The Journey Never Ends

[Waras]

The Journey Never Ends

Chapter 31: Two Heated Battles

On the hillside of Mount Silver, a small cabin stood in the middle of a grove of trees. Apart from the smoke rising from the fireplace, there was no way to find it. The building was miles from any city and wasn't connected to any roads or power lines. It was totally isolated from all human existence.

I suppose this is why no one has ever found her, a young man reflected, stepping out silently from behind a tree. After taking his leave of Domino, he had decided that he needed to do more investigating. The trail had led him here.

He calmly and silently walked to the cabin. Without knocking, he pushed the door open and slipped in. The cabin had only one room, and it was relatively small. Heat radiated from a fireplace next to the bed, and a small wooden desk was the only table. Two chairs sat on either side of it. Across the room was a woman dressed in a black robe. Her long, magenta hair was fading to gray, but it still left no doubt that he had found the correct woman. She was oblivious to him, cleaning dishes in a corner of the room.

"Miyamoto," he spoke gently.

The woman dropped a plate and spun around to face the intruder.

"How did you find me?" she whispered quickly, suddenly very alert. Her blue eyes were surrounded by the wrinkles of time.

"It wasn't easy, but I have more resources than most." He noticed her glancing at a fire prod leaning against the wall. He walked toward it and picked it up before she had the opportunity to use it as a weapon. "I'm not here to hurt you."

"Do you know what you have done, coming here? Even if you aren't here to kill me, someone else will be soon."

"Team Rocket has been gone for years," the young man reassured her. "And I'm no friend to them, anyway."

"Ha," the woman chuckled, her wrinkled hands trembling. "You might think they're gone."

"I wasn't followed," he promised her. "And I would sooner die than reveal your location. You're a brave woman, to have been here so long."

"So you know my story?" Miyamoto asked, returning her attention to a water pot on the stove.

"Not all of it. I'm here to learn more."

The aging woman sighed, and pulled two tea cups off a shelf. "It's a long, sad story. But if you've come all the way here, I suppose you deserve to hear it. Let's sit down."

The two sat down on either side of the table. Miyamoto poured her visitor a cup of tea before starting her story.

"I had my daughter when I was at a young age. I knew I could never be the right kind of mother to her. I joined Team Rocket in order to provide for her. I became an elite agent, and eventually, they assigned me the most important missions."

"Like what?"

"Years ago, I was assigned to track down a rare Pokémon."

"Mew?" the visitor guessed from his research into Miyamoto's past.

"Yes. After years of searching, I met Mew in the Andes Mountains. I tried to convince it to come with me, so that I could go home to my daughter. It refused, and rightly so. I knew what Team Rocket wanted to do to it, but I needed to take care of my daughter." Her hands trembled violently. "There was an avalanche. I would have died without Mew's protection.

"After that, I swore never to hunt another Pokémon. I bought this cabin from a hiker, and I've hidden here ever since. To avoid suspicion, I continued reporting to Madame Boss from time to time."

"Giovanni's mother?"

"Yes, his mother." Even after all the years, she couldn't bring herself to use their names.

"Miyamoto, what did Team Rocket want with Mew? Did they mean to sell it or experiment on it?"

"I… I can't speak about it. I'm sorry," the old woman apologized. "There is a lab on New Island. If you go there, you will find the answers you seek."

"New Island? I've never heard of it."

The blue-eyed woman laughed. "If you found me, I'm sure you can find it. Search the seas south of Cinnabar Island."

Cinnabar. The Emperor will have made port by the time I arrive.

"I've always wondered what was happening in the outside world. Is there any chance you've met my daughter? Her name is…"

"Jessie." The man looked to a shelf containing a photo. A little girl with long red hair looked down at him. "We've… met. She's doing very well. You'd be proud of her."

"I always have been," Miyamoto smiled sadly.

Her visitor stood up and looked around. "I need to be going.

"Now that you've found me, I must leave this place," Miyamoto lamented. "My life is no longer safe here."

"I can offer you protection."

"No one can. I'm safer on my own. I always have been," Miyamoto responded.

"Good luck with everything," the visitor said, standing up to take his leave.

"Thank you, and may Mew watch over you. If you ever see my daughter again… please tell her I love her."

"You have my word."

---

The SS Seagallop Emperor's loud horn could be heard across the port island. Hundreds of people came to watch the conclusion to the magnificent ship's first journey. The passengers were collecting their baggage then making their way to the exits.

"Before you go, I want to thank all of you for your efforts aboard the Emperor," the captain said, shaking each of their hands in turn as they disembarked the ship. "Without your help, we may not have made it through."

When Allie reached him, he held her hand for a moment. "Cinnabar Island is famous for its hot springs. Not so much as Lavaridge Town in my dear old Hoenn, but they're remarkable springs all the same. It would probably be good for your injuries to relax in them." He took out a slip of paper and handed it to Allie. "The company gave me this for my retirement, but I think I'll catch the next ferry to Hoenn. You keep it."

"Gull," Peeko chimed softly.

"Thank you so much," Allie replied graciously thanked him, accepting the gift.

As soon as they stepped off the ramp, Allie spotted a Pokémon Center. They made their way toward it, but a massive swarm of people blocked their path.

"What's happening over there?" Allie wondered aloud. They found an empty bench on the corner of a street and sat down.

"From what my father told me, Cinnabar Island's been a tourist attraction for years," Janine explained.
"Apparently, it's so bad that even the Pokémon Center is more of a hotel."

"There's a gym here, right?" Lucian asked, using his Xtransceiver to search for a map.

Allie realized she didn't actually know. "I'm not sure. Ash just sent the tickets; he didn't say why he thought we should come here. Is there one, Janine?"

"I know there used to be," the gym leader replied, twirling the end of her scarf. "A man named Blaine ran the gym for years, and when the island became overpopulated, he moved it to the inside of the volcano."

"In the volcano?" Allie repeated, amazed. She gazed up at the massive landform towering over the rest of the island. While on the ship, the medics had instructed her to remain still to avoid further damage to her chaffed skin. Although the trainer in her would have preferred to work with her Pokémon, she knew it was a bad idea. She spent most of the remaining trip alternating between her bed and a lounge chair. Watching the volcano grow larger on the horizon had become her favorite activity.

"Yes, but I'm not sure how to get in, or even if it is still there," Janine said apologetically.

The trainers stood together in the mass of travelers, completely overwhelmed by the crowded city. Their cruise had been a success, and, with one notable exception, very relaxing. The Sharpedo hadn't returned, so they enjoyed a nice end to the trip. Now though, they had no idea what it had led to.

Lucian was the first to speak again. Without looking up from his Xtransceiver, he asked, "What did the captain give you?"

Reminded of the captain's paper, she took it out of her pocket. "'Redeemable for one complimentary night at the Big Riddle Inn,'" Allie read aloud.

"Hopefully it's a nice place," Lucian commented unnecessarily.

"I'm sure it is," Allie tried to say, but she stopped as a passerby approached them.

The newcomer stared at Lucian, and for a moment, the boy was so focused on Xtransceiver to notice. Finally, the coordinator looked up to see the girl standing over him. She wore a black bikini top with jeans, a large brimmed hat, and sunglasses. Her curly red hair cascaded down her back. Allie felt like she looked familiar, but wasn't sure where she would know her from. Lucian, however, certainly did know her. His face transformed immediately into a scowl when their eyes met.

"Samantha." Lucian's voice was more unpleasant than usual.

