wake you up a bit.”

“I really hope so, Delia,” he sighed, rubbing his eyes. “There’s just so much going on; I feel as if my mind is about to explode.”

“Oh, it’ll sort itself out soon enough,” she smiled. “Then you’ll wonder what there was to be so stressed about.” He nodded absentmindedly as she bustled back off to the kitchen, his mind filled with worry. He was jerked out of his stupor by the sound of the phone ringing. It stopped abruptly on the third ring and he heard Delia’s voice.

“Oh hi, Brock. How are you all? Where are you calling from?”

“Delia, we need to talk to Professor Oak right away. It's an emergency; is he there?” Brock asked, ignoring her questions. A sudden flitter of apprehension ran through Oak’s body. He stood quickly and made his way to the videophone as Delia turned towards him.

“What’s the problem, Brock?” he asked as soon as he reached the monitor.

“May’s ill,” Brock said. “There’s a pustule on her chest, and Nurse Joy needs you to help guide her through the operation. We think it might be -” Professor Oak stared over Brock’s shoulder at the scene playing out in front of him, oblivious to the tail-end of Brock’s sentence.

With an inhuman screech, May lunged from the hospital bed and fastened her hands around Joy’s throat. There was a moment of surprised thrashing, somebody off screen screamed, and then a burst of acrid, black smoke drifted upwards, completely obscuring the screen.

“What’s happening?” he yelled. But there was no response, save for a scream.

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The rushing noise of the wind blowing past his body stopped. This is it, he thought calmly. I’m dead. I can’t hear or see anything. The world is black. It’s just me and my thoughts. Alone, forever. Something suddenly tickled his nose. Grimacing in irritation, he tried to brush it away but found his arms were unresponsive. Strange, he thought. Why would my nose itch if I were dead? Drew opened his eyes.

The ground hovered in front of him, mere inches from his nose. A stalk of grass was rubbing against his nose, quivering from a very slight breeze. He squeezed his eyes shut tightly before opening them again. The ground was still there. But why am I floating? he wondered. I fell thousands of feet. Why aren’t I dead? That was when he noticed his vision was tinted violet.

It’s a Psychic, he realized. Somebody stopped my fall using Psychic.

“So, it’s you,” he heard a familiar voice say. Then came a snort. “I wouldn’t have stopped you if I’d known who you were.” The purple haze in front of his eyes vanished, and he dropped. Grimacing and rubbing his nose, he twisted his neck and saw a person whom he had sincerely hoped he would never have to see again.

“Max,” he said with a curt nod, scrambling to his feet. Out of the corner of his eye he saw his Flygon held in place a foot or so above the ground, contained in another Psychic. It was still unconscious. He turned his gaze back to Max and immediately recognized the two Pokemon he had called out; Claydol, levitating in slow circles around it’s trainer, and Gardevoir, her body glowing violet and her eyes closed as she concentrated on keeping Flygon in the air.

“Think you can let my Flygon go now?” Drew asked the younger trainer. Max shook his head, an ugly look on his face.

“No. Not until you explain to me exactly why you did it.”

“Did what?” Drew asked, playing dumb. Max’s expression got even uglier.

“You know exactly what,” he hissed from between clenched teeth. “You betrayed my sister. You broke her heart and chased her out of Johto. I want to know why, and I want to know now!” Drew shook his head scornfully.

“I don’t have to explain myself to you,” he said. “Wait until you grow some stubble on your chin before you even think of having the audacity to interrogate me.” He grabbed Flygon’s Poke Ball and withdrew his Pokemon, the red beam easily piercing through Gardevoir’s Psychic. “I’m out of here,” he sneered, flicking his hair out of his eyes as he turned to walk away.

His body froze and his mouth opened in a soundless scream as his entire body was assailed by a fierce burning sensation. His vision turned purple again, although this time it was a darker, more menacing shade. Slowly, against his will, his body turned until he was facing Max once more.

The young trainer ignored Drew and crouched to the ground, watching at his Gardevoir with an expression of slight interest as she held the Coordinator in place.

“Being a Gym Leader’s son, I’m privy to some information that you would never find in any textbooks or PokeDex’s,” he said softly. “For example, did you know that there are actually three variations of the move Psychic? Every trainer knows about Stage-2 - that’s the kind used in battle to halt and damage an opponent. You’re experiencing it right now. Most trainers know about Stage-1 too, the painless variation that can be used to get fruit from a tall tree… or stop somebody from falling. But almost nobody knows about Stage-3.” Here he rose and turned his attention back to Drew, who tried not to wince as the pain wracked his body spasmodically.

“Stage-3 Psychic is a blast of intense pain. It generally takes years of dedication and practice before a Pokemon can use it effectively. Even those who do know about it rarely try and teach it to their Pokemon; it just takes too long for them. But if a Pokemon does learn how to use it…” He paused. “It’s strength is equal to that of a Legendary Pokemon’s Stage-2 Psychic. It even affects dark-types.” He looked for a moment at the setting sun before returning his focus to the helpless Coordinator.

“So tell me, Drew,” he said. “Are you prepared to experience Gardevoir’s Stage-3 Psychic?”

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Ash hugged the limp body of the Coordinator to his chest fiercely, hot tears cascading from his eyes. He was oblivious to the movements and words of his companions, his gaze fixed on the girl he had loved; the girl he loved still, even in death. Oblivious to the heat of the fever that still burned through her clothes, he rocked gently back and forth, unable to accept the fact that she was really gone.

Something clunked gently against his foot. Surprised, he automatically reached down and picked the object up, staring at it uncomprehendingly. He didn’t understand why this, of all things, would be here in a Pokemon Centre.

“Char!”

Everyone started at the sound, and as one their eyes sought the source. Standing in the shredded and charred remains of May’s knapsack was a small Charmander. It ignored them all, it’s gaze fixed sorrowfully on the prone body of May as it moved towards her on somewhat unsteady legs.

“A Charmander?” Rey asked. “Why did May have a Charmander in her bag?”

“Liza gave me an egg that Charla - Charizard’s mate - had laid before I battled Cynthia,” Ash said softly. “I gave it to May just before we left Pallet Town. I… I guess it must have just hatched.”

“Char!” the little Charmander squealed, trying to scrabble it’s way onto the bed. Dawn came forwards and gently lifted the newborn onto Ash’s lap. The Pokemon hummed, curled itself up comfortably, and reached out to touch May’s body with it’s snout.

A blinding orange glow cascaded through the room, forcing everyone to shield their eyes. The light was almost unbearable, amplified by the whitewashed walls and colouring every inch of the room in an orange tint. Rising high above the shouts of shock was the sound of the Charmander humming, a long, loud drone that reverberated throughout the room, it’s body the source of the light. Slowly, the intensity of the glow faded, although the people and walls were still painted in an orange light.

“No… It’s impossible!” Professor Oak shouted from the screen as the light became bearable and he beheld the Charmander. “I-It’s impossible!”

“What’s impossible?” Rey yelled above the humming.

“What the Charmander is doing!” Brock shouted.

“I don’t get it!” she screamed as the Charmander’s humming stopped. “There, that’s better,” she sighed. “Why is what the Charmander doing impossible?”

“There are three criteria for a species of Pokemon to be selected as a starter-type in a region,” Professor Oak explained. “It has to be a grass-, water-, or fire-type, have two evolutions, and have one of three abilities. For a fire-type, that ability is always Blaze. But what this Charmander is doing now is not Blaze,” he said, gesturing at the still-glowing Pokemon.

“What is it doing then?” Dawn asked.

“It’s Flash-Fire,” Brock answered.

“Yes, Flash-Fire,” Professor Oak agreed. “When a Pokemon has the Flash-Fire ability, it absorbs any fire-type attacks that are targeted at it to power up it’s own moves. To be more precise, it absorbs the heat of the fire and makes it’s own moves hotter. Because the heat is absorbed, it makes the actual fire-attack useless. A flame with no heat has no power; it’s the heat that does the damage in an attack, not the actual flames themselves.

“When a Pokemon has used Flash-Fire, the power of it’s attacks will remain the same, but the intensity is increased. And because it’s the heat from the fire, and not the fire itself, which activates the ability, Flash-Fire can occasionally be activated without needing a fire-type attack,” he concluded. Realization dawned on Rey’s and Dawn’s faces.

“So… you mean that this Charmander is trying to use Flash-Fire to absorb the heat from May’s fever and bring down her temperature?” Rey asked in disbelief.

“Exactly,” Professor Oak confirmed. Then his face fell as he looked back at May’s body, still held in Ash’s arms. Ash himself was still staring at the Charmander with a look of pure astonishment on his face, not having heard a word that the Professor had said.

“But I’m afraid it may be too late,” Oak said softly. And that was when they heard a sound that gave them all hope.

Beep…

Beep…

[Caesar]

well i started reading this about 3 days ago and only just cuaght up, pretty good so far. I like the idea of paul being geovani's son. Now that you've mentioned it he's almost a perfect match to the rival in G/S/C personality wise and clothing kinda matches too, plus they have similar hair (appart from colour). in Fr/Lg some random scientist said he was geovani's son so that works well imo.

I like how you've set up so many angles for this story, can't wait to see everything come together.

Something that is bugging me though is the idea of a baby Fearow. shouldn't that be a spearow.

Just to warn you though, i pretty much never review any of the fics i read so don't feel put down if no'ones reviewing here cause i'll be reading and i'm sure plenty of people who are lazy like me are too

Good stuff

[Mazaru Wildfire]

Gosh, nice Fan-fic, Matt. {Yeah it's me, I didn't want to post till I change this stupid username xD} but seriously, it's very interesting. I'm wondering what's going to happen next.

And while re-reading this fan-fic, I got fooled by the April Fool's chapter...again. XD

[Matkin22]

Thanks for the reviews everyone. This is my longest chapter yet, and it was going to be even longer still. But you know, it's a month overdue and I figured that to make it any longer might kill some of the moments in this. So, here it is (at long last). I'll try to start updating more than once a month from now on.

Chapter 30: Hostage


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Giovanni watched, impassive, from behind foot-thick walls and glass as twenty men struggled to carry a massive cage - and the legendary Pokemon within - through the blast doors leading from Namba’s lab. It’s long, sinuous neck darted in every direction as it let loose a screech of rage, jabbing its beak at the men that transported it. The pecks collided against the bars with an incredible force, sending sparks cascading downwards.

“You did very well,” Giovanni said softly as two figures, both almost as tall as he was, approached from the dark recess by the door.

“Thank you, Boss,” said the first, a broad-shouldered man with spiked yellow hair that was swept over to one side.

“First the Rayquaza, and now Moltres,” Giovanni continued. “Every Pokemon you capture is one less Pokemon that I have to pay Hunter J for. And by capturing the Moltres you’ve already done more than those idiots Cassidy and Butch could hope to accomplish.”

The second, lither man nodded, his long steel-grey hair shining slightly in the dim light of the room. “I will admit that the Moltres caused us some trouble, but not as much as we had feared.” He paused for a moment. “With the modifications made by Professor Sebastian to the Miracle Crystal, we can use it to attract any Pokemon, not just electric-types. It worked well with Moltres, and if two or three more could be constructed…”

“We could get the last legendaries much more quickly,” his partner interjected. Giovanni bristled and turned to face them.

“Do you have any idea what it would cost to make more Miracle Crystals?” he demanded. “The prototype - which was destroyed when you attempted to capture Raikou - was a small fortune, and the one you used to capture Moltres cost twice as much!”

“It’s not really my place to say,” the smaller man said carefully, “but, knowing the cost of both a Miracle Crystal and of Hunter J’s service, it would seem to me that a small fortune could be saved by building, using, and reusing the Crystal’s, rather than relying on Hunter J’s service for each individual Pokemon capture.”

Giovanni frowned, deep in thought. “Buson, get Professor Sebastian,” he ordered the first man. Nodding, Buson turned and quickly left the room. “How many Pokemon can be contained within a Miracle Crystal, Bashou?” he asked the second man. Bashou opened his mouth to respond, but was forestalled by an almighty crash and unearthly scream from the room beyond the thick walls and window. Giovanni whirled and was, for once, rendered speechless.

A cage, supported by 40 grunts and containing a Heatran, was passing by the Moltres cage as it was taken to Namba’s lab and the Moltres was returned to the storing hold. One of the men had abruptly let go of the cage and fallen, tripping up three other carriers as he went down. With the support of four men missing, the strain of the cage and the heavy Pokemon within became too much for the others. As they shouted warnings to each other, the imbalanced cage began to slope at a dangerous angle. Those closest to the imbalance began to panic as the weight became too much for their shoulders to bear and, fearing they would be crushed, jumped to safety.

The Heatran cage tipped, the corner becoming lodged within the bars of the Moltres’s cage. For a moment, all seemed frozen as the Moltres and the Heatran stared at each other, separated by mere inches of steel and air. With a shriek, the Moltres began to glow orange, reared back its neck, and shot forth a sizzling burst of the most powerful and intense flames that had ever been seen.

The steel bars had been specially crafted to resist any impact, temperature, or Pokemon attack. It was no match for the raw power of an enraged legendary Pokemon.

The flames disintegrated the cage bars easily. All of the grunts ran for cover from the intensity of the attack, and the heat could be felt even through the foot-thick and reinforced glass that protected Giovanni and Bashou. With a guttural roar the Heatran charged towards the legendary bird, its head glowing silver, seemingly unharmed by the attack. The Moltres flapped its wings to gain what little air room it could, and shot forwards towards its opponent in a blazing orange blur. The Heatran stumbled and collapsed with a grunt of pain as the Sky Attack hit its mark.

Moltres screeched at the collision with Heatran’s heavy armoured head, bouncing away almost comically. It quickly corrected its balance and wheeled around to face the Heatran. The injured Pokemon twisted its head and shot forth a powerful burst of flames at the flying-type. Moltres reacted in kind, its attack easily disrupting Heatran’s flames and powering through to completely envelop the weakened Pokemon. Ordinarily, Heatran would not have been affected by any type of fire, even those from another legendary. But the Moltres had been infected with Namba’s mutant virus, the Perporus, powering it up to unnatural levels. What’s more, the sheer force of the Sky Attack had actually caused a small crack on the steel helmet of the Heatran. Flash-Fire was no protection against this.

“Get armed grunts in there now!” Giovanni ordered through an intercom. “Take down that Moltres immediately!” One man, sensing the chance of promotion, leaped out from behind a stack of crates and threw the first thing that came to hand into the remnants of the cage; a wrench. It clunked against the Moltres’s back, serving only to irritate the legendary Pokemon further before it was incinerated by the sizzling heat of its body. The Moltres wheeled angrily and unleashed a blistering fire attack. The man had time only for one quick, agonized scream before his body and life was consumed by the flames.

Bashou turned, covering his mouth at the sight of the man’s blackened corpse smouldering. Not even Giovanni was immune from a fleeting urge to vomit. Several more grunts dashed into the room, followed by a horde of Blastoise, Vaporeon, Swampert, Pelipper, Poliwrath and Feraligatr. They stopped short at the sight of the dead man’s smoking body and then bravely began to inch their way around the room, trying to surround the Moltres.

“Everyone in position?” one man yelled. “Hydro Pumps and Hydro Cannons on the count of three; one… two… three!” Numerous powerful jets of water blasted across the room, each one aimed directly at the Moltres. The Moltres let out a screech and began to glow a deep red. Giovanni watched, a grim smile on his face as each water attack impacted the legendary Pokemon, immediately covering the room in thick, billowing steam. Not even a Moltres could stand against this.

“Well Bashou, it would appear that we shall need another Moltres,” Giovanni said, turning to face him. Bashou did not answer, his gaze riveted on the window over Giovanni’s shoulder, his mouth slightly gape. Frowning, Giovanni turned his gaze back to the holding room, noticing that it was still swathed in steam. A faint orange pinprick of light was visible in the centre of the room. It quickly grew much larger and brighter. “No… It’s impossible!” he breathed, rooted to the spot.

For the remainder of his life, Bashou would be unable to explain where the sudden surge of energy came from. Snapping out of his astonishment, he realized that the approaching light would mean both their deaths if they stayed watching. Neither could they run out the door. That left only one option.

Grabbing Giovanni by the back of the neck, he somehow managed to force his superior’s considerable frame to the ground. Seconds later, the light resolved into an immensely powerful Flamethrower that easily blasted its way through the reinforced glass. Giovanni instinctively covered his eyes, and when he dared remove his arm he found himself staring into face of Moltres. The Pokémon’s eyes were tinged with hatred, insanity, and something altogether more human than he had suspected. For the first time in his life, he felt a gut-wrenching, tingling sensation that he realized must be fear. The Moltres opened its mouth and Giovanni lay there, frozen, the realization that his life was about to end blocking out all other fault.

And then, inexplicably, the Moltres hesitated. It let out a screech that reverberated within his very soul and then, glowing orange once more, shot upwards through the ceiling, paving its way to freedom with Sky Attack.

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The thermometer beeped. For a brief instant, they didn’t realize what was happening. And then the implications struck.

“She’s alive!” Brock shouted, running towards the bedside; Nurse Joy quickly grabbed the thermometer before he could accidentally knock it away.

“110... 109... 108... I don’t believe it, Flash-Fire is actually taking the fever out of her body! I’ve never seen anything like it in my life!” she exclaimed.

“Brock,” Professor Oak cut in from the video screen, “you said something about a pustule on her chest?”

“Uhh... right!” Brock said, snapping back to the situation at hand. “We think it may be the Pokerus.” Professor Oak paused for a moment.

“That’s impossible, Brock,” he said. “The Pokerus can only be transmitted between Pokemon. Humans are immune to the disease.”

“Professor, May had all of the same symptoms that Latias did when she was infected. You saw how both she and Latias reacted to high-pitched noises as well. I know it seems impossible, but there’s nothing else to explain the infection,” Brock replied. Professor Oak contemplated this silently.

“I need a clear shot of the pustule on her chest,” he said. “If you’re going to try and cut it out, wear gloves before you touch it and vacuum-seal the pustule in a lab container. Send it to me through the transfer machine below this screen and I’ll examine it with Gary. I don’t think its Pokerus, but it could be a related disease that’s known even less.”

“Got it,” Brock nodded. He turned to Rey, Dawn, and his brother. “You’d all better clear out of the room,” he said.

“What?” Rey protested. “But... why?”

“Because this could be dangerous, and we don’t need any distractions,” he answered.

“So why are you and Ash staying?” she asked with narrowed eyes.

“I’m staying to control the Professor’s viewing screen so he can guide Nurse Joy through this,” he said.

“And Ash?” Dawn asked.

“Ash is staying because, for some strange reason, he actually seems to be able to control those suffering from Pokerus. He was able to calm Latias down when she was infected, and he did the same with May a few moments ago. Besides, it’s only right that he, of all people, be allowed to stay here for this.” Rey’s eyes narrowed.

“So you’re saying that Ash is somehow superior to us and therefore allowed to stay and watch?” she asked.

“I’m saying that given the depth of his, ah, friendship with May, he has the right to be here with her as she undergoes a painful surgery,” he answered calmly.

“He’s right,” Forrest said quietly, his mouth dry as he backed his older brother up. “We’d only be a distraction. And do we really need to stay and watch somebody’s chest get cut open?” Rey’s mouth worked for a few seconds, but no sound came out. At last, giving up, she turned and left the room without a word. Dawn and Forrest followed her silently. Once outside, however, Rey abruptly turned and pushed Forrest against the wall.

