PokéBall Z the Series

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Hello and welcome to PokéBall Z the Series! The following are the chapters to my first volume, Vol. I: Green. If you want to take at my main page of the series, please check here. My series is updated every Late Sunday/EarlyMonday. I hope you enjoy the series!

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Ch. I​

A New Beginning!​

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Fifteen long years of peace passed by in the region of Kanto. The region had recovered fairly well from the Tojoh War that split the Empire into several nations and decimated the population. One such place was Pallet Town, where the marks of war still showed. The age group of older men was a rare sight, as were young children. Buildings lay in ruins. Machines of war long destroyed were weathered by nature where they fell. The graveyards were full of deceased soldiers and civilians who lost their lives during the war. Nearly every town and city the regions of Kanto and Johto suffered from the same ill effects of war. Despite the war ending nearly twenty years ago, the pain of war still seeped deep into the spirits of the inhabitants. Great distrust still bore its marks against the rival regions and their president, though neither side was willing, or able, to go to war.

The sun crept over the horizon, its rays filling the sky and Pallet Town with its rich glow. A tall, elderly man by the name of Professor Oak sat in a wooden chair, sipping on hot coffee. He looked out into the horizon, waiting for the arrival of the three new Pokémon trainers. As he sipped his coffee, a female assistant with short purple hair entered the room, looking over her notes. "Oh, Professor Oak, you're up already," said the assistant, looking away from her clipboard. "Are you waiting for the new trainers to arrive?" she asked.

"Good morning, Aiko." Oak replied with a yawn. "Yes, they should be here any minute now."

"I hear you they were students of yours?" she asked as she took a seat beside Professor Oak.

"That's correct. I taught them at Silver City Academy. They're all exceptionally bright. Two girls and one boy this year; they were top in their class separately, and feverishly competed each other for the top spot in similar classes. I've never seen such a talented group. Usually there's one or two standout stars each year, not three." said Professor Oak excitedly. "What makes it even more amazing, is that they are all fifteen years old; three years younger than the typical students who graduate Silver Academy."

"Well, then I'll be looking forward to seeing them participate in the World Championships in a few years," she said, adjusting her glasses and eyed her reports.

"As do I," replied Professor Oak before taking another sip of his coffee.

Aiko checked her watch and stood up, clipboard clenched closely to her chest. "Well, I got to go. I have to check the data and record it by the end of the day," she said as she walked away.

Stretching his tired limbs, Professor Oak stood up and walked out of his Lab. Walking down to the first floor, Oak walked out of the front door and stepped outside. It was a glorious morning in Pallet Town; the horizon was a rich orange, blue, yellow, and purple, the colors swirled together like a masterful painting. It was quite brisk out, though it was quickly building up to be a warm spring day. A great day after the exciting finals of the Pokémon League the night previous. No doubt the new trainers had watched the spectacular event themselves. "Humph. You'd think they'd be here at the crack of dawn," said Professor Oak, leaning against the laboratory door, his old joints stiff from age. Oak never once considered retirement from being a Professor, like many others of his profession. He was immersed in his studies; he always thought he would die in his laboratory.

Several minutes passed before Oak saw three young trainers running down the street. Two young girls and a boy ran down the sidewalk, shoving and pushing each other out of their way to get to the lab first. Oak chuckled as the teenagers rushed over and stopped before him, short of breath. The shortest was a petite girl with medium black hair and jade eyes. She wore a green Poké Ball shirt, blue jeans, green Mary Jane shoes, and green tasseled purse. The girl beside her was tall with a slightly large bust, blonde short bobbed hair, and deep blue eyes. She wore a white high waist outfit with blue skirt, blue shoes with white high socks, and blue enamel stripped purse. The only boy of the group was tall with short ginger hair and amber eyes. He wore a red black-splatter t-shirt with a a red jacket over. He also wore blue jeans, red tennis shoes, and a two-tone red bag. All three wore the official Pokémon League hats. The petite girl had a pink flower pinned to the side of her cap, while the other girl had fashionable white sunglasses perched on the visor.

"Welcome to Pallet Town!" greeted Professor Oak cheerfully. "I trust your journey from Silver City went well?" he asked before he turned back and grasped the handle. "I'm sure you are excited about picking your first Pokémon, so let's get to it, shall we?" said Oak as he pulled open the lab door and walked inside.

The three trainers pushed and shoved each other to get inside first. The trainers ogled the picture frames of Oak's Pokémon in intense battles and trophies of his battle awards, old photos of trainers and their Pokémon, and certificates of awards earned as one of the worlds greatest scientific minds.

"As you know by now, you've all qualified for the Pokémon League to be given "Special Pokémon" for your Journey," began Oak as resumed his speech, no doubt told hundreds of times during his tenure. "Trainers who score high on their exams are allowed to be given such a Pokémon on their Journey, if the trainer wishes to accept a Pokémon instead of catching their own or using a family Pokémon. This is the League's way of showing recognition of your abilities and achievements. Normally, we give this opportunity to the top three scores in the Kanto Region. Rarely do we administer a fourth, and even more rarely, a fifth."

Professor Oak led the three trainers up to his lab on the second floor, his personal research area, stacked with shelves of books he wrote himself and other professors. In the center was a high-tech machine with three Poké Balls in display, and in the back of the lab were three high-tech Pokédex, a high-tech encyclopedia for Pokémon, customized for each of them. On the left was a green Pokédex, on the right was a blue, and the center was a red, the standard Pokédex color.

"Now, let's get started, shall we?" said Professor Oak as he gestured toward the high-tech machine. "We have here three Pokémon; the Grass-type Bulbasaur, the Fire-type Charmander, and the Water-type Squirtle. Now, I'm all for tradition of starting off with ladies first, but who wants this Bulbasaur?" asked Oak as he picked up the Poké Ball.

"I do!" said the petite girl.

"I thought you would, Hanako Mori." said Oak cheerfully as he tossed the Poké Ball into the air.

Hanako caught it and snuggled the Poké Ball with her cheek. "I'm so happy right now, I can't wait to see my partner," she said as she give her Poké Ball a light toss. The Poké Ball popped open, a small Bulbasaur materialized in front of her.

"Oh, aren't you a cutie?!" said Hanako as she picked up her Bulbasaur and cuddled it. "You got the cutest little butt!"

"Bulba..." said the Bulbasaur hesitantly at the comment about his butt.

"Looks like you two are two peas of the same pod," said Professor Oak. "Let's see. Riviére Bleu, you're next. What Pokémon would you like to start with?"

"Squirtle, obviously," Riviére replied as she approached Oak and received her Poké Ball. "Thank you," said Riviére as she took the Poké Ball. With a quick glance, she tossed the Poké Ball in the air. The ball popped and a Squirtle materialized.

Calm and collected, the Squirtle smiled at Riviére. "Squirtle!"

Riviére laughed as she picked up her Squirtle. "Let's show them that Water-types are more than flashy Pokémon."

Oak chuckled as he looked at the boy. "All right, Tatsu Fuji, You get the last Pokémon."

"Awesome," said Tatsu as he accepted the Poké Ball from Professor Oak.

"Thought you would," said Oak as he handed Tatsu the Poké Ball. "You know, this is the first time that Charmander was picked third. Usually it is the first or second to go. Oh well, first time for everything."

"Yes!" he yelled as he tossed the ball into the air and like it fell to the ground with a thud.

A thick silence filled the air as everyone stared at the Poké Ball. A few seconds passed when the Poké Ball finally popped open and a Charmander materialized. Tatsu and Charmander looked at each other for a moment before Tatsu outstretched his arms for a hug. However, the Charmander attacked Tatsu with an Ember attack at the sudden movement of Tatsu's hug. His clothes on fire, Tatsu dropped to the ground and tried to put out the fire as Charmander laughed at him.

"Oh, dear..." said Oak as Riviére's Squirtle doused the flames with Water Gun. "I forgot to mention this one is a bit hard to control," said Oak nonchalantly. "Well, now, that takes care of that," said Oak as he reached into his pocket and gave each trainer five Poké Balls and handed them each their Pokédex. Tatsu's was the traditional red, while Hanako's color was green and Riviére's was blue.

"These are your Pokédex. These will help you catalog the Pokémon you meet. They also serve for learning devices, guides, and anything else you'd need for a Pokémon Journey." said Professor Oak. "Now get out there and begin your Pokémon Journey. Good luck, and stay safe!" said Oak as he walked through the new Trainers and left them alone.

"Wow, so we're officially trainers now..." said Hanako as she hugged her Bulbasaur.

"Yup. So, who wants to lose their first Pokémon battle to me?" said Tatsu cockily, as Charmander scratched its cheek in boredom.

"Please, you don't stand a chance," said Riviére as she returned Squirtle to his Poké Ball. "Your Charmander doesn't even obey you yet, so it wouldn't be a fair contest." said Riviére. Hanako giggled as she returned her Bulbasaur, Tatsu doing the same and followed behind.

As they reached the bottom of a small hill that Professor Oak's lab sat, Hanako stopped and cleared her throat. "So, Tatsu, Riviére...I was wondering if you'd like to travel together?" she asked shyly.

Riviére and Tatsu stopped and turned, surprised by the request. "Why do you want to travel together?" asked Riviére.

"Well, it gets lonely traveling without anyone besides your Pokémon. Since we're going the same direction anyway, I thought we'd team up?" said Hanako as she rubbed the back of her neck shyly.

Riviére and Tatsu looked at each other and shrugged their shoulders. "I don't see why not," said Riviére.

"Me either. Traveling with two cute girls should make the trip worth it," said Tatsu with his hand on his chin with a lame attempt to conceal his grin.

"Still a pig, I see," replied Riviére with a slight laugh, as Tatsu shrugged his shoulders at the comment.

Hanako laughed nervously. "So, where to first?"

"I don't know about you, but I'm going to the Pokémon Center to register for the Pokémon League." said Tatsu.

"Sounds like a good idea," said Riviére as she, Hanako, and Tatsu.

Hanako, Riviére, and Tatsu arrived at the front desk of the Pallet Town Pokémon Center shortly later. The local nurse approached them with three folders. "All right, here are the forms to enter the Tournament. I should mention that you are required to earn at least eight badges to participate. Since both Johto and Kanto are jointly holding the World Cup, you are allowed to get badges from either region. Badges will also be graded on a point system for ranking. You must also register at least six Pokémon in order to participate. You may also check your current ranking and check out other trainer's progress at any Pokémon Center, any time."

"Thanks," they said as they took the folders and completed the paperwork.

As they filled out paperwork to join the Pokémon League, Riviére looked up and toward Hanako and Tatsu. "I assume you two are going to specialize in Fire and Grass-types, right?" asked Riviére.

Tatsu nodded as he finished the paperwork. "Yeah, that's right," he said as he handed Nurse Joy the completed paperwork. "I want to be Gym Leader of Cinnabar Island, and Cinnabar is traditionally a Fire-type Gym."

"I...want to open up my own Berry Shop where I can grow Berries." Hanako admitted after a short pause.

Riviére rubbed her chin in thought. "Well, I was thinking; Trainers that usually win the Pokémon League usually use six Pokémon at any given point in their Journey. Focusing on those six Pokémon gives them the edge in strength, as they have much more experience than the average Pokémon."

"Yeah, so?" asked Tatsu.

A sly grin flashed across her features. "I propose two things. First, we should only train three Pokémon while we're in Kanto."

Tatsu raised his brow. "Only three?"

"Hm...," Hanako leaned against the counter. "With only three Pokémon, we can make them stronger than the average Pokémon. It'd be very challenging, only having three...We would be able to get through the Gyms all right, but during League? We'd wouldn't qualify, as most Leagues have a six Pokémon requirement."

"Exactly. So, we should catch and train three more in Johto. That way, we'd have six Pokémon," replied Riviére. "And if we won all sixteen badges, we'd automatically be guaranteed a spot in the Tournament without having to go through the Preliminary Round."

"That would still be very tough. The others would know all our Pokémon within a few rounds." said Hanako.

"Might not matter if our Pokémon could crush the opposition without effort," added Tatsu. "All right, I'm in. There's only twelve species of Fire Pokémon that I could catch in Kanto and maybe from Johto, if I were lucky to find them here."

"Maybe...," said Hanako hesitantly. After a moment's pause, she smiled. "All right, I'm in as well."

"Great," said Riviére as she, Tatsu, and Hanako shook hands, cementing their deal. "I'll be seeing you in the finals."

"Not if I take you out first," said Tatsu with a grin. "I'll make sure you don't beat me."

Hanako titled her head slightly an smiled as the three of them exited the Pokémon Center together. The rest of the day was spent preparing for their Pokémon Journey. Their first stop was the local Pokémon Mart, the best place to buy materials needed on your journey. As Hanako and Riviére looked over specials the Mart was having for sale, Tatsu let out a laugh.

"You two thinking about buying a starter pack?" he asked as he approached from behind.

"Yeah, why shouldn't we?" asked Riviére. "It comes with everything we need. Tent, sleeping bag, travel bag, cooking supplies; the basic things we need."

Tatsu looked over his shoulder to check if anyone else was around besides the three of them before he leaned over. "I have a new product that I'm not supposed to make public yet. It's a Silph Co. product, and it will revolutionize how trainers go on their journey," he said as he reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a small black case. "I'll show you once we get out of town," he said with a wink. "Besides, there's something else worth that money you'd want to get."

Confused, the girls put back their starter kits and picked up some potions and other medication they will likely need for their journey. They approached the counter, and the cashier rang up their purchases. As he rang up Tatsu's order, something caught Hanako's eye. On the top shelf were disk-like contraptions with "Wonder Launchers" on the box. Hanako gasped, "Wow, those are Wonder Launchers! I heard those are great for competitive battling."

The cashier looked up at the Wonder Launchers. "Oh yeah, those are big time sellers. The League just sanctioned them for official battles in and outside of Gyms, and even for the World Tournament. They've been selling like hotcakes since. We've only got three left."

"How much are those?" asked Tatsu.

"PokémonDollar.png100,000. You get a complete set of ten X Items, including X Attack, X Defense, etc." replied the cashier.

Hanako sighed miserably. "I don't have nearly enough."

Tatsu looked up at the Wonder Launchers. "I'll take three."

"Tatsu, I can't let you pay for mine!" said Hanako, her cheeks flushed.

"It's alright, I can afford it. I'll just have you pay for my supplies for the next few months."

"T-Thanks..." said Hanako as she moved forward and paid for her and Tatsu's order.

"Thanks for the offer, but I can afford to buy my own," said Riviére with a small smile. "I appreciate the offer though."

After Hanako paid for her and Tatsu's medication, the cashier pulled the remaining three Wonder Launchers from the shelf. "All right, I got a red one, a blue one, and a green one. Which will you be taking?" he asked as Tatsu stepped forward to pay for the two Wonder Launchers.

"I'll take the red one, and Hanako will have the green one, right?" he asked.

Hanako nodded. "Yes please." she said happily.

With everything paid for, Hanako, Riviére, and Tatsu exited from the Pokémon Mart. "So, where next?" asked Riviére as the glass doors closed.

"There's a new chain of stores that opened up in every city," explained Tatsu. "They are Poké Ball Engraving stores. You can get your Poké Balls customized to your liking, for a decent amount of money."

"Really?" asked Hanako excitedly. "I didn't know they opened shops like that."

"Yup, this way," said Tatsu as he lead them to the Engraving store. As they entered the tiny shop, a single elderly man was sitting a table, working on a Poké Ball already. So far, the Poké Ball was a rich purple color with a name partially engraved on it. "Hello, we'd like to get some custom work done to our Poké Balls."

"Ah, yes, come in! Come in!" said the elderly man as he stopped working on the Poké Ball. "What can I get'cha?"

"I was hoping I could get my Poké Ball engraved," said Tatsu as he withdrew Charmander's Poké Ball. "I'd like the top part to be a darker red with the roman numeral for one engraved on it. Maybe a Crimson?"

"Hm, simple enough job," said the elderly man as he rubbed his shaggy chin and nodded. "I'd say that'd cost about PokémonDollar.png500 for the engraving and the coloring."

"That sounds cool," said Riviére. "Could I get the same thing, except Bleu de Kalos?"

"Me too," added Hanako happily. "May I get mine in Forest Green, please?"

"Oh yes, very doable," said the elderly man. "I'll just need you to let out your Pokémon while I work on them. They orders will be done by early morning; I'm the only one working and I have quite the workload. That okay?"

"Yeah, that should be fine." said Tatsu.

Releasing their Pokémon from their Poké Balls, they paid the man for the engraving and exited the store with their Pokémon following suit. "So, what now?" asked Hanako as she bent over and petted Bulbasaur, who nuzzled her hand.

"I don't know about you, but I'm hungry," said Tatsu. "You want to get a bite to eat?"

"Sure, I could get some food," replied Riviére. "Lead the way."

As they walked together, Hanako stopped and looked behind her. Leaning by the wall of a shop was a tall man with long, dark brown and purple hair in a pony tail, and yellow eyes. The man turned his head towards Hanako and smiled. Hanako smiled back and leaned over, picking up her Bulbasaur. She waved at the man, who acknowledged her with a nod.

"Hanako, coming?" said Tatsu as he and Riviére stopped, their Pokémon beside them.

Hanako turned and her smiled widened. "Coming!" she said as she raced passed them.

 

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Ch. II​

The Unknown Pokémon​

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The next day was a bright and sunny morning. Hanako, Riviére, and Tatsu stood on the edge of town with Route 1 opened to them just feet away, leading them into the grassy fields that separated Pallet Town and Viridian City. Hanako, in the middle, reached her arms out and grabbed Tatsu and Riviére's hands. "This is it. We're about to start our Journey together." she said with a wide smile.

"Yeah, I've been waiting for this my whole life," replied Riviére as she returned the smile and tightened the grip of her hand around Hanako's. "We'll share this memory for the rest of our lives."

"Let's make it a good memory, shall we?" said Tatsu as he tilted his cap with his free hand. "Let's take that first step together."

"On three?" asked Riviére.

"Three." replied Tatsu and Hanako simultaneously.

"One..." said Riviére.

"...Two..." said Tatsu.

"...THREE!" shouted Hanako. Together, they took a one big step forward and stopped, officially entering Route 1. "We did it!" Hanako said excitedly, fist in the air.

Tatsu nodded as he reached into his pocket and withdrew his Pokédex. Turning it on, Tatsu immediately began to check the Pokémon commonly found on Route 1. "Hm," he said after scrolling down the list of Pokémon. "The most common Pokémon in this area are Rattata, Pidgey, Spearow, Sentret, Caterpie, Weedle, Ledyba, Pineco, Poochyena, Wurmple, then rarely we can find Raticate, Pidgeotto, Pidgeot, Fearow, Furret, Metapod, Butterfree, Kakuna, Beedrill, Ledian, Cascoon, Beautifly, Silcoon, Dustox, Plusle, Minun, Shinx, Luxio, and Luxray. At night, we can find Spinarak, Ariados, Hoothoot, and Noctowl."

"Those are some decent Pokémon," said Riviére, "but I'm not really interested in those. To bad there isn't any ponds or streams in this area, or I'd be able to find some Water-type Pokémon."

"Yeah, and no Grass-types either," said Hanako with a sigh. "Looks like I'll have to wait till we go further before we can find a new Pokémon to join our team."

"You two have it easy," said Tatsu as he placed his Pokédex back into his pocket. "Fire-types are a lot harder to find than Grass and Water-types."

Together, they walked down the fine dirt path of Route 1. As the morning progressed, they battled several Pokémon that they found on the route. Being restricted to only two additional Pokémon for the rest of their journey in Kanto, neither of them caught any new Pokémon. As lunch time came, they sat underneath a large oak tree and enjoyed sandwiches they had bought in town, with the exception of Hanako, who instead ate a few Oran Berries. Charmander ate a charred Caterpie, while Squirtle and Bulbasaur ate some Pokéfood. During their lunch break, they talked about their future aspirations and expectations about the challenges that come before them as Hanako watched a Weedle and Caterpie eat a leaf.

"Brock will be difficult for you," stated Riviére before she drank some tea from a bottle. "His Pokémon may be Rank D, but they are at the pinnacle of that rank. Being level 20 Pokémon, ours would already have to be evolved to stand a chance. They are also bound to know moves that would be tutored. Brock wouldn't want Grass and Water-types to stomp his team."

"I know he has a Geodude and an Onix, but didn't the Pokémon League increase Gym Battles to three on three last year?" asked Hanako.

"I forgot about that rule," said Tatsu as he rubbed his chin in thought. "I don't know what other Pokémon Brock could have added to his team. With Pewter City being a Rock-type Gym, it's safe to say he'll add another Rock-type, but which one?"

"It's probably a Rhyhorn or something," said Riviére with a shrug of her shoulders. "Either way, Hanako and I will have an easier time fighting Brock than you. Fire-types are weak against Rock-types, and his are also part Ground-type. Makes things easier for Hanako and I."

"I'm not worried about it," said Tatsu as he stood up and stretched. "Charmeleon will learn Dragon Rage, which does a lot of damage against lower level Pokémon," said Tatsu as Charmander started to growl. Seeing a young trainer walking down the Route, Tatsu grinned as he stood up. "Hey, looks like we might have our first Pokémon Battle."

Riviére and Hanako turned their heads. As they did, a youngster saw them and ran over. "Hey! Hey! Are you trainers?" he asked excitedly.

"Yes, we are," said Tatsu proudly. "Are you a trainer as well?"

"Well, not officially," he said, "but I do have my own Pokémon. I've been training hard. Would you like to battle?"

"Sure," said Tatsu as Charmander prepped itself, ready for a fight.

The youngster stepped forward, Poké Ball in hand. "My name is Joey."

Tatsu nodded. "My name is Tatsu. This will be a one on one battle. You accept?"

"But I got three Pokémon," he interjected.

"Then let's have a Rotation Battle," suggested Riviére. "We'll battle one at a time."

"Yeah, that sounds like fun!" said Joey, pumped up. "I never had a Rotation Battle before!"

Hanako and Riviére stood beside the tree and watched as Tatsu and Joey spaced themselves, giving their Pokémon plenty of room to battle. Youngster Joey tossed his Poké Ball into the air and yelled, "I choose you, Rattata!" he exclaimed. As the Poké Ball popped open, a small greenish rat Pokémon jumped out. The Rattata sparkled slightly, it's body gleaming briefly. The Rattata had smaller whiskers, indicating that the Rattata was female.

"So that's a shiny Pokémon. That's the first time I've ever seen one up close." said Tatsu, impressed.

Joey snapped his fingers. "That's right! My Rattata is in the top percentage of Rattata!" he said before he issued a command. "Rattata, use Bite!"

"Charmander, counter with smokescreen!"

Opening her jaws, the shiny Rattata rushed toward the Charmander. Without looking where the Rattata was going, Charmander was quickly able to dodge the attack. Landing beside the Rattata, Charmander did not follow Tatsu's order. Instead, Charmander scratched the side of Rattata's face, knocking the Rattata aside. Trickles of blood ran down the shiny Rattata's cheek.

"I didn't give that order," said Tatsu, perplexed by the initiative that Charmander took. He quickly shook off the surprise and said, "Great work, Charmander. Now, let's test out that Ember attack!"

"Don't give up," said youngster Joey as Rattata got up, shaking her face. "use Quick Attack!"

In haste, the Rattata charged the Charmander and struck him in the chest. Knocking the air out of Charmander, he was thrown several feet away. Charmander stood up, angry for being hit so hard in the chest. Quickly regaining his breath, Charmander inhaled deeply before exhaling a rather large ball of fire at the Rattata, which hit her in the face. Burned from the embers, Rattata could not stand the pain from the attack and passed out.

Shocked by the defeat, Joey was speechless as he watched Rattata lay unconscious. "No, my Rattata!" he bellowed as he fumbled for his Poké Ball.


Meanwhile, Tatsu returned Charmander to his Poké Ball and looked at it with a ponderous look. "That Ember attack was way stronger than it should have been, even if Charmander's Blaze Ability was activated," said Tatsu. "I should check that out." he said as Riviére walked over to Tatsu.

"All right, it's my turn." she said confidently.

Taking Riviére's spot by Hanako, he took out his Pokédex and scanned his Poké Ball and read the information displayed on the screen. Charmander, the Lizard Pokémon. From the time it is born, a flame burns at the tip of its tail. Its life would end if the flame were to go out. The flame on its tail indicates Charmander's life force. If it is healthy, the flame burns brightly. The flame that burns at the tip of its tail is also an indication of its emotions. The flame wavers when Charmander is enjoying itself. If the Pokémon becomes enraged, the flame burns fiercely. Height: 2'03". Weight: 19.02 lbs. Level: 12. Ability: Solar Power. Known Moves: Scratch, Growl, Ember, Smokescreen.

"I knew it," said Tatsu. "Charmander has a Hidden Ability."

"Really?" asked Hanako as she walked over to Tatsu and peered over his shoulder.

"What are you talking about over there?" asked Riviére as Squirtle prepped for battle.

"Tell you in a bit," replied Tatsu. "Focus on your battle."

"Right," Riviére coughed as she turned her attention to Joey. "My name is Riviére," she asked confidently. Her demeanor changed, suddenly becoming competitive. Her eyes narrowed, her fists clenched as her legs shook slightly. Her adrenaline flowed through her every fiber and her heart began to race. The excitement of battle always brought out her competitive nature. "I choose my Squirtle!" exclaimed Riviére as Squirtle waddled forward in confidence.

"And I choose Pidgey!" said Joey as he tossed his Poké Ball, and a small brown Pokémon emerged from it. Flapping his wings, the Pidgey landed and chirped softly. "Pidgey, use Gust!" ordered Joey.

With a flap of his wings, the Pidgey flew up slightly and flapped his wings toward Squirtle. Without waiting for Riviére's order, Squirtle turned around and withdrew into his shell to weather the attack without much damage. When the gust died down, Squirtle used Water Gun while still withdrawn, propelling him forward at a high speed and smacked the Pidgey square in the chest. Knocking the Pidgey to the ground, Squirtle withdrew out of his shell and stood beside the Pidgey in triumph.

Riviére, shocked by the initiative and the ingenious of Squirtle's battle strategy, was speechless as Joey ran over to his Pidgey and scooped him up. Riviére walked over to her Squirtle and knelled over. "Wow, you really took out that Pidgey, huh?" she asked as Squirtle nodded. "Squirtle, Squirtle."

"Well, that didn't take long," said Hanako as she walked over to take Riviére's place as she returned her Squirtle to his Poké Ball.

Without hesitating, Tatsu scanned Squirtle with his Pokédex. Squirtle, the Tiny Turtle Pokémon. Squirtle's shell is not merely used for protection. The shell's rounded shape and the grooves on its surface help minimize resistance in water, enabling this Pokémon to swim at high speeds. It shelters itself in its shell, then strikes back with spouts of water at every opportunity. Shoots water at prey while in the water. Withdraws into its shell when in danger. Height: 2'00". Weight: 22.2 lbs. Level: 12. Ability: Rain Dish. Known Moves: Tackle, Tail Whip, Water Gun, Withdraw.

"Looks like I was right," said Tatsu as he showed Riviére his Pokédex. After a quick read, Riviére jaw dropped. "Rain Dish? That's Squirtle's Hidden Ability. Those are supposed to be extremely rare. One in every thousand are born with their Hidden Ability," she said before looking at Tatsu. "Your Charmander has a Hidden Ability as well, doesn't he?"

Tatsu nodded and looked back at Hanako. "I bet you anything that Hanako's Bulbasaur also has his Hidden Ability."

Hanako and Joey stood in the same spots as Tatsu and Riviére had stood. Bulbasaur looked on with a proud expression, waiting for Joey to reveal his final Pokémon. Joey reached into his pocket and tossed his Poké Ball. "Go, Beedrill!" he exclaimed as the Beedrill materialized.

"Whoa, that's a fully evolved Pokémon," said Hanako worrisome, but Bulbasaur stood confident. "Bulba," said the Bulbasaur as it reared slightly, ready for battle. Hanako looked down and smiled confidently. "If you think we can win, then so do I," she said as she gave Bulbasaur an order. "Bulbasaur, use Tackle!"

"Beedrill, use Fury Attack!" countered Joey.

Bulbasaur charged the Beedrill with surprising speed. The Beedrill countered the charge with her stingers, jabbing at Bulbasaur with her arms and stinger. Bulbasaur stopped itself and avoided the multiple attempts to sting it. Backing up a bit, Bulbasaur leaned forward and sprayed a greenish powder at the Beedrill. Unable to avoid the powder, the Beedrill fell to the ground, fast asleep.

"No, Beedrill!" shouted Joey. "Wake up, sleepy bug!"

"Bulbasaur, when did you learn Sleep Powder?" asked Hanako, confused.

"Bulba," said the Bulbasaur as it turned around, then turned back.

"Oh, right," said Hanako with a quick smile. "Of course. Back to the battle. Bulbasaur, use Vine Whip!"

Nodding, Bulbasaur's vines crept from it's bulb and wrapped around the sleeping Beedrill. Picking her up, Bulbasaur slammed Beedrill into the ground. Waking up from the sudden impact, the Beedrill struggled to escape from the vines, but it proved useless as the grip was too tight. Again, Bulbasaur slammed the Beedrill into the ground.

"Stop, I give up!" Joey cried as he ran to his Beedrill.

"Bulbasaur, stop," said Hanako as she saw Joey run toward his Beedrill. Immediately, Bulbasaur released the Beedrill as commanded. The Beedrill got back to her feet, while hurt, could still move on her own. Joey hugged his Beedrill and cried, the Beedrill soothing him with her buzzing. Walking over, Hanako leaned over and pet the child. "You shouldn't give up so easily. Your Beedrill was still willing to fight. While it's good that you kept your Pokémon's health in priority, you shouldn't be so hasty to give up."

Wiping his tears, Joey nodded. "Okay, I'll try to remember that."

"You both fought well," said Riviére as they approached.

Tatsu pointed his Pokédex at Hanako's Bulbasaur to scan for information. Bulbasaur, the Seed Pokémon. A strange seed was planted on its back at birth. The plant sprouts and grows with this Pokémon. For some time after its birth, it grows by gaining nourishment from the seed on its back. Bulbasaur can be seen napping in bright sunlight. By soaking up the sun's rays, the seed grows progressively larger. Height: 2'06". Weight: 16.3 lbs. Level: 13. Ability. Chlorophyll. Known Moves: Tackle, Growl, Leech Seed, Vine Whip, Poison Powder, Sleep Powder.

"Just as we thought. Our Pokémon have Hidden Abilities," said Tatsu as he pocketed his Pokédex. "Not only that, but your Bulbasaur is a level ahead of ours."

"Really?" said Hanako as she scratched her cheek. "Well, Bulbasaur did fight a couple of Metapod. Maybe he leveled up faster because they were evolved Pokémon?"

"Yeah, probably," said Tatsu.

Joey returned his Pokémon to their Poké Balls. "Thanks for the battles. Will we see you again, one day?"

"Of course," said Hanako happily. "We'll stop by one day. We look forward to it."

"Alright! We'll challenge you again when you get back!" he said as he scampered away, walking back toward Pallet Town as they resumed onward to Viridian City.

The day resumed without much more excitement. They made good distance as the sun decent past the mountains in the horizon. With the sky quickly dissipating into the darkness of night, Riviére, Tatsu, and Hanako stood around a common campsite used by trainers that stay overnight between Pallet Town and Viridian City. It was one of many dotted around the routes for trainers to use while on their journey.

"So, why didn't you want us to buy sleeping bags?" asked Riviére as she stood by the fire pit.

Tatsu surveyed a flat spot, as if taking measurements in his head. "Yeah, this will do," he said as he reached into his pocket and took out a small case. He turned his head over to Riviére and Hanako and smirked at their perplexed expressions. "You two remember how I said I had a top secret product that the Silph Co. was testing?" said Tatsu as he opened the case and took out an oblong capsule that looked like a stretched Poké Ball. Clicking the top, Tatsu underhand tossed the capsule as far as he could. The capsule popped open like a Poké Ball, blinding white light enveloping the area. As the light dissipated, a one story oval house appeared where there was nothing seconds later.

"Wh-what the hell!" exclaimed Riviére in surprise. "When did they put houses in Poké Balls?"

"That's amazing!," said Hanako in wonder as she walked towards the oval house and stopped at the door. "How did they do it?"

"It works just like Poké Balls," explained Tatsu as he walked to the door and opened it. Hanako and Riviére poked their heads inside and looked on in amazement. Inside the oval house was a fully furnished house with a complete kitchen with stove, refrigerator, a large freezer for storing, sink, dishwasher, and cupboards, and a long table with four chairs. The living room was also furnished with a couch, armchair, 60" TV and TV stand, coffee table, end tables, coat rack, shelves for books, and lamp. There was a small hallway that split off into what seemed to be a bathroom and a bedroom. Beside the bathroom entrance was a washer and dryer. "The capsule converts the object into data, and it stores it inside. When you return it to the capsule, everything will be the exact same as when it was returned. They are called Pokémon Capsules, or PokéCaps for short."

"Wow, science is amazing," said Hanako as they walked inside, removing their shoes at the door mat before stepping onto the carpet.

"How did you get this?" asked Riviére.

Tatsu put his jacket on the coat rack and jumped onto the couch, crossing his arms and legs. "My grandparents are Professor Blaine, the Cinnabar Gym Leader, and Professor Fuji. They are prominent scientific figures and both have connections in Silph. Before I arrived at Pallet Town, I got a call from Grandpa Blaine and he asked if I would be interested in testing out their product. If the test goes well, it will hit the market at the end of next year. Starting price being set at about PokémonDollar.png750,000."

"That's insanely expensive," said Riviére, taken back by the high price. "Shouldn't they lower the price?"

"Maybe, but they function for more than just trainers out on the road. People can live in them long term, and can move their homes if need be. Silph Co. is working on making larger homes with more bedrooms too." said Tatsu as Riviére and Hanako sat in the armchairs beside the couch. "It also protects trainers from the environment, as well as many other factors. Not only that, but they are working on making vehicles for easy transportation. Silph Co. has a vision of making PokéCaps useful for everyone, not just trainers."

"Is it possible for someone to accidentally be trapped inside?" asked Hanako as she looked around the living room.

"Not possible. It works like a Poké Ball; humans can't be put in Poké Balls as a Poké Ball will reject the human once the scan of the genetic material begins."

"So that's how Poké Balls work?" asked Hanako.

"In a nutshell," said Tatsu as he sat up. "So, who wants to cook?"

Riviére shrugged and stood up. "I can cook, but you're making breakfast."

"Shame, I can't cook," said Tatsu as he got up and showed her the kitchen.

"Fine, I'll do the cooking, but you're doing the dishes."

"Yeah, yeah,"

Hanako giggled softly as she looked out the window. Standing outside was the tall man with yellow eyes and long dark brown and purple hair in a pony tail. Smiling softly, Hanako stood up and walked to the door. "Be right back, going to look for some berries," said Hanako to Tatsu and Riviére, who were arguing with each other over what to eat for supper. Closing the door behind her, Hanako walked up the the man and stopped. She looked up at him for a moment before hugging him. "You came all this way to see me, Cheshire?"

"Of course," said the man. "I had to see you off, didn't I?" As she hugged him, his body seemed to dissolved to reveal his true form; a Pokémon known as Zoroark. Unlike normal Zoroark, this one had purple hair and claws, and dark brown fur opposed to pure black. His eyes were yellow opposed to blue.

"You are always looking out for me," she said as she broke the embrace. "Are you going to return to your mission?"

"Unfortunately," Cheshire said with a lazy yawn. "Tracking down the Plates of Arceus all across the world is no easy feat. Imagine a deity with no powers, eh?" he said mischievously.

"Maybe, but he's still much stronger than you are," said Hanako, her hands folded behind her back.

"Yeah, maybe so. If the other deities knew they stood a chance against Arceus, they may rebel. Or, so Arceus says." said Cheshire with a shrug of his shoulders. "I really don't care who the strongest is, nothing but destruction ever comes from Gods fighting over the throne. As far as I care, they can keep it and leave me out of it."

Hanako giggled. "Yet you're helping Arceus get his powers back."

"Yeah, well, Arceus just happens to be decent at his job," said Cheshire defensively. Pausing for a moment, Cheshire placed his paw on her shoulder. "I'm going to miss you."

"And I, you," she replied back and gave him another hug.

"Are you sure you don't want me to join you?" he asked as he returned the hug.

"No, you have a job to do, as do I." she replied.

"Very well. If you need me, just call me. I've registered myself as a trainer under my name, so just send me a message. I will check it frequently."

"I will, thank you," said Hanako as the embrace ended and she stepped back. "You stay safe, okay?"

"You too," said Cheshire as the human form illusion again took effect. He turned around and walked away, walking into the night abyss.

Wiping a tear from her eye, she turned and headed back into the house, where Tatsu and Riviére were still arguing over what meal to eat.

Warning!: Due to the graphic scenes, the remainder of the chapter can be found on my deviant art page. Please check it out there!​

 

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Ch. III​

Aftermath​

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Hanako opened her eyes slowly, her vision blurred. Her surroundings were dimmed, with a sliver of light shining through the blinds beside her bed. Her head ached terribly as she tried to sit up, which only furthered the pounding in her skull. "Tatsu...Riviére..." she said as a bright light suddenly appeared, the lights popping in her head. She racked her achy brain as she tried to remember how she got here. The door to the room open, spilling in the bright hallway lights. The sudden light hurt her eyes.