"If it isn't Lucy," she taunted him. "Long time no see. Strange to see you here in Kanto."

Lucian stood up, his gloved hands curling into fists. "I go where I please, Sam."

The girl grabbed the Xtransceiver out of his hand and pushed him back down onto the bench.

"Still using this old thing?" Sam laughed obnoxiously. She reached into her pocket and made a show of pulling out a shiny device. It looked similar to the Xtransceiver, but more streamlined and high-tech. "This is the new Silph Jet, and it far outclasses any Xtransceiver. I bought it with my contest winnings." She emphasized the last two words, to Lucian's fury. "Not that you'd know anything about winnings, considering you lost the Dante Cup to an amateur."

Allie tried to protest, to explain the circumstances of her victory, but Lucian's hand tightened around her wrist. She took the hint.

"You've changed so much since the old days, Lucy. You used to have all the fancy gear. Without it, you're even more of what you always were: a loser."

"Shut up, Sam," Lucian growled.

"Oooh, getting mad at me again, are you?" his acquaintance purred cruelly. She turned her attention to the girls sitting to Lucian's right. "You two should ditch this loser right now. He's the worst kind of person.

"Get out of Kanto, Lucy," she finished, throwing his Xtranseiver back in his lap. "This is my home, and I will drive you from it."

Samatha turned around and vanished back into the sea of people. The three sat in total silence for several minutes before Janine voiced the question on the girls' minds.

"Who was that?" she asked offhandedly, trying to downplay what had just happened.

"Fellow coordinator from the contest circuit," he growled. "She thinks she's all that just because of her older sister." He paused, reflecting on his memories. "I don't really want to talk about her right now."

Janine still looked curious, but Allie decided it was best not to inquire further for the time being.

"I guess we're going to go to the inn," the blonde decided. "It's getting too hot out here with the sun." She quickly searched the location on her own Xtransceiver. Regardless of what Samantha said, she had no need or desire for a Silph Jet. Her device was still new, worked perfectly fine, and most importantly, was a gift from Ash.

And so, the three companions followed the directions for about a mile to the very base of the volcano. It towered over them now, and directly between them and it, a small building stood. When they entered, a tall man with long ginger hair and sunglasses greeted them. He was clearly the owner: a Cinnabar local taking advantage of the tourism. Allie presented him with the coupon, but his face fell immediately.

"We don't have many rooms left, I'm afraid," the man apologized. "Every year, more and more tourists come. These days, even my humble inn is full."

Lucian began to protest, but Allie interrupted him. "No, that's alright. Do you know any other places where a group of trainers could stay?"

"Trainers?" the local noted, looking at the Pokéballs attached to their belts. "Well, there is one room, but it won't be very comfortable. I'm sure the three of you won't mind."

"That's awesome," Allie replied graciously. "We'd be happy to sleep on the floor if we had to." She gave Lucian a warning glance when he rolled his eyes.

He pulled a small chain from his pocket. "Well, here's the key. Go up the stairs and it'll be the last door on the right."

Allie took the key, and turned to her companions. They were about to go to the room when Lucian had a sudden thought. "We've heard that there might be a gym on this island. Do you know where it is?"

"The gym's long gone kids. Been that way for close to fifteen years now."

"But what then happened to Blaine?" Janine wondered. "I met him several years ago at the Pokémon League, and he still seemed to be a gym leader then. Incidentally," she smiled, walking closer to their host, "I am Janine, daughter of Koga, and leader of the Fuchsia Gym."

The man's eyebrows rose at this revelation. "I'm honored to have such a high ranking guest in my humble inn. If there's anything you need, please just ask."

"Well, we would appreciate some help with our bags," Janine finished, holding out her own for him to take.

Allie was a bit perplexed that Janine would use her title to get help, especially since they only had a single bag each.

"Of course," the owner laughed awkwardly, accepting Janine's satchel. "I can take those, too."

"Oh, no, I can-" Allie began to protest.

"I'm sure it's no trouble for our gracious host," Janine cut her off, and so Allie relented.

"Absolutely none," the man huffed, struggling with the combined weight of their gear.

They followed the struggling man up the stairs and to their room. As soon as Allie pushed the door open, he tumbled into the room, too weak to carry the gear. He quickly stood up and brushed the dust off his robe. He started to leave, but Janine stood in the doorway with an unimpressed expression.

"Now that we have privacy, can you please tell my friends who you actually are?"

A frown crept across the man's face, but the dark sunglasses hid the look in his eyes.

"How do you know who I am?" he asked the purple-haired girl.

"A wig may fool most of your guests, but a ninja knows a disguise when she sees it," was the response.

Sighing, the man tugged at his hair. It came off, and Allie and Lucian finally realized it wasn't actually attached. He removed the glasses next, and his small dark eyes glared at the girl who identified him.

"Who are you?" Lucian demanded, taking a step closer. "Why did you hide your identity?"

"I'm Blaine, of course," he said quickly, disgruntling Lucian. His voice was harsher now, and it made him sound more critical. "If not for Janine, you would've never figured it out. You're lucky she was here."

"You're the gym leader," Allie realized, her hand going to her mouth in surprise.

"What kind of gym leader hides his identity from challengers?" Lucian scoffed. "He's a coward."

"He's a fan of mysteries and riddles," Blaine said of himself. "And as gym leader, he is allowed to test his challengers however he wants. And so far, trainer, you're failing."

Lucian was about to fire back, but Allie again tried to calm him. The boy crossed his arms and rolled his eyes. He was still clearly ill-tempered from their encounter with Sam.

"I'm Allie Dogwood, and this is Lucian Andrews," she introduced them. "I guess you already know Janine." The ninja girl bowed her head in acknowledgement. "We'd like to challenge you in a gym battle."

Blaine put a finger on his chin, considering the request. "I don't get many challengers, mostly just tourists. Perhaps I will do battle, but on a condition."

"What's that?"

"You will have to find the entrance to my gym, without Janine's help," the gym leader instructed them, his gaze lingering on his colleague.

Janine had the grace to agree to the condition. Blaine put his disguise back on and pushed past her. They saw him still fixing the wig as he walked down the hall.

"That was unusual," Allie whispered, closing the door.

"Indeed," Janine agreed.

Lucian was still too busy fuming to contribute to the conversation.

They looked around the room and understood why Blaine had told them it wasn't particularly cozy. It was more of an attic than a room. Perhaps it was part of Blaine's test. There weren't any beds, so the trainers would have to use their sleeping bags on the concrete floor. Lacking windows or an adequate light source, the room was dark. It would be a rather uncomfortable stay.

"On the positive side, I noticed there were hot springs out back," Janine suggested.

The others agreed, so Lucian went down ahead of them to change into his swim trunks. That left Janine and Allie in the room to change into their bathing suits. The cruise company had altruistically replaced the ones damaged in the Sharpedo attack with identical new ones. Several minutes later, they met near the front desk, and were awkwardly aware of Blaine watching them keenly.

Once outside, boy and girls went to opposite sides of the divider and began stripping. All the other inn guests were out on the town at this time of day, so they had the spring to themselves. Towels wrapped around each of their bodies, they slowly entered the water.

Allie's body tingled as the hot water cleansed the patches of damaged skin on her chest and face. The feeling was incredible. A soft moan from Janine indicated that she felt the same.

"Enjoying the water, ladies?" Lucian's cackling voice traveled over the barrier. Apparently he had heard the gym leader.