“Rey!” Dawn gasped, shocked.

“Don’t you ever dare do that again,” she seethed, ignoring her. Forrest looked up at her in amazement.

“Do what?” he asked.

“Go against me like you did just now. I’m trying to offer my support, and then you make sure that support is rebuffed,” she snarled, punctuating each remark with a jab of her finger to his chest. It suddenly struck Forrest how much taller than him Rey was; his eyes narrowed.

“Is it really May that you’re worried about in there,” he asked. “Or are you only concerned about Ash? Would you really be that upset if May suddenly died today?” Rey reeled away, looking as if she’d been slapped.

“Get away from me, you squint-eyed freak,” she growled, turning and storming away. Dawn stared after her roommate, open-mouthed. She thought about running after her, then, changing her mind, turned to Forrest instead.

“Are you okay?” she asked in concern.

“I guess so,” he answered. “We Rock-type trainers are pretty tough, you know.” But behind his bravado and eyelashes, Dawn could see a glimmer of tears.

“What she said... it was uncalled for,” she said uncomfortably.

“It was the truth,” he said simply. “Maybe not the way you or I saw it, but to her perception it was. She was offering support, and I did go against her.”

“Not in the way she made out.”

“Did I do any better?” Forrest asked. “I accused her of having a crush on Ash, and I insinuated that she wouldn’t care if May died because it would give her a chance with him. Her feelings must have been really hurt by that; you saw the look on her face.”

“I guess you were both a bit out of line,” Dawn said, still feeling uncomfortable. “I don’t know Rey that well yet, but I know her well enough to be pretty sure that she’ll be feeling really bad about the way she just acted towards you... and what she called you.”

“Both sides feel bad after an argument. It makes me wonder sometimes why we have them, when all it causes it grief. My guess is because everything has to have an opposite, and it’s an opposite to love.”

“Most people would say that hate is the opposite to love,” Dawn said.

“Hate is usually spawned from conflict,” Forrest answered. “The schoolchild hates his bully; the oppressed hate the oppressor; and in an argument, both sides will hate the other, even if it’s only for a brief moment.” Dawn looked at him curiously. He resembled his older brother in so many ways, but he was surprisingly philosophical for a love struck teenager. There was something very intriguing about him...

“Why do you and Brock have such squinty eyes?” she blurted. His mouth dropped and she winced, mortified that she had actually asked that. Then, to her complete surprise, he laughed.

“I can open my eyes as well as the next person,” he chuckled, demonstrating. “It’s not a genetic deformity; it’s a training tactic that my brother discovered.”

“Huh?” she asked, surprised that he wasn’t offended, and that there was actually an answer.

“Just after Brock became the Pewter City Gym Leader after, well...” his face darkened momentarily, “he began to do some serious training to make sure that he’d be a good Gym Leader. During a power cut, he accidentally found out that by closing his eyes almost all the way, it helped him to sense where his Pokemon was on the field. After a little extra practice, he could sense his opponents Pokemon too.

“It got to the point where he could predict how his Pokemon and its moves could be affected by the terrain on the battlefield. So, to help him develop the technique, he began to keep his eyes mostly closed all the time. He kept crashing into things at first, but over time he was able to sense everything around him, no matter where it was; a parked car, a bicycle that would suddenly cut in front, even a toy shovel left on the ground by one of my sisters. And that meant that he could use his Pokemon more effectively at any location, not just the Pewter Gym.”

“So you decided to try it too?” she asked. Forrest nodded.

“Yeah, and all my brothers and sisters too. Even my Dad started doing it when he was selling rocks on the outskirts, although my Mom always said that she’s never seen the point. It really works though; I’m not as good as Brock is at it, but then he’s had so much more time to develop it. You have to really know your Pokemon for it to work though; you should know it as well as you do yourself.”

“That’s amazing,” she said.

“It really makes me respect my brother,” he said. “When you think about how many Pokemon he has, and how quickly he bonds and battles with them... most of the time he’s unappreciated for what he brings to Ash’s group.”

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Rey stormed out the doors of the Pokemon Centre, her fury so great that she didn’t even feel the cool night air as it brushed against her body.

“That... love struck... perverted... squint-eyed... bast...” she muttered, spitting out each word harshly as she moved, completely unaware of where she was going. With a great clang she reeled backwards, clamping her hands to her mouth in pain. “Ow... tha’ hurh,” she moaned, looking to see what had smacked into her face. With intense embarrassment, she realized that she had gone into a park just across the road from the Pokemon Centre and walked straight into a swing set.

She sat down in the swing, feeling her jaw gingerly. One side of her mouth was slightly warm and sticky, and she realized that she must have split her lip. Grumbling under her breath she rummaged in her bag, trying to find something to wipe away the blood.

“Here, take mine,” a massive man said, offering her a clean cloth. She shrieked in surprise and fell backwards off the swing, sprawling on the ground with her legs still tangled in the seat. She hadn’t even noticed him sitting next to her.

“Thith jush ishn’ ma day,” she moaned.

“It sure looks that way,” the man agreed. “That was quite a spectacular crash you had with the swing. I tried to warn you, but you didn’t seem to hear me even though you were only a couple of feet away.” He then averted his eyes. “And I’d suggest that the next time you decide to fall over like that, you wear a longer skirt.”

“Well don’ jush wook,” she shouted.

“I’m not,” he protested. “That’s why I turned away.”

“Ib behah shay a’ way,” she warned, struggling to get back up. It only took her a few seconds to realize that her legs were tangled, rendering her hopelessly overbalanced. “I’m shuck,” she complained. “Hewp me up?”

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” the man sighed. He reached out a hand, grabbed Rey by the arm, and pulled her up effortlessly.

“’Anksh,” she mumbled. “I’ shawee; I shpli’ ma lip on sha poe’.” The man squinted in the dim light, examining her mouth.

“Yup, you’ve got a mighty fine fat lip there already; here,” he said, offering his cloth again. This time she took it with a minimal amount of drama, and gently dabbed at her bleeding lips.

“Anksh,” she said again.

“No problem,” the man replied as he sat down on the swing again; it creaked under his weight. Rey suddenly realized just how large this man. Not fat, just... big. Even in the dark she could see his muscles straining against the fibres of his shirt. She was no slouch when it came to height, but he was also a good foot taller than her.

“Something wrong?” the man asked pleasantly, noticing her staring at him. She looked away before he could see the red tinge creeping up her cheeks.

“Ah... no,” she managed to say. He nodded towards the Pokemon Centre.

“I’m looking for a guy named Forrest,” he said. “Do you know if he’s in there?” Her eyes narrowed.

“Fowesh ish ah weashon I’ ou’ ‘ere wi’ a bweedin’ mou’,” she growled. The man looked surprised.

“Really?” he asked. “May I ask why?” And so Rey launched into a full and vociferous tirade on just why she was out here with a bleeding lip, and why she hated Forrest so much. In the end, it was the need to take a breath of air that caused her to stop ranting, a pause the stranger quickly took advantage of.

“Right, I think I’ll go and have a talk with this Forrest,” he said, standing from the swing and cracking his knuckles menacingly. Rey paled.

“You... you won’t hurt him, will you?” she asked, completely unaware that she was talking properly again. The stranger noted the concern in her voice and smiled slightly to himself, an action completely obscured by the darkness. His reply, however, was gruff with a hint of danger in it.

“I let my Pokemon do the talking for me, Baby” he said, striding off towards the Pokemon Centre. “I have a score to settle with him, and this only makes me want to do it more.”

“Baby? I’m not a baby...” Rey stared after him for a few seconds before she realized that this man was quite possibly on his way to beat Forrest to a pulp.

“Wait!” she shouted, tearing off after him. “Wait!”

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“Brock, can you adjust the screen a little?” Professor Oak asked. “I need to get a closer shot of that pustule.”

“Sure thing, Professor,” Brock nodded from off-camera, zooming in on May’s chest.

“Brock... I need to see the pustule, not her breast,” Oak sighed

“Sorry Professor, I don’t have an external screen to go on. Can you tell me where to shift the lens?”

“Left... down a bit... a bit more... left... left... okay, hold it there!” He took a close look at the pustule, noting its colour, contours, and size. “It does look a bit like the Pokerus,” he admitted grudgingly, “but we won’t know for certain until I can examine it here.”

“How will you be able to do that?” Brock asked. “Your lab was destroyed.”

“My house was destroyed,” Oak answered, “but my lab and research storage room were kept safe because they were built underground and reinforced for safety. All of my equipment is still there, so I should still be able to examine it.”

“Professor,” Delia called, coming down the hallway. “There’s a nice young man here who would like to help you out with the rebuilding effort.”

“That’s very nice, but I’m a little busy at the moment,” Oak said, barely glancing away from the screen.

“I’m so sorry,” Delia said, turning to the new arrival. “Would you like some dinner? It’s just out of the oven.”

“I’d love some, thank you,” he answered politely, flicking away a strand of dark hair that was straying into his eyes. “I’ve come a long way to get here, and a home cooked meal would certainly be a nice change from the typical travelling fare.”

“I’ll be right back with your plate,” Delia promised, heading into the kitchen.

“Joy, make an inch-long incision just below the pustule. Brock, make sure that you pad the area thoroughly with the absorbent foam; we want as little spillage as possible. Hold her head steady, Ash, we don’t want her to start thrashing around again,” Oak directed, his eyes focused on the screen and completely unaware of the man standing behind him. The front door burst open and Tracey and Norman walked into the room, chatting light-heartedly. Tracey’s smile froze and fell as he beheld the young man standing nearby the Professor.

“Oh, so you found the house okay I guess,” he said. The man smiled, once again sending shivers down Tracey’s spine.

“Yes... Your directions were exemplary, right down to the Mr. Mime,” he said softly. Norman, although not affected by the smile, did not like his tone, or the look in his eyes. He took a step forwards.

“Who are you?” he demanded. “I’m sure I’ve seen you somewhere before... What do you want here?”

“Norman!” Oak called, the sound of his voice causing the Professor to realize his presence. “Norman, I’m on the line to the Vermillion City Pokemon Centre; May’s very sick, and she’s being operated on right now.”

“What?” Norman shouted, his face pale as he dashed forwards towards the screen.

“Here’s your tray,” Delia sang out, backing out of the kitchen with a heavily laden dish. The stranger moved faster than any of them could follow. Delia shrieked and dropped the tray as the cold, hard blade of a Scyther pressed against her neck, released from the stranger’s Poke Ball. He ducked behind his Pokemon and hostage as Professor Oak and Norman turned to the commotion and Tracey started forwards.

“Nobody move,” he growled. “My Pokemon are trained to kill if necessary; this Scyther’s blades are sharp enough to cut right through her neck if I give the order.”

“Professor, there’s too much bleeding; there isn’t enough foam to absorb it,” Brock shouted from the screen, his panicked voice sounding tinny to their ears.

“Answer that and this woman dies,” the stranger growled.

“But... it’s my daughter who he’s trying to help,” Norman pleaded.

“Professor Oak, are you there? She’s beginning to thrash around again, Ash can’t hold her. She’s losing too much blood, we can’t stop it!” Brock shouted again.

“Her life doesn’t concern me,” the stranger answered. “Give me what I want and you can save two lives tonight. If you don’t, this woman and your daughter will both die.”

“What is it that you want?” Oak asked, comprehension beginning to dawn as Kurt’s words came back to him. "This guy is ruthless. Once he found out I didn’t have the GS Ball anymore, he used his Pokemon to knock me out. He won’t be afraid to do the same, or worse, to you." He remembered Kurt’s description of his attacker and inwardly cursed; this man was identical to him in every aspect. How did he get here from Johto so quickly?

“I want the GS Ball,” the stranger said simply.

“I don’t have it,” Oak said simply. “The girl who took it from Kurt never delivered it to me.”

“Scyther!” the man ordered, and the Pokemon put more pressure on the blade held against Delia’s neck. She turned white as it bit through her skin and a little spurt of blood began to pool on the blade. “You’re lying,” he hissed. “Kurt told me that he gave it to a girl on a Pidgeot, who then gave it to you.” Norman gasped as the realization struck him.

“She forgot,” Oak said, forcing himself to keep calm.

“Then where is it?” the man growled.

“It’s still with her, Paul,” Oak said, looking him straight in the eye. If Paul was surprised that Oak knew his name, he didn’t show it.

“And where is she?” he asked. Oak hesitated before answering, turning instead to look at Norman. The Gym Leader’s face was tortured. His whole world rested on this one pivotal answer. If it wasn’t given, May would die, and Delia along with her. If it was given May could still die, but...

But she had Ash to protect her. And he would know that Paul was coming.

His eyes closed, misery and pain still etched into his face, he gave an almost imperceptible nod. Oak closed his eyes and answered.

“She’s his dying daughter,” he said softly.

Paul looked at them incredulously and swore. “It can’t be,” he said. “It’s with her, and she's with...”

“Professor!” Brock screamed from the videophone. Oak took the chance.

“Brock, trust me when I say this is a matter of life or death,” he snapped. “Does Ash still have the GS Ball?”

“What?”

“Does Ash still have the GS Ball!” he roared.

“Of course he does, who else would have it?” Brock shouted. “She’s dying Oak!”

“You have your answer,” Oak said softly, looking at Paul with an expression of pure loathing on his face.

“Honchkrow; through the glass!” Paul shouted, unleashing the dark-type and jumping on its back. There was the sound of shattering glass, a streak of red light as Scyther was recalled, and then nothing. The stranger was gone. Shivering, Delia collapsed to the ground in a state of shock, her eyes wide and blood still flowing from the cut on her neck.

“Tracey, help me with her!” Norman shouted. “Sam... you can still save my May.” His words were lost on deaf ears, the Professor already intent on the screen, explaining to Brock why he would explain his disappearance later.


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That's it for this chapter. Hopefully the next one will be up (relatively) soon.

[Caesar]

No, another long wait... please hurry, i desparatly want to read more of this

[midnightmoon]

plz plz post in the next chapter! i want to know what happens.

[Matkin22]

Wow. I think this is by far the longest one I have written so far, almost double the length of any other. It's worth it though, since we get some nice plot resolutions, a few unexpected twists, and (I hope) an overall enjoyable read. I apologize for the delay in this update; I'm going to try and update more frequently from this point on, perhaps bi-weekly.

Now, before we dive into this latest installment, I just want to thank everyone who voted for me in the SPPf Shipping Oscars. It seems as if I'm a better PearlShipping author than AdvanceShipping, as you voted Searching for Truth the best PearlShipping Fic and myself the Best PearlShipping Author. You also voted me Best Other Pokemon Shipping Author, and Final Challenge into a tie with Artemis Ignitan's A Whisper in the Wind for the Most Dramatic Shipping Plot. Thank you all! I wasn't expecting that kind of recognition, and I was pleasantly touched that you've all enjoyed my work so much.

But I digress; on with the chapter!

Chapter 31: Heartbreak

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It was dark. Very dark. Even the moon was obscured by low-lying clouds, and there was not even a breath of wind that threatened to disturb them. He trained his eyes on the Poketch that Paul had loaned him for this one mission. His pulse began to quicken as the minutes and seconds counted down. At last, it was time.

Getting to his feet with as much stealth as he could muster, he slunk off down the hill as quietly and as invisibly as possible. For the first time in his life, he wished he wore the standard black uniform instead of the shiny white he had adorned for years. Still, he managed to make it down the hill and onto the field with minimal problems, although he had to admit that it was more due to the town being on the other side of the hill than his own mediocre stalking skills.

Once back on level ground, he abandoned caution in favour of speed. If the hills didn’t keep him hidden from view at this point while he travelled across the field, no amount of stealth could help him. Speed was of the essence for this particular task. Still, he made it a point to run as quietly as possible so as to avoid any undue attention. Many of the Pokemon had run off after the attack, but some might have returned since then. The last thing he wanted was to disturb and anger a Nidoking or Rhydon in the darkness.

While his sight and other senses may have been hindered by the night, he was profoundly grateful that he had been ordered to complete this task under the cover of darkness. For one thing, while he could barely see anything, it meant the chances of his being seen were also reduced. And for another, the night hid the ravaged land from his view. Had he started his task at dusk the mighty scars would have been all too visible, and he doubted that his already strained courage could have taken that frightening sight. But while he could not see the remnants of the Rayquaza’s attack, nothing could prevent him from hearing it. The dead and charcoaled grass crackled underneath his feet with every step, making him wince. In some ways, it made the scene more eerie than the sight of those scars did. He breathed a silent sigh of relief when the crackling sounds stopped and he felt a mixture of gravel and concrete under his feet instead.

Knowing he was close bolstered his tattered courage. Slowing down, he tried to gather his bearings. He had been here many times before, but never inside the actual building. Still, he knew the rough layout of the construction from his visits prior to the attack and his brief observations earlier in the day. Skirting a few girders and a half-completed wall, he quickly saw what he had been looking for; a doorframe with intricate stone steps beyond that led into the ground. He was surprised. He had not expected to find it so easily.

His confidence growing by the second, he made his way through the doorframe and carefully descended down the steps. He was expecting them to lead belowground, but was surprised when he saw that at the bottom of the steps, there was a tunnel curving its way through the rock. Once inside, he felt safe enough to turn on his flashlight for the first time since starting out. His breath caught in his throat at what he saw.

Ancient carvings, scripts, and archaeological treasures decorated the curved walls and ceiling of the tunnel. Only down here had Professor Oak’s massive collection been spared any damage. Pausing briefly to examine the tunnel walls more closely he realized all the priceless artefacts were not hung from the walls and ceiling, but rather contained behind it. Rapping his knuckles gently against the sides, he saw that they were all covered by a clear and seemingly durable clear alloy. He wasn’t sure exactly what the material was, but it had been enough protect the Professor’s collection from the Rayquaza.

He bent his nose close to the wall, examining one of the ancient tablets with interest. He breathed in sharply at what he saw. The paint was faded and in some places chipped away altogether, but there could be no doubt about what had been painted.

A man stood alone, his back to the painter. Surrounding him on the ground were 18 tablets, each one a different colour and with a different symbol carved into the top. Facing the man in the distance were what appeared to be the legendary Pokemon Raikou, Moltres, and Regice. The sky was dark at the edges, a violent shade of purple. Closer to the center, however, it took on a whitish tinge, the edges of the thunderous closer becoming more visible. At the center itself, the white clouds swirled into a dangerous looking vortex, coalescing into a white and violet orb that hung low over the man’s hand. From the man’s stance, it seemed apparent that he was sneering, his arms raised in defiance, a golden and silver Poke Ball clutched in his hands; the GS Ball.

The GS Ball... That’s what I’m here for, he thought. But... why is it here, in this ancient painting of all places? Is it the same one? If it is, how can it possibly have lasted for so long without being aged or damaged? He was startled from his thoughts by the worst sounds he could have possibly heard; voices and footsteps.

Panicking, he covered the beam of the flashlight with his hand and ran as swiftly and silently down the passage as he could, hoping against hope that he was imagining it, or if they were real that they would just pass the tunnel by. He reached the pass coded door and began fumbling with the keypad, mistyping the several password possibilities he had been given in his haste. He heard several footsteps approaching from within the tunnel, and stopped trying. It was useless. The people were close enough that they would hear the door opening, and even if they didn’t it would not take them long to find him in the lab.

As a flashlight beam broke around the final corner, he turned to face them, calm etched onto his face and a Poke Ball clenched in his hand. James was ready for the battle of his life.