"Oh, you're awake," said an unknown voice. "You've been asleep for two full days."

As her eyes adjusting to the light, Hanako quickly recognized that she was in a hospital bed, wearing nothing but a hospital gown. "Why am I in the hospital?" she asked as she slid out of the bed, pulling out the iv drip from her hand.

"You were found passed out in the street near the explosion," said the doctor as he approached and tried to push her back to bed. "I insist that you stay in bed. You need to be examined for injuries."

"I'm fine. Can you tell me where Riviére Bleu and Tatsu Fuji are? They were with me when everything happened."

"They've been discharged already. I believe they went to the Pokémon Center," he said as he tried to push Hanako back into bed. "Now get back to bed."

"NO!" she yelled. "Discharge me, I'm leaving!"

Hanako shoved the doctor away and raced out of the hospital room. She ran out of the hospital, ignoring the shouts from the doctors and nurses that tried to stop her. She needed to see for herself that Tatsu and Riviére were alive. Hanako didn't look back as she ran down the street towards the Pokémon Center. As she reached the sliding doors, she stopped in the main lobby, looking around frantically.

"Tatsu! Riviére!" she called out as she walked further into the lobby of the Pokémon Center.

"Hey, we're right behind you!" said a familiar female voice from behind.

Turning around, Hanako saw them standing at the entrance, healthy. Tearing up, she lunged at them and hugged them tight. "I th-thought you two were hu-hurt or d-dead..." she sobbed as they returned the embrace, more tears flowing down her cheeks.

"Nah, we were just knocked out," said Tatsu as they broke away. "We were more worried about you. The doctor said that none of us suffered any major injuries. You wouldn't wake up though."

"Besides, you're the one that should be worried," said Riviére as she attempting to hide a snicker. "You're the one exposed."

"What?" she asked, confused. "What do you mean by exposed?"

"You do realize that you ran here with your ass on full display, right?" asked Tatsu, also concealing a laugh. "I always thought you had nice assets, but now I'm sure about it."

"Wha?" she paused and reached behind herself, her hands finding her bare rear exposed. Her face reddened like a cherry at the sudden realization crashing down on her. "You mean...I ran here with my...Oh no..." Tatsu and Riviére burst out laughing as Hanako tried to hide herself from the others, who were catcalling and laughing along side them as she hurried to the women's sleeping quarters, where she hastily dressed. Walking out of the Pokémon Center fifteen minutes later, Hanako tried to hide her face from onlookers who recognized her from running out in public with her backside exposed. "I can't believe that I ran through Viridian with my butt in full view..." said Hanako as they walked down the sidewalk as a few people who recognized her cheered and whistled.

"Don't be ashamed," said Riviére happily, "Like I said last week; a woman's body is meant to be seen. You have a desirable body. Be proud of your beauty, don't hide it."

"Yeah, I bet a lot of guys had a crush on you," said Tatsu absentmindedly. "Then again, most guys were fantasizing about Riviére opposed to most girls. Some guys prefer the petite girls, but a lot of men prefer the girls with the big melons," he said as he made a hand gesture of squeezing breasts. "I personally prefer girls with personality over looks, but I'd give you and your assets a ten out of ten," he said with a grin and gave her two thumbs up.

Hanako blushed furiously as Riviére wrapped her arm around Hanako's shoulder. "See? Now, let's go out and buy you some skimpy outfits to make the others jealous," she said before leaning closer. "but remember, I have first dibs."

"Huh?" said Tatsu as he looked back. "What are you girls talking about?"

"Nothing, nothing," said Riviére. She paused for a moment before saying, "Oh, Tatsu. I don't think I ever thanked you properly for taking Hanako and I to the hospital," said Riviére as she tapped Tatsu on the shoulder. When he turned around, Riviére kissed him once on each cheek.

"Oh, it was no problem," said Tatsu, his cheeks burned from the kisses.

"Really? Tatsu took us to the hospital?" asked Hanako after a short pause. Seeing Riviére kiss Tatsu made her heart flutter. She felt strangely angry, though she wasn't sure why she did.

Riviére nodded. "Yeah. He came to first and took us to the hospital. When I woke up, he was carrying us over his shoulders," she said as Tatsu rubbed the back of his neck. "I'm honestly surprised that a geek like Tatsu was strong enough to carry us," she cooed.

"I'm not a geek," said Tatsu. "I took the classes I did because my family has always specialized in technology. It's tradition. It's expected of me to carry on the family line," he said as he withdrew his arm from his right jacket sleeve and flexed his muscles. "What I really like is battling like my father. Not just with Pokémon, but with people too. He didn't like studying much either but he took it because he was expected to. He didn't like my grandpa much for making him take it though," he said as e slipped his arm back into his jacket sleeve and walked away.

"I've been meaning to ask...How many casualties were there?" asked Hanako quietly.

"According to the news this morning," said Riviére, "over a dozen people and Pokémon were killed, and nearly thirty people were injured. The Gym and several buildings were decimated by the attack. No one saw what happened first and only a few saw what did it."

"Whatever that Pokémon was, it was powerful. It tossed around a Rhydon like it was nothing. A Pokémon like that must be at least Rank A or higher," said Tatsu as he crossed his arms in thought.

"So the Gym was destroyed?" asked Hanako.

Tatsu nodded. "Yeah. According to multiple reports, it was the Viridian City Gym that the Pokémon attacked first."

"I see...Maybe we should stop by and pay our respects? We're only a block away," said Hanako as they passed a building that had suffered some damage to it's wall. The building next door had been completely destroyed. As they passed the ruined building and rounded the corner, the smoldering remains of the Gym laid in ruin. To their surprise, a tall man wearing a black suit and fedora stood where the front doors would be. A man and woman standing beside him like body guards stood where the stairs lead to the front door.

"Damn. This will take months to repair the Gym. At least this provides me with the chance to upgrade it." said the man aggressively as he turned from the smoldering remains. As he turned, he saw them walking towards him. "If you are here for a Gym Challenge, you will have to schedule an appointment for a later date. As you can see, my Gym has been destroyed and I will not be taking appointments until it has been reconstructed."

"Sorry, we're not here for a Gym Challenge," said Riviére.

"We came here to pay our respects," added Hanako. "We were here when the attacked happened."

"Really?" he said as he paused and sized them up. "Hmm. You must be Trainers. What are your surnames?"

"Um...Mori," she said, finding it odd he didn't ask for a first name.

"Bleu."

"Fuji."

"Bleu. Fuji. Those are some powerful family names," he said, completely ignoring Hanako. "I've done work with both families. Though I am confused to what the Bleu heiress is doing in Kanto rather than back home in Kalos."

Riviére bit her lip, her fists clenched tightly. "I...I'd rather take it here." she said after a pause.

"Is that so?" he said. "Why not take it in Kalos?"

"Because she's here with friends," said Hanako as she took Riviére's hand and squeezed it. Riviére's eyes began to tear up as Hanako took her hand. Tatsu also took her hand to show support.

The Gym Leader couldn't help to smile, though it came off sarcastically. "Well, you have some very good friends, Miss Bleu," he said before his body guards stepped forward.

"Excuse me, Giovanni, but we'll miss the plane back if we wait any longer."

"Can't you see I am talking?" he said angrily. "You will go to the airport and tell them to wait. Remind them on who pays their salaries. Remind yourself while you're at it."

The guards bowed and walked away as instructed. As they left, Giovanni turned his attention back to them. "Please, join me for a quick lunch. My subordinates need a reminder who they work for," he said as walked to a nearby fast food restaurant.

The lunch was uncomfortable. Hanako got the feeling that Tatsu and Riviére greatly disliked the Gym Leader of Viridian. Giovanni paid very little attention to Hanako while they ate. He focused more on Riviére and Tatsu; speaking to them about their family and the work they did together. Tatsu was strangely quiet the entire time while Giovanni talked about the Fuji family. He only nodded when Giovanni asked or commented about the Fuji family. According to Giovanni, Tatsu's parents worked closely with him. On what work was a mystery, though it was alluded that Tatsu knew about it.

Riviére was also uncomfortable whenever Giovanni mentioned her parents.According to Giovanni, Riviére's family was an old, powerful family in Kalos; a family of Lords that helped rule Kalos for over a thousand years. It was more uncomfortable when they learned that Riviére's parents died in Hoenn seven years ago after their ship mysteriously sank offshore. Hanako took Riviére's hand underneath the table and found that her hands were trembling while trying to keep a straight face.

"Such a terrible ordeal. It was a great loss to the world. You have my sympathies," said Giovanni after he finished his burger, his tone flat. Gathering his trash, Giovanni stood up and dumped it in the bin. "I must get going. I believe I let my subordinates wait long enough. I await for your challenges in the coming months," he said as he turned to leave

Hanako stood up, balling her fists in anger. "Where do you get off?" she said angrily. "You treat people like they are beneath you!"

Tatsu and Riviére stared at Hanako silently. Giovanni's lips curled into a small grin, the first since meeting him. "Mori, isn't it?"

"That's right," she said defiantly.

Giovanni studied her closely before smiling mischievously. "Perhaps I will remember you after all. I expect you three to send a request for a Gym battle in a few months. If you can collect seven badges, that is," he said as he turned and left the store.

Hanako sat down beside Riviére, her fists still balled. Riviére hugged her as Tatsu looked at them with a far away look in his eyes. As they prepared to leave, two men in suits approached the table. "Excuse me, are you Hanako Mori, Tatsu Fuji, and Riviére Bleu?"

"Yes. Who are you?" asked Tatsu.

"We are security for President Kanto," said the nearest suit. "We are instructed to escort you to the mayor's office to speak with the President."

"Really? Why does he want to speak with us?" asked Riviére.

The security guard didn't reply. Curious, they stood up and walked with the security guards. They were escorted to a black limousine. They sat in the back with one of the guards as the limousine drove to the Mayor's office. Once there, they were escorted inside and to the top floor. Riviére, Tatsu, and Hanako entered the Mayor's office and saw two people. One man was short, bald, fat, and wearing a
black suit, standing by the side of the desk. The other sat behind the desk; He was short, very broad, and had a very long white beard that brushed his knees, and bushy white eyebrows. He wore long, magnificent indigo robes. As they entered, he looked up, his tiny eyes observing them carefully.

"Ah, yes. Come in, come in," he said in a surprisingly soft voice. "Please, take a seat," Sitting in the three chairs already provided, they sat silently, waiting to be addressed. "Mmm, it's good to see that you children were taught manners," he said as he leaned back, the chair creaking in protest. "I am President Kanto. I came to Viridian City as soon as I heard about the recent attacks on this fair city," he said as though his speech was rehearsed. "The amount of casualties and collateral damage is extensive, and there weren't many eye witnesses that saw it happen. I've heard that you three saw who was responsible. I want to know everything that you saw."

"Well," started Hanako, "it all happened suddenly. Riviére and I were talking in the women's sleeping quarters in the Pokémon Center when the explosion happened. I looked out of the window, and I saw the fire and smoke coming from the Viridian Gym. The police and fire trucks were mobilizing towards the fire, but I saw them get destroyed as well."

"We all ran outside," interjected Tatsu. "and ran towards the Viridian City Gym. As we turned the corner, we saw a Pokémon none of us ever saw before."

"What did this Pokémon look like?" asked President Kanto, leaning forward.

"It was humanoid and looked a bit like a cat," said Riviére, trying to remember that night. "It was gray and had a purple tail. It's power suggested that it was a Psychic-type and a strong one too. I'd say, based on how it moved and fought, it'd be at least a Rank A Pokémon. It completely annihilated a Rhydon with ease."

"It was extremely fast, too. It was as if it teleported," said Hanako, looking down at her knees. Her body shivered as she recalled the conversation she had with it. "I can say with confidence that this Pokémon looked like no other Pokémon in any history or lore that I recall. After it attacked us, it flew away. I saw its face up close and I saw only nothing in its eyes."

"Hm..." The President studied their faces carefully. Finding them trustworthy, President Kanto's face relaxed. "I just have one final question for you," he shifted uncomfortable, his face becoming worrisome once more. "From based on what you saw, did you see anything that would indicated Johto's involvement?"

The questioned stunned them. Hanako answered first aggressively. "No, there's no way Johto could be involved. It was a Pokémon that attacked Viridian. I can confidently say that the Pokémon would have attacked any human or Pokémon without prejudice. Man, woman, or child, it would not care which region they were from. Johto would have no possible way of obtaining a Pokémon like this."

President Kanto studied Hanako's face before becoming far more relaxed. "Good...Good, thank you. I had to be sure. The Tojoh Alliance is weak as it is," he explained as he smoothed his mustache. "I've been hoping that I was correct in removing blame on Johto from this terrible attack. Though I am still greatly disturbed that such a Pokémon could exist; I've talked to the families of the deceased, and the Rhydon was confirmed to be a Rank A Pokémon. Very powerful indeed. It fought in the Tojoh War on our behalf. A Pokémon of that strength must be extremely powerful to kill a wartime Pokémon. It gladdens me to think that Johto had nothing to do with this monstrosity, but it worries me that we do not know it's origins. A powerful Pokémon like this don't appear out of thin air. No, this could prove disastrous for both regions if a Pokémon like this was left to roam the world free. I've heard rumors that an organization was mobilizing against the Kanto and Johto regions, but there's no proof of such an organization existing. In any case, I want you to spend a moment of your time with a sketch artist so we can get an ideal description of the Pokémon responsible," he said as he shifted in the seat. "And for your cooperation, I took the liberty to compensate the three of you. I've given each of you PokémonDollar.png5,000,000 and paid for your hospital expenses in exchange for your services...and your silence. Good day to you."

After President Kanto left the Mayor's office, a sketch artist and a Smeargle sketched a rough design of the Pokémon. The day stretched long, as the sketch artist and Smeargle took the majority of the day to get every detail right. Afterward, they left to the market to get food for the weeks ahead. True to their word, they didn't discuss anything dealing with the unknown Pokémon. The mood of Viridian City was grim; many of the civilians put the blame on Johto, despite the President denying that Johto had anything to do with the assault in his speech that morning. Without any answered questions to who or what caused the attack, confusion and rumors ran rampant. A common rumor was that an evil organization called Team Rocket was behind the assault, while others suggest that Johto was behind the attack in some way and actions against them should be taken at once.

Hanako, Tatsu, and Riviére were glad to leave Viridian City behind as they entered Route 2. As night fell, they found a clearing behind a large pond. "Mr. Silph also sent us a new Housing PokéCaps," said Tatsu as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a capsule case. "He contacted me as soon as he heard about the attack on Viridian. He also told me to tell you that he's glad you're okay and that you enjoy the PokéCaps."

"The next time you talk to Mr. Silph, tell him thanks for me," Hanako said after the house materialized and they walked inside. This PokéCaps contained a much larger version of the previous, fitted with three bedrooms instead of one. The interior was much like the previous as well, but half of the house was used for the bedrooms. Two bedrooms on one side, and the other had a bathroom and another bedroom. The other half had a kitchen and living room.

Riviére made Tauros Burgers that night, though Hanako ate a few berries as usual, while their Pokémon ate the Pokémon food while Charmander preferred to eat a Caterpie he found and killed outside. They ate their meal while watching a movie about an elderly man and his Pokémon start a journey after his wife died as their Pokémon sleeping on their laps. As the movie ended, Hanako placed her plate of barely eaten Sitrus Berries on the coffee table and leaned back into the backrest of the couch.

"What, not hungry?" asked Riviére.

"No, just a lot on my mind," replied Hanako as she leaned forward and searched through her purse.

"Like what?" asked Tatsu.

"That unknown Pokémon that attacked Viridian City," said Hanako as she removed a book called "The Ancient Pokémon of Tojoh". The small book's cover was made from deteriorating leather, and the binding so horribly degraded, the book seemed likely to fall apart. Very carefully, Hanako opened the book and slowly turned the brittle brown pages. "In the entire history of the Tojoh Empire, there was never a Pokémon documented that looks anything like what we saw. It's power far outstretched any normal Pokémon, so it must be related to a deity. There's only one Pokémon that could be related to but at the same time it's nearly impossible," she said as she stopped at a page.

The illustration was a small, pink cat-like Pokémon hovering in the air. "Mew, the New Species Pokémon. Mew is said to possess the genetic composition of all Pokémon, so it can use all kinds of techniques. Because it can use all kinds of moves, many scientists believe Mew to be the ancestor of Pokémon. It appears only to those people who are pure of heart and have a strong desire to see it. So rare that it is still said to be a mirage by many experts. Only a few people have seen it worldwide. It is capable of making itself invisible at will, so it entirely avoids notice even if it approaches people. Evidence of Mew's existence goes back to be prehistoric days. The last known documented appearance by Mew was in year 1493, on Birth Island. In 1209, a Blue Mew was spotted in Ecruteak City and is the only documented case of a Mew of this color."

"So, you think the Pokémon is somehow related to Mew?" asked Riviére.

"Well, it's not entirely impossible," said Tatsu as he traced his jawline. "There's a large amount of human-made Pokémon. Porygon and it's evolutions are the first Pokémon to ever be created. Magnemite, Voltorb, and their evolutions were created by humans and a few Pokémon's evolutions were even altered like Magmar to Magmotar. Cloning is an option as well."

"So you think that this Pokémon is a clone of Mew?" asked Riviére. "Wouldn't they have to find some genetic material from Mew in order to clone it?"

"They could have gotten it anywhere," said Tatsu. "They could have even isolated the Mew Gene from any Pokémon. If Mew is the ancestor of all Pokémon, then it would share any Pokémon's DNA."

"It's possible, but what are the chances that someone managed to clone a version of Mew? I mean, there hasn't been a confirmed sighting of Mew in centuries," asked Riviére as she looked up at the ceiling, stroking the shell of her Squirtle. "Why would they want to?"

"Isn't it obvious?" asked Tatsu with concern. "Think about what President Kanto asked us about Johto being involved. A region in war with another would kill for an edge against it's enemies. The Pokémon we saw was powerful; maybe as strong as a deity. I can easily see either region trying to create an artificial Pokémon to give them that edge. Not just the regions either; Team Rocket would also have uses for such a Pokémon."

"So what question remains is why it attacked," Riviére asked as she looked at Tatsu and Hanako. "What gain could there have been?"

"I can see two possibilities," replied Tatsu. "The first is that this was a test. The Pokémon was released onto the public; someone wanted to gauge just how powerful their creation is by unleashing it against the city. This option is the most troubling, because if a region is responsible for the attack, this would ignite another war if the other found out. If this was the work of an organization, then it shows how little they regard over human life. The second option is that the Pokémon escaped. However, even if it did escape, then it still had to be created by somebody. A project like that would require many people and resources. Either way you cut that theory, someone was responsible for the attack, not just the Pokémon."

Hanako and Riviére agreed. Deciding to call it a night, they put away their dishes and picked their bedrooms. They bid each other good night and entered their new separate bedrooms with their Pokémon. Hanako looked around her room, which had a full sized bed, night stand, and walk in closet. Bulbasaur jumped onto the end of her bed and yawned. Hanako began to undress as there was a knock on the door. "Yes?"

Riviére entered her room and closed the door behind her. "Hey, Hanako, I just wanted to say sorry for how I acted earlier in Viridian City," she said with a slight frown.

"Sorry for what?" asked Hanako. After a moment, she blushed and looked down. "Oh, you mean at the Pokémon Center?"

Riviére nodded. "Yeah. I might have been a little forward, and I didn't even ask what your preference was. I have a bad habit of doing what I want, and not take others thoughts and feelings into account. "

"O-oh, well, I never really thought about it..." she confessed. "I didn't know you liked girls."

Riviére shrugged her shoulders and opened the door. "To be honest, I don't have a preference. A Boy or girl is fine with me, so long as they are interesting." she said coyly as she closed the door.

"Oh...I see..." said Hanako with a slight laugh as she finished undressing and put on her pajamas. Picking up her Bulbasaur, she got into bed and cuddled with him, falling asleep with him clenched in her arms.

 

​

​

Ch. IV​

The Viridian Forest​

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Standing at the edge of the Viridian Forest, Hanako, Riviére, and Tatsu stood as night began its decent. "Well, it took nearly two weeks, but we're finally here," said Tatsu as he looked at the map detailing the Viridian Forest. "Depending on the route we take, it will take three to six days to get to Pewter City," he said as he looked over the top. "So who wants to start early?"

"Are you crazy?" asked Riviére as she lifted her skirt and sat on a patch of grass before leaning backward to lay down. "I'm exhausted. We've been walking since dawn."

"I agree with Riviére," said Hanako as she too sat beside Riviére and yawned. "I'm hungry too."

"Well, if you two insist," said Tatsu as he reached into his pocket and took out his PokéCaps holder and opened it. Turning his head, he looked over to his right and saw a campsite. "Hey, who wants to eat hotdogs and s'mores?"

"I'd eat anything," said Riviére as she sat up and rubbed her stomach. After activating the PokéCaps, they went inside and brought out some chairs and set them around the fire pit. Charmander used his Ember attack on some fire wood that Squirtle and Bulbasaur gathered while Tatsu and Hanako prepared the s'mores and hotdogs. With a roaring fire, they, laughing as the night swallowed the forest. Charmander ate a Weedle he caught, while Bulbasaur and Squirtle ate Berries provided by Hanako. Hanako also ate a berry, while Tatsu and Riviére enjoyed some hotdogs.

"Our Pokémon should be evolving soon," said Riviére after she played with the hotdog suggestively with her mouth before taking a bite. "Last time I checked, my Squirtle's level was 14," she petted Squirtle's head. Squirtle nuzzled her hand.

"That reminds me," said Hanako as she peeled her second Babiri Berry. "What is our battle plan against Brock?"

"Well," said Tatsu as he stuck a marshmallow on a stick. "I've been thinking about that since we left Viridian. With some research, I've compiled some likely Pokémon that Brock will be using. The most obvious is another Geodude, but that is a little to obvious so I doubt he'll be using a second one. With the Kanto Mountains that shadows Pewter City, it wouldn't be a stretch that Brock has a fossil since Pewter City has the Fossil Restore Machine. A Kabuto or Omanyte are possibilities, and so is Aerodactyl. Whether or not he'll be using them is a stretch. Less than 5% probability," he said as he held a marshmallow over the fire. "Rhyhorn is another possibility, but there aren't any Rhyhorn around here. The closest spot I know you could find a Rhyhorn is maybe the Rock Tunnel. I feel we can rule out Corsola, as there aren't any anywhere near around here. He'd have to go to the ocean to find one. He could use a Shuckle, but I don't know where he could find one. At Mt. Silver, he could have found a Larvitar, but the Pokémon there are crazy powerful. He might have a Sudowoodo, but those are also rare," he finished as he took the roasted marshmallow away from the fire and prepared his s'mores.

"So, either way, we are going to have to fight three Pokémon with only one, assuming we don't catch any in Viridian Forest," said Riviére as she peeled away the burned skin of the hotdog with delicate care.

"Nah, we won't have to worry about that. I sent Brock an email in Viridian City, asking him if we could all battle him at the same time, so long as we only used one Pokémon a piece. He agreed, but if one of us losses then neither of us don't get a badge." said Tatsu casually.

"That changes things," said Hanako as she cut the Babiri berry into thirds and fed them to Squirtle and Bulbasaur, keeping one for herself. "then we have to pick an order for who challenges Brock first."

Tatsu nodded. "That's correct. As he usually leads with Geodude, I suggest that I start off first, then Riviére, then Hanako."

"Why that order?"

"For starters, there's an unknown factor," pointed out Tatsu. "You and Riviére have a severe advantage over Brock's Geodude and Onix. Depending on the unknown factor, either of you would have the better advantage. Judging by the options presented, Hanako would be the safer bet to finish out the battle. I can take on Geodude, granted my Charmander evolves and learns the technique I need it to learn. Riviére then would take on Onix. Your Squirtle should have no problem taking on his Onix. Just in case he has a fossil, a Rhyhorn, or you end up fighting another Geodude, we'll have our bases covered."

"Smart and cute, I like that~" cooed Riviére as she smiled at Tatsu.

"Well, I try," said Tatsu with a boyish grin.

Hanako sat quietly as she turned her head from Riviére and Tatsu, smiling faintly. Bulbasaur nudged her thigh and she looked down, exchanging a look. Her smile widened as she picked him up. "You are such a cutie~" said Hanako sweetly as she snugged Bulbasaur.

"Bulba..." sighed the Bulbasaur as he was hugged.

After finishing their meals, they went inside. Bidding the girls good night, Tatsu shut his door behind him as he and Charmander entered their bedroom. Taking off his jacket, shirt, and jeans, he put on his black shorts as Charmander lit some candles with the tip of his tail. Tatsu sat on the back of his bed with his legs folded. Charmander walked over to a smaller bed and curled into a ball, falling asleep. Taking a deep breath, Tatsu cleared his mind. A sudden knock broke his concentration. Opening his eyes, he looked at his door.

"Come in."

Riviére opened the door quietly. "Is it all right if we talk?" she whispered.

"Sure," said Tatsu quietly. He quickly noticed as she came in that she wore nothing but her light blue silk night gown. His cheeks flushed slightly before ridding himself of impure thoughts. "So, er, what brings you here?" he asked as she walked over.

"Do you mind if I sit with you?" she asked quickly.

"I don't mind," he replied, edging over so she had room to sit with him. Instead of sitting at his side, she sat between his folded legs. With her back turned against him, she leaned back into his muscular frame, forcing him against the wall. She was slightly taller than him, so her height made him feel uncomfortable as she pushed him into the wall. "Hey! I moved over for you," he said, but she ignored him.

Wrapping her arms around her knees, she leaned her head back so her head rested against the wall, her cheek resting against his. "Tatsu," she said sadly," do you remember that talk we had with Giovanni?"

Tatsu blinked as he rested his head against the wall. He knew she wouldn't let him move, so he accepted the awkward position. "Yeah, I do," he said as he looked to the side and sighed. "Giovanni said some things that he shouldn't have. I tried to block out anything he said about your parents."

She chuckled softly as she turned her head slightly, her cheek against his. "Thank you for that. Though no use hiding it now."

Tatsu wrapped his arms around her waist, holding her. He felt that she took comfort in this, as she did not reject him. "If I may ask, what happened to them?"

She didn't answer immediately. When she did, it was barely a whisper. "When I was eight years old, me and my parents were on the Sea Mauville ship out of Hoenn. It was a cruise ship, you see. My family loved the sea, and I was no different. It was night when it happened; my parents and the family butler, Sebastian, were eating with the captain, and I was out on the deck. I was looking over at Hoenn in the distance, when I heard something large hit the ship." Riviére closed her eyes as she recollected that terrible night. She shivered at the thought of the icy cold water that engulfed her. "I was knocked off the edge and fell into the water. I tried to swim up to the surface, but the current swept me deeper out into the abyss. For a moment, I saw...something...attack the Sea Mauville. To this day, I can't explain what took the ship and my parent's lives. The next thing I knew, I was flying on the back of a silver bird-like Pokémon. I later found out that the Pokémon was called Lugia, the Guardian of the Sea. I returned to Kalos, to my father's estate, but I didn't want to stay there. I couldn't live there without my parents, so I left. My family's servants still work there to keep it maintained for me for when I return one day, but it's too painful to live there now. I went to live at my father's cottage near Cerulean City here in Kanto, and that's where I stayed until I went to Silver Academy," she said as she wiped a tear from her eye. "I miss my Ma and Pa very much, but I know that they are happy, where ever they are."

Tatsu held her tight as he closed his eyes. "I know there isn't words I could say to comfort you, but I know they are proud of you."

Riviére smiled softly. "And your parents?"

Tatsu's face grew dark. "I was born to an old family. The Fuji family. A lot of my family were killed during the Tojoh War, as many families suffered. By the end of it, my grandpa, my great uncle, and my father were the last remaining Fuji's. My great uncle lost a son in the war and his daughter to a disease. He urged my father to conceive a child to preserve the Fuji name for lineage sake, while my grandpa urged him to marry for love. My father, a heartless bastard that he was, chose to follow my great uncle's advice and married my mother, the daughter of Blaine, the Cinnabar Island Gym Leader. Neither of them wanted a child, but they went ahead and had me at my great uncle's urging. Before I was born, my uncle died in a horrible accident. While my mother was pregnant, she and my father debated on terminating, but my grandpa talked them out of it. After they had me, my mother gave me up immediately. Wouldn't even hold me. My grandpa adopted me, and raised me. He and my grandpa Blaine," Tatsu looked up at the ceiling, biting his lip in a quiet rage. "I've only seen my parents a few times in my life. First time I saw them was when I was eight, then again right before I enrolled in Silver Academy. They both told me that I had to follow the Fuji traditions and study in science and technology like my family has for generations. I knew that they didn't care about what my interests were or my desires. They wanted me to do what my great uncle wanted. I always felt like I was a bastard in their eyes. They didn't care about me. Rarely they ever contacted me. Ever."

She looked at him with wide eyes, digesting his past relationship with his parents. "That's...horrible. Horrible. I'd give anything to have my parents back, and you have yours, but they...I'm so sorry, Tatsu," she said as she turned and hugged him, her face buried in his neck.

Tatsu returned the hug and closed his eyes. "Thanks...Someone has to be."

"Do...Do you mind if I sleep in here tonight?" she asked.

"Sure..." said Tatsu hesitantly. Slipping under the bedding, they fell asleep with Riviére in his arms.

The next morning, Tatsu opened his eyes slowly and sat up. As he did, he noticed a sleeping Riviére snored softly as as she tugged at hims arm slightly as he retracted. Remembering her falling asleep in his room, he slowly removed his arm from her grasp and slipped out of his bed. He walked out of his bedroom, leaving the door open in case Charmander woke up and wanted to eat, and walked into the living room.

"Good morning, Tatsu," said Hanako as she turned the page of one of her books while eating an Oran Berry. She was still in her green flower pajama bottoms and shirt.

"Don't you ever get sick of eating berries?" he asked as he yawned.

"I'm a fruitarian," she said matter-of-factually.

"And you wonder why you are so short, pipsqueak." joked Tatsu as we walked to the kitchen, Hanako protesting as Riviére walked out of Tatsu's bedroom, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes.

"Good morning," said Hanako, still moody about Tatsu's crack about her height.

"Mornin'~" said Riviére cheerfully, a shoulder strap of her night gown slipped down her shoulder and exposed more of her cleavage. "How did you sleep?"

"I slept well," said Hanako as she closed her book and set it on the coffee table. "You?"

"I slept very well, thanks to Tatsu." she said happily as she walked into the kitchen.

"Tatsu?" asked Hanako, confused.

"Yeah. We slept together," said Riviére simply.

"Y-You what?"

"Don't take it the wrong way," said Tatsu lazily as he smacked the back of Riviére's head. "She came into my room to talk and fell asleep. That's it," he said as he sat down and poured out some cereal.

Riviére saw Hanako's confused expression and elaborated. "When I went to your room, you were already asleep. So I went over to Tatsu's to talk. I had a lot on my mind," she said.

"Oh, I see..." she said, still mildly confused.

"Let's hurry up and start training already," said Tatsu with his mouth full of cereal. "We need to start early and train if we want to stand a chance against Brock."

"Yeah, yeah, we'll get to it," said Riviére as she walked back to her room to start her morning rituals.

An hour and a half later, Tatsu, Riviére, and Hanako were walking along the worn path of Viridian Forest. Hanako zigzagged happily between Tatsu and Riviére, holding her Bulbasaur tightly as it tried to escape her grasp. "I love the forest!" she exclaimed as she stopped and looked around eagerly for Grass-type Pokémon. "There's so many Grass-types here! I know it's too early to find any Oddish or Gloom, but I bet I can find a Bellsprout or a Exeggcute! A Seedot or Shroomish would be rare too, but not unheard of!"

"To bad there aren't any Fire-types that live here," said Riviére as she stretched her arms out and puffed out her chest as she stretched her back, yawning.

"Not many Water-Types either," said Tatsu as he placed his hands in his pockets, their Squirtle and Charmander following behind their trainers. "You could find a Psyduck, Wooper, or a Marill. Somewhere in here. There are ponds and streams here, we could go find some"

"I'm not in a big hurry to find a second Pokémon," admitted Riviére as they walked down the worn path. There are so many Water-types, I can have any pick I want. However, since I only get two left in Kanto, I want to pick the right ones for my team."

"You and Hanako have that luxury, but I don't," said Tatsu as he looked around the trees, trying to spot some competition for his Charmander. "Fire-types are some of the most rare Pokémon, so I can't be picky."

They walked along the worn path for hours. Once in a while, they would run into a wild Pokémon. They took turns fighting the wild Pokémon with their own. To Hanako's disappointment, they never ran into a Grass-type for her to capture. By the time night fell, they reached the first campsite. The next morning, they resumed their travels. The night previous, a scan of their Pokémon revealed that their levels were 15; one level short of evolving into the next stage. Excited for their Pokémon's first evolution, even Riviére got up early and they were ready by nine in the morning. As they were walking, a Mankey jumped down the tree and walked across the worn path.

"Hey, a Mankey," said Tatsu as he outstretched his arm. "Charmander, you ready?" he asked, Charmander nodding. The Charmander jumped forward, extending his claws and growling. The Mankey took notice to the Charmander and his trainer, and Leered at them. The Charmander recoiled slightly, but stood his ground. "Charmander, use Ember!" ordered Tatsu. Charmander exhaled a ball of fire at the Mankey, which hit the mark. The Mankey was flung backward, rolling backward on the ground until the Mankey hit the tree.

Standing back up, the Mankey slapped the ground and charged the Charmander. Tatsu reacted quick, commanding Charmander to react with an Ember attack, though Charmander took initiative and already launched another Ember attack. As the Mankey charged, it tripped over a rock and the Ember attack soared over it. The ball of fire struck a nearby Beedrill, knocking it out. The sudden attack riled up the Beedrill swarm. Locating the source of the attack, the Beedrill flew towards them.

"Oh my Arceus," said Hanako.

"Run!" shouted Riviére as she grabbed Hanako's hand and pulled her back. Squirtle and Bulbasaur ran along with them, with Tatsu, Charmander, and the Mankey ran from the Beedrill swarm. As they ran, Hanako tripped over a stone, causing her to fall flat on her face. Riviére and Tatsu stopped to help up Hanako as the Mankey continued to run away. Their Pokémon stopped and looked at each other, nodding. Charmander exhaled a large fire ball that hit a Beedrill in the face, causing it to crash into another. Squirtle attacked with Bubbles, each of them crashing into a large number of Beedrill. Bulbasaur sprayed a high concentration of Sleep Powder, putting many of the angry swarm to sleep. As a Beedrill tried to stab Charmander with it's stinger, Charmander exhaled blue fire than engulfed the Beedrill. The Beedrill fell to the ground, knocked out from the flames.

As the last Beedrill fell, Bulbasaur, Charmander, and Squirtle's body began to glow bright blue. Their bodies engulfed in the aura, their bodies morphing, shifting into their new bodies. As the glowing ceased, the three Pokémon stood with their newly evolved bodies. Bulbasaur was now Ivysaur, Charmander now Charmeleon, and Squirtle now Wartortle.

"Oh my, our Pokémon evolved!" said Riviére she said as she and Hanako walked over to their Pokémon and hugged them tight. Charmeleon exhaled blue flames and scratched at the air. Tatsu withdrew his Pokédex and scanned their new Pokémon.

Ivysaur, the Seed Pokémon. There is a plant bulb on its back. When it absorbs nutrients, the bulb is said to blossom into a large flower. When the bud on its back starts swelling, a sweet aroma wafts to indicate the flower's coming bloom. To support its weight, Ivysaur's legs and trunk grow thick and strong. If it starts spending more time lying in the sunlight, it's a sign that the bud will bloom into a large flower soon. Height: 3'09". Weight: 32.6 lbs. Level: 16. Ability: Chlorophyll. Known Moves: Tackle, Growl, Leech Seed, Vine Whip, Sleep Powder, Poison Powder, Take Down.

Charmeleon, the Flame Pokémon. Charmeleon mercilessly destroys its foes using its sharp claws. If it encounters a strong foe, it turns aggressive. In this excited state, the flame at the tip of its tail flares with a bluish white color. It lashes about with its tail to knock down its foe. It then tears up the fallen opponent with sharp claws. When it swings its burning tail, it elevates the air temperature to unbearably high levels. Height: 4'02". Weight: 49.0 lbs. Ability: Solar Power. Known Moves: Scratch, Growl, Ember, Smokescreen, Dragon Rage.

Wartortle, the Turtle Pokémon. It is said to live 10,000 years. Its furry tail is popular as a symbol of longevity. When tapped, this Pokémon will pull in its head, but its tail will still stick out a little bit. Its tail is large and covered with a rich, thick fur. The tail becomes increasingly deeper in color as Wartortle ages. The scratches on its shell are evidence of this Pokémon's toughness as a battler. Height: 3'11". Weight: 53.8 lbs. Ability: Rain Dish. Known Moves: Tackle, Tail Whip, Bubble, Withdraw, Water Gun, Bite.

