The Pokemon Masters League (A Tribute to ASB)

[Vermillion]

Supurb stuff Chris...liking alot...going to sleep now...~_~zzzz...

[Chris 2.1]

Razor Leaf: Oh good! I am glad, because I’ve never been all that good with humor. I personally wrote Quackman for the pure comedy of it but it doesn’t seem to have tickled many people. Oh well. Quackman’s arc should be interesting, shall we say?

I think Liang crushed on Amy, and I also think a lot about him is going to be explored. He has had a lot of issues in his life and that has affected how he is today. It does seem quite…coincidental that the person who went with Chris to the lake was the girl Liang liked. Hmm. Now you’ve got me thinking.

Charles: It is indeed. And Uuberfred with a Sceptile? No. But his team is expanded upon in a future chapter which is quite amusing, I must say. I got some inspiration from the Manga, you see.

Liang: Hey Liang, how’re yo-

LIANG!

Argh how are you? We never finished our battle, although IIRC Blaziken was demolishing my…damn who was it? Your Dratini beat my Cacnea, then I think Electabuzz beat Dratini, then I think you sent out Blaziken….hmm I forget. Oh! Baltoy’s shadow ball got countered a lot.

Anyway.

I’m so glad you’re enjoying it – I had the idea for it while you were in ASB, hence your character, well, being in ASB. In fact the Liang VS Pichu match was one of the first ideas I had. Yea it’s worth noting a lot of the older members are featured in the fic, more so than some of the newer ones. In fact I’ve been researching a lot of the people in ASB before my time. The issue of Ye Olde ASBe (ie: ASB before Chris joined) is going to be looked at, and I’d like the people to return who TML herself looked up to. That would be interesting.

Glad you can’t wait for the next chapter.

Darktyranitar: As it was said in Ch14, Liang is being carted off to jail. But has everything been resolved? The triangle between Liang, Amy and his brother is complex and will need attention drawn to it. Razor Leaf is gay, yes, but it doesn’t exactly hold much in terms of plot, it’s a tidbit of information. Andrew, as I recall, never liked his Hoppip but in the fic he has a Jumpluff. Chris’s trouble streak….well, it doesn’t continue in Ch15, but once again, he is under a lot of strain.

DD: Thanks. I considered writing you and Moltrecuno in but nothing has been cemented. It might work, given a) you’ve returned and b) I wanted some more older members in the fic.

Verm: Muchos thankos :P



Anyway more info on Chapter 15!

It is titled Knight of Time
Chris leads an expedition with two archeologists in the quest to decode the mysterious Business Card. However, in his quest, he meets a powerful veteran who vehemently obsures his path. Meanwhile, Becca and Karin discuss whether or not to recover Amy Wolfsong's body from the mysterious Ivy Lake. Andrew's motives as the illusive and odd Quackman are revealled after he launches an attack on the village. Jenny comes to clash with the Eon sisters.

This is a brief summary. It is 1/3 done, roughly.

[Chris 2.1]

Double posting x_x

I want some reader feedback. Some of you may know we wanted to implement the Battle Frontier into ASB which failed miserably.

I had an idea for the ASB Fic in which the Frontier Leaders travel across the world, generally across TPML Villages/Cities challanging people to help them train for the league. Becca/The Missing Link hires the Frontier Brains (think of them like a travelling circus, with their Battle arenas folding into trucks like carnival rides) to come to the village for a period of time to help people train for the league.

More info on the Battle Frontier here (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_Frontier). Basically they are 7 people with expertise in various fields of Pokemon Battling.

Anyway the Battle Frontier Arc wouldnt be many chapters, probably 8 or 9, and may not all be together. Chapters would focus on certain members of TPML duking it out against Brains.

Gym Leaders MAY be brought into the fic but it does seem silly since everyone is competing in the league.

What do you think about Frontier Brains? Would that work?

[Charles Legend]

Charles: It is indeed. And UuberFred with a Sceptile? No. But his team is expanded upon in a future chapter which is quite amusing, I must say. I got some inspiration from the Manga, you see.

Cam my Treecko says hello, since I am planning on Evolving him very soon in to a Grovyle then if all goes according to my plans then in to a mighty Sceptile along with King as a mighty and noble black Charizard and Snappy (my soon to be male Totodile/Croconaw) in to a powerful Feraligatr.... :rollseyes:

~Charles Legend

[Chris 2.1]

Lovely.

Any feedback on the BF idea anybody?

[The Blue Avenger]

I actually really like the sound of it. However, given some of the Frontier arenas (the Pyramids, for one), I think it would be a touch more realistic for the Brains to travel the world, but their arenas are always in one set location - they use Teleport (or something like it) to get challengers to the arena in question.

But hey, it's your fic; whatever works, go for it.

[Wolfsong]

I think that it the possibility of being an interesting addition. Sorry, i didn't reply sooner, but the fan on my laptop was acting up yesterday, but it's doing fine now.

[Andrew]

I like the idea of the Frontier being a damn cheesy travelling circus!

However, quackman's motives for being.. quackman... odd and disturbing. Lol. I had no idea I had a phobia of ducks. Really.. DUCKS.

I do have a phobia of flying magpies pecking out my eyes in a swoop attack. 10 people on average lose an eye to a magpie a year... Last year there were more, with 15 people losing eyes...lolz.

Oh, and it was an enjoyable chapter, but the whole "Will they get Amy's body" oh please, if they don't, contamination of the water! Plus I liked the torture of Liang! Nasty!

Illegal smoothies rawk!

[Hyperness is a Good Thing]

*took 2 days to catch up on all the chapters*
Yay! I like the Quackman. and everyone's been speculating about all the next so much, so I decided to reserve my comments for the NEXT chappie!
I think the Battle F idea is cool, but I also think it'll be hard to write, but heck, it'll be interesting to see how you describe the stuff and all...so... WRITE AWAY! ^_^

[Chris 2.1]

TBA: Yea I agree some would be difficult to fold out and create so it may be that the brains invade areas of the village. One of the towers could be the Battle Tower, the league stadium could be the Battle Dome, etc etc.

Amy: Thanks!

Andrew: Yea you're afraid of ducks. And the Frontier Brains will all be quite acrobatic and 'oooh' with sparklers and flashyness.

HIAGT: Hey! Welcome. Glad you like the fic! Chapter 15 will be up soon, hopefully, given I've been writing a lot lately.



Thanks to everyone who has voted for The Pokemon Masters League for the Silver Pencil awards!




EDIT: Finished Chapter 15! I may post it later tonight. I'm havign a day off college beause I'm lazy. Anyway Chapter 15 is quite long, but at the same time does not touch upon many of the things I planned to feature, so they are pushed back into Ch16.

[Chris 2.1]

Time for the new chapter! It's what I'd call a Bridge Chapter: it really cements previous and past chapters together, solving some mysteries while bringing up a lot more.


I hope you enjoy!





Chapter Fifteen
[size=3]Knight of Time


In The Pokemon Masters League, some people never slept. At night, staying in Jenny’s pink apartment, I looked outside to see a lot of people mulling around BT Street. Life was being a bit hard on me lately; with the assortment of feelings I had for Jenny swirling in my head like the curling mist around Ivy Lake.

I wandered outside, putting a jacket on after getting dressed, into the slightly resurrected street. HypoMegaGloboBurger’s neon signs flashed in the night, and further down I saw that the street lamps were much brighter, leading to more attractions underway. From what I read in the newspapers, a Trading Club was to be launched (it mentioned how Pichu was the Head of Trading, but I hadn’t seen her around very much), as well as an Egg Center. Apparently the Egg Center was down the very end of BT Street, but the Pokemon were still busy actually producing the eggs for sale.

Wandering through the village, I opened my wallet and took out the laminated business card I had received during my time in Jolly Japes Hospital. History Lies High. Those three words wound themselves tightly around my mind, and it was starting to drive me mad. The message was sent to me for a reason…and the person obviously knew I had the capacity to decipher it. Then why was I wandering the streets at night, trying to figure it out?

Unfortunately my thirsty quest for answers was giving me none, and my frustration was reaching boiling point. I want to Latte Days, hoping they were open, but they were closed, with a sign in the window saying ‘LATTE DAYS WILL CLOSE IN THREE DAYS TIME’. I guess the new joints in BT Street were overtaking TPML.

So, thirsty for answers and generally just thirsty, I headed to The Chunky Clefable Café, the new place in the village. I sat in the American-style diner, ordering a glass of orange juice and some chips. The Clefable waitress went away, singing away to herself.

I heard two people chatting in a seat not too far away from me. Uptown girl was playing in the café as I sat in the squishy red seats.

“I mean, we should ask somebody…”

“And who can you see around at this hour?”

There was silence.

“E-Excuse me, young man!” came a voice. I turned around to see two rather important-looking people staring at me from a few seats away. “Do you have a minute?”

“Erm…yea, I suppose,” I replied. “What do you want?”

“We’re both here as part of an archeology team,” the first said. “And we are looking for Trolgar Mountain.”

“You see, as part of the business in BT Street, we are constructing a Radio Tower to broadcast some shows across the village,” the second went on. “And we have got to go to Trolgar Mountain to assess the site and see if it would be suitable to build a radio tower there.”

“Why there?” I asked. I knew fine well where it was, I just never bothered going. The Park was bright and friendly, the village square was always busy and full of familiar faces, and Crush Quarry was just somewhere I was fond of. I hadn’t been to Trolgar Mountain yet, and got my VS Seeker out. I looked for the map.

“We have been told it’s the highest point in The Pokemon Masters League’s Village,” the second man went on. “And it’s the best place for a good radio transmission.”

I froze.

The highest place in TPML?

History Lies High

If Trolgar Mountain is the highest point in TPML…then history lies up at Trolgar Mountain. If that was true, the answer to the mysterious riddle lay right before me. It may be that, in my sleep deprived state, I was hallucinating, but I was sure that there may be a clue up there.

“I have directions right here,” I said, showing them the map. “But…well, I’m sort of heading that way myself. I have…things planned.”

“Excellent, so you’ll come with us?” asked the first man.

“Well…it’s quite a long trek,” I said. “And we’ll be walking for most of the day. Let’s meet here in…four hours time, that’ll take us to daybreak, ok? I’ll buy some supplies and we’ll set off.”

We exchanged numbers so that we could contact one another, and I left the Café to get some much-needed sleep before heading out to finally solve this clue behind the business card. Whoever sent it, I was about to wipe that smile right off their face.


*

“What do you mean; you don’t know when you’ll be back?” Jenny cried that morning.

“I mean I don’t know when I’ll be back,” I replied. “Look you’re supposed to be deciding whether we’re going to stay together…you could use the time away from me.”

“Fine,” she said. “See you later.”

I went to a shop in the main village which was selling camping supplies. I used some of my money to buy a one person tent, as well as a proper jacket for the weather. I left my usual bag at home and bought a hiking backpack, before putting it all together and heading to meet the two people, who were called Ronnie and Stuart.

“Ahh, you’re here!” Ronnie cried. “Good, good. This is good!”

“The foot of Trolgar is this way,” I said, following my VS Seeker’s digital map. We wandered on through the village, taking the western road out of the village. Soon, after wandering onwards, we came across a verdant, foresty route leading towards the foot of the mountain.

During our walk, we talked, and I learned these people helped design a lot of the features for a lot of the various landmarks around TPML cities. They told me of the fantastic building structures in places like Queensland, Australia, and even up in Scotland. I then told them about Girafarig, an old rival who had gone to the TPML point in New Zealand. I wondered if it was worth visiting these places…

The walk up the mountain was very steady and easy going. I noticed the weather was particularly beautiful, and I was glad to be in a t-shirt today. I had a peaked beanie on and had my aviator shades on (having never really had much use for them in the somewhat gloomy weather). It was actually nice to leave the loud and noisy village; the only sound here the scampering of Rattata or Sandshrew across the dusty earth.

“So what kind of shows are you going to have on this radio station?” I asked Stuart.

“There will be a select few,” he said, thinking his answer through carefully. “Definitely a music-based show, and there will be a talk show, oh yes very much so. But we do want to establish a radio station for the league – it’s getting closer, you know – so people can listen to match commentary from their home.”

“Sounds good,” I said, as we neared a resting point. We sat down at a bench near a portaloo. Nature called for Stuart, while Ronnie and I discussed various things. The two gentlemen were very nice, but our conversation was ruptured when something stalked up to the smooth, leveled off space.

“Look!” Ronnie said. “It’s a Houndoom!”

“What on earth is it doing?” I asked. “Do they live in mountains?”

“Well normally they inhabit forests…deep, thick forests,” the man said. “I wonder why it is up here.”

“Someone sent it,” I said, thinking of Razor Leaf. “Poliwhirl, I choose you!”

My big blue tadpole emerged, flexing his arms. He needed a good battle, and he was going to get it.

“Water gun!”

The chilled blast of water was sent speeding through the air, but Houndoom swiftly leapt out of the way and charged up a shadow ball, firing it and slamming it into my Pokemon, who was hurled back.

Not deterred in the slightest, Poliwhirl leapt up powerfully, fist glowing a bright white as he launched a mega punch right into Houndoom’s jaw. As the Pokemon recoiled, however, he sank his teeth into my Pokemon’s fist. Poliwhirl howled in pain and pulled away, which only made the dog’s teeth sink further into the flesh.

“Get it off!” I said, although this was a rather pathetic statement.

“Doom!” shouted the Pokemon as, through his teeth, he fired a barrel of sharp flames, sending searing pain down Poliwhirl’s muscles. My Pokemon groaned and wailed in frustration as the intensity of his wound was heightening.

“He needs help!” Ronnie said, getting out a Pokeball. “Sudowoodo, go!”

From the ball emerged a gangly tree-like creature, with a rather zany looking face. His bark-like composition made him look like a tree, but I knew this Pokemon was of the rock type.

“Sudowoodo, use take down!” cried Ronnie. The tree raced across the arena, crying his name. He tackled Houndoom with impressive force, knocking the large beast off Poliwhirl. Poliwhirl nursed his fist as Sudowoodo began flailing around at the Houndoom, irritating it.

“Keep going!” cried the Sudowoodo’s trainer. Sudowoodo continued to flail around, beating his limbs at the dog, who was flinching and doing his best to try and maneuver around his foe.

“Poliwhirl! Water gun!” I cried. Another sharp jet of precise water rocketed into Houndoom, causing it to give another cry. In a matter of seconds, the dog bolted off, tearing off back down the mountain trail. I looked at Poliwhirl, who was in a lot of agony, but Ronnie had a plan.

“Miltank!” he cried, releasing another Pokemon. The large, beefy cow emerged, pink and pretty, giving a gentle moo. The man recalled his Sudowoodo at this point. “Miltank, use a heal bell.”

Miltank nodded, holding her tail in her hoof and swinging it gently like a small bell. An echoing chime was heard which soon spread across the mountain area, soothing my senses. Poliwhirl’s wound slowly healed up as the waves of sound passed over him. I watched in awe.

“That’s amazing!” I said.

“Miltank is very useful,” Ronnie said, thanking his Pokemon before recalling her. I decided to let Poliwhirl’s newly healed wound recover, so I shot the Pokeball beam at the blue frog as we continued our climb.

“So,” Stuart said. “Do you know what you want to evolve Poliwhirl into?”

“Poliwrath,” I said proudly. “Those Pokemon are…amazing.”

“Oh, a wise choice,” Ronnie said. “Although the fighting type Poliwrath has does give you a weakness to psychic and flying types…”

“Hence Sneasel and Electabuzz,” I replied firmly. “Trust me, I have my types covered.”

“I would never doubt it,” he replied earnestly.

“I wonder why that Houndoom attacked,” Stuart said aloud.

“It’s a Houndoom,” replied his friend. “They are very aggressive Pokemon.”

“I think someone sent it,” I said at once. I mean Razor Leaf obviously sent it, he’s a cruel bastard! Even though he lacked a motive…but he never usually needs a motive. I then thought about something startling.

Could the message in the business card have something to do with Razor Leaf?