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“This is going to be very tricky,” Professor Oak said, forcing himself to speak calmly. “We’ll need Blissey, Sudowudo, Bayleef, Totodile, Sceptile, Gallade, Glalie, and Latias. Joy... you’ve done enough for now.”

“I can do more!” she protested as the eight Pokemon were released. “I should have done more...”

“You’ve given her a fighting chance,” Oak answered. “But your hands are trembling and time is running out for May. What we need now are bandages, and foam pads. I need you to get as many of those as you can, okay?”

“Okay,” she whispered before running out of the room.

“This is going to be unpleasant for every one of the Pokemon,” Oak said, returning his attention to Brock and Ash. “None of them are trained for medical surgery, but they are the only chance we have to save May.”

“They’re ready... aren’t you, guys?” Ash asked, receiving a chorus of calls in response.

“Pi-Pikachu, pika!” Pikachu called, waving his arms anxiously at the screen.

“I know you want to help Pikachu, but there’s nothing you can do here,” Oak answered. “But if her heart stops... we’ll need you to restart it.”

“Pika,” the electric-type nodded, retreating closer to the bed.

“Bayleef, you have to hold May steady with your Vine Whip. Be sure not to compress her chest too tightly; that could just squeeze the blood out more calmly. She may get agitated again, so you have to aim your Sweet Scent directly at her nose. Be careful with your aim; we don’t want our surgeons getting too relaxed while they work.”

“Surgeons?” Brock asked.

“Sceptile, Totodile, Gallade, and Glalie,” Oak replied. “Glalie, use your Icy Wind to cool May’s temperature. Her blood flow will slow down, and it’ll buy us some time. Totodile, use your gentlest Water Gun to wash the blood away from the pustule. The last thing we need is clotting hindering our cuts, or a pool of blood to stop us from seeing what we need. Ash and Brock, one of you needs to tilt May a little to one side so that the blood and water can drain away. ”

“Tile,” Sceptile sighed, seeing where this was going and powering up his Leaf Blade.

“I know you don’t want to Sceptile, but you and Gallade are the only ones who can do it,” Oak said, sensing the grass-type’s mood. “The accuracy of a Pokemon is much greater than that of a scared human, and you’ll have the advantage of being able to feel the pustule as you work. Are you ready?”

“Er!” Gallade nodded, his face a grim slash of determination as his arms began to glow black from a Night Slash.

“Good, then get started! Totodile first, then Glalie, Sceptile and Gallade.”

“To-to-to-to-to-to-da,” Totodile mumbled, spewing out a light stream of water into the bloody opening around the pustule. As the water-type Pokemon worked Ash, Brock, and Bayleef gently lifted May up, allowing the liquids to flow away from the wounds. Calculating both the power and spread necessary, Glalie began to exude a cold blast of air on May’s body, cooling her temperature and restricting the flow of blood. Sceptile’s and Gallade’s eyes met; nodding briefly, they turned to May and positioned their blades.

Trying his hardest not to wince, Sceptile concentrated and carefully focused the power of his Leaf Blade; focusing the attack narrowed the blade, making it more accurate to work with in delicate situations such as this, but the power became much more concentrated. One slip could be fatal for May.

“Lade, erlade er,” Gallade urged the grass-type, his Night Slash also narrowed.

“Scep,” Sceptile nodded, lowering his arms and gingerly worrying the Leaf Blade through May’s cold flesh. A spurt of blood instantly rose to the surface, and was quickly washed away by Totodile’s Water Gun. Glalie spat out a cold lump against May’s chest, lowering the temperature even more and causing the blood to congeal slightly beneath the flesh. Gritting his teeth and trying to ignore the blood that slowly welled up around his Leaf Blade, Sceptile continued to work the blade through May’s breast, gently scissoring muscle and tissue apart as he tried to manoeuvre beneath the pustule.

May moaned and began to twitch as consciousness crept in. Sceptile froze and halted the Leaf Blade, worried that it might slice through something he didn’t intend. Her brow furrowed in concentration, Bayleef wafted a Sweet Scent towards May. May continued to move for a moment and then relaxed as the overpowering fumes reached her brain and she fell back into unconsciousness. Bayleef let out a silent sigh of relief and nodded towards Sceptile.

The large grass-type stepped back, breathing nervously. He had done all that he could with his blades, and he feared that by continuing he might cut right through her breast and puncture a lung, or even the pulmonary artery. It was time for Gallade, with his smaller and more accurate blades, to take over.

The Psychic-type worked quickly and effectively. Where Sceptile had worked vertically, his cuts were horizontal. With minimal blood leakage, he was able to slide his Night Slash through the fatty tissue without much difficulty. Angling his blades diagonally upward Gallade completed the cut, slicing the pustule away from May’s body. Brock quickly wrapped his hand in a plastic glove and reached down to grab the pustule. He expertly removed his hand, turning the glove inside out, and tied it tightly. “I have it,” he announced.

“Perfect,” Professor Oak replied. “Put it in the transfer station and send it here immediately; I’ll send an empty Poke Ball in return.”

Joy rushed back into the room, her arms filled with foam pads and bandages. “I brought all that I could find,” she panted.

“Start padding the area, get rid of the excess blood,” Oak ordered. “This next part is especially tricky, and we need the opening as clear as possible.”

“What do we need to do?” Brock asked as he initiated the pustule’s transfer.

“Blissey has to place both arms inside the wound and use Heal Bell,” Oak answered, reaching down to his own transfer and holding the tightly wrapped pustule up to his eyes. “We need Sudowudo to do the same with Mimic. That should hopefully seal it up. Then we need Latias to use Recover; that will hopefully regenerate the flesh and restore the blood. ”

“Is that even possible?” Brock asked, awed.

“Heal Bell is a technique that seals flesh wounds,” Oak answered. “It’s difficult to use in surgery at the best of times, and your Blissey isn’t trained for this kind of operation. That’s why I want Sudowudo to help her out with Mimic.”

“I meant Latias’s Recover, being able to regenerate all of that tissue and blood... this isn’t a surface wound. There’s a lot more at stake here than flesh and capillaries, Professor. If the Recover only repairs the flesh, it could cause May long-term health problems.”

“I know that, Brock,” Oak snapped. “When a Pokemon uses Recover, it repairs all of the damage done to their body. All of it. It will be tricky for Latias to direct it into May, but it will heal her.”

“Will Recover be enough?” Nurse Joy asked quietly. “It’s a technique we have to use from time to time on severely injured Pokemon, and it doesn’t always work that well.”

“I know... I have to use it occasionally too,” Professor Oak answered. “But remember that Latias is a legendary Pokemon; her capture by Ash doesn’t lessen her strength. Her Recover will be incredibly powerful, far more so than that of an Alakazam, or even a Metagross. If any Pokemon can heal May, it’s Latias.”

“Can you do it, Latias?” Ash quietly, unheard by Brock, Oak, or Nurse Joy. “Can you really heal May like that? Professor Oak only has his theories, but if anyone knows, it’s you.” The legendary Pokemon gazed at him for a moment, her deep eyes clouded in contemplation. They cleared abruptly and she gave a light chirp, nodding her head in reassurance. Ash nodded back, not feeling himself able to speak.

“Blissey, Sudowudo; are you ready?” Nurse Joy asked, continuing to sponge up the blood leaking from May’s breast. Both Pokemon let out affirmative cries and took a step forward. “Then let’s get started,” she said.

“Ash,” May moaned, her eyes flickering open. For a moment, nobody moved. Then Ash quickly knelt down by her side.

“I’m here, May,” he whispered softly. “I’m here for you.” She grimaced and reached for her breast, but Ash caught and stayed her hand.

“...Hurts...” she mumbled.

“I know, May, I know. Blissey, Sudowudo, and Latias are going to take the pain away. Stay calm, it won’t take long.”

“Char,” the baby Charmander added, reannouncing its presence from underneath May’s bed.

“Char?” she murmured.

“That’s right May; your egg hatched,” Ash said, leaning down to pick up the Charmander. He placed it on the bed, where it nuzzled against her cheek affectionately. He stroked her bangs for a moment and then looked at Bayleef meaningfully. “You have a new friend,” he continued quietly.

“New friend... Char...” she whispered, smiling faintly. Her eyes closed as Bayleef’s Sweet Scent took hold of her mind again, sending her back into sleep.

“Sweet dreams, May,” Ash murmured quietly as Blissey and Sudowudo approached. “I hope that when you wake up, this whole ordeal will be over for you.”


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He writhed in agony as the pain hit him, obliterating all else. His vision was dark, his hearing nonexistent, his touch gone. All that there was, all that there ever had been, was this pain. It was an agony he had never felt before, one that was both physical and mental. He could not think, he could not breathe; all he could do was writhe and wait for death.

And then it was gone. He lay on the ground, heaving in great gulps of air, sweat cascading out of every orifice in his body. He felt incredibly weak and vulnerable. He squinted as a dark shadow fell across him, and made out the figure of Max kneeling at his side. Hatred and fear rose in his throat; he wanted to run, but he knew that he didn’t have the strength to even stand.

“She wanted to die, Drew,” Max said softly, tracing patterns into the dirt with a finger. “She wanted to die, and it was because of you. I think a part of her did die, actually. She changed inside.”

“I’ve never done anything I’ve been ashamed of,” Drew managed to croak. Max’s gaze shot from the dirt to his eyes, and in that one moment the Coordinator realized just how much the younger trainer despised him.

“She loved you,” he spat. “She loved you; she gave her heart to you...” He stood angrily, punching his fist into an open palm. “You betrayed her,” he hissed. “You took her heart and threw it away as easily as you do a rose... You deserve this pain.”

“No... Don’t... I can’t ...”

“It’s a fraction of the pain you caused when you ripped her world apart,” Max retorted. “Gardevoir!”

Drew’s spine arched agonizingly as the burning pain of a Stage-3 Psychic assailed him once again. He contorted into impossible positions as the pain enveloped him, filled him, consumed him. But through it all, a memory appeared at the forefront. And as the memory, the source of this agony, took over his consciousness, a single tear of regret rolled down his cheek.


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“A perfect landing again, Flygon!” Drew said happily, stroking his dragon-type on the neck. “You’ve really gotten fast; we made it to Blackthorn City in no time at all!”

“No kidding,” May said, looking around curiously. “Hey, where’s the Contest Hall? I want to enter as soon as possible.”

“It’s only a couple of streets away, next to the Blackthorn Gym,” a young woman with carmine hair said from behind them. Drew kept his cool, turning around quickly to see who had spoken. May wasn’t quite so composed, leaping up in the air with a shriek of surprise only to land and trip over Flygon’s tail, sending her sprawling on her back in the dust.

“Oops,” the girl said, giggling and holding out a hand to help her up. “Sorry May, I didn’t mean to startle you like that.” Grudgingly, May took her hand and clambered to her feet. “How do you know who I am?” she asked. A shadow of disappointment crossed the girl’s face.

“You don’t remember me?” she asked. May studied the girl carefully; the style of her short, reddish hair was familiar, as was the yellow tank-top that she wore. Realization began to dawn as a Masquerain and Vibrava appeared from behind her, and she looked at the girl’s face more closely. Yes, it was a face she knew well, although it had filled out and matured well since she had last seen her all those years ago. Speaking of filling out, she wasn’t sure where this chest that rivalled her own in size had come from; but there was no longer any doubt in her mind.

“Brianna?” she asked at last. The girl gave a huge grin and threw her arms around May.

“I knew you’d remember me!” she laughed, “I knew it! How have you been? Still doing Contests, I guess?”

“I’ve been great,” May beamed. “Drew and I are together now, and yeah I’m still doing contests. The first three ribbons came by really easily, but the fourth one took a while. Now I’m on my last chance to get a fifth before the Grand Festival. How about you? Finally travelling around to become a Contest Master?”

“Hmm? No...” she said slowly, a shadow across her face. “I tried it out for a little while, but I realized while I love watching Contests, I don’t actually enjoy competing in them that much. So I switched to Gyms. I decided to try out Johto before going back to Kanto, and now I only need one more badge. I’ve been to the Gym once today, but Clair wasn’t in; she’s supposed to be one of the toughest Gym Leaders there is, mostly thanks to her Dragon-types.” Drew’s eyes lit up.

“She’s a dragon trainer?” he asked with interest. Brianna turned to him, her face suddenly a bright crimson.

“Yeah, that’s right. I think she gives out badges after a three-on-three battle. Why, are you interested?” Drew shook his head.

“Not for a badge,” he chuckled. “I’ll be a Coordinator my entire life; I love it too much to give it up. But I would like to challenge her to a one-on-one match with my Flygon; Dragon-types are really hard to raise, and I’d like to see what she thinks about mine. If anybody knows how good a job I’m doing, it’s her.” He eyed her up and down quickly, his eyes lingering at certain points. “It’s been a while since I last saw you too, Brianna,” he said softly. “You’ve grown up a lot; and I mean grown up! You’re looking really good.” She blushed in response.

“I’m not the only one,” she murmured, feeling tongue-tied. “Want to go check out the Gym now then? I’m sure she must be back by now.”

“I’d love to,” he grinned, recalling Flygon. “Show me the way!” May cleared her throat noisily as the two started off towards the Gym.

“What about me?” she asked, as they paused and turned. “What am I supposed to do?”

“The Pokemon Centre is just over there,” Drew said, pointing to the side. “Why don’t you book us a room for tonight and give your Pokemon a check-up?”

“Oh... okay... I guess,” she said quietly as they turned and walked off once again.

“Bye May!” Brianna called cheerfully over her shoulder. “See you later, okay?”

“Yeah... whatever...” she muttered, watching them walk away. With a sinking feeling in her heart, she turned and moved toward the Pokemon Centre.

“I mean, we’ve only been together two days, but I’ve liked him for so long. I was really happy when he asked me, but things just... they don’t seem right to me, Brock,” May complained into the videophone.

“Why do you say that?” Brock asked.

“Well, before my last Contest he’d told me that the one in Ecruteak City was the last of the region. Then after I lost there and he asked me out, he told me that he’d lied and the last Contest was here in Blackthorn. He said that it was to try and take the pressure off, since Solidad is entering the Blackthorn Contest. But that just adds more pressure to me, you know? And it really hurts that he’d just lie so easily to me.”

“It’s a small thing, but if he bothers to lie about something so small... it really brings up an issue of trust,” Brock mused.

“Exactly! I mean, why even bother lying? There was no reason too... And now he’s just left me alone while he goes off to the Gym with Brianna...”

“Brianna?” Brock asked, frowning in thought. “You mean that girl from Kanto who had a crush on Drew?”

“Yeah, that’s her,” May groused. “They just took off for the Gym without inviting me. Would it take so much to be polite?” She sighed. “It just hurts... Drew and I are supposed to be together, but it feels like he’s treating me worse than he did when we first became rivals.”

“Well...” Brock said, hesitating. “Give it time. This whole relationship thing is new to both of you; maybe he just needs time for it to sink in.”

“Yeah... maybe...” she said quietly. “Thanks Brock.”

“No problem, May. Call me any time you need,” he said.

“I will... How’s Ash doing?” she asked.

“Oh, he’s doing great! You know he won the Sinnoh league a couple weeks ago, right?”

“I didn’t!” she said, surprised. “I’ve doing a lot of travelling recently. When I was in Ecruteak, it was the first time I’d been in a town for a month.”

“Well, it was really close in the end. And he beat his rival Paul in the finals, which made the victory even sweeter. Now he can take on the Elite Four challenge. If he beats a member from each region, as well as the Elite Champion, he’ll be recognized as a Pokemon Master. His first match is against Agatha of Kanto. He knows she’s a Ghost-type trainer, so he’s been spending a lot of time thinking about what Pokemon to use against her.”

“That’s really great,” she said, trying to be enthusiastic. “Give him my congratulations and wish him luck from me, okay?”

“Sure thing,” he said, before hesitating again. “Are you sure you’re okay, May?”

“I’ll be alright,” she said evasively, disconnecting the call. Sighing, she got up from the videophone’s desk and threw herself backwards onto the bed. Closing her eyes, she immersed herself in thoughts and memories. She wasn’t sure exactly how much passed, but it was a good while later when Drew finally let himself into their room.

“How was your battle?” she asked without opening her eyes.

“I lost,” he sighed. “Her Dragon-types are incredibly powerful. I’ve never seen those kinds of moves used so effectively. Flygon didn’t last more than a couple of turns; even my Contest techniques didn’t faze her. But on the plus side, I learned a lot. Maybe one day Flygon will be able to give a good match to even a Salamence. I should visit Gyms more often... Try and work their strategy into mine for Contests...”

“How did Brianna do?” May asked, sitting up.

“Her match was close, but she lost too,” Drew answered. “She’s gonna try again in a few days, and give her Pokemon some rest time until then. We’re going to take a look around Blackthorn City tomorrow, and maybe spend some time in the Ice Cave too.”

“That sounds like fun,” May said, forcing herself to sound cheerful. “I can’t wait to take a look around the Ice Cave either.”

“Well... The thing is,” Drew began haltingly.

“You don’t want me to come along,” May said, dropping the happy tone and crossing her arms.

“It’s not that we wouldn’t you like to come with us,” Drew said quickly. “It’s just that, you know, your time would probably be better spent training. There’s just over two weeks left to go until the Contest; don’t you think your time would be better spent spending that time training if you want to beat Solidad? You both have four ribbons; one of you is going to miss out on the Grand Festival. If you want to beat her, you’ll have to train as much as possible.”

“So you don’t think I’m good enough to beat her?” May demanded, her temper flaring.

“No,” Drew said, choosing his words carefully. “I’m saying that since you know Solidad will be training her heart out for this competition, so you should be too.” May sighed, giving up the argument.

“Fine, whatever; I’ll spend all day training tomorrow.”

“Great,” Drew smiled, getting into his bed. “You should spend some time with Ledian; she’s got a nice array of attacks and she combines them well, but she just isn’t strong enough for this level of competition. If you really train her, she’ll be ready in time for the competition.”

“Maybe... I’d been planning on using Munchlax and Bulbasaur though,” May answered.

“Whatever you want,” Drew shrugged, “it’s your choice. Goodnight.”

“Goodnight, Drew,” May said quietly.

And so it continued. For the remainder of the week, May spent each and every day training the Pokemon she had on hand. They worked on movement, their speed and the timing they needed to execute a perfect dodge. Attacks were refined as they focused on making each attack as quick as possible, and improved their accuracy. Blaziken even managed to use two attacks simultaneously, a technique that was almost impossible to pull off because of the amount of willpower required.

But while she spent those days working hard with her Pokemon, Drew was nowhere in sight. Each and every day, instead of helping May with her training and giving her the encouragement she needed, he chose to spend his time with Brianna. She wasn’t exactly sure what they were doing; Drew tended to be rather vague about that. She could only assume that they were exploring Blackthorn City, the surrounding area, and in Brianna’s case, rechallenging the Gym Leader.

“Bulbasaur, combine Razor Leaf and Vine Whip!” May ordered.

“Saur!” Bulbasaur grunted, trying to combine the two attacks with all of her might; only a single vine extended and hit the target. “Bul...” Bulbasaur said sadly.

“It’s okay, Bulbasaur,” May sighed. “I know it’s hard, but it’ll be worth it in the end. It’s really difficult for any Pokemon to escape a dual attack; you’ll get it soon.”