"I can't believe our Pokémon was able to take down this swarm," said Hanako as she looked at the Beedrill swarm.

"Well, when you have Pokémon as strong as ours," said Tatsu as he patted his Charmeleon's head. "we can take out any Pokémon." he said before Charmeleon looked up and shot flames at Tatsu. Falling backward, he immediately put out the flames, his jacket and face slightly burned. "What the hell, Charmeleon?!" shouted Tatsu as Charmeleon scratched at the air. Tatsu sat up and returned Charmeleon to his Poké Ball. "Asshole," said Tatsu as he stood up.

"Well, what did you expect?" asked Riviére. "Charmeleon are notorious for their aggressive behaviors. A lot of trainers don't evolve their Charmander for a good while because Charmeleon and Charizard are hard to handle."

"That just means I'll have to train Charmeleon to channel that anger," said Tatsu as he looked at the crimson Poké Ball and smiled. "He's just like me, after all."

"You're not angry," said Hanako as she tried lifting her Ivysaur like she did when he was a Bulbasaur, but was to heavy. "Grr, you got to big! I can lift you now," she said as set him down. "You're butt is just to big for me to lift," she as as she placed her hands on her hips and gave Ivysaur a pouty face. Ivysaur sighed and nuzzled her thigh.

Tatsu and Riviére exchanged looks and he shrugged his shoulders. "All right. Now we have a few more days to train before we arrive in Pewter City and challenge Brock. We got more training to do."

Riviére sighed as she patted Wartortle's head. "Back to grinding. What a chore."

 

​

​

Ch. V​

Battle for the Boulder Badge​

​

​

Hanako ran down the sidewalk in a hurry, bobbing between people with her Wonder Launcher in hand. She rounded the corner and slowed to a brisk walk toward the granite gray building designed like a giant boulder. Riviére and Tatsu stood by the Gym entrance, waiting for Hanako as they adjusted their Wonder Launchers.

"Hey, I'm here," she said as she stood beside them. "We're not late, are we?" she asked as she slipped the Wonder Launcher on her right arm.

"No, you're just in time," said Riviére as she twirled a lock of her hair to give it an extra curl. Today she wore a more revealed shirt she'd normally wear; a tight blue shirt that showed her midriff and her cleavage.

"Good thing I told you to grab your Wonder Launcher," said Tatsu as he reached into his pocket and took out an X Speed. "All right, insert your X Items in the Wonder Launcher like I showed you," said Tatsu as Riviére inserted an X Defense and Hanako placed her X Accuracy in hers. Tatsu inserted his X Item and looked at the girls. "Good. Remember our strategy?"

"Yes," said Hanako as she stepped forward and held out her fist. "Good luck, team."

Riviére smiled and stepped over, putting her fist against the side of Hanako's. "We've got this guy."

"Victory is ours," said Tatsu as he fist pumped the girls.

"Now let's battle!" said Hanako excitedly as together they ascended the steps.

The door slid open and they walked inside. The Gym was dark like a cave; it had very little lighting. Large boulders littered the Gym field. A large jumbotron was placed at the wall of both sides of the field, each played the same screen that featured Brock on one side with three Poké Balls by his Trainer Avatar. On the opposite side was Tatsu, Hanako, and Riviére's Avatar, each with a single Poké Ball.

"Wow, this place is big," said Hanako as she walked in and looked around, her eyes adjusting to the darkness. "It looks like a cave in here."

"Ah, you must be Tatsu, Hanako, and Riviére," said a voice from the other end. Walking through the doors on the other end, a tall teenager entered. He had tanned skin, shaggy, spiky brown hair, and narrow eyes. He wore a orange long sleeve shirt, olive green cargo pants, and brown boots. On his right arm was a gray colored Wonder Launcher.

"That's us," said Tatsu as he and Brock shook hands when he reached them. "Thank you for accepting this match; I know the request is a little unorthodox."

"It's no problem. We're starting to get a lot of trainers entering the Pokémon World Tournament," said Brock as he turned his attention to Riviére and Hanako. His cheeks flushed and mumbled something along the lines of 'pretty girls'. He shook their hands, stammering his greeting. Clearing his throat, Brock showed them to the challenger's corner.

"So," began Brock, clearing his throat. "I'm sure Tatsu explained the rules of this Triple Battle; because of the special ruling, I will allow all three of you to challenge me at once. However, if one of you lose, none of you get a badge. According to Pokémon League rules, if a challenge results in defeat, you will not be able to challenge a Gym for thirty days. Upon victory, you will receive one of these," said Brock as he reached into his pocket. In his hand were three Boulder Badges. "These are the official Badges for the Pewter City Gym, the Entry Gym for the Pokémon League of the Kanto Region. You are required to collect eight Badges to challenge the Elite Four, or in this case, the World Tournament. Good luck," said Brock as he turned and walked toward is side of the Gym.

"Are you ready?" asked Hanako as Tatsu withdrew his Charmeleon's Poké Ball, the freshly polished dark crimson ball gleaming.

Tatsu gripped the ball and looked at the girls with a smile. "You bet," he said as he looked away and walked to the challenger's box. Riviére and Hanako stood behind him, leaning against the stone wall. Brock entered the Gym Leader box and unclipped a Poké Ball as the Pewter City official stood at the side of the battle field in the referee box.

"Tatsu Fuji challenges Brock, the Pewter City Gym Leader to a one on one Contest," said the male referee as he held up a red and blue flag. "Wonder Launchers have been permitted for use in this battle. Since this is a one on one battle, no one is permitted to switch out Pokémon. The battle will continue until the Pokémon's Trainer gives up the match, or the Pokémon is no longer able to battle," the referee raised both arms. "Trainers, are you ready?" he bellowed as looked at both trainers. "Choose your Pokémon!"

"Go, Geodude!" exclaimed Brock as he threw his Poké Ball with gusto, the red Poké Ball popping open and a large Geodude materialized. The Geodude's body fell to the ground with a loud thud. The Geodude raised it's thin, rock hard arms and punched in the air, warming up for the battle.

Tatsu couldn't help but grin. "Just like I thought," he said as he tossed his Poké Ball. "I choose Charmeleon!" he bellowed as Charmeleon's Poké Ball snapped open and Charmeleon materialized. Charmeleon whipped his tail around and scratched at the air, displaying his fighting prowess.

"Fight!" said the referee as he waved the flags downward.

Brock and Tatsu raised their arms at the exact same time and aimed their Wonder Launchers at their Pokémon, each shooting an X Item at their Pokémon. A cyan aura glowed around Charmeleon as it absorbed the energy of the X Speed. Geodude's red aura faded as it absorbed the extra energy from the X Attack.

"Charmeleon," began Tatsu as he inserted another X Item in the Wonder Launcher, "use Ember!"

"Geodude, use Defense Curl and Rollout!" countered Brock.

As Charmeleon inhaled, the Geodude rolled into a ball and rolled itself forward, gaining speed quickly as it rolled forward. Charmeleon launched the Ember attack, which missed as Geodude rolled slightly to the side to avoid the attack. Charmeleon jumped out of the way as the Geodude rolled forward and missed by inches; Geodude rolled straight into a rock column, destroying it. As Charmeleon regained his composure, the Geodude rolled away from the rumble. Charmeleon jumped over the Geodude and rolled away. Getting to his feet, Charmeleon barely had enough time to dodge the next attack as Geodude resumed his assault.

Growling, Tatsu raised his arm and aimed his Wonder Launcher at Charmeleon. Firing an X Special Attack, the X Item made contact, and Charmeleon's Special Attack increased. "Charmeleon, attack with Ember!" ordered Tatsu as Charmeleon roared before inhaling deeply and exhaling a powerful Ember attack.

"Geodude, use Rock Throw!" ordered Brock.

Brock's Geodude stopped and grabbed a near by rock, tossing it into the air. The Ember attack hit the rock and exploded, the smoldering pebbles falling to the ground. Charmeleon growled in frustration as the Geodude flexed his muscles.

"Damn it," said Tatsu, gritting his teeth. "Charmeleon, use Ember again!" he ordered.

"Geodude, counter with Rock Throw," ordered Brock calmly.

Charmeleon, growing angry, fired another Ember attack at the Geodude. Grabbing another near by small boulder, the Geodude threw the boulder to block the attack. The Geodude then heaved it's heavy body and used Rock Smash on a larger rock, making much smaller rocks. Temper rising, Charmeleon fired multiple Ember shots at Geodude. For each Ember fired, Geodude threw a rock at the fireball.

"Good work, Geodude, keep it up," said Brock calmly with his arms crossed.

Charmeleon, getting angrier by the second with every failed attack, rushed the Geodude with his claws extended. "Charmeleon, don't!" yelled Tatsu, but it was to late. Charmeleon slashed his claws at the Geodude, doing little damage with each swipe.

"Geodude, use Thunder Punch," commanded Brock with a sly smirk.

Geodude clenched his fist, electricity sparking off, and punched Charmeleon straight in the gut. Charmeleon doubled over, eyes bulging. Geodude punched Charmeleon in the face with a Thunder Punch, sending Charmeleon flying backward. Charmeleon landed on a pillar of stone several feet away.

"No, Charmeleon!" said Tatsu. He took a step forward and stopped as Charmeleon began to stand up. As Charmeleon got to his feet, static electricity bounced off his body, his left eye closed.

"Oh no, Charmeleon is paralyzed," said Hanako before biting on her finger. "I don't know if Charmeleon can come back from this."

"If this keeps up, we may not even get a chance," Riviére crossed her arms, chest fallen. "This is bad, very bad."

Breathing heavily, Charmeleon took a step forward, but his body seized up. Charmeleon fell to one knee. He punched the ground, his temper bubbling in frustration. Sensing a finishing blow, Geodude used his strong arms to launch himself into the air. Charmeleon looked up as the Geodude came crashing down towards Charmeleon.

"Geodude, use Smack Down!" ordered Brock, also sensing the finish. "I'm sorry Tatsu, but this is it."

Tatsu grinned. "No, this isn't it," said Tatsu as he raised his arm. "Charmeleon, use Dragon Rage!"

Looking up, Charmeleon exhaled a large blue fireball. Unable to dodge the attack from being airborne, Geodude was caught in the explosion. The force of the attack threw Geodude backward and slammed into the large boulder beside Brock, rolling onto the ground on his back.

"No, Geodude!" said Brock as Geodude tried to get up. Winded, he was still ready to fight.

"Damn, I was hoping that would be the strike we needed," he said as Charmeleon got back up on both feet, still ready to fight.

"Come on Charmeleon!" shouted Hanako.

"Go Tatsu!" cheered Riviére.

The girls cheered as Charmeleon and Geodude prepared themselves for the next attack. Tatsu raised his fist, clenching it tight. "Victory is ours. Charmeleon, use Dragon Rage. Everything you got!" Charmeleon nodded and opened his jaws. A light emitted from his mouth, a blueish purple energy charging. "What the hell, that's not Dragon Rage." said Tatsu to himself as the attack charged. Shaking off his curiosity, Tatsu pointed at the weakened Geodude. "Fire!" Charmeleon reared his head back and forward again, the bluish purple beam firing straight at the Geodude.

"Geodude, dodge it!" ordered Brock, but it was too late. The attack made a direct hit on the Geodude, causing another explosion. Geodude was flung out of the smoke cloud and slammed into the stone wall, where Geodude stuck unconscious.

The referee raised his blue challenger's flag. "Geodude is unable to battle. The winner of this round is Charmeleon!" said the referee loudly; the girls cheered even harder. Charmeleon fell to one knee, smiling widely from the victory. Tatsu returned Charmeleon to his Poké Ball and looked down.

"You deserve a long rest. We'll get you to a Pokémon Center soon."

Brock returned Geodude to his Poké Ball and pocketed it. Brock and Tatsu walked to the center of the battlefield and met in the middle. "Congratulations on the victory," said Brock as they shook hands. "Normally, I would have presented you with a badge, but I have two more battles to go," said Brock as they ceased the handshake and turned. Brock returned to his Gym Leader box and stood, waiting for his next challenger. As Tatsu walked over to the girls, they both hugged him tight.

"You did it, I can't believe you won!" said Riviére happily as she pushed Tatsu's head into her chest.

"Riviére, you're going to suffocate him!" said Hanako as she tried to remove Tatsu's face from her cleavage. As Tatsu was able to move his head, he inhaled deeply, coughing for air.

"Looks like I'm next," said Riviére happily as she walked away, Wartortle's Poké Ball in hand and her free hand on her hip. She stopped in the challenger's box and looked straight at Brock and smiled sexually. "Brock, I'm ready~" she cooed.

Brock's cheeks flushed as he looked at Riviére across the battlefield. "So pretty..." he said as the referee raised the flags.

"Riviére Bleu challenges Brock, the Pewter City Gym Leader to a one on one Contest. Wonder Launchers have been permitted for use in this battle. Since this is a one on one battle, no one is permitted to switch out Pokémon. The battle will continue until the Pokémon's Trainer gives up the match, or the Pokémon is no longer able to battle. Trainers, are you ready?" he bellowed as looked at both trainers. "Choose your Pokémon!"

"I choose you, Wartortle!" cooed Riviére as she tossed her ball underhanded into the air and popped open. Wartortle materialized on the battlefield, calm and collected.

Brock shook his head and reached into his pocket for his second Poké Ball and tossed it. "Go, Onix!" he roared as the Poké Ball popped open and a large Onix materialized. It's body nearly took up the entire Brock's side of the battlefield.

"Wow," said Riviére as she leaned over and place her hands on her knees, looking at Onix with wide eyes. Her cleavage was suspiciously exposed to Brock. "That's such a big Pokémon! I don't know if my little Wartortle can take on such a big and powerful beast," she said sexually as she stood erect and wrapped her arms underneath her chest and bit her finger.

Brock stood, dumbstruck and face bright red as she held herself. "This...is going to be rough..." he said.

"What? Don't be rough!" she said, overhearing him. She faked a shocked look and held herself, wiggling in her clothes. "It's my first time!"

Brock started to get a nosebleed, he turned and pinched his nose. Riviére grinned evilly as Brock looked away. She returned to her mischievous seduction. "Well, I suppose if you want to go rough with me on my first time, I suppose I could be open to the idea..."

Tatsu and Hanako stood by the wall stoned face as Wartortle shook his head. Onix slammed his head his head into the ground in embarrassment.

"Hanako...This isn't the plan we had..." said Tatsu.

"No...it isn't," she replied quietly. "This is why she didn't contribute much to her battle plan..."

"...Nope..."

Riviére pulled at her skirt, her face flushed. "Will you go gentle with me?" she asked as she pulled her skirt up, showing off her thigh and a brief glimpse of her silky blue panties. Brock's eyes bulged out of their sockets and he fell over, leg twitching.

"I-I give up..." he said as she laid on the ground, blood dripping down the side of his face.

"Uh...Brock is unable to battle," said the referee lamely as he waved the flag to Riviére's corner. "Riviére Bleu wins via Submission."

"Yes!" Riviére fist pumped the air at her flawless victory. She skipped to the center of the battlefield and returned Wartortle. Brock hesitantly returned his Onix and walked forward shyly. As he reached her, his face was cherry red. He tried to talk, but only stammered. Riviére only smiled and hugged him after kissing both cheeks, her lips searing from the heat of Brock's face. "Sorry I played dirty," she whispered in his ear, "I didn't want to hurt your Onix, it being super weak to my Wartortle. I thought you'd enjoy a show instead of a second loss," she kissed him again and let go, walking back to Hanako and Tatsu, humming.

"You know, that was a very dirty tactic," said Hanako to Riviére approached them.

"Men are easy," she said with a shrug of her shoulders and slapped Tatsu's buttock. "His Onix wouldn't of stood a chance against my Wartortle, anyway."

"If that was your plan," whispered Tatsu, "then we would've had you go last."

"We'll be fine," she said happily. "We're two wins in. Hanako just needs to win her battle, then we're in the clear."

"Yeah, but we knew about the Onix," he pointed out. "Ivysaur would have been able to take Onix out, and then we'd only have the mystery Pokémon to worry about."

Riviére shrugged her shoulders as Hanako walked to the challenger's box and stood steady, Ivysaur's Poké Ball in hand. As Brock returned to the Gym Leader box, Hanako called out, "Brock, I promise I will give it my all," she said confidently.

Brock nodded, looking relieved. "I will as well," said Brock as the referee raised the flags.

"Hanako Mori challenges Brock, the Pewter City Gym Leader to a one on one Contest. Wonder Launchers have been permitted for use in this battle. Since this is a one on one battle, no one is permitted to switch out Pokémon. The battle will continue until the Pokémon's Trainer gives up the match, or the Pokémon is no longer able to battle. Trainers, are you ready? Choose your Pokémon!"

"This is my final Pokémon," said Brock as he tossed his Poké Ball. "Go, Sudowoodo!" he exclaimed as the Sudowoodo materialized and landed in front of Brock. It immediately froze in place, trying to look like a tree.

"A Sudowoodo, huh?" Hanako said as she tossed her Poké Ball into the air. "I choose you, Ivysaur!" Her Ivysaur materialized onto the battlefield. Ivysaur and Sudowoodo stared at each other, preparing for the orders of their trainers. Aiming her Wonder Launcher at Ivysaur, she shot the X Accuracy. Taking in the purple energy at contact, Ivysaur's vision improved. "Ivysaur, use Razor Leaf!"

"Sudowoodo, use Feint Attack!" ordered Brock.

Ivysaur shook the plant on his back and several blades of grass shot out at the Sudowoodo like blades. However with the increased Accuracy, many of the leaf blades struck Suduwoodo as he tried dodge the attacks head on as he waddled forward. Taking most of the attack head on, Sudowoodo was able to shrug off the attack and resume waddling toward Ivysaur. In an instant, Sudowoodo disappeared completely. The surprised Ivysaur looked around for the missing Sudowoodo. Appearing from behind, Sudowoodo struck Ivysaur from the side, hitting Ivysaur in the head with it's large, branch-like arm. The blow knocked Ivysaur to his belly, his eyes popping.

"Sudowoodo, use Wood Hammer to knock Ivysaur into the air, then finish it off with Fire Punch" ordered Brock.

Focusing hard, Sudowoodo's leaf-like hand went aflame. As Ivysaur tried to get to his feet, the Sudowoodo used his other arm to slam Ivysaur upward off the ground and Fire Punched him in the face. The flames burned Ivysaur as the force of the blow knocked Ivysaur across the battlefield and into the boulder, causing the rocks to pile up on top of him.

"No, Ivysaur!" Hanako exclaimed, frozen to the spot as the referee ran over to the pile of rubble. The rubble shifted slightly as the Ivysaur tried to escape. The referee then began a rare ten count.

"One...Two...Three..."

"I'm sorry this had to end this way," said Brock with his arms crossed. "Your Ivysaur fought well."

"...Four....Five...Six..."

"Damn it," said Tatsu as he and Riviére stood at the tips of their toes, their victories looking bleak. "We were so close to getting our badges."

"...Seven....Eight..."

Riviére clenched her fists tightly and punched Tatsu on the arm. "We were so close...."

"...Nine..."

Suddenly, two vines shot out of the rubble and wrapped themselves around Sudowoodo's body, binding him tight. Brock and Sudowoodo were completely caught off guard by the sudden ambush. Tatsu and Riviére cheered on from the sidelines.

"Yes! Ivysaur, you worried me!" Hanako said as Ivysaur pushed over a boulder with his head and walked out of the pile. Ivysaur's body was covered in scrapes and bruises. His breathing labored, Ivysaur kept a tight grip on the struggling Sudowoodo. Growling, Ivysaur hoisted up the Sudowoodo off the ground. Despite Sudowoodo's weight, Ivysaur was able to lift his heavy body ten feet off the ground.

"Oh no! Sudowoodo, break free! Use Flail!" yelled a worried Brock as Sudowoodo continued to struggle. With his arms completely bound and legs stubby, Sudowoodo was completely unable to break free as he flailed his body aimlessly.

"All right! Ivysaur, use Vine Whip!" ordered Hanako.

Lifting Sudowoodo higher into the air, Ivysaur smashed Sudowoodo into the nearby boulder, shattering it. Not letting go, Ivysaur once again hoisted Sudowoodo off the ground and smashed him into the nearest boulder. Again and again, Ivysaur bashed Sudowoodo into the boulders, crushing them into small stones.

"Hang in there!" said Brock fearfully as Ivysaur bashed Sudowoodo into the last large boulder. Sudowoodo remained conscious and, despite being badly damaged, the Suduwoodo continued to flail to break Ivysaur's hold on him.

"Ivysaur, use Vine Whip!" ordered Hanako.

Looking back at Hanako, Ivysaur shook his head and instead tossed the Sudowoodo into the air. As Sudowoodo fell, Ivysaur's vines repeatedly struck the Sudowoodo all across his body; unable to block a single strike, Sudowoodo was defenseless against the onslaught. Sudowoodo finally fell to the ground, landing on the rock-hard surface. Slowly, Sudowoodo tried to get to his feet, but fell face forward and passed out.

"Sudowoodo is unable to battle. The winner of this round is Ivysaur! Tatsu, Riviére, and Hanako are the victors!"

"YES!" shouted Hanako as she jumped in joy. Riviére kissed Tatsu in utter joy before running over to Hanako and hugging her. Ivysaur laid on his stomach, retracting his vine-like tentacles.

"I lost," said Brock with a sigh. He returned his Sudowoodo and looked at the Poké Ball. "Rest up, you deserve a break," he said as he place the Poké Ball in his pocket and walked toward the center. Hanako, seeing Brock walk towards them, hastily returned Ivysaur before she, Tatsu, and Riviére joined Brock in the center.

"Congratulations are in order. You all fought hard and showed creativity, strength, and courage," he said as he reached into his pocket and withdrew three Boulder Badges. "You've all earned these. Congratulations on earning your first official Gym Badge!"

"Thank you so much!" said Hanako as they each took a badge and examined it with awe.

"I should be thanking you. That was the best battle I've had in a while," said Brock as he gave them each a handshake, though Riviére insisted on giving him a hug. With a round of farewells, Brock left them in the center of the battle-worn Gym. Standing in the center, Hanako, Riviére, and Tatsu looked at each other with wide grins.

"We've made it," said Tatsu as he held Charmeleon's Poké Ball in hand. "We won our first badge."

"Us and our Pokémon," said Riviére, as she too held Wartortle's Poké Ball in the palm of her hand. "We did it together."

Hanako nodded and extended her arm forward, Ivysaur's Poké Ball clenched in her hand. "Victory." she said as she made a victory sign with her free hand.

 

​

​

Ch. VI​

The Mt. Moon Festival!​

​

​

Riviére, Tatsu, and Hanako walked down the dirt path of Route 3 on a bright, sunny morning. The land mass began to change when they left Pewter City. The terrain was no longer forest and grasslands they enjoyed on the previous routes. The hills got taller and steeper as they walked closer to Mt. Moon, the highest point of the Tojoh Mountains. Seasonal trees were less common and dominated by evergreen trees found in the rocky landscape. More Rock and Ground-type Pokémon were common now. Pokémon commonly found on Route 1 and 2 were a rare sight.

Tatsu scrolled through his Pokédex, looking at the wild Pokémon known to be in the area. With a sigh, he turned off his Pokédex and placed it back inside his bag. "Nothing," he said, his voice filled with disappointment. "No Fire-type, Grass-type, or Water-type Pokémon are found on this route. Just a bunch of Pokémon found in the mountains, as expected."

"That's disappointing," said Hanako as she polished Ivysaur's Poké Ball as they walked. "I was hoping to add to our team. It's been a month since we left Pewter City," she said as she looked over the Poké Ball. As they walked a small, pink Pokémon bounced out of the bush. They stopped and observed the strange, pink Pokémon as it bounced. Hanako was the first to recognize it; an Exeggcute. Her eyes bulging, she smiled widely as she yelled, "OH MY ARCEUS, THAT'S AN EXEGGCUTE! IT'S SO CUTE! I HAVE TO CATCH IT!"

Her screaming startled the solo Exeggcute and it tried to bounce away as Hanako rummaged through her bag excitedly. She hastily withdrew a Poké Ball and threw it at the Exeggcute with all her might. The Poké Ball hit the Exeggcute in the back of the head, and the Poké Ball snapped open. Converting the Exeggcute into data, the Poké Ball closed and fell to the ground. The Poké Ball wiggled as the Exeggcute tried to escape. Hanako stood rooted to the spot, her eyes completely focused on the wiggling Poké Ball. After a few short seconds, the ball ceased moving. Sheer happiness overcame Hanako as she ran over to the Poké Ball and picked it up. "I DID IT! I CAUGHT THE EXEGGCUTE!~" she said in utter bliss, jumping up and down with her new Pokémon in hand.

"Tatsu, I thought Exeggcute always came in a batch of six?" asked Riviére as she watched Hanako jumping in joy.

Tatsu nodded. "That's correct. For some reason, this Exeggcute was all by itself. I wonder what happened to the other five?" he asked himself as he turned his Pokédex back on and looked up Exeggcute. Scrolling through the Exeggcute page, Tatsu tilted his head. "Yeah, Exeggcute are found in batches of six. Makes sense. They aren't strong by themselves."

Hanako ran over to Tatsu and Riviére, smiling ear to ear. "Did you see that? I caught my first Pokémon!" she said excitedly.

"Yeah, but didn't you notice that there was only one Exeggcute? What if someone lost one? It's trainer is probably looking for it." Riviére pointed out.

"Well, that may not be the case," said Tatsu. "if the Exeggcute belong to another trainer, then the Poké Ball would not have worked. The Poké Ball would have rejected the Exeggcute because it's data would have been stored in the other trainer's Poké Ball."

"So...my Exeggcute could be lost?" said Hanako, chest fallen.

"Yeah, but it's strange," began Tatsu as he took out is Pokédex and re-examined Route 3 Pokémon. "Wild Exeggcute are extremely rare. Because of their rarity, they are only found in the Safari Zone, where rare Pokémon like that are protected. There shouldn't be any Exeggcute This far north. It's odd that such a rare Pokémon here in the Tojoh Mountains."

"Hmm," said Hanako as she looked down at her Poké Ball. She turned around and gave it an underhand toss. The Poké Ball popped open, and the single Exeggcute materialized. Bending over as she placed the Poké Ball in her purse, Hanako leaned over the Exeggcute, who looked back up at her. "Exeggcute, are you lost? Where are the other Exeggcute? Do you have a trainer?"

The Exeggcute closed its eyes, and Hanako could hear a faint, female voice echo in her mind. Gone. Hanako looked at Exeggcute sadly as her eyes watered up. She scooped up the Exeggcute with both hands and held the Exeggcute to her chest. Standing up, Hanako turned to Tatsu and Riviére and said, "Ready to go?"

Tatsu nodded and together, they resumed down the dirt path. As the day progressed, the temperature grew hotter. There were no trees for shade, and little room to use the PokéCaps to escape the sun. As noon approached, they began to encounter people walking along the route. Intrigued by the mass of people, they checked it out. People of all ages were gathering at the base of the mountain, tents were erected and platforms were being built and restored. As they stopped examined a large, purple tent, they looked over the majestic tent and watched performers and their Pokémon enter. Some elected to stay outside and work on what they could tell were performance acts.

"Hold on, isn't it July?" said Tatsu as he watched a man dressed as in a strange outfit and his two Magmar spit fire into the air.

"Yeah, it is," said Riviére as she watched women dressed in kimonos practice singing on stage.

"Of course," said Tatsu, laughing. "Today must be the start of the Mt. Moon Festival."

"Oh yeah, I forgot that the festival begins in July," said Hanako happily as she watched a man wrestle an Ursaring beside the tent in a makeshift ring, practicing for their match later on. "We should stay. It can't miss the Mt. Moon Festival."

"Let's go look around. Oh, and we should let our Pokémon out of their Poké Balls. They would enjoy walking around," said Riviére as she withdrew Wartortle's Poké Ball and tossed it into the air, the Poké Ball snapping open and materializing beside her.

"Sounds like a good idea," said Tatsu as he reached into his bag and took out Charmeleon's Poké Ball. He gave it a lazy toss and the ball popped open. Charmeleon crossed his arms and yawned after he materialized.

"Come on out, Ivysaur and Exeggcute!" said Hanako as she tossed her Ivysaur's customized Poké Ball and Exeggcute's regular Poké Ball into the air. After materializing, Exeggcute bounced into Hanako's purse nestling in comfortably, looking out of the side. Taking Tatsu and Riviére by the hand they walked to the completed section of the festival grounds, accompanied by their Pokémon.

As they walked by the entrance to the tent, a large man dressed in a fancy black suit was deep in conversation with a one of the builders. "...and after checking the Pokémon compartments, I noticed that we're missing an Exeggcute. Now I don't have an even two dozen for the act. We should have a few people out to look for it."

Hanako stopped and looked toward the man dressed in the fancy suit. Guilt consumed her; her stomach felt like an empty pit. Letting go of Tatsu and Riviére's hands, she reached into her purse and held Exeggcute in the palm of your hand. "I think we found your owner," she said as she walked over to the man. Riviére motioned to stop her, but Tatsu waved her down and shook his head. "Excuse me, mister?" said Hanako as she approached the man, Ivysaur walking beside her.

"Yes?" he said as he turned, looking down at her. He immediately saw the Exeggcute in her hands and gave her his undivided attention. "Ah! You found my missing Exeggcute!" he said, bowing slightly. "Thank you! You shall be rewarded for your efforts," he said joyfully.

"Actually, sir..."

"Yes?"

"Well, you see...," she started as she looked down at the Exeggcute. "I caught Exeggcute one the way here. She is the first Pokémon I caught since beginning my journey," she said as she cupped the Exeggcute, which looked up happily at her previous owner.

"I see...This is a predicament," he said as he rubbed his chin. After a short pause he sighed. "Well, I don't need all Exeggcute for my performance. I suppose I could go back to the Safari Zone and find a new one," he said as her face lit up.

"Really? You'll let me keep Exeggcute?" she said, hopefully.

The man nodded. "Yes, I will let you keep the Exeggcute. It was my fault for losing her in the first place."

"Oh, thank you!" she said as Exeggcute jumped into her purse as she hugged the man. "Thank you thank you thank you!"

"You're very welcome," he said as he returned the embrace with a quick one-armed hug. "All that I require of you is that you take care of Exeggcute."

"I will!" said Hanako happily as she turned and ran towards Tatsu and Riviére, Ivysaur running after her.

Together, they explored the festival grounds. They visited many different shops. While checking out a shop that sold Pokémon merchandise, Tatsu felt something brush against his legs. Looking down, he saw a Growlithe hiding behind his shins. "Where did you come from?" asked Tatsu as he bent over and picked up the Growlithe, which licked his face happily.

"A Growlithe?" said Riviére after examining a Dratini t-shirt. "Where did he come from?"

"I have no idea," said Tatsu, as the Growlithe ceased licking his face. Tatsu tried to pull the Growlithe away, but Growlithe placed his paws on his chest and used his hind legs to reach Tatsu's face. "Growlithe, stop! That tickles!" he laughed.

"Looks like you found a new friend," said Hanako as she giggled.

"I wonder where he came from," said Tatsu before hearing a voice shouting nearby.

"Growlithe! Growlithe! Where is that damn Growlithe? Get over here, you mutt!"

Tatsu turned his head as he heard the voice. The source belonged to a man not much older than Tatsu. He wore a leather jacket with a stylize Gyarados patch on the back and jeans, despite the July heat. He was bald and wore sunglasses. Once he spotted the Growlithe, he walked over to Tatsu with his hand outstretched. "There you are, you damn Pokémon. You, give me my Growlithe if you don't want to get hurt."

Tatsu narrowed his eyes at the insult, a fire building in them. "No, I don't think I will," said Tatsu defiantly as the Growlithe whimpered at the presence of his master. Tatsu knelled over and set Growlithe on the ground and stood back up. "Growlithe doesn't seem to want to go with you. Have you been abusing this Pokémon?" he asked.

"What was that?" said the man as he grabbed Tatsu by the scruff of his shirt and pulled him in threateningly. "Are you accusing me of something, punk?"

"I'm not accusing you of anything. Just calling it as I see it," said Tatsu calmly. Charmeleon stood firmly by Tatsu's side, growling at the man. Riviére tried to step in as Hanako left to look for some help, but Tatsu waved them both down. "Don't. I got this," he said quietly. "I'm going to teach this guy a lesson," he said as people in the crowd began to take notice. A few of them ran off to find some authority to break up the fight before it starts.

The man laughed. "Really? You, teach me a lesson? That's cute!"

"Don't think I can take you?" he asked. "If you can beat me in a fist fight, I won't only give you back Growlithe, but I'll give you my Charmeleon as well."

"Tatsu, are you crazy?!" asked Riviére, intervening. "You can't!"

"Charmeleon is your only Pokémon! If you lose him, then you won't have any at all!" said Hanako, agreeing with Riviére. "You shouldn't risk your own!"

"I'll be fine," said Tatsu with a side glace. "Well? Are you up for it, or are you going to chicken out?"

A vein throbbed in the temple of the guy in the leather jacket. "Fine, you got it. Now, eat my fist!" he yelled as he clenched his fist and threw a punch.

Craning his neck, Tatsu dodged the strike. Grabbing the guy by the arm he swung the punch, Tatsu rolled the guy over his shoulder and tossed him onto the ground in a quick, lucid motion. People in the crowd moved further back to evade the fight. Quickly getting to his feet, the guy charged Tatsu, swinging haymaker punches at Tatsu. With minimal movement, Tatsu evaded each punch.

"Stop dodging and fight me like a man!" he shouted as he aimed and swung with all his might. With a perfect opening, Tatsu jumped and roundhouse kicked the guy on the side of the head. The guy fell backward, falling onto his back as Tatsu landed on his feet.

"Tatsu, that was awesome!" cheered Riviére as she and her Wartortle walked over to him, eyeing him with interest.

Hanako leaned over the guy and checked his pulse. "Well, he's alive..." she said as she slapped him lightly on the cheek. "Hey, mister, wake up."

"Uggh..." The man slowly began to stir as Hanako helped him to his feet. Rubbing the side of his head, he felt a large lump beginning to form. "What the hell...What did you do to me?" He shoved Hanako away as she checked his head. Ivysaur ran between them, growling at the man, protective over his trainer.

Tatsu looked at him as Riviére clung to his shoulder. Wartortle, Charmeleon, and Growlithe stood by their side as the man got up. Growlithe barked at his former trainer. Tatsu glared at the man and extended his arm. "We had a deal. Give me Growlithe's Poké Ball, or I will knock you out longer than just a few seconds."

The man stared threateningly at Tatsu as he begrudgingly took out a black and red Poké Ball and tossed it at his feet. "Here, take it. That Growlithe is weak anyway," he said as he walked off. "Don't think I won't forget this. Watch your back, kid." he said threateningly as he turned and stumbled away. Tatsu watched the man walk away as Hanako stood by his side, watching him warily.

"I hope he doesn't cause any more trouble," said Hanako.

"That ass wouldn't stand a chance against Tatsu, even if he wanted too," said Riviére as she flipped the guy off as he disappeared into the crowd.

Tatsu looked down at the black and red Poké Ball. Placing his foot over it, he pressed all his weight onto the Poké Ball, breaking it into pieces.

"What did you do that for?" asked Hanako.

"Because now Growlithe isn't registered to that Poké Ball anymore," said Tatsu as he reached into his bag and took out a spare Poké Ball. "Besides, I want to catch Growlithe in my own Poké Ball." The Growlithe barked happily as the Growlithe turned and sat down in front of the shattered remains of his old Poké Ball. Tatsu dropped the Poké Ball and Growlithe jumped forward, the Poké Ball hitting the top of Growlithe's head. The Poké Ball opened and converted Growlithe into data before falling to the ground. As the shaking ceased, Tatsu picked up the Poké Ball and tossed it into the air. "Welcome to the team," said Tatsu happily as the Poké Ball popped open and Growlithe materialized beside Charmeleon.

"Aw, I want a new Pokémon," said Riviére with a pouty face. She looked around, hoping to any uncaught Water-type Pokémon.

"I'm sure you'll get a new Pokémon soon," said Hanako as she grabbed her hand and led her to the stands with Tatsu, their Pokémon following them. Riviére smiled and gripped her hand in return.

They resumed walking around the shops, checking out jewelry and sampling food. As the night rolled over the festival, they attended the show inside the large purple tent. Inside, the entertainers performed magnificent feats of skill. Fire breathers and their Fire-type Pokémon perform amazing skill with handling fire. Tatsu particularly enjoyed this act. The next act was a man who wrestled an Ursaring bare handed. Riviére was amazed by the strength the man showed when he lifted the Ursaring and tossed him out of the ring. Next was a man with a male Pyroar jumping through hoops of fire. Afterward, a woman with several Magnemite and Magneton shot thunderbolts at her, dodging them while walking on the tightrope nearly a hundred feet in the air. The man with the fancy suit and Exeggcute Hanako had talked to earlier was up next. He used the Exeggcute and several other Psychic-type Pokémon to perform magic acts. The show ended with a magnificent battle between a Hitmonlee and Hitmonchan, a terrific show of battle prowess from both Pokémon with the Hitmonlee winning the match.