*

Meanwhile, in the village, Jenny was training her Marshtomp, Skip. They were at Tranquil Shores, a pleasant shoreline in the sun’s path. Girls and boys sunbathed in the heat, and some trainers played with their Pokemon as they ran along the hot sand. Tranquil Shores was quite far from the village, perhaps a 30 minute walk.

“Go on Skip! Mud Shot!” Jenny cried, as Skip fired off the large chunks of mud through the air. “That’s great!”

However, soon after, there was a loud squeal. Jenny looked to see the Eon sisters, who had been sunbathing with their prized Pokemon. The Umbreon Trainer was covered in sticky mud.

“Eeeew!” she cried. Jenny got out her VS Seeker and used it on the girl.

Luna Princess
Luna is the sister of current TPML member Solia. Her strongest Pokemon is her Umbreon, and she is a very competent double battler. However she has also competed in Pokemon Contests, and was the winner of the Washington Contest last year.

“Sorry,” Jenny said sarcastically.

“Bitch!” Luna cried. “You have ruined my new bikini!”

“Honey that thing was ruined the minute it went on you,” Jenny rasped. Luna’s eyes widened and, restraining herself greatly, she pointed at Jenny.

“Umbreon! Tackle her!”

“Skip, headbutt!”

Umbreon darted across the sand, but Skip leapt forward, headbutting the lithe, fox-like Pokemon. Umbreon landed on her feet and dashed around the Marshtomp, but Marshtomp span like a ballerina whilst firing off a jet of water, stunning the foe.

“Mud shot!”

Large clods of earth were fired at Umbreon, who darted them admirably. The Pokemon then fired a flurry of stars through the air, which cut into Marshtomp. Marshtomp was pushed back but soon regained his composure. As Umbreon darted around the arena, using an agility attack, Marshtomp was undeterred.

“Hit it!” Luna cried. Marshtomp yelled in pain as Umbreon dealt a heavy blow from behind. The large swampfish fell into the sand, where Umbreon leapt after, sinking her teeth into her foe.

“Skip!” Jenny cried. Marshtomp was groaning in pain. “Endeavor!”

Flipping over onto his back, Skip then leapt up and dealt a heavy blow to Umbreon, dealing back toe damage dealt thus far. Marshtomp dealt an unhindered attack, smashing legs, head, tail and arms into the foe, causing excessive bruising.

“Umbreon!”

“Quickly, Skip! Focus punch!”

As a glowing orb of energy engulfed Marshtomp’s fist, the Pokemon swept through the air at a battered Umbreon, slamming hard into its side. Umbreon was flung into the sand, knocked out and unable to battle.

“Yay!” Jenny cried. “Suck on that!”

“I’ll take you on,” said the other girl, stepping forward with Espeon. Jenny got her VS Seeker out again and scanned the girl.

Solia Princess
Solia is the sister of current TPML member Luna. Her strongest Pokemon is her Espeon, and she is a very competent double battler. However she has also competed in Pokemon Contests, and was the runner-up in the Washington Contest last year. Luna and Solia are so alike, the powers that be decided to keep their VS Profiles almost identical.

“Fine,” Jenny snarled, recalling Marshtomp. “Skip needs a rest, but I have plenty of other Pokemon!”

“Solia!” Luna cried, looking at her watch. “Time for our facial!”

“Damn!” the girl snapped. “Hmph. Well we’ll be back later, FabuLass. Watch out!”

“I will,” Jenny replied, smirking to herself as the Eon sisters packed up their things and headed away from the beach, Luna still covered in muddy stains. Jenny decided to release her team: Skip the slightly injured Marshtomp, Bleats the Mareep, Paris the Meowth, Flora the Sunflora and Stella the Ledian. They spread themselves around the beach as Jenny stared out to sea, seeing a slightly squashed-looking, small submarine sitting at a pier across the sandy shore.

As she wrote a message on her VS Seeker to send to her boyfriend, Jenny sighed to herself. It was a fusion of relief at having come to blows with a rival and winning; that feeling was underlined by the happiness she felt, sitting on a beach in the afternoon with her Pokemon, and the immense satisfaction she had finally tracked down her boyfriend.


*

We continued to hike. Soon the dusty trail of Trolgar Mountain bored the hell out of me. In the distance, across the way, I could see the black towers of TPML village jutting up through the main square. I wanted to be back there, not wandering up here.

“I think we’re nearing the top!” Ronnie said happily. “My, what a trek! Look, you can see the sun setting already.”

“What a waste of a day,” I sighed.

Our walk was tedious and the company of the two adults was becoming very dry, perhaps drier than the thirsty earth we trod on. However our walk was soon interrupted when a furious bolt of golden lightening struck the ground before us.

“Look!” Stuart cried. A Raichu was standing a few feet in front of us, paws by its side, staring menacingly. Its long tail, ending in a thunderbolt, curved to its ankles and lay by its rabbit-like feet. Its yellow electric sacs brimmed with energy.

“Go away,” said a voice, and it was then I noticed the trainer with Raichu. He looked quite a lot older than me, in his twenties I’d guess, but with a big strong frame and standing at least six foot tall in height.

“Who are you?” I asked.

“I could say the same to you,” he replied in his deep voice, staring at through cold, bespectacled eyes. “But I already took the time to scan you in my VS Seeker when I saw you coming.”

My hand reached to my pocket, but before I could get my VS Seeker, Raichu’s tail whipped up and knocked it out of my hand. I looked up to see the trainer watching me darkly.

“No,” he replied firmly. “Just go.”

“This isn’t your property!” Ronnie argued. “We are here on official business.”

“This is my official business,” he rasped back. “Raichu! Prepare a thunderbolt. Charge.”

Raichu’s yellow cheeks flashed and crackled with vibrant energy as electricity coursed through his body.

“Charge increased the power of electric attacks,” he said slowly. “Don’t you dare fire that attack at me!”

“Keep charging…” said the trainer.

“We have to go!” Ronnie said.

“He’s bluffing,” I replied, but it appeared I was wrong. A huge bolt of electricity was blasted from the orange mouse, the bolt arching up in the air and soaring down towards us. Panicking, Ronnie and Stuart ran down the mountain, Ronnie grabbing my arm and taking me with him moments before the bolt smashed into the ground. We ran down, turned a corner and stopped.

“That was close,” gasped the archeologist, trying to catch his breath.

“What on earth is he doing?” I said. “Attacking us like that…”

“And the way he didn’t want Chris using his VS Seeker…” Stuart said.

“My VS Seeker!” I cried. “I have to go and get it.”

“No,” Ronnie said. “No…no…just get a new one.”

“I have business up here,” I said vehemently, remembering the message. History Lies High. Was this character the history that was being referred to? I doubted it. This person was clearly an obstacle.

I turned and ran back up the last stretch of the mountain towards the peak. Ronnie watched me go, Stuart holding him back. I released Electabuzz, deciding he would be good against this Raichu.

As we neared the top again, I knew I would be seen easily.

“Quick attack, Electabuzz! Go!” I shouted. In a flashing white streak, my Pokemon tore up the mountain and leapt at an unsuspecting Raichu. I dashed to get my VS Seeker, seeing the trainer standing there still.

“Raichu!” he cried, as Raichu was sent reeling by Electabuzz. I grabbed the VS Seeker and pointed it at the trainer, who was wearing outdoorsy type clothes and had short dark hair.

Knight of Time
This veteran was a strong contender for League Champion last year. However he has not been seen recently. Many speculate Knight of Time, real name Kyle, did not wish to sign up for this years TPML due to other commitments. His small team is well developed and strong. His current whereabouts are unknown.

“Knight of Time?” I said aloud, pocketing my VS Seeker. “What a lame name.”

“Focus punch.”

Raichu’s glowing fist swung through the air and smashed into Electabuzz, causing him to groan in pain. Stumbling back, Electabuzz clutched a bloody nose as Raichu leapt up, swinging his tail and thwacking my Pokemon in the face.

“Electabuzz, get back,” I said fiercely, and my Pokemon stood by my side. “What are you doing?”

“This is my territory,” replied Knight of Time. “It is mine.”

“Why doesn’t anybody know where you are?” I asked. “H-Have you been living up here?”

He stared at me.

“Raichu, use thunderbolt.”

“No!” I snapped. “Listen, Kyle.”

His eyes widened and his nostrils flared.

“Don’t,” he snarled. “Call me that. You don’t know me at all, so stop acting like you can help me. GO AWAY. RAICHU! THUNDERBOLT!”

“Go for it!” I retorted. “Attack me, then! See if that helps.”

I stood there, arms folded, remaining vigilant as Electabuzz stood dutifully by my side. He wanted to protect me, but I made it clear that was not an option. Raichu was soon engulfed by an energetic collaboration of feverish sparks, dancing across his body before jetting up through the air with incredible purpose. I watched the bolt, heading to the heavens before arching down and targeting me.

This was it.

My fists clenched tightly and sweat began to soak my forehead as I watched the glimmering arrow of fate. This attack would hurt. However, as it shot down, it began to slow down. Suddenly the bolt, seemingly of its own accord, bolted off to the right and headed off around the side of the mountain, causing a bang.

“What the hell?” Knight of Time growled. “What did you do?”

“Nothing!” I protested.

“Better try again,” replied the veteran. “Raichu!”

But his command was interrupted by a tremendous roar filling the air. At that point, Ronnie and Stuart ran up the trail, looking somewhat alarmed.

“Are you ok?” Stuart asked. “W-What’s been going on?”

“Did you re-direct the thunderbolt?” I asked. They both shook their heads.

“We heard roars…are you ok?” Ronnie asked.

“Fine,” I replied. The roar filled the air again. It was a rough, rugged roar. Knight of Time watched this.

“Quilava, Houndoom,” he hissed, dropping two Pokeballs. The fire Pokemon emerged, and I instantly recognized the second as the one which attacked us on the way up. Obviously Kyle had seen us coming and tried warding us off. “Find the source of the noise.”

“No need,” said a voice from the distance. We all turned to see a man flying from around the mountain on a huge Charizard. I couldn’t believe it.

It was Grey.

“Ifrit,” Grey said to his Pokemon. “Overheat!”

As a glowing orb of ruby-red flames collected in Ifrit’s mouth, Grey leapt off his Pokemon’s back and landed admirably in front of me. Soon after, Charizard blasted the incredible beam of compressed head, smashing it into Raichu and knocking him out. Quilava and Houndoom readied themselves.

“Renauld!” Grey cried, as a Manectric leapt down from the mountains. Ifrit and Renauld stood there with Grey. “Now Kyle…listen to me.”

I noticed Knight of Time was not angry by being called Kyle.

“You have been up here a long time,” he said firmly. “Your loss in the finals of last years tournament hurt, I know that. A year has passed…and you have trained with purpose and precision. Look at how strong you are! Had Renauld’s lightening rod technique not been there, Brit Chris would probably be paralyzed for life.”

“What is your point?” argued Knight of Time.

“You have a chance at the league title,” Grey said. “I have been living in shadows for some time, too! Kyle it is not healthy. Only when my comfort circle was burned down did I realize I needed to change.”

“And you think a heavily rehearsed speech will remove me from this place?” the other snapped.

“No, I didn’t,” replied Grey. “That is why I shall have to beat you and remove you from here myself.”

He turned to me.

“Grey,” I said softly. “Your playhouse! It’s…gone. I thought you might be dead…who did it?”

“Chris, Chris,” Grey replied. “Not now. This has to wait until bigger things have been achieved. Do you have the business card with you?”

“Yea,” I began. “Wait…how do you know about it? Did you send it?”

“I did,” Grey replied. “History Lies High, Chris.”

“What does it mean?” I cried. Across the battlefield, Knight of Time looked increasingly impatient. “History lies? How can it lie?”

“Think,” he said softly. “The ambiguity is easy to clear, although both interpretations contradict each other.”

“Either History is lying,” I began. “As in…it isn’t true…or the History Lies here…as in that is where it is placed.”

“Head around the side of the mountain, past Kyle,” Grey said. “And you will see which one is correct.”

“What is the ‘History’ in question?” I asked. “Is it about you?”

“Yes…and No. It is about someone you hold dislike towards,” he added. I put the pieces together slowly, thinking.

“No,” I said softly.

“What?”

“Is this about Razor Leaf and you? Why you don’t get on?”

“Around the side of the mountain,” Grey repeated. “I hope your riddle-solving clues are up-to-scratch: there are clues to help you.”

“Are you going to fight me?” Kyle barked.

“Ronnie, Stuart,” I said quickly. “Stay here. Grey will show you the site for the Radio Tower after the match.”

“Let Chris past,” Grey said to Kyle. “Your business is with me.”

And, reluctantly, Kyle stepped to the side as I recalled Electabuzz and darted past. I saw Quilava and Houndoom dodge a thunderbolt and flamethrower combo from Grey’s Charizard and Manectric. I couldn’t believe it. Grey was alive! Relief spread through to the tips of my fingers and toes as I knew justice would be served to Razor Leaf.

But what was this all about? The Business Card…I soon found out.

I reached the other side of the mountain around a corner and was met by a long stretch ending in solid rock. Embedded in the rock, at an angle, was a pair of thick, metal doors. I was reminded of the types you have leading to basements from outside in some households, at about a 50 degree angle. I walked forward to see what this door was.

As I got there, I saw a Pokeball Logo with ‘TPML’ stamped across the middle. Next to the door, also embedded in the rock, was a small keypad with LCD screen.

The Pokemon Masters League Archive
Please Input Username

“Ok,” I mumbled, hearing a humongous roar from Houndoom in the distance. “B-R-I-T (space) C-H-R-I-S. Enter.”

I pushed the enter button and there was a brief, multi-second pause. Then, a beeping signaled my name was accepted and the doors began to part before me. I looked into the darkness behind the doors. I couldn’t see a thing.

Then, as I made a step forward, I saw a pair of lights coming to life either side of a step that was one of many. Then, in a staggered sequence, each of the stone steps before me was illuminated by a pair of white lights coming to life either side of said step. As I stood there, the staircase leading deep, deep into Trolgar Mountain was made clear for me.

I took a deep breath and made my way down. Time to get some answers and unearth the past. I only hoped it was for the better.









Next Chapter:
Razor Leaf: Part 2

Chris explores the Archive in the hope of learning more about Razor Leaf; his battle style, the tactics he employs, his full team roster, not to mention his tutelage from Grey and their diminished friendship. Meanwhile, Karin denies Liang his final request, and FabuLass finds herself oddly pally with Crystal Tears.

[MeLoVeGhOsTs]

Awesome. Like Verm posted before me. No time to reply in big words. I just thought it was awesome! The deep secrets, the history off all the trainers, it intruiges me. I hope everything works out okay and I hope to have some respect for Razor Leaf soon. Lol at Jenny and Eon sisters. YAY for bitchfights. I wonder what Liangs final request was though.

Also, I love Kyle, altough he's a bit emo, staying in the mountains for a year, just because of a loss. Silly him.

Anyway, love the fic, keep on writing! =D

[The Blue Avenger]

Hm hm hm... this was interesting. I didn't expect to see Kyle portrayed like that.It was also cool to finally sorta see the meaning of the card. Looking forward to seeing Razor's history.

Also, my unusual prediction for the next chapter: Razor and Grey once were dating! O_O That would explain the fallout between them... and it would also explain why Razor's sexuality was brought up a few chapters ago (if, indeed, there was a reason other than to humiliate Chris).

[Ace64]

Next chapter's gonna be the blockbuster! (heh...nice. I used blockbuster in common speech..)

Not that this one wasn't good too. There's a piece of 'history' lying high in KoT, though I'm sure there's more to it than that.And TBA's prediction seems pretty believable to me. Which means of course, that I have to make another prediction: Grey is Razor's...older brother!They became estranged for various reasons and developed a rivalry and...yeah.

Good stuff.

[Andrew]

Oh! I lost my subplot! But jenny vs the eon sis was great. The trek was unexpected but i don't fully understand why chris is going.