“So, you’re trying to teach your Bulbasaur how to do a dual attack?” an unfamiliar voice asked from behind her. Jumping a little, May turned to see a tall, lithe woman dressed in a tight form-fitting blue suit that had a black-shoulder trim and a dark red cape. Her long blue hair was tied into a tight ponytail that snaked partway down her back. The only word May could possibly use to describe her was “stunning”.

“Uhh... yeah, I am,” she answered. “My Blaziken can do it, so now I’m trying to teach it to my Bulbasaur too.”

“Mind showing me your Blaziken’s dual attack?” the woman asked with a raised eyebrow. “I’d like to see it.”

“Sure, I guess,” May answered, calling out the massive fire-type. “Blaziken, use a Fire Spin and Mega Kick combo!”

“Blaze-ah-kehn!” the fire-type roared, spewing out a jet of streaming fire while running towards the flame with its feet glowing blue. Moving quickly and without warning, the woman stepped forward, directly into the path of the attacks.

“No!” May screamed. “Blaziken, stop!” It was too late; the Mega Kick smashed directly into the woman at full force, knocking her backwards into the flame. Fearing the worst, May ran towards her Pokemon and the woman, berating herself for allowing Blaziken to show off the attacks so close to the strange woman. Her worry was completely unfounded, however, as the woman stepped forwards from the smoke, casually brushing some dirt off of her short sleeves, completely unharmed.

“I see,” she said, eying May’s Blaziken. “Your Blaziken may be able to launch two attacks at once, but there is no power in them.”

“What?” May asked, open-mouthed. “That’s ridiculous!”

“I should have been hurt by those attacks,” the woman replied. “But I wasn’t. You don’t have to believe what I say if you don’t want to, but you can’t deny what your eyes tell you. Now, I can teach you about dual attacks, if you like. I don’t claim to be an expert, but I know more about them than most people.”

“Why would you want to do that?” May asked suspiciously.

“Because,” the woman replied patiently, “I’m a teacher... of sorts. I enjoy helping others, and if I enjoy making people into stronger battlers. I don’t want to sound vain, but there aren’t many people who are at my skill level when it comes to battling. It gets boring, demolishing one opponent after another. I want to help improve people’s battling skills, because then my own battles will become more enjoyable. So, would you like me to tell you?”

“Uhh... Sure, I guess,” May answered.

“Excellent. Now, I’ll start with a little background knowledge which everyone should know, but few actually do. Pokemon are not the same beings as humans. They are composed of a myriad of different elemental types; humans are not. This elemental composition means that all Pokemon have a fairly unstable genetic coding. Some, such as Eevee, have more unstable codes than others.

“There are eighteen different elemental types that a Pokemon can be made up of. Each element is found within a Pokemon’s genetic code, although only one or two are dominant in a species. Grimer, for instance, has the Poison element as its dominant type, while Blaziken has two dominant elements; Fire and Fighting. The ability for a Pokemon to use attacks is dependent on the elements that they are composed of. Bulbasaur, a Grass- and Poison- type Pokemon, is best able to use Grass- and Poison-type attacks. Even though it contains the Water-type element in its genes, it cannot use Water-type attacks such as Bubble or Hydro Pump. Are you following me?” May nodded.

“Good. Now, on some occasions a Pokemon can be tricked into using an attack that it shouldn’t be able to learn naturally. A Starmie using Thunderbolt is one example, and a Blastoise using Earthquake is another. This takes a lot of time to teach a Pokemon because it requires physical manipulation of the environment, as opposed to naturally using the elements for your own advantage.”

“I don’t really understand,” May said.

“When a Pokemon uses an attack, it is manipulating the elements for its own use,” the woman explained. “It’s important to remember that every attack requires energy. In their most simple form, attacks are energy. A Flamethrower and an Ice Beam are really the same attack; it’s just different Pokemon using the same energy, and manipulating it into their own predominant element. Pokemon also only have a finite amount of energy that can be used. In battles you often find that as the Pokemon gets weaker, so do its attacks.”

“I think I get that now,” May said, comprehension dawning on her face.

“Good, now we can move onto dual attacks,” the woman said. “It’s relatively simple from here on in. When a Pokemon begins to use double attacks, the attacks become much weaker. To use an attack, a Pokemon must use the energy stored in their body. Two attacks require twice the energy of one, and that is impossible for a Pokemon to do. What happens is that half the energy goes into one attack, and half the energy into another; this makes both

attacks half as powerful as they would be when used as a standalone move. For your Blaziken to use a dual Fire Spin and Mega Kick with the same power as one alone, it would have to be twice as powerful as it is now. And if you did that, just one of its attacks would be twice as powerful as it is now.”

“So you’re basically saying that teaching my Pokemon to use dual attacks is a complete waste of time,” May sighed. The woman raised an eyebrow.

“And when did I say that?” she asked. “There is no doubting that a single attack will always be more powerful than a dual attack. But dual attacks can be very useful, depending on the situation. You can trap a Pokemon and attack at the same time, for instance. And when a Pokemon uses dual attacks, it grows stronger much more quickly than it would otherwise. No, there are definite advantages to using dual attacks; it just depends on where and how you use them. Keep working at it, and keep it simple too. Instead of calling for a dual Mega Kick and Fire Spin, for example, try calling it a Mega Spin, or a Fire Kick. It makes it easier for the Pokemon by doing that too.”

“Thanks,” May said gratefully, “I will. Thank you for teaching me all of this.”

“No problem at all,” the woman said, holding out her hand. “I’d love to battle you too, once you’ve practiced some more. Are you entering the Contest?”

“Yeah, I’ve already registered and everything,” May said, shaking the woman’s hand. “If I win, it’ll be the last ribbon I need for the Grand Festival. Are you entering?”

“I might,” the woman said, flicking a stray strand of hair away from her eyes. “It depends on how busy my battle schedule is. I tend to get challenged more often this time of year. In fact, I have a rematch lined up in twenty minutes.”

“I guess lots of people like challenging themselves against a tough wandering trainer like you, huh?” May asked.

“Wandering trainer? Oh no,” the woman answered laughing. “My name’s Clair, and I’m the Blackthorn City Gym Leader. And I’d better get moving or I’ll be late for the match. See you later!” Humming to herself, Clair walked off quickly, heading in the direction of the Gym. May stared after her, almost in shock.

“No wonder she knew so much about it,” she murmured. “I just got taught by one of the most powerful Gym Leaders in the world, and I didn’t even realize it!”

Drew entered the room grumpily, slamming the door on his way inside.

“Everything okay?” May asked.

“No, it’s not,” Drew growled. “We both lost to that damned Gym Leader again. Brianna did even worse than last time. It’s ridiculous.” There was an uncomfortable pause for a moment before he began speaking again. “May, I have something really important to talk to you about,” he said.

“What’s that?” she asked.

“It’s over,” he said flatly. “It’s over between us. I thought we had something special, but we don’t. I can’t be with someone I don’t feel anything for anymore.”

“What? But... it’s been so long!” she said, tears rising in her eyes.

“We’ve only been together a week.”

“We’ve only been in a relationship for a week! We’ve loved each other for years!”

“I thought I did... But I confused love for lust. May, I only loved you because of your chest,” he said bitterly.

“Drew... please, don’t do this,” she begged. “I love you...”

“Well I don’t love you!” he shouted, his temper rising. “We don’t connect, May! We have nothing in common besides Contests and a love of roses! So don’t even try pleading me to change my mind with your sad, big eyes, because it won’t work! I don’t love you, May; I love Brianna.”

“No... It’s not true,” she whispered. “It can’t be true.”

“It is true,” Drew said coldly. “Now get out of my room; Brianna’s sleeping in here with me tonight. I’m sure she won’t mind if you take hers.”

Sobbing, May ran out of the room, out of the Pokemon Centre, out of Drew’s life. She moved blindly, her hands covering her face in a vain attempt to prevent tears leaking from her eyes. She didn’t know where she was going; she didn’t care. Her heart burned painfully, and it wasn’t from the exertion of running. She would never have guessed just how much a broken heart could hurt. She ran and ran until at last, her muscles screaming with agony, she collapsed.

As the sun dropped below the horizon and the stars came out, as the moon moved across the sky, she stayed there unmoving, unable to concentrate on anything except for the pain in her heart. Lost in her misery, she was unaware of how much time passed before she was roused by a tap on the shoulder? Tears blurring her vision, she groaned as she saw one of the last people she wanted to see at that moment.

“What’s the matter, Hun? Sleeping rough tonight?”

“Go away, Harley,” she growled. He frowned, seeing the sadness in her eyes.

“What happened?” he asked, kneeling down beside her. She hesitated a moment before answering.

“Drew split up with me for another girl,” she answered, fresh tears coming to her eyes. She half-expected him to make a snide remark in reply, or jump around shouting with joy. She was surprised.

“Do you want to talk about it?” he asked gently.

“What is there to tell?” she asked. “I loved him, he didn’t love me. All he wanted were my breasts. When he couldn’t get those, he threw me aside like I was a piece of rotten fruit and went on to somebody who would give him what he wanted.” She looked bitterly at the ground. “I gave him my heart, Harley, and he threw it back in my face.”

“Every bright cloud has a silver lining,” he said gently. “Right now you’re in a lot of pain, but you’ll come out of this as a stronger and better person. You’ll see, May.”

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One week later...

“I finally beat her, Drew,” Brianna said, a tight smile on her face. “I finally beat Clair and won the badge.”

“That’s great, Brianna,” Drew replied, lounging easily on the bed, his hands behind his head and his shirt discarded on the floor.

“Drew?” she asked.

“Hmm?”

“I, uh... I have something really important to talk to you about.”

“What’s that?” he asked.

“It’s over,” she said flatly.

“What?” he shouted, jumping to his feet.

“I’ve had a crush on you for a long time, and I thought it was love. But... it wasn’t,” she said. “I’ve found someone better; someone who really knows how to handle me.”

“Who?” he whispered, feeling crushed. She turned and looked back into the hallway.

“You can come in,” she called with a big smile. Drew’s eyes grew huge as he saw who it was.

“No way,” he whispered.

“Hey, Honey-bun,” Harley said jovially as he walked into the room. “How are you doing today?”

“Brianna... How could you possibly pick Harley over me?” Drew shouted. “This is a joke, right? Right?”

“This is no joke,” Brianna said, looking at Harley lovingly. “He’s everything I’ve ever wanted.”

“But... why?” Drew asked, desperation tinged in his voice. “Why would you fall in love with Harley, of all people!”

“Well, like I said before,” Brianna said with a slight blush. “He really knows how to handle me, if you know what I mean. And the way he dresses like a Cacturne is so adorable! But now we should probably go; I’m sure you’re upset and we don’t want to bother you.” Harley looked at Drew as Brianna walked out of the room, the smile gone from his face.

“And now,” he said, barely constrained rage evident in his voice, “now you know how May felt.” He gave the stunned Coordinator a supremely disdainful look before turning to follow Brianna. Only one word that he’d said appeared to register with the native of Larousse City, however.

“May,” he whispered. “I’ve got to go after May...”

“I need you back, May,” he pleaded to the stony-faced Coordinator. “I made a mistake, and I admit that. I should have never broken-up with you like that over something this silly. Please say you’ll take me back, May. Please.” May sighed.

“I can’t take you back,” she said softly. “How can I when you’ve hurt me so badly? If I were to take you back, I would be living with the fear that you’d leave me again for the rest of my life. I can’t do it; I just can’t.”

“You’re making a mistake,’ he warned.

“My only mistake was in letting myself be deluded by your claims of love in the first place,” she snapped angrily.

“If you leave me here, I won’t stop following you until we’re together,” he retorted, a dark look in his eyes.

“Good luck with trying to do that,” she said, standing up. “You have a Grand Festival to compete in; I don’t. Goodbye, Drew.” She stormed out of the room, leaving him standing there feeling slightly dazed. He didn’t think it could have possibly gone worse.

Standing in turn, he began pacing the room. As the memory of recent events began to assail him once more, he realized just what he had lost. He’d lost his friends, his rivals, and the people he loved. This was not something he could casually shrug off. This would haunt him forever. When the enormity of his actions struck him, Drew lost his mind.


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“Drew!” May screamed, waking from the nightmare of her past. She bolted upright, her eyes wild. “Stay away from me!” she screamed. “I’ll never go back to you, never!” Two strong hands clamped around her arms, holding her in place for a moment before leaning her gently backwards.

“It’s okay, May,” Ash said reassuringly. “You’re safe now. We got the pustule on your chest out, and you should make a full recovery. You could have died if it wasn’t for our Pokemon, including your new Charmander.”

“I have a Charmander?” she asked blankly. Ash frowned.

“Do you remember anything that’s happened, May?” he asked in concern.

“I remember running down a hill and a Pokemon that I’ve never seen before,” she said slowly. “Then the next thing I remember is waking up just now.”

“Well, everything’s that happened is a really long story,” Ash said. “After meeting Mewtwo, you got sick. We don’t know what it was, but we think it may be a variant of the Pokerus. Whatever the disease was, it caused a pustule to form on your chest. We had to dig it out or you would have died, and during this whole ordeal the egg that I gave you evolved into a Charmander.”

“Wow,” May said after a moment’s pause. She looked down at her chest and frowned. “How come there’s no mark or scar?” she asked.

“Blissey and Sudowudo used Heal Bell to regrow your skin, and then Latias used Recover to regenerate the tissue and blood that was lost. It was incredible the way it reformed; I’ve never seen anything like it.”

“Ah,” she said, and yawned. “I’m really tired,” she said softly. Ash immediately lowered her down gently onto the bed.

“Sorry, May,” he said. “We’ll let you sleep.”

“Thanks,” she said, and then after a moment’s pause, “Ash?”

“Yes May?”

“How come nobody put a shirt on me after I was healed?” Ash blushed.

“I’ll get you one now,” he said hurriedly, stepping out of the recovery room and into the room where May had been operated on.

“Ash,” Brock said sombrely when he saw his friend enter. “We’ve got a major problem.”

“What’s that?” Ash asked, bending to pick up May’s discarded shirt.

“You remember how Professor Oak wasn’t answering when May was losing all of that blood?”

“Yeah...”

“Paul was in your house. He wanted the GS Ball and was threatening your Mom with his Scyther. Professor Oak couldn’t talk to us because he was trying to stop Paul from hurting her.” Ash froze, his heart thundering in his chest.

“And... and does he know that we have it?” he asked.

“He does,” Brock said, and hesitated. “I told him when Professor Oak asked whether we still had it; I didn’t realize he was there.”

“Does he know where we are?” he asked, a dry fear in his throat.

“He does,” Brock answered. He stepped forward and looked Ash straight in the eyes. “Ash; he knows where we are and he knows that we can’t go anywhere because of May. He’s already on his way.”

“We’re in danger,” Ash muttered. He looked up, worry in his eyes. “Maybe I should just give him what he wants,” he said quietly. Brock looked at him, aghast.

“You can’t!” he said.

“It’s just an old Poke Ball,” Ash protested.

“You and I both know that’s not true,” Brock snapped. “There’s more to this than what we know at the surface. Mewtwo said that May had a dark presence around her. I don’t know why that is, but I’m guessing it was the GS Ball. And what would Paul want with a 400 year-old Poke Ball anyways? It doesn’t add up, Ash. Paul was always nasty towards you, but by the time your rivalry finished he was just dark. I don’t know why he wants the GS Ball so badly, but the last thing we should do is give it to him.”

“So what do we do?” Ash asked hopelessly.

“If I know Paul, he’ll use his Pokemon to get the GS Ball for him,” Brock said, pacing. “We could get in touch with Lt. Surge, but I don’t think he and Forrest combined could hold Paul off for more than a couple of minutes. The only person who has a chance of beating him is you.”

“So you think I should battle him for it,” Ash said.

“Your Pokemon are the strongest around, and unlike Paul you have more than six with you thanks to your Ex-Dex. And you’re the only trainer Paul has ever been afraid of.”

“Paul, afraid of me?” Ash snorted.

“It’s true, and you know it’s true,” Brock said quietly. “It’s obvious from the way he treated you at the start.”

“I don’t believe it, but you’re right that I’m the only one who has any real chance at beating him,” Ash said. He sighed and looked down at Pikachu, sleeping next to the baby Charmander in the tattered remains of May’s backpack. He slipped a hand inside his pocket and clenched the ancient GS Ball tightly.

“Looks like we’re in for a real battle,” he murmured.


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Max looked down at the prone, unconscious body of Drew disdainfully. Dirt matted the Coordinator's once immaculately clean face, and tears coursing down his cheeks had carved deep rivulets in the skin. He looked dead, but the steady rise and fall of his chest revealed the life that remained within.

"You killed her, Drew," he whispered. "She gave you everything, and you gave her Hell."

A great shudder ran down the young trainer's body. Tears sparkled in his eyes, clouding his vision and causing him to take great shuddering gasps. A torrent of unchecked emotions ran through his mind, and he dropped to the ground next to the half-dead man he hated.

"What have I done?" he whispered into the wind. "What have I done?"

[Matkin22]

So, here it is; Chapter 32, ahead of schedule. I've actually had this done since Friday; the delay was in trying to add content to this chapter. But it just didn't seem to fit, so I'll put it into the next chapter instead. I've also noticed a couple of strange stats with this story recently on Fanfiction.net; the average number of reviews has increased substantially, but the number of views has decreased quite a bit. Up until Chapter 24, I had an average of around 800 views per chapter. At Chapter 24 it surprisingly dropped 300 reads from Chapter 23, made it's way back up to 1100 views for Chapter 26 (which if I recall was the major ContestShipping portion, strangely enough), but since then has dropped quite a bit. Chapter 31 has had only 278 views so far; does anybody know why this may be? What have I done to drive away so many readers of this story? Any ideas?

Chapter 32: Cyas

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Two weeks ago...

It was gone. It was gone. The beast let out a shrill scream of rage at the discovery, at the realization... at the loss. Twisting its long, silver neck, it reared back its head and bayed its loss to the sky. The call carried for miles across the oceans and echoed against the rocks of the Whirl Islands. It bayed again, and again. It bayed until its throat was raw and bleeding, and until the sun’s first rays began peeking over the horizon.

Its child, its purpose in life and its dedication for 10 years, was gone. It had been taken once before, but had been quickly found then. Given the coldness of the den, it didn’t seem likely to be the case this time around. For a brief moment it entertained the faint hope that its child had merely set out for an exploration; after all, it was close to the age when it would leave the nest forever. But no, the human footprints laying fresh on the floor amid several scuffle marks put paid to that fragile hope

The tears slowly stopped flowing as the deep sorrow it felt in its heart became rage. The eyes glinted and hardened as it turned its head towards the rising sun and hissed angrily. The first of the day’s warmth struck its feathers, illuminating its dazzling silver plumage. It did not remain there for long. The beast’s fury swelled and became so great that the very air began to change.

The sparkles of light playing on the water’s surface vanished as the sky returned to darkness, and a chill breeze picked up, causing waves to begin splashing violently against the rocks. A vortex of air began to form, ripping out some nearby vegetation and sending it hurtling away.

The Lugia let out a high, keening shriek of rage and loss before taking to the air and spinning itself into the form of a tight cyclone. With the full power of a hurricane behind it, the legendary Pokemon dove into the sea and swam off, searching for its young. Only a single thought pervaded through its mad rage.

The humans had taken its child; now it would search the globe until it was found, exacting vengeance on any whom it encountered along the way. And woe betide those who had kidnapped the only creature it had left in this world.