"That was a great show," said Hanako as they walked out of the tent, mixing with the crowd.

"They have some great performers," replied Tatsu. "I learned some interesting techniques from those fire breathers."

As they walked back towards the shops to check out them once more before turning in for the night, Riviére overheard a salesman yelling at the crowd. "Come check out my Magikarp! The strongest breeds around! Straight from Lake of Rage!" exclaimed the salesman. All around his stand were tanks filled with Magikarp with varying sizes. Turning her head, she looked at the stand, examining a particular specimen; the largest Magikarp of the bunch.

"You're not considering buying a Pokémon now, are you?" asked Tatsu with his arms crossed. "Besides, buying a Magikarp is a ripoff. Magikarp can be found in water all across the world; it is the most common Pokémon in the world!"

Riviére ignored him as she walked to the shop and began to examine one of the male Magikarp. This particular was nearly twice the size of the normal Magikarp. It got it's own tank and sometimes charged into the glass, trying to break free. Riviére could see the anger in his eyes as the Magikarp turned his attention to Riviére and bashed his head into the glass.

"Fierce, isn't he?" said the salesman as he approached Riviére, leaning his elbows against the counter. "When I got this Magikarp on the line, it took me several hours and the help of my brother to reel him in. Even afterward, he fought hard to avoid capture. Every Magikarp here I caught at the Lake of Rage, the best spot to catch Magikarp. All the rest have spunk, but this one is by far the strongest. I can't get anyone to buy my Magikarp though," he said with a sigh.

"Yeah, I can see that," said Riviére without looking at the salesman, observing the Magikarp carefully. "Tell me, do you know this Pokémon's ability?"

"Hm?" the salesman scratched his head as Hanako and Tatsu arrived and stood beside her, watching her with interest. "Well, I honestly never checked."

Taking out her Pokédex and scanned the Magikarp. Quickly scrolling to the scanned Magikarp's ability, Riviére's eyes nearly bulged out of her skull, nearly dropping her custom blue Pokédex. She hastily reached into her purse and pulled out wallet. "How much for this Magikarp!" she yelled, leaning forward.

"PokémonDollar.png500. Special price," said the man nervously.

Riviére quickly opened her wallet and counted the money, handing the salesman the PokémonDollar.png500. She smiled widely as the salesman rummaged through the drawer and withdrew the Magikarp's Poké Ball. "Here you go," he said happily as he returned the Magikarp to his Poké Ball and handed it to her. "Take care of the Magikarp!"

"I will, thanks!" said Riviére happily as she placed the Poké Ball in her purse. "I will have to find a pond or something to train Magikarp," she said to herself.

"Why did you buy that Magikarp?" asked Tatsu as they walked away from the stand.

"For a couple reasons," said Riviére with a smile. "Firstly, it has the ability Rattled; that's a hidden ability. Secondly, the Magikarp is close to evolution. A Magikarp of this size will be huge when it evolves into Gyarados, and who could pass up a Gyarados?"

"Yeah, you have a point," said Tatsu as Hanako shivered.

"I'm cold," said Hanako as she rubbed her shoulders. "We should find a place for the PokéCaps and turn in for the night."

"Sure," said Tatsu as three tall men stood in Tatsu's way and shoved him. "Hey, watch it!" said Tatsu before getting a sucker punch to the face.

"Tatsu!" shouted Riviére and Hanako simultaneously.

Tatsu stumbled backward and rubbed his jaw, his lip cut from his teeth biting his lip. Standing in front of them was the bald guy from earlier and two taller men wearing identical jackets, one with short brown hair and one with blonde. "I told you I'd be back for my Growlithe!" said the bald man as he cracked his knuckles. "Now, give him back or I will mess you up!"

"Big man, taking a cheap shot like that," said Tatsu as he dropped his bag onto the ground and removed his jacket. "I'll make you regret this."

"Hey, you can't do that!" said someone from the crowd.

"Go away, or you will be next!" shouted the blonde haired man with the jacket.

Riviére stepped forward and slapped the bald man across the face. "You should be ashamed of yourself!" she yelled at him, her hands on her hips. "Attacking Tatsu with his guard down, you coward!"

"Shut up, bitch!" yelled the bald man as he punched Riviére.

"Riviére!" Hanako ran over to her, grabbing her before she fell.

Rage burned through Tatsu like a venom. Rushing forward, Tatsu jumped and spin kicked the bald guy square in the temple. As the bald man fell backward, Tatsu landed on his feet and charged at the blonde haired man. Dodging a punch, Tatsu kneed the man in the stomach before elbowing him on the back of the head. Instead of fighting, the brown haired guy turned tail and ran away. Spitting on the ground, Tatsu turned and walked over to Riviére "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," she said as she rubbed her face and walked over to the unconscious baldy. "HOW DARE YOU STRIKE A WOMAN!" she yelled as she stomped on his groin.

"Aaaaaaaaaahhhhh!" he squealed, his voice an octave higher than his normal voice.

"Friggin' scumbag!" she yelled as Tatsu pulled her away before she could hit him again.

"Come on, let's go," he said as Hanako grabbed Tatsu's bag and jacket before escorting a fuming Riviére away.


Overhead, in the cover of darkness, several black helicopters with a red R painted on both sides flew overhead. The helicopters flew towards the largest mountain of the Tojoh Mountains, Mt. Moon. The side door of the helicopter in the lead slid open and a tall, slim man with blue-green hair and cold eyes leaned out. "Mewtwo, your days of freedom are over." he said with a devilish grin.

 

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Ch. VII​

Enter Team Rocket!​

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At the break of dawn, a tall, gray Pokémon with a purple tail hovered over a small mountain on the outskirts of Cerulean City. Eyeing the sleepy city with his cold purple eyes, the Pokémon descended to the ground. The Pokémon raised his hand and blasted a hole to the side of the mountain with an energy attack. The unknown Pokémon turned his head and saw four black helicopters with large red R's fly off to the larger mountains. The Pokémon walked inside and disappeared into the mouth of new entrance to a chamber.

Riviére opened the front door of the Housing PokéCaps and walked out into the morning sun. She only wore a nightgown as she walked over to a nearby pool of water with her Poké Balls in hand. She walked to the waters edge and looked down into the pool and judged its depth, her reflection mirrored across the water's surface. Her face healed well since getting punched a few days previous. she smiled and stepped into the water; the cool touch made her skin crawl as she walked in. She stopped as the tips of her nightgown brushed the surface. Riviére looked at her Poké Balls before she pointed them at the water and pressed the release button on the front. Both balls popped open and her Pokémon materialized.

Magikarp swam aggressively around Riviére as Wartortle floated along the surface, withdrawn in his shell. Riviére knelled over, her nightgown dipping into the cool spring water. She placed her hand on the forehead of the Magikarp and petted him. The Magikarp looked up at Riviére with a perplexed look. She smiled as she scooped up some water with her hand and ran it over his yellow fin.

"When I saw you, I immediately saw that you were special," she cooed as she cleaned Magikarp. "You have a great power in you. Most people write off Magikarp as weak, but I know the truth. You have such great potential to become a powerful Pokémon. Will you let me realize your potential?"

The Magikarp looked at Riviére happily, swimming circles around her in a joyous manner. Riviére laughed as Wartortle's shell bumped floated lazily in the water.

Riviére straightened and rubbed her chin. "All right. Magikarp get a bad reputation for being useless in battle, even in the water. Water-types have a difficult time battling on the land, and Magikarp, not being very viable in the water, has a much harder time on land. Honestly, it's this reasoning why I told myself not to get fish Pokémon. You're my exception," she said with a smile as Magikarp swam around her. "There's one technique that Magikarp can learn if tutored. It's a move called Bounce. It can be used on land and sea."

She picked up Magikarp, flailing as she walked out of the pool of water. "Do you see that boulder right there?" said Riviére as she walked to the boulder and set Magikarp on the ground. She took a step back. "All right. Use the base of your tail to push your body upward. The higher you bounce yourself, the strong you will hit the opponent. Give it a shot."

Flailing on the ground, Magikarp used his tail to slap his buddy upward. Magikarp merely flipped himself over. "That was good," said Riviére as she as picked up Magikarp and walked back to the pool. Magikarp flailed in her arms before swimming away. "It's a good start. We'll work on this technique as many times as needed," she said as spotted Wartortle swim lazily in the water. Riviére pointed at her Wartortle. "Magikarp, use Tackle on Wartortle!"

Swimming fast, Magikarp headbutted Wartortle from behind. Wartortle, unprepared for the attack, was launched out of the pool. Not happy about the sneak attack, Wartortle jumped back into the water and swam toward the Magikarp. Wartortle jumped on him and bit him on the head. Magikarp flailed to get Wartortle off him, but was unable to. Wartortle let go and used Water Gun to shoot Magikarp out of the pool.

"Damn it, Wartortle," she said under her breath as she walked over to the Magikarp and returned him to his Poké Ball. "Don't worry. With more training, we'll make you much stronger than you are now," Riviére looked back at Wartortle, who withdrew in his shell and returned to lazily floating in the water. "Maybe you should take it a bit easier on Magikarp until he levels up a bit more, eh?"

Later that morning, Riviére, Tatsu, and Hanako stood at a crossroads; in front of them was an opening to the largest mountain in Kanto; Mt. Moon. On the right was a rocky, thin path that coiled around the mountain, delving into a deep ravine.

"So," said Tatsu as he looked over the map, "we have two choices. We either go through Mt. Moon or we take the path around the mountain. Taking the path means that it will be an extra eight days of travel. Not to mention it'd be tough to find a spot on the path for the PokéCaps. So, which way are we going to go?"

"Through Mt. Moon, obviously," said Riviére as she fiddled with a flashlight. "The quicker we get through the Kanto Mountains, the better."

"I agree," said Hanako as she checked her bag to ensure they were fully stocked on supplies. "Besides, it should only take a full day to travel through Mt. Moon, right?"

"All right, it's agree," said Tatsu as he hoisted his bag over his shoulder and they departed into the mouth of the mountain.

They delved deeper into the pitch-black cavern. With only their flashlights for the source of light, they braved the infinite darkness. Often they would come across forks in the path. Thankfully, the correct path was marked with signs telling the travelers the best path out of Mt. Moon. Frequently they came across Pokémon that lived in the darkness such as Zubat and Paras. Occasionally they found Onix and Geodude wandering around the large caverns of open space. Once or twice they thought that they saw the ultra rare Clefairy, one of the few Fairy-type Pokémon found in Kanto.

"Look at the size of that Parasect!" whispered Hanako excitedly as they stood behind a boulder with their flashlights on a rather large unsuspecting Parasect.

"Are you going to catch it?" asked Riviére.

Hanako mulled over that thought before shaking her head. "As much as I'd like to, I probably shouldn't. Parasect aren't very strong Pokémon overall competitively. If I'm going to stand a chance in the World Tournament, then I'll have to catch the best possible Grass-type Pokémon to compete."

As they continued down the path, Tatsu stopped suddenly. "Hold on," he said quickly. As he held his arms out, he accidentally touched Riviére's breast as she walked into his hand.

"Tatsu! What are you doing?!" she yelled as she shoved his arm away and slapped him. "If you're going to do that, tell me first!"

"I didn't mean to grab you," said Tatsu as he rubbed his cheek. "Not my fault you weren't paying attention. Besides, I can hear something ahead of us," he said.

They listened intently for several minutes. As they listened, movement could be heard in the tunnel. Slithering and splashing echoed through the tunnel and occasionally a low rumbled roar could be heard faintly in a distance. Blue in the face, they slowly walked backward.

"Maybe we should go back," said Hanako.

As they backed away, a cream colored shell rolled in front of them, blue tentacles slithering out of the shell. The small shelled creature slithered away, Riviére jumped forward and yelled, "THAT'S AN OMANYTE!" As Riviére searched her purse for a Poké Ball, the Omanyte shot a Water Gun at Riviére. After Riviére fell over from the force of the Water Gun, Omanyte retreated back into his shell and rolled away with a Rollout.

"Get back here!" yelled Riviére as she stood up and chased after the Omanyte as he rolled away.

"Riviére, come back!" yelled Hanako as she and Tatsu chased after her.

They chased her in the dark, the only source of light came from their shaky flashlights. Riviére's scream reverberated through the tunnel after she disappeared. Tatsu and Hanako stopped and shined their flashlights to locate her.

"Riviére! Riviére! Can you hear us!" shouted Tatsu he and Hanako walked around the tunnel. After some searching, Tatsu found a human sized hole in the center of the tunnel. Tatsu examined the hole as Hanako knelled beside him and pointed her flashlight down the tunnel.

"Do you think she fell down here?" she asked.

"Yeah," he replied as he pointed his flashlight around the area until he spotted several small, brown colored Pokémon crawling around the tunnel floor. "I thought so. Look, those are Kabuto."

"Those are wild Kabuto," said Hanako as she too shined her flashlight at the Kabuto, who scurried away to avoid the light. "I didn't know there was living Kabuto that thrived in the wild. She shined her flashlight back down the hole. "Did they dig this tunnel?"

"Looks like it," said Tatsu as he looked at the sides of the Pokémon-made tunnel, dozens of claw marks in the stone. "Look here. It looks like the Kabuto dug from an underground chamber," Tatsu paused before sighing softly. Using his hands as support, he swung his legs forward and into the hole like going down a slide.

"Are you seriously going down there?" asked Hanako as Tatsu grabbed his bag and rummaged through it.

"Yeah," he said as he handed Hanako a rope. "Someone has to go down there and bring her back. Tie that up to a boulder. That way if this tunnel suddenly dips into an abyss or something, I won't die."

Hanako took one side of the rope and tied it to a boulder as Tatsu tied the other end of the rope around his chest. "The rope is a hundred feet long, so it should be long enough to catch me if I fall over a sharp edge and to climb back up. Hopefully with Riviére."

"What do you want me to do?" asked Hanako as Tatsu removed his bag from around his shoulder and set it on the side.

"I want you to stay here," he said as he placed his Poké Balls in his pockets and held the flashlight firmly. "Just in case something happens, I'd rather know one of us is safe than all three of us being screwed. If you don't hear anything back from us in an hour, I want you to run back to Pewter City and get help."

"But that will take days!" protested Hanako.

"Yeah...Well, here's to hoping that I make it back alive," said Tatsu as he hoisted himself onto the tunnel and slid down into the abyss. He slid down the narrow tunnel, occasionally twisting as he gained speed from the decent. As the tunnel began to straighten out, Tatsu braced himself to hit the ground. Shooting out from the tunnel, Tatsu collided with something in the dark. Falling on top of it, Tatsu's face was buried into something soft and warm.

"...Tatsu. As much as I like your enthusiasm, will you please get your face out of my tits?"

Tatsu slowly got up and rubbed his face. "Well, I'm just glad I had a soft landing."

Riviére stood up and brushed off her clothes of the grime. "Tell that to my boobs," she said as Tatsu shined his light on her.

"Are you okay?"

"For the most part," she said as Tatsu shined the light on the ground in search for Riviére's flashlight. She found it a few feet away as Tatsu examined the length of rope that remained. "Hanako didn't come?"

"No, I told her to remain behind just in case we ran into trouble," said Tatsu as he walked back to the tunnel and flashed his flashlight up. "Wow, that was a ninety foot drop. I wonder if Hanako could hear us if we shouted out to her?"

"Tatsu...I wouldn't do that if I were you..." whispered Riviére as she walked beside Tatsu, her arm shaking.

Turning his head, he shined the flashlight behind him. In shallow pools of water slept dozens of Kabutops, Omastar, Cradily, Armaldo, and Carracosta. On three large slabs of stone slept a Tyrantrum with several Tyrunt, an Aerodactyl, and an Archeops with a few Archen. Kabuto, Omanyte, Tirtouga, and Anorith moved around in the shallow water. At the edges of the water were Lileep soaking up the water.

Blue in the face, Tatsu and Riviére slowly walked backward to the wall, inching to the passage as quietly as possible. The Tyrantrum, agitated by the flashlight, opened her large, yellow eyes. Paralyzed with fear, they stood frozen to the spot as the Tyrantrum stood up. The smaller Pokémon scurried away as the Tyrantrum roared so loudly, the roar echoed all around the chamber. Any Pokémon still asleep was now widely awake.

"LET'S GET OUT OF HERE!" yelled Tatsu as he and Riviére rushed to the tunnel.

With Riviére in front, Tatsu pushed her up faster as the Tyrantrum lunged forward, her jaws wide open. Tatsu and Riviére barely made it up the narrow tunnel when the Tyrantrum headbutted the wall. The exit imploded as the Tyrantrum used her massive jaws to rip part the stone all. They climbed up the narrow path as far as they could before reaching safety.

"If we ever make this out alive, I am going to make so much love to you," said a panicked Riviére, breathing heavily as her heart pounded.

"Get your head out of the gutter and get climbing," said Tatsu as they began to climb upward.

Riviére signed heavily as she began to climb up the Kabuto made tunnel. "All this trouble and I didn't even get to catch one of those fossil Pokémon. You better not be looking up my skirt, by the way," said Riviére moodily.

"I dropped my flashlight, so I couldn't even if I wanted to," replied Tatsu.

They climbed up the narrow tunnel for twenty minutes before they could see the edge. "Hanako!" shouted Riviére.

"Oh thank goodness!" they could hear her say as Hanako quickly knelled at the edge of the tunnel and shined the light down. "I heard some strange noises about half an hour ago. What happened down there?" she asked as she held out a hand.

"A ton of fossil Pokémon were down there. I'm sure many of them would have loved to make a meal of out us," said Riviére as she took Hanako's hand and pulled herself to the surface. Riviére turned and laid flat on her back after she crawled out of the hole.

"More fossil Pokémon?"

"Yeah," said Tatsu as Hanako helped Tatsu out of the hole. "A lot of Pokémon I've never seen before in real life. Some I didn't even know were in this region," he said as he also laid on his back and rested.

Hanako reached into her purse and gave both of them bottles of water to drink. "I knew you could find fossils here, but I never knew that there were living here in Mt. Moon. I wonder why no one ever discovered them here before?"

"Probably because whoever found them were eaten," said Tatsu. "That'd be my guess."

"Hanako...Do you see any Kabuto or Omanyte around?" asked Riviére.

Hanako shook her head. "No, they all scattered shortly after Tatsu went down to get you.

"Whatever then," she sighed. "Unless we run into one, I'm not going to look for a Kabuto or Omanyte. I just want out of this damn cave."

After a few minutes of recuperating, they resumed their journey. Seven hours passed from the trip into the bowels of Mt. Moon. As they reached the final stretch of their trip, they entered a section of Mt. Moon with lights strung up across the walls.

"What's going on here?" asked Hanako as she turned off her flashlight. "Why are there lights strung up?"

"I have no idea," said Riviére as she, Tatsu, and Hanako stopped as Tatsu consulted the map.

"Well, we're not lost," he said as he marked off the room on the map. "According to this, we're about an hour away from the final chamber. We just have to pass through this tunnel," he said as he placed the map back into his jeans pocket and walked toward the tunnel. As they approached the chamber, they could hear many echoed voices and sounds of machinery being used coming from down the tunnel.

"Sounds like there's a bunch of people here," said Riviére as they approached the end of the tunnel. As they entered the large chamber, they looked down over the edge and gasped.

At the base of the large chamber were roughly twenty people in matching black uniforms and another thirty in normal attire. The men in black uniforms were standing guard with assault rifles in hand while other men work various jobs around the base of the cavern. A loud booming voice could be heard over the chatter. "Hurry up!" yelled the blue-green haired man in the center. "Mewtwo is somewhere in these mountains and we need to establish a base of operations! If you don't hurry up, you will be shot on sight!"

"Did they just say 'Mewtwo'? Who are these people?" whispered Riviére before her wrist was grabbed by Tatsu and dragged her and Hanako over to a nearby boulder. "Tatsu, what are you doing?"

Beads of sweat dripped down the side of Tatsu's face as he peered around the corner, gritting his teeth. "Dammit," he whispered. "we've stumbled onto the base of Team Rocket."

"How are we going to get around them?" asked Hanako in a low voice as she too peered around the corner. The exit out of the cave was blocked by two guards holding assault rifles.

"We can't without alerting the guards," said Tatsu as he pulled back around the boulder and punched the palm of his hand. "Dammit, we were so close to the exit."

"We have to go back," said Riviére as she turned around. Suddenly, she was struck in the face with the butt of an assault rifle, knocking her out cold.


Tatsu and Hanako turned quickly as Riviére fell to the ground. Three Rocket grunts blocked the exit, two of the grunts aiming their assault rifles at Hanako and Tatsu. "Get on your knees with your hands behind your head," said the grunt that hit Riviére across the face with the butt of his gun. Grudgingly, Tatsu and Hanako did as ordered. The grunts walked forward and hit them in the face.

 

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Ch. VIII​

Proton the Cruel​

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Riviére slowly regain consciousness and opened her eyes, her vision blurry. She saw that Tatsu, Hanako, and herself were tied to a boulder with chains. To her right were the three grunts that ambushed them, talking to the blue-green haired man that sat behind a desk in a makeshift office.

"Good work," he said as they emptied the contents of their bags on the desk and the green haired man rummaged through their belongings. "Let's see. Got some Pokédex, supplies...what's this?" he said as he opened Tatsu's PokéCaps case and examined the Housing PokéCaps. Shrugging his shoulders, he resumed shifting through the contents. He took the Poké Balls and placed them on a Poké Ball Scanner. "Let's see. We got a Charmeleon with Solar Power Ability. Very rare. A Growlithe with Justified, another rare Pokémon. An Ivysaur and Exeggcute with Chlorophyll. Not bad, not bad. A Wartortle with Rain Dish and a...Magikarp? Ha! What a pathetic Pokémon," he said as he picked up Magikarp's Poké Ball and tossed it. The Poké Ball rolled on the ground and stopped by Riviére's thigh. She quickly grabbed her Poké Ball and hid it behind he back before closing her eyes and feinted being asleep.

"What do you want us to do with the kids, Proton?" said one of the grunts.

"Hm," Proton leaned back into the chair with his arms folded back. "Well, according to their IDs, the boy's name is Tatsu Fuji. I doubt his parents would be pleased if we killed their son," Proton leaned forward and stood up. He walked over toward the unconscious Hanako, lifted her head by the chin and looked her over. "Mmm. No, too skinny. Have your way with her then kill her," he said casually.

Riviére heart pounded furiously as Proton walked toward her. Her thoughts raced as Proton stopped in front of her and lifted her head, examining her face. "Oh yes, she's much prettier," she heard him say as he let her head go. Pretending to be limp, she tried her best as to remain so as Proton felt her up. "It's settled. I'll take this one for myself," she heard him say as he kicked apart her legs.

"Proton, sir!" one of the grunts ran over to him. "You got a call from the Leader!"

"Hmph. All right," said Proton as he walked away. "Yes sir?" said Proton at the distance.

"I require you to come back to headquarters," said a familiar voice over the radio. "a helicopter should arrive there any moment for your pick-up."

"What? Why?" asked Proton in a disappointed tone. "We've barely got our base set up!"

"Your talents are required in elsewhere. We're sending Petrel to retrieve Mewtwo in your place."

"Fine, fine. I'll be out in a minute," said Proton aggressively. He sighed as he walked away from the boulder and said, "Such a waste to leave behind a pretty girl. Oh well."

"What would you like us to do with the kids and the civilians we took?" asked a grunt.

Riviére barely opened her eye to take a look. Proton had his back against her and the grunt stood beside him. She could see Proton mull it over as he rubbed the side of his head. "Unless Petrel gives you different orders, I want you to kill everyone except Tatsu Fuji," he said as he turned his head toward Tatsu and gave him a cold grin. "even though I'd love to kill their son just for the sheer pleasure of it. Oh, and before Petrel gets here, feel free to use the women as you see fit. You won't hear a word from me to the upper chain of command."

"Yes sir," said the grunt as he saluted Proton and walked away.

Riviére closed her eyes when she noticed Proton walk back toward her. She feinted unconsciousness once more. Riviére could sense him standing in front of her. A moment later, she felt him grab her by the chin and lift up her head, feeling his breath on her skin.

"It truly is a shame. I'd love to bring you with me, but I know that my boss wouldn't be pleased if I kept a sex slave around for the ride. No telling if you'd escape. My head is worth more than yours. No hard feelings?" he asked before kissing her on the mouth.

Her rage swelled at the kiss; she felt violated that this man had even touched her with her slimy hands. As he withdrew, she bashed her forehead into the face of Proton.

"You bitch!" he yelled as fell backward, covering his face as blood poured from his nose.

Clicking the button on the Poké Ball, the ball popped open and Magikarp materialized. "Magikarp, use Bounce on the boulder!" she yelled. Magikarp used his tail to bounce himself into the air, but flopped a few times before getting enough height and slammed into the boulder. The boulder cracked from the force, the loose rubble causing the chains to become loose enough for her to wiggle out.

Warning!: Due to the graphic scenes, the remainder of the chapter can be found on my deviant art page. Please check it out there!​

 

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Ch. IX​

Robin the Avaricious​

Riviére slowly opened her eyes and sat up, rubbing the front of her head. Feeling a small lump, she rolled her legs out of bed and stood up. She walked over to the mirror and peered into it. Riviére observed a small, bruised lump in the center of her forehead. The bruise on the side of her head was also healing, though now it was developing a yellowish hue.

"I wish people would stop hitting me in the face," she said to herself as she turned back to the bed. A small, feather-like charm hanging off her bedpost caught her eye. "What's this?" Riviére walked over to the bedpost and picked the charm off. She examined it as she sat down, her eyes narrowed. "Didn't Hanako come in last night?" she asked herself. Curious, she stood back up and walked out of her room with her Wartortle following her.

"Hey, look who's finally up," said Tatsu as he sat at the kitchen table, eating burnt toast. Hanako turned away from her Sitrus Berry and smiled. "Wanna make some breakfast? Hanako tried cooking and she nearly burnt down the house."

"Good morning. Did you sleep well?" asked Hanako as Wartortle waddled over to his food bowl already filled with food and joined Ivysaur and Charmeleon for breakfast.

"Surprisingly well," said Riviére. "Hanako, did you come in my room last night?" she asked as she held out the Lunar Wing in the palm of her hand.

"Yeah, I wanted to give you this," said Hanako as she quickly glanced at the Lunar Wing. "My father gave that to me a while ago. It's a Lunar Wing; it's used to dispel nightmares."

"That explains why I slept so well," said Riviére as she scratched the side of her head.

Tatsu applied a copious amount of jelly on his burnt toast and took a bite. "If you're not going to make any breakfast, you should get ready. We'll be in Cerulean City today."

Riviére slapped Tatsu in the back of the head before taking a seat, missing the cheesy grin on his face.

"Are our Gym Battles scheduled for today?" asked Hanako.

Tatsu shook his head. "No, they're scheduled six days from now."

"Then I suggest we go to my cottage on Route 25," suggested Riviére.

"Sure," said Tatsu as he shrugged his shoulders. "Beats waiting in Cerulean City for six days."

After preparing for their trip, Tatsu collapsed the house back into it's PokéCaps before setting off to Cerulean City. Settled between the Kanto Mountains, Cerulean was surrounded by the mountainous terrain from the north, east, and west. The south of Cerulean City, however, opened up to the vast grassland of the Kanto region which served as the heartland. After refilling on their supplies and get their new Poké Balls customized to fit the theme of their starter's balls, they set off north to Route 24 near Cerulean.

"I hope that there's a good amount of trainers," said Tatsu as he placed his Wonder Launcher on his arm. "It's been a while since we had a good fight."

"There's going to be plenty," replied Riviére as she too placed her Wonder Launcher on her arm.

"We're going to need some more training before taking on Misty," said Hanako as she inserted an X Item into her Wonder Launcher. "This time I'm the only one with an advantage, while you two have a neutral or disadvantage."

"That reminds me, are we having the same kind of battle we had against Brock?" asked Riviére.

Tatsu nodded. "Yes, but only because she has so many battle requests," he admitted as they walked to the edge of Cerulean City. "We'll also be battling with the same rules; if one of us loses, then none of us get a badge. So far, thirty people have qualified to battle Misty this past month. Brock is also getting slammed with battles recently. The other Gym Leaders are started to get busy as well."

"Then we'll just have to beat them too!" said Hanako excitedly as she grabbed Tatsu and Riviére by the hand and ran to the mouth of Route 24.

Route 24 is a narrow route between two larger mountains that loomed over Cerulean City. Unlike the dusty routes of 3 and 4, Route 24 had many flowers and grass along the route. Small bridges were built for travelers to cross the clear streams as they traveled through the route. Being much smaller than the average route, it only took a few hours before they approached the largest bridge on the route; the Nugget Bridge.

"Wow, it's so much bigger than I thought!" said Hanako as they reached the top of a hill. Down below was a large river that flowed between the two mountains and a large, golden bridge was constructed as passage over the river. They walked down the hill and toward the bridge. As they approached, they saw seven people blocking the entrance to the bridge.

In the center of the group was a tall man with long, flowing blonde hair and indigo eyes. He wore stylish indigo clothing of the highest quality while sitting in an expensive looking chair. Standing behind him was a tall man with well kept black hair, thin face, shockingly violet eyes, and a pristine butler uniform. Also sitting beside him was a tall, large chested woman with blonde hair and deep blue eyes. She too, like the man, wore the fine clothes of high quality. Around them were four ruffians sitting on and around the bridge. One man had a short ginger mohawk with an orange blazer and blue jeans. Sitting beside him was a short, thin person with long, black hair with green highlights, the gender unknown. Sitting at the edge of the bridge was an abnormally large bald, bushy bearded man with tinted glasses, wearing a blue jean jacket with black jeans and sleeveless shirt. Laying beside him fast asleep was an astonishingly short man with short red hair, wearing red shorts and t-shirt. As they approached, the man sitting in the chair took notice. He stood up and clapped his hands with gusto, alerting the others of their presence.

"Ah, we have company!" he said loudly as he approached them with a sly grin. "Welcome, travelers! I'm afraid if you are seeking passage across this bridge, you will have to pay a toll."

"Why do we have to pay a toll?" asked Hanako as Riviére eyed the butler with a strange look on her face, as if seeing an old friend.

"Well, you see," said the man as he turned and motioned his hand toward the bridge. "The bridge recently needed repairs, as you can-"

"Alexander?"

The butler named Alexander looked at Riviére as she approached, her hand held up and shaking; her eyes were wide and tears flowed. Alexander's eyes also widened in complete shock. "Ri-Riviére?" he said softly as he walked forward. "Is that you? Are you...truly alive?" said Alexander as Riviére jumped into his arms and hugged him tightly. She cried into his shoulder as he held her, his face a mixture of shock and bliss.

"Riviére? Not the same Riviére you were supposed to marry, Louis?" asked the female with her eyebrows raise in mild surprise.

"If she's Riviére Bleu, then yes," said Louis as he looked closer. After a moment's pause, he laughed. "Well, this certainly is a surprise! My betrothed is still alive!"

"Betrothed? You mean...?" said Hanako as Louis laughed.

"Looks like Riviére was supposed to marry this guy," said Tatsu as he folded his arms. "When Riviére's parents died, she said she left her home in Kalos and came here to Kanto. This Alexander must be the butler that was with her on the cruise ship that sank."

Alexander broke the embrace and looked down at her. "Riviére, I am so happy you are alive. Where have you been? What are you doing here in Kanto?"

Riviére wiped her eyes. "After Ma and Pa died, I went back home but I couldn't take it without my parents and you there. So I left and went to my parents cottage here in Kanto."

Alexander closed his eyes and sighed, smiling. "Of course...the Shell Cottage," he said before Louis cleared his throat.

"All right, this is a touching reunion and all, but time is money," Louis snapped his fingers. "Alexander, come over here."

Alexander frowned as he turned his head back to Louis. Adjusting his tie, Alexander whispered "Run," before walking over to Louis and stood beside him, his expression blank.

Riviére scowled at Louis with intense dislike. "Louis, why is Alexander in your service? The last I recall, he served the Bleu family!"

Louis laughed softly. "Oh, you pretty little fool. Don't you know what happens when the sole heir to a family as illustrious as yours goes missing? You lost everything back at Kalos. When your property came up for sale, I bought out everything the Bleu family ever owned. Not only have you lost your land, your home, and your possessions, you've also lost your butler."

Riviére balled her fists in rage. "You've taken everything from me," she said, shaking. "It's my fault that I lost all that my family owned...That I will admit, but I beg you; please release Alexander of his service to you and return him to me. He is the last bit of family I have left."

Louis traced his jawline as he eyed Riviére. "Hm...No. No, I don't think I will," he said with a shrug of his shoulders. "Well, not without making a game out of it, of course," he said mockingly as he sat back into his expensive chair. "I'll tell you what. If you can defeat us all in a battle, then I'll return Alexander to you."

"Bring it on," said Riviére as she reached into her purse for her Poké Balls before Tatsu grabbed her arm.

"No, we'll do it together," he said as he held up Charmeleon's crimson Poké Ball.

"Yeah, we'll help," said Hanako as she stepped forward. "You don't have to do this alone."

Mildly amused, Louis clapped his hands at their display of valor. "Wonderful, simply wonderful. Now," he said as Alexander poured him a glass of red wine. "before we get these battles underway, how many Pokémon do the three of you have?"

"Two each," said Riviére proudly. "That's all we'll need to defeat you."

Louis nearly spat out his wine. "T-Two? Only two?" he said, coughing into a napkin provided by Alexander as Louis' associates laughed. Returning the napkin to Alexander, he cleared his throat. "Well, I was expecting you to have at least double that. Only six Pokémon total won't be much of a challenge...Very well. We'll have ourselves a little Gladiator style battle. Only one on one to make things interesting," Louis turned his head and measured up his goons. "Robin, you can be first."

"A'ight boss," said the guy with the orange mohawk as he reached into his blazer and withdrew a Poké Ball. "So, which one of ya'll kids am I gunna battle?"

"So, who should battle first?" asked Tatsu as they huddled together.

""I don't care what order we battle, but I'm going to take on Alexander and that bitch over there," Riviére replied with hostility.

Tatsu and Hanako looked back at the remaining four trainers and sized them up. "I'll take the biggest one and the smallest one," said Tatsu. "There's something off about those two."

"Then I will battle first, and take on the other one," said Hanako. Sweat dropped down her cheek. "Yeah, give me the scary looking ones..."

"You'll be fine," said Tatsu as Hanako walked forward, reaching into her purse she took out both of her Poké Balls. She debated between Ivysaur and Exeggcute's Poké Balls. After a moment of mulling it over, she placed Ivysaur's Poké Ball back into her purse. "Go, Exeggcute!" said Hanako as she tossed her ball and popped open. Her single Exeggcute materialized on the grassy field.

Robin looked down and couldn't help but to laugh. "What? A single Exeggcute?!" he bellowed, holding his sides. "You're one funny kid. What's yer name?" he asked as he wiped a tear from his eye.

"Hanako Mori."

"I see," he said with a grin as he tossed his Poké Ball up and down. "My name is Robin. They call me the Avaricious because I want everything I can't have. You name it; if I don't have it, I want it," he said as he looked down to Exeggcute. "Though, to be honest, I don't think I'd want a single Exeggcute. But hell with it, I want it anyway!" he said before he threw his Poké Ball, it popped open and a Meowth materialized in front of him. The Meowth licked his paw.

"A Meowth?" said Riviére as she and Tatsu sat on a nearby boulder and watched from the sideline. "That shouldn't be much of a challenge."

"No, this is bad," said Tatsu as he watched the Meowth lick himself. "Meowth are known for learning Dark-type moves, which deal a lot of damage to a Psychic-type like Exeggcute. Besides, it may not be fully evolved, but that doesn't mean it's weak leveled."

"Begin the fight!" exclaimed Arthur excitedly.

"Meowth, use Bite!" ordered Robin.

"Exeggcute, use Reflect!" countered Hanako. "Then counter with Leech Seed!"

As the Meowth ran on all fours toward the Exeggcute, the Exeggcute cloaked herself in a reflective surface that protected her body from harm. The Meowth pounced on the Exeggcute and bit the reflective surface. With a perfect opening to Meowth's mouth, the single Exeggcute shot several seeds down the Meowth's throat. Coughing and hacking, the Meowth spat out the Exeggcute, who rolled away from the Meowth. Unable to cough out the seeds, red aura appeared around Meowth's body and appeared to be sapping his strength.

"Hey, what'cha doin' to my Meowth, huh!?" yelled Robin as the Meowth rubbed his throat with his paw.

"Don't underestimate my Exeggcute just because she happens to be the only one," said Hanako as she raised her hand and pointed at the Meowth. "Exeggcute, use Poison Powder!"

Inhaling deeply, Exeggcute exhaled a purple dust cloud at the Meowth which surrounded him. Contact from the poisonous powder made the Meowth feel sick, his face turned purple.

Robin growled before he exclaimed, "Dammit Meowth! Use Feint Attack!"

Still blue in the face, the mouth ran forward. As the Meowth approached, he disappeared from view. The surprised Exeggcute didn't notice the Meowth quickly jumping behind Exeggcute and struck Exeggcute in the back. The force of the blow sent Exeggcute flying into the air, landing a few dozen feet away. As the Exeggcute rolled to better see the Meowth, the Meowth had already gone back to the offensive.