[Chris 2.1]

MLG: Hmm respect for him? I suppose you can only wait and see. The chapter(s) shed a lot of light on the character we've known from the start of the fic, but I can't guarentee you'll like what you read. Obviously this Archive is a treasure trove of deep secrets for Chris to indulge in....but what if someone gets there first?

I think with Kyle (and Grey, and a lot of vets) TPML changed when the new system was introduced. They didn't like the way BT Street corrupted the place and that was probably a reason he left, given that, as Grey said, they left at the same time. But can Grey convince him to come back? Jenny's rivalry with the sisters escalates, especially when she tries beating them at their own game. As for Liang's request.........hmm


TheBlueAvenger: Yea the meaning behind the card builds up a lot of the plot for Chapter 16, which goes into a lot of detail on Razor Leaf's history. I really like the Archive, its portrayed in the fic as being quite a secret, secluded place, yet its very inviting and a unique aspect of the village. But how many people know about it?


Ace: Oh, I agree. Do you think there is history relating to KoT? Hmm you'll have to find out. Oooh Greyand Razor are brothers. Nice theory. I think all shall be revealled soon!

Andrew: Next chapter, hopefully. I explained about the trek, too.

[darktyranitar]

Wow, what a turn of event. Chris finally find out what's up with the business card. Kyle doesn't seem to be a very friendly person, acting all secluded after losing in one league match.

And what took Karin and Becca so long to recover Amy's body? Will it be revealed soon? Good going so far, Chris!

[Dark Dragonite]

That was great Chris, and catfighting is most deffinately :dance:

[Chris 2.1]

DarkTyranitar: Well they havent recovered the body because they werent sure what exactly happened. There was a chance Liang simply kidnapped Amy and took her away, but Liang confessed he did kill her and she is down at the bottom of the lake. Now they have to get the body.

DD: Glad you liked it.

[RaZoR LeAf]

Also, my unusual prediction for the next chapter: Razor and Grey once were dating! O_O That would explain the fallout between them... and it would also explain why Razor's sexuality was brought up a few chapters ago (if, indeed, there was a reason other than to humiliate Chris).


Oh. My. God.

Can't wait for the next chapter though. KoT was a great addition to his chapter, especially with grey reappearing and getting into a big fight.

[Chris 2.1]

Razor Leaf: I'm glad you liked KoT and his part in the chapter. He's going to get an increasingly large role as the fic explores the veterans history and when a wave of vets come back for the league this year. And yes, Greys reappearence. But what will happen with Razor Leaf? Will Grey tell everyone the truth?

[Knight of Time]

Hey, it's nice I finally got to see myself in this (I originally wasn't going to ask to be in it, I like surprises, if they are good that is), but I thought I should put in my two cents on a few things here.

For this history a couple of you guys were talking about, there was a time where I was impersonated by at least one person who somehow got information about one or two of the old AC/CC (adopted/captured) Pokemon I used to have in the AC/CC sub-forum of PCG. Then there was the time I was fired from working at Goldenrod Tower (another part of AC/CC, it's still around today) for inactivity. It was definitely a bit of a hassle for me to post updates there (right now, I just can't take any interest in working at any AC/CC topic b/c I want to avoid getting stressed, and sometimes, I can easily get stressed by something or someone). Those reasons (the impersonation(s), the firing from Goldenrod Tower) are why in March 2004, I left TPM, almost leaving the forum for good. The thing that brought me back to TPM however was things weren't going so well for me with a couple of other forums I go to (there are some I visit occasionally that are gaming related, then there's a site called Acmlm's Board which has just a few things in common with TPM (FYI one thing they have is a Pokemon hacking forum guys), I like that site as much as TPM.

But man, to try and remember my history retating to ASB, that's going to be tough. When I left TPM in March of 2004, I had several Pokemon on my old ASB team then (I think it was at least 4 or 5 times as many Pokemon I have in the current ASB), and incase any of you are wondering, I did have a Dragonite and a Raichu back then among other Pokemon.

But hey, I shouldn't be made unfriendly in this fic. Not trying to complain, but that's just not how I'd want to be towards others. Being a tough opponent is one thing (I try to be, heh heh, I guess that's how ASB vets are, thanks to their amount of experience from battling in the new and old ASB), but being mean at times is another thing. IMO, I'd rather be close to being like an elite with plenty of experience on his belt, but a good one nonetheless.

But hey, I'm not trying to be a "sore loser" kind of person either. Right now, in any ASB battle of mine, I can always accept defeat, even if it is from a battle I hardly had a chance in.

Can't wait to see what's ahead, Chris 2.0. Keep it up!

[Chris 2.1]

KoT: Oh yea I know Kyle looks like an absolute asswipe in this chapter but his 'role' does change. I mean as the story dictates, Grey, Kyle and a lot of the veterans were against the corruption of BT Street and thus left after the tournament. Kyle, who tried for 1st place, did not get it and, being a competent battler, seeked only to improve himself.

Hence staying on the mountain. But Grey has eased Kyle into coming back, and I think he may just register for the tournament this year. His personality develops although he won't be a main character. He will develop something of an "older brother" quality with many people.

I know you're a very gracious person when it comes to defeat :D

Chapter 16 is almost finished! I'll try and get it up around the time the Silver Pencils are announced - that's the 4th of April.

[Wolfsong]

Sorry it took so long for me to reply. I have had a super busy week and its not over yet. I still have a test on the fourth. X.x

I just reread the chapter a second time. Since it's late, i'll keep this reply short. As usual, i enjoyed the chapter. It was fun to see Jenny battling the eon sister. I have to admit they (eeveelution) are starting to get on my nerves more as the days go bye. It was also finally nice to see Chris getting somewhere with the buisness card clues ^^.

Looking forward to the next chapter.

[Charles Legend]

Nice one Chris, and now I see where your heading with this fic so I won't bug you about it any more about it any longer. anyways grate to see Grey's back in action, and that was a grate intro to Kyle/Knight of Time, btw I take it there are more the one Archives for all of the TMPL community right?

~Charles Legend

[Chris 2.1]

Amy: The Eon sisters are quite annoying, and their rivalry with Jenny is set to escalate quite a lot. Luckily its light hearted, but theyre almost becoming a duo version of Razor Leaf himself! And yes, we're finally getting to the bottom of the Business Card! It's been like 8 chapters since Chris found it.


Charles: You can bug me all you want, Charles! Nice you liked Grey being back, now he's back it's sure to ruin things for Razor Leaf. Glad you liked KoT's chapter.

And yes, there is an archive for each community. This is the archive for this TPML Village. In New York, for example, the archive is an enormous skyscraper which blends in quite nicely with the rest of the city.

[Hyperness is a Good Thing]

The archive is interesting.. haha another cliffhanger.. you're good =P
The Fabulass and Eon Sisters battle was kinda cool, but I enjoyed KoT's battle againsts Chris and the two reporters more. Grey's entry was... not entirely unexpected, but hehe.
Can't wait for the next chapter anyways! ^_^

[Charles Legend]

Chris you would not be so willing to share that info if you knew what I was up to....
oh and did you reed that pm I sent you and Dan?

and this chapter beter be worth the time it's taking you to get it up.

~Charles Legend

[Chris 2.1]

HIAGT: Oh thanks :P I do pride myself on my storytelling. I think the best way to tie up a chapter is some type of "wow" factor; something intriguing. You shouldnt just tie up the stories. You need to show your readers a fork in the path and say "ok so which way is the fic going?" That way people can (a) think about my fic when they're at school "I wonder if Amy is alive?" or (b) anticipate the next chapter even more! It's also very fun to write.

Yea I do think Jenny's batttle against the eon sisters was simply to set up the relationship between the three. FabuLass was added into the fic to complicate things for Chris, who was settling down into this new community only to have his past come back and find him. Don't be surprised if more people from Chris' past wind up in The Pokemon Masters League! Jenny and the eon sisters ongoing storyline will go in some surprising directions, and I think there's a side to the Eon Sisters nobody expected at all.

More on Jenny this chapter, with a rather tasty plot development for her. She is and will always be a minor character and I don't plan on having her as the female equivelant of Chris, but at the same time I want her to be a developed character in the same way as our antagonist, so she will be featured a lot. I want you to see how she works.



Chapter 16 everybody!







[size=4]Chapter Sixteen
[size=3]Razor Leaf: Part 2


In the main village of The Pokemon Masters League, Karin, more commonly known as 04621, was having a break. Life for the veteran was tough after she returned here, taking the position as Head Tournament Coordinator. With the disappearance of Amy Wolfsong, Karin had little time to herself.

The Missing Link was not here. She had been called to a meeting by the Board of Governors, the 12 people who were essentially funding every single one of The Pokemon Masters Leagues.

The phone rang.

“Hello?” Karin answered. “This is 04621 speaking here.”

“Karin? It’s Jerry from the cells,” said the voice.

“How can I help?” she replied. “Becca isn’t here.”

“Liang has asked to speak with someone,” Jerry said. “Before he goes.”

Karin raised her eyebrows.

“Did he say what it was about?” she asked. “Anything suspicious?”

“No,” Jerry replied. “I don’t think so, Karin. I think he’s just lonely.”

“I’ll come and see him,” she replied. “What time is he going?”

“Evening,” Jerry replied. “5PM.”

“I’ll come at 3,” she replied. “Tell him I’ll see him then.”


*

I wandered down the stairs, which were apparently leading to the ‘Archive’ of The Pokemon Masters League. The clue in the Business Card was plain to see now: History (the history of Razor Leaf, including his feud with Grey) Lay (rested) High (in the archive up in Trolgar Mountain, the highest point in The Pokemon Masters League).

The bizarre twists of the day, one of which Grey being unhurt, were refreshing as I saw the sunset disappear when the metal doors closed. The steps were stone, and were leading to another set of doors. Once I got there, they opened obediently.

I was in some sort of lobby. It looked nothing like I had expected. Grand, highly polished staircases were leading down to lower levels. There were dark red rugs covering the wood-paneled flooring. It looked like a country estate house, but there were no windows. Only lamps, chandeliers and smaller table lamps.

DIRECTORY
YOU ARE CURRENTLY ON G.

YEAR 2005: FLOOR -1
YEAR 2004: FLOOR -2
YEAR 2003: FLOOR -3
YEAR 2002: FLOOR -4
YEAR 2001: FLOOR -5

PLEASE NOTE EACH YEAR BATTLES, CATCHES, LEAGUE MATCHES AND COMPETITIONS ARE ADDED TO THE ARCHIVE. THE ARCHIVE KEEPS 5 PREVIOUS YEARS OF TPML RELATED NEWS, AND NO MORE. ONCE A YEAR IS CLEARED FROM THE ARCHIVE IT IS CLEARED.


“Ok,” I said slowly. Suddenly my eyes widened as I saw a Business Card tucked away behind the directory board. I was lucky my eyes spotted it – it was well disguised. I pulled it out and read its contents aloud:

My first is in Tag but not in Along
My second in Hive but never in Vied
You won’t find my third in Blue or in Pink
But it lies within Reach of Arena and Rink
My fourth? It is simple. The same as my last
A small Easter Egg to help figure it fast

I read and re-read it a few times. The first letter was easy – T. That was the only letter in Tag that wasn’t in Along. Second…well that had to be H. V, I and E were all in Hive, but not in Vied. The way that Reach was capitalized in the fourth line suggested that the next letter was the letter R.

I continued piecing it together, but the last line was no trouble. An Easter Egg was a term often given to something which was a hidden clue to something, or a reference that you could only catch if you had a keen eye. Well both these words had the letter E in, an easy clue which helped me solve it easily.

“The clue spells Three,” I said. “What’s that all about?”

I then eyed the Directory.

“Floor -3. Year 2003.”

It looked like Grey was showing me the way to finding out the truth about Razor Leaf and him. I headed to the grand staircase and made my way down to the next level. The staircase was long, wide and sweeping; I was reminded of when a man of high power walks down a large staircase in his mansion, and the feel of authority and control he has over all in the room.

When I descended from the staircase, I was…enthralled. The floor was rather like an antique, spacious library, with another sweeping staircase leading down a floor. Intrigued too much to go straight down to the third floor, I went to the nearest bookcase, only to find they contained DVDs. Every so far along, squishy sofas in a U formation looked on at very expensive plasma screen TVs which were set into the wall. I found a DVD, entitled ‘Aragornbird VS Sesshomaru’ and walked over to the nearest TV. Putting the disc into the DVD player located directly under the TV, I sat back and watched.


“I choose Uinen!” Liang cried, releasing a Feebas. The ugly fish landed in the water. The arena was a small lake, with a floating wooden platform in which Sesshomaru had released a Vulpix, who looked very upset.

“Flamethrower!” he cried. Vulpix blasted a stream of flames towards Uinen, but she stayed underwater, before leaping out admirably and blasting a streak of water down to throw Vulpix beneath the waves.


It was an interesting battle; Liang looked confident and nonplussed, while Sesshomaru battled with fear and apprehension. Two qualities you cannot have when competing in the league. I stopped the DVD, putting the disc back in the box and returned it to the shelf.

I decided to head downstairs, despite seeing an interesting section called ‘2005 League Matches’. Down another staircase I went, noticing that, as I left the floor, a trainer by the name of DarkTyranitar was wandering the shelves.

Onto the next floor I went, which was the year 2004 floor. I didn’t stay for long, preferring to head on to floor -3. I went down the next staircase, seeing somebody wander up at the same time.

“Hey,” I mumbled.

“’Sup,” he replied dryly. I pointed my VS Seeker at him.

Raz(ola)
Currently unregistered for the league. No details available.

I assumed he was a retired veteran who spent his days basking in memories, almost like what Grey was doing now. I then thought about how Grey might rejoin the league, and be a competitor in The Pokemon Masters League.

Finally my feet left the steps and I was here. The third floor, where Grey’s riddle had directed me. Grey had hinted that his rivalry with Razor Leaf, and their entire history, was of paramount importance, so I decided to watch a match with either Razor Leaf or Grey in it. I wandered among the bookshelves, finding a match titled ‘Razor Leaf VS Shadow’. I took it from the shelf and inserted the disc into the TV.

The match was a 1-1, with Razor Leaf using his Golbat against his foes Kabutops.

“Kabutops, slash!” the trainer cried. The skinny fish-like ninja slashed its scythe-like arms, sending slices of energy tearing through the air. Harker, however, swept to the side and evaded the attack.

“Again!” said Shadow. However, the attack missed again, for Harker flew high up out of the way. This happened a few times, until Shadow had enough. “Unleash a wide-spread blizzard!”

“Haze,” Razor Leaf hissed, and in an instant the arena was soon shrouded in a thick haze, covering the arena and obscuring all vision. Kabutops still released the wave of icy crystals, which swept through the haze and partially cleared it. However, despite this, the attack did not hurt Harker. As the mist cleared I could see the sun was pulsating brightly – Harker had used a sunny day from within the haze to melt the oncoming ice.

“Leap up for another slash!” cried the opponent. “Dig your scythes in and fire a close range ice beam!”

Kabutops leapt up towards Harker, who flapped there with no real attempt at evasion. As Kabutops was about to make contact, Harker used her wings to send a blast of air into the foe, and as Kabutops was thrown back, Harker released a blinding confuse ray. The sinister jet of ethereal light stunned Kabutops, who fell out the sky and landed awkwardly.

“Now finish the job,” Razor Leaf said. Harker nodded and rocketed through the air, wings glimmering silver. Speeding right past Kabutops, Harker’s steel wing attack dealt sufficient damage to knock the foe out.

“Kabutops!” cried Shadow. “Return.”

Razor Leaf stood there, Harker by his side, as the match ended. I was in awe at the precision and technique the moderator used to win the match. I took the disc out and replaced the DVD, searching around for another match to look at.

“Aha,” I said softly. I found one entitled ‘Razor Leaf VS Knight of Time’. I was very intrigued, and put it on. Once the disc began playing, I could see that both Knight of Time and Razor Leaf looked much younger.

“Go Haf!” Razor Leaf shouted, his Combusken out. The Pokemon flexed his powerful muscles as Knight of Time sent out a Zangoose, who began sharpening her claws against each other.