As the Lugia moved away from its home, the intensity of the hurricane faded until it vanished altogether. With the first wisps of bright sunlight that emerged from behind the final black cloud, a sudden dazzling ray of light shot upwards, reflecting the strong rays of the sun. This area of the world was almost completely uninhabited; a prime reason why the Lugia had chosen to nest here. It would therefore be over a decade before this object was discovered, although its worth was nigh unmeasureable.

A silver feather.

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400 years ago...

It was dark, near midnight. The field glistened with early dew, and a cool breeze ruffled the blades of grass. It was truly the most tranquil of nights. To any passing person or Pokemon, it would have seemed like a typical night in the wilderness; save for the curious pattern of several large stone tablets, and the group of people who stood off to the side.

“The tablets have all been arranged?” the King demanded.

“Yes, my Lord,” the captain of his army replied.

“And the Pokemon have all been gathered?” The captain hesitated.

“All save for Ho-Oh, my Lord,” he answered in a low tone. “However, if the ancient words are true...”

“If they are false, then this whole endeavour shall be in vain!” the King roared. “Do you in any way realize how difficult it was to find and subdue each Pokemon, let alone keep them secured? It was an almost impossible task!”

“My Lord, as the one who planned out and led the captures, I understand full well just how difficult the task was; Rayquaza, Regice, and Kyogre were almost impossible to reach. And if the ancient words are false, then it would not matter whether we had each legendary Pokemon and the stone tablets, as it would also fail.”

“Failure is not an option, Captain,” the King growled. “The Cyas Wars have drained Kentou, Shannah, Whoeen, and Gotou of both soldiers and resources. We remained independent, and so are now at our strongest; if we are to seize Cyas before the four forces recover their previous strength, we must act now! With Cyas, no country can stand before us! The whole world will be mine for the taking, and all shall kneel before the King of Pokelantis!” His eyes shone madly, already seeing himself established as the ruler of the known world.

“Yes, my Lord,” the Captain said, bowing. He turned and strode off towards the temporary barracks. “Bring the Pokemon!” he ordered the nearest group of men.

The King reached into the folds of his robes and carefully drew out the stone Poke Ball. He examined it for a moment, and then snapped his head upwards. “Smith!” he roared. The short, humpbacked man pushed his way hastily through the nearby crowd of servants, attendants, and guards, panting with the effort.

“Yes, my Lord?” he asked. The King’s eyes bored into him.

“You have crafted what I requested?” he asked. The smith swallowed.

“My Lord... It was not as simple as I expected. Metal is not as easy to shape as rock, and it possesses different properties. It took several attempts, and even now I am not sure...”

“Did you forge it or not?” the King roared, causing everyone in the vicinity to jump.

“I... I did, my Lord,” the smith whispered.

“Where is it?” the King demanded. Not taking his eyes off the King, the Smith slowly reached into a deep pocket woven into the side of his robe and drew out a beautiful violet-coloured velvet bag, tied tightly with shining silver tassels. He knelt and proffered the bag to the King reverently, who snatched it with little care. Ripping open the delicate tassels, the King upended the bag and dumped its contents into his palm. A stunned gasp rose from all who were nearby.

A smoothly shaped sphere rested in the man’s hand. It was roughly the size of a clenched fist, and shone as if it had just been polished. Two runes, representing the initials of the King, were stamped into the surface on the top half of the sphere, but it was the colouring that so stunned the crowd.

The bottom half was a stunning silver, reminiscent of the glow from the night’s full moon. Dazzling everyone, it reflected the face of anyone who gazed at it. The top half of the sphere shone a bright gold, perfectly capturing the essence of day’s dawn. Separating the two was a dark black band, the width of a single finger, which ran around the center. Just underneath the runes the band formed into a circle, leaving a small silver nub of metal protruding from the sphere. For likely the first time in his life, the King was held speechless by the sight of the beautiful craftsmanship.

“It is to your liking, my Lord?” the smith dared ask. For a moment the King did not respond, and the smith feared the worst.

“It is... a wondrous thing,” he said at last, eliciting an audible sigh of relief from the smith. “This is truly a worthy object with which to contain Cyas.” He looked up from the sphere and beheld the captain as he approached and knelt.

“My Lord, the casters are in their positions. Each has been properly placed between the stone tablets. All that we require now is your presence.” The King nodded.

“Escort me to the center,” he ordered. Motioning several guards into a protective formation, the captain fell into step behind the King as they walked towards the large circle of casters and tablets. Several casters moved silently out of the circle, making room for the King to pass through. Once he moved by, they retook their positions.

At the centre of the circle, the King stopped. He gazed first at the sky then turned in a slow circle, ensuring that every caster was in the right location between the tablets. He nodded silently to the Captain who saluted in turn. The guards moved silently out of the circle to stand behind the casters, leaving the King alone. He gazed at the moon and waited. He did not wait long.

A strange shimmering appeared within the moon; it glowed in several colours, and grew swiftly in size. A harsh, yet somehow melodic cry rang faintly out. There would have been murmurs of fear and wonderment were it not for the King’s need for silence. Several men shifted uncomfortably; their movements were completely ignored by the King, whose eyes were fixed on the shimmering apparition approaching from within the shape of the moon. Unblinkingly, he watched as it suddenly blazed gold with all the intensity of the sun. It swooped down towards the gathering and let loose a harsh screech, causing many to cringe as it swept directly overhead, its body glowing brilliantly, its eyes staring savagely downward with the colours of the rainbow.

“Ho-Oh...” the King whispered. “After all the plans that you have thwarted, after all the times you have emerged the victor... at long last you shall be mine, and the jewel of my collection. Casters!” he roared, and each man standing between the plates held out a spherical stone at arm’s length. From each stone shot a jagged violet beam that caused the hair of each man to stand up on end. The bursts of light collided at the centre of the circle, directly over the King’s head. He laughed as he beheld the beams fuse and grow, and at Ho-Oh’s surprised screech of pain as a strange purple aura began to drain from its own body and meet with the rest.

“You are powerless,” he hissed sibilantly. “There is no escape from the ancient spell; a spell layed down by Cyas itself, the Lord of all Pokemon. Your power will be used for my purpose, to summon and capture Cyas!” He laughed again and, in a low voice, began to recite the ancient words in a strange dialect over and over again.

From the land and the sea, mine power flows from thee
From the earth to the sky, the wet and the dry
I rule land, air, and sea.

Spirit, will, and thoughts
Life, death, and dreams
I come when I am called
Awakened with a scream.

When hearts are blackened by power corrupt
And hatred taints the will of the free
My energy is used only to disrupt
Call me in a desperate plea.

Take with you the strength of my sons and daughters
And my mortal ties to the earth.
I require earth, wind, rock, ice, fire, and water
For this world to give me rebirth.

But heed me now and heed me well;
I give and I take away.
The arm that created your world and your life
Has the hand that shall take it away.
Meddle not in the ancient powers
My wrath cannot be controlled;
If called before the day my presence is required
Naught but chaos can unfold.

If worst comes to worst with the end drawing near
My rampage causing naught but harm
There is but one way to stay your fears
Self-sacrifice stills these arms.

The fused violet beams of light made a sound like a great roar and expanded into a sphere of incredible size. The eighteen plates in the circle began to glow a brilliant and blinding white, before rising several inches into the air and turning so that the inscriptions on each faced the violet sphere. In response, a great formless image appeared from within the gigantic structure, growing larger and larger with each passing moment. The brighter the plates glowed, the larger and more structured the image became.

A maniacal laugh pealed out above the sound of the roaring sphere and the expanding shape within. His arms stretched outwards in desire, the mad King of Pokelantis beheld the apparition with utter glee.

“Cyas, I summon you!” he roared. “You will be mine, and none shall stand before our might! Cyas, I call you now from the void you entered when our world was born. The time has come for you to awaken and serve me as you are meant to! For I have done what the combined forces of Kentou, Gotou, Whoeen, and Shannah could not! I summon you now to this world; Cyas, arise!”

With an earth-shattering scream from within, the purple sphere imploded, blinding every man who did not shield his eyes. A creature unlike any ever seen before by mortal creatures stepped sedately out from the glow to stand easily on the hard ground. A deep rumbling sound came from deep within its throat as it beheld the casters and their stone spheres, sensing what each contained within. Its angry red eyes travelled around the circle, and rearing back its head it let loose a long baying call. There were terrified screams from the casters as the spheres that they held began to shake menacingly. Suddenly, one after the other, the stone spheres exploded, releasing the behemoths contained inside.

The King froze uncertainly as the casters, his servants, and even the guards and soldiers broke ranks and fled. His face paled momentarily as he beheld the entity Cyas stand before him, and the crowd of legendary Pokemon that surrounded them both; the massive Groudon, the solid Regigigas, the intelligent Latios, the fleet Articuno, and the ones who controlled his very existence: Dialga, Palkia, Uxie, Mesprit, and Azelf. He turned once in a long, slow circle, holding the eyes of each Pokemon that gazed at him. Holding up the magnificently coloured metal sphere, he faced Cyas with a sneer upon his face; in response, the legendary entity let loose a bellow that shook the earth to its very core.

“Having summoned you, Cyas, I now claim you as my own,” the King roared. “Behold, the GS Pokemon Catcher, named in my honour! These devices allow humans to capture and control any creature!” Cyas snarled menacingly, a harsh, guttural sound; but this time, the vocalizations were accompanied by telepathy.

Foolish human; my will cannot be controlled by beings as weak as you. I have seen how you imprisoned my brethren, and now you have seen how easily I was able to destroy your cages. No force you create can hope to contain me.

“But this is much stronger than the rocks used to capture the legendary Pokemon,” the King whispered. “Into the GS Pokemon Catcher, the spirit of my greatest nemesis has been imbibed. Yes, Ho-Oh, the one who has thwarted so many of my plans in the past, unwittingly assisted me with this endeavour. Several months ago, Ho-Oh dropped a single feather at my feet after halting my army’s march against Pokemopolis. My smith used the power of this feather in the flame that was used to forge this magnificent catching device.” He sighed theatrically. “The power and strength of Ho-Oh flows through this sphere, this ball. You have no hope of escape.”

Grinning wickedly, the evil King raised the golden and silver ball above his head, pointing it at the entity.

“Cyas, I call you to my side! With the power of Ho-Oh, you are mine!”

A glistening red beam shot from the centre of the GS Ball, on dead course for Cyas. The entity vanished, reappearing behind the King almost instantaneously.

You are naught but foolish, the entity rumbled. You have summoned me for the purpose of greed. My arms created your earth and your life; now they shall be reclaimed. Human, your life is mine.

Letting loose a high, bellowing shriek, Cyas opened its red maw and lunged forwards. The King screamed in terror as the massive mouth closed around his body and the front teeth dug into the ground around his feet. He felt his body become suddenly inverted as Cyas lifted its head and swallowed. The dark, pulsing walls of the throat pummelled his body and forced him to slide ever onwards down the esophagus.

“You were mine,” he wailed, flailing around as best as he could, striking the walls of the throat with the GS Ball. “You were mine!”

The legendary Pokemon watched impassively as Cyas’s mouth closed around the mad King, and swallowed him. For a moment, all was silent. And then, seemingly from within, Cyas’s body began to glow a deep red. A look of surprised pain spread across the entity’s face and then, in a cloud of energy, its body writhed and contorted into a scarlet cloud which condensed inwards.

With a wet and somewhat slimy thump, the King of Pokelantis fell from midair to land painfully on the ground. His eyes reflected astonishment as the beam of red energy that had once been Cyas was sucked slowly into the GS Ball. For several moments, the Ball writhed violently, so violently that the King feared it would break. But the power of Ho-Oh held true, and after a time the Ball ceased moving.

“Cyas is mine,” the King muttered, surprise and delight in his tone. “Cyas is mine!” He laughed raucously, but his delight did not last for long. With a deafening scream, Ho-Oh lunged downwards, its rainbow-hued body sizzling with rage. The King did the only thing he possibly could; he ran.

An intense jet of fire burst from Ho-Oh’s mouth, lapping along the ground and scorching the King’s robes. The King only ran faster, laughing madly as he tried to escape the ferocious flames. An unsighted root proved his undoing, as the King tripped and fell forwards, tumbling end over end. His grip on the GS Ball was lost, and it flew unsighted into a nearby stream where it sank and slowly drifted off with the current.

Spitting out dirt, the King rolled over onto his back and beheld the terrifying sight of Ho-Oh descending, its talons and beak outstretched. Blindly, he groped for what he thought was the GS Ball beneath his body; he held it out at arm’s length and called.

“Cyas, I summon you now! Protect your master from the savage Ho-Oh!”

A feeling of blankness and dread spread across his body as he realized that it was not the GS Ball he held, but the stone sphere; worse, the small opening was pointing not at Ho-Oh, but at himself. His vision slowly faded out into a violet spectrum as the purple aura flowed from the stone and enveloped his body. As the atoms of his body broke apart, disintegrating him into a pure energy, he writhed and struggled, letting out a high-pitched scream of pain as he tried to avoid his own imprisonment. It was to no avail. The last thing he saw before he vanished from the world for centuries to come was the face of Ho-Oh staring down at him.

“I was King,” he screamed, sobbing bitterly as the darkness claimed him; “I was King!”

And then he knew no more.

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Well, I hope that you all enjoyed this chapter; it's much shorter than the last one but about the same length as most of the others, so I hope you aren't too disappointed with it! And hey, just over a week in between updates is absolutely fantastic for me! Especially considering updates have only occured monthly since the new year (=S). I'm glad to finally get these portions introduced/wrapped up though; the first part should have been written, oh, about ten chapters ago. Better late than never though, I guess.

[Caesar]

sweet, hey, cyas would still be in the gs ball then, and the eighteen plates... nice little chapter

[Shadow_Shaymin]

Sweet chapter man. I can't wait to see what Cyas looks like, unless he is Arceus, but if it is another pokemon then it would be awesome. I love the style of writing, and I honestly wonder where the baby Lugia disappeared to.

Keep up the writing, I can't wait till the next chapter.

[Caelesti]

Oh my God.
You're an amazing writer. Even though I don't like Advanceshipping all that much, I love this fanfic... a lot. I love your style, you mix description with plot evenly, and that's a great thing, imo. I'm so happy that May survived! When you posted that April Fool's post, I got really depressed because I thought she actually died. XD;
I also love how Harley was nice to May, that was refreshing. Damn Drew, seriously. ><

[lunarshadow]

Matkin22 you are an amazing writer. This is I think one of the first Fanfics I have ever read, and I must say it is amazing. I'm just wondering what was going through your head when you first started this fic. All those months ago. Just a testament to your skill! Keep up the awesome work!

P.S. When the next chapter comes out, I will make a thorough rate and review!

[Matkin22]

Thanks a lot for the reviews, everyone. I'm glad to know that you're all enjoying it! After an exceedingly long delay, here is the next installment. There's a couple of surprises in here that you may not have expected, and a little twist at the end too. Hope you enjoy.

Chapter 33: Reclaim

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As the flashlight beams broke around the corner James turned with a Poke Ball in hand, instinctively shielding his eyes when the light shone onto his face. He heard several intakes of surprise and so enlarged his Poke Ball, ready to fight his way out.

“James?” a pair of voices said incredulously.

“Cassidy! Butch!” he exclaimed, squinting past the light. “What are you doing here?”

“If you’d asked us a couple of days ago, the answer would have been to kill you,” Cassidy snarled. “As it is, we’re on a secret mission for Giovanni. I hope you’re not here to get in our way, for your sake.”

“What do you mean, ‘for my sake’?” James asked loudly, his hand clenching the Poke Ball tightly. “Are you threatening me?”

“You’d just better hope that you don’t antagonize me enough to start a battle,” she retorted. “You don’t want to end up the same way that Jessie and Meowth did.” James felt his heart pound at the names of his partners.

“What did you do to them?” he demanded. Cassidy’s earlier words came to mind, and for a minute he thought his heart had failed. “Don’t tell me that... they can’t be dead!”

“They almost were, until some punk kid stopped us at the end,” Cassidy growled. “Their resistance was absolutely pathetic. It was too easy to beat them. I can’t imagine you’d be any more difficult than them.”

“Let me guess, four Pokemon against two... or was it five on two? If it was an even fight you wouldn’t find Jessie and Meowth so easy to beat.” He snorted. “Good luck in trying to take me down, one on one!”

“For your information, it was two on three,” Cassidy growled, her eyes sparking dangerously. “And even when that punk kid interfered, he barely stopped us. It’s time for you to learn what true power looks like; maybe that will teach you some respect! Houndoom, Raticate! Destroy him!”

“Wheezing, Cacnea! Go!” James roared.

The four Pokemon stood stock-still, glaring at one another. The Houndoom took a step forwards, and James’s Wheezing instantly moved to protect his trainer. The tension in the air grew enormously as everyone waited for the other to make the first move.

“Stop this,” Butch shouted, pushing his way past Cassidy. “This tunnel isn’t designed for Pokemon battles; if you two start a fight, it’ll collapse on top of us.” He turned to James. “We’re on a mission for Giovanni; why are you here?” he asked. James looked at him strangely for a moment before answering.

“I’m here with Paul; Giovanni’s son,” he said. “Were both looking for an ancient object; I was told to search in the lab while he looked in Pallet Town.”

“Isn’t it just a little bit possible that we’re both looking for the same thing?” Butch asked.

“It’s possible,” James said after a pause.

“It’s possible, but that’s not the case, we’re not after the GS Ball” a tall stranger said as he stepped out from the darkness behind Cassidy, his slight accent amplified in the silent tunnel.

“You look familiar,” James said slowly, scrutinizing the young man. His unkempt blue hair hung down his back, and he wore his clothes in a completely carefree manner, a pair of sunglasses dangling from a gold chain around his neck. “And how do you know what I’m looking for?”

“Yeah, I’m sure you’ve seen me around at HQ before,” he said carelessly. “I’m Damian; Giovanni’s second son, which would also explain why I know what you’re after. And despite what this quick-tempered woman seems to think, we’re both on the same side.”

“Damian? Now I remember you!” James blurted. “Ten years ago you abandoned a Charmander in the forest!”

“What? That weak little thing?” Damian chuckled. “I can’t believe you actually remember something like that; I’d forgotten all about that weakling years ago. Now, are we gonna stand here jawing all night, or are you going to enter the password so we can get on with our searches?” James eyed the three warily.

“I want those Pokemon recalled before I turn my back,” he said. “I don’t trust they won’t attack me given our, ah, combative history.”

“Cassy?” Damian asked impatiently when she made no move to retrieve her Houndoom and Raticate.

“I’ve told you before; the name’s Cassidy, not Cassy!” she snapped.

“I couldn’t care less what your name is if you do your job. Now get those Pokemon back in their Poke Balls before the sun rises and we get caught by Oak and the rest!” Damian snapped back. Grumbling, Cassidy recalled both her Pokemon and James turned to punch in the code he’d been given.

“G...R...E...” he muttered, taking care each letter was in order, “L... O... W... Got it!” he said triumphantly as the keypad beeped, flashed green, and the pneumatic door slid open silently. Retrieving Cacnea and Wheezing, James stepped into the room, shielding his eyes automatically as a series of bright lights illuminated the dark room.

“Look!” Butch called from behind James’s shoulder, pointing at the far wall. “There’s one hanging on the wall!”

“This’ll be too easy,” Cassidy muttered, walking towards a large, spherical slab of stone and taking care to knock into James on her way.

James didn’t even notice the provocation; his eyes were fixed on the stone, his lips suddenly dry. It looked to be roughly two feet long and fairly thick; from where he was standing, he could barely make out an inscription on the deep-red surface.