"Meowth, use Feint Attack again!" he ordered.

"Exeggcute, counter with Uproar!"

As the Meowth got close, the Exeggcute let out an ear splitting cry. The force and sudden surprise of the loud voice severely hurt Meowth's ears. Using his paws, the Meowth ceased his attack to cover his ears. The force of the sound wave emitted from Exeggcute pushed back the Meowth as he was unable to counter attack. The surrounding trainers covered their ears as Exeggcute emitted her cry.

"Will someone shut that Exeggcute up!" shouted Arthur, his eardrums assaulted by the Exeggcute's uproar.

"Come on Meowth, fight back!" ordered Robin.

Looking at his trainer, the Meowth nodded and closed his eyes. His body suddenly began to glow a bright blue. His form quickly evolved into his final stage; Persian. Growling the Persian ran against the sound wave and with his claws extended, swiped at the Exeggcute. The force of the attack sent Exeggcute flying away, landing in front of Hanako.

"Ah shucks, my Meowth evolved! I knew ya was holdin' out on me!" bellowed Robin joyfully. His celebration was cut short as the red aura reappeared around and sapped Persian's strength. The added effects of the poison made Persian increasingly sick. "Dammit, what's goin' on? Get ova ya sickness, Persian!" ordered Robin.

Hanako smirked as Exeggcute rolled back up to a sitting position. "You don't know much about fighting Grass-types, do you?" she asked. "Grass-type Pokémon may not be the flashiest of Pokémon, but they can wear down a Pokémon indirectly with the right techniques. Your Persian is affected with poison and Leech Seed. Combining these techniques will result in your Pokémon quickly being drained of his or her energy and eventually deeming them unfit for battle. Adding Refect to the mix will make it hard for your Persian to be able to do physical damage to Exeggcute."

Louis frowned before taking a sip from his cup, watching the battle lazily. "A rather devious plan," he said to himself. "This girl must be a Grass-type Specialist or a very good battler to utilize Grass-types this way. I should keep my eye on this one."

"Is that praise I hear?" asked the female on his right with a rather lustful smile. "I would have never expected to hear something like that coming from you, Louis."

"Only when such praise is due, Desiré," he said without looking at her.

Robin gritted his teeth as Hanako explained his dire situation. "Ya think ya better than me, the Avaricious?" he exclaimed as he stomped his foot and gestured to himself. "Ya must be stupid if ya think I'll give up to a pipsqueak like ya! Persian, Play Rough!"

Hanako sighed as the Persian lunged forward. "Exeggcute, use Confusion!" she ordered.

Her eyes glowing blue, the Exeggcute used her psychic powers to stop Persian in his tracks and attacked him mentally. Attacking the Persian with her mind, Persian was utterly confused by the mental evasion. The Persian became tipsy as he began to stumble, tripping over himself as he tried to attack the Exeggcute in the wrong direction.

"Let's finish this," said Hanako with a sigh. "Exeggcute, use Barrage!"

Using her psychic abilities, Exeggcute lifted herself into the air and shot herself at the Persian. The first attack hit the Persian in the ribs. Doubling over, the Persian coughed as the flying Exeggcute came around with another attack, striking Persian in the face with her body like a bullet. As Persian tried to get up once more, Exeggcute dealt the final blow as she used herself to strike Persian in the forehead. The force of the blow knocked the Persian unconscious.

Robin stood in disbelief as Riviére and Tatsu celebrated on the sidelines. "I...lost..." said Robin as he fell to his knees, stunned by his defeat.

Louis overlooked the celebrating victors with a bewildered look. "Hm...Maybe this will be more challenging than I thought," he said before he grinned slyly.

 

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Ch. X​

Jean the Voracious​

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Hanako sighed in relief as she returned Exeggcute to her Poké Ball and walked over to Tatsu and Riviére. "Glad that's over," she said as she placed the Poké Ball into her purse and looked over her shoulder. Robin was getting scolded by Louis before walking away and sitting in the patch of grass beside the bridge.

"That was a great battle," said Tatsu as he patted her on the shoulder. "I didn't realize you trained your Exeggcute so thoroughly."

"Thanks," she said as looked back at Louis.

Louis twirled his hair as he turned to his remaining crew. "Hmm...Jean, you're next." he said after sizing them up.

The extremely large bald man ceased eating his foot long sandwich and sighed. Standing upright, the man was nearly ten feet tall with an extreme girth. Adjusting his tinted glasses, the man stuffed the entire sandwich in his mouth and swallowed it as he walked forward. He stood where Robin had during the battle between him and Hanako and cleaned his beard of the crumbs.

"All right, who's going to face me?" he said in a deep voice.

Sweat dropped from Hanako's cheek as she sized him up; he was more than double her height and nearly five times her weight. "Um, tag out," said Hanako as she walked away and tagged Tatsu on the arm.

"Thanks for volunteering me," said Tatsu sarcastically as he took over Hanako's spot. "What's your name?" asked Tatsu.

"My name is Jean, and I am known as the Voracious," said Jean as he reached into his pocket and withdrew a large bag of jerky. "Your name?" he asked as he opened the bag and emptied the entire bag of jerky into his mouth.

"Tatsu Fuji," he said before observing Jean and turning his attention to Robin. "Voracious. Avaricious...Those sound like two of the seven deadly sins," he said after turning his attention back to Jean.

Louis chuckled. "Well, looks like he figured out our little theme," he said, amused.

"Pardon for the interruption," whispered Alexander as he bent over. "The boy revealed his name as Tatsu Fuji. The youngest of the Fuji family line."

Louis raised a brow. "So he did. Very well. Our orders have changed somewhat in their regards, but I still want to have fun with them."

"As you wish," said Alexander with a slight bow of his head and stood erect with a worried look on his face.

"Choose your Pokémon," said Jean as he reached into his jean's pocket and withdrew a Great Ball.

Tatsu hesitated at the sight of the Great Ball as he withdrew his Poké Balls. "A Great Ball that contains a Pokémon is worrisome," he said as he looked down at Growlithe's and Charmeleon's crimson Poké Balls. "Maybe I should send out Charmeleon instead? If I did that, then I may screw myself in the end."

"Hurry up and make a choice already," said Louis before downing the glass of red wine. "I want to see a battle!"

Tatsu sighed and placed Charmeleon's Poké Ball back into his bag. He tossed Growlithe's and said, "Go, Growlithe!" The Poké Ball opened in mid air and Growlithe materialized. Growlithe howled as he turned and ran back to Tatsu, nuzzling his shin.

Jean scoffed as he tossed his Great Ball into the air and snapped open. A behemoth of a Pokémon materialized and crashed onto the ground, causing the earth around them to quake. An extremely large Snorlax made little effort to sit up as it scratched his belly, yawning.

Tatsu stared at the Snorlax with a worried look as Growlithe stood his ground, growling at the Snorlax as he leaned back. "A Snorlax," said Tatsu as he clenched his fist. "This isn't good. Snorlax are some of the most rare and powerful Pokémon in Kanto. How are we supposed to defeat that?" he asked himself as Growlithe looked back and barked, ready for battle. He looked down and nodded, smiling nervously.

"Begin the fight!" said Louis.

"Growlithe, use Bite!" ordered Tatsu.

Growlithe barked and charged forward. With his jaw wide open, he bit the Snorlax hard on the hand and sunk his fangs into the soft, squishy hand. The Snorlax merely swatted Growlithe away without a care. Growlithe rolled a good distance before getting back to his feet. Growlithe shook his head and growled, waiting for Jean to declare an attack. However, he never gave one. He stood firmly to the spot, his arms crossed as Snorlax scratched his side.

Tatsu looked nervously at Jean, who seemed not to care about the battle at all. "All right Growlithe, time for an X Item," he said as he aimed his Wonder Launcher at Growlithe and shot a X Attack at Growlithe. The X Item made contact and immidiately, a redish aura glowed around Growlithe. Growlithe howled as he felt pumped up.

Jean's nostrils flared, but still did not give Snorlax an order. Instead, he reached into his pocket and withdrew another bag of jerky to eat.

"This guy sure does live up to the sin of Gluttony," said Riviére quietly.

"He hasn't even declared an attack yet," Hanako reminded Riviére. "So far, the offense has been only Tatsu and that didn't do anything. This guy doesn't fear Tatsu at all."

Sweat dropped down Tatsu's cheek as he tried to come up with a strategy to combat the problem. "All right," he said as he inserted another X Item. "We're going to have to keep hitting Snorlax; indirect attacks won't do much. Growlithe, use Fire Fang!"

Growlithe howled and charged the Snorlax. His fangs growing hot, fire flickered out of Growlithe's mouth as it bit Snorlax's side. The attack annoyed Snorlax and swatted Growlithe away like a flea. Growlithe growled as he got back to his feet. Snorlax rubbed his side where Growlithe bit him, a small burn formed. Agitated, the Snorlax began to sat up in a grumpy rage.

"Ha! Now you've done it," said Jean. "My Snorlax only likes to eat and sleep when he's in a good mood, but when you piss him off, then he's ready to fight."

"No wonder why he never gave him an order," whispered Tatsu to himself as Snorlax got to his feet. He lifted his arm and shot a second X Item, a X Speed, at Growlithe. Growlithe glowed bright blue, his agility increased. "Growlithe, use Howl!"

"Snorlax, use Body Slam." ordered Jean for the first time.

Growlithe howled proudly, his vigor and courage raising his physical abilities even further. The Snorlax waddled forward and lunged his enormous girth forward. Growlithe's increased agility allowed him to dodge the Body Slam. The ground beneath their feet shook from the force of Snorlax slamming onto the ground with his full weight.

Riviére stumbled and fell onto the large boulder beside her. "How is Tatsu and Growlithe supposed to win this?" she asked as Hanako regained her composure.

"What I don't understand is why isn't he using Growlithe's special technique," she said quietly so only Riviére could hear.

"What technique?" asked Riviére.

"The day after we pushed out Team Rocket from Mt. Moon, Tatsu was training Growlithe and discovered a powerful technique that few Growlithe and Arcanine bred with," explained Hanako as she watched the Snorlax attempt to get back to his feet. "He must think that Snorlax isn't weakened enough."

As Tatsu reloaded another X Item, Tatsu ordered, "Growlithe, we have to keep him grounded. Use Flame Wheel!"

Growlithe rushed towards the Snorlax, flames surrounded Growlithe. He jumped and, in a spinning ball of fire, slammed into the back of Snorlax. The sudden force forced Snorlax forward and he fell face first into the ground.

Jean adjusted his sunglasses and studied Tatsu. "That's impressive," he said as he heartily as he looked over at Tatsu. "Not once during the war did my Pokémon ever get knocked off his feet."

Tatsu turned his attention to Jean. "You were in the war?"

Jean nodded. "Oh yes," he said as he breathed on his glasses and took out a cloth to clean them, his beady eyes focused on his glasses. "You see, I was called the Voracious for several reasons. The most obvious I suppose would be my eternal hunger. I'm always hungry, you see. I ate my family out of house and home," he placed his sunglasses back on his face. "Being a big guy as myself, it's hard not to imagine why. In all my life, there's only been one kind of Pokémon that could understand me, and that'd be Snorlax. When I was a young lad, I found a large group of them living here in the Tojoh Mountains. I've been around them nearly my entire adult life. When I was drafted, several of the Snorlax decided to join me in battle. Five Snorlax, and one Munchlax. The Snorlax you fight now is the Munchlax back then, see? Anyway, during the war, my Snorlax were never knocked off their feet. Their combined girth provided the best defense around. Nothing could get through. Of course, there's a heavy toll for raising so many Snorlax in one place; you got to feed them large amounts of food. No one ever saw a skinny Snorlax."

"No, I've never saw one," admitted Tatsu.

"Exactly," he said after a pause. "Let's resume. Grab the Growlithe and use Headbutt."

With Growlithe's attention on Jean, he did not notice the Snorlax getting up and waddling over to him. Snorlax grabbed the Growlithe with both hands and lifted him up. Snorlax leaned his head back and smashed his head into Growlithe's face.

"Hey, you cheated!" yelled Riviére across the field.

"Not my fault he didn't pay attention," retorted Jean.

Tatsu smirked. "You're forgetting that Growlithe isn't solely a physical Pokémon. Growlithe, use Ember!"

Growlithe lifted his head and shot an Ember blast directly into Snorlax's face. The fire ball burst, Snorlax dropped Growlithe as it held his face and cried out in pain. Growlithe stumbled away, his forehead bruised from Snorlax's Headbutt.

"All right, use Morning Sun then Take Down!" ordered Tatsu.

Growlithe calmed his nerves and basked in the afternoon sun, absorbing the rays of sunlight and converting to energy to recover his strength. Once his vigor was restored, the Growlithe charged the Snorlax and slammed into the center of Snorlax's gullet. The attack was ineffective as Snorlax's extreme girth merely repelled the attack.

"Snorlax, use Rest," ordered Jean.

Snorlax fell over backward and fell to sleep. Any wounds and burns that Snorlax had quickly healed as he slumbered. The ground quaked as Snorlax hit the ground.

Tatsu grinned slyly. "Finally, an opening for Growlithe to use his strongest move."

Jean raised a brow. "You're bluffing. If you had a powerful technique, you would have used it already."

Tatsu shook his head. "No, the technique Growlithe knows lowers his defenses after every use. It'd be too risky to use against a Snorlax," raising his arm, Tatsu pointed at Snorlax. "Growlithe, this is our chance. Use Close Combat!"

"What!" exclaimed a shocked Jean.

Growlithe reared himself in attaching position and gathered all of his fighting strength. A strong aura appeared around him as Growlithe growled aggressively at the slumbering Snorlax. In a sudden burst of speed, the Growlithe charged with all his might. Growlithe slammed into the ribs of Snorlax. The sheer force of the attack rolled the Snorlax twice. The slumbering Snorlax winced, but remained asleep.

"Again!" yelled Tatsu. "Keep using the attack until Snorlax can't fight back!"

Growlithe panted slightly from exhaustion, but once again Growlithe summoned the strength and charged head on. Twice the Growlithe hit the sleeping Snorlax with tremendous force. After the second attack, the Snorlax began to wake. Covered in dark bruises, the Snorlax tried to get to his feet as Growlithe panted in exhaustion. Growlithe howled and charged for the final time. As Growlithe neared Snorlax, Growlithe jumped up and slammed into Snorlax's face. Knocked unconscious from the head on attack, Snorlax fell back and laid sprawled out on the ground. Growlithe land on his feet several feet away, greatly exhausted.

Jean removed his glasses and stared at his defeated Snorlax in utter shock. The rest of the Sins also looked on, flabbergasted by the defeat. Louis leaned forward, his mouth ajar. "I've never seen a Growlithe that knew such a powerful move. I must have it," said Louis greedily as he leaned back.

Jean returned his Snorlax to the Great Ball as Tatsu returned Growlithe to his Poké Ball. Jean walked over to Tatsu and stopped. He towered over Tatsu by nearly three feet. Tatsu had to crane his head as far back as he could to look up at Jean, who smiled and held out his hand. "Good battle, kid."

Tatsu smiled and shook Jean's hand, which grabbed his entire forearm. "Thanks, you too."

"You'll make it far, kid," said Jean as he let go of Tatsu's arm and walked towards his comrades.

"I hope you weren't going easy on him," said Louis sternly as Jean walked by. "I was hoping you'd stop them in their tracks. Obviously I was wrong."


Jean stopped and looked down at Louis before putting on his sunglasses and joined Robin in the loser's corner. "So was I."

 

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Ch. XI​

Desiré the Lascivious​

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​

Tatsu sighed in relief as Hanako hugged him tightly, her backbreaking hug cracked his spine. "That was an amazing battle," said Hanako happily. "I can't believe you won!"

"You and Growlithe were great," added Riviére. "We weren't sure if Growlithe could overcome Snorlax."

"I wasn't sure either," he admitted as he looked down at Growlithe's Poké Ball. "Growlithe did all the work and deserves all the credit."

Louis rubbed his chin as he leaned back into his chair. "Well, this is quite the situation. I didn't anticipate Jean losing," he said as he looked back toward Jean and Robin. "Now, who should battle next? Hm."

"Louis, I'm bored," said Desiré as she stretched her arms and yawned widely.

"Oh? The Lascivicious wishes for entertainment? Well if you're bored, then why don't you battle next?" suggested Louis.

Desiré shrugged her shoulders. "Ainsi soit-il." she said as she stood up and limbered up, her chest bouncing.

Riviére gritted her teeth and reached into her purse. "This chienne is mine," said Riviére.

"Oh? This la petite fille thinks she can battle moi?" said Desiré sarcastically as she reached into her cleavage and withdrew a Love Ball. "Tu n'avez aucune chance de gagner."

"Je vais gagner," said Riviére as she pulled out her blue Poké Ball. "I'll use my Wartortle to defeat you."

Tatsu leaned over to Hanako. "She must be serious if she's using Wartortle."

"I think she's saving Gyarados for Alexander," she said as she glanced at him. Alexander seemed rather focused on Riviére as the girls prepared for battle.

Desiré placed her hand on her hip and the other loosely at her side, her Love Ball in hand. "You've grown, la petite fille. You're almost a femme. I remember when I first met you at Parfum Palace, and your les fiançailles to Louis. Tu étiez encore une petite fille. I was angry that such une petite fille was betrothed to my amour. I admit, I was happy to hear when you ran away after your parents died and broke your betrothal to Louis. Your absence allowed me suivre mon coeur."

Riviére seethed as she gripped Wartortle's Poké Ball with force. "You've always wanted everything I had. I'd give up everything just to have my parents back, but you don't care. You think just because you got what you wanted that you won? Never. My parents are proud of me for my accomplishments, and I will become the world's greatest Water-type Trainer."

With maniacal mirth, Desiré doubled over. "Tu? Water-type Master?" she said after catching her breath. "Don't make me laugh! Your parents are dead, Riviére. They don't know anything that you do. They will never see you master Water-types."

"I'll prove you wrong!" shouted Riviére agressively as she tossed her Poké Ball. "Go, Wartortle!" The Poké Ball popped open and the Turtle Pokémon materialized beside his trainer.

"Oh, a Carabaffe?" said an impressed Desiré. "That's a rare Pokémon. I wonder where you could have gotten it? Oh well," she said before she kissed the Love Ball. "Go, Lopunny!" she called as she tossed her Love Ball, and the Lopunny materialized out of the Love Ball. This Lopunny was different, as it's fur was light brown primarily with pink balls of fur along her ears, wrists, and feet. The Lopunny glittered as it posed innocently, awaiting orders.

"That's a Shiny Lopunny!" pointed out Hanako.

"That's a very desirable Pokémon among a certain group of fans," said Tatsu, then added under his breath, "mostly perverts."

Riviére was not surprised by the fact that Desiré had a Shiny Lopunny. In fact, Riviére laughed. "So, you evolved your Buneary? I'm surprised you managed to get it to evolve, you were a formateur horrible~" she taunted.

Desiré scoffed. "Moi? Horrible? I'll show you! Lopunny, use Quick Attack!"

"Counter with Withdraw!" ordered Riviére.

Wartortle withdrew into his shell as the Lopunny hastily jumped forward and rammed into Wartortle. Wartortle was flung forward, his shell rolling on the ground before coming to a halt on his back. The Lopunny didn't wait as it attacked again, kicking Wartortle into the air several feet, then kicking Wartortle again several feet away. Wartortle landed and rolled an additional several feet before stopping on his belly. Wartortle moved out of his shell and stood up, shaking the dirt off his shell.

"Your Pokémon withstood Lopunny's attack?" said Desiré astonishingly.

"You shouldn't be so surprised," said Riviére with a smirk. "Lopunny aren't well known for their bulk, while my Wartortle is quite defensive. You will have a hard time breaking through my Wartortle's defenses. To make sure you don't, Wartortle; use Aqua Ring!"

"Lopunny, use Jump Kick!" Desiré growled.

Wartortle crossed his stubby arms and his body began to glow a multitudes of colors. Lopunny rushed forward and kicked Wartortle square in the face. Wartortle fell backward and tumbled. He stood up slowly, a bruise forming on his forehead and his lip cut. Suddenly, his body glowed like before, and his injuries quickly healed; the cut on his lip and his bruise vanished as though they were never there.

Desiré's eyes widened as panic quickly began to set in. "No, this can't be!" she said angrily. "Lopunny, keep using Jump Kick!"

Again and again, Lopunny kicked at the Wartortle. Each strike caused little damage, and whatever damage inflicted was healed by the Aqua Ring. Eventually the Lopunny backed off a bit, her breathing labored from the furious barrage of kicks. Wartortle health returned to normal as the Aqua Ring once again rejuvenated him.

Frustrated, Desiré gave Lopunny a different order. "Lopunny, use Bounce!"

The Lopunny knelled before jumping up as high as she could. At the height of the bounce, she flipped and came crashing down toward Wartortle. As Lopunny came crashing down, Riviére smirked.

"This is our chance! Wartortle, use Aura Sphere!"

Wartortle leaned his head back and opened his mouth. He gathered all of his inner vigor and a small ball of energy formed, growing larger by the second. The Lopunny saw the attack coming and tried to move out of the way, but couldn't due to the free fall. Wartortle fired the volley of energy at the Lopunny and exploded on contact. Knocked away by the attack, Lopunny fell to the ground several feet away.

"When did Wartortle learn Aura Sphere?" asked Tatsu.

"I've never heard of a Wartortle being able to learn such a powerful move," said an equally surprised Hanako. "I guess our Pokémon aren't the only ones that know special moves."

As Lopunny tried to get up after the fall, Desiré smirked devilishly. "Lopunny, use Mirror Coat!"

The color quickly drained from Riviére's face. "Quick, use Protect!"

Lopunny stood up and immediately began to gather energy used against her and fired a large ball of energy, twice the size of that Wartortle used against her. Wartortle quickly held out his arms and a energy barrier appeared around him as the Mirror Coat attack hit the protective shield and caused a large explosion. The explosion was twice as large as the one that exploded in mid-air against the Lopunny. The force of the blast caused the ground to shake; Desiré was knocked to her back and Riviére stumbled forward. The debris hung in the air as rumble fell to the ground, a dust cloud formed from the explosion and obscuring the view where Wartortle stood.

"Wartortle?" called out Riviére. Her eyes widened in panic. "Wartortle!" she called out, her voice echoing though the valley. She felt her chest tighten as panic quickly ensued. The same feeling of panic and fear when her then Magikarp was shot and dying in her arms returned. The memories of her dying, bloody Magikarp flooded her mind. She fell to her knees as their strength failed. "No...Not again..." she said as she placed her hands on the sides of her head. "I failed my Pokémon, I failed as a trainer!" she yelled. "My Wartortle, my Wartortle!"

"Call me impressed," said Louis after he took a sip from his newly poured wine glass as Alexander looked on mutely. "I wasn't sure if you could beat her, Desiré."

"J'ai eu la foi complète," said Desiré, beaming with confidence after getting back to her feet.

"Looks like Desiré is the victor," said Louis as he raised his arm. "I declare Desiré the-"

Suddenly, a bluish ball of energy shot out from the dust cloud and hit Lopunny square in the chest with no warning. Lopunny was knocked out cold from the sudden strike. The cloud of smoke dissipated and Wartortle stood. Though badly damaged, he remained conscious. Aqua Ring slowly healed the multiple scrapes and damaged limbs.

The distraught Riviére looked up quickly and teared up. "Wartortle!" she called out as she got to her feet as quickly as she could and ran to her injured Pokémon, fresh tears streaming down her face.

"I stand corrected," said an astonished Louis. "Riviére is our victor!" he said as Riviére ran to her Wartortle. He passed out in her arms as she hugged him tightly, crying hysterically.

Desiré stood in utter shock, her eyes wide and mouth agape. "No...This has to be a mistake," she stammered to herself as Riviére scooped up her heavy Wartortle and carried him. Riviére and Desiré exchanged looks of loathing before Desiré returned her Lopunny to her Love Ball.

"Pathétique," she said under her breath and turned.

As she approached Louis, he snapped his fingers and Alexander picked up the chair and walked away with it. Alexander did his best to conceal his happiness for Riviére's victory.

"What's going on?" asked Desiré.

"You lost," said Louis simply, not even looking at her and instead focused his attention on Riviére as she walked away. "There's no seat here for losers. You can sit with Robin and Jean."

"What!" shouted Desiré with great outrage. "You can't be serious!"

"I am," said Louis coldly, without looking at her. "You are all tasked with defeating them to prevent them from advancing on my bridge. Now, they are at the halfway point. It was your job to ensure they would not advance," he said acidly.

"If you are so concerned about your little bridge, why don't you face them now?" she retorted angrily.

Louis chuckled. "That's simple. There wouldn't be any fun in it," he said matter-of-factly. "If I were to challenge them right now, my Pokémon would one shot every single one of theirs. Don't forget, my Pokémon are twice as strong as their Pokémon and they would pose no threat to me. What upsets me is the fact that you lost. My orders were for you to defeat her."

"I wouldn't have lost if her Wartortle didn't surprise attack me!" said Desiré defensively.

Louis shook his head. "No, there was nothing you could do."

"How could you possibly know that?" yelled Desiré.

"I guess I'll have to explain it to you," he started with a sigh, "Wartortle has been able to take every blow your Lopunny gave it, and took it with little damage. Add the fact that Aqua Ring kept it healthy, your Lopunny would never do enough damage needed to knock out Wartortle. You got lucky that your Lopunny managed to stay conscious after that Aura Sphere. It's an extremely rare move for a Wartortle to have. It means that somewhere down the line, it's descendant was bred with a Clawitzer. It could have access to a move called Dragon Pulse as well, an even stronger move. Whoever bred this Squirtle is a very capable breeder."

Crestfallen, Desiré walked over toward Jean and Robin and sat in her chair beside the tree, which provided ample shade. "Thanks, Alexander," she said somberly before sitting down.

"Of course, ma'am," said Alexander with a bow. "I shall be over in a moment with refreshments."

Riviére wiped her tears and picked up her Wartortle. This was no easy feat, as he weighed close to sixty pounds. She carried the Turtle Pokémon over to Tatsu and Hanako. She leaned over to set the injured Wartortle on the ground, near the boulder. Every few seconds, his wounds would heal a bit from the Aqua Ring. She sighed softly as Tatsu placed his hand on her shoulder. At the touch, she recoiled suddenly. "Don't touch me!" she snarled.

Tatsu withdrew his hand quickly. "I-I'm sorry."

Riviére sighed. "No, it's fine."

"Mind filling us in on what's going on between those guys over there?" he asked.

She looked at Tatsu before looking at the ground, her mind drifting in the past.

A young Riviére peered over the edge of the small pond in Parfum Palace and threw bread crumbs into the water. The surface of the water projected her reflection like a mirror; she had long blonde hair tied into pigtails that brushed her shoulders. She cried loudly in delight as a Goldeen breached the surface and ate a bread lump.

"Alexander, did you see that!" she said excitedly as the Goldeen swam away.

"Yes I did, my Lady," said a younger Alexander with a smile.

"This place is so pretty," she said as she looked away from the pond and out toward the maze. "Is it true that I'm going to marry a prince like in the stories?" she asked in wonder.

"If all goes well, your brothel to Lysandre will be accepted. If not, then you may be brothel to Louis, the next suitable match," said Alexander.

Riviére looked up at Alexander with a confused look. "Why wouldn't they say yes?"

"It's all down to politics," said Alexander as she reached up and took his hand. Together, they walked through the maze. "There are several important families that are vying for the favor from our King. The Bleu family has a lot of influence in the shipping industry, as well as the trading networks between Kalos and Tojoh. The chances that your parents will find you a suitable match is a guarantee; what's up to fate is whether you can marry Prince Lysandre."

"I hope I can marry the Prince, because then I'd be Princess!" she giggled.

Alexander chuckled. "No, not a Princess. You'd be a Queen."

"Is that better?" she asked.

He nodded. "Much better."

"Kay!"

After walking around the hedge maze, Alexander and Riviére walked back to the back doors to the Palace. As they approached the doors, a young girl with flowing blonde hair ran out, her cries audible as she ran away.

"Who's that?" asked the seven-year-old Riviére.

"I believe that was Desiré, one of the candidates for Lysandre." replied Alexander.

"Why is she crying?"

"I assume it's because she didn't get chosen for Lysandre, or she didn't get her desired match."

The doors opened, and two people walked out. The first was a short, broad man with a large girth. He had curly blonde hair and bright blue eyes. Next to him was a tall, thin woman with a large chest with flowing blonde hair and deep blue eyes.

"Mama! Papa!" cried Riviére as she ran over to her parents and hugged them around the waist.

"Ah, there's my petite fille," said the father. "She was no problem?" he asked Alexander.

Alexander bowed his head. "Of course. Lady Riviére is always well behaved."

"Papa, do I get to be a princess?" asked Riviére hopefully.

Her father frowned. "I'm sorry, but we could not secure the brothel between you and Lysandre."

"We found you the next best match," said the mother. "His name is Louis; he's a little older, but I'm sure you'll find to love him."

"But..." Riviére started to protest, but refrained herself. She looked away from her parents and found the girl that was crying sitting with a tall, thin boy with blonde hair that consoled her as she cried.

Riviére shook her head, the memory leaving her. She cleared her throat. "Before the accident in Hoenn, my parents told me that I was betrothed to Louis. Neither Desiré or I were happy about it. She wanted him, and I didn't. It didn't bother me knowing that; I was only seven and he was twice my age. Alexander over there used to be my family butler," she said as she pointed to Alexander, who gave the defeated Desiré a glass of wine.

"The rest I know are from Kalos. Robin used to be a thief in Camphrier Town before Louis' parents hired him on as a part of their staff to stop him from stealing. Jean was hired as Louis' bodyguard shortly before my family and I went to Hoenn. The other two are Jacques and Marquis. They were friends of Robin that also grew up on the streets," she said as she motioned to the two that have yet to battle. The shorter one still slept on the side of the bridge while the other simply leaned against the bridge wall, arms crossed.

Tatsu turned his head and looked over to the remaining two. "Should we be worried?" he asked as Riviére stood up.

"It'll be a miracle if we win this," she said hauntingly. "Louis and Alexander's Pokémon are at least twice as strong as ours."

"Are you serious?" asked Hanako in a hushed voice.

"Twice as strong? You're joking."

Riviére shook her head as she watched Alexander stand at his station beside Louis. "I'm dead serious."

Louis laughed as he overheard their conversation. "Of course you don't stand a chance!" he said smugly. "You've barely reached the halfway point in our little game. Even if you get past my trainers, you still have to contend with me. You'll have to be out of your mind if you think you can defeat us! Admit defeat now, I will let you turn around and leave."

Riviére looked up and glared at Louis with the utmost loathing. "No, I will not admit defeat!" she screamed as she reached into her purse for Gyarados' Poké Ball with malice.

Tatsu sensed what she was trying to do, and grabbed her wrist. "Riviére, what are you trying to do?!" yelled Tatsu as she fought him.

"What does it look like?" she replied aggressively. "I'm going to kill him!"

"Riviére, stop!" said Hanako urgently as she tried to help Tatsu wrestle the Poké Ball away from her.

"No! Stop, I have to kill him!" she said in an utter rage as Tatsu pushed her onto the ground and he and Hanako restrained her.

"Well, looks like my former betrothed developed a nasty temper," said Louis with amusement as Alexander looked on with a saddened looked upon his features.

"Oh, Riviére..." he said softly.

 

​

​

Ch. XII​

Jacques the Jealous​

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​

Louis leaned into the backrest of his chair and yawned as Tatsu and Hanako wrestled Riviére to the ground, his interest waning. "So we've officially entered the halfway mark in our little gladiator tournament," he said to himself. "I'm tempted to battle now, but then my entertainment would cease immediately after I'd crush them."

"Louis," said the unknown gender member of the lot. The voice was husky with a slight feminine tone. The clothing comprised of very tight shorts and a low cut shirt that showed a marginal amount of midriff. "I'm getting tired of standing around and watching my comrades get defeated. It's my turn to battle."

Louis turned his head to the speaker with long black, green tipped hair. With a shrug of his shoulders, Louis responded, "Why not. Give me an entertaining battle, Jacques."

"Of course," Jacques bowed their head and walked over to the spot Desiré had formally taken.

"Looks like you're up," said Tatsu as Riviére fought less, giving up on her attempt to attack Louis.

Hanako nodded. She stood up and walked over to their battle spot. As Hanako reached into her purse for Ivysaur's Poké Ball, she heard Jacques make an audible sigh.

"Oh great, I get the sneaky Grass-type user," said Jacques, hand on their hip. "I was hoping for the cute Fire-type user, but noooo."

"Oh, so you're a girl?" asked Hanako innocently. "I thought you were a boy, with your name and all."

"Well," said Jacques. "physically speaking, I am male, but I'm a woman trapped in a man's body. I'm what you call transgender."

"You're...?" began Hanako.

"That's right," she said sadly, wrapping her arms around her chest defensively. "All my life, I was ridiculed for my identity. I was persecuted for being abnormal. No one bothered to get to know me. They just accused me for being 'subhuman'. Well, no more!" yelled Jacques, her tone changed from sad to hostile. "They may call me the Jealous because they think I want to be like everyone else. They're wrong! I'm better than those sheep that persecute people who are different than them! They are the jealous ones! Go, Scrafty!" said Jacques suddenly as she threw her Poké Ball and a Scrafty appeared after it popped open.

The appearance of the fully evolved Pokémon shocked Hanako. She went blue in the face from the sight of the powerful Scrafty. "A fully evolved Pokémon? How am Ivysaur supposed to defeat that?" she said to herself.

"Hey," called out Louis, "why are you using your strongest Pokémon? If you defeat her, then we have to end the challenge!"

Jacques laughed loudly. "Do you think I care about your stupid challenge?" she called out. "The others lost because you had them use their weakest Pokémon. If you wanted them to lose, you should have battled instead of wasting our time. I'm sick of waiting around; I'm going to end this now," said Jacques before turning to Hanako. "Now, pick your Pokémon and prepare to lose!"

Louis growled in irritation as he leaned back into his chair. "Selfish brat. She's trying to ruin my fun," he pouted.

Hanako withdrew her green Poké Ball from her purse and stared out, worried of the outcome. "This is bleak, but I have a strategy to win," she said as she tossed her Poké Ball. Her Ivysaur materialized on the ground before her after the Poké Ball broke open. The Scrafty and Ivysaur stared down each other, ready for combat.

"Begin!" exclaimed Louis.

"Scrafty, use Crunch!" she ordered.

"Ivysaur, use Sleep Powder, then Leech Seed!" countered Hanako.

As the Scrafty charged forward, lifting his loose skin-like pants with his jaws wide open, Ivysaur leaned forward and shot a jet of green spores directly into the face. The spores went down his throat. Scrafty stopped and coughed into his fist before the affects of the powder started. The Hoodlum Pokémon swayed back and forth before passing out, falling backward and entered a deep sleep. With the Scrafty fast asleep, the Seed Pokémon shot three seeds at the slumbering Scrafty. The seeds cracked open and thick vines wrapped around Scrafty's body, sapping energy from Scrafty.

"What is this?" spat Jacques. "Can't fight fair, so you have to resort to cheap tricks?"

"All is fair in love and war," replied Hanako. "You're using a Pokémon much higher leveled than mine. You can't blame me for playing dirty, can you?" she asked in a defensive tone.

"You'll regret that!" shouted Jacques. "Wake up, Scrafty!"

Scrafty however resumed it's slumber uninterrupted.

"Good," said Hanako to herself as she aimed her Wonder Launcher at Ivysaur. "All right, we got some time before Scrafty wakes up. I want you to use Poison Powder, then Growth." she ordered as she shot an X Defense at Ivysaur.

The X Defense made contact with Ivysaur and his aura turned blue. Ivysaur's body became very sturdy from the effects of the X Item. He leaned forward and sprayed a cloud of purple dust toward Scrafty. As he slept, he breathed in the spores. He rolled over and coughed, the poisonous spores spreading throughout his body. As the poison spread, Ivysaur took a defensive position and concentrated. Moments later, Ivysaur's body began to grow in size. His muscles bulged as his body bulked up from the excess power.

"Damn it Scrafty, move!" shouted Jacques. "We can't let her Ivysaur get too strong!"

Jacques' yelling was enough to awaken the slumbering Pokémon. As the Scrafty stood up, the Leech Seed and the Poison Powder sucked a decent amount of strength from Scrafty. Scrafty tried to pull off the seeds, but the vine's grip were too strong to remove and the poison continued to sap him of his energy.

"All right Ivysaur, use Razor Leaf!" she ordered.

Ivysaur shook his body as he lifted the two larger leaves from his side. A dozen razor sharp bladed leaves shot out towards Scrafty. Seeing them coming, Scrafty ceased trying to get the Leech Seeds off him and braced for the attack. The bladed leaves made their contact, slicing at Scrafty's arms, legs, and torso. Blood dripped down from the numerous cuts that the bladed leaves had inflicted. Scrafty took the attack with ease, withstanding the attack.