“Rika,” Knight of Time said firmly. “Crush Claw!”

As white-hot sparks exploded around the thick, black claws of Zangoose, she leapt up high and prepared to deliver a scorching blow. As she raced down, however, Combusken used a quick attack to speed to the other side of the arena. Turning, with the energy still charged, Rika ran after Haf, but Haf leapt high up in the air to evade, firing down a flurry of embers to rain down on the mongoose. The onslaught nullified the power of Rika’s crush claw.

“Evasion can only get you so far,” Kyle said. “Rika! Your own double team please.”

“Haf, eliminate them,” Razor Leaf replied. As soon as the clones were being produced, the chicken hybrid leapt at each one with fast and furious kicks, depleting each copy as soon as it was created. In no time the real one was found, and Combusken dealt a heavy kick, leaping up and firing a flamethrower down.

“Detect!”

But luckily, Rika avoided damage. Haf leapt back to his trainer, who seemed to be heavily calculating an outcome. Razor Leaf put a hand on his hip and pointed his other finger forward.

“Double team!”

In a bright flash of light, multiple copies of the fowl materialized. In an instant, all the copies began using a quick attack, speeding around Rika in a circle, creating a red and crème blur all around.

“Rika! Watch out,” Knight of Time said firmly. “Keep still…”

Razor Leaf smiled.

“Sky uppercut!”

Suddenly the clones merged into the real Combusken, and Haf’s glowing claws slashed at Rika as he leapt upwards, crying his name. Leaping above his foe, Haf gripped Rika’s shoulders and fired a torrent of rippling flame into the Pokemon’s face.


I watched in awe as Knight of Time’s Pokemon was defeated. I saw him, at the top of Trolgar Mountain, and he gave off an aura of complete confidence and ability. I wondered how it was he came so close in the finals when he lost so easily to Razor Leaf. I was, so far, awe-struck yet still clueless as to how this helped me.

“I know what you’re thinking,” said a voice. I turned to see a figure descending from the staircase.

It was Grey.


*

Meanwhile, in the main village square, The Missing Link, back from her meeting, was making an announcement to the community, Karin by her side. Karin seemed to have become something of Amy’s replacement since she had returned to TPML. Both knew they had a number of issues to address

“…and as you will have been aware, the Contest Hall is finished, and they are taking entrants for the first TPML Contest which is scheduled to take place next week. Go down to the Contest Hall if you are keen,” she boomed.

“In other news…many of you have been enquiring about Amy Wolfsong, who has been absent in the recent days,” the leader went on. She cast a glance at Karin, who looked firm and admirable. “It gives me great sadness to tell you that…that Amy is very ill at the moment.”

Karin looked stunned at the change of tactics in the announcement.

“…she has contracted a rare blood disorder and has been dispatched home. She tells me she appreciates all your concern and that she will be back on her feet shortly. It should also be noted that Aragornbird, the Head Referee, has left TPML following personal issues. As a result, the position of Head Banker and Head Referee are still open. We are going to consult the records of the last interviews to decide who will get the new moderator positions. Thank you for your time.”

The crowd began to disperse, and many were mumbling about the suspicious circumstances that two moderators quit at the same time. Becca and Karin waited until the area had cleared completely.

“You lied,” Karin hissed. “You were going to tell them the truth!”

“And I stand by that,” Becca said back. “But at least we can put her death down to the ‘blood disorder’ she has! If we plant that seed we can make it easier for ourselves. Would you rather I told them a huge dragon snatched her from the shore and pulled her underwater?”

“Of course not,” Karin replied. “But I think we need to get the body back.”

Becca looked at her.

“Dragonite has gone now…the lake’s empty.”

“I don’t know how we could, though,” Becca said. “And I don’t…I don’t want to have to see her after all this time. She was a beautiful girl…and she won’t be anymore. She won’t be Amy.”

“Look,” Karin said. “We need to give her a better send off. You don’t have to venture down into the lake if you don’t want to…you have enough work to do as it is.”

“Who could we send?” Becca asked. “The truth behind Amy’s death is still under wraps…hardly anybody knows.”

“Brit Chris does,” Karin replied.

“We can’t send him!” Becca cried. “…can we?”


*

“Grey!” I cried.

“Kyle has calmed down,” said the veteran. “And he’s gone down into the village. He seems to think his attitude has been…out of character. Now Chris…I see you have begun delving in the depths of the past.”

“Razor Leaf…he’s incredible,” I said, a sad tone to my voice. “I…I sort of expected to see him show a weak spot.”

“He does,” Grey said lightly. “It is, however, very discreet.”

I stared at him.

“I think we might need to go back another year or so – bear in mind this is 2003 we have gone to – three years ago. Knight of Time was still finding his feet in the community, but had established himself as a competent battler. By this time, the Razor Leaf you saw had his own strategies and was beginning to fit into his own style.”

Grey withdrew something from his pocket. It was a DVD Case. He took the disc out the DVD Player and put it back on the shelf, putting his own in the machine and standing behind the sofa I was sitting on comfortably.

“Obviously TPML cannot record everything that happens, but I did have a policy to film Daniel’s training sessions with me so that he could self-evaluate himself,” Grey explained.

“Hang on,” I said. “Sorry for interrupting, but…why did you ‘train’ him, Grey? Shouldn’t you have honed your own skills?”

“I did,” he replied. “Through training Daniel I began training myself. When he started in TPML, Daniel was quite a secluded, quiet boy –”

I snorted. He was still like that now.

“-and he had very little confidence in his abilities,” Grey continued, ignoring the interruption. “His team – Torchic, Zubat, Zangoose and Solrock – had not understood their potential yet. I began showing him how to work with his Pokemon and develop a battle style. In other words, my philosophy is that each battler has a style, something of a character, to their battles.”

He pressed play.

“Watch.”


In an empty stadium, Grey was standing on the opposite end of a battlefield to Razor Leaf. The trainer-in-training was with his Torchic, Haf, who was quivering despite the thick feathers on his wings. Grey’s Blastoise was filming the training session, while Grey released his Metang, Xanthios, who floated there eerily.

“Haf! Quick attack and ember assault!” Razor Leaf cried. His plucky bird raced through the air while releasing a round of flaming embers.

“Psychic, Xanthios,” Grey murmured, and with a majestic waving of his thick, beldum-like arms, Metang caused the embers to merge together and sweep upwards in a thick column of searing flame. The attack was pulled down in a curve and bolted towards Haf, who gave a cry and ran.

“Haf! Flamethrower at the ground! Propel yourself up!” cried Razor Leaf, his forehead shining with sweat. Haf blasted a thick snake of flame at the ground, launching himself up into the air and avoiding the attack.

“Now! Comet punch!” Grey said jubilantly.

“Oh no,” groaned Razor Leaf, for he knew he had fallen into a trap. As Torchic fell, Metang swept through the air with glimmering fists and delivered a double punch, knocking Haf out as the chick fell to the ground with a flump.

“Return,” mumbled the trainer. He was shorter and much younger-looking. There was a boyish charm in his eyes. “How do you do it?”

“Do what?” Grey asked.

“Know exactly what to do!” cried the student.

“Super objective,” replied Grey.

“What?”

“The super objective.”

“This isn’t a play, Drew,” Razor Leaf replied.

“I know,” Grey replied. “But just how a character in a play has an objective; a cue for passion and a motive, so does he who battles.”

“The objective being…beat your opponent.”

“Not quite, Daniel,” Grey said, smirking. “Metang’s power comes primarily in their fists, although their mind is very strong. I knew that being comprised of steel, a comet punch from Metang would knock Torchic out. Sweeping down to the ground to attack is risky as you could unleash any surprise attack. My super objective was to get you into the air so I could perform the attack.”

“And you got me into the air by chasing me with my own attacks…” continued Razor Leaf.

“That’s right,” Grey replied.

“So I need to have a super objective?” Razor Leaf asked.

“It is vital for success,” Grey said firmly.


I was confused.

“That…explained nothing,” I said bluntly.

“Did it not?” Grey asked. “Could you not see how uneasy Daniel was when his attacks were being used against him? Or the way he reacted when his strategy was, in actuality, his downfall?”

I nodded.

“He is not an omnipotent robot, Chris. He is a trainer with flaws. He reacts to things just like everybody else but, like a good actor, he can mask his feelings. I taught him not to be manipulated by his opponents, and it seemed this was taken too literally.”

“When I watched the other matches,” I began. “It was like…he had a strategy. From the start of the battle he had a specific way to combat the opponent.”

“That’s because Daniel is fond of his computer,” explained Grey. “And he accessed the TPML Online Database to learn statistics for a lot of the members. Before he fought Kyle, you see, he knew Rika was Kyle’s favorite Pokemon for all-round matches, as she had been used most frequently in his matches and had reaped the most victories. He is a very precise man. He plans carefully what he is going to do and unleashes it step-by-step.”

“I should check out his team,” I said to myself.

“Did you notice anything about the two matches you saw?” Grey asked.

“He evaded a lot,” I said.

“A lot?” Grey asked.

“Well…at the start, anyway,” I said, correcting myself.

“Exactly,” Grey said. “Now think. Why would he do it?”

“To tire his opponent out?” I asked, but Grey shook his head. “Well…he seemed to evade, dodge or defend…then at a certain point, BAM, he’d just come out with a strategy. Oh! I know!”

“Yes?” Grey asked.

”He spends the start of the battle asking his Pokemon to evade. During that time he analyses his opponents attack patterns…how fast they are, their reactions, and he decides where weak spots are on the body. Then, when he’s done that, he unleashes attacks.”

“Very well done, Chris,” Grey replied, a smile on his face. “Excellent. Yes. Daniel analyses his foe while his Pokemon dodges. Can you tell me anything else? Particularly about the second match you saw, versus Knight of Time.”

“Not really,” I mumbled.

“Kyle copied Daniel’s use of double team,” he said sagely. “Because he saw how effective it was. And when Daniel attacked, Kyle protected.”

I remembered the cold, calculating look Razor Leaf had when this was being executed, and smirked.

“I remember now,” I said fondly.

“Surprise techniques are critical in fighting Razor Leaf,” Grey said firmly. “And I know some techniques he won’t expect from you.”

“What do you mean, from me?” I asked.

“I want you to fight him,” replied Grey.

“No,” I said. “No! He’s too strong for me, Grey.”

“Listen to me!” he cried. “Razor Leaf needs to be dealt justice. He caused the destruction of my playhouse; he attacked it with his army of menacing Pokemon. I had to run; I gathered my Pokemon and fled. He thinks he has gotten me out of the way.”

“Why don’t you just fight him?” I asked.

“Because in his eyes, he has defeated me,” Grey explained. “I did not wish to sign the contract allowing for the demolition of my playhouse, but through the chaos, it burned down. That can never change. He has taken away something which I cannot reclaim through victory in battle.”

Greys eyes filled with tears, which he quickly wiped away, before he coughed loudly, looking away from me. Only after he dried his eyes did he look at me again.

“Please,” he said. “Do it for me.”

“I will…” I mumbled. “I’ll train up and take him on.”

“He was a good student,” Grey began, sitting down beside me. “And he soon changed from the quiet, nervous person he was at first.”

“Why did you decide to tutor him?” I asked. Grey sighed.

“I battled him in his very first battle. Oh how I remember it. Solrock VS Xanthios. I beat him easily, and the young man, who seemed to secretly strive for success, asked that I helped him train. It was a simple friendship,” Grey told me. “After that years tournament, Razor Leaf demanded we trained harder and harder, and that was truly when our relationship as tutor and student was cemented. Although we were strong friends, our roles were clear.”

“Did you enjoy it?” I asked. “I mean…he’d be getting stronger, but what did it do for you?”

“As I said,” Grey replied. “Teaching helped make me stronger. I looked at life differently when I was teaching it verbally to somebody else.”

“So what happened, then?” I asked.

“Once we got to a specific point,” Grey said. “At the beginning of last year, Daniel began to evolve as a person. He began contradicting what I taught him, ridiculing my techniques and explaining they were futile.”

“What did you do?” I asked keenly.

“I attempted to prove him wrong by practical technique,” Grey went on. “But he would often defeat me, proving that his techniques were working. This inflated his ego and he soon became cockier and cockier. My attempts to quell his self-loving persona were failing rapidly, and soon Razor Leaf referred to me as ‘Arbiter’ – my actual TPML Username. Usually I called him Daniel, and he would call me Drew. But I was not even called by my more colloquial username. Similarly, I had to call Daniel Razor Leaf, for he had evolved beyond the naïve boy that registered in TPML.”

“You think?” I asked. “You think he evolved beyond his former self?”

“Oh no,” Grey replied. “That is in his own words. Personally, I think Daniel is more confident, but that is all. In last years tournament he did very well, placing higher above me, fuelling his ambition to detach himself from his old tutor.”

“I see,” I said emptily.

“Now Chris,” Grey began. “I believe there is a way you can use the battle to your advantage.”

“Go on,” I said.

“Have you ever heard of ‘Battle Swap’?” he asked. I nodded.

“Where you choose your opponents Pokemon?” I said. “Yes.”

“Not letting Daniel decide who he is using might be quite uncomfortable for him,” Grey said. “And it is imperative we try and hack into his emotional side during the battle. He is precise and strong physically. We may have to deter him mentally, and I think this lack of control in the battle might just work in our favor.”

“Right,” I said firmly.

“But first,” said the veteran. “I think your smaller team members need to train up. Daniel will know you have small team members and may exploit them.”

“Right,” I said firmly, rising from my seat. My vendetta against Razor Leaf was climaxing before me, and I knew I had to work hard before the battle took place. Grey and I walked up out of the archive, leaving behind the vault of memories. A young businessman was watching a match on the plasma screen. There was an ugly cry and a splash of water detected from the TV. I heard someone order a water pulse. I wandered on away from the archive to the baking-hot summit of Trolgar Mountain. Time was running out. I had to do this.


*

In the village, Jenny sat on a bench, surrounded by shopping bags. She had just bought some new shoes, a new top, a hat, some shades, a new CD and batteries for her mp3 player. She put all of this down; however, making sure Skip was guarding them, and took out a picture of Chris.

“How can I trust you…” she murmured. She looked across the village square and saw Crystal Tears. The poor girl was running as an angry man and his Grimer pelted the girl with a sludge bomb.

“LITTLE CON ARTIST!” he roared. “COME BACK HERE!”

“Help me!” Crystal Tears wailed, arms above her head as pellets of sludge slopped into her back. Jenny saw this, drawing a Pokeball and taking action.

“Stella!” she cried, releasing her Ledian. “Psybeam!”

From the epicenter of the ladybird’s four arms, a beam of psychic energy was fired through the air. It smashed right into Grimer and stunned the sloppy Pokemon momentarily, giving Crystal Tears time to get out the way.

“Now use comet punch!” she continued. In a flash, Ledian was attacking the man and his Pokemon, circling them while firing off a rapid succession of punches. “Go away!”

The man ran off, recalling his Grimer. Crystal Tears, clothes muddied and torn, was quivering near by.

“Thanks,” she mumbled.

“That man was awful,” Jenny said firmly, not fond of Crystal Tears in the slightest. “He deserved it.”

There was a few moments silence between the girls.

“Listen,” Crystal Tears blurted out. “I-I didn’t go out with Chris. I only did it to get back at him. He told everyone I was a con-artist.”

“Really?” Jenny asked.

“Yea! I don’t like him, and I knew you were b-back, so I…oh I’m sorry,” Crystal Tears mumbled.

“It’s a relief knowing he isn’t seeing another girl,” Jenny said, smiling.

“Well…” Crystal Tears began airily. “He is always going to see The Missing Link. I don’t know if I should tell you this…”

“No,” Jenny began, getting intrigued.. “Go on.”

“He’s always with her,” Crystal Tears said. “And to be honest, Becca’s always looking really tired these days. I always thought they were an item – everybody did. Then you came along, claiming to be Chris’ girlfriend. Everyone was really shocked.”

“Oh my god,” Jenny said. “Seriously?”