"Yes, it's very nice," Allie said calmly, ignoring the crudeness.

Janine, meanwhile, had drifted to the edge of the spring, grabbed a bucket, and filled it with water. "We shouldn't be so selfish, Allie." A mischievous grin was plastered across her face. "We should share what we have." She swung the bucket, and the water flew over the divider.

They heard Lucian whimper a few seconds later as the hot water splashed over his head. "Totally unnecessary," he grumbled.

Allie saw Janine raise an eyebrow and mouth the words, "Totally necessary." They both started laughing.

"Whatever," Lucian shrugged, lowering his shoulders into the water.

They were quiet for some time, just enjoying the spring. Eventually, Allie decided to ask about Samantha. She instinctively felt like Lucian wanted to talk about her, he just didn't know how.

"So Lucian," she began delicately. "Who was that girl earlier? You said she was a coordinator."

There was absolute silence for several minutes, and Allie began to regret her question. Just as she was about to apologize, a response came.

"Do you remember how I said you were the first person I traveled with?" Lucian finally asked. "I lied. Sam Natochenny was."

"Back when I was twelve, we traveled together. We had met the year before at the Grand Festival in my home region, Sinnoh. I had entered a couple contests, but didn't win enough ribbons to compete. Sam was in the same situation, so we watched the festival together. It was… incredible.

"We decided to travel together in Hoenn, competing in contests. It was great until the first time we faced each other." The boy made a miserable noise. "Until then, one of us had always lost before the final round. I lost the contest. And I lost my self-control. I screamed at her. I don't even remember what I said or how I justified it.

"Anyway, after that, we went our separate ways. Every time we met during contests, she beat me. Sam's a great coordinator, but she doesn't seem to enjoy it as much as she used to. It's my fault she's bitter like that, and as much as I hate to admit it, I deserve everything she says about me."

It wasn't the first time Lucian had expressed his sensitive side, but it was the first time Allie could understand the reason for it. This girl was why he promised Allie he would work so hard for their companionship. Their friendship had ended so badly that both were still carrying the scars from it. At least Allie and Ash had parted on good terms. The trainer found herself wishing that none of her friendships would ever end in such mutual betrayal.

"You mentioned she had a famous older sister?" Janine recalled.

"Her sister, Solidad, is one of the world's top coordinators. She's even better than May," the coordinator explained.

The name meant nothing to Allie and Janine, who never followed contests. But if Solidad was better than May, she must be an incredible coordinator.

"I'm really sorry Lucian," Allie said softly.

"It was a long time ago. It really doesn't bother me anymore," he lied again.

A sudden splash interrupted their conversation, showering them all in hot water. When they looked up, the barrier had fallen away from the center of the spring, leaving Lucian and the girls staring at each other awkwardly.

Quick as a flash, Janine grabbed a pebble from the edge of the spring and flung it at Lucian's face. The small rock hit him directly between eyes and he was temporarily blinded.

"Gah!"

"Turn around!" the girls yelled at him.

"Fine," he grudgingly consented, not eager to be hit by another stone.

They changed back into their swimsuits, then turned around and let the boy do the same.

"What happened to this place?" Allie wondered aloud once they were all standing together again.

The whole scene had changed. The Gyarados fountain on the girls' side, which had been acting as a little waterfall into the spring, had shifted position. A large chunk of the volcano's side, which had formed the back wall of the spring, was gone. And of course, the gender specific sides of the spring were merged by the absence of a divider.

"Looks like you found the secret entrance," Janine hummed pleasantly.

"Excellent," Lucian grinned and started to walk into the passage.

"But Janine, Blaine said you couldn't help us find it," Allie protested, grabbing Lucian's arm to prevent him from entering.

"I didn't."

"But the entrance, how did it open?"

"It seems to be connected to the Gyarados statue. When you pull down on the statue, the volcano opens up," Janine explained.

"But I didn't touch the statue," Allie reminded her.

"Neither did I."

"Can you two please stop worrying about who pressed the button and come along? I'd like my badge sooner than later," Lucian grumbled. His sensitive self again disguised, the boy resumed being obnoxious.

"Alright, let's go I guess," Allie agreed, leading the others into the tunnel.

As they entered the volcano, a Pokémon watched them from the bushes near the spring. Its round eyes sparkled mysteriously before it disappeared into the shadows.

The group, meanwhile, descended deep into the heart of the fire mountain. The walls radiated heat, and the trainers felt like they had gone from a hot spring to a sauna. Finally, the volcanic tunnel opened up into a massive room. There were torches along the walls, illuminating a huge pit of lava with a metal battlefield suspended above it by chains.

"I guess we found the gym," Allie said as she looked around.

"You have indeed found my secret gym." A harsh voice from the other side echoed throughout the room. Allie knew immediately that it was Blaine. His disguise was nowhere to be seen. "Which of you will be my first challenger?"

Allie started to step forward, but Lucian put his arm in front of her. "I'd like to go first, if that's okay. I don't want to win because you weakened him for me."

Even though she thought that an unlikely scenario, Allie agreed. "Alright, good luck."

He winked at her and said, "Never need it."

As he stepped into the challenger's box, Blaine motioned for Allie and Janine to go to rock ledge near the middle of the field which evidently served as the gym's observation area.

"Janine, would you care to act as referee?"

The young gym leader, who had performed the task many times in her father's gym, nodded and approached the very edge of the pit.

"The battle between Lucian Andrews of…" she hesitated, not knowing exactly where he lived.

"Hearthome," he told her.

"Lucian Andrews of Hearthome City will challenge Cinnabar Island's Gym Leader Blaine. Each trainer will use…"

"Three," Blaine injected.

"Three Pokémon will be used by each trainer. Only the challenger is allowed substitutions," Janine finished.

The battlers each released their first Pokémon. The coordinator sent out Fraxure, a Pokémon which Allie had never seen him use.

The battle was over fairly quickly. Fraxure devastate Blaine's first two Pokémon through a strategy only a coordinator would use. Allie felt like she was watching a contest. The tactics of both trainers were evidently very well designed. Finally, Blaine sent in Magmortar, and Fraxure was defeated by a well-timed Giga Impact. Kirlia fared better, using psychic to repeatedly bring the huge fire-type to its knees.

Before Kirlia finished Magmortar off, however, Blaine hollered, "Enough!" His challenger stared at him suspiciously. "The battle is over. You've proven your skill, and will be presented with the Volcano Badge for your effort. Well done." He signaled Janine.

"Blaine has declared the battle over," the newer gym leader announced. "The challenger is victorious. The next battle will be between Allie Dogwood of Pewter City and Leader Blaine of Cinnabar. Challenger, please approach the battlefield.

Allie walked from the observation area to the challenger's end of the arena. As she went, she passed Lucian.

"Congrats Lucian," she whispered.

"He's a lot stronger than Janine," Lucian warned her. "Good luck."

"I don't need luck either," the girl replied, grinning.

When she reached the rock overlooking the battlefield, she turned her attention to the gym leader.

"Are you ready, trainer?" Blaine called from across the pit of lava.

"Always!" Allie responded instinctively. Her face was covered with sweat from the heat of the volcano, but she clenched her fists defiantly.

"Then let our battle… begin!"

---

But she didn't win. Blaine's Magmortar, still weak from its battle with Lucian's team, had defeated all three of her Pokémon without trouble. Vigoroth, despite his fighting spirit, fell from lack of experience. Ruby's flamethrower was no match for Magmortar's fire blast. Even Wartortle, whose type gave him an advantage, was defeated through Blaine's superior tactics.