"Ha!" Jacques laughed. "You're going to have to do better than that if you think you can defeat Scrafty. Now, Scrafty. Use Brick Break!"

Before Hanako could give an order, the Scrafty lunged forward and chopped Ivysaur across the face. The force of the attack smacked Ivysaur into the air and landed several feet away. Hanako shouted in worry as Ivysaur tried to stand up, blood oozing from his busted lip. As Scrafty regained his composure, the poison and Leech Seed once again sapped Scrafty of his energy. He fell down to one knee.

"Ivysaur, use Take Down!"

Ivysaur charged at the hoodlum. As Scrafty looked up, Ivysaur had jumped and struck him square in the chest. With the wind knocked out of him, Scrafty doubled over and fell over backward as Ivysaur landed beside him. Ivysaur stood back up and shook his head, his forehead bruised from the Take Down attack.

"You've got to admit," said Alexander as he leaned forward slightly, "she's not doing that bad, considering that Jacques' Scrafty is her strongest Pokémon."

Louis merely shrugged his shoulders. "She can be impressive all she wants, it won't seal this victory." he replied.

As Scrafty began to stand up, Jacques shouted, "Scrafty, use Sand Attack and Headbutt!"

The Hoodlum Pokémon grabbed a handful of dirt and tossed it straight into Ivysaur's eyes. Ivysaur cried out in pain as he shook his head, his eyes firmly closed. Unable to see the attack coming, Scrafty walked over with a sinister grin and leaned his head back. With a deadly barrage of headbutts, Scrafty bashed his head repeatedly against Ivysaur's.

"No, Ivysaur!" cried out Hanako as the blinded Ivysaur had no chance to defend himself from the headbutts.

"That's a dirty trick!" raged Riviére.

"There's nothing we can do about it," replied a worried Tatsu. "All we can do is hope that Ivysaur can withstand the attacks."

Again and again the Scrafty headbutted Ivysaur. The impact spots on Ivysaur's head split open; blood oozed from the broken skin and smeared across the face of Scrafty. With one last headbutt, Scrafty swung his head sideways and smacked Ivysaur across the front leg. The Seed Pokémon rolled away and fell at his side. The blood oozed down the side of his face and pooled around his head.

"Now that's how you finish a match!" said Jacques as the Scrafty fell down to one knee, his strength continuing to fade from the effects of the poison and Leech Seed.

"Ivysaur!" cried out Hanako as she ran towards her fallen comrade. As she approached, Ivysaur slowly began to stand up and growled at her. "What? No- I can't let you battle in your condition!" she said as she cleaned Ivysaur's face of the blood and sand. Ivysaur moved away from her and stepped forward, growling at the Scrafty.

"What's this? Your Ivysaur still wants to battle?" Jacques said, surprised. Jacques crossed her arms and shrugged her shoulders with a small grin. "I'm impressed; a normal Ivysaur would have fallen by now."

"My Ivysaur is different from the others," replied Hanako as she ran back to her spot. "I believe in you, Ivysaur. Now, use Giga Drain!" ordered Hanako.

"Scrafty, move out of the way!" countered Jacques.

As Scrafty moved, the poison and Leech Seed took their effect on Scrafty, immobilizing him as Ivysaur's vines reached out and wrapped themselves around Scrafty's neck. He then immediately began to sap the strength from Scrafty. The energy taken from Scrafty began to heal Ivysaur's head wounds.

"Scrafty, use Feint Attack!"

"Ivysaur, counter with Sleep Powder!"

Scrafty ran forward, despite the vines being wrapped around his throat, and punched Ivysaur square in the face. The vines slacked slightly as the Giga Drain's effect cease. Scrafty then stepped back and grabbed the relaxed vines and pulled them away from his neck. Ivysaur leaned forward and ejected the green spores right into Scrafty's face. Unable to avoid the spores, Scrafty once again became sleepy. He fell forward and began to doze off as the poison and Leech Seed continued their effects.

"I can't believe Scrafty is still going," said a worried Riviére. "Do you think Ivysaur can beat Scrafty?" she asked Tatsu.

Tatsu rubbed his chin in thought. "There's a good chance that Ivysaur could win. Scrafty's been poisoned and affected by Leech Seed for a while now, and that saps the strength quickly. If Ivysaur can hold out for a little longer, then he might win.

Hanako took a deep breath in relief. "All right, that gives us some time," she said as Jacques yelled at her Scrafty to wake up. "Ivysaur, use Giga Drain!"

Ivysaur once again wrapped his vines around Scrafty's body and began sapping energy as Hanako inserted another X Item into her Wonder Launcher. Without warning, Scrafty opened his eyes and quickly jumped up and High Jump Kicked Ivysaur right in the face. Ivysaur was unable to block the surprise attack and was sent flying into a nearby boulder, the vines unwrapped around Scrafty's body with the strike.

Jacques sighed in relief. "Scrafty, don't do that," she said as Scrafty breathed heavily, wiping the spit from his mouth.

"Ivysaur!" shouted Hanako as Ivysaur slowly got back to his feet, the vines retracting into the flower on his back. Another dark bruise formed on Ivysaur's chin and blood oozed from his nostrils.

"Oh, come on! That hit should have finished off your Ivysaur!" said Jacques in surprise and anger as Scrafty fell to one knee. Jacques clenched his fist. "All right, time to end this! Scrafty, use High Jump Kick!"

Scrafty took a deep breath and with all his might, he jump as high as he could go into the air. With a roll at the top of his jump, Scrafty came crashing down with blinding speed.

"Ivysaur, use Power Whip!" ordered Hanako.

Ivysaur nodded and unleashed his vines. The vines shot up and grabbed the attacking Scrafty around the ankle. "Ivysaur!" shouted the Ivysaur as he used all of his remaining strength to swing Scrafty into the side of a nearby cliff. Unable to prevent hitting the cliff, Scrafty slammed into it back first. The force of the blow knocked the air out of him as he slid down the cliff and fell to the ground.

"No, Scrafty!" yelled Jacques as she ran towards the fallen Scrafty. Before she could reach him, the Scrafty was already trying to get back to his feet.

"No way," she muttered to herself wide eyed. "How could Scrafty still be standing after that?"

At that moment, the Leech Seed and poison effects finally took their toll on Scrafty. Scrafty fainted and before it could fall, Jacques caught the Scrafty and held him. Jacques sighed heavily and returned Scrafty to his Poké Ball. "You did well," she said as she pocketed the Ball and placed her hands in her pocket. She turned to walk back to the group, but was stopped by Hanako.

The two of them stared at each other before Jacques said, "Tch. What do you want, kid?"

Without saying a word, Hanako hugged her. Surprised, Jacques did not hug back.

"What are you-?"

"You may not know what it like to feel human, but you are more human than I am," Hanako whispered into her ear.

 

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​

Ch. XIII​

Marquis the Indolent​

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​

"Wh-what did she mean by that?" Jacques asked herself as Hanako broke the embrace with Jacques and turned. Jacques stared at Hanako as she walked over to her Ivysaur and attended his injuries. She clenched her fist and walked back toward Louis. As she approached, Louis cleared his throat.

"I'm disappointed in you," he said as he watched Hanako use a Super Potion on her Ivysaur. "Truth may be told, I had fully expected your Scrafty to destroy her Ivysaur."

Jacques glared at Louis before he smirked slyly. "You know, you make it sound like you don't want them to advance, but I know better."

Louis raised a brow. "What do you mean by that?"

"If you were really scared of them succeeding, you would have started with the Indolent over there," she said and nudged her head toward the sleeping Marquis. "He may have only one Pokémon, but he's the only one on par with you and Alexander. Perhaps you are worried after all?" asked Jacques.

With a frown, Louis dismissed Jacques with a wave of his hand. "Marquis!" yelled Louis.

The small man named Marquis jerked his head and looked up, his eyes unfocused. "Yes, m'lord?" he said in a surprisingly deep voice.

"I require your assistance," said Louis aggressively. "You are to battle against one of their own. I order you to win."

The red-haired dwarf scratched the side of his beard. "Mmm...Do I have to?"

Louis glared at him. "Stop being lazy and destroy them!"

"Fine, fine," said the dwarf with a stifled yawn. He stood up and cracked his back and stretched.

"Looks like I'm up next," said Tatsu as he stretched his limbs.

"Be careful," warned Riviére as Hanako approached.

"I will," he said with a thumbs up before setting off.

Tatsu and the dwarf, Marquis, stood opposite of each other. Tatsu, determined and serious, stared off against an uninterested and droopy eyed Marquis. With a yawn, Marquis reached into his pocket and withdrew and Ultra Ball. The sight of the Ultra Ball made Tatsu very nervous.

"Well, I suppose we better get started then," said Marquis uninterested. "It's rather unfortunate that we commence battle. Whether it is by skillful design or terrible luck, you must contend with me. I'm afraid that your path to victory ends with me." Marquis lifted the Ultra Ball and gave it a lazy toss. The Ball snapped open and a large, fearsome Pokémon materialized. Standing at nearly seven feet tall, a behemoth of a Slaking stared down at Tatsu.

Tatsu's blood quickly felt like liquid ice as he felt a terrible chill. "N-No, not a Slaking," he muttered, wide eyed. "How is Charmeleon supposed to fight a Slacking!"

Louis couldn't help but to laugh. "Perfect! Perfect! The look on his face; perfect!" exclaimed Louis as he laughed. "Don't you see? You never truly stood a chance against us!"

Tatsu sighed as he took out Charmeleon's Poké Ball and looked at it; the polished surface reflected his face. He could see the worry in his eyes as he looked at his reflection. He clenched the ball tightly. "No, we do have a chance. If my strategy works, we will win," he said before he looked up and tossed his Poké Ball. "Go, Charmeleon!"

Tatsu's Charmeleon materialized after the Poké Ball snapped open. Charmeleon took a glance at the massive Slaking and took a fighting stance, unconcerned about the Slaking's power.

As Tatsu prepared for a strategy, Marquis yawned and walked away. "What, you're not battling?" asked a confused Tatsu.

Marquis stopped and sighed. "I thought this was a Pokémon Battle?" he said simply.

The question caught Tatsu off guard. Marquis rubbed his eye after a deep sigh.

"When Pokémon do battle, do the humans participate in the battle on a physical level? Absolutely not. This is nothing but a fight between two more powerful beings that any human could possibly muster. As Trainers, it is our job to train our Pokémon to reach their untapped potential; Pokémon that rely on their master's commands are nothing but slaves to the human will. When humans give their Pokémon orders, it dulls the Pokémon's natural fighting ability and they become reliant on the human's decisions. What do the Pokémon do when the humans are unable to decide what is best? Not all humans are strategists. Rarely any of them are. No, it's the Pokémon that need to do battle and on their own terms. Human intervention will only distract them. You try it, and your Charmeleon may have a chance to defeat my Slaking."

As Tatsu let Marquis' words sink in, Hanako's eyes widened. "That's Pokkéndo."

Marquis turned his head toward Hanako, overhearing her, and raised his bushy eyebrow. He smiled widely. "Ah, finally! Someone who knows the source of the brilliant fighting style!" he said as he clapped his hands together and looked towards Louis. "See? I've been telling you that my battling style isn't just mere laziness. Oh no, there's a method to my madness! Well, I should say the former Champion Satoshi. A brilliant man; spend his entirely life on a fighting formula that guaranteed his every victory. That's why he went undefeated for so many years, you see. He removed human intervention yet trained his Pokémon to unbelievable levels of skill. A true master of combat and strategy! Oh, how I wish I could pick his brain and ask how he unlocked these secrets to his masterful arts."

Marquis walked over toward Hanako and grabbed her hand. Despite Hanako being short, she had a good foot and a half over him. This height difference forced Marquis to lean his head back to look up at her.

"I am pleased to see another another being that recognizes the brilliance of such a tactician. I wish I was awake to witness your battles; assuming you've participated, of course. I have no idea who battled or what Pokémon you and your friends possess, of course, but I regret sleeping through them whether or not you participated. Students of Pokkéndo like ourselves have much to talk about. Do you mind while my Slaking and your friend do battle?"

"O-oh, um, sure..." said Hanako nervously.

"Splendid, splendid!" he said as he and Hanako walked off to the side a bit.

Louis leaned back and tilted his head at Alexander. "Is that a legitimate battling style?" asked Louis.

Alexander nodded. "Yes, my lord. It's a battle style that was refined by the former Tojoh Champion, Satoshi. It removes human error and reliance. It lets Pokémon fight at their full potential. It's a strategy that's often duplicated, but rarely mastered. Every trainer who practices this style has to issue guidance at some point. Satoshi's Pokémon need no commands whatsoever. They are experienced to face any known Pokémon and come up with the best strategy on their own. Marquis here claims to study it, but I have my doubts to whether or not he's mastered it. His Slaking was notorious for never listening to him."

"Sounds about right," replied Louis.

Slaking yawned and laid on his side, using his large hand as a headrest as he scratched his girth. Charmeleon limbered up as Tatsu approached and knelled beside him. "All right, I have a strategy," said Tatsu. Charmeleon looked at him as he resumed to stretch. "Slaking are notorious for their physical bulk. Their attack power is divine. We cannot attack him directly. Slaking can also be very fast. We need to focus on your speed and hitting him at a distance. It's our best chance for victory."

Charmeleon nodded and Tatsu took several steps back. Charmeleon growled and took a deep breath. Charmeleon shot an ember attack toward the Slaking. The Lazy Pokémon merely lifted his arm and blocked the fireball with his hand. Slaking yawned and licked his hand to sooth the burns.

Tatsu couldn't believe his eyes. Both Tatsu and Charmeleon looked at each other, exchanging looks of worry. Tatsu quickly opened his Wonder Launcher and reached into his pocket. He withdrew a weirdly shaped gold and silver X Item; it was twice as long as a normal one. "I was hoping not to use this," he said as he took out the normal X Item and inserted it into the Wonder Launcher. He paused and looked up, sweat running down the side of his face.

"This may be intense, but this is the only way I think we can defeat him. This is a MaX Item; a new item Silph Co. has been developing. This may make you feel weird," he said as he clenched his fist and locked eyes with Charmeleon. "This could prove to be dangerous; do you want me to use this?"

Charmeleon looked at the X Item and snorted, turning his back on Tatsu. "Char," said the Charmeleon as he spread his legs slightly and extended his fists, shaking his head.

Tatsu nodded and grinned. "You're right, we don't need this to win," said Tatsu. "All right, let's give these guys a show. Charmeleon, use Dragon Dance!"

The onlooker's were caught off guard as Charmeleon clenched his claws and a blue, black, and red aura surrounded him. Energy surged through him as Charmeleon powered up. The aura flowed violently around Charmeleon as the fire on the tip of his tail grew at a rapid rate. Vigor and untapped power flowed through Charmeleon's body like water. His eyes turned red as the Lizard Pokémon's power increased.

Slakoth opened his eye and observed the Charmeleon with fleeting interest. Marquis had ceased his conversation with Hanako and both of them watched as Charmeleon's power continued to surge.

"If his Charmeleon continues to build up power, then my Slaking may be in trouble," said Marquis to himself. "I must give him an order..."

Hanako shook her head, her hair flowing in the access wind created by the aura pushing back the air. "If you're a student of Pokkéndo, then your Slaking should already know what to do."

Marquis looked at her with mixed emotions. "Truth is, my Slaking doesn't listen to me very much. I end up letting my Slaking fight on his own terms, instead of training him," he admitted shamefully.

She looked down at him with a sour look, but held her tongue. Instead, she focused back on Charmeleon.

With the pure energy being released, it shot out like bolts of lightning. The fire on Charmeleon's tail was nearly the same size as Charmeleon; the air around them turned hot and hard to breathe. The grass around them had burned to cinders from the fierce heat. Tatsu, standing the closest, withstood the inferno. Slowly, he raised his arm and pointed at the Slaking, who was no longer able to ignore the threat of Charmeleon and began to stand up.

"Charmeleon, use Fire Punch!"

In a burst of speed, the Lizard Pokémon dashed forward with his fist reared back. In an instant, Charmeleon landed a punch square in the face of the Slaking, sending him flying toward the mountain. Before Slaking could make contact, Charmeleon had ran forward, catching up with Slaking before making contact with the cliff side. Charmeleon dived and flipped in mid air, back against the ground. In a blink of an eye, Charmeleon opened his mouth and shot a Dragon Pulse directly into Slaking's back. The force of the attack propelled Slaking high into the air.

While Slaking came crashing down, Charmeleon stood back up and reared his head back. With a deep inhale, he shot another Dragon Pulse beam at the Slaking. The beam made contact and exploded in midair. Out of the smoke, the Slaking fell down to the ground with a loud thud. Without waiting, Charmeleon rushed forward and jumped high into the air. The Lizard Pokémon used a technique called "Dragon Rush". Charmeleon came crashing down like a meteor and crashed into Slaking's sternum with his forearms. The air was driven out of Slaking's chest.

The onlookers watched, completely stunned at Charmeleon's performance against the Slaking. Marquis was speechless; he lost the strength in his tiny legs and fell to the ground, staring at Charmeleon with awe. Riviére cheered from the sidelines like a cheerleader. The fallen sins discussed among themselves as Louis and Alexander watched onward with stony silence.

Charmeleon walked towards Slaking and placed his foot on Slaking's belly, proclaiming his victory.

As Tatsu watched, he noticed the Slaking's foot twitch. His stomach clenched.

"CHARMELEON, GET AWAY FROM HIM!" shouted Tatsu as loud as he could.

At that moment, the giant hands of Slaking grabbed Charmeleon by the tail and lifted him into the air. Slaking opened his giant, angry yellow eyes and glared at Charmeleon. The Sloth Pokémon wiped the blood that oozed from his nose with his forearm after he stood up, Charmeleon struggling to get free.

Slaking growled fiercely at the Charmeleon as he reared his fist back and swung at the Charmeleon. He was able to curl his body upward to dodge the ferocious punch in time. Charmeleon latched his arms and legs around the hairy forearm and held on to deal life as the Slaking tried to pull away Charmeleon. He cried out in pain as he could feel the muscles in his tail grow strained from the pulling. To get himself free, Charmeleon lifted his head and shot an Ember attack directly into Slaking's face.

The Sloth Pokémon howled in pain and fell backward, dropping Charmeleon to cover his burnt face. Charmeleon got back to his feet and clenched his fist, creating a ball of fire. Charmeleon rushed forward, extending his arm back and aiming a punch at Slaking's face. Whether by luck or skill, the Slaking swung his free arm sideways, striking Charmeleon on his side. The force of the heavy blow sent Charmeleon flying away. He skid along the ground twenty feet away.

"Charmeleon!" yelled Tatsu as he rushed toward his fallen friend.

"That attack should of finished off the Charmeleon," said Louis happily.

"Appears so," Alexander replied quietly.

Charmeleon slowly stood up, holding his arm as he did. His arm hung at his side, hanging at an uncomfortable angle. Charmeleon fell to a knee and gritted his teeth to hold back a scream. Tatsu immediately approached his injured Charmeleon and examined his arm. "That Slaking broke your arm," said Tatsu hastily as he took out his Poké Ball.

As Charmeleon saw Tatsu reach for his Poké Ball, he smacked the ball out of Tatsu's hand with his tail.

"Char!" snarled the Charmeleon, refusing to give up. "Char Char. Meleon, char," he said as he turned to look Tatsu in the eyes, which burned with determination for victory.

"I can't let you battle with a broken arm!" shouted Tatsu.

At that moment, the Slaking walked over towards Tatsu and Charmeleon. He roared as he beat his chest with his large hands. The Lazy Pokémon towered over them as he stood erect and lifted his arms upward, prepared to beat them into the ground with a dual Hammer Arm assault.

Just as the Slaking was about to strike, Marquis shouted, "Stop!" at the top of his lungs as he waddled over to them and stood between Slaking and Charmeleon. "Enough is enough! I conceed this fight!"

"What!" yelled Louis, bursting from his luxurious chair. "You cannot give up!" he shouted as the Slaking lowered his massive arms and looked down at his trainer.

Slaking growled and grabbed Marquis by the throat and lifted him to eye level, choking him. "Sla!" shouted the Slaking as Tatsu tried to pry the hands off Marquis, who's face had turned purple.

"Someone stop Slaking!" shouted Riviére desperately as Jean, Robin, Jacques, and Alexander ran over to the Slaking and tried to free Marquis from Slaking's iron-tight grip. Desiré screamed as Hanako also joined the mass of humanity to save Marquis from his Pokémon.

"Slaking sla!" yelled the Slaking, his yellow eyes glaring at Marquis' bloodshot eyes, his face turning blue. Saliva sprayed onto Marquis' face from the yelling. "Sla! Sla!"

"Where's Slaking's Ultra Ball!?" shouted Jean as his massive arms failed to pry Slaking's grip from around Marquis' throat.

Suddenly, the Slaking let go on his own accord, throwing his trainer onto the gravel road. Slaking ignored Marquis as he coughed and breathed heavily. He walked several feet away and lay on his side, back faced against the others as they stood around Marquis to check on him. Charmeleon instead stared at the Slaking, holding his broken arm close to his side.

"What the hell was dat all about?" asked Robin as Marquis sat up and massaged his bruise throat.

"It appears that my Slaking is offended by my decision," he said as he tried to stand.

"Why did you give up?" asked Jean.

"Because," said Marquis as he stood up and looked at Slaking sadly, "Slaking isn't my Pokémon. I stole Slaking from a merchant that refused to sell to me food because I had no money. I always wanted a Pokémon, but I could never catch one. The alure of having a powerful Pokémon was to tempting to resist, so I stole from the merchant that refused me. Later that day, the merchant died from being stabbed by a bandit who robbed him, as I did. He didn't have his Slaking to defend him. As a result, Slaking never forgave me, nor would he listen to any command that I issued. I passed it off as Pokkéndo to explain why Slaking never obeyed me in battles."

Hanako lowered her head to hide her face. Slowly she walked over to Marquis and slapped him as hard as she could across his face. The force of the assault sent Marquis to his back. He looked up at her with wide eyes as he held his face where she slapped him.

"You fool. Don't you have any idea what you've done? You've separated Slaking from his trainer and robbed him of any chance of reunion. Have you ever taken Slaking to his former friend's grave so he could say good bye? Well, have you!" she shouted, tears flowing down her cheeks.

"I...I..." stammered Marquis.

Hanako turned aggressively and walked away, towards the Slaking.

"I've never seen Hanako angry before," said Tatsu as Riviére stood behind him.

"Neither have I," she replied.

Hanako stopped behind Slaking and slowly walked around him. She hung her head after seeing tears flow from Slaking's eyes. She knelled down and hugged Slaking around his thick neck. Slaking sniffled loudly as he wrapped his large, hairy arm around Hanako's thin and tiny frame.

Everyone was silent.

 

​

​

Ch. XIV​

Alexander the Arrogant​

​

​

Marquis looked down at Slaking's Ultra Ball moments after returning the Lazy Pokémon. He sighed heavily as they dispersed to their corners. Hanako, Riviére, and Tatsu returned to the boulder and resumed healing their Pokémon. As Marquis followed Jean, Robin, and Jacques to the loser's corner, Louis cleared his throat audibly.

"I should kick you out of the group for giving up like that," he said without looking at Marquis. "You've shamed us all for giving up."

Marquis scoffed and looked at Louis with a half-grin. "Forgive me, my Lord. I felt that a living Charmeleon would be more useful than a dead one. I could not risk Slaking murdering the Charmeleon. It would be bad business to end a life of a Pokémon with that amount of skill."

"Your job was to win. I expected you to carry out your duties," replied Louis angrily.

Marquis bit his lip and leaned his head forward. "My Lord, I believe you forget your duties," said Marquis icily, whispering so only he, Louis, and Alexander could hear. "You are tasked for recruitment. We cannot recruit trainers with injured and dead Pokémon. We've already witnessed them being very capable trainers. They only have one badge a piece and six Pokémon between them, and already they're levels are consistent of those trainers with three badges. Hanako's Ivysaur defeating Jacques' Scrafty is enough proof that they are more than qualified to join, and our boss would want them with us. Especially the boy. He is a Fuji and the youngest of a long line of brilliant minds and fighters. He's just like his father. He would not have given up, nor would his Charmeleon with a broken arm against impossible odds. You've turned this recruitment job into a personal matter. It would have been a great business deal for us to secure these three children. You've angered Riviére with your personal games. Hanako, I feel, wouldn't have joined us to begin with, but I feel we can still get Tatsu. We may be able to get Riviére too if you call off this tournament of yours and release Alexander back into her service. Two out of three is the best we can hope for, but getting nothing out of this does us no favors. Riviére will lose to Alexander, and with that lose, we lose out."

Louis turned his head toward Marquis and looked at him with rage in his eyes. His voice was cold as he spoke; "Your speech means nothing to me. I'll do as I please. Alexander will battle because I said so. He will defeat Riviére, and we will take their Pokémon."

"Louis-"

"Enough, Marquis," said Louis sternly before looking away. "I've had enough of your talk. Away with you."

Marquis looked at Louis sourly before turning and walking back with the others. He laid on the grass and and quickly fell asleep in the shade beside Jean.

Alexander leaned forward slightly. "I apologize, but I must agree with Marquis. We are tasked with recruiting new members, and all three would prove to be powerful allies."

"Of course you'd agree with him," said Louis as he looked up at him. "You'd like more than nothing to return to Riviére's service. Don't think that I can believe Riviére is capable of defeating the former Champion of Kalos."

Alexander's violet eyes narrowed before he bowed his head. "Of course, my Lord. Shall I prepare for battle, then?" he asked.

"Yes," said Louis, looking towards his former betrothed and the others as they healed their Pokémon. A sudden thought occurred to him and said, "Oh, and I don't want you to use your Pyroar. Riviére is a Water Trainer, and I don't want her having any sort of advantage. Use your Luxray instead."

Alexander frowned. "I apologize, but I do not have my Luxray currently on hand. I had left him behind," he explained. "I only have my Pyroar and my Pangoro currently on hand."

Louis sighed. "Very well, use Pangoro instead."

Alexander bowed his head. "As you wish," he said before he walked to where the majority of the others stood.

Riviére looked up from her Wartortle and eyed Alexander standing in the opposition's corner. She narrowed her eyes before turning her attention back to Wartortle. "You sit tight and rest," she said as she kissed his forehead and stood up. She walked over their chosen spot and reached into her purse. She withdrew Gyarados' blue Poké Ball and stared at it, her reflection shining off the polished surface.

Alexander withdrew his Luxury Ball from his jacket pocket and enlarged it. "I'm sorry it comes to this," he said as he put his hands behind his back and stood perfectly erect. "I am obligated by my master to carry out his wishes and defeat you in this battle."

"You don't belong to Louis!" shouted Riviére. "You and your family served mine for seven generations!"

"I know...," said Alexander sadly. He sighed softly. "With your parents dead and you missing, I had little choice when your estate was purchased. Now, however, is not the time to dwell in the past. I have been instructed to defeat you in battle, and I must carry out my orders to the fullest."

Riviére couldn't help but to smile. "You always took pride in your work. You were a great Champion, after all."

Alexander returned the smile. "Of course. This arrogant fool has his pride, after all," he said with a bow. He straightened up his back and tossed the Luxury Ball. "Go, Pangoro!"

The Luxury Ball snapped open and a large Pangoro materialized. Much like the Slaking, this Daunting Pokémon stood nearly seven feet high and was incredibly bulky. Upon seeing Riviére, Pangoro rubbed his eyes and leaned his face closer.

"Pangoro!" said the Pokémon happily as he walked over and gave Riviére a bone crushing hug, her back popping. "Goro Goro!"

"Good to see you too!" she exclaimed, pulling her head as far back as she could, lest she suffocate in Pangoro's fur.

The Pangoro let her go and turned to Alexander, smiling happily. "Goro!"

Alexander smiled and nodded. "Yes, after all these years, we found her."

"All right, on with it," said Louis rudely.

Pangoro turned his head at Louis and glared at him with great disdain. He chewed at the end of his twig and patted Riviére on the head, musing her hair before walking over toward Alexander.

"Did you hear her call him a former Champion?" asked Tatsu, leaning over to Hanako.

Hanako nodded nervously. "Yeah. If that's true, there's no way she could beat him. We only have a badge a piece. To defeat a former Champion, you'd need at least eight badges."

"In other words, she's going to lose this fight," said Tatsu with a sigh. "I know that her Gyarados is strong, but it can't defeat a Champion Pokémon."

As Pangoro neared, Alexander beckoned him over. "I want you to pull your punches against her Gyarados," he whispered to Pangoro. "We need to make her Gyarados more powerful. You may take a lot of damage. A Gyarados aren't know for being soft hitters. Think you can handle that?"

"Goro," said the Daunting Pokémon, making the 'okay' hand gesture.

Riviére sighed softly and looked back down at her Poké Ball. "All right, this is our chance. Go, Gyarados!" she exclaimed as she looked up and tossed it as high as she could. The Poké Ball snapped open and a monstrous Gyarados materialized. Nearly forty feet in length, the serpent's body wrapped around Riviére protectively. With the front half of his body lifted twenty feet into the air, the Gyarados roared at Alexander and the others.

Alexander looked up, his violet eyes wide open. "Where did she get such a Pokémon?" he asked. He looked down at Pangoro and noticed that he wasn't intimidated by the Gyarados. "Pangoro isn't intimidated?" he said to himself as he looked back up toward the Gyarados. "Then that means it has the Hidden Ability, Moxie. This is a powerful Pokémon is truly strong." said Alexander.

Riviére lay her body across the scaly body of her Atrocious Pokémon as he coiled around, her, laying his head near her. "See that man there?" she asked as she closed her eyes, her lips curving into a small smile. She felt protected with her Gyarados near her. "That man and his Pokémon are good friends. Don't try harm them, okay?" she requested. The Gyarados growled in acknowledgement, his ruby eyes focused on her. She looked up at him, her reflection from his eyes staring back. "Fight hard, Gyarados. I believe in you."

"There's no way dat chick caught dat Gyarados," said Robin as he looked up.

"Ce Gyarados aurait pu battre nous tous si nous Riviére combattu elle-même," said Desiré.

"You said it," Jacques agreed reluctantly.

"Are you ready?" asked Alexander as Pangoro stretched for the battle.

Gyarados uncoiled himself and lifted the front portion of his body off the ground as Riviére nodded and raised her arm. "Gyarados, use Bite!" she ordered. The Gyarados roared as it lunged forward, his jaws open wide enough to engulf Pangoro.

Alexander raised his arm and swiftly swept the air. "Pangoro, jump onto Gyarados!"

At the last moment, Pangoro jumped onto Gyarados' head, grabbing the whisker's on Gyarados face and used them as reigns. With a hard tug, Gyarados was forced to lift his head in compliance as he violently tried to buck Pangoro off his head and snapping his jaws. Pangoro wrapped his legs around the base of Gyarados' skull to prevent being easily thrown off.

"Gyarados, fly into the air and use Rock Smash into the cliff!" ordered Riviére.

Gyarados' body began to levitate as the Atrocious Pokémon rose into the air and moved upward as if it was swimming in a vast ocean. Once clearing the top of the cliff, Gyarados dived head first into the side of the cliff. Pangoro released the serpent's whiskers and jumped off his head as Gyarados slammed into the side of the cliff. The large rocks fell to the ground as the Daunting Pokémon slid down the backside of the Gyarados.

"Gyarados, swat Pangoro out of the sky!" ordered Riviére.

Gyarados violently swung his tail in attempt to throw of Pangoro. Nearly losing his balance, Pangoro hopped off Gyarados and landed on the side of the cliff, hanging on by a rock that stuck out. As Gyarados swung around, Pangoro lunged off the rock and landed on Gyarados near the skull. Pangoro rode Gyarados like a wild Rapidash as the Atrocious Pokémon tried to buck him off, riding low to the ground.

"Pangoro, Circle Throw!" ordered Alexander.

Pangoro stood up and jumped off in front of Gyarados. Pangoro grabbed Gyarados' crown-like fin and used all his weight and strength to pull Gyarados downward. Gyarados face planted into the hard earth. Pangoro let go of Gyarados and fell back several feet before Gyarados lifted his head from the rubble and roared. The Atrocious Pokémon lunged forward, jaws open, at Pangoro. He fell to his back and used his hands and feet to prevent being bitten. As Gyarados tried to bite the Daunting Pokémon, his fangs turned to ice from his cold breath.

Alexander noticed the Gyarados' fangs ice over. He narrowed his eyes and grinned slyly. "Perfect," he whispered. "my plan is working."

Riviére, who didn't notice Gyarados' fangs turn to ice, gave Gyarados a new order. "Gyarados, lift your head up and use Dragon Rage!"

"Pangoro, use Fire Punch!"

Gyarados lifted his head up, Pangoro lifted up by his jaws. As he was lifted, Pangoro pushed himself away from Gyarados' jaws and clenched his fist. The energy focused in his hand turned ablaze and Pangoro punched Gyarados square in the jaw. Gyarados fell to his side from the punch and fell into the nearby river. The impact caused a large splash, drenching the Sins in cold water.

"Je suis tellement humide!" shouted Desiré as the other protested from being soaked in water. Louis, being at a distance, was spared from being soaked.

Nearly as soon as being punched into the river, Gyarados broke from the surface and slithered out of the river. With the front half of his body out of the river, Gyarados violently whipped his lower half out of the river, bringing a jet of water along his tail. Gyarados' tail and the jet of water slammed into the Pangoro, hurling him into the cliff wall.

"Wait a minute," whispered Riviére as she watched her Gyarados slither past her. "That was Aqua Tail. Gyarados shouldn't know that move until much later," she said as she reached into her purse and withdrew her PokéDex and scanned her Gyarados. Her eyes widened at the display screen. "Impossible," she said to herself, "his level is now 39. How could this-" she cut herself off as an old memory resurfaced.

She remembered how this was Alexander's way how to train his new Pokémon in Kalos, giving them the experienced needed to become stronger. Riviére looked over to Alexander, who she saw grin when she looked at him. She couldn't help but smile and nodded in understanding.

"Thank you," she mouthed to Alexander before turning her attention toward Gyarados. "Gyarados, use Iron Head!"

"Pangoro," said Alexander quickly, "use Superpower!"

The Atrocious Pokémon roared and slammed his head at the Pangoro as he got to his feet. Pangoro raised his arms and blocked the massive forehead of Gyarados to prevent him from headbutting Pangoro into the cliff side. With pure power, Pangoro held off the forty-foot serpent. The Daunting Pokémon dug his feet into the ground to help push off the Gyarados. Gyarados roared as he put his entire weight into the attack, only budging Pangoro back nearly a yard before stopping.

"This is an amazing feat of strength," said Tatsu astonishingly as they watched.

Hanako nodded. "I didn't know she taught her Gyarados Iron Head or Aqua Tail."

"She must have trained her Gyarados too," replied Tatsu as he crossed his arms.

"Pangoro, use Sky Uppercut!" ordered Alexander.

Pangoro nodded and with all his might, pushed Gyarados back. Gyarados' upper torso recoiled back and forward from the sudden forced used to push him back. At that moment, Pangoro uppercut Gyarados underneath the jaw. Gyarados cried out in pain as his body recoiled backward once again and fell onto his back.

"What a move!" said Louis as he stood up from his seat with a boyish grin on his face. "Now this is a battle!" he said as he raised his fist. "I'd say that was a knock out blow!"

At that moment, the serpent opened his ruby eyes as Pangoro walked near to check if Gyarados had fainted. In a flash, Gyarados sprang forward and caught Pangoro in his jaws and lifted him twenty-feet into the air. Gyarados crunched his fangs into Pangoro's side as he grabbed Gyarados' jaws and tried to pry them open with his hands and feet.

"That's it, Gyarados! Keep that Crunch down!" cheered Riviére as Alexander looked up at Gyarados and Pangoro.

"I had not anticipated this much growth so quickly," said Alexander under his breath. "All right," he said louder, "Pangoro, use Strength!"

Pangoro roared as he applied more power into prying Gyarados' jaws open. With the needed power, Pangoro was able to push Gyarados' mouth open wide enough for him to roll out of his mouth. Pangoro landed on his feet as he hit the ground and backed up several feet as Gyarados roared at the Pangoro, waiting for a command.

"Great work Pangoro," praised Alexander as Pangoro returned to his side.

"Goro," said Pangoro as he took a fighting stance.

"All right, now use Bulk Up!"

Pangoro nodded and braced himself. He gathered his energy, physically bulking up his muscles. Pangoro's muscles in his arms, legs, and chest rapidly grew in size, becoming more defined and cut. His weight increased as a result of his added muscle.

Gyarados watched with a careful eye as he watched the Pangoro Bulk Up. With a mighty roar, a familiar blue, black, and red aura appeared around his forty-foot body. Gyarados' eyes glowed bright red as the energy surged through him; red electricity jolted around Gyarados as the terrible power manifested, increasing Gyarados' own power.

Tatsu and Hanako stood at the sidelines, shocked as Gyarados performed the Dragon Dance technique. "There's no way Gyarados could learn that move!" said Hanako nervously as Tatsu reached into his bag for his PokéDex.

After Tatsu quickly scanned Gyarados, his face went white. "I-It's impossible," stuttered Tatsu, wide eyed. "Somehow, Gyarados is lv. 50!"