“Seriously,” Crystal Tears said. “I know it sounds stupid, and I know we were at a misunderstanding –”

“No, no, forget that,” Jenny said airily. “Chris has been seeing The Missing Link?”

“I hate to be the one to tell you,” Crystal Tears said shyly. Jenny was not upset at all.

“You’ve opened my eyes,” she told the girl, who was a year or two younger. “And I think I need to take action against that scumbag who claimed to be my boyfriend. Will you help me, Crystal?”

“I’d be glad to,” Crystal Tears replied, smirking broadly.

Time you learned never to mess with me, Chris, she thought to herself.


*

Meanwhile, Liang sat in his cell, staring at his watch. It was ten minutes to five in the evening, and Karin had not yet come to see him. Liang looked around at the dark cell, with a two-way mirror on the opposite wall.

“Karin?” He called out. “W-Where are you?”

Silence.

“Y-You said you’d be here by three!” cried the moderator. He sat there, slumped in his chair, wondering how exactly life was going to turn out for him. His phone, VS Seeker and Pokemon had been taken off him.

The door opened suddenly. It was a guard. He was still half in the doorway, walking to somebody on the other side. Liang gasped as he realized Karin wasn’t coming at all. She had denied him what he really needed – a companion.

“Five minutes, Liang,” the guard said, still keeping his attention on the person at the other side. Liang nodded and, for his fingernails were growing now, moved his hand to the corner of the table, where he had scratched a message. He began hastily scribbling away, finger aching from the prolonged etching.

He looked at it.

I’m sorry – Liang

That would have to do.

“Right,” said the man, walking over. Liang covered the message with his hand, and the guard uncuffed Liang from the chair. He was escorted up, leaving the room, the man at his side. “Come on, you won’t see this place for a while.”

“I know,” Liang replied sadly. He left the cell block (which was, in actuality, a holding cell on the floor below the ground floor of the Rules Tower) with two guards escorting him. Outside, the fresh breeze tickled his face – Liang hadn’t felt a breeze for quite some time. He was led into the back of a police van, which was then shut and locked shut. As the van began to set off, Karin watched from a window of the tower, a look of sadness and confusion on her face.

“You should have gone,” Becca said emptily. “He wanted company, Karin.”

Karin didn’t reply. She just watched the van take away the kindest, most genuine member of The Pokemon Masters League community. Despite his pleasant demeanor, Aragornbird was a criminal, and although it pained Karin to admit it, justice had to be served.

“If I talked to him,” she said slowly. “I’d feel remorse for keeping him there. I’d feel sympathy. And we, Becca, are people of authority and righteousness. We cannot attach ourselves to criminals.”

“I’ll contact Chris tomorrow,” Becca said firmly, looking across her office at a photo of Amy Wolfsong and her team of Pokemon. “We’ll find you, Amy.”

[The Blue Avenger]

Well, there goes that theory. :P I kinda figured that Grey had trained Razor, but I guess I never thought about why... heh. It did explain a lot about why Razor is like he is today. I actually like the specifics of his strategy though; it would take a lot of skill to pull it off. While I'm still thinking about the Archives, the inclusion of Razola was a nice touch.

Hm. I didn't expect Karin to actually not show up. :| I understand her reasoning, but I'd also expect her to stick to her word. On another note, the cell being below the Rules Tower got a smile out of me; it's very appropriate.

Also, wow, you've made me hate another character. :P I admire the job you've done with Crystal Tears' character. Along with Razor, you seem to have a knack for making characters people just love to hate.

Eagerly awaiting the next chapter.

[MeLoVeGhOsTs]

Very, VERY nice chapter! This reminded me of Harry Potter and the Half blood Prince, when Dumbledore goes to tell all about Voldemorts past and techniques. Grey seems like Dumbledore, the old and wise master, although he isn't that powerfull as Dumbledore in HP. Chris is a respectable young man and will always do good, prehaps he will one day do something bad? On purpose.

I'm beginning to like Razor Leaf and his attitude. Cocky little prick, I love it.

Crystal Tears is unbelievable, that rotten pest.

Lol, also good Raz cameo. Gotta love 'em cameo's.

Karin isn't the person I'd like. Meh.

Keep on writing this! I enjoyed it very much. Although I am expecting some training now, since Chris hasn't battled for quite some time now.

Bai.

[Dark Dragonite]

Wow, I loved the hidden code in the poem, amazing!!
And, I'm learning a bit on how to improve myself, thanks Chris!!

[Greyfox]

Wow, that was impressive. From the Archives, to the CT/Lass interaction, and finally to the lone Aragornbird.

I liked the well-descriptive battles that were present in the archives (I reffed the battle with Sesshomaru and Aragornbird, if I remember correctly); however, I did find it amusing when Grey said "he destroyed my playhouse". Makes him sound a bit childish.

My appriaciation for Crystal Tears' character is slowly diving. I almost want to take back my original theory of her turning into Chris' friend.

Finally, the passage with Aragornbird was pretty sad. Despite what he had done, he's still a human being...

Well, that about wraps it up for me.

[font=Bookman Old Style]-drew

[Ace64]

And so another plot is hatched...tough luck, Chris.

And if only our archive battles could be like that! Pretty cool. Still, ya gotta wonder- if Drew taped all their battling sessions, couldn't he have just shown Chris those, instead of sending him all the up a mountain? Then again, they were probably incinerated in the fire- and we would have missed KoT. Guess it all works out.I wonder what's going to happen to Liang? Trial, or straight to the gallows?

Heh...gallows.

[Crystal Tears]

[color=orange][font=franklin gothic medium][b] I feel soooo loved. I'm a rotten little pest *glares at MLG*, I'm crushing Drew's hopes for me being Chris's friend, and TBA loves to hate me? Oooooh so grand.

Haha actually my character is making me laugh, though interacting with 'Fabulass' isn't something I predicted... Meh, if I'm going to make Chris's life a hell, might as well enjoy it. As my cheap tactics, and evil deeds will soon run out -.-' It’s just how it works...

Good chapter Chris. The code was good, though I didn’t exactly fallow because well I'm stupid. >>

Keep up the good work dude. And go character Chris! Its about time you trained your little pokemon.

[Mega Horny]

I have been extremely busy lately, with the final stretch of the school year and my own fic, and have some catching up to do. I have read some of the new chapters, and what i've read is great, but I dont have time for feedback right now, so perhaps later I will give a super feedback post of something. Whatever my schedule lets me. Keep up the good work ^^

[Charles Legend]

Nice chapter Chris, however the only thing that bugs me is that I did not like how you referred to the growth of one's Personality as Evolution, I understand that you meant growth of a person. it's just that I find it annoying that the word evolution has become so common to use.... but other then that I thought this was a grate chapter... oh and what happened to Amy's team since her death anyways?

I noticed that Darktyranitar was in the archive I wonder how he got passed Kyle?

Oh and nice pirate joke Ace, I don't think that Chris well have Liang killed or at lest not until he dose a chapter on him. ;)

Crystal Tears no your not, if any one is Stupid it's me, see I don't like school very much, for you see I don’t give a crap what this world thinks of me!

~Charles Legend

[Wolfsong]

All in all, another great chapter. Don't really have much time for a long reply, so i'll settle for the short and simple. ^^; I also liked that poem. I loved the description that you gave of the archive. As for Crystal Tears, she really is good at conniving people. The scheming part of her personality unfortunately reminds me of someone that i know irl. Even I couldn't help but feel sorry for Liang in this chapter, but i can also understand where karin was coming from as well.



oh and what happened to Amy's team since her death anyways?


Thanks for asking a question about somethign i have been wondering about but kept slipping my mind to ask ^^;

As always, looking forward to the next chapter. Keep up the great work.

[Hyperness is a Good Thing]

yay another good chapter - The archives were cool... ^_^
Hehe, for the poem, I followed it from T, H, R and I got lost at the E E..haha guess I'm just dumb.
Looking at Jenny's character, it's like she WANTS to believe that Chris is cheating on her. Tsk tsk. But can't blame her, she;s been through so much, with evil Chris wanting to run away from her and all =P

Yay! I wonder what Chris will find when he goes to look for Wolfsong.

[Charizard04621]

What if he had something to say that he hadn't said earlier - any clues perhaps, or a confession of his innocence? No body, no crime... Amy has to turn up before I form my opinions on aragornbird.

[darktyranitar]

Hm, so Razor Leaf does have a good character in the past. It's sad that one can get so arrogant and cocky after being all powerful. Grey give some very good advice to Chris. Good, we can see Chris VS Razor Leaf in some future chapter.

Look, I made a cameo! Hey, what is dt doing there in the archive? I thought that the archive is a special place where only some people can access.

Yes, Liang is bad, but it's kinda sad to see him taken away. Is he going to the gallow? And when Amy's body will be retrieved?

Ah yes, Crystal Tears teaming up with Jenny... at first, I thought they were going to battle some trainers... Very sursprising turn of evet. That nasty pest...

This chapter is good! I like it as usual.

[Chris 2.1]

WHOA loads of replies guys!

TheBlueAvenger: Yea Razor Leaf is very precise and I also like the way he acts. It’s like in Ch4, Solrock VS Mankey, Razor Leaf tricked Chris into digging underground so Solrock could use earthquake. A similar technique Grey used.

Cameos like Razola’s will be commonplace in the future. I agree Karin not showing up was unexpected, and although ones intuition is to find the idea quite awful, I can see exactly what Karin means. This wonderful person suddenly has such an unexplained, dark side I think she’s actually quite afraid of what Liang is capable of.

I’m also really glad the CT scene went very well. I felt it was a bit shaky myself but it’s gone down well which is a plus. Crystal Tears (often referred to simply as Crystal) is actually a very complex character as I plan on showing you.

See you next chapter!


MeLoveGhosts: Thanks! I wasn’t sure the chapter would go down well as there was a lot less action than in the Ivy Lake arc. I completely agree it is like HBP, but it was unintentional. I think the mentor, the protagonist and the rival are three very common characters, but in the future these three do twist more than their archetypes. I’ve promised shocking character development for Razor Leaf, and the same is true for the latters. Expect Chris to take some dark turns, too!

Hmm technically Chris battled Kyle last chapter but you’re right – it wasn’t a proper battle. He will get a lot of training in, don’t worry! Yea CT is unbelievable, but you just wait – she gets worse!


Dark Dragonite: I’m glad you liked it!


Drew: Thanks for the compliment! Actually I reffed the match with Liang VS Sesshomaru, it was a 4-4 in 2004. AB used Feebas, Spearow, Taillow and Shellgon. Sess used Vulpix, Pidgey, Aerodactyl and Totodile.

When you say your appreciation is diving, you mean you don’t like her, correct? That, I can understand. But as I will reiterate, CT is actually a very complex girl and I hope to address that soon. Anger and hatred are not pure emotions. They are fuelled by underlying ones. And yes, Liang did get a rather disappointing sendoff. But I did promise he would get his own chapter. Maybe we’ll see some of HIS past?


Ace64: It’s these bloody women! Conspiring against our hero. Don’t worry though – You’ll soon see Chris finds himself allies. About your query – Drew had copies of his personal training with Razor Leaf, but he wanted Chris to see the stronger aspects of his battle style and how that developed over the years. And as you found out in Chapter 8, Chris and Drew would have met to discuss this much sooner, but Razor Leaf intervened. Drew had to be much more discreet than that.


Crystal Tears: You turned Chris and Jenny’s relationship into a triangle with the kiss and Jenny still held you partly responsible. Obviously CT is the type of girl who likes to cause a reaction so expect some big things from her and Jenny as they team up to take on Chris! However the Crystal Syndicate plotline I talked to you about may get less priority given how I want things to turn out.


Mega Horny: No worries! See you soon


Charles: The word evolution is overused, but I think it can be used as long as it is in the correct context. As a writer I felt Razor Leaf always wanted power and authority, and he managed to get it through his actions. I think the term ‘evolved’ is very suiting indeed.

Amy’s Pokemon were in their Pokeballs on her Pokeball belt when she was taken. So presumably they’re still with her. But you never know why Liang chose to take Amy…did he perhaps have another reason? Hence his cooperation when he knew he was arrested? Hmm

How did DT get past? Well let’s just say some people know more about the archive's secrets than others…


Wolfsong: I’m glad you liked the chapter Amy! The Archive is a place I’d love to visit myself! And thanks about the poem – did you manage to solve it? CT is a conniving girl, you’re right, and I’m really glad you understood Karin, even if it was a little bit.

As I said to Charles, Amy’s Pokemon are still on her belt. Chris saw the bag she took with her to Ivy Lake, and it had some Pokeballs in. But Amy had taken a lot of powerful Pokeballs with her to try and subdue the monster. But as you all know, the Pokeball bag was left on the shore…it is unclear whether Amy wanted to catch the monster for herself, how much she knew about it (ie: if she knew more than she let on to Becca and Karin) or anything really. All will be revealed.


HIAGT: Hehe you did quite well though! Haha I think Jenny is just weighing up the odds and believes the worst news. But we all know Chris and TML aren’t an item! Well as for Chris finding Wolfsong…when Becca asks Chris about finding the body, his reaction isn’t what you’d expect…


Karin: A very wise take on things, we’ll have to see just how much of it is true.


DarkTyranitar: In the very near future…! The Razor Leaf and Brit Chris rematch is highly anticipated and is coming soon. You’re right and wrong about the archive. It’s open for ANYBODY to enter (access is granted merely by entering your username) but few people know about it. It seems DT knows enough to avoid seeing Kyle though…

Amy’s body is retrieved soon. Liang’s departure was sad but one which makes more sense soon. And yes, CT and Jenny! What an odd alignment.


Time for a Ch17 preview:


Ch17: Razor Leaf (Part III)
Chris’ rematch against his rival is derailed when Grey goes missing during a training session. A member of the league offers Becca a useful hand in going down into the depths of Ivy Lake, while Karin’s suspicions that someone in the village knows something about Amy’s disappearance are confirmed at the worst possible time.


Oh and for some reason, here is a chapter listing:

Chapter 1: The Missing Link
Chapter 2: Girafarig
Chapter 3: Girafarig (Part II)
Chapter 4: Razor Leaf
Chapter 5: OzAndrew
Chapter 6: OzAndrew (Part II)
Chapter 7: The Arbiter
Chapter 8: Aragornbird VS Pichu
Chapter 9: Hanada Tattsu
Chapter 10: Wolfsong
Chapter 11: 04621
Chapter 12: 04621 (Part II)
Chapter 13: Crystal Tears
Chapter 14: FabuLass
Chapter 15: Knight of Time
Chapter 16: Razor Leaf (Part II)
Chapter 17: Razor Leaf (Part III)
Chapter 18: The Blue Avenger
Chapter 19: ??


Unfortunately I cannot even reveal the name of Ch19 since it will most likely RUIN everything! And it’s not who you think, either ;)

[MeLoVeGhOsTs]

Yeah I know, but I just recently re-read HP6 so you can understand my attempts ;) Also, DT seems mysterious, I hope to read more, please post more and faster and more and faster and more ^^

[The Blue Avenger]

Whoo! Go chapter 18!

Betcha chapter 19 is The Blue Avenger (Part II). ;)

[Chris 2.1]

I'm afraid not....the answer might surprise you all.

[Greyfox]

[color=#0099cc]What if it's "BritChris"? :O Or better yet, "The Arbiter (Part II)"!

-drew

[RaZoR LeAf]

The Missing Link (Part II). Leader of TMPL, covering her own tracks by incriminating others, ooh the possibilities.

Loved the chapter. Would say more, but buzzed waiting for the rematch. He he..

[Ace64]

Chris 2.0: The Evolution- with his new strategies comes a change in name.

[The Blue Avenger]

Hm, just so I could say that I called it, I'll make an 'official' guess... either Wolfsong (Part II) or Aragornbird (Part II).

[Andrew]

Oh, I quite like that chapter. I didn't see the Crystal Tears thing teaming up with Jenny... next thing you know it'll be the Crystal Fabulasses against the Eon Sisters. Imagine a 2 on 2 Contest! You'd be teamed up with someone randomly and have to work together through the appeals and battle stages before facing off against one another.