Her Pokémon had the power to win; Allie knew it. Wartortle, at least, should have won. It was her weakness as a trainer that cost her the battle. If she had been better able to counter Blaine's aggressive strategy, perhaps she would have won.

Janine tried to comfort her, but Lucian couldn't overcome his pride enough to avoid smirking. He had finally surpassed her as a trainer, it seemed. He had earned the badge, and she hadn't. Allie had waved them off, told them she would be fine, but she wasn't sure if she was.

That night, Allie sat in the hot springs alone, letting the warm water soothe her damaged skin. It was just a battle, she kept telling herself.

The full moon cast light across the inn's rooftop, and Allie found herself staring at a single spot on the roof. There was something there. A Pokémon, perhaps?

Not that it mattered.

The Pokémon turned around, and Allie caught a glimpse of a jagged tail.

It can't be. I must be getting overheated, she thought, attributing the appearance to the hot springs. Yet as she continued watching, a cloud partially covering the moon moved. In the increased moonlight, there was no mistaking the long ears, thunderbolt tail, and mousy face.

Pikachu?

She stood up hastily and wrapped a towel around herself. Pikachu glanced down at her, and leapt off the roof, away from the girl.

"Wait!" Allie shouted, pursuing Pikachu to the front of Big Riddle Inn. She saw a shadow running down the deserted road in front of her, and ran after it. It was hard to see in the dark, but every few minutes, she caught a glimpse of the yellow Pokémon, silhouetted in the darkness. The girl kept running until she reached the main street of Cinnabar Island. Even at night, the plaza was packed with tourists. Catching sight of Pikachu's tail disappearing into the mass of people, she continued on.

How peculiar she must have looked, dashing through a crowded town in nothing but a towel. And yet, what she wouldn't give to see Ash right now. She ignored a group of laughing teenage boys. She saw a Silph Jet's camera light flash beside her, but paid it no attention.

She felt a hand on her shoulder. "Allie?" a familiar voice spoke from behind her. Her slim body trembled with anticipation as she turned around.

[Waras]

The Journey Never Ends

Chapter 32: A Trainer's Burning Heart

After her devastating loss to Blaine, Allie Dogwood saw a Pokémon she knew must be Pikachu. She pursued it across Cinnabar Island, not caring that she was wearing only a towel in the massive crowds of tourists...

The girl felt a hand on her shoulder. "Allie?" a familiar voice spoke from behind her. The girl's slim body trembled with anticipation as she turned around.

"Ash!" she cried, absolutely overjoyed. She flung herself into his arms and buried her face in his chest.

"I guess you must miss him."

Allie looked up immediately and was horrified to see Lucian Andrews's face. She pushed herself away from him, but tripped over the street curb and fell into a gutter. Frantically trying to fix her towel from the wet ground, she suddenly became painfully aware of the hundreds of people around her, many of whom were laughing at her.

Her face burned with shame and embarrassment. She began to cry, desperate and alone. Allie felt something land on her body, and realized it was Lucian's black jacket. She pulled it over her shoulders, grateful to be able to cover herself.

"Clear off, all of you." Lucian's voice was powerful and authoritative, and the people around him felt its impact. They immediately dispersed, casting sidelong glances at the unfortunate girl.

Unbeknownst to Lucian, Samantha Natochenny, his old rival, smiled sadly in the crowd before vanishing into the night.

As soon as they were all away, the coordinator knelt down and helped his companion to her feet. "Are you okay?" he whispered in her ear.

She shook her head. She had completely broken down. It had escalated so quickly that she had no idea what happened. One moment she was in the spring, recovering from her defeat, the next she was running through town. Despair and hopelessness had directed her rather than her own mind.

"Please tell me this is a bad dream," she moaned, once they were off the main street and there were less people around.

"I wish I could without lying," the coordinator answered.

When they arrived back at the Big Riddle Inn, Lucian helped Allie up the stairs and into their room. Despite the warm humidity of the night, Allie allowed him to place a blanket over her as they sat down on the floor.

"I can't believe I did that," Allie mumbled, covering her face with her hands.

"What were you doing out there?" Lucian asked concernedly. His eyes were filled with an unmistakable sincerity that wasn't usually there.

"It was so stupid. I… I followed Pikachu," she confessed.

"Pikachu?"

Although she knew he'd likely ask that question, the tone was far different than she expected. Instead of being condescending or confused, Lucian seemed intrigued.

"Ash's Pokémon," Allie explained, hiccupping.

"Interesting."

The girl didn't know what he meant, but she nodded anyway.

"I thought I saw Pikachu near the inn, so I tried to catch up with him. I wasn't paying attention to where I was. I just kept thinking about losing to Blaine and the possibility of seeing Ash again. I can only imagine how stupid I must have looked. I don't know if I can continue travelling anymore."

"No, Allie," Lucian interrupted her before she could further despair. "You lost control of yourself, and that's not good. But I've seen you train and battle; you're strong enough to keep going. Who cares who saw what happened out there? Someday, you'll be able to beat them all in a Pokémon battle. They'll remember you for your accomplishments, not for your mistakes."

Even though Allie felt like Lucian was just saying it to make her feel better, his words did kind of comfort her.

The coordinator stood up. "I'm going to get Janine. We'll bring you some hot cocoa. Is that alright?"

She nodded meekly from the floor.

"Lucian, why did you say it was interesting that I saw Pikachu?" she asked when he was almost out of the door.

The boy turned around with a contemplative expression on his face. "Because I saw a Pikachu too," he explained.

Allie was shocked by what he said. Was it possible?

"There was one playing around on the men's side of the hot spring, but I didn't think anything of it. I always heard how rare they were, but that was the second time I've seen one in the past week. There was one in the Safari Zone, too. I was trying to catch it when I saw the Tauros approaching you. In a way, it was because of that Pikachu that I found you."

---

Videos of the Cinnabar Island "Towel Girl" began appearing on the Silph's new video sharing service not long after the incident. A man watched them miserably, and then sent an email to one of his colleagues. Within minutes, every video of Allie on Cinnabar Island was permanently erased from existence. Satisfied with this deed, the black-haired young man resumed his work.

---

"How are you feeling?" Janine asked as she walked into Allie's room. As soon as Blaine found out what happened, he moved the blonde girl to one of his inn's nicer rooms. Instead of sleeping in the attic, Janine and Lucian had taken turns standing outside the room, making sure she was okay. It was almost nine in the morning, and Allie had just woken up. This was the first time any of them had spoken to her since Lucian left her side to get help. She had fallen asleep before they returned.

"I'm much better," she promised, taking a bite of an apple. "What are you guys doing today?"

"Lucian and I decided to go to the Pokémon Lab," the ninja explained. "We would invite you, but Blaine thought it would be best for you to avoid the busy part of town for now."

Allie frowned unhappily, but knew it was true. After last night, she didn't even want to be seen in public. She looked around the room glumly, acquainting herself with what she expected to be her surroundings for the rest of the day.

"Do you want to talk about what happened?" Janine asked, sitting down on the edge of the bed.

Although Allie was glad for Janine's support, she had already said most of what there was to say to Lucian.

"I lost it for a little bit," said Allie simply. "If not for Lucian, I'm not sure what I would have done."

"It was lucky you let him travel with you."

"Yeah," Allie said wistfully, starting to believe that it was more than fate that had brought them together. Had Pikachu really led Lucian to her? Was Ash still protecting her from afar? "I guess I'll see you later then?"