"You're kidding!" said Hanako as she looked at Tatsu's PokéDex. The color drained from her face. "How's this possible?"

Louis overheard their exclamation on Gyarados' power and looked over at Alexander with narrowed eyes. "Alexander!" he called out in rage. "Riviére's friends seem to be a little surprised by the level of her Gyarados. Explain why is this?" he called out.

Alexander sighed and turned his head toward Louis. "I apologize, my Lord, but I have been training her Gyarados throughout this battle to raise his strength in the upcoming fight. By the performance of her Gyarados, I suspect I at least doubled his level."

Louis stared at him, dumbstruck. His shock was quickly overcame by rage. "You coward! You miserable fool! You trained your opponent against my will and behind my back?" he shouted, seething. "This battle is hereby over!"

Alexander and Riviére looked at Louis in surprise as Gyarados' Dragon Dance technique ceased and coiled around his trainer protectively.

"Yes, my Lord," said Alexander with a low bow.

Louis glared at him for several moments before sighing, his wrath burnt out. "I am disappointed by your actions, Alexander," said Louis as he dismissed his butler with a snap of the finger. "You of all people failed me. I was sure that your pride would have meant more to you. Your sly plan to make her Gyarados as strong as my Pokémon was clever."

Alexander did not answer as Louis walked toward Riviére and her Gyarados. He stopped at a considerable distance away and clapped his hands. "Congratulations!" he called out. "You've defeated six of my Deadly Sins! Greed! Gluttony! Lust! Envy! Sloth! Pride! You three have done the unthinkable and outperformed my people in incredible fashion!" he announced. He paused and looked over at Hanako and Tatsu, before returning his gaze to Riviére. "For getting this far, I am obligated in my duties to make a request!"

"Duties?" Riviére asked herself in surprise. "What duties? I thought you were the leader?"

Louis shook his head. "No, I am not. I am merely a recruiter for a much larger organization."

Riviére narrowed her eyes suspiciously at Louis as Gyarados roared at him, hissing to keep back. "What sort of organization." stated Riviére.

Louis raised his hands to head level with a terrible grin on his face as he backed up toward Alexander. Alexander frowned and hung his head.


"I am a recruiter of Team Rocket."

 

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Ch. XV​

Louis the Furious​

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​

Riviére's eyes opened wide to Louis' confession. Upon hearing the words "Team Rocket", her stomach clenched as though it was grabbed by an invisible hand and yanked. Her body trembled as her eyes began to water. She looked at Alexander with a frightened look. "Alexander...Are....Are you a member of Team Rocket?" she asked, hopeful of his denial.

Alexander lowered his head and looked at the ground solemnly. After a moments pause, he looked back up with a stony look. "I am bound to the will of my Master. Master Louis wished to join Team Rocket, and I am bound to join him in his conquest." he said sadly.

Riviére blood iced over as she fell to her knees, losing all strength in her legs. Her eyes zoned out as memories of Proton threatening to rape her and Magikarp being shot by Team Rocket flooded her mind. The look on Proton's face, the evil in his eyes and his despicable grin haunted her. The guilt of ordering the deaths of those men swelled her heart. Her mind became hazy as her fear took over.

She screamed at the top of her lungs as tears flowed down her cheeks. "Gyarados!" she screamed, "KILL THEM ALL!"

Gyarados' eyes glowed red and roared loudly before lunging at Louis with his jaws wide open, intent to eat Louis alive. Pangoro jumped in front of Louis and blocked the deadly attack by grabbing Gyarados by the jaws with his full strength. Gyarados' body thrashed as Gyarados tried to devour the Pangoro in his outrage.

"Louis, get out of here!" yelled Alexander as Hanako and Tatsu tried to approach Riviére, but were cut off by the thrashing tail of Gyarados.

Louis laughed and withdrew his Luxury Ball. "Are you kidding me? It's my turn to battle!" he said with a fling of his wrist. "Go, Aegislash!" The Royal Sword Pokémon materialized before them and hovered in front of Louis. Louis grinned as he pointed at the Gyarados struggling to eat the Pangoro. "Aegislash, use Sacred Sword on Gyarados!"

Aegislash removed the shield from his front and held it like a warrior going to battle. Aegislash shot forward like a missile, the blade glowing bright blue. As the Royal Sword Pokémon swung himself and a large energy wave shot forward, striking Gyarados in the back of the head. The sudden blow knocked the Gyarados unconscious. The Atrocious Pokémon fell to his side and lay coiled around Riviére as she wailed.

Louis laughed as Pangoro stepped away from the unconscious Gyarados and looked at Louis with a disgusted look.

"Did you see that!" he exclaimed. "One strike and Gyarados fell!"

"My Lord, her Gyarados did just face off against Pangoro," reminded Alexander. "Let us take leave. They don't have enough strength to fight back and are not going to join our efforts."

Louis scoffed. "They may not join us, but the boss won't want us to leave empty handed. We'll take their Pokémon in the name of Team Rocket."

Tatsu, Hanako, their Pokémon, and Wartortle walked around the unconscious Gyarados and ran to Riviére. "Riviére!" Hanako exclaimed as she and Tatsu knelled beside her. What they saw shocked them.

Riviére was unresponsive to them. She stared off with a faraway look with her hands clamped over her ears. "Kill them all...die...They are going to kill us...die...Magikarp, I let you down...die..." she muttered incoherently.

Tatsu clenched his fist. "Damn it, she's gone off the deep end," he said angrily as he turned and climbed over Gyarados. "Charmeleon, use Dragon Pulse!" ordered Tatsu as Wartortle jumped over Gyarados to join in on the attack.

Together, Wartortle and Charmeleon charged and fired a Dragon Pulse attack directly at Louis' Aegislash. Seeing the attack, the Aegislash reverted back to Shield Form and blocked the attack with a King's Shield. The Dragon Pulses were reflected by the energy shield and dispersed.

"Oh? Think you can attack me from behind?" asked Louis as he turned his attention to Tatsu, Charmeleon, and Wartortle. He grinned evilly and ordered Aegislash. "Aegislash, use Shadow Ball!"

From his single purple eye, the Aegislash charged a ghastly dark purple energy ball and shot it toward the Charmeleon and Wartortle. The Shadow Ball hit the ground by their feet and exploded. The force of the attack flung Wartortle and Charmeleon aside and knocked them to the ground.

"Charmeleon!" shouted Tatsu as he ran toward his Charmeleon and checked on his fallen friend, Growlithe by his side.

Pangoro walked over toward Alexander as he turned and faced Louis with an angry look. "Cease this immediately," he said defiantly, withdrawing two Luxury Balls. "I will not allow you to steal Riviére's Pokémon and the others."

Louis growled at Alexander as the other sins approached them. "You fool!" he shouted "You dare defy me? You are my servant! You are bound by contract to serve me!" he yelled as the Aegislash hovered beside Louis and reverted to his defensive form.

Alexander loosened his tie and closed his eyes. "I, Alexander Violet, hereby concede my services to you and terminate myself from our contract," said Alexander as he opened his eyes.

Louis stared at him, dumbstruck, until rage filled him. "You dare tarnish your family name by simply quitting! You wouldn't spit on your family's pride by breaking an oath to serve me!"

"Wrong," he said calmly, "I shamed my family when I entered your service."

Louis' rage bubbled at the breaking point. "Fine! Soil your family name! Aegislash, end his pitiful life!" ordered Louis.

Aegislash looked at him hesitantly for a moment before switching into his attack form. The Royal Sword Pokémon lunged himself at Alexander. Pangoro grabbed the Aegislash by the blade just inches away from Alexander's unflinching face. Pangoro threw Aegislash aside and stood in front of Alexander protectively.

Louis turned his back on Alexander. "Attack him!" he said angrily.

"What do ya expect us ta do against 'im?" protested Robin. "Our Pokémon dun stand a chance against 'im!"

"Robin is right," said Jean, "we can't beat Alexander."

"Idiots, do as I say!" roared Louis.

Alexander narrowed his eyes and tossed the Luxury Balls. A female Pyroar and Luxray materialized beside Pangoro. Both feline Pokémon reared back and prepared to fight, snarling at the Sins.

Hanako looked through the gap of Gyarados' protective coil. She frowned as Alexander prepared to fight off Louis and the other sins. Riviére continued to mutter incoherently as Hanako reached into Riviére's purse and withdrew Gyarados and Wartortle's Poké Balls. As she returned Gyarados to his Poké Ball, Hanako said, "Ivysaur, use Sleep Powder on Riviére."

"Saur?" asked the Ivysaur.

Hanako nodded. "Trust me."

The Seed Pokémon nodded and lowered his front. He shot a steam of spores at Riviére. She breathed in the spores and she fell to her front. As Hanako turned toward Riviére's fallen Wartortle, she gave a similar order. "Exeggcute, use Sleep Powder on Tatsu."

Exeggcute nodded and bounced toward Tatsu. "Exe!" said the Exeggcute as Tatsu tended his Charmeleon with Growlithe beside Tatsu protectively.

"Exeggcute?" he said, surprised, as Exeggcute exhaled the sleeping spores on Tatsu and his Pokémon. Tatsu and Growlithe coughed as they inhaled the spores and passed out where they stood.

"I'm sorry," said Hanako as she returned Wartortle to his Poké Ball. She placed the Poké Balls back into Riviére's purse before returning her own Pokémon to their Poké Balls. "There's no other way I can see this ending well. I have no other choice," she said as she approached Tatsu and returned his Pokémon to their Poké Balls.

She sighed softly and turned her attention back toward the Sins. "Alexander!" she called out.

Alexander turned his head around and looked over toward Hanako. He noticed the unconscious Tatsu and Riviére. "What have you done?"

"Get out of the way!" she called out.

Confused, Alexander obeyed her request. He and his Pokémon walked away from Louis and the other sins. "Hanako, what are you planning to do?" he said to himself as he and his Pokémon walked a few dozen feet away.

Hanako removed her purse and dropped it to her side. Strangely, she grabbed the end of her shirt and pulled it off. The others stared at her with mixed reactions as Hanako undressed herself.

"What is that girl doing?" asked Louis as Hanako removed her jeans and panties.

"She's trippin'," said a googly eyed Robin.

"Stripping, more like," replied Jacques. "My question is why."

After removing her last article of clothing, Hanako bent over and withdrew a large flower from her purse. She turned and face the group in the nude with her flower in hand. "Your reign of terror ends here," she called out. "I won't let Team Rocket strike fear into us anymore!"

Suddenly, the flower began to grow. A green aura quickly engulfed Hanako and her eyes turned purple. A sudden gush of wind pushed everyone back as the aura shined so bright, they had to turn away. The ground shook beneath their feet as a bright green ball of energy completely hid Hanako from it's depths. Alexander and his Pokémon held their ground as they watched in utter shock as the events transpired.

As suddenly as it happened, the glowing and harsh winds ceased. Louis and the others looked back where Hanako stood and found something more shocking. In the place where Hanako stood was a translucent bright green being with dark violet eyes and hair that stood up as though under water. Where the being stood, the plant life flourished; flowers and grass grew at an alarming rate.

"Wha....What are you!" shouted a frightened Louis. Without hesitating, Louis gave Aegislash an order. "Aegislash, use Sacred Sword!"

"I will not let you," said an voice that seemed to echo from the being. She rose her hand and immediately, a large ball of energy formed. Like a shotgun blast, several smaller balls of energy shot from her hand. Like a rain of bullets, the energy balls assaulted the Aegislash and exploded on contact. The Royal Sword Pokémon fell to the ground, knocked out by the attack.

In a fit of rage, Louis spiked Aegislash's Luxury Ball and broke it. He turned toward his Sins. "GET HER! ATTACK!" he ordered his petrified crew.

Without warning, the being raised her arm and slightly turned her body. With a quick slash, force created a powerful air vacuum that slashed towards the group and flung them high into the air and fell into the river. As the Sins were washed away, the being quickly reverted back to Hanako's original form with the flower clenched in her hand.

She sighed tiredly as she wiped her forehead. "I haven't done that in a while," she said to herself as the Sins were carried off by the river. As though nothing happened, Hanako turned and started picking up her clothes that were blown away by the transformation. "Good thing I decided to take my clothes off, as embarrassing as that was...I don't have much clothes to replace them."

Alexander and his Pokémon eyed her suspiciously as she collected her clothing. He turned his attention toward the knocked out Aegislash and walked towards him. Alexander knelled beside him and withdrew an empty Luxury Ball. "I saw your former Master destroy your Luxury Ball. If you want, I could be your new Master. We can take you to a Pokémon Center and get you healed up."

The Aegislash looked at him. "Aeg..." it said before resting on the ground.

Alexander nodded and aimed the Luxury Ball at Aegislash. The Luxury Ball opened and a red light attached itself to Aegislash, absorbing him inside the Luxury Ball. The ball shook in his palm a few times before ceasing. Alexander stood up and pocketed the newly caught Aegislash and turned back toward Hanako, who had just put on her shirt. "Excuse me," said Alexander as he and his Pokémon approached her cautiously. "Mind telling me who...what...you are?" he asked as the Pyroar and Luxray growled at her defensively.

Hanako sighed as she picked up her purse and placed the flower inside before she turned toward Alexander with a somber look. "If I tell you, then you cannot tell anyone else. The fact that you know is detrimental to my objective, and I can't have anyone interfere."

Alexander mulled the offer. His curiosity bound him to his oath as he nodded in agreement. "Very well. What are you? Are you hostile?"

Hanako shook her head. "No, I'm not hostile." she sigh with relief.

"Then what are you...?"

Hanako looked down then at the unconscious bodies of Tatsu and Riviére before she turned her attention back to Alexander. "Fine, I'll tell you."

 

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Ch. XVI​

Dream Eater​

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The sun had began it's decent behind the mountains, giving the sky an orange glow by the time she finished. Alexander held his hand over his mouth, his eyes wide after Hanako finished her explanation of what happened to Riviére and the explanation of her mission. He felt weak in the knees as the weight of the story fell heavy on his shoulders. He looked at her with a fearful look as the gravity of importance sunk in. After her story was finished, he cleared his throat before speaking.

"This...is going to happen? Is it set in stone?" he asked fearfully. "Isn't there anything we can do to prevent this all together?"

Hanako nodded. "There's nothing we can do to prevent it at this point. What we can do is get stronger; strong enough to fight and stop this from happening. War is coming."

Alexander turned his attention toward the unconscious Riviére and looked at her sadly. He sighed softly before he turned his attention back to Hanako. "What is our plan?"

She smiled sadly. "First, we need to get stronger. We have less than two years before the attack happens. Riviére, Tatsu, and I need to challenge and defeat the Gyms of Kanto and Johto. Hopefully that will get our Pokémon strong enough for combat," she turned her head towards Riviére, "We need to get her better."

"Get her better? How?" asked Alexander.

Hanako looked down. "First things first, we need to come up with a story to explain where Louis and the others went," said Hanako quickly before she looked back up at Alexander. "I propose that you defeated them and drove them off. When he wakes, he's going to want to know. He'll probably ask why I had Exeggcute use Sleep Powder on him. I'll explain that I didn't want him to fight Louis himself, which I'm sure he was about to do anyway."

Alexander nodded. "Agreed, that sounds like it'd work. My Pokémon are a lot stronger than his."

"Right," said Hanako as she walked over toward Tatsu. Alexander and his Pokémon followed her. She stopped a few feet away from the slumbering Tatsu. She leaned over and inhaled deeply. When she exhaled, a pink aroma billowed from her mouth and settled around Tatsu.

As Tatsu breathed it in, he coughed and slowly opened his eyes. "Wha..." he mumbled before he started to get up. He lifted his head and saw Hanako standing in front of him with a small smile. Behind her was Pangoro, Luxray, and a Pyroar. He looked up at the sky and noticed that he must'be been out for a while. "How long was I out? What happened?" he said as he got to his feet.

"Everything is fine now," said Hanako. "It's been about an hour. I'm sorry; I had my Exeggcute use Sleep Powder on you. I feared that you'd rush in and attack them yourself."

Tatsu looked at her and scratched his head. "Yeah, I guess that sounds like me. What's Alexander doing here? Where are the other Sins?"

"I defeat them," said Alexander with a slight bow. "I could no longer serve Louis and his goals. I terminated our contract and fought him off, as well as the others. My Pokémon are much stronger than theirs; I was able to dispatch of them after a fashion."

"I see," said Tatsu as he looked around and found Riviére laying on the ground, unconscious still. "Is she all right?" asked Tatsu, concerned.

"Yes, she's asleep," said Hanako quickly. "I had my Ivysaur use Sleep Powder on her as well."

Tatsu looked back at Hanako and sighed. "Probably for the best. I'm worried that this encounter may have been too much for her..." said Tatsu sadly.

"Well, I think I have a solution for that," said Hanako quietly.

"What do you mean?" asked Tatsu as Alexander approached closer.

"I want to hear about this solution of yours," he said eagerly.

"First, I think we should get inside and make camp for the night," said Hanako. "Tatsu, give me the PokéCaps and go get Riviére."

Tatsu nodded and reached into his jacket pocket and withdrew a case. Alexander eyed it with curiosity as Tatsu opened it and gave the PokéCaps to Hanako before he turned and walked over to Riviére. Hanako turned around and clicked the capsule and tossed it into the air. When the capsule hit the ground, it popped open like a Poké Ball and a House materialized.

Alexander stood his ground, impressed. "Marvelous!" he said as Hanako walked to the front door and opened it. "I had no idea that technology had progressed to this stage. Though I shouldn't be surprised; we can store Pokémon in Poké Balls. It'd be only a matter of time before we can store houses in them."

"Silph Co. is working on vehicles and other things as well," said Tatsu as he scooped up Riviére and carried her in his arms. Her head and limbs hung limp as he carried her. "In about a year or so, Silph Co. will be selling products like these to trainers and civilians alike."

"I see," said Alexander as he followed Tatsu inside the house, along side his Pokémon.

Tatsu lay Riviére on the couch, setting her down gently before he turned toward Hanako. "So, what's your plan?" he asked.

"Thanks," said Hanako as she reached into her purse and pulled out Exeggcute's Poké Ball. With a sigh, she looked up at Alexander and Tatsu. "All right. Well. My plan involves my Exeggcute to use Dream Eater on Riviére."

"How will that help?" asked Tatsu. "That will just eat her dreams. That'd get rid of her nightmares, but you got the Lunar Wing for that."

Alexander, however, caught onto her plan. "That's not what she intends," he said, frowning. "The Dream Eater technique is restricted in the Pokémon League. It is used to eat dreams, yes, but the true power of this technique isn't eating dreams, but eating memories. Using Dream Eater on a Pokémon long enough will result in brain damage and is prohibited. Use of Dream Eater on a human is banned entirely. Once eaten, there's no way for the victim to regain their memories."

Hanako nodded. "Yes, that's the plan. I want my Exeggcute to eat the memories of Riviére's experience with Team Rocket in Mt. Moon, as well as today."

"Are you crazy!?" shouted Tatsu. "That's illegal!"

"I have to agree with Hanako...," admitted Alexander sadly. "As much as it pains me to say, it's the only way I feel will cure her illness. The way she broke...I can't bare seeing her in that state."

Tatsu looked back at Alexander, then to Hanako. "I can't believe we're really considering having Exeggcute eating Riviére's memories. Shouldn't she at least have a say?"

"If she agreed, then it'd be more memory for Exeggcute to devour," said Hanako. "If she disagrees, then she may go off again if we run into Team Rocket. Her mental status is deteriorating; she's living with the guilt and she's not coping well. This may be the only way that we save her sanity and allow her to feel normal again. She wouldn't be living with her survivors guilt."

Tatsu sighed heavily and rubbed his forehead in thought. "I don't like it, but I'll go along with it."

Alexander nodded and turned his attention to Hanako. "How will we explain my presence?" he asked. "Surely you've thought of a plan for that?"

"I have," said Hanako. "When we were in Mt. Moon, she was hit in the head by one of the Team Rocket soldiers. We could say that she received a concussion and has sustained some short-term memory loss from the incident. We'll tell her about what happened at Nugget Bridge, though."

"That sounds like it should work," said Alexander as he looked at Riviére with a sad look. Pangoro approached and placed his large paw on Alexander's shoulder and nodded.

"Goro." said the Pangoro.

"Of course," said Alexander. "So, are we doing this?" he asked.

Tatsu sighed. "Yeah, though I don't like it," he said as he crossed his arms. "I can see your point, and I'd like to see Riviére get better, but doing this behind her back doesn't agree with me."

"I don't want to do this either, but it's our best hope," replied Hanako.

The three exchanged glances and nodded. Hanako raised her arm and clicked the button on the Poké Ball. The ball popped open in her hand and Exeggcute materialized on the coffee table. "Exeggcute," said Hanako as she leaned over. "I need you to do something for us. Okay?"

"Exe?" said the single Exeggcute.

"A few days ago, I taught you the Dream Eater technique. I also taught you how not to eat the memories of Pokémon. Unfortunately, I need you to forget what I taught you about that. I need you to eat Riviére's memories at Mt. Moon and since then. Can you do that for me?"

"Cute?" questioned the Exeggcute. After a moment, Exeggcute rolled slightly forward and back. "Exegg!"

"Thank you," said Hanako as she picked up Egg Pokémon and kissed her on the forehead. She walked over to the couch and set Exeggcute beside her head.

The Exeggcute shifted her position slightly to face Riviére. Her head lay on the side, her mouth slightly agape. Exeggcute's eyes glowed blue as Exeggcute inhaled deeply. From Riviére mouth, a blue vapor was sucked out and eaten by Exeggcute. After seemingly swallowing the vapor, Exeggcute inhaled again. More vapor expelled from Riviére's mouth with each Dream Eater use. Alexander, his Pokémon, Tatsu, and Hanako watched anxiously as Exeggcute ate more memories.

After two solid minutes, the Exeggcute swallowed the last bit of vapor and exhaled. Exeggcute hopped, swinging herself in midair to face them. "Cute!" she said.

"Do you think it worked?" asked Alexander.

"Only one way to find out," said Hanako as she leaned over Riviére and tapped her lightly on the cheek. "Riviére?"

Riviére mumbled as Hanako tapped her on the cheek. "Mmm...What do you want..." she said sleepily as she slowly opened her eyes. The moment she did, she clenched them. "Ow! Why does my head feel like it's been split open?" she asked as she sat up and leaned forward, resting her head on her hands as she rubbed her temple.

"You sustained a concussion a few days ago," said Tatsu. "At Mt. Moon, a Team Rocket Soldier hit you on the head. You've had some short-term memory loss since then. What's the last thing you remember?"

She sighed as she tried to recollect her thoughts. "The last thing I remember is walking through the tunnels of Mt. Moon...I remember nothing after that," she said. "How long have I been out?"

"You weren't out for long, but you've had trouble remembering things since then."

"Earlier today, we set forth your old cottage north of Cerulean City," started Tatsu. "On the way there, we ran into someone you know well."

"Huh? Who?" she said as she looked up at Tatsu. While looking up, she caught glance of Alexander and his Pokémon around him. He smiled charmingly as she stood up and walked up to him, eyes wide. "Alexander, can it be?" she said as she reached her hand forward and pressed it against his chest. She withdrew it quickly, confirming that it was solid.

"Yes, my lady," he said with an incline of his head. After all my searching, I finally found you."

Tears flowed down her cheeks as she glomped Alexander tightly. "I've missed you so much!" she said happily as Alexander returned the hug.

"And I you, little dove."

She pulled away and hugged Pangoro and pet Pyroar and Luxray, happy to see her. Riviére looked up at Alexander hopefully. "If you survived, does that mean...?"

Alexander frowned and shook his head. "I'm sorry, but your parents didn't make it," he said softly.

Her hopes dashed, she looked down at the floor. She wiped her eyes and shook her head. "No, of course. If they had, I would have known," she said then smiled up at Alexander. "What are you doing in Kanto?"

Alexander bowed his head. "Forgive me, my lady, but after your disappearance and your parents deceased, your estate was sold. Louis, your betrothed, had purchased everything; my service included. Afterward, the company he purchased collapsed and drove him into bankruptcy. He joined Team Rocket as a recruiter to pay off his debts."

"Louis?" she repeated angrily. "That son of a bitch! I'll get that bastard!"

"Well, you don't have to worry about him," he said as his eyes flickered towards Hanako for a brief moment. "I terminated our contract and fought on your behalf. I couldn't condone him any longer, especially not since finding you."

"Wait, how did he pay you if he went bankrupt?" she asked.

Alexander smiled slyly. "I'd be lying if I didn't say I had a part in his financial ruin. When I went into his services, I had him agree to a fifteen year contract and to be paid upfront. The fool didn't see that the deal was ridiculous. His pride was his downfall."

"I see," said Riviére, happy to hear of Louis' financial ruin. "So...how much are you going to charge me?"

Alexander smiled. "My lady? Whatever do you mean?"

"Don't play coy with me," said Riviére with a pouty face. "I want to hire you!"

"You're going to hire Alexander as your butler?" asked Tatsu.

"Why not?" she asked. "His family served mine for generations. I want to continue the tradition," she said before she turned to Alexander. "Well? What's the fee?"

"Hm," Alexander traced his chin. "Well, their fee was PokémonDollar.png6,500,000 a year. Though, their estate was far larger than this. With that in notion, I believe PokémonDollar.png900,000 a year would be fair."

"That's a lot less than I thought," she said happily before she turned toward Tatsu and Hanako. "Well, what do you think? Three way split for the fee?"

"PokémonDollar.png300,000 a year for a butler?" asked Tatsu. He and Hanako exchanged glances, and he shrugged his shoulders. "Sure, I don't see why not. Though, we're going to have to get a bigger house," he said, rubbing the back of his head. "We only have three bedrooms."

"That's all right, Hanako and I can share a room," she said slyly towards Hanako.

Sweat dropped from the back of her head. "Well, nice to see you're back to normal," she said under her breath before she looked at Tatsu. "Don't we have an unused storage room?"

"Oh yeah," said Tatsu as he rubbed his head. "I suppose it's big enough for a bedroom. We don't have a bed in there though."

"That's fine," said Alexander with a wave of his hand. "I am more than capable of sleeping on the couch until we can purchase a bed."

"I'm sure I could shack up with Hanako until then," offered Riviére.

"I see you've inherited your mother's drive," chuckled Alexander as he walked towards the kitchen. "Anyway, you all look famished. Let me prepare supper," said Alexander as he moved to the kitchen.

Hanako rubbed the back of her head when Tatsu tapped her on the shoulder. "By the way, Hanako, you have something dripping from your nose," he said.

"Oh!" she said quickly, turning away. She dabbed her nostrils and found a thick, dark green ooze caked on the outer rim. She frowned and quickly wiped away the evidence before she turned back to Tatsu. "Thanks," she said with a cheery smile.

 

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Ch. XVII​

Bill​

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Riviére hummed happily as she ate her breakfast of a cheese omelette and crescents. She had awoken early that morning, afraid that everything had been a dream. To her joy, she found Alexander already making breakfast for them. Hanako and Tatsu joined them shortly after. Tatsu also ate a cheese omelette while Hanako ate her regular meal of assorted berries.

Alexander had finished cleaning the dishes before he grabbed his plate off the counter with his breakfast. "My, you're cheerful today," said Alexander happily as he sat down at the table. "Have your headaches gone away?"

"Why wouldn't I be happy?" she asked before taking a sip of her coffee. "Not entirely, but the coffee helps. I can't remember anything since Mt. Moon, but I'm glad I can remember everything since last night," she said cheerfully.

Alexander looked at his pocket watch. "If we leave within forty-five minutes, we'll reach the Shell Cottage by lunch."

"Kay," said Riviére as she, Tatsu, and Hanako finished up her breakfast.

Precisely forty-five minutes later, Tatsu had returned the house to the PokéCaps and began their journey through Route 24. Together, they walked over the river on Nugget Bridge, the very bridge that Louis had prevented them to cross yesterday. The sun warmed them with its glow as they walked through the remainder of the Route. Entering Route 25, the mountains completely blocked access to the north. The river pooled in the opening, creating a large lake. The lake had many cabins and cottages around the lake. A small town was nestled beside the lake to provide supplies to those who found a home at this lake.

"There it is!" said Riviére excitedly as they reached a top of the hill.

At the top, they could look over the entire lake and the cabins and cottages that dotted along it's shore. Boats, jet skis, and multiple Water-type Pokémon could be seen on the lake's surface. Riviére ran down the hill towards a two story cottage covered with decorative sea shells that sat along a small stretch of beach. Beside the cottage was a large oak tree that towered over the cottage. It's large branches provided shade from the sun and tied on the lowest hanging branch was a tire swing.

"Wow, that's a beautiful cottage," said Hanako as she, Tatsu, and Alexander began their walk down the hill.

"The Shell Cottage has been in the Bleu family for generations," explained Alexander. "This was Riviére's favorite vacation home when she was a child. I don't know why I didn't think that she'd be here after the accident."

Riviére approached the shore of the lake and reached into her purse. She withdrew her two blue Poké Balls and grinned widely. Hanako had told her that her Magikarp had evolved into Gyarados in Mt. Moon and fought off the entire force of Team Rocket soldiers to defend her. With a grin on her face, she tossed her Poké Balls into the lake. "Come on out! Gyarados! Wartortle!"

At her command, Gyarados and Wartortle materialized in the water after the Poké Balls popped open. Gyarados' massive serpent body was barely in the water due to his massive size. He leaned his head forward and nuzzled Riviére, who giggled at the Atrocious Pokémon's affection. Wartortle withdrew into his shell and floated lazily in the lake water.

"Go on and have some fun. Relax!" she said happily as she nuzzled Gyarados' scaly cheek. Gyarados hissed softly before retreating his head and turned towards the lake. The Atrocious Pokémon slithered into the depths of the lake, whether to feast or socialize with other Gyarados is unknown. Wartortle merely floated along the surface of the lake, withdrawn in his shell.

"Riviére has the right idea," said Tatsu as he reached into his bag. "We should let our Pokémon stretch their legs."

"That's a good idea," said Hanako as she went into her purse and withdrew her Poké Balls. "Go, Ivysaur! Exeggcute!"

"Charmeleon, Growlithe!"

Charmeleon, Growlithe, Ivysaur, and Exeggcute materialized on the grassy lawn beside the cottage. The Exeggcute jumped onto the neck of Ivysaur as he walked toward the oak tree for shade. Growlithe barked happily as he ran around Tatsu, while Charmeleon also joined Ivysaur and Exeggcute at the oak tree to take a nap.

"Well, I should start making lunch," said Alexander as he started to walked towards the Shell Cottage when a yell was heard.

"Help!" called a voice from the neighboring cabin. "Help!"

"Where's that coming from?" said Hanako as she and the others looked around for the source.

"There! The cabin next door!" said Tatsu.

The four of them rushed to the nearby cottage. They stopped at the door and Tatsu opened it with haste. Just as he burst in, an extremely large Kabuto stood in the center of the living room, struggling to stand and move around. "Ack!" shrieked Hanako from the surprise of seeing the giant Kabuto.

"Whoa, look at the size of that Kabuto!" shouted Riviére excitedly as she reached into her purse for a Poké Ball and threw it. "I'm not going to miss out on a Kabuto!" However, the Poké Ball merely bounced off the Kabuto's head. The force of the Poké Ball caused the giant Kabuto to topple over. The claws wiggled as the Kabuto tried to roll over.

"Help!" said a muffled voice from the Kabuto. "I'm in a Kabuto suit!"

"Oh...," said Riviére, sweat dropped from the side of her face as Alexander and Tatsu helped the Kabuto to his feet. "Well, now I just feel silly."

"Thank you," said the man in the suit as Alexander and Tatsu pulled him up. "I was at a costume party last night and I passed out wearing my costume. I've been trying to get out of this suit all morning. Could you help me get out? The zipper is on the side...," Tatsu pulled down the zipper and the front of the costume fell over. A sweaty thin man with mousy brown hair, wearing only boxers, fell out of the Kabuto Suit. He took a deep breath as he laid sprawled out on the floor. "Oh thank Arceus! That suit was toasty!"

"Not bad looking," said Riviére as the thin man stood up and went to his bedroom to change. Hanako had looked away modestly while Alexander and Tatsu moved the Kabuto Suit off to the living room.

The man returned a few minutes later, wearing a lab coat over a blue button shirt, green tie, and khaki pants. "I can't begin to thank you enough for your assistance! Please, join me for dinner tonight. My treat! My name is Bill," he said as he shook their hands.

"Thanks for the offer," said Riviére as she shook his hand. His lab coat drew her curiosity. "Sorry for asking, but are you a scientist?"

"Well, sort of," he said as he rubbed the back of his head. "I'm a Pokémon Researcher. I just graduated from Silver University about a month ago. I helped create the Storage System many trainers use for storing their Pokémon online while I was in Silver Academy. I want to become the lead Professor in the Kanto Region, like Professor Oak. I'm still pretty green though, and I'm looking to make a big impression for Professor Oak with my research. Most researchers start with a single Pokémon or species and do their research on them when they start fresh from the university," he said. He cleared his throat. "I've been thinking about how I could do that, so I was thinking about doing a research paper on the three Legendary Birds; Articuno, Zapdos, and Moltres."

"The three Legendary Birds," repeated Alexander as he traced his jaw. "Those Pokémon haven't had a confirmed sighting in nearly three dozen years."

"Precisely," said Bill. "Everything we have about them are outdated and myths. The last living Articuno in captivity died many years ago, when Tojoh was still one united country. A living Zapdos hasn't been seen in nearly fifty years; the last one seen during the Great Storm that nearly blew Vermilion City off the map. The last Moltres recorded was when the Pokémon League was formed and the flames of Moltres taken as ceremonial fire. If I could get proof that they still exist...," Bill leaned against his wall, crossing his arms. "I have no idea where I'd start looking."

Riviére turned towards Hanako. "Hey, you know your Legendary Pokémon. Got any idea where he could find them?"

Hanako blinked in surprise. "Um, well," she said as she reached into her purse and rummaged through it before she withdrew an old leather bound book. The binding was so old, it looked like it'd fall apart at the lightest touch. On the face of the book was "The Ancient Pokémon of Tojoh" title in bold letters. With the utmost care, she opened the book as she walked to the dinner table and carefully set it on the surface. Bill and the others swarmed around her as she carefully turned the pages. Illustrations of various Legendary Pokémon were illustrated with details of the legends behind them.

She found Articuno, the Freeze Pokémon's page first. One the left side was a detailed hand drawing of an Articuno. She leaned over, her hair sliding down the side of her face, and read aloud, "Articuno is a legendary bird Pokémon that can control ice. The flapping of its wings chills the air. As a result, it is said that when this Pokémon flies, snow will fall.The magnificent, seemingly translucent, wings of this legendary bird Pokémon are said to be made of ice. It can create blizzards by freezing moisture in the air. It is said to appear to doomed people who are lost in icy mountains." Hanako turned the page and found Zapdos, the Electric Pokémon with an illustration of a Zapdos. "Zapdos is a legendary bird Pokémon that has the ability to control electricity. It usually lives in thunderclouds, creating savage thunderstorms by flapping its glittering wings. The Pokémon gains power if it is stricken by lightning bolts. It is said that this Pokémon appear from clouds while dropping enormous lightning bolts. It was Zapdos that gave inspiration for man to capture electricity for power." She turned the page once more, she read Moltres, the Flame Pokémon's page with a majestic drawing of Moltres in a pit of flames. "Moltres is a legendary bird Pokémon that has the ability to control fire. If this Pokémon is injured, it is said to dip its body in the molten magma of a volcano to burn and heal itself. Every flap of its wings creates a dazzling flare of flames. It is said that its appearance indicates the coming of spring, and that spring will soon arrive if Moltres shows itself. Those who see it are overwhelmed by its orange wings that seem to be on fire."

"Those sound like some powerful Pokémon," said Tatsu as he eyed Moltres' page. "I'd give just about anything to have a Moltres on my team."

"You and everyone else," said Hanako. "Back in the day, a lot of people tried to get their hands on these birds. Very few ever caught any. When Poké Balls were introduced, I can only recall a handful of trainers catching any of these. When the trainer died, they all specified in their wills to have the Pokémon released."

"So, where would a trainer look for them?" asked Bill eagerly.

"Hm," Hanako rubbed her chin in thought. "Well...Moltres can be found near an active volcano. Going anywhere near a volcano could be hazardous. I wouldn't recommend going near one unless you're prepared. It's rumored that the Office of the Pokémon League has a Moltres. As for Zapdos, that will be the hardest to find. You'll have to chase a storm. I suggest looking up weather reports and predicting where a thunderstorm would show up. The odds are slim, but you might be able to find one. Articuno on the other hand, you'll have to find a cold environment or look in the Tojoh Mountains," she paused and looked towards Bill. "You're just going to research them...right?"

Bill nodded. "Yes. I'm no trainer so I wouldn't capture them. Not unless you count on film or in photographs for research purposes."

Hanako looked at him thoroughly before turned back to her book. "All right. I think I know of one place where you could find an Articuno."

"Really?" asked Bill.