“The Original One breathed alone before the universe came,” Butch read aloud, noticing James’s interest, before turning to the next. “The rightful bearer of a Plate draws from the Plate it holds.” James felt a slight shiver creep up his spine at the sound of that inscription. He was suddenly uncomfortably aware of the light green stone that was securely fastened inside his bag back in the field.

“Damian, there’s only fifteen plates here,” Cassidy reported. “We’re missing three.”

“Which ones?” he snapped.

“The Insect Plate, the Zap Plate, and the Unknown Plate,” she answered.

“Keep looking,” he said. “They may still be here, hidden away somewhere. James, if you see any stones like the ones on the wall hidden away while you look for the GS Ball, tell us right away.”

“Sure,” James replied, his mind still on the stone wrapped in with his belongings. For a few moments, all was silent as the four rummaged through the room. James found himself slowly gravitating towards Damian as the time passed, until they were standing only a few feet apart; he chuckled humourlessly.

“What?” Damian asked in obvious irritation.

“You were wrong, you know,” James said. “You were wrong about the Charmander.”

“Are you still strung up on that weak little thing?” Damian asked with a snort. “It’s been ten years; forget about it already.”

“Weak?” he asked. “That little Charmander became the strongest Pokemon I’ve ever had the misfortune to battle against. Five years ago, as a Charizard, it beat an Articuno in battle!” He eyed Damian coldly. “The only weak one is you for releasing it and not letting it grow with care.” He shook his head. “You’re just like your brother,” he murmured.

Anger flared briefly in Damian’s eyes, but he quickly masked his emotions. “You don’t say,” he said mildly. “Well if I ever have the opportunity to go against that Charizard, you’ll see just who the weak one is. Now if you don’t have anything worth saying, stand aside so I can get on with my search.” James opened his mouth to reply, but was halted by the sound of his loaned Poketch beeping.

“Paul?” he asked, flipping the device open and revealing the communication screen.

“Get back out here now,” Paul snapped. “The sun’s starting to rise; you’re wasting time in there. I found out from that idiot of a Professor where the GS Ball is, and we’re going to go get it now.”

“Where is it?” James asked quickly.

“Just get out here and follow me on your Wheezing. You’ll find out soon enough,” Paul said, before brusquely cutting off the communication. James stared at the blank screen for a moment before turning to the other occupants of the room.

“Good luck with your search; I hope you find that green plate of yours,” he said. His eyes rested on Cassidy, pure contempt radiating towards her.

“Next time we meet, you’d better be ready to beg for your life,” she growled.

“I can’t wait,” he said mockingly, exiting the room. Silence passed for several moments, and then Damian turned to Butch.

“Did you tell him what the Insect Plate looks like?” he asked.

“No,” he replied.

“Did you?” he asked Cassidy.

“No,” she answered slowly.

“Then how did he know what it looks like?” Damian asked. Realization suddenly hit Butch, and Cassidy began trembling with anger.

“You mean... you mean to say...” she growled, rage clouding every syllable.

“How do we get it now?” Butch asked.

“Easy,” Damian snarled, a shadow crossing over his face. “We follow him and take it from him. Looks like you get your chance to battle him after all, Cassidy.”

“I can’t wait,” she growled, punching a fist into her palm. “I can’t wait.”

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Silver grinned at the sound of the security alarms going off. In the few days since his escape, he’d scoped out the exterior of the Team Rocket headquarters with the help of the baby Fearow. They’d quickly found a way of getting

inside, although it meant climbing several stories of the building that had been carved into the mountainside. It hadn’t bothered him unduly; he’d free-climbed both steeper and higher in his lifetime. What he hadn’t anticipated was the alarms going off when he broke through a window to climb into the building. Now he crouched almost panther-like, hidden in the shadows of the curving corridor, waiting. He didn’t have to wait long.

A Rocket Grunt trotted down the hallway towards the security room, on his way to see what had caused the alarms to go off. A thick, meaty hand clamped around his mouth and another round his neck. He was swiftly dragged back into the shadows and came face to face with the only person he had ever seen who rivalled Giovanni in size. But in a hand-to-hand fight with this man, Giovanni would lose. The Grunt had no doubt about that in the least. This man who held him in such a deadly embrace had a strength that Giovanni did not, and there was both rage and savagery in his eyes.

“Seen my Poke Balls?” Silver asked him softly, tightening his grip around the man’s neck ever so slightly. The Grunt’s eyes darted around the area, terrified. “It’s just you and me, kiddo,” Silver whispered. “We’re all alone here.” He noticed the fear in the Grunt’s eyes and chuckled.

“Don’t worry; I’m not going to kill you. No, I’m going to look into your eyes as you answer my questions, and if I see even an iota of deception in them, then my friend here,” he nodded at the baby Fearow perched on his shoulder, “is going to gore out your eyes with its Drill Peck. Understand?” The Grunt nodded as fast as Silver’s grip would permit, his eyes wide.

“Good. Now; do you know where my Poke Balls are?” The Grunt nodded. “Where are they?” he asked, taking his hand away from the Grunt’s mouth. The Grunt began shaking, and didn’t answer. “Where are they?” Silver demanded. Tears began leaking from the Grunt’s eyes, but still his mouth remained immobile. “I’m going to give you one last chance, and if you don’t answer me then I’ll make sure you never speak again. I ask you again; where are my Poke Balls!”

“In the security room,” the Grunt whispered, tears streaming down his face. Silver nodded, thinking, and then hit the man in the forehead with a swift rabbit punch. The Grunt collapsed, instantly unconscious.

“A loyal fool, but a fool regardless,” Silver grunted, stripping the man of his uniform. “He’d be much better doing something decent for a living; why people join these evil organizations when they’re treated like such scum is just beyond me.”

He dropped his coat to the ground and began trying to squeeze into the Grunt’s uniform. It was a tighter fit than he anticipated but he managed to get it on, although there were several inches of arm, leg, and his grey undershirt visible. He grabbed the black cap and placed it on his head, ensuring that his long grey mane was tightly rolled up underneath.

“Well, how do I look?” he asked the Fearow. It squawked in response and he smiled grimly. “It won’t be on long; once I’ve got my Chikorita and Salamence, no Rocket will be able to stop me. As for this man...” he said, looking at the unconscious Grunt with menace in his eyes.

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The Grunt groaned, waking slowly from his unconsciousness. His head hurt like hell; no surprise really, not after a fast punch like that. He tried to get to his feet, but fell. He tried again, and again, each time with the same result. That was when he realized he was surrounded on all sides by thick, rough material. Squinting, he looked up and saw small peeks of sunlight poking through the rough knots. With fumbling fingers, he managed to untie some of them and pushed his head through the gap he’d created.

He got the shock of his life.

Cold wind rushed against his face, and when he looked down he could see both the forest and hard earth beneath him. He was trapped inside of a makeshift sack.

Tied to the mountainside that made up headquarters.

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The gigantic man burst through the doors of the Pokemon Centre, eliciting shrieks of surprise from the few patrons who were still awake at this time. He immediately spotted Forrest sitting with Dawn in a far corner, and stormed his way over. A scared Rey skidded through the doors several yards behind him; spotting the man cracking his knuckles as he approached the Pewter City Gym Leader, she took off running, trying her best keep up with his long strides.

“Boy!” he roared. “I hear you’ve been insulting this girl behind me!” He jabbed his finger over his shoulder at Rey.

“I did,” Forrest admitted after some hesitation. “And I would have apologized if she hadn’t stormed off the way she did.” The man stooped low so that his face was eye-to-eye with Forrest.

“Please... don’t hurt him,” Rey whispered, her face white. It was obvious enough in her eyes that if these two fought, the gigantic man would snap Forrest like a twig. “I’m sure he didn’t mean it, and I said some nasty things too.” The man ignored her.

“I want a fight,” he growled, and the little colour that was left drained out of Rey’s face; she turned to Dawn, a sick expression on her face. Dawn ignored her, her eyes full of concern as she looked down on Forrest. The man noted the expression in her eyes; concern, to be sure... and something more, perhaps..?

“I guess I have no choice,” Forrest said slowly, meeting the man’s gaze. Rey gasped, and Dawn turned to the young Gym Leader.

“Don’t do it Forrest, you’ll be torn apart!” she begged.

“A Gym Leader never refuses a challenge,” he answered softly, refusing to look her in the eyes. “Shall we take this outside?” he asked the man.

“A great idea,” he growled, turning and storming back out the doors.

“You don’t have to do this, Forrest,” Dawn whispered.

“I’ll be okay,” he answered, giving her a quick wink. “Just you watch.” He turned and followed the man out of the doors. Dawn looked at Rey, gave her head a great shake of disgust, and walked out after him. Trembling and white-faced, Rey trailed miserably behind.

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Ash sat next to May’s bed, unmoving. From where Brock watched at the doorway, he appeared to be asleep. But the breeder knew that he was not.

“Ash, you should get some sleep,” he said softly, approaching the trainer. “It’s 2 am. Paul can’t get here until tomorrow morning at the absolute earliest. You need to rest in case he arrives before we can leave.”

“I can’t,” Ash whispered hoarsely back, his voice thick with exhaustion. “She needs me here... I need to be here... I can’t sleep on her. What if something goes wrong?”

“Blissey is outside the door, and Nurse Joy’s office is just down the corridor,” Brock answered. “And besides, nothing will go wrong. The operation was dangerous, but the Heal Bell and Recover regenerated her blood and tissue perfectly. She won’t even have a scar. It took a lot out of her, and what she needs at the moment is rest to get back her strength.”

“I should be here for when she wakes up,” Ash protested stubbornly. Brock sighed, and knew his friend would not be persuaded otherwise.

“Alright Ash... try not to exhaust yourself too much. I guess we can always fly out tomorrow so you can rest then.” He clapped the trainer on the back and turned to leave the room. “Come on, Pikachu,” he said. “Let’s leave them alone for a bit.”

“Chaah,” Pikachu yawned, nodding in agreement. He sprinted up onto Brock’s shoulder and the two left the room, Brock shutting the door softly behind them.

Ash continued to sit at May’s side, his eyes unmoving from her face. Time lost all meaning as he gazed on her, her visage becoming his whole world. He did not notice his slowly diminishing range of vision, or the blurriness that accompanied it. He was not even aware of the darkness that claimed his consciousness as exhaustion and worry finally caught up to him.

His head collapsed onto the mattress, his face turned towards hers as the sleep he had been depriving himself of claimed him at last.

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Dawn followed Forrest nervously as he went around the side of the Pokemon Centre. Her mind was filled with concern for the well-being of the slight, young Gym Leader. Several bright lights snapped on, and she winced as they scorched her retinas. Shielding her eyes, she slowly became accustomed to the glare and was both surprised and relieved to find herself standing on the sidelines of a battlefield.

“One-on-one okay with you?” the man shouted.

“I’m more of a two-on-two battler, but its fine by me!” Forrest shouted back.

“Great,” the man grunted. He turned to Rey, who was only just drifting into the field. “One-on-one okay with you too?” he asked. She blinked.

“What?” she asked. The man sighed.

“Seems to me as if there’s some real bad blood between the two of you,” he said. “I always find that the best way to get that stuff out of my system is with a good and intense Pokemon battle! It’s you against Forrest, so is one-on-one okay with you?”

“I guess,” she said, still a little confused.

“Good! Then get over to the battle box!”

“What about a referee?” Dawn asked.

“As the Vermillion City Gym Leader, I’m fully qualified as a referee,” the man answered, striding over to the halfway mark on the sidelines. “Now, choose your Pokemon!” he roared to Forrest and Rey.

“Steelix! Go!” Forrest shouted, releasing the gigantic and menacing snake-like Pokemon.

“A ground-type; alright!” Rey said, finally gathering her wits about her. “Then I’ll go with Venusaur!” The ground shook as the massive Grass-type emerged and roared in anticipation.

“Surge, this was what you were going for all along, wasn’t it?” Forrest shouted. Lt. Surge grinned.

“Seemed like you two needed some time alone to sort out your issues, and this is the best way to do it!” he shouted back, raising both arms in the air. “Begin!”

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May’s eyes fluttered open. For a brief moment she couldn’t remember what had happened, but then the memories rushed back into her consciousness. She instinctively reached a hand to her breast and was relieved to find that, not only did it feel undamaged beneath her hospital shirt, but there was no pain either.

“Latias is an amazing healer,” she murmured, glad to know that her body was unchanged. She lay her arm back down and instantly jerked it back again when she felt it come into contact with something hairy. Turning her head to see what she had touched, she relaxed when she recognized Ash, his eyes closed, his breathing shallow, his face trained on hers in his sleep.

“You stayed by me, all this time when I was asleep,” she whispered, her heart melting at the realization. “Still... you really shouldn’t be sleeping like this.” Tentatively, she sat up, placed her feet on the floor, and climbed out of bed. She had to catch her balance quickly as a wave of dizziness crashed against her, but it quickly passed. Moving around the side of the bed, she felt suddenly pleased. Her balance seemed to have improved from the ordeal, and when she reached Ash and tried to lift him up, he felt much lighter than he ordinarily would have done.

She managed to get him into a fireman’s lift over her shoulder and carried him over to the door. Holding him carefully, she was able to squeeze the door open and slip through. “Which way to your bedroom?” she murmured to herself.

“B-54” he muttered, still fast asleep. Stifling a giggle at his automatic response, May set off in the direction of his room.

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Silver strolled into the Rocket’s security room with the Fearow on his shoulder, holding his hands behind his back and whistling a jaunty tune.

“You’re late, S34,” a large, coarse man growled.

“My apologies, Mr... ah... Tyson,” Silver answered, reading the man’s nametag surreptitiously. “I was called in to see Giovanni while on patrol.”

“Well that would explain why the alarm went off in your sector,” Tyson grunted, before turning back to the rest of the security agents already gathered in the room. “Now, the alarm went off in Security Sector 34. We don’t know what caused it; the cameras shorted out only moments before the incident happened. What we can guess is...” he trailed off, realizing that Silver was still standing behind him, looking innocently around the room. “Back in line, S34!” he roared, flecks of spit shooting out and hitting him in the chin.

Silver casually wiped the spit off his face, flicking it to the ground, before responding “Yes, sir,” in a slightly insulting manner and moving into the crowd.

“What we can guess,” Tyson continued, ignoring him, “is that an unknown person or Pokemon broke into or out of the building. What they are or were after is anyone’s guess, but I want you all to divide up into teams of two. Sweep the building and outside perimeter, and report in at ten minutes intervals or when you’ve found something important. Go; S34, stay here a moment.”

Silver had lost the thread of the conversation from his scanning of the room. He winked at the Fearow on his shoulder and nodded in the direction of glass cabinet, the only storage area in the room under lock and key.

“S34!” Tyson roared, jerking Silver back into awareness.

“Yessir! Understood!” he said smartly, jerking into a rough salute. Tyson glared at him and waved the other agents out of the room.

“Sit down,” he growled. “I don’t appreciate your insubordination, S34. I don’t think you understand just how dangerous this situation is. A dangerous man broke out of here two days ago, and he could be after Giovanni. We need to find and contain him now. I have no doubt that he’s looking for the Poke Balls we took off of him.”

“You mean the Poke Balls in that cabinet over there?” Silver asked innocently. Tyson looked taken aback for a moment, and then suspicious.

“Wait a minute...” he breathed, ripping off the cap on Silver’s head. “Red alert, red alert,” he began shouting into the commlink at his belt. “Silver has broken in, I repeat; Silver has broken in. He-”

Silver lunged, ripping the commlink out of Tyson’s hands and smashing it against the wall. “Oh no you don’t,” he breathed, clamping an arm around his neck. “Fearow, go!” The baby Fearow leapt off of Silver’s shoulder and flew for the cabinet, its beak spinning and aimed at the lock.

“Red alert... red alert...” a cool, pre-recorded female voice spoke from the intercom on the wall. “Moltres is loose; Moltres is loose. Special Forces being deployed for retrieval; all others take cover. Red alert... red alert...”

Tyson struggled with all his worth against Silver’s grip. Silver winced as teeth dug into his arm, legs kicked at him madly, and his arms were scored with scratches. “Enough of this,” Silver growled, lifting Tyson with both arms and heaving him bodily against the wall. The Security Agent collapsed amid the debris that fell from the impact, unconscious.

The lock on the cabinet snapped open, and the Fearow squawked in triumph. Silver ran over and wrenched the door open, gathering up the four Poke Balls inside. The room shook violently, and Silver pocketed the Poke Balls quickly before calling the Fearow to his side. “Hold on kid, this is going to be rough,” he shouted as the room trembled more and more.

“There he is!” a voice shouted from the hallway; Silver turned and saw four of the Security Grunts. “Get him!” one of them shouted, and all four began charging towards him. The floor gave way beneath their feet, and all four screamed in shock as they fell. A massive blur of moving flame appeared from the gap and burst headfirst into the exterior wall. Silver looked to the window and grinned as he saw Moltres fly past, finally free from its imprisonment.

“You won’t... get away...” Tyson gasped, slowly coming around and crawling towards Silver painfully.

“I already have,” Silver replied, grabbing one of the Poke Balls in his pocket. He walked back a few steps and ran through the closed window, disappearing from sight amid the shattered glass.

For a moment, Tyson could barely believe what had happened. Then the massive shape of a Salamence swooped past the window, and he let out a howl of rage at the sound of Silver’s mocking laughter before collapsing into unconsciousness once again.

Outside, Silver held onto his Salamence tightly, revelling in the freedom that had been denied to them both for so long. He urged his Salamence on faster as he tried to catch up to Moltres, loving the feel of the wind in his long unkempt hair. “Let’s go!” he roared, the Fearow on one shoulder and his beloved Chikorita on the other.

An intense blast of yellow light smashed directly into Moltres from above, sending it screeching into the ground where it lay pinned under the Hyper Beam. Too far away to see what was happening properly, Silver was stunned when the Legendary bird glowed white and turned to stone. “What?” he shouted in disbelief.

“It’s been a long time, Silver,” a cold, calculating voice said. He looked up and saw a second Salamence slowly descending from the clouds, Hunter J standing calmly on its back.

“Cousin!” he said mockingly. “What a coincidence! You’re just in time to battle!”

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May lay Ash gently on his bed before returning to the doorway. She stayed there a moment, watching him sleep silently. Warmth filled her heart as she thought about how he had been by her side from the moment she had collapsed. He had been with her when she was operated on, he had snapped her out of her delirium... he hadn’t even left her so he could sleep.

The thoughts flowed through her mind, preoccupying her so much that she didn’t realize she was slowly drifting towards him. She didn’t realize when he opened his eyes and whispered her name. She wasn’t even aware of kissing him on his forehead. But when he kissed her softly back, she regained her sense of reality and gladly slipped beneath the covers with him.

To Ash, in his sleep deprived and mentally exhausted state, she did not appear so much to be May as she did an ethereal Goddess. He was held by the spell of her tender beauty; by the way she locked her arms and legs around him; by the way their lips melted together, and they moved as one. Curious sensations filled them both as they lay together, slight gasping noises echoing around the room. There was a sudden surge and then May felt an intense, burning sensation of pain that was slowly replaced by a state of euphoria.

Exhausted and trembling, May rolled out of the bed and made her unsteady way back to her room on shaky legs.

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“Bye,” Dawn called out cheerfully to Nurse Joy the next morning. “Thanks for everything!”