I wonder if we'll see more of Raz.... so Chris is going to extensively train up his group, what with Magby/Cacnea/Mankey as his weakest.

I LOVED the archive, it's absolutely brilliant. I wonder if someone will lose it and go in to try destroy it and their history of losses (Uberfred?)

Is it wrong that the first thing I think of when you mentioned blood infection was: Amy's got an STD! Hahah. But she's dead. Oh well :( It'd be kind of creepy to have like a fearow scavenging from her corpse, or some barbaroach or something

[Chris 2.1]

Drew/Razor Leaf/Ace/TBA: Hmm all wrong I'm afraid :P

Andrew: Yea I added the CT scene and the announcement scene from when I showed you the chapter. A 2-2 contest would certainly be a nice idea, as you heard a contest is taking place soon. But that's just a standard one. Will Jenny enter and try to thrash the Eon Sisters?

Yea Chris is going to train the smaller members. I think Poliwhirl and Electabuzz would fare well, and Sneasel is also quite strong. Haha I'm glad you liked the archive too - UuberFred deleting his wins! Excellent idea. If you thought the security Alakazam were something though...wait till you see the security system in the archive!

[Ultimate Charizard]

next chapter 'The Return of UC' lol.

Joking aside i was reading throught these and id never even known they were here till i saw someone browsing them on whos online. Awesome idea, especially taking references from actual battles that took place.
Great work and i look forward to reading more.

[aragornbird]

Yay, Chris, another chapter! Poor me, I feel sorry for myself. Lolz.
I loved the way you described the archives. I'd love to see a real building like that, just tons and tons of Pokemon battles and info.
Dang, my fingernails must be pretty long. I usually bite off my nails in real life so they are all short and ugly.
Anyways, I'll be waiting eagerly for the next chapter. Keep up the great work!

[Chris 2.1]

UC: A new reader! Awesome. Glad you like it!

Aragornbird: Yea the archives are a prety fascinating place I want to shed more light on in the future. Glad you're looking forward to the next chapter!

[Charles Legend]

I bet you anything Charles legened won't show up as a Private Instigator and work on the case of Amy's disappearance...

but anyways as far as chapter 19 goes I say it's going to be ether Ubberfred, Darktyranitar or a Vet such as the muffein man....

~Charles Legend

[Chris 2.1]

Charles: Stranger things have happened! Thanks for replying.


WAY Earlier than anticipated is Ch17.




Chapter Seventeen
[size=3]Razor Leaf: Part 3


I returned from Trolgar Mountains with Grey, after seeing Ronnie and Stuart at the site for the Radio Tower. I bode them farewell and made my way down with Cacnea, Mankey and Magby. Grey told me he wanted at least one to evolve before I battled Razor Leaf, which was going to be as soon as possible.

Grey told me he was to sort accommodation out, since his place of stay was mere rubble and, I assumed, being cleared to make way for a tanning salon or something ridiculous. I found it ironic that the growth of BT Street caused Greys return to TPML (since his playhouse was burned down) and his surprise registration. I decided that I would drop my things off at Jenny’s flat down BT Street.

“We shall meet in an hour,” Grey said to me. “Heal your Pokemon up and find me in the main village, by the Approval Tower. How does that sound?”

“Fine by me,” I replied. I bode him a farewell and went off back into the village. It felt odd, for I hadn’t actually been here for some time. It was quite a busy day, and I saw Vermillion wandering through the village with a Snorunt and Eevee at his side, presumably new catches. I didn’t know him to talk to so I didn’t bother waving. The most interesting change in the village was some graffiti on each of the tall, black towers that shot into the sky. Read as one they spelled V.E.E.D.P.

“Veedp?” I asked myself.

“Did you not hear?” a voice said. I turned to see a boy not too older than me standing there. “Apparently some criminal’s been spraying VEEDP all over the village.”

“What does it stand for?” I asked.

“I have no idea,” he replied. I was bemused by this, but headed on through BT Street. I noticed a few things on my way – firstly, Latte Days was finally shut down, put to rest, it seemed, by the glamorous BT Street. The once deadened street was back to life and it seemed to be taking on the rest of the community. I headed down there, noticing the Trading Club was quite popular. In fact, I could see Crystal Tears through the glass window, at the trading booth with another girl.

“Bye bye KFC!” she cried. She turned and saw me, prompting me to run slightly faster down the street.

Soon I got to Jenny’s flat – it was quite near Hanada’s abandoned Gym. I knocked on the door but received no answer. Maybe she was out? I wished I had a spare key…I could really do with it. I flicked the letterbox up and peered through it…

“ARGH!” I cried. A sharp jet of water shot through the letterbox and struck me in the face. I stumbled back as the door opened briefly, and my normal backpack (I still had my hiking bag on) was thrown out.

“GO TO HELL!” came Jenny’s scream, and the door was slammed shut. I stood there momentarily, trying to register what happened.

“Jenny?” I asked. “What’s wrong?”

There was no reply.

“I know you’re there,” I replied. “What was that for?”

The letterbox opened and another blast of water smashed into me. This one was stronger and it knocked me right off my feet. As I landed on the cold, hard ground, I could briefly see that it was Skip the Marshtomp firing water through the letterbox.

“Fine,” I snarled. “Be a complete bitch!”

Angry by Jenny’s actions (or lack of?) I gathered up my things and decided that I needed to find a new place to live. But, before that, I needed to train. I decided to find a match before I met Grey and really exercise my Pokemon out.

“Chris!” came a voice. I looked to see The Missing Link standing there, admiring my soaked clothes. “What happened?”

“Don’t ask,” I murmured.

“I was looking for you…” Becca replied. “Can I get you a drink?”

“Of course,” I said. “And a towel, please…”

“We’ll go to The Chunky Clefable Café,” Becca said. “Come on.”

From her window, Jenny watched Chris and The Missing Link walk off together, already in conversation. A tear ran down her face as she clenched her fists and picked up the phone.

“Anyway Chris,” Becca said, as we ordered our drinks in the CCC. “I wanted to ask you a favor.”

“Oh?” I asked.

“Someone needs to recover Amy’s body from Ivy Lake,” Becca said. “A-And Karin and I both felt you might be a good candidate.”

“What?” I asked skeptically. “Why me?”

“We are limited to the people who know about it,” Becca hissed. “And that means it’s you, me and Karin. Karin and I can’t just go diving underwater in scuba gear – what if something happened?”

“What if something happened to me?” I snapped.

“What I mean is,” Becca began. “The disappearance of you would be much less noticeable than that of me or Karin.”

“You’re not convincing me,” I replied. “Fishing a body out from a lake? Remember the huge Dragonite?”

“We defeated it, and we got its Pokeball from Liang,” Becca replied firmly. “It’s safe. The lake is ok.”

“No,” I replied.

“Then I’ll find someone else,” Becca replied, getting up. “I’m sorry you couldn’t be of any help.”

“Me too,” I replied.


*

Meanwhile, in the cell block, two guards were cleaning the room up, disabling the electric chair (and recalling the Electrode it was powered by, who was in another room). Karin saw the message Liang left, as she was overseeing the operation. She let out a sigh.

“I should have seen him,” she mumbled. She placed her hand over his inscribed message, but felt something with her thumb on the underside of the table. Picking it off, she saw it was a photograph, stuck to the underside of the table with a drawing pin.

The photograph was taken from a Polaroid and showed Liang with his arm around a slightly older oriental boy with slightly longer hair in a short ponytail. Karin examined it…the two looked similar. On the back was a message.

‘Me and my brother, Henry’.

Intrigued, Karin went to the nearest phone, which was on the other side of the cell door. She dialed The Missing Link’s mobile number.

“Hello? Becca here.”

“Becca, it’s Karin.”

“What’s up?”

“I found something you might want a look at…Liang left a photo of him with his brother, Henry.”

“And?”

“You don’t remember Henry? His username was Elitos.”

“Elitos…I think he was around when I started,” mused Becca. “Anyway, what does this have to do with anything?”

“I just think its strange Liang left a picture of himself with his brother for us,” Karin replied. “Don’t you?”

“It does seem a bit odd,” Becca said. “Can you contact him?”

“I could look in our database and see if I can get a contact number,” Karin replied. “Did you ask Chris about Amy?”

“Yes, and he refused,” Becca replied bitterly. “Luckily I saw The Blue Avenger at Tranquil Shores. I thought we could use his submarine.”

“I don’t know him, really,” Karin said. “But that sounds like a good plan. Do you know anything about the graffiti?”

“Only one girl saw the vandalism. Apparently a man dressed in yellow spandex was spraying the letters. He was levitating in the air.” Becca explained.

“Sounds like OzAndrew and his Mr Mime again,” Karin said airily.

“Anyway I’ll speak to Jeff,” Becca said. “And you speak to Henry.”

“Someone, somewhere has information,” Karin replied. “And it’s vital.”


*

I was keeping my cool in the main village, in one of the fenced off arenas in a 3-3 battle, with each Pokemon out at once. Magby, Cacnea and Mankey were facing off against my foe, Mega Horny, who had a Grimer, Drowzee and Growlithe on his side. The match was hectic, but I was calm.

“Cacnea, pin missile on Drowzee!” I shouted. “Magby, keep Grimer out Cacnea’s way with a flamethrower, and Mankey, use low kick on Growlithe!”

A flurry of sharp needles rained down on the tapir, causing Drowzee to become highly subdued. Luckily for his trainer, he was the healthiest on his team. Grimer was losing fast as a torrent of flames engulfed his slimy body, and Growlithe was suffering injuries following a sliding tackle from Mankey.

“Drowzee use ice punch on Cacnea! Growlithe attack Cacnea with flame wheel and take down combo! Grimer, sludge bomb on Cacnea!”

“You’re attacking one of my Pokemon?” I asked skeptically. But I had to admit, this strategy was quite effective. I knew I had to counter this technique. “Magby! Use sunny day to keep the ice punch from being effective. Then use flamethrower on Drowzee for me! Cacnea faint attack combo with needle arm to hit Grimer undetected, and Mankey, just all-out attack Growlithe!”

Magby charged up his own energy to give life to the glowing sun. Above us, the sun beamed brightly and rays of sunlight shone down. Drowzee was racing through the air with icy energy encasing his fist…but this energy soon melted away and the Pokemon was speechless, standing in front of mine. Magby opened wide and unleashed a gargantuan flamethrower which scorched Drowzee and dealt fantastic damage.

Meanwhile, Growlithe burst into flames and began charging towards Cacnea, who looked on, worried. Remembering his attacks, the newest member to my team disappeared into the darkness, speeding through the air and swinging his thorned arms into the sloppy Grimer. The needles glowed bright and Cacnea emerged, beating Grimer happily. This left Growlithe to charge right into Mankey and deal very effective damage.

“Mankey!” I cried. Mankey’s eyes were narrowed and his breathing heavier. Energy was collecting in the Pokemons fists. “What’s up?”

“Mankey!” cried the Pokemon, leaping high as his fists glowed white. He delivered a fantastic double punch to Growlithe and sent the puppy flying across the arena, knocking it out.

That attack was revenge. Mankey reacted to the damage dealt by sending back an almighty attack. He was looking…fuelled. I wondered if evolution was about to occur? Grimer was firing off pellets of sludge at Cacnea, but Magby intervened, firing off jets of flame and engulfing the pile of sludge.

“Drowzee!” Mega Horny shouted. “Psychic on Mankey! Grimer, body slam Magby and use explosion!”

Mankey was suddenly lifted high into the air by the whimsical Drowzee. Struggling within an ethereal bind, my Pokemons airways were compressed tightly. Mankey’s fury ebbed away and soon tears were leaking down his face.

“Magby! Flamethrower!” I shouted. Magby saw a huge blob leaping above him and decided to use his attack upwards. The fire shot up and hit the Grimer, who was preparing to blow itself up. What ensued was the fire ignited the already exploding Grimer, and a fantastic bang echoed around the village. The defeated Grimer dropped to the ground as Mankey passed out from exhaustion.

“Mankey…” I mumbled, getting his Pokeball. Mega Horny recalled Grimer, leaving it down to Drowzee VS Magby and Cacnea.

“Cacnea, pin missile!” I shouted. “Magby, fire blast!”

As Drowzee stood there, partly tired from the psychic attack, a flurry of pins began peppering his face, Using a confusion attack, Drowzee held them off, firing the attacks off in other directions. Cacnea was ready to pack in for the day when Magby leapt in front, blasting a Japanese symbol for the word ‘fire’, comprised of fire itself. The flaming symbol raced across the arena and drove itself right into Drowzee, knocking him out.

“Yes!” I cried, congratulating my Pokemon. Mega Horny recalled his Drowzee.

“If I’d had used my Exeggutor,” he began.

“I have a strange feeling you wouldn’t have used it,” I said, shaking his hand and checking my VS Seeker. My wins were up – and I got a message saying my winnings were sent to the bank.

After the match I went to heal my Pokemon up at the brand new Pokemoncenter in BT Street. I walked through the automatic doors and felt a cool breeze tickle my face. Only Magby, Mankey and Cacnea needed healed up – I was training these three smaller members of my team because they needed it the most. Razor Leaf was sure to try and pick one of these Pokemon if it was a battle swap match.

“HEY PAL!” came a manic scream. I stared ahead.

Oh god.

No.

NO!

It was Nurse Smiles…working at the Pokemon Center.

“W-What are you doing here?” I asked, bemused.

“I GOT SACKED!” She cried. “Tricky business…but I’m here now! Happy, happy, happy! This is my Chansey!”

The pink Pokemon looked utterly humiliated at Nurse Smiles’ side. I handed her my Pokeballs and sat in the lounge area as Nurse Smiles regaled me with her story of gross misconduct. Apparently she thought it was safe to inject a patient with a used needle. The needle contained infected blood taken from another patient, and the man had apparently developed some kind of infection which meant he needed a kidney transplant.

I grabbed my Pokeballs as soon as I could, Nurse Smiles waving at me as I headed off. Noticing the time, I went to the Approval Tower in the main village. I was already five minutes late. But Grey never showed up. It wasn’t like him to be late, but I presumed that with his arrival in the village he was meeting old friends.

The time ticked on, and Vermillion walked past me again. I was getting impatient. Grey was supposed to help me train, and that wasn’t happening. Waiting was deterring me – I needed to battle Razor Leaf as soon as I could, so I ran off into the park to find another battle.


*

“Why did you do this?” Grey asked calmly.

“You know why,” Razor Leaf snapped. “You’ve done enough damage.”

He turned away from Grey, who had a black eye. The two were in an old abandoned building which looked to be in the very end of BT Street.

“It’s nothing to the damage you inflicted on my playhouse,” Grey replied angrily. “He’s training to take you on, Daniel -”

“MY NAME IS RAZOR LEAF!” snapped the man, slamming another punch into Grey who, not expecting it, tumbled back and slumped into the corner of the room they were in. Razor Leaf brushed his bruised knuckles against his chest.

“I said he’s coming for you,” Grey went on. “Whether you keep me from seeing him or not.”

“He doesn’t know where you are,” Razor Leaf replied. “He’ll stop caring.”

“Chris is determined,” Grey replied. “He knows what this means to me.”

“But he doesn’t realize the truth?” asked the moderator. “He hasn’t realized you could easily take me on yourself?”

“I want to show you what you could have become,” Grey told Razor Leaf. “Chris is my protégé. My student. Defeating you is the first step.”

“Does he know this?” Razor Leaf asked. “Is he aware that he’s my replacement?”

Grey was silent.

“He’ll rebel just like I did,” Razor Leaf said, smiling broadly. “You pathetic lowlife. Now come here.”

He grabbed Grey’s waist, plucking his VS Seeker from it. He held it in his hand and walked to the other end of the room, talking and taunting his former teacher. Grey, meanwhile, took the time to get a Pokeball from his belt, in its minimized form, and roll it across the floor like a ball. It rolled across the floor and as they were on the third floor of the old office complex, the ball rolled past the old, shattered window frame and dropped to the street below.