"Yes. Take the day and rest up. We'll see you this evening." Janine waved and departed.

After showering, Allie sat around her room for a while, bored out of her mind. There was nothing to think about but the previous night and the possibility of Pikachu bringing her and Lucian together. One thought was depressing, the other improbable.

Deciding that she would be miserable if she had to spend the day inside, Allie pulled her jacket on and left the room. She walked downstairs to the lobby, but Blaine was nowhere to be seen. She walked out back to the hot springs for some fresh air.

She stared at the volcano. Just to the right of the hot spring, there was a narrow switchback trail winding its way up the rocky face of the volcano. Even though she was tired and needed to be resting, she had a sudden urge to climb it. It wasn't a good idea, but she felt like she needed to prove to herself that she could still accomplish something. And so, she started the uphill hike.

On her way up, she thought about the past few days. Her trip to Cinnabar hadn't been as much of a vacation as it could have been. The cruise had been attacked by non-native Pokémon, she lost the gym battle, couldn't find Pikachu, and ran around town in a towel. Not a particularly pleasant week. Still, it was a comfort that Lucian was finally being kinder.

Had Lucian actually seen Pikachu, or was he just trying to comfort her and protect her sanity? The boy had seemed rather confident, and he wasn't the kind of person who would lie just to make her feel better. On the Seagallop Emperor, Allie thought she had been saved by a thunderbolt resembling Pikachu's. But it wasn't really likely that Ash and Pikachu were aboard the ship, was it? And she wondered if she actually did see Pikachu last night, or if she simply saw what she wanted to.

Her group kept seeing traces of Pikachu, but why would he be around them without joining them? And was Ash there too, or was he somewhere else entirely?

She finally made it to the summit. She could look in the volcano's crater and see lava boiling below. The view was incredible as well. Based on the sun's position, she figured she was facing north. Far across the sea, she saw a peninsula with buildings on it. Though she didn't know it, she was facing Ash's hometown of Pallet.

"You shouldn't have come here," a gentle voice told her. "You were through a lot last night. You should be resting."

When Allie turned around, she was staring at Blaine, dressed in his hippie disguise. His voice was disguised to be lower pitch than it was usually.

"I needed to do something," the girl admitted. "I couldn't just sit around. I've spent so much time recovering since I started on my journey. I guess I just wanted to keep pressing forward."

"So you made your way to the mouth without words," he reflected, referring to the volcano's rim. "Maybe you need the recovery because you keep pressing yourself so hard."

The trainer was silent for a moment, considering his words.

"But if I don't work harder, how can I ever win be the best I can be?" she wondered as a warm breeze tickled her face.

"If you work yourself to death or lose the joy of training Pokémon, what good is working hard?" the gym leader asked her. "Moderation is important to training as well. And there's no shame in losing a Pokémon battle as long as you try."

"But I got beaten so badly."

"You're a new trainer, right?" he asked knowingly. He didn't wait for her to nod before adding, "You've still got ages to improve."

She didn't answer right away, so Blaine continued.

"Everyone loses sometimes. Even the Pokémon League Champion was defeated by me the first time we battled. Now he can beat me with just his Pikachu."

"Ash?" she instinctively asked.

"Ash Ketchum, the very same."

Even Ash lost battles. The idea seemed perverse to Allie, who had come to idolize him as the greatest trainer ever. Then again, it was ten years ago that Ash fought Blaine; he was six years younger than Allie at the time. As she reflected on it, the fire returned to her eyes. She knew what she had to do; what Ash would do.

"Battle me again." Her words were filled with a confidence she thought she had lost.

"I thought that we just agreed that you should be more careful in your ambitions," Blaine replied without emotion.

"I know, but this is something I really need to do."

"Your Pokémon need rest."

"And they'll be better by tomorrow."

"You should take time to train."

"It isn't my Pokémon who were too weak. It was me."

"How are you different now?"

"I faced defeat."

They stared at each other unflinchingly. Finally, the corners of Blaine's mouth rose under his false moustache. "There is no other answer you could have given that would have made me accept your challenge. Tomorrow at noon, we will again battle in the heart of the volcano. Come prepared."

"I will," she resolved as the leader turned toward the edge of the cliff.

---

When Allie reached the entrance to the gym the next day, she found Lucian and Janine waiting outside. She had told them anxiously about her impending rematch the previous night at dinner.

"Ready?" she asked them grinning.

Janine frowned and responded apologetically. "Blaine asked us to remain out here. He would like to battle you without an audience."

Lucian placed his hand on Allie's shoulder in a rare sign of friendliness. "You'll do alright. You're good enough to beat him. I know it."

"Thanks guys," Allie said appreciatively. She pulled them both into a hug, which Janine responded to in-kind and even Lucian returned reluctantly.

As they watched the girl descend into the passageway, Lucian sighed.

"You've been a lot nicer to her recently," Janine commented, leaning against the Gyarados statue.

"Why does it matter to you?" he snapped spontaneously, his critical personality returning. He looked away awkwardly as he realized that he had gone too far again. "Sorry. I guess you're travelling with us too."

"I am," the ninja replied stiffly.

"I just feel bad for her. She must feel like I did when I lost in the Dante Cup. I joined her so that I could see her experience my frustration, but things changed."

"You changed."

"I don't know if I'd say that, but Allie's a hard person to cheer against," Lucian explained as he twirled a Pokéball in his hand. "I thought I'd be thrilled to see her lose to Blaine, but I was just happy I won. I started to gloat, but realized I didn't want to anymore."

"You changed," Janine repeated, this time more certain.

"Maybe," the coordinator grunted back. "But anyone would have felt bad seeing her the way she was that night."

"You changed," the other said for a final time, knowing she spoke the truth.

---

Allie felt a drop of sweat fall from her bangs to her nose. Her concentration was absolute. The battle was intense, and far more evenly matched than the previous. The girl had learned from her mistakes and was responding quicker to Blaine's aggressive and adaptive tactics.

Each trainer had two Pokémon remaining now. Ruby had fought hard, managing to defeat Blaine's Growlithe. She had been unable to outpace her evolution, though, and fell to Ninetales' fire spin. Not long after Wartortle joined the battle, he was hit by a Will-o-wisp attack.

"Wartortle, finish this with aqua tail!" Allie shouted, her voice reverberating against the warm rock walls of the volcanic chamber.

Ninetales tried to leap away gracefully, but even with its speed advantage, the blue turtle managed to hit it with the stream of water erupting from his tail-hole. The large fox reeled in pain, and collapsed near the edge of the battlefield.

"We did it!" Allie cheered. She watched as Wartortle turned around in apparent triumph, then fell flat on his face. Will-o-wisp's burn had taken its toll on him.

The trainer immediately blamed herself for forgetting about the burn, but there had been nothing else she could do at the time. She returned him to his Pokéball, whispering thanks to the red and white capsule. Then, aware that she had only one Pokémon left, she released Vigoroth.

The gym leader pulled another Pokéball from the pocket of his lightweight shirt. From it burst the fiery behemoth which had defeated Allie's entire team two days earlier. Magmortar and Vigoroth stared at each other on the field. Both trainers resumed calling orders to their Pokémon

"Vigoroth, attack it!" Although the sloth started attacking, he was strangely cautious. Allie noticed he wasn't taking the chances required to win such a close battle. Comprehension came at last when Allie saw a look of absolute terror in her Pokémon's eyes as it dodged flamethrower.