“Yeah, thanks a lot!” Ash agreed. ‘If it wasn’t for you we would have never been able to get that thing out of May. We owe you everything.”

“You owe me nothing,” Nurse Joy countered, smiling. “It’s my job to help out anybody who needs it, in whatever form possible.”

“Well, thanks anyways,” Ash said. “Things could have turned out a lot worse if you hadn’t helped us out.” Nurse Joy waved the thanks off and turned to Forrest.

“Are you going back to Pewter City now?” she asked. Forrest shook his head.

“I’m going to stay here and train with Lt. Surge for a while longer; he’s still got a lot to teach me about girls!” he said with a wink towards Dawn and Rey. Lt. Surge laughed and cuffed his head, while Dawn gave a little blush. Rey merely harrumphed in response. Her battle with Forrest had been a close one, but he beat her at the very end. Still, she supposed that in a way, Lt. Surge had been right. She may have lost the battle, but she didn’t feel nearly as antagonistic towards the young Gym Leader as she did before.

“Hey, Ash; I’ve got something for you,” Lt. Surge said, beckoning him over, a wrapped package in his hand.

“What is it?” he asked curiously, taking it from the large Gym Leader. Surge shrugged.

“Dunno. It’s something called a ‘Zap Plate’, but I have no clue what it does. It’s the traditional inheritance of a Vermillion City Gym Leader, and has been passed down for at least three hundred years. Professor Oak wanted to study it, so could you give it to him when you see him next?” Ash nodded. “Thanks, kid. Good luck in your rematch with Cynthia!”

“Thanks, Lieutenant,” Ash grinned. He turned to Forrest. “See you around soon?”

“You know it,” the Gym Leader smiled. “Bye everyone!”

“Bye!” Ash, Brock, May, Dawn, and Rey all chorused in returned.

“Pika!” Pikachu added.

As they walked down the road out of town, Ash dropped back a little to talk with May. Unlike her, he had no recollection of the night before, and so she seemed very quiet and subdued to his perception.

“Are you okay, May?” he asked. She smiled at him.

“Don’t worry, Ash, I’m fine,” she said. “I’m just a little tired, that’s all. Really.” Reassured, Ash nodded and increased his pace to catch up with Brock and Rey. May sighed as the stared after him. In reality, her hips ached, and there was a dull pain from deep within her body. But she didn’t care.

She had never felt more alive.

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Well, I don't know if I got everything worded as well as I could have. The majority of this chapter was written in the last two days, so I'm not entirely satisfied with every little detail. Still, let me know what you think!

[Mayziken]

You are an amazing writer Matkin I can belive how good this fic is, I'm not close to your level and you are only born 2 days befor me

Euphoria

I hade to look this word up to know exactly what it means

As Ash and May have had their moment in bed I think I can picture how it goes from her

I can't wait to read the battles with Ash vs Paul and Silver vs Hunter J

And I hope your next chapter will be as great as this one

[Caesar]

i do hope the next chapter doesn't take to long CAUSE I REALLY REALLY WANT MORE
nice chapter, i'm just wondering how long the effects of poke rus will last on may as i don't like the idea of it pernermently making her some super woman (over exageration but you get what i mean). interesting little scene there thats gonna make me go back and check the rating (not that i didn't like it but very unexpected). would have liked to see more of forrest and rey's battle but i supose it was rather insignificant
Ya done good

[Matkin22]

Wow. I am in shock. I think this is the fastest update I've done since last year. You must all be pretty surprised! I hope you enjoy it though!

Chapter 34: Plan

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The blue creature padded softly through the forest. It was tired. It was hungry. It was lost, lonely, and it was scared. Thick tears splashed from its jagged eyes as it walked. Since it’s return to consciousness after being hurled away by the explosion, that was all it had done. It ate and drank what little it could find as it moved, and had not even stopped to sleep. It was desperate to find a hint, any hint, of civilization. Of humans.

For days now it had wandered in this dark, decrepit part of the forest, likely going around in large circles, but unable to do anything but. The thick foliage prevented it from using the sun or stars to navigate, and it had become so used to being airborne that it had forgotten what other signs it could look for. It stumbled briefly, tripping over a root. Only it’s sheer determination to find its trainer kept it from falling, although its movements were slowly becoming more and more erratic. It was in dire need of help.

Exhausted, starving, and dehydrated, it did not notice when it at last came upon what it had searched for all this time; a path, leading out of the forest. It did not notice the sudden spurt of heat from the sun that struck the top of its head, or the feel of the hard and dusty ground as it slowly collapsed, its strength and stamina completely gone. It did not notice when its vision flickered and faded, or when the pains that wracked its body came to a halt.

It did not know that it was dying.

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Dawn noticed it first, a seemingly grotesque blue lump that lay in the shadows along the side of the path. It would have been unnoticeable had it not given a slight twitch, it’s colouring almost impossible to discern amid the darkness cast by the trees along the edge of the trail.

“What is that?” she murmured, coming to a halt. Rey, who had been chatting animatedly with Brock and not noticed that the Coordinator had stopped, crashed right into her, knocking them both down in a tangle of limbs. Brock sighed as he helped extricate them while Ash and the slowly-moving May caught up to them.

“What exactly was the whole point of that, Dawn?” Rey groused as she clambered back to her feet, her skirt now caked with dust. Dawn sighed.

“I asked what that thing was,” she said, pointing into the shadows, “but you were too busy yapping to hear me.” Rey opened her mouth to issue a sharp retort, but May was intrigued and cut across her snarky comeback.

“What thing?” she asked, peering into the growth. “I can’t see anything.”

“I can,” Brock said, suddenly sounding worried. He strode into the shadows on the opposite side of the path and let out an exclamation. “It’s a Wobbuffet! And it’s in really bad shape.”

“How bad?” Ash asked, running over.

“Critical,” Brock answered, checking the Pokemon’s eyes, heart rate, temperature, muscle response, and hydration. “It’s in worse shape than I’ve ever seen a Pokemon in my life. If we don’t get it to a Pokemon Centre now, it’s going to die.”

“What’s wrong with it?” Rey asked.

“It’s dehydrated,” Brock answered. “It looks as though it hasn’t slept in days either. It may be that its water source dried up for some reason, so it’s spent the last few days looking for a new one, without stopping to sleep.”

“How long does it have?” Dawn asked, a bite of fear in her voice. Brock did a couple more quick checks before answering.

“Hours, if that.”

“We’ve got water; can’t we just pour some down its throat?” Rey asked. Brock shook his head adamantly.

“It’s too far gone for that,” he said. “It drove itself so hard that it collapsed from exhaustion. The only thing its body can do now is breathe, which means that its epiglottis won’t function. If we give it a drink, the water will just run down into its lungs and it’ll drown.” May shuddered at the sound of that.

“Is it just me, or does this Wobbuffet look familiar?” Ash asked, leaning in for a closer look and frowning. “Could it be Team Rocket’s Wobbuffet?”

“You think it got separated?” Dawn asked, confused.

“Team Rocket have been blasted off so many times that I really wouldn’t be surprised if one of them were to get separated eventually,” Ash answered. Brock grabbed a Poke Ball from his belt, enlarged it, and gently tapped the Wobbuffet with the button at the centre. A red light formed over the Pokemon, but before it could get sucked into the Poke Ball the light disintegrated.

“Well, it’s not wild, whatever it is,” he decided. He closed his eyes and massaged his temples; what he had to say wouldn’t be received well.

“It’s impossible, Brock,” May said softly, and he snapped his gaze towards her, surprised. “You say the Wobbuffet only has hours to live. Vermillion City is over a day away now.”

“We deliberately went in the wrong direction and took a long detour around the city to try and throw Paul off our trail,” Brock countered.

“And it took us two days to do that; you won’t make it in time, especially not if ou have to carry it. And what if Paul is still there?”

“He’s looking for Ash, not me.”

“He heard you on the videophone with Oak; he knows that you’re travelling with Ash. And what if he tries to use you as bait to lure Ash to him?” Brock paced angrily, every one of his arguments being eroded.

“So what do we do?” he yelled. “Leave it to die?”

“No; we keep going to Anabel’s,” Ash broke in.

“That’s even further away than Vermillion City!” Brock shouted in exasperation. “How are we supposed to get there on time, hmm?”

“We’re too far north to go to Viridian City,” Ash answered. “The Vermillion area is too dangerous because of Paul, which leaves the Battle Tower as our only option.”

“You still haven’t said how we’re supposed to get there,” Brock growled. In response Ash tossed four Poke Balls into the air, releasing Charizard, Pidgeot, Latias, and Staraptor.

“We fly,” he answered.

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Anabel wasn’t entirely certain when Ash and his friends would be arriving. With him, it could be anywhere between a couple of days and a couple of months. So she wasn’t exactly expecting it when, as she took a rare moment to relax on the Battle Tower, a Pidgeot appeared on the horizon, clutching something blue in its talons. She was even more surprised when it landed on the balcony and deposited what appeared to be a dangerously weak Wobbuffet at her feet.

“Hello,” she said, a little uncertainly. “Umm... I hope this doesn’t seem too rude, but why have you brought me a Wobbuffet?”

“I can explain,” Rey answered tensely, jumping from the back of a hovering Staraptor onto the balcony. Anabel almost had a heart attack. “I’m a friend of Ash’s,” Rey said quickly. “We were on our way here and found this Wobbuffet on the side of the road. It’s suffering from extreme dehydration and exhaustion. It’s almost dead, and may only have minutes left now.”

Anabel nodded and quickly called out her Alakazam. “Take this girl and Wobbuffet and teleport them both to the hospital wing. Now!” The Alakazam spared time for a quick nod before it vanished, taking the girl and the Pokemon with it.

The Salon Maiden held a hand to her heart and took several deep breaths, turning and leaning against the railing. The girl had given her a real scare, but it could hardly be helped. Besides, she was there on Ash’s behalf. And if Ash needed something done, she’d gladly do whatever it was. The realization that Ash was on his way made her groan inwardly. Pidgeot and Staraptor were incredibly fast flyers, but he wouldn’t be too far behind them.

“I won’t even have time to change, let alone clean the place up,” she moaned, keeping her face glued to the horizon. As anticipated, she didn’t have long to wait; in a matter of moments three shapes became discernable above the tree line. They quickly resolved themselves into identifiable shapes; a Charizard, a legendary Latias, and most bizarrely, what appeared to be a flying Sudowoodo.

“Good to see you all again,” she shouted as they came in to land, May and Dawn on Charizard closely followed by Ash on Latias. “Could you call ahead next time so I can clean up?” May slid off of Charizard and fondly embraced the violet-haired trainer.

“Good to see you too, Anabel.”

“Where’s the Wobbuffet?” Brock asked as he jumped off of Sudowoodo, not wasting time on a greeting.

“In the hospital wing with the girl who brought it here,” Anabel answered. “Here, I’ll take you down now.”

“Thanks,” Brock answered, the stress and worry evident on his face as he recalled his Sudowoodo.

“You all just relax up here,” Anabel said to Ash, May, and Dawn as she led Brock into the Battle Tower. “I’ll be back in a moment.”

“Sure thing, Anabel,” Dawn answered, still gingerly trying to get off of Charizard. Ash took pity on her and helped to lift her down before turning to Pidgeot and Staraptor.

“Thanks for bringing Rey and the Wobbuffet here so quickly,” he said, softly rubbing their neck feathers and causing them to coo with pleasure. “You guys may have just saved that Pokemon’s life.”

“Pigeoh!” Pidgeot nodded, closing its eyes in pleasure at the rubbing.

“Stahh, raptah stahh,” Staraptor said, gently knocking Ash with the blade on its head.

“I think Staraptor wants to do some training with you,” Dawn said mischievously, noting how eager the flying-type seemed to be at flying again. “It’s been a while after all.” Ash sighed and sat down.

“I know... I wanted all of my Pokemon on me for my Battle Colosseum challenges, but when it got destroyed I couldn’t exactly leave them at Professor Oak’s, could I? Mind, they could have stopped Paul threatening my Mom in a heartbeat...”

“You shouldn’t keep beating yourself up over that,” May said gently, taking his hands in hers. “It’s not something any of us would have expected. How could you have known that Paul would want the GS Ball, that he would track it from Johto to Pallet Town and threaten your mother over it? We don’t even know what he wants the GS Ball for, or what’s in it.”

“You’re right,” Ash muttered, “but it doesn’t make me feel any better about it. He’s after the GS Ball, and he knows...” His voice trailed off, his face contorting into an expression of inner torment. “He thinks you have it, May,” he whispered. “He’s after you.” May nodded her head.

“I know,” she said, “but I’m not worried about that.”

“Why?” he asked.

“Because you have it, Ash,” Dawn interjected. “Paul is an incredibly powerful and dangerous trainer now. There are only a handful of people on the planet who have even a chance of defeating him in battle now.”

“I don’t see how that helps us much,” Ash retorted.

“No?” Dawn asked. “You’re one of those people, Ash. And you’re also the only trainer in existence who Paul is afraid of.”

“Afraid of?” Ash exclaimed, jumping to his feet. “Paul’s beaten me in battle more times than I count.”

“And you beat him when it mattered,” Dawn countered. “He knows, deep down, that you are a stronger and more resourceful trainer than he is. He battles for his own arrogance; you battle for your Pokemon.”

The GS Ball has to stay with me, Ash realized, sitting down slowly. It’s too dangerous for anyone else to have it. Well, maybe Cynthia or Lance, but I don’t want to drag them into this too... He felt a tugging at his sleeve and saw Latias in her human form, holding his arm. There was worry and concern in her eyes, but there was trust there too. As he gazed into her eyes, he nodded slowly; he knew that he had to keep hold of the GS Ball, and by doing that protect his friends.

“I remember Paul,” Anabel said softly from the shadows, causing Ash, May, Dawn, Latias, Pidgeot, Staraptor, and Charizard to jump. “He came here after losing to you in the Sinnoh League. He was unusually harsh to his Pokemon, and I got a distinctly dangerous vibe from him. I was glad when he left. And now you say he’s after something called the GS Ball, which you have?”

“Yeah,” Ash answered.

“So the odds are good that he’ll track you here,” she stated. Ash laughed harshly.

“With Paul, this isn’t a question of whether he’ll track us here, but when,” he said.

“Hang on,” Dawn said suspiciously, “just how much did you overhear?” Anabel hesitated.

“Enough,” she admitted. Truth was, she had only given Brock directions to the hospital wing before returning, but she would rather die than reveal the jealousy she had felt from witnessing the slightly private moment between Ash and May. Ash got up from his seat and walked to the edge of the balcony.

“I’m sorry for bringing everyone here at such short notice,” he said to Anabel softly. “I’ll be out of your hair tomorrow though.”

“What do you mean?” she asked, surprised.

“I can’t stay here too long. Paul’s tracking me, and he won’t stop until he finds and battles me. I can’t put you, your staff, or my friends in danger anymore.”

“So you’re just going to go and run off?” Anabel asked, anger in her voice. “That’s a bit cowardly, don’t you think?”

“Not run away,” Ash answered quietly. “I’m going to challenge him.”

“What?” Dawn shrieked, jumping up.

“No!” May shouted.

“Are you crazy?” Anabel asked. “You don’t even know if Paul is alone. You may be able to hold your own against him, but you won’t have a chance if he’s got others on his side.” Ash was silent, digesting this possibility. Then, without a word, avoiding the heated and accusing glances radiating on him, he went to Charizard and climbed on the fire-type’s back, Pikachu leaping up after him.

“Where are you going?” May asked, moving to his side.

“To think,” Ash said after a pause. “I’ll be back in an hour or two.” The tone of his voice and his posture told May that there was no chance of changing his mind, or of going with him. She nodded, accepting his decision.

“Stay safe... don’t be too long,” she whispered, leaning up to kiss him on the cheek. He touched the spot where she had kissed him gently.

“I won’t,” he said, before taking off with Staraptor and Pidgeot in his wake. Anabel almost had another heart attack when Latias took a running leap off of the balcony, but her fright was quickly lost at the sight of Latias soaring up and joining the three Pokemon already in flight.

“This is so stupid,” Dawn groused, watching Ash fly away.

“He’s just doing what he thinks is right,” Anabel said, coming to his defence.

“No, no, no,” Dawn said, shaking her head. “You misunderstood me; I meant, when was the last time Ash ever did any serious thinking?”

The three women stared at each other a moment before bursting into laughter. They all knew that coming up with ideas was not Ash's greatest strength.

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“How much longer da we hafta keep walkin’?” Meowth grumbled, pushing aside a fern that was obscuring his vision.

“As long as it takes,” Jessie answered. “We have to keep going for as long as we can. Once we reach the coast, we can catch a ferry to Sinnoh. Cassidy won’t follow us there, and we’ll be safe. We just have to avoid any known Rocket locations on the way.”

“Are ya sure we’re goin’ da right way?” Meowth asked.

“Of course!” Jessie answered, sounding insulted. “If my calculations are right, the north coast is only another day’s walk away.” She stepped out from behind a tree and saw Rocket headquarters in the distance.

“Oh no,” Meowth sighed. He looked up at Jessie accusingly. “Ya sure dem calculations are right?” he asked.

“I don’t understand where I went wrong,” she muttered. “I followed the sun; it sets in the north, so we just go towards the sunset.” Meowth groaned and slapped a paw to his face.

“Da sun rises in da east an’ sets in da west, you idiot! You bin leadin’ us back ta da base all dis time!”

“This is trouble,” Jessie muttered going pale.

“You’re tellin’ me!” Meowth shouted.

“No! Meowth, run!” Jessie screamed, pointing at the sky and backing up to the tree line. Meowth looked to the sky, squinted, and opened his mouth to scream, rooted in shock at the sight of a massive Salamence falling towards them at high speed.

“Too late,” he moaned, immobile.

“Meowth!” Jessie screamed, her face white as the massive dragon-type crashed into her friend, sending up a massive cloud of dust that hid the scene from her view.

In the air, Hunter J gazed from the back of her Salamence, her goggles easily piercing the dust as she searched for any sign of movement. There was none.

“Good,” she murmured to herself before raising her voice for the benefit of her computer logs. “Battle against Silver is a success. Subject terminated.”


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Ash had been flying for no more than ten minutes before subconsciously directing Charizard to land by subtly shifting his weight forward. It was a technique that he had slowly honed since his victory in the Sinnoh League, directing his Pokemon through body language in addition to words. It had proven useful in his battles against the Elite Four, and it had in turn helped him to read the body language of his Pokemon better too.

Charizard landed gracefully in a small clearing and Ash slid off his old friend, giving him a grateful pat in the process. Pidgeot and Staraptor perched comfortably in two sturdy trees, and Latias hovered a few inches above the ground before melding into her human appearance and dropping lightly to the ground.

Ash stood in the centre of the clearing and, in one fluid motion, released all of his Pokemon. Floatzel, Grotle, Infernape, Gallade, Bulbasaur, Kingler, Muk, Tauros, Snorlax, Heracross, Bayleef, Cyndaquil, Totodile, Noctowl, Donphan, Swellow, Sceptile, Corphish, Torkoal, Gliscor, and Glalie. They arranged themselves into a circle around him and he stood there, looking each one in the eye, enjoying the friendship, the companionship, the deep bond and love they all shared with each other.

“I’m sorry. To all of you,” he said, looking each one of his friends in the eye. “I haven’t trained or battled with you anywhere close to enough recently. Since the Colosseum and Professor Oak’s lab both burned down, it’s been very tough to do any of that. As soon as I finish this last journey, we’ll get back to our usual schedule. But...” he let this hang in the air for a moment and then sighed.