“God speed,” Grey murmured. The ball opened up and a Butterfree emerged. Flapping her wings, the butterfly shot a silky thread of string at her Pokeball and held it in her hands, dissapearing off through the village to find Chris.


*

Meanwhile, The Missing Link had enlisted the help of The Blue Avenger in finding Amy Wolfsong’s body. Using her Alakazam, Nightshade, and The Blue Avenger’s Mr Mime, Person Man, they had managed to levitate the small submarine TBA had in his possession.

“Keep it up,” Becca said firmly, as they ploughed on through Ivy Woods. Orion the Scizor was clearing the trees with cut. The large, yet small-for-its-size submarine was floating in the air as Alakazam and Mr Mime struggled. TBA’s Mr Mime was, unlike OzAndrews, green where they are usually red. It was common knowledge OzAndrew disliked TBA, or at least disliked his Mr Mime.

“Are we nearly there?” asked TBA.

“No,” Becca said curtly. “Keep going!”

“Person Man is really tired,” TBA protested, but they pushed on. “What is this all about, anyway? You’re not being particularly helpful.”

“I can’t tell you yet,” Becca snapped. “Someone might hear!”

Soon, Orion signaled to Becca that they were indeed out of the forest. Becca ran across the pebbled shore of Ivy Lake, directing Nightshade and Person Man. They stumbled along, focus entirely on the dark grey submarine floating above them.

“There,” Becca said. “Direct it there!”

“Ala…ALAKAZAM!” roared Nightshade, as he used all his energy to hurl the submarine into the waves of the lake. It made a huge splash, sending water across the shore. Becca recalled Nightshade and TBA recalled Person Man.

“Good work,” Becca said.

“Ok,” TBA snapped. “WHAT is going on?”

“Amy Wolfsong was killed,” Becca said firmly.

“What?” asked TBA.

“It’s true. She was dragged underwater here by a huge Dragonite.”

“Who did it belong to?”

“Aragornbird,” Becca went on. “That’s why he isn’t here anymore. He was arrested after he confessed to drowning Amy.”

“Good god,” moaned TBA.

“It has been a horrific few weeks,” Becca told the other grimly. “But we need to go to the bottom of the lake and retrieve Amy’s body. She needs a proper send off.”

“I agree with that,” TBA said.

“So…” Becca said. “Shall we?”

“Ok,” replied the other nervously. TBA clambered onto the floating submarine which was quite small for a submarine. Chubby and squashed-looking, it was a dark grey in colour and was probably able to fit six people in it. Jeff unscrewed the top and allowed Becca to clamber in. He soon followed, slamming the top shut.

There were four seats, and both TBA and Becca buckled into the front most seats, where they could see the landscape from a large, glass front.

“Arven! Carpainter!” TBA cried, releasing his Pokemon. A rather quite Clefable emerged next to a clumsy yet adorable Smeargle, with blue paint leaking from his tail. “Take your places, guys.”

Both sat in the other seats – Clefable seemed to be doing something involving the propellers at the back of the submarine. Pressing buttons on a computer keypad, she worked away as Smeargle sat there happily, staring through the periscope.

“Arven starts us up,” TBA explained. “I steer, and Mr Carpainter uses the periscope to check for enemies.”

“Right,” Becca said firmly. The submarine gave a jostle and slowly it sank beneath the thick, sloshy waves. The Missing Link gripped the arms of her seat purposefully as the expedition underwater began. The Blue Avenger turned the CD player on.

I'm your only friend
I'm not your only friend
But I'm a little glowing friend
But really I'm not actually your friend
But I am...

“They Might Be Giants!” TBA cried. “Don’t you like them?”

Becca did not respond. They began to see small schools of Remoraid and Magikarp as the little submarine chugged away through the lake.


*

“Come on!” I cried. “Battle me!”

“’Fraid I can’t,” OzAndrew replied.

“Why?” I snapped. “I want another match!”

“I have…things…to attend to,” Andrew said mystically. “Must dash!”

As he ran, he turned to me.

“DON’T FORGET! VEEDP!”

“Huh?”

“NEVERMIND!”

I had spent the afternoon training, feeling my resentment towards Grey deepen slightly. I lost a match against a guy called Dark Dragonite in the park, but Magby had put up an excellent fight. It was against DD’s Charmander, who was impeccably strong.

During the day, however, I saw a Butterfree flying towards me anxiously. It had a Pokeball in its paws and looked full of fear.

“You ok?” I asked. It just cried shrilly, flapping above me. It began to flap away, beckoning me. “Y-You want me to with you?”

Feeling somewhat like the guy that has to try and understand lassie, I followed the Butterfree as it fluttered off through the village. I wondered how stupid I looked, frolicking after the Pokemon, but I didn’t care. It obviously wanted my attention.

We went down BT Street, past the glitzy Hyposomethingsomething burger and the popular Chunky Clefable Café. I saw the brand new Contest Hall flash by, with posters advertising the first Pokemon Contest to be held there in a week. I passed the old site of Grey’s Playhouse, but the rubble was cleared and a set of flats were to be built in its place.

Butterfree kept flying until we reached the very end of the Street. I had passed Jenny’s place, but the curtains were shut and I couldn’t see inside. We were at a building which was a few stories high. The window of the third story, which was the length of the wall and had a frosted effect, was smashed completely, and I could hear voices coming from upstairs.

It was Razor Leaf.

“Little bastard…god knows what he thinks of you now, Grey.”

He had Grey! I put the pieces together. Was it possible Razor Leaf had kept Grey from meeting me, like he did all those weeks ago when I first met him? I thought so. Butterfree led me around the back of the building, where there was a door leading up metal stairs. I ran up, the butterfly at my side, racing up to the third floor.

“So when are you going to let me go?” Grey asked calmly. “We both know you can’t keep me here forever.”

“I thought I’d got rid of you,” Razor Leaf replied. “And I gave an eye-witness report that the playhouse got burned down by youths.”

“Yes?”

“And now you’re here, you can tell everybody the truth,” Razor Leaf went on. “That I lied, that I was responsible for the demolition of your playhouse and how I nearly killed you. AND how I abducted you when you were waiting for Brit Chris today.”

“You’re no angel, are you?” Grey replied, smirking. “So really, you want to keep me quiet, Razor Leaf.”

“That’s right,” he replied. “And well done – you’re finally calling me by my real name.”

Grey looked uncomfortable.

“The only way you can keep me quiet, or the only way you can expect me never to speak about anything (because you do realize I am re-registering for the league, Razor Leaf) –”

The doors burst open.

“Grey!” I cried.

“Brit Chris…” Razor Leaf growled. Grey was sitting on a chair in the corner, not restrained in the slightest. Razor Leaf had been prowling all around the room, like a spider biding its time around a web-spun victim. The room was completely empty. Grey smiled at his Butterfree.

“Well done,” Grey said, recalling his Pokemon.

“Sending help?” sneered Razor Leaf. “Pathetic.”

“What’s going on?” I asked.

“Shut it,” snapped Razor Leaf.

“No, I won’t,” I replied angrily. “You shut it! Leave Grey out of this. I’ve come here to take you on in a Pokemon Battle.”

He looked at me.

“You want to challenge me?” he asked, laughing. “Grey, you’ve done a good job.”

“What do you mean?” I asked. “Grey? What’s he talking about?”

“I don’t know,” Grey said absently.

“Oh yes he does,” began Razor Leaf. “But that can wait. If you want a match, then so be it.”

“Battle Swap,” I said quickly.

“Battle Swap?”

“Yea…we pick each others Pokemon. Sound good?” I asked him. I could see very little change in his expression.

“Suits me fine,” he replied casually. “Let’s have it here. 3-3. Pinball, GO!”

His Magneton emerged, crackling with sparks. I was about to protest, but Magneton swept over to Grey’s corner and unleashed a crackling web of electricity, shocking the trainer and causing him to collapse to the ground.

“What are you doing?” I cried.

“Pinball, keep an eye on Grey,” Razor Leaf replied. “Lock on, and use zap cannon when necessary.”

He turned to me, and we took our places in the large, abandoned room.

“I choose…your Magby,” he said slyly. I stepped back hesitantly, but soon regained my composure. A thin smile curled on Razor Leaf’s lips and I knew what he was thinking. Magby was small. Nevertheless, I grabbed his Pokeball and threw it forward, releasing Magby in a flash of light.

“Magby?” the Pokemon said.

“This is a surprise for me, too,” I whispered. “But don’t worry, I’m sure you’ll do great. You’ll be fine.”

He nodded.

“Fine,” I said. “I’ll choose your…”

My mind blanked. What Pokemon did Razor Leaf have, anyway? Haf the Blaziken…Harker the Golbat, who most likely had evolved by now anyway. Solrock and Lunatone…Zangoose…none of these seemed like easy foes for Magby to face.”

“Come on,” Razor Leaf said impatiently. “Choose one!”

“Zangoose,” I blurted. Razor Leaf gave a wry smile, gripping his Pokeball and releasing the Pokemon in a fantastic flash of light. Rika the Zangoose leapt out, claws by her side.

“Magby, don’t worry!” I said. Magby looked at me and then looked back at Zangoose, who was very intimidating with her deep red scars running across her torso. Rika’s eyes narrowed, and Magby clenched his fists tightly. A glow began to grow, enveloping my Pokemon in a bright white flash.

“Magby!” I shouted. “You’re evolving!”

Slowly Magby’s form grew; matured, if you will, to take on Rika. He had got a lot of experience and I caught him before I caught Elekid, so I was right in assuming his evolution had been on the cards for a while. He developed a long, thick tail with a flame at the tip with powerful, horned feet and flexible arms cloaked in flames. The light soon died down, and a powerful Magmar stood there. Magmar was slightly bigger than Rika, and made it known.

“Oh, how wonderful!” Razor Leaf cried, in a mock-happy voice. “Come on Rika, let’s tear this thing apart.”

I stood there, Magmar before me, preparing to take Razor Leaf on in the biggest match of my time in The Pokemon Masters League. A cringing Grey lay in the corner, eyes barely open as Magneton hovered eerily over him.


*

Meanwhile, the search in the lake was yielding no results, a fact which The Missing Link was constantly reminding The Blue Avenger. The further they crept, the darker the area was, so eventually TBA switched on the big lights that shone into the darkness.

“Becca, this is…pointless,” TBA pointed out. “We’ve been down here hours.”

“Amy was taken down here,” Becca snapped. “Keep looking!”

The lights shone around, but it seemed they had searched everywhere. On and on they went in wide circles of the lake, until Becca’s eyes widened in fear.

“Stop!” she said.

“What is it?” TBA asked her. Becca pointed ahead, where the yellow headlights were shining beams into the unknown. “What on earth?”

“It’s a tunnel,” Becca said emptily. “An underwater cavern of some sort.”

“Where does it lead?” TBA said, bemused.

“Amy,” Becca replied firmly. “That’s where she must be. She might be alive! Jeff, go through the tunnel.”

“It’s pitch black!”

“Go through!” snapped the woman. “Now!”

“Fine,” he muttered, about to move forward. However, before they could advance any further, there was a gigantic thrashing noise, and something heavy smashed into the side of the sub. The two gasped in shock.

“What was that?” TBA asked. There was a roar, and a Gyarados emerged at the front of the submarine. It bore its large fangs at them, eyes narrowed furiously. It was a deep, dark blue colour.

“I’ve never seen a Gyarados that big,” Becca noted. “It’s attacking us, Jeff! Get through that tunnel!”

There was another heavy thud. The Gyarados slammed so hard into the side of the submarine that Jeff was hurled from his seat. He smashed into the console and gave a heavy groan.

“Jeff!” Becca cried. “Oh god…he’s knocked out!”

Panicking, Becca looked as the Gyarados began slamming the submarine into the ground. Jeff lay on the ground, his head looking quite sore as a lump began to emerge. Carpainter and Arven were crying out their names. Obviously they were not able to attack from in here, and were useless in water.

“Amy! Hold on Amy!” Becca cried. She felt her head get lighter and lighter, her senses ebbing away. Her vision began to face, and soon the sound of Gyarados' roars were getting quieter and quieter. Soon she simply fainted in the seat as Gyarados thrashed away at the little, defenseless submarine.





Next Chapter
Razor Leaf: Part IV

Chris's match VS Razor Leaf is underway, but Magmar is very weak following evolution. Can Chris defeat his rival? Meanwhile, Becca and Jeff emerge from the lake much worse for wear, but Becca has seen enough to know Liang has been hiding something from them. Now that visiting him is out of the question, she arranges to meet with Henry to try and find out some more answers. Meanwhile, Jenny begins to think Crystal Tears schemes against Chris are getting out of hand and questions her part in the girls revenge.



PS: Yes there is an extra RL chapter. Ch18 is RL Part 3, Ch19 is now TBA, and Ch20 is the big mystery

[Andrew]

Oh dear, what's going to happen to TML and The Blue Avenger (I Don't mind if his mr. mime dies). Plus is Chris simply a tool in Gray's plan? What is that plan going towards I wonder? Cocaine smuggling?

I loved so many little quirky touches, the "COME ON, battle me" the fact TML thought it'd be ok to send Chris away because he's more "expendable". Jenny's worrysome.

Oh dear, what'll Nurse Smiles do next after her inevitable sacking from the PokeCenter? Caring for the elderly and disabled? Poor people.

Did Liang get fried? Geez, so many little subplots! I'm wondering where they're all going to go! INteresting to boot though!

[The Blue Avenger]

Oh dear, what's going to happen to TML and The Blue Avenger  (I Don't mind if his mr. mime dies). 

Thanks. -_-;;

Oh man, you've got me to a T. XD I would definitely start blasting "Birdhouse in Your Soul" in the middle of some solemn moment. Also, I'm a deus ex machina of sorts... submarine out of nowhere. Heh. Awesome.

Anyway, aside from this being THE BEST CHAPTER EVER because I'm introduced, I'm curious as to how the battle will turn out. On the one hand, I don't think Chris will win, simply because it's the first real climactic clash, and that never ends well. I'm also interested to see what light Henry can shed on the situation. And of course, I'm looking forward to see how Becca and I get out of this.

The reintroduction of Nurse Smiles was great, as were the bits with Andrew. I wonder what that cryptic abbreviation means...

See you next chapter!

[The_Missing_Link]

I want Chris to win and then have TML slap Razor across the face and kick him out of the League. That bastard needs his comeuppance

Everything was cool, and I liked the VEEDP thing. I hope we get to see what it means soon

[Greyfox]

I'm turning into a manipulative bastard, ain't I? Score. Not much to say, other than I'm eagerly anticipating the next chapter...

-drew

[Wolfsong]

Don't worry, early is nice. ^^ Wow, another great chapter. ^^; I need to listen to more kinds of music. I'm only famiiliar with the country that I listen to on a regular basis. *Hums along to Sugarland's Baby Girl* Guess I'm a good ole' country girl at heart. Anyways, I also hope that Chris wins. I hope Becca and Jeff do get out okay, I personally wouldn't want to see anyone get hurt on my account. However, on a more personal subject. YAY! There is hope for me. ^^ Lol, sorry a little hyper today because I had too much soda at lunch and i'm still hyper form it. I'm looking forward to the next chapter.

[Charles Legend]

LOL@ at what Rebecca and drew said

I was right in thinking there was an under water cave, and that ether a Gyarados or a Milotic was guarding it.

Here is a very Farfetch’d theory what if it was really Henry behind Amy's disappearance and he framed Liang so he could go out with Amy...

Think about it Henry may have forced Liang to lie about killing Amy, one clue I picked up on was that Liang says that he had his Grovyle to use hyper beam, (which btw way it can’t even learn until it’s a Sceptile.) to distract Chris while he killed Amy, looks more like Gyarados used the hyper beam, then Henry abducted Amy and put an oxygen mask on her so he cold take her down in to the cave where he lives.

~Charles Legend

[Hyperness is a Good Thing]

wow so many conspiracies and little subplots!!!! SO fun!!!!
^_^ yay... maybe Razor Leaf's all twisted up cos he's unhappy that he was manipulated by Grey. Tsk tsk.
Haha, I'm not surprised that Chris refused TML..i mean she basically said that if he dies it wouldn't matter so much.. =P
yayies on to the next chapter and VEEDP!(whatever that is!)