He's afraid of the fire, Allie realized. Last time, Allie had been so focused on the battle that she didn't notice his fears. This time, he had lasted long enough for his trainer to witness the terrified expression on his face every time a fire attack came near him. It made sense, of course, Allie thought as she remembered the blazing inferno the Dante Club was reduced to. She had pulled him from the burning building, but he still sustained serious burns. If not for Allie, he would have been buried in the rubble.

"Vigoroth, keep dodging, but listen to me," she ordered. His ears twitched, a sign she took to indicate that he was listening. "I know that you're scared. So am I. Fire can be terrible. But we need to face our fears. For me, that's defeat and failure.

"I lost, and I acted stupid as a result," she admitted to herself and to her Pokémon. "But now I'm not afraid to lose. We lost two days ago, and now I know how I have to deal with defeat. And you, you can deal with fire the same way you deal with everything: fight it with everything you've got.

Just as she said this, Vigoroth dodged a fire punch and countered it with a slash. Magmortar roared in pain and stumbled toward the edge of the suspended metal battlefield.

"Keep it up!" she cheered, before continuing. "We haven't been together long enough for me to know your full potential. I suppose I don't even know mine. But I do know that you have the fighting spirit required to win this battle."

Her voice, proud and determined, resonated throughout the room. The echo gave her an idea.

"Magmortar, end this!" Blaine shouted from the other side of the battlefield.

"Use uproar, Vigoroth!" Allie countered, remembering how effective it was against the Sharpedo.

The white sloth opened his mouth and bellowed as loud as he could, creating an echo that reverberated throughout the whole room. His trainer was forced to cover her ears, and Blaine did the same. But Magmortar, who had been preparing an attack, was unable to cover his ears with his cannon-like arms. An expression of pain covered his face, and he toppled backwards into the magma, unconscious.

Vigoroth immediately stopped his attack, and nodded to Allie. She returned him to his Pokéball, incredibly proud of his courage. The gym leader walked around the lava pit and approached Allie.

"Allie Dogwood," Blaine started, "You've won this battle, and come very far as a Pokémon trainer in the few days I've known you." A piece of metal glinted as he pulled it from his pocket. "You're not done losing. None of us ever are. But you've overcome one of the hardest parts of battling: fear of failure. This Volcano Badge now belongs to you," said Blaine as he handed the younger trainer her prize.

Allie pinned the flame-shaped badge to her tank top. She planned to move it to her jacket collar with her three other badges as soon as she got back to her room.

She and Blaine walked back up the tunnel, discussing the intricacies of the battle. About halfway up, they found Janine and Lucian waiting eagerly to hear the results. They grinned when they saw the badge shining on Allie's chest. Lucian patted her on the back, and she gave him a hug.

"Thanks for the other night," she whispered into his ear.

He nodded and said, "Any time."

After they finished congratulating Allie, Blaine told the companions he'd buy them dinner at a famous local restaurant. Even after her rough night, Allie felt happy enough to go out on the town. They took the gym leader up on his offer, and continued walking up the volcanic tube.

As the trainers and gym leaders stepped out of the volcano, they were temporarily blinded by the bright sun. But as soon as their vision returned, they saw a Pokémon standing on the far side of the hot springs.

It was Pikachu.

The unmistakable Pokémon stared back at them, seemingly taken by surprise.

"Pikachu?" Allie asked, shocked.

There was no mistake this time. The yellow Pokémon's astonishment hardened into reluctant resolve. He nodded, and then gestured for them to follow him.

This time, he didn't run to get away from Allie and her friends. He walked at a pace that made it easy to follow him. They travelled through the streets of Cinnabar Island until they reached a giant hotel. They ran up the staircase until they reached the top floor. Lucian and Blaine were panting, but Janine was in better shape and Allie's excitement alone kept her going. Finally, Pikachu stopped in front of one of the doors and knocked. The little mouse closed his eyes solemnly.

"It's open," a voice called from within.

Allie Dogwood pushed the door open. When she stepped into the dimly lit hotel room, she felt her heart miss a beat. Her mouth fell open, and her legs seemed like they would give out.

Ash Ketchum, Pokémon Master and Indigo Conference Champion, stood before her wearing an expression of genuine surprise on his face.

[Waras]

The Journey Never Ends

Chapter 33: Return of the Master

After Allie won her rematch against Blaine and earned her fourth badge, she and her friends had emerged from the volcano to find Pikachu waiting outside. It was evident that Pikachu had not expected them to return so soon. Although he was taken by surprise, the electric mouse reluctantly escorted them to a hotel in downtown Cinnabar. He stopped in front of a certain room and knocked on the door.

"It's open," a voice called from within.

Allie Dogwood pushed the door open. When she stepped into the dimly lit hotel room, she felt her heart miss a beat. Her mouth fell open, and her legs seemed like they would give out.

Ash Ketchum, Pokémon Master and Indigo Conference Champion, stood before her wearing an expression of genuine astonishment on his face.

In the silence that followed Allie opening Ash's door, Janine tugged at Blaine's and Lucian's sleeves. She nodded her head at the elevator, and they took the hint. The two gym leaders and coordinator slipped away to the lobby in order to give the two reunited companions a moment alone.

"Ash," she whispered in amazement. After so long, it was strange to see him. His hair had grown longer and wilder than Allie had ever seen it. Despite the heat of the island, he was wearing a black cloak in place of his usual sweatshirt and jeans.

Allie had never seen Ash so surprised. It was clear that he didn't know she was coming. "Allie, how did you…" He saw Pikachu standing at Allie's feet. He shot his Pokémon a look that said, "I'll talk with you later." Pikachu looked down, abashed.

The girl wanted to wrap her arms around his neck and hold on to him. And yet, she didn't. He was on the island and knew she was, and yet had made no effort to contact her. "Why didn't you tell us you were here?" she asked accusatively, crossing her arms.

"I meant to," Ash lied, glancing away. He really had wanted to see Allie, but thought it would be a terrible idea given his mission. Even now, he felt bad hiding the truth from her, but it was better that she didn't know. When it was all over, he'd tell her everything. "So much has happened that I just can't explain right now."

Allie stepped closer to him, her eyes narrowing.

"Ash, I want the truth. Where were you?"

The master felt the girl's soft hand seize his wrist, and smiled slightly, recognizing the strength she had gained in his absence.

"Allie, so much has happened. Most of it would put your life in danger if you knew."

"What about your life Ash? Aren't you in danger?"

Ash's sad smile grew. "Yes. But it's my duty to take those risks."

No, you stubborn idiot, Allie wanted to scream. Your life matters too much to just throw it around. "We're companions Ash. Why do you keep doing things alone?"

"Because of what happened at the Cape and the Dante Club. My journey is more dangerous than yours has to be, and I can't keep dragging you into dangerous situations."

"We're companions, Ash. Our lives are connected no matter what happens. I've been in danger even when you aren't around. I feel safer when you are."

A shadow passed across Ash's face. But you aren't, he reflected miserably.

"So you're not going to tell me why you left," she assumed.

"It was something I needed to do. That's all I can say. As for me leaving, you need to know that I never abandoned you – that I would never abandon you."

"The tickets and text messages," she remembered. Seeing the electric rodent still hovering in the doorway, she realized something else. "You left Pikachu to look after me didn't you?" she figured out.

"I did."