“Some of you will remember Paul,” he said, and there was a chorus of cries in response. “He’s following us, trying to get something that we have: the GS Ball.” He saw the eyes of Bulbasaur, Charizard, and Bayleef widen with recognition as he placed the ancient Poke Ball on the ground; possibly Snorlax and Cyndaquil remembered it too, but Ash could never tell if their eyes were wide or not.

“He tracked it to Pallet Town and threatened my Mom over it,” Ash continued, “and no matter how much we avoid him, sooner or later he will catch up to us.” He looked each and every one of his Pokemon in the eyes. “I’ll need you, all of you, to help me fight him off,” he said. “We don’t know what he wants it for; as far as we know it’s impossible to open or transport. But if Paul wants it, you can bet it isn’t for anything good.” He looked up at the sky, closing his eyes in concentration.

I need your help, he thought. There was silence, and so he tried again. I know you can hear my thoughts; you told me so yourself. And I know that you’ve been following us from a distance these last few days. You told me that if I was ever in need of your help, all I needed to do was call for you and you would come.

I need your help now; will you come?

There was silence once more, and then a small object manifested itself in the sky. Slowly, it descended until its feet touched ground and it faced Ash.

You asked for my help and I have come, Mewtwo said. Do not explain the situation to me; I gleaned enough knowledge from your thoughts as you spoke. What is it you need for me?

“Your help in planning what to do with it,” Ash answered. “It’s only a matter of time before Paul catches me up, and I need to have a plan to deal with him.”

You need me for that? Mewtwo asked, his tone expressing slight cynicism.

“Mewtwo, we all know that I don’t plan very well,” Ash said. “I can do okay in the short-term, but in the long-term I’m hopeless. I need your help to come up with a plan on what to do with the GS Ball.”

The answer is simple, Mewtwo responded after only a moment’s thought. The GS Ball needs to be destroyed. Many of the Pokemon expressed surprise at this statement. It may not even be possible. But it’s the only way to make sure that Paul can never use it.

“Pheessh corphish cawr?” Corphish asked, waving one pincer questioningly. Ash shook his head.

“There’s nothing inside it,” he said. “If there was, we would have been able to call it out.” Coincidentally, at that moment the GS Ball twitched. They all stared at it a moment, before Mewtwo broke the silence.

You are wrong, he said. There is something inside this device. What that may be, I do not know. All I can tell you is that it is a being far more ancient and powerful than any creature alive today.

“You want to destroy the GS Ball when there is another creature inside of it?’ Ash asked, incredulous. Mewtwo was silent a moment.

I have a practical mind, not one ruled by emotion, he answered. I understand that the destruction of another creature is abhorrent to you. But know that evil of the darkest kind shrouds this device. Whether that comes from the device itself or the being inside, I cannot say. You must understand that if this device is ever opened, a terrible calamity shall befall the planet, and all who live on it. In the hands of one as our rival Paul, no good shall ever come from it. Destruction is the only option.

He turned and looked up at the sky. I must go, he said tensely. I shall be nearby if ever you need my help again.

“Wait!” Ash called, before Mewtwo could take off.

What? Mewtwo asked.

“I need to know,” Ash said. “Before, when you were levitating May outside of Vermillion City... You said that there was a dark presence around her that your powers could not touch. Was that caused by the GS Ball?” In response, Mewtwo held out a paw which began glowing lavender. The GS Ball glowed lavender in turn but did not move an iota, no matter how much Mewtwo tried to move it.

The darkness I sensed has left your young friend, Mewtwo answered. It is centralized here in this clearing and, when you next pick it up and carry it, shall transfer itself over to you. His eyes bored deep into Ash’s. This is a deadly device, he said quietly. Continued possession shall only lead down one path: death.

With that, the legendary psychic-type turned and launched himself into the sky. Ash stared after him a moment and then sat down on a fallen log between Latias and Noctowl, his head in his arms. Latias put her arms around him, nuzzling his cheek with the top of her head. He hugged her in return, glad of the comfort she provided. In turn, the rest of his Pokemon gathered around, doing their best to give one big group hug to Ash. They stayed that way for a long time, Ash and Latias in each other’s arms, and the other Pokemon giving what strength and reassurance they could.

[Matkin22]

Some of you are going to have a heart attack at this; two updates in two days, and three in one week! Well, this chapter is shorter than the last few, but it's as long as it needs to be. Hopefully you'll all enjoy it.

Chapter 35: Realization

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Brock stepped out onto the balcony and slumped into a chair, exhausted. “It’s going to be okay,” he said, forestalling their questions. “We got an intravenous drip into its arm and started filling its body back up with fluids. It’ll take a day or two before it’s completely recovered, but it isn’t in danger anymore.”

“That’s a relief,” May said, letting out a held breath. Brock nodded.

“It’s all thanks to Rey, Pidgeot, and Staraptor that the Wobbuffet is alive,” he said. “If they hadn’t gotten here as quickly as they did...”

“You don’t give yourself enough credit, Brock,” Anabel said. “You were the one who knew that it was dying, and you were the one who managed to send Rey on ahead with it.” She frowned for a brief moment. “Where is Rey, anyways?” she asked.

“Downstairs on the battlefield,” Brock answered. “Her ego took a real blow when she lost to my brother; I think it reminded her a bit too much of the way she lost to Koga and ended her Pokemon journey.” He sighed. “I met her a couple of times in Pallet Town when I visited with Ash. She’s a nice girl – most of the time – but she can act very nasty towards people who she thinks are beneath her when it comes to battling.”

“Why?” May asked, confused.

“From what I understand, Koga was very harsh towards her,” Brock answered. “He ended the battle early and told her she would never be a great trainer. She was crushed, and her dreams of being the best died. Since then she’s resented trainers who she sees as weaker than herself, thinking that they’ll grow and go on to be far more successful than she ever was. It’s why she was so antagonistic towards Forrest; she couldn’t accept that someone so much younger than her could already be a Gym leader. And it took a battle with him to prove otherwise, and for her to respect him for his ability.”

“So she’s trying to get back some of her confidence,” Dawn said.

“That’s right,” Brock agreed. “That match was the first official battle she’s had in ten years. She was overconfident and lost because of it, but I think it relit a spark of ambition that’s been smouldering inside her all this time. She still wants to be the best, and now she’s been given a second chance. Emotionally, anyways.”

“Do you think she’ll compete in a League?” Anabel asked him.

“Gym badges never expire,” Brock answered. “She still has five Kanto badges registered to her, so she only needs three more. And she’s had ten years of training with her Venusaur, along with her other Pokemon. Anything’s possible, I suppose.”

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Ash climbed up the stairs of the Battle Tower; he had flown on Pidgeot on the way back, but rather than landing on the balcony he had directed the flying-type to land at the entrance instead, preferring the extra time it gave him to think as he climbed.

He paused three levels up at the entrance to the battlefield. Inside he noticed Rey, her face red with exertion as she battled her Venusaur against a Xatu. He watched her a moment before making his presence known.

“Doing a little training?” he asked. Rey started and turned before nodding.

“Yeah,” she said. “It’s been a while since I got any serious training done, and Venusaur and Xatu both need the workout.”

“So this is your Xatu?” Ash asked, walking up to take a close look at the regal psychic-type. Rey nodded.

“I caught her as a Natu six years ago,” she said. “I’ve never really battled with her that much, but we’ve trained an awful lot and she evolved a couple of months ago because of it.” She sighed. “The only problem is, when I try to train her against Venusaur I’m commanding both of them. And because I do that, I know exactly what move is going to come next from both of them.”

“Why is that a problem?” Ash asked.

“Because I never let Venusaur lose,” Rey answered. “I’m biased in her favour because we’ve been together for so long; Xatu can never win.”

“Why don’t you train her against some of your other Pokemon?” Ash asked. Rey let out a bitter laugh.

“My training legacy,” she said. “I only have two other Pokemon, and they’re both too weak to battle Xatu.” Ash held up a hand, stopping her.

“Never call your Pokemon weak,” he said. “They may not be strong enough to defeat Xatu, but that doesn’t make them weak. It may not seem like there’s a difference, but there is. Saying that a Pokemon is ‘too weak’ just demoralizes them. And besides, how do you know they can’t defeat Xatu?”

“They never have before.”

“What happens before doesn’t matter,” Ash answered. “Every time a Pokemon battles they grow and get stronger, even if they don’t win. A newly caught Pokemon can defeat the strongest member on your team if they’re smart about it.”

“Really,” Rey said, and eyebrow raised and her hands on her hips.

“Don’t look at me like that,” Ash told her. “Why would I lie?” He suddenly smiled. “I remember when I caught my Bayleef; it was still a Chikorita, and it was the pluckiest little Pokemon you’d ever see. I got so frustrated with it that I sent out my Charizard.”

“Oh no,” Rey said, starting to grin. “Don’t tell me...”

“Yep,” Ash nodded. “That Chikorita took down my Charizard.” He clapped a hand on Rey’s shoulder and looked her in the eyes. “We all have room to grow,” he said softly. ‘There’s always time.” He turned and left the room, calling out four Pokemon as he did so; Floatzel, Staraptor, Totodile, and Noctowl.

“Why are leaving these?” Rey asked, confused.

“To battle,” Ash said. “Let them battle against your Pokemon naturally. Watch them battle and learn what strengths they need to improve. Venusaur and Xatu against Floatzel and Staraptor in a double battle, and your other two Pokemon against Totodile and Noctowl in a single. Sometimes the best way for a Pokemon to grow is to rediscover its own natural skills.”

And with that, he left the room.

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Professor Oak sat at his computer and sighed, rubbing his temples as he waited for the analysis to finish. He gazed sadly around at his trashed lab. The fifteen valuable plates he had painstakingly collected and researched over the years had been stolen, and judging by the scattered papers and open cupboards, the rest of his lab had been ransacked as well.

“It must have been a two-pronged assault,” Tracey surmised from behind the Professor. “That one guy who came in and threatened Delia wanted you to tell him where it was, while another broke in here and searched the lab to try and see if you’d hidden it away.”

“That is what probably happened,” Oak agreed, “but then I don’t see why they would have taken the stone plates as well. It doesn’t make any sense... As far as I know, there’s no correlation between the two.”

“Did they get your research on either?” Tracey asked in concern.

“Luckily no,” Professor Oak answered. “So far as I can tell, the files on the GS Ball and the stone plates weren’t copied or downloaded. I don’t think my computer was even touched, to be honest.” Tracey opened his mouth to respond, but was interrupted by the computer.

“Analysis complete,” a cool female voice spoke.

“Ah, excellent,” Professor Oak said, turning back to the computer and rubbing his hands.

“Is that the sample of the pustule from May that Brock sent?” Tracey asked in interest.

“Yes; hopefully this will prove to Ash that it isn’t the Pokerus,” Oak answered. “Computer: identify.”

“Sample is a previously unknown virus. No known recorded cases have been diagnosed.” Professor Oak frowned.

“Well, at least it isn’t the Pokerus,” he muttered. “Computer: is there a documented virus of a similar genetic structure?” The image of the sample onscreen faded, to be replaced by an image that he knew all too well. “Oh no,” he groaned.

“Pokerus,” the computer answered. “A temporarily contagious disease that only affects Pokemon, causing a temporary state of insanity.”

“Computer: compare Pokerus with unknown virus,” Oak ordered. “Could unknown virus be created through a natural mutation of the Pokerus?”

“No,” the computer answered after a few seconds of calculation.

“What does that mean?” Tracey asked. A grim slash crossed the Professor’s face.

“Computer: could unknown virus be created through a synthetic manipulation of the genetic structure of the Pokerus?” he asked.

“Yes,” the computer answered.

“What does that mean?” Tracey asked again.

“Computer: define the predicted effects of unknown virus,” Professor Oak ordered, panic starting to set in.

“Effects unknown. For most likely scenario, please access Pokerus.”

“Professor?” Tracey asked.

“This unknown virus infected May and almost killed her,” Professor Oak muttered to himself. “Its effects are the same as the Pokerus...” He turned and looked Tracey in the eyes.

“There’s only one thing it can mean,” he said slowly. “Someone's made the Pokerus infect humans.”

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Giovanni stood, surveying the damage. Hard lines of anger crossed his face at every turn. Steam rose from the centre of the room where the Moltres had been hit by the water attacks; the Heatran sagged immobile, still in its cage and critically injured; Grunts were scattered around the perimeter, many of them groaning in pain and the rest staggering around with bewildered expressions on the face. As for the reinforced glass which should have protected him...

“NAMBA!” Giovanni roared, the call echoing throughout the spacious room. Almost comically, Professor Namba’s head peeked around the blast doors that led to his lab. Disregarding the still smouldering shards of glass that clung resiliently to the window frame, Giovanni leaped through the hole and stormed over towards the cowering Professor.

“It’s not my fault!” Namba squeaked as he drew nearer. “That one fool tripped and let go of the cage! If he hadn’t fallen and knocked those other Grunts over the cages would never have collided, and the Moltres wouldn’t have been provoked!”

“Hang the man who tripped!” Giovanni growled, lifting Namba bodily by the neck and smashing him against the blast doors. “Your mutant virus is supposed to give you control over an infected Pokemon! Why didn’t you call it off its rampage?”

“I... I...,” Namba stuttered, and Giovanni’s lip curled scornfully.

“Oh, I see. Too scared to get involved? Pathetic,” he muttered in an eerie imitation of his youngest son. He dropped the terrified Professor and stalked away to the cage containing the Heatran. “Don’t just stand there!” he bawled at the Grunts. “Get this Heatran into the lab and get it healed now!” As the majority of Grunts leaped forwards to lift and carry the cage, he turned and walked over to the Grunt who had caused the situation by falling, and who actually appeared to be asleep.

“As for you,” he growled, leaning down to pick up the man by the neck. The response was immediate. The Grunt’s eyes snapped open and, with an unfocused gaze, leapt forwards under Giovanni’s guard and tackled him to the ground. Giovanni gasped in surprise as his back hit the floor, and then the Grunt’s hands were fastened under his neck and the life was being choked from his body. He writhed, trying to free himself from the deranged man to no avail, and then the man suddenly went limp and fell to the floor.

“Are you alright, sir?” Bashou asked, kneeling down to his side. Giovanni nodded and, taking a deep breath, clambered to his feet. He glared down at the unconscious man who had tried to throttle him and then turned back to Bashou.

“You stopped him?” he asked, and Bashou nodded silently. “Buson?” he called.

“Behind you, sir,” Buson answered. Giovanni looked at them both, sizing them up.

“You’ve both saved my life today,” he said quietly. “I do not thank people, but you both deserve recognition for what you have done. I’m doubling your pay.”

“Thank you, sir,” they both said.

“Sebastian?” he asked.

“Here, sir,” the senior Professor answered from the ground, where he was intently examining the unconscious Grunt.

“That man will die for strangling me,” Giovanni said, “why are you checking him over?”

“Because what this man did was not his own fault,” Professor Sebastian said calmly, straightening himself as he stood and looked Giovanni in the eye. “It was Professor Namba’s.”

“What?” Giovanni asked, dumbstruck.

“Not true!” Namba blurted out from where he stood, having crept near during the incident.

“Look at this man’s forehead,” Sebastian said. “See this lump above his eye? That is the reason he attacked, and I suspect the reason he fell in the first place.”

“Speak sense, man!” Giovanni said impatiently. “It’s a bump from when he hit his head after tripping. What does that have to do with anything?”

“It was not caused by his fall; his fall was caused by it,” Sebastian said an, noticing the expression on Giovanni’s face, he hurried on. “This lump, or pustule to be more precise, is a reaction from being infected by a virus.”

“From being infected by a...” the colour drained from Giovanni’s face; he could see what was coming next.

“Yes,” Sebastian said softly. “This man has been infected by the Perporus.”

“That’s impossible!” Namba shouted. “The Perporus is just a modified variant of the Pokerus, and that can only be transmitted between Pokemon!”

“As the senior Professor and scientist of Team Rocket, all research passes though me before it is approved,” Sebastian said, ignoring his quivering contemporary. “I saw the trials and read the research papers; this pustule matches those of the test subjects and is identical to the descriptions in the paper Professor Namba wrote up.”

“You are just trying to discredit me!” Namba shouted accusingly. “You are jealous of what I have come up with and want to claim the credit for yourself!”

“Professor Bamba, I can assure you...”

“It’s NAMBA!” he screeched.

“QUIET!” Giovanni roared, with enough fury to make even a nearby Blastoise quail. He turned to Sebastian. “Any more proof?” he asked.

“Bashou, Buson; hold him down,” Sebastian ordered, taking what appeared to be two stopwatches out of his pocket. “These are able to determine the genetic makeup of any disease or virus,” he explained. “This one on the left has already been tested with the Perporus; the same variant that was administered to the Moltres, if I am not mistaken.” He clicked a button and a small scraper appeared out the side of the device on the right. He quickly scraped its edge along the surface of the pustule and retracted it back into the device. The man moaned as his pustule was touched, but did not flail about. There was silence for several seconds while the device clicked and whirred.

“Analysis complete,” the device spoke. Sebastian flipped open the lids of both devices and compared them quickly before holding them out to show Giovanni.

“You see,” he said quietly. “They’re a perfect match.” Giovanni stared at the two and staggered back, his heart beating quickly.

“Then this means...” he began.

“Yes,” Sebastian agreed. “When Professor Namba mutated the Pokerus into the Perporus, he gave it several unique abilities. The virus will last until death, although its contagiousness still ceases after 24 hours. The effect of increased strength and power remains, but the one infected will actually listen to a command given by its master. One infected by the Pokerus would never obey commands. Unfortunately, it appears as if the human barrier has been removed also. While the Pokerus can only be transmitted between Pokemon, it would seem that the Perporus affects humans. That means...”

“Epidemic,” Giovanni whispered, his face pale.

“Sir!” Bashou shouted suddenly. “The Grunt... he’s dead.”

“What? How?” Giovanni asked. Sebastian knelt and examined the man closely.

“Fever,” he said eventually. “One of the symptoms of the Pokerus is a high fever. Pokemon have different body temperatures and higher tolerances than humans do. The fever caused by the Pokerus never causes any lasting harm to a Pokemon, but it seems that the Perporus is not quite as benign when it comes to humans.” Giovanni turned and advanced on Namba.

“This is all your doing,” he hissed menacingly. “You caused this!”

“I only did what you told me to!” Namba protested.

“I told you to mutate the Pokerus into something we could control!” Giovanni roared, flecks of spit flying into Namba’s face. “I didn’t tell you to make it infect humans too!”

“But... but...” Namba stammered, backpedalling. Giovanni’s cool finally snapped and he lashed out at the terrified scientist, sending him flying.

“Sebastian!” Giovanni snapped.

“Sir?” the senior scientist asked, hurrying forwards.

“You’re in charge of this mess now,” he said. “Find out the full effects of Namba’s Perporus, and reverse them if you can. Do a thorough investigation into where Namba went wrong, and mutate a strain of Pokerus into a form of Perporus that won’t affect humans. Understood?”

“Yes, sir,” Sebastian nodded with a salute.

“Target neutralized,” Hunter J’s cool, collected voice spoke through the building’s intercom. “Moltres has been caught.”

“Finally, some good news,” Giovanni groaned, placing his hands over his head.

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Another quick update, and I hope you enjoyed it! Don't expect the next one so fast though.