"Yes," said Hanako as she closed the book and carefully put it in her purse. She straightened up and turned towards Bill. "There's an island in the Seafoam Islands with a cave that's covered in ice. In the bowels in that cave, it was rumored to be a refuge to Ice-type Pokémon. You may find an Articuno or two there."

"I didn't even think about the Seafoam Islands," said Bill happily. He grabbed Hanako by the hand suddenly. "Hanako, would you and your friends be willing to join me on an expedition there?"

"H-huh?" stuttered Hanako.

"Why would you want us to join?" asked Tatsu.

"It's typical for expeditions to have Pokémon Trainers on their team," said Alexander. "It's a safety measure."

"I think we should," voted Riviére happily. "How often does anyone get a chance to see an Articuno?"

"You do have a point," said Tatsu with a shrug of his shoulders. "Sure, count me in."

"If Riviére is going, then I am bound to go as well," added Alexander.

Hanako looked around to her friends then back at Bill. "Well, I can't be the odd one out. I'll join you as well." she said as she rubbed the back of her head.

"Great!" said Bill. "Within a month, we'll depart from Vermilion City!"

That night, the five of them and their Pokémon feasted out by the lake. They joked and told stories well into the night. The lake was alive with festivities. Every worry they had were expelled. Riviére was the center of attention; the life and soul of the party. Alexander served drinks and food to them in between discussing with Bill and his research and Hanako. Tatsu, not much for social occasions, would sit on the sidelines with his Charmeleon until he was dragged into the center with Riviére and danced.


As they danced, a dark, shadowy figure with a white fog-like hair that billowed like smoke hovered at the top of the Shell Cottage and overlooked the party below. With it's blue eyes fixed on Riviére and Tatsu dancing before it turned it's gaze to Hanako, the Pokémon crossed his arms. "Good move, Hanako Mori. You've adverted my plans for now. Don't think you've won," said the Darkrai as he hovered backward and began to fade away. "I'll be back for you."

 

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Ch. XVIII​

The Cerulean Mermaid​

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Alexander closed his pocket watch before he looked up at the building. Hanako, Tatsu, and Riviére stood behind him with their Wonder Launchers, awaiting for their appointed time to challenge the Gym Leader. As the days grew closer, their discussion about Misty were frequent and lengthy. The only concrete plan they decided would be Riviére not using her Gyarados this battle, as it'd be vastly unfair and unlikely to fit in the Gym. The Pokémon they'd use and turn order, however, was a much more debated topic. Just an hour before arriving at the Gym, they finally came to terms on their strategy.

"Well?" asked Alexander as he turned his head toward them. "It's time for your appointment with the Cerulean Gym Leader. Are you ready?"

They looked at each other and nodded simultaneously. Together, they entered the Cerulean City Gym. Once inside, they looked around. In the center of the Gym was a large pool, twenty feet long and ten feet wide, the pool went down at least fifteen or more feet. There were several floating circular pods that served as platforms for non-Water-type Pokémon to use to fight on. There were no walls in the gym; rather, there were large sliding windows that brought in the sun's rays and the breeze.

A young girl broke the surface in the center of the pool. She had short, ginger hair, stunning blue eyes, and wore a blue full-body swimming suit. She looked up at the small party and smiled. "Hello! Are you here for the Gym Battle?" she called out.

"Yes, we are!" said Riviére happily, waving at Misty.

Misty swam to the pool ladder and climbed out. She bent over and picked u a dry towel and dried herself off as she approached the group of challengers. "Hello, it's nice to finally meet you all," she said as she shook each of their hands. "I'm glad you set up an appointment ahead of time. I've had twelve Gym Battles so far this week due to the World Championships, of course."

"The influx of challengers must eat up your free time," said Tatsu after they shook hands.

"You wouldn't believe it," said Misty with an exhausted sigh, "everyone who has a Pokémon wants to challenge the Gyms. Brock is swamped with challenges now. About seventy percent of those trainers win, then I get them. Trainers from different regions are also starting to flock in. The Pokémon League sanctioned us to use much stronger Pokémon against trainers who already competed in tournaments," she said as she dried her hair. "I'm honestly happy to do back-to-back one-on-one battles with you. It opens up my schedule a bit. Though, I won't deny any losers a badge if one or two of you so happens to win."

Alexander checked his pocket watch and turned towards a bench.

"Are you going to spectate?" Misty asked as Alexander walked away.

"That's correct. I'm merely a spectator of their battles, if that is all right with you." replied Alexander before he sat down properly.

"Yeah, that's fine," said Misty as she rubbed the back of her head before turning back to her challengers. "So, who's first?"

"I'll go first," said Tatsu as he raised his hand.

"All right. Good luck," said Misty as she turned and walked to the long end of the pool. Tatsu mimicked her by walking toward the opposing end while Hanako and Riviére sat beside Alexander to spectate the match. Misty's personal referee entered the Gym and stood on the outside of the pool as another brought Misty her Poké Balls.

"Tatsu Fuji challenges Misty, the Cerulean City Gym Leader, to a one-on-one Contest!" said the female referee as he held up a red and blue flag. "Wonder Launchers have been permitted for use in this battle. Since this is a one on one battle, no one is permitted to switch out Pokémon. The battle will continue until the Pokémon's Trainer gives up the match, or the Pokémon is no longer able to battle," the referee raised both arms. "Trainers, are you ready?" she bellowed as looked at both trainers. "Choose your Pokémon!"

"Go, Staryu!"

"Go, Growlithe!"

Simultaneously, Tatsu and Misty threw their Poké Balls into the air and the balls snapped open. On Misty's side, a Staryu materialized on the edge of the pool. On Tatsu's side, Growlithe appeared by his side. Growlithe barked happily and ran around Tatsu as the referee swung her flags. "Fight!"

"Staryu, jump into the water!" ordered Misty.

"Growlithe, jump onto the platform!" said Tatsu.

Staryu jumped into the water just as Growlithe jumped onto the platform. When Growlithe jumped on it, the platform moved in the water. Growlithe nervously tried to stabilize it as Tatsu raised his arm and pointed his Wonder Launcher at Growlithe. He shot an X Speed and the X Item made contact. As Growlithe absorbed the energy from the X Speed, the Staryu jumped out of the water, spinning rapidly.

"Staryu, use Water Gun!"

"Growlithe, dodge it and use Take Down!"

At the height of his jump, Staryu shot five jets of Water Gun from it's points at Growlithe. With his increased speed, Growlithe was easily able to dodge each Water Gun. The Puppy Pokémon jumped to the nearest platforms with great speed and slammed into Staryu in midair. Staryu fell back into the water as Growlithe barely landed on the platform, his hind leg dipping into the water before scurrying back onto the center of the platform.

"Wow, I didn't see that coming," said Hanako as they watched Tatsu prepare for another order.

"Go Tatsu!" yelled Riviére, flailing her arms wildly.

"That was a good move. I didn't expect him to hit a Take Down in midair," said Misty to herself as Staryu floated to the surface. "Staryu, use Recover!" As ordered, Staryu used Recover, gaining a large portion of his energy as its body gave off a rainbow glow. Energized, the Staryu went back below the surface.

Tatsu growled as he reloaded his Wonder Launcher. "Growlithe, use Howl then wait!"

Growlithe nodded and howled loudly, raising his vigor and confidence. Afterward, Growlithe took a stance and looked around eagerly around the pool's surface. He looked for any break in the surface, any hint of the Staryu in the depth below. Tatsu and Misty stared at each other from across the pool like a western stand-off, waiting for the other to make a move. Alexander, Hanako, and Riviére sat at the edge of their seats, waiting in anticipation to who would draw first. After an entire minute of silence, both gave an order at the same time.

"Staryu, Rapid Spin!"

"Growlithe, Bite!"

Staryu shot out of the water like a bullet on Growlithe's left, spinning like a shuriken at Growlithe. With blinding fast reflexes, Growlithe jumped backward and clamped his jaws on the Staryu, catching the Staryu in midair for the second time in a row. The stunned Misty watched helplessly as the Staryu struggled to free itself from the Growlithe's jaws. The Puppy Pokémon placed the Staryu on the platform and gnawed on it.

"Staryu, use Water Gun!"

Staryu uses its pointy arms to shoot the jets of water at all angles. The pressure of the water pushed the Staryu out of Growlithe's hold and flung itself back into the water. Growlithe growled and took his stance. Misty looked worried as a glow emanated from the depths of the pool. Tatsu, on the other hand, was smiling.

"Tatsu looks confident," said Riviére after a quick observation.

"Indeed he does," replied Alexander as his gaze shifted to Misty. "He's 2-0 in exchanges despite Growlithe having the weakness. Growlithe is a few levels stronger than her Staryu. Without the earlier recover, Staryu would have been defeated."

Misty seemed to have realized this as she looked down to the bottom of the pool, watching her Staryu swimming below the surface, waiting for an order to strike for another attack. She clenched her fist and thought feverish of a strategy. Her temper only flared when she looked over to Tatsu and watched him smile confidently.

"Don't get so cocky!" she warned as she pointed at the Growlithe. "Staryu, use Bubblebeam!"

"Growlithe, use Flame Burst!"

Just as the Staryu breached the surface, Growlithe, with the increased speed and reaction time, fired a Flame Burst before it could shoot out a Bubblebeam. The Flame Burst made contact with the Starshape Pokémon and blasted it off course. Staryu fell onto a nearby platform, burned from the fiery assault.

"Staryu, use Recover!"

"Growlithe, use Close Combat!"

Growlithe reared himself in attaching position and gathered all of his fighting strength as the Staryu gathered it's remaining energy for another Recover. Growlithe jumped from platform to platform, with each leap, he gained more vigor. When Growlithe jumped on the platform near Staryu, the Puppy Pokémon charged forward and slammed the Staryu in mid-Recover. The force of the slam knocked the Staryu backward. Growlithe immediately bit the Staryu on the one of it's pointed arms and flung it upward. On it's decent, Growlithe jumped up and headbutted the Staryu square in the center. The force of the attack sent the Staryu flying upward even higher. The Starshape Pokémon fell beside the referee's feet and lay their unconscious.

The referee raised her flag in Tatsu's favor. "Winner by technical knock-out, Growlithe!"

Tatsu grinned confidently as Riviére and Hanako jumped up and down in sheer delight. Misty returned her Staryu to it's Poké Ball and looked down at it. "Take a long rest. You deserve it," she said as she turned and walked towards the end of the pool. Tatsu returned his Growlithe and met at the center of the pool and shook hands. "That was a great match."

"Thanks. Growlithe had fun." he said as one of Misty's assistants approached them with a Cascade badge on a blue cloth.

Misty picked up the badge and held it out for Tatsu. "Here you go. This is the Cascade Badge. You've earned this."

Tatsu reached forward and took the Cascade Badge from Misty. "I will honor this badge with a Pokémon League victory."

"I'll keep that in mind," giggled Misty before she turned toward Hanako and Riviére. "So, who's going to battle next?"

Hanako and Riviére looked at each other before Hanako stood up. "That'll be me."

Tatsu and Hanako walked past each other as they traded places as Misty took her former spot. Tatsu took her seat while Hanako took his position during the Gym Battle. The referee raised her arms. "Hanako Mori challenges Misty, the Cerulean City Gym Leader to a one-on-one Contest! Wonder Launchers have been permitted for use in this battle. Since this is a one on one battle, no one is permitted to switch out Pokémon. The battle will continue until the Pokémon's Trainer gives up the match, or the Pokémon is no longer able to battle," the referee raised both arms. "Trainers, are you ready? Choose your Pokémon!"

"Go, Poliwhirl!"

"Go, Exeggcute!"

The Tadpole and Egg Pokémon materialized after their trainers after they threw their Poké Balls into the air. The referee cried out "Fight!" and immediately the trainers gave their orders.

"Poliwhirl, use Water Gun!"

"Exeggcute, use Bullet Seed!"

Simultaneously Exeggcute and Poliwhirl launched their attacks from across the pool. Exeggcute sprayed seeds like bullets toward the Poliwhirl. In return, Poliwhirl shot down each seed that threatened to hit him with a Water Gun attack. After nearly a minute, a standoff ensued as neither were able to land a single attack. Misty and Hanako smiled at each other as their Pokémon braced themselves for another attack.

"Poliwhirl, jump into the pool!" ordered Misty. As commanded, the Poliwhirl jumped into the water and swam to the depths below.

Hanako smiled in confidence. "All right Exeggcute, use Confusion!"

"Exe!" said the tiny Egg Pokémon. Her eyes glowed bright blue and she sent a psychic wave through the entire pool. The wave hit the Poliwhirl from deep below and caused confusion. Poliwhirl swam at awkward angles and often hit the wall in a panic. It took a while for Poliwhirl to reach the surface.

"Exeggcute, use Leech Seed!"

"Poliwhirl, use Water Gun!"

Poliwhirl, however, didn't seem to understand the order and instead backstroked right into the platform, hitting his head. Exeggcute used the confusion to her advantage and shot three small seeds at the Tadpole Pokémon. When the seeds landed on the damp skin, the seeds opened and long vine-like tentacles wrapped around Poliwhirl's body tightly. The Tadpole Pokémon jumped onto the platform and tried to rip off the vines, but to little success. Each vine ripped off, the seed grew another vine to replace the one it had lost. The seeds proceeded to strangle the Poliwhirl as the seeds sapped the energy, telepathically sending the energy to the Exeggcute.

"Come on Poliwhirl, break away from the vines!" shouted Misty.

"Exeggcute, use Poison Powder!"

The Exeggcute inhaled deeply before exhaling purple spores toward the Poliwhirl. The Tadpole Pokémon couldn't hear Misty warning him to jump in the water as he insisted on trying to remove the seeds. The spores engulfed the Poliwhirl, causing him to cough as he breathed in the spores. Poliwhirl immediately fell ill from the poison and sat down. The poison and Leech Seed drained far to much energy from the Poliwhirl to stand up.

Misty's temper flared as she feverishly racked her brain for a strategy to use against Hanako and her Exeggcute. Nothing she could think of was concrete enough to get her Pokémon out of this situation. Before she could come up with a strategy, Hanako gave her Exeggcute another order.

"Exeggcute, use Bullet Seed!"

"Poliwhirl, use Water Gun!" retorted Misty.

Exeggcute shot more seeds towards the Poliwhirl. Poliwhirl, slow to move, was unable to get up in time to launch a counter attack. The seeds hit Poliwhirl like bullets. The Poliwhirl flung himself back into the water to avoid the remainder of the assault. Poliwhirl tried to swim away, but the Leech Seed and poison affects sapped the remaining energy. Poliwhirl fainting in the pool and rose to the surface, face up.

The referee raised her flag in Hanako's favor. "Winner by technical knock-out, Exeggcute!"

Misty sighed as she returned her Poliwhirl to his Poké Ball and looked at it. "I'm sorry, I failed you," she said as Hanako celebrated with her Exeggcute before returning her to the Poké Ball as her friends cheered her on. At the same time, they walked around the pool's edge and at the center. "Congratulations, you've earned this victory," she said as they shook hands.

"Thank you," said Hanako happily. "Though don't discount yourself. My Exeggcute had the advantage from the start," she said with a small laugh.

"Don't discount your own skills. I wasn't close to being able to inflict any damage on your Exeggcute," said Misty as her assistant approached them with another Cascade Badge on a blue cloth. As per tradition, Misty took the Cascade Badge from her assistant and present Hanako with the badge. "Here you go, the Cascade Badge. You've earned it!"

Hanako took the badge and bowed before walking to her friends. "I've got a Cascade Badge!" she said happily.

"All right, you've joined the club," said Tatsu as he showed off his Cascade Badge.

"You've both done well," said Alexander before he turned his head toward Riviére. "You're up next, my Lady."

Riviére nodded. "You're right."

Misty returned to her spot and Riviére walked to where Tatsu and Hanako stood. They looked at each other with determination. It was Water Trainer vs. Water Trainer. "Riviére Bleu challenges Misty, the Cerulean City Gym Leader to a one-on-one Contest! Wonder Launchers have been permitted for use in this battle. Since this is a one on one battle, no one is permitted to switch out Pokémon. The battle will continue until the Pokémon's Trainer gives up the match, or the Pokémon is no longer able to battle," the referee raised both arms. "Trainers, are you ready? Choose your Pokémon!"

"Go, Starmie!"

"Go, Wartortle!"

The Mysterious and Turtle Pokémon materialized beside their trainers. The referee lowered both flags with enthusiasm and exclaimed "Fight!"

Misty raised her arm and pointed at Wartortle, her confidence returned. "Starmie, use Thunderbolt!"

"Not Thunderbolt!" exclaimed Riviére in shock.

The Starmie jumped and spin quickly in the air. The energy generated from the spinning created a thunderbolt that shot like lightning at the Wartortle. The electric attack shocked the Turtle Pokémon, dealing a super effective hit. Once the attack ended, the Wartortle nearly fell over. Excess electricity bounced across Wartortle's body, paralyzed from the Thunderbolt.

Riviére, however, only smiled and raised her arm. "Wartortle, use Mirror Coat!"

The order surprised everyone as Wartortle grinned and raised his arms. He was able to summon the damage soaked caused by the Thunderbolt and double the energy. With a swipe of his stubby arms, the massive blast shot across the pool with blinding speed. The Mirror Coat made contact with the Starmie and the explosion forced Misty back. The Mysterious Pokémon was hurtled upward and hit the ceiling. Starmie fell to the ground and lay unconscious.

Tatsu, Hanako, Misty, and the referee stood speechless as Alexander merely looked at his pocket watch. "Only thirty-one seconds," said Alexander with a wicked grin. "I have to say, that's the quickest battle for sure."

The referee was the first to come to her senses. "Th-the winner by technical knock-out is Wartortle!" she said as she raised the flag in Wartortle's corner.

"Yay!" exclaimed Riviére as she picked up her Wartortle and hugged him.

"Only one shot?" said the shocked Misty. She shook her head and returned her Starmie to it's Poké Ball. For the final time, Misty met her competitor at the edge of the pool. "I can't believe that your Wartortle withstood my Starmie's Thunderbolt," she said as her assistant approached with the third Cascade Badge.

"I was surprised myself, but I have faith in my Wartortle," replied Riviére confidently.

Misty chuckled. "I suppose you're right," she said as she took the Cascade Badge from her assistant and handed it to Riviére. "Here you go. You've earned this."

Riviére took the badge and smiled widely. "Thank you. I won't let you down!" she said as they shook hands and Misty waved goodbye. She turned and walked over to Tatsu, Hanako, and Alexander. "Guys, I got a badge!"

"Congrats Riviére!" said Hanako happily.

"Didn't doubt you for a second," said Tatsu. "At least you actually made a move this time," he added.

"I think this is cause for a celebration," said Alexander as the four of them moved towards the exit. "There's an excellent restaurant at the edge of town..."

Misty placed her hand on her hip and watched the four of them leave. "If those three manage to get to the Pokémon League, I think they could win the whole thing," she said to herself as she turned and left with her officials.

Unbeknownst to them, a tall man wearing a brown trench coat was peering into the Gym from one of the windows, hiding behind a tree. "Looks like I found them," he said to himself with a wicked grin before walking away.

As Tatsu and the others stepped outside, they discussed where they should go next. "We should go South through Saffron City to get to Vermilion City," said Hanako as Alexander studied a map. "Vermilion City has the next ranked Gym that we need to battle against."

"If it's all right with you, I'd like to go to Lavender Town first," said Tatsu as he looked at his Cascade Badge.

"What's in Lavender Town?" asked Riviére.

"Grandpa Fuji lives in Lavender Town. I want to show him that I collected two badges and my Pokémon." he replied.

Alexander looked down at the map. "If we went to Lavender Town, the quickest way would be to go through the Rock Tunnel in the East. Lavender Town is at the tail end of the Tojoh Mountains. Should take about two weeks to get there."

Hanako and Riviére looked at each other and shrugged their shoulders. "Sure, we can go to Lavender Town first," said Riviére. "We have plenty of time before the Pokémon Championships start."

"Thanks guys," said Tatsu happily.

Hanako giggled. "Onward to Lavender Town!"

 

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Ch. XIX​

The Titan Steelix of Rock Tunnel​

Two and a half weeks have passed since their victory against Misty at the Cerulean City Gym. Alexander, Hanako, Tatsu, and Riviére walked down the winding path to a small clearing between two mountains in the early hours of the morning. The other side of the river ran through this clearing, the river bending around the Kanto Power Plant. Just north of the Power Plant was a large opening in one of the mountains called the Rock Tunnel; a tunnel created by a giant Steelix nicknamed "The Titan". The Titan hasn't been seen in over a decade, though the ground frequently rumbled. It's often thought that the Titan had moved underground, creating new tunnels as it moved deep below.

"I can see the Pokémon Center," said Riviére as they walked along the riverside. Swimming along side them was Riviére's Gyarados. His large fins were visible as they breached the surface.

"Should we stay the night here, or should we go forward?" asked Hanako.

"The Rock Tunnel is a direct path to Lavender Town," explained Tatsu, "it will only take about eight hours to trek the cave."

"It's early enough in the day to travel through the tunnel and make it out by night. We might as well go through it," said Alexander.

As they walked down the worn path, Riviére looked over at the entrance of the Rock Tunnel; a large hole that protruded out of the side of a mountain. "So tell me about this so called Titan Steelix? Is it really over a thousand feet long?"

"Oh no, not nearly that big," explained Tatsu, "the Titan is closer to three hundred. The Titan is an old Steelix that burrowed out of the side of this mountain during a battle that took place here. The fighting disturbed the Steelix from below and it broke out the side of the mountain in a rage. Everyone fled from the Steelix and it got the nickname "Titan" because of freakish size. Whenever there's an earthquake in the area, it's said that the Titan is moving in the earth below."

"That's scary," Riviére commented as they approached the Pokémon Center. She returned Gyarados to his Poké Ball before she joined her friends inside.

They gave their Poké Balls to the resident nurse of the Pokémon Center for healing before they bought supplies from the small mart the Pokémon Center had, including flash lights and gear suited for traveling into the depths. After about an hour, they were ready to depart into the Rock Tunnel. They stood outside of the mouth of the Rock Tunnel and looked into the dark bowels within.

"You don't think we'll run into that Titan Steelix, do you?" asked Riviére nervously.

"The Titan hasn't been seen in about sixteen years," replied Tatsu.

"Let's hope we don't run into it," said Hanako with a shudder before they walked inside. "I wouldn't fancy running into a giant Steelix in the Rock Tunnel."

Alexander turned on his flashlight and surveyed the cave. Behind the boulders, sounds of Pokémon could be heard hiding from them as they shifted in the darkness. A loud sound of stone scratching along the surface was heard in a distance. Alexander pointed the light towards the source and the tail end of an Onix could be seen before it slithered deeper into the tunnel.

"Just an Onix," said Alexander as Tatsu checked his PokéDex.

"Hm," Tatsu scrolled through his PokéDex. "According to the PokéDex, there's Onix, Cubone, Marowak, Zubat, Golbat, Machop, Machoke, Geodude, Graveler, and Kangaskhan. Nothing about the Titan Steelix."

"They probably excluded it from the PokéDex to stop people from looking for it," said Hanako with a shrug of her shoulders. "If knowledge of a gigantic Steelix was common knowledge, there's be swarms of trainers trying to find it. Who wouldn't want a giant Steelix?"

"Are there a lot of gigantic Pokémon?" asked Riviére as they resumed their walk through the bowels of the Rock Tunnel.

"A few known gigantic Pokémon come to mind," said Alexander, "other than Riviére's own Gyarados, I can think of a Tyranitar in Mt. Silver, Dragonite in the sea near Vermilion, Aggron of Granite Cave, and the Tentacruel of the Sea."

"There's a giant Tentacruel?"

"Oh yes," replied Alexander. "There's tales of a giant Tentacruel that lives in the sea near Pastoria City. I've heard it's been sighted off the shore for the past several years."

Before Riviére could reply, the ground beneath them shook violently. The force of the earth shaking beneath their feet nearly knocked them all to the ground. Tatsu grabbed Riviére around the chest while Hanako fell against the cave wall. Alexander stabilized himself and shined the flashlight around. Riviére looked up at Tatsu, his hands still on her breasts.

"Tatsu, if you want to fondle me, I suggest asking me first," she said as he pulled his hands away.

"S-sorry," said Tatsu, his face flushed.

Riviére laughed. "You're so adorable when you do that."

Hanako and Alexander paid no mind to the indiscretion.

"Do you think that was the Titan Steelix?" asked Hanako.

"I'm not sure," replied Alexander. He paused for a moment and started walking. "We should keep moving. The less time we spend in the tunnel, the better."

With haste, they delved deeper into the cave. Much like Mt. Moon, Pokémon often kept their distance from them. The absence of lights made it hard to see, though the flashlights helped them see where they were going. A few times, Tatsu used Charmeleon's tail as a light source while they ate lunch and changed batteries. After finishing their lunch, they continued onward into the cave. A few hours later, they approached an opening to a large open cavern. Hanako and the others walked into the cavern and flashed their flashlights around, looking for the entrance.

"I can't see the exit out of here," said Hanako as she flashed her light along the walls.

"W-well, I didn't find the exit, but I found something..." said a frightened Riviére.

Tatsu, Hanako, and Alexander turned their attention towards Riviére's flashlight. The light had gleamed off a shiny, metallic surface. They used their flashlights to survey the mysterious metallic surface. To their surprise, and horror, they quickly realized that a gigantic Steelix was blocking the entrance, fast asleep in a coiled ball. While a normal Steelix was roughly thirty feet long, this one was well over ten times that size; It's head alone was nearly the size of a regular Steelix and the jaw large enough to swallow them all hole.

"What do we do?!" whispered Riviére.

"We have to turn back!" argued Tatsu as they all huddled together.

"If we did that, it'd take another seven hours! We can't sleep in the cave!" protested Hanako.

"Maybe we can walk around it?" suggested Tatsu.

"I don't think that will work," said Alexander.

"Why?"

"Because we woke it up."

They turned their attention back to the Steelix. To their horror, it's human-sized eye stared right back at them. Slowly, the colossal Steelix raised his head and roared at them. Alexander and the others ran away as quickly as they could. The tail nearly hit them as the Steelix uncoiled. The Titan Steelix towered nearly a hundred feet above them.

Alexander reached into his breast pocket and withdrew two Luxury Balls. He tossed them into the air and they both popped open. A Chandelure and Machamp materialized in front of him. The constant flames of Chandelure brightened the cavern with a purple glow. The sight of the Chandelure made Steelix agitated. The Iron Snake Pokémon roared loudly and slammed his tail against the ground. The ground shook violently, knocking them all off their feet.

""Hanako, Riviére, get your Poké Balls out. We need to help Alexander," said Tatsu as he withdrew his.

"Forget about it," said Alexander as he stood beside his Machamp and Chandelure. "Your Pokémon have absolutely no chance against this Steelix. Even your Gyarados wouldn't last a minute. This Steelix is far to old and powerful for your weak Pokémon to stand against him."

"What are you talking about? We have two badges!" protested Riviére, "Let us help you!"

"I'm sorry my Lady, but this is something I must do alone," he said as he looked at his Chandelure. "Chandelure, I want you to go to the top of the cavern and provide us light."

"Chaaaaan," said the Chandelure mysteriously before the Luring Pokémon floated up to the cavern ceiling. The Chandelure provided and ghastly, purple light over the cavern.

Machamp walked forward and punched his palms, itching for a fight. "Mach," said the Machamp eagerly.

Alexander smirked. "You seem eager to battle, Machamp. It's been a while since you had a good fight."

"Champ," said the Superpower Pokémon as he took a fighting stance.

The Steelix roared and lunged at the Machamp with his wide jaws open. Alexander ordered Machamp to use the technique "Bullet Punch" before the Iron Snake Pokémon could strike. Machamp jumped forward and punched the Steelix in furious, lightning fast blows the face with his four arms. The force of the blows propelled the Steelix back a bit. The Iron Snake Pokémon quickly recovered and roared at the Machamp furiously.

"Machamp, use Fire Punch!" ordered Alexander.

The Superpower Pokémon punched his fists and charged at the gigantic Steelix with the utmost bravery. With his fists clenched, the heat generated by the energy cause each of his beefy hands to light on fire. With the first strike, Machamp struck the Steelix right in the center. The Iron Snake Pokémon doubled over, and Machamp jumped upward and struck the Steelix three times in the jaw. The Titan fell to his side, causing the cavern to quake.

"Wow, Machamp did it!" exclaimed Riviére.

"Not quite," said Tatsu as the Steelix slowly stirred and lifted the first third of his body.

"Four Fire Punches in a row, and you are still able to get up after that?" said Alexander to himself with a small smile. "You're an amazing specimen. You will make an excellent member of my team. Machamp, use Dynamic Punch!"

Machamp rushed towards the Steelix with his two right arms reared back. Steelix roared and swept his giant tail along the cavern's floor. Alexander and the others ducked to avoid the steel tail sweeping over their heads. Machamp saw the tail sweeping towards him and stopped in place. With a mighty vigorous roar, Machamp punched Steelix's tail as it came right at him. The force of the double punch cracked the metal plating. Steelix roared in pain as he withdrew his tail. Machamp once again charged at the Steelix and jumped up to reach his face. With a firm punch to the side of the jaw, Steelix's head recoiled and fell to his side.

Sensing an opportunity, Alexander withdrew a Luxury Ball from his jacket and threw it at the Titan. The ball hit the Steelix on the head and snapped open, absorbing the Steelix into it. The Luxury Ball closed and fell to the ground. It wiggled with the button glowing red as the fought to escape the ball. After several shakes, the Luxury Ball ceased shaking.

"Way to go Alexander!" called out Riviére as Alexander walked towards the Luxury Ball and picked it up. He looked at it for a moment before tossing it.

"Go, Titan Steelix!" he called out.

The Luxury Ball snapped open in mid-air and the Titan Steelix materialized in the cavern. It lay on the ground, hurt from the previous battle. Alexander reached into his pocket and took out another Luxury Ball and tossed it. When it popped open, a Blissey materialized. "Blissey, use Heal Pulse." he ordered.

"Blissey!" she said as she waddled towards the Steelix. She placed her hands on the Steelix and emitted a rainbow pulse. The pulse swept across Steelix, healing any wounds suffered against Machamp and any sustained before. While the Titan Steelix was being healed, the Steelix opened his eyes and moved his head toward their directly. Alexander, accompanied by Hanako, Riviére, Tatsu, his Machamp and Chandelure, approached him.

"Hello, Titan Steelix. You are a fascinating specimen. I would be honored if you would accompany me and my friends to explore the world. I may have caught you, but I will ultimately leave the choice to you," said Alexander as he picked up Steelix's Luxury Ball. "If you want, I will destroy your Luxury Ball to return you to the wild."

The Titan Steelix looked down at Alexander, towering over them all as Blissey's Heal Pulse finished. He looked down at him for nearly a solid minute before lowering his head respectively. "STEEEEEEEELLLL...." Steelix's voice rumbled low.

"Excellent," said Alexander happily as he returned Steelix to his Luxury Ball.

"I wouldn't want to face you and the Titan Steelix," said Tatsu as they approached him.

Alexander inclined his head. "Thank you, young master," said Alexander before he returned his Machamp, Chandelure, and Blissey to their Luxury Balls.

"So Riviére," asked Hanako, "how many Pokémon does Alexander have?"

"Hm," Riviére pondered for a moment. "If I remember correctly, he had roughly one hundred Pokémon the last time I knew him. Though I'm sure he's caught well more than that."

Alexander overheard them and smiled. "This Steelix makes one hundred and eighty nine," he said modestly.

"One hundred and eighty nine Pokémon...Wow," said Hanako nervously.

He chuckled lightly before he turned towards the exit. He could see that it was well into the night out in the open. "Oh my, look at the time," he said as he checked his pocket watch, "we are far behind schedule for dinner. We should hurry if we intend to eat and go to bed at an appropriate time."

"Yeah, I'm famished," said Riviére. Together, they departed the Rock Tunnel and reentered Route 10. The lights of Lavender Town were seen in the distance near the sea, several miles away. The shadow of a large tower at the edge of town loomed in the distance. A mile away, a black van with a bold letter R was driving into town. In the passenger side sat a man with short purple hair and goatee with bright purple eyes, smoking a cigarette.

"That Key Stone is good as ours," he said after he took a drag from his cigarette and exhaled.

 

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Ch. XX​

The Lavender Tower​

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Tatsu and the others walked along the route towards Lavender Town. As Lavender Town came into closer view, rows and rows of gravestones appeared more frequently. Scars from a large battle shaped the landscape; large craters and fallen machines of wars littered the fields. Riviére looked around the scarred plain with a sense of morbid curiosity. The closer they got to Lavender Town, the more tombstones could be seen along the route and in the fields left untouched by war.

"Was this one of the battle sites?" she asked.

Tatsu nodded. "Yeah. It wasn't the biggest battle, but a lot of civilians died," he said as he stopped. He looked around before he walked over to a small group of tombstones. "The civilians of Lavender Town defended the town when Johto invaded by sea until the soldiers from Kanto arrived two days later. After the battle, the Lavender Tower was constructed after the town was rebuilt. There were so many deaths, Lavender Town became a graveyard and the Tower was a monument for the dead."

He stopped in front of a row of tombstones along side the route and stood in front of them. As the others approached him, they read the names on the tombstones. To their surprise, they belong to several members of the Fuji family. He paused before he continued. "The Fuji family lived here in Lavender Town. When Johto invaded, most of my family of age took part in the fighting. They weren't soldiers; they were scientists. Most of them didn't even have Pokémon stronger than a holder of two badges. They were some of the first to die. Only my great grandmother, my grandpa, my great uncle, and my father survived. Now, it's just me, my father, and my grandpa that carry on the bloodline."

"Tatsu..." said Hanako quietly before he shook his head.

"Let's keep going," he said as he walked past them and back down along the route, hands in his jean pockets.

While walking down the route for several minutes, Riviére broke the awkward silence. "So, what started the war anyway?"

"It started about fifty years ago," said Hanako as they walked. "At first, it was a political. Emperor Tojoh named Kanto, the eldest son, as his heir. However, he was thought to be a dreadful leader. He was known to be lazy and indecisive. His brother, Johto, wanted to take his place. He was much better suited for the position as Emperor, many thought, but he was also very cruel. The brothers fought constantly for years and each had their supporters. The political strife cut the country in half. Some followed their younger brothers and sisters instead, finding Kanto and Johto poor leaders for ascension. When the Emperor died, an all out war broke out. It took roughly thirty-five years before the fighting stopped when a man named Satoshi fought both armies on his own, along with his Pokémon."

"Satoshi?" repeated Riviére, "the former Champion?"

"Yeah," replied Tatsu. "according to legend, when his wife got shot by a soldier and died, he went into a rage and vowed to end the war on his own. During the Battle of Viridian, he charged in during the middle of the battle and defeated everyone on his own. The man used his bare hands to defeat soldiers who fired on him with assault rifles while his Pokémon defeated theirs. After he won the battle, he marched to both capitols and forced them both to surrender. That's how the war ended fifteen years ago, though it's a very uneasy alliance. Both President Kanto and Johto fear Satoshi; I mean, who wouldn't? The man ended the war."

"Wow. He must be an impressive man," said Riviére in awe.

"Yeah, he certainly is..." said Hanako sadly.

By mid-morning, they arrived at the edge of Lavender Town. The town was small in size and population; the majority of civilians were young in age; not many people exceeded the age of forty. Maybe of the buildings lay in ruin as relics of the war. As they walked down the main road, Tatsu stopped before they turned for the Pokémon Center.

"Tatsu, aren't you coming?" asked Hanako.

"My grandpa has his own Pokémon Healing System. We can use that instead," said Tatsu as he turned the opposite way and walked down the sidewalk. Alexander and the others joined him.

A few minutes later, Tatsu stopped in front of a two story house. It was one of the few in the entire town of Lavender that hadn't fallen into ruin during the battle. The majority of homes had been rebuilt and had a modern touch. The Fuji home, however, retained its age and had a more traditional Tojoh feel. The house looked to be over two hundred years old, though still in great condition. Tatsu led the others down the stone pathway and walked up the wooden steps.

"Hey, Grandpa!" called out Tatsu as he knocked on the door. When he received no answer, he knocked on the door again. "Grandpa? You here?"

"Maybe he isn't home?" asked Hanako.

"He could be," said Tatsu as he scratched his head. "He is the Keeper of Lavender Tower."

Moments later, sirens could be heard driving down the street and grew louder by the second. "What's going on?" said Riviére as they all walked to the sidewalk. Several police cruisers raced past them, sirens blaring, driving toward the Lavender Tower. As they watched the police cruisers drive away, gunshots were heard in the distance.

"I think that's coming from the tower!" said Hanako as Tatsu hastily ran past her.

"Come on, we got to check this out!" he said as he rushed down the street towards Lavender Tower.

When they reach the Tower, they saw it surrounded by dozens of police cruisers. In the upper floors, men with auto rifles shot down at the crowds below. Tatsu and the others hid behind the building walls and brick fences to avoid the rain of bullets. As the curious citizens scattered like rats, a voice boomed throughout the area via speaker phone.

Warning!: Due to the graphic scenes, the remainder of the chapter can be found on my deviant art page. Please check it out there!​