This truth hit Allie hard. That Ash would send his constant companion to watch over her while he did his mysterious work alone proved that he really had been taking care of her from afar.

"Congratulations on your victory," Ash added, his eyes pausing on the shining Volcano Badge still pinned to Allie's tank top. "It took me two tries to defeat Blaine," he chuckled.

"Same for me," Allie admitted meekly. The two shared a short laugh.

Ash touched her face where the abrasions from Sharpedo were still evident. "How?"

"I told you. I just can't stay out of trouble, even when you're not around," she laughed. When Ash smiled and rested his hand on her shoulder, the girl decided to ask a question. "Blaine invited us to dinner at a popular restaurant. I know it's bad manners to invite someone else, but under the circumstances, do you want to come?"

Ash looked into her eyes. The light blue spheres were pleading with him. It was a look that moved even his hidden heart.

"I'll meet you all there once I finish a few things. I won't be too long." He felt the power of Allie's gaze intensify, and added, "I promise I won't leave without telling you."

The smile he received made his answer worth it.

"Alright then. See you in a bit."

Ash waved and turned back to his work. There were dozens of papers on his desk. They were the reports Oak had been sending him. Even though he hadn't responded to them, the champion analyzed each and every one as it arrived.

"Ash?"

The champion turned back around to see Allie still leaning in the doorway. He raised an eyebrow in acknowledgement of her query, and she came running toward him. She threw her arms around him, and he reciprocated the embrace.

"I'm glad your back," she whispered into his chest.

Ash couldn't respond. It was all he could do to keep a tear from escaping his eye.

Allie and her friends were already waiting for their meals to come when Ash arrived. Blaine, dressed once more in his disguise, stood immediately and bowed in a show of respect. Ash greeted the old man whom both he and Allie had lost battles to. They shared a laugh about old times, with Ash ultimately challenging Blaine to a battle once things settled down.

Next, Janine approached the champion and explained that her father had gone on a journey and left the gym to her. Ash nodded as she spoke, then congratulated her and wished her luck as gym leader. The purple-haired girl beamed when he told her how much she reminded him of Koga.

Lucian stood next and shook Ash's hand. "So you're the one who's been looking after Allie while I've been gone," he chuckled. "Well done. I wasn't nearly as good at keeping her out of trouble." It wasn't exactly a true statement; Allie had faced danger with both of them. But Lucian smiled, happy that he had been able to contribute to the companionship. Ash also complimented him on his contest skills from the Dante Cup; although the champion wasn't a coordinator himself, he had witnessed enough of his friends' contests to recognize talent. Allie laughed and told Ash to stop before Lucian's ego grew any larger, and the coordinator elbowed her playfully.

"Coffee and tea, for the sirs and misses," a waiter said, pouring the warm beverages into their glasses.

"Thank you," said Blaine, sipping his drink.

The others continued their conversation, with Allie and Lucian elaborating on the events aboard the SS Seagallop Emperor.

"I really regret sending you those tickets now," Ash lamented, shaking his head. "I feel bad that you were in so much danger."

"There's no need to apologize," Lucian laughed. "It was still a good time. Except for when I learned not to suggest tanning to Allie."

The girl gently hit him in the head, smiling. She had long forgiven him for that transgression, but was glad he learned his lesson. He was a nice boy when he wasn't been obnoxious or rude.

"But why Sharpedo?" wondered Ash. "There shouldn't be any near Kanto. I'll see if Professor Birch will look into it before he returns to Hoenn."

There was a crash from the end of the table. Allie screamed when she saw Blaine writhing on the floor, clutching at his throat. His tan face was turning a ghostly shade of white.

Ash ran around the table and kneeled beside the older man. He checked Blaine's pulse, then sniffed the coffee.

"Drapion venom," he told them quickly. "Janine, you know what to do. Pikachu, stay here and keep his heart going."

The ninja nodded, and bent down over the Cinnabar Gym Leader. She began ordering the waiters and waitresses to bring her various spices and herbs from their kitchen. They hesitated at first, but moved a lot faster when Lucian intervened.

"This man will die if you don't help him," the coordinator shouted at all of them. "Do whatever Janine tells you to."

The restaurant staff began hurrying around, trying to gather the necessary antidotal ingredients. Lucian himself dashed to the kitchen to help, but turned around before he disappeared behind the swinging doors. His eyes met Allie's, and then they both watched as Ash ran out of the restaurant.

"Go with him," Lucian advised her. "He needs someone like you right now."

Allie needed no further convincing. Lucian and Janine would take care of Blaine. Her place was by Ash's side, whether he knew it or not.

She watched as Pikachu used his electricity to shock a heartbeat back into Blaine, and then vanished in pursuit of her teacher.

Ash, meanwhile, was already outside of the restaurant. Blaine alone had drunk the coffee, suggesting the poison was in the drinks. The observant champion had noticed the waiter duck out the front door a moment later, but didn't realize why until Blaine collapsed. He cursed himself for failing to be alerted by the suspicious behavior then.

He looked around, but it was hard to locate his target in the busy street. It was only when he saw a commotion a few hundred feet down the road that he knew where to look. He dashed toward where everyone was gathered, pushing past other trainers and tourists as he went. Reaching where the waiter had crashed into a ramen stand, Ash stood over the mess. Noodles were everywhere, and the waiter was one the ground, holding his leg in pain.

"FEEEEEEEERRRAAAAA," came horrible noise from the sky.

Ash looked up and jumped out of the way just in time to avoid being clawed by a Fearow's talons. From behind him, the massive bird had descended upon the crowd, sending tourists fleeing. A figure dressed in black rode upon the Fearow's back. The fake waiter stood up and tore off his garments, revealing a uniform Ash found far too familiar. It was a Rocket uniform.

The assassin laughed hysterically at the horror on Ash's face. He grabbed hold of one of the Fearow's talons, and was easily lifted off the ground by the powerful Pokémon. Fearow began flapping its wide wings even harder, and disappeared into the sky.

Ash released Pidgeot from his Pokéball, intending to pursuit the assailants. In the corner of his eye, he saw his blonde companion appear out of the crowd.

"Allie, stay," he barked, mounting his Pokémon.

"I'm coming too."

The champion turned around to glare at her, but the adamant expression on her face overpowered his resolution. He prayed it wouldn't be a mistake.

"Get on."

Ash helped Allie onto the giant bird. She sat in front of him, snug as the first time she flew with Ash. His long black cloak covered them both, keeping their body heat in. Pidgeot raised his powerful wings and began to ascend.

Last time Allie had ridden Pidgeot, she and Ash were flying toward Mount Moon for a day of training. Then, their flight had been relatively leisurely. Now, Pidgeot's wings beat rapidly, propelling them high into the sky. Allie watched as the ground fell away, then the clouds vanished beneath them. She had never been so high in the air, but in Ash's grasp, she felt secure.

"Do you see anything?" Ash called over the noise of the wind.

Allie scanned the sky. There was nothing below her to the left, but to her right…

"There!" she pointed at a small black speck far below them.

"Got it. Pidgeot, go!" the young man ordered, tapping the large bird's side with his heel. At once, they entered a steep downward dive.

Ash coughed as most of Allie's ponytail flew into his face.

"Don't let go!" he instructed her as their target became progressively nearer. "Sky Attack!"

At once, their speed became considerably faster. A harsh white light appeared around them, and they spiraled downward at their quarry.

Pidgeot rammed into Fearow at full speed. By now, they were only a few hundred feet above the ground, which was lucky for all four riders. The force of the impact had thrown them all from their mounts. The mysterious strangers quickly tugged on their black vests, and parachutes appeared as if from nowhere.

Ash and Allie weren't so well equipped.

"Grab my hand," Ash shouted to Allie. She couldn't hear what he said, but he was frantically grabbing for her wrists. Their hands finally found each other, but their descent was hardly slowed. Ash let go of one of Allie's hands for just a second to get a Pokéball. He threw it to the rapidly approaching ground ahead of them.

The ball, with less air resistance and a faster initial velocity, reached the ground just in time. Garchomp erupted from it, immediately aware of the situation. With just seconds left to act, the sand shark leapt into the air and caught both trainers. The three rolled as they landed, but Garchomp took the worst of the impact.

Pidgeot was still high above, preoccupied with his duel against Fearow. The assassins' parachutes had successfully deployed and were slowing their descent. They were still high above Ash and Allie, but their trajectory would make them land right next to the trainers.

Allie stood up, brushing dust off her tank top. They were certainly no longer in downtown Cinnabar. They were standing on a beach. It was long and wide, and she couldn't see an end to it.

"Where are we?" the girl asked.

The champion finished checking Garchomp for injuries, then returned him to his Pokéball. He pulled his Xtransceiver from a pocket and checked the map.

"About seven miles away from town. This must be a part of the island that hasn't been developed yet."

"How did we get so far?" she wondered, astonished at the distance they had covered.

"Pidgeot flies really fast, not to mention the air currents we probably caught on the way down. We were getting pushed by them for a while."

They looked around at their new surroundings. A giant wall of gray stood in stark contrast to the long sandy beach. "Look there," Allie pointed at it.

Ash turned to see. "It looks like a warehouse of sorts," Ash guessed, taking a picture of it on his Xtransceiver. "But according to the map, there's nothing but beaches out here."

"It's enormous," Allie whispered, stunned by the size of the warehouse.

"It is. I wonder what's hidden inside."

Allie looked in his eyes, trying to guess what he was thinking.

"Nevermind," the champion said distractedly. "Look."

The assassins were finally approaching the ground, about a hundred feet nearer to the warehouse. They cut their parachutes quickly and began running toward the metal structure.

"Stop," Ash shouted.

They turned around slowly as if they didn't know what to do. Now that they were not longer trying to escape, it was easy to see the uniforms they wore. Each had a black shirt on, with gloves and boots. There were slight variations to the cut of uniforms, so Allie could tell even from the distance that one was a girl. Embossed on each of their shirts was a giant red R.

The man reached to his belt and released a Krookodile. The giant maroon crocodile immediately roared as it burst from its Pokéball. A cloud of sand obscured the grunts as Krookodile dug its way under the ground.

Allie realized that it was using dig, but Ash didn't react. She tugged gently on his sleeve to make sure he was paying attention, but he hushed her. All the while, his eyes never broke contact with the people standing across from them.

The Pokémon could emerge from the ground at any time. Pidgeot was still too preoccupied with its battle against Fearow to help. Ash waited.

His well-trained ears suddenly picked up on a noise from beneath him. He leapt back, pulling Allie with him. There was a blinding flash of light as Ash opened a Pokéball.

Their dodge was just in time. A fraction of a second later, Krookodile erupted from the ground, snapping at them with his gigantic mouth.

Now, however, Bulbasaur stood between the trainers and the overgrown lizard. As it moved to bite them again, Bulbasaur unleashed a furious vine whip attack.

The attack was so brutally strong. Allie could hear the snap of the vines against Krookodile's scaly skin and shuddered at how it must feel to be hit by a vine whip. She couldn't even imagine it.

Finally, Bulbasaur relented. Using his vines to lift Krookodile off the ground, he threw it into their air. Krookodile hit the sand with a crash, unconscious. Immediately afterwards, Bulbasaur's vines stretched across the beach, grabbed the Rockets by their waists and pulled them to where Ash and Allie stood. They landed next to Krookodile, dazed and trapped.

Just a few seconds later, Fearow crashed to the ground, overwhelmed by Pidgeot's strength. Pidgeot was familiar with battling Fearow; it had fought several off while defending his flock.

Ash and Allie approached their captured opponents.

"Go over and see what she knows," Ash told Allie, indicating the female grunt. She agreed and walked away.

With her distracted, Ash got down to business. He crouched down next to the man, glaring at him dangerously.

"What are you doing here?" Ash asked in a deadly quiet tone. "And why has Rocket Nation moved into the open?"

"I was following orders."

"From who?"

The Rocket didn't respond. Ash decided that it was time to increase the pressure of the interrogation.

"Why did you poison Blaine?" Ash demanded, his boot crushing down on the grunt's windpipe.

The man grunted with pain, but a sneer still crept across his face. "The gym leader? We didn't realize that was him. Unexpected bonus."

Of course, Ash realized. The coffee had been served to all of them, and Blaine had been wearing a disguise. It wasn't the fiery old man they meant to kill. It was him.

The trainer dropped to his knees, not taking his eyes off the would-be assassin. He whispered something in the man's ear so that Allie couldn't hear. The smirk left the man's face at once.

"Who are you?" Allie asked her hostage more calmly. She was upset about the attack on Blaine's life, yet couldn't muster the rage of her companion.

"We are Rocket Nation, little girl. Soon, everyone will know our name."

It was strange that she called Allie "little girl." Although the blonde trainer would resent such a title under ordinary circumstances, the fact that the Rocket Nation operative was about the same age made it all the more insulting.

She decided to be more proactive in the interrogation. Instead of just asking what Rocket Nation was, she said to the grunt, "Tell me what Rocket Nation is."

"You should ask your friend," she said under her breath. "He knows more than he says."

The comment made Allie look back over to her companion. She watched for several seconds as he talked quietly with the male, then suddenly started beating the helpless man's face with his elbow. Blood flew everywhere.

"Ash, stop!" she cried, shocked at his sudden lack of restraint. He wasn't listening. She ran over to where he stood and shoved him off of his victim.

Her friend glared at her with a look in his eyes that she had never seen. Was it anger? Rage? Pain?

Fear?

As quickly as the look appeared, it vanished. He straightened himself up.

"Bulbasaur, sleep powder," he commanded. He had acquired an immunity of it over the years, but his startled companion hadn't. He stepped behind Allie and covered her nose with the hem of his cloak.

The two Rocket Nation members fell asleep where they lay. One was still covered in blood, his nose bent sideways. Their fallen Pokémon lay next to them.

"Come on," grunted Ash, moving past the sleeping enemies. He had Allie by the wrist and was half pulling her along in his haste. They approached the giant warehouse and slowly crept toward one of the few windows. Ash at first held Allie feet away from the window, but his grip slowly loosened in stunned indifference.

Allie leaned up against him, and managed to get a peek at what he was staring at.

Inside the warehouse was a gigantic ship. Roughly the length of twenty Wailord, several stories high, the magnificent ship took up almost all of the space in the building. It wasn't a ship like the Seagallop Emperor, though. The red and black steel construction was outfitted with jet engines, rocket boosters, and wings. Near the back of it, a black tower overlooked the entire rest of the ship.

Allie had never seen anything like it, and judging by the astonished look on his face, neither had Ash.

The words painted on it turned Ash's blood cold.

Rocket Aircruiser Ubume.

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Hi everyone. Hope you're enjoying the story. If so, please let me know what you think of it with a quick review. Thanks! -Waras