[MeLoVeGhOsTs]

Waw don't know what to say. Eagerly waiting for the battle! What will happen with TBA and TML? Will they die trying to save Amy's body or will they happpily swim to shore with a defeated Gyarados?

Grey seems to be double-faced aswell and I think that Razor Leaf is quite good, he seems to be the bad-guy for now, but I have a feeling that I might change.

Also, Jenny is REALLY irritating me. Damn bitch, reminds me of my girlfriend. Argh.

[Chris 2.1]

Andrew: Yea TBA and TML are in a pickle alright. It’s another clue in the Ivy Lake mystery – didn’t I tell you there’d be more? The possibility of a tunnel leading somewhere else seems to have given The Missing Link the impression Amy could still be alive – and if that’s the case, she may have been taken for a reason.

Liang’s been driven off to a high-security prison while his sentence is drafted. Obviously he’s been detained there and as the preview for Ch18 suggests, Becca can’t get to him to quiz him further; she had her chance. Now it looks as if she’ll need to get to his brother, but can he shed any light on the goings on?

As for Nurse Smiles…she’ll be at the Pokemoncenter for a while. I wonder who replaced her at Jolly Japes?


TheBlueAvenger: Hmm yea I suppose you are. Well I only introduced you this chapter to build up for your appearance in Chapter 19. TBA is going to be quite an important character in terms of his presence in the fic.

As for the battle, I think it will surprise a lot of people. I’ve set it up so it’s quite an odd result, and you’ll all be quite surprised how it turns out.

As for Henry, another dues ex machina? He isn’t really, he’s an important character which might not provide light per se, but will definitely show us the direction of said light. In other words, he may not have ALL the answers, but he will know where to look.

Hmm Andrew’s messaging is a sort of side story which will hopefully provide some laughs. You’ll kick yourself when you find out what it means! And I’m glad you liked Nurse Smiles reappearance. I just couldn’t leave her out!


TML: You know I get the impression Razor Leaf’s cover stories will all blow up now Grey’s back. Yea VEEDP is answered quite soon, it’s quite funny really.


Grey: You know I think Grey’s almost oblivious to his aspirations of taking Chris where Razor Leaf wouldn’t go. Does Chris realize what is expected of him after the battle? I don’t think so.


Wolfsong: Hmm well I’ll say this, without directing it at any specific characters: sacrifices will be made before the entire subplot is resolved. As you’ll learn, the story takes a lot of twists and turns and we’ll soon learn Amy’s disappearance is just the tip of the iceberg. As for there being hope….well…


Charles: Did you notice Aragornbird has both a Gyarados and a Milotic on his team? Very clever. Does Gyarados belong to him? If so, what was he trying to keep guarded?

Forcing Liang to take the bullet like that would be very difficult. The only problem with that theory is Gyarados does not surface – it seems to lie at the bottom of the lake and not go near the top, and Dragonite was the one who emerged out of the lake, but it is a very feasible theory and I think you’re definitely thinking outside of the box, which is good.


HIAGT: Yea I know it’s great to see so many people thinking about it! Yea Razor Leaf may be bitter, but he was bitter before Chris met Grey…so is it just distaste towards our hero?

But yea, TML basically said her life is more important than Chris’. She is right, though. Amy and Liangs disappearances are hard enough to cover up. Hmm…VEEDP? You’ll see ;)


MeLoveGhosts: The Ch18 preview implied Becca was still alive, and TBA has a chapter coming up. The question is, how will they get to that tunnel? Will another ‘Becca/Karin VS the Contents of the Lake’ battle ensue? Or will Becca get Liang to recall all his Pokemon that may be lurking down there?

As for Grey, it’s a difficult issue. Razor Leaf can’t be trusted, yet he seems to bring up some interesting points.

[Dark Dragonite]

That was probably the best chapter so far!!
Wow Chris, just amazing, this is probably the most excited I've been to read something in a long time, thank you!

I remember that fight too, tough magby, and w00t, I was in it!!

[Chris 2.1]

DD: REALLY? God before I posted it I was going to say sorry, because I personally didn't think much of it. I felt it was a bridge chapter stretching Ch16 to Ch18. But I'm very glad you liked it. I think the Chris/Razor Leaf confrontation is really climaxing and I'm writing some of the battle now. I can tell you it's got some good chemistry: Chris knows how Razor Leaf battles and is most likely going to try and disrupt his specific attack pattern. RL can't really change tactics because this is the style he's adopted. Either way, Razor Leaf has the power and size and expirience edge over the former so it results in a pretty even match up.

[darktyranitar]

So lot of intriguing conspiracies!

So, is there still hope that Amy is still alive? Underground tunnel? Giant Gyarados? Where could this lead? So much question!

On the other hand, TBA's character is quite interesting. Somehow, I have a feeling he's going to be a bit Oz-like. Guess not. So, this is what the submarine is all about (remember someone said something about submarines in previous chapters).

What's up with Grey? Does he have a certain agenda in training both Chris and Razor? And Oz seems to be getting out of control. What VEEDP meant? Hoo boy, Jenny’s getting all bitchy. I hope someone take care of Crystal Tears soon.

You're doing well in keeping us intrigued. Can't wait for next chapter!

[RaZoR LeAf]

Why do I get the feeling that Grey is going to turn out to be the badguy, and Razor leaf is just caught up in his evil plot? Great chapter Chris, can't wait to see how Brit Chris loses..

[Greyfox]

Why do I get the feeling that Grey is going to turn out to be the badguy, and Razor leaf is just caught up in his evil plot? Great chapter Chris, can't wait to see how Brit Chris loses..


That, my friend, would be awesome. Coincidentally, I was just thinking that as I was reading through all these replies.

-drew

[Ace64]

Great chapter, Chris. Always seems to be another one up when I least expect it.

VEEDP? Simple, o' course. Turn it around and you get PEEV'D- which I'm sure Andrew is, for TBA's unique Mr. Mime.
Chris- the replacement for Razor Leaf? What exactly was drew preening Razor for, anyway?From his personality and his skills, I doubt that it was something as simple as "to be a better battler," or "to become the Champ." There's gotta be more to it than that, but I can't guess what. Also, I wonder if Liang's apology wasn't for what he had already done- but for what was going to happen?

Chris is gonna lose if that Battle Swap is all he's got going for him...

Finally...Ch. 20 is UuberFred. Why? It's just gotta be.

[The Blue Avenger]

Turn it around and you get PEEV'D- which I'm sure Andrew is, for TBA's unique Mr. Mime.

Glad I'm not the only one who saw that. It seems too easy, though.

Also, *adopts haughty mannerism* Person Man is miles above OzMime. OzMime just levitates inflatable castles... Person Man chucks submarines around. And he's green. :P

*cough* Okay, I'm done now.

[Chris 2.1]

Darktyranitar: Hmm well I don't think Becca wants to believe Amy is dead. But the tunnel does bring up some valuable points, so it's really difficult to tell.

Hmm TBA and Oz share some traits, as you'll see in TBA's chapter he's quite...quirky. But he's also got a very serious side and an incredible battling style you'll not want to miss out on! TBA did say, AGES ago, if a certain submarine would be in the fic, which is of course regarding my battle with him in ASB. I can confirm Chris and TBA WILL be battling in the legendary submarine in Ch19!

Grey's character will get more light shed on him but don't take things too far out of context - that's all I will say on the matter. VEEDP is essential as it basically sums up Quackman's agenda, and will feature quite a lot over the next few chapters with any luck.



Razor Leaf: Interesting theory. And who said Brit Chris lost? :P


Drew: Awesome indeed, and I do like that you're all thinking outside of the box. But...well, we shall see...


Ace64: Ahh, trying to find the basis of VEEDP? Not quite, my friend, but it was a good guess. All will be revealled in due time. As the archive explained, Grey simply battled Razor Leaf in the latters first TPML battle. RL was so impressed at Greys abilities, and so frustrated at his own, that he asked to be trained up by Grey, who already had quite a good reputation in TPML. So the routine began, and Grey found himself learning a lot himself by teaching another.

Eventually Razor Leaf was of a level that he began challanging Greys words and proving his teachings wrong or inconclusive. That's when he left Greys tutelage and became the person we see now. His higher ranking in that years league prompted him to believe he had done the right thing, and he thus distanced himself from Grey.

Now when Chris came to TPML, him and Razor Leaf just didn't get on. But Razor Leaf found out Chris had met Grey, and was therefore fuming Grey might give this irritating trainer a hint on how he (Razor Leaf) battled and where his weak spots were. So he made sure this didn't happen.

Until the destruction of the playhouse, it seemed Razor Leaf just wanted to keep Grey quiet, but now he has made this personal indeed. No matter how Grey defeated Razor Leaf, Razor Leaf still destroyed Greys home, his memories, and everything he treasured (except his Pokemon), so in Greys eyes, a victory wouldnt even break even.

It is presumed, at this point, Grey is using his history with Razor Leaf as a way of helping Chris beat the moderator and heal his own wounds. But what Razor Leaf said about Grey might not be worth listening to. He is a manipulative man.


That theory on Liang is very clever. Is that why he enclosed Henry's photo? As a clue? You shall see. And another interesting take on the match outcome. Ch20 is Uuberfred? Intriguing.


TBA: Too easy indeed! *Dismisses theory*




Now guys I am planning on putting the fic on a brief hiatus-style break while I catch up with my neglected literary child Monica's Vendetta. However this will not be under effect until I have posted Ch20.

Like before Christmas, when I went on a few weeks break from the fic, I'll do the same with Ch20. It won't be for long, maybe just a few weeks, while I work on MV and generate some ideas for the ending of TPML. Since the Battle Frontier idea WILL be implemented (and sooner than you think) I am going to say the fic will reach around 35 chapters or more. We're roughly halfway now.

That means that for the next few chapters before the break, we'll see some elements of darkness which will hint as to what direction the fic will take. Blood will be shed!

Note: The Battle Frontier arc will not be 7 chapters about the BF all in one. The battles with the brains will be scattered around other chapters, so the BF Arc will be intergrated into the main story. Main characters will be battling the brains, but who fights who is top secret ;)

I will also tell you that the introduction of Henry will hopefully provide enough clues for you to start putting things together and working out the big picture. But don't be surprised if its still confusing. There are going to be twists and twists and even more twists after that to ensure you're all kept on your toes!


And, with any luck, there WILL be a sequel. But it's still uncertain.

[Charizard04621]

The upcoming battle will be a draw or inconclusive, causing much frustration on everyone's part due to the lack of finality =P

[Vermillion]

Walk on roll, so sweet ^_^. Everthing is turning out very good, hanging on every word and can't wait for the next chapter!

[Andrew]

Will there be a league to end things up? Or a massive attack on the ASB? Or a mystery figure who infects everyone he meets with coma inducing potion, leading to Nurse Smiles being the only winner? I'm ok with a small hiatus!

[Chris 2.1]

Karin: The Chris/Razor Leaf rivalry has existed since Ch4, and I think it would be oh-so-cruel to have their proper showdown end in a way such as that. But, stranger things have happened (Uuberfred's entry into the league, Nurse Smiles getting another job, etc)

Which reminds me: The story I have for Uuberfred will be very interesting. Yu'll find that he has a very surprising connection to one of the Battle Frontier Brains.


Vermillion: Thanks! Yea you had a cameo hehe.


Andrew: Yes there will be a league.

[Blademaster]

(distant whistling sound, slowly getting louder)

[/size]EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE EEEEEEEE-

CRUSHOOMPH!!!

(UFO crashes into room; opens and I fall out)

Hey-yaagh!

THUD!

:dead:

(jumps up; shakes off)

BR-R-R-R-R-R-R-R-R-R-R-R-R-R-R-R-R-R-R-R-R-R-R-R!!!

Hey, Chris! I told you I'd start reading/reviewing your story, and I am! I've only gotten like the first chapter done, but if I could catch up w/ Pokemonese and Lisa the Legend, I can catch up with you.

Anyway, just lettin' ya know that I'm here; I'm doing what I said I would, and... well, I guess I'll be back with a better review later, when I've read more.

Lookin' forward to working with you - this looks like a cool fic.

Peace out!

-Blade

[Chris 2.1]

Blademaster: Thanks!



Some more spoilerific details on the future chapters:

-The Becca/Karin dynamic will shift, but it may bring about worse consequences

-Look out for some fictional, non-existant characters introduced into TPML such as Ox.E.Moron, Nurse
Toblerone....and three sisters who will give Jenny a VERY hard time.

-The Amy/Liang/Henry connection is not as romantically enclined as you'd think

-The first TPML Contest will be underway soon

-Of all the characters I'd say Jenny is the most complex, and will change EVERYTHING.

[Charles Legend]

Some more spoilerific details on the future chapters:

-The Becca/Karin dynamic will shift, but it may bring about worse consequences

-Look out for some fictional, non-existant characters introduced into TPML such as Ox.E.Moron, Nurse
Toblerone....and three sisters who will give Jenny a VERY hard time.

-The Amy/Liang/Henry connection is not as romantically enclined as you'd think

-The first TPML Contest will be underway soon

-Of all the characters I'd say Jenny is the most complex, and will change EVERYTHING.



1. Meaing that they become rivals?

2. LOL I can't wait to see them, I wounder if Ubberfred and Ox.E.moron become rivals?

3. ok, I wounder if it has somthing to do with a rivalry of some kind.

4. that's cool



Also, *adopts haughty mannerism* Person Man is miles above OzMime. OzMime just levitates inflatable castles... Person Man chucks submarines around. And he's green. :P
yeah maybe, but I bet there are even better Mr. mimes out there some may even mite have once worked for team rocket...;)

~Charles Legend

[Chris 2.1]

I'll be frank Charles: I'm not going to confirm or deny any theories based off my....nuggets of information.

However I can confirm Chapter 18 is moving along very well.

[Chris 2.1]

Here it is a mere 6 days after Ch17! I need a pay rise :P Some important things in this chapter, I hope you enjoy it.




Chapter Eighteen
[size=3]Razor Leaf: Part 4


The TPML community was thriving. BT Street was a booming collection of big, flashy buildings, with the trading center being a thriving success. Pichu, the Head of Trading, who oversaw many of the proceedings, was feeling much more cocky and full of herself now that her moderated status actually meant something.

Even the main village square was rapidly changing. With the closure of the Pokemoncenter and the closure of Latte Days, a hip, funky range of clothing chains were being implemented. This pleased many people.

However, behind the excited success of the village lay a mysterious, hidden agenda. Karin, aka 04621, stared out at the village from the window of the office in the Rules Tower. Upon returning here, Karins duties had basically been to fill in the role of Amy. This meant her hours were long and her pay was low. Karin yearned to battle, especially to participate in contests, as the first was going to be held very soon.

The phone rang.

“Hello, 04621 here,” Karin said dully.

“It’s Becca,” said a voice.

“What’s wrong?” Karin asked. “You…sound exhausted. What happened at the Lake?”

“Jeff and I…” Becca gasped. “We were…”

“What? What happened?”

“Attacked,” she continued. “A colossal Gyarados thrashed around and knocked us both out.”

“Oh my god!”

“The submarine was damaged…the engine was trashed. When we both woke up the submarine had floated to the top of the lake again…well, Jeff thinks Gyarados pushed us up to the top.”

“So you didn’t find Amy’s body?” Karin asked.

“No,” Becca replied. “But listen. We saw a cavernous tunnel at the base of the lake. I think Liang may have kept Amy there. I really think she might be alive, Karin.”

“Don’t get your hopes up,” Karin said fleetingly.

“Run a license check on Gyarados,” Becca said. “I am 90% sure Liang had a Gyarados. You know him, Karin. A lot of his Pokemon were bigger than the species average…he raised them very well. I want to confirm the Gyarados was his.”

“I’ll check,” Karin said, walking to the computer and running some background checks. “So that means he had other means of guarding the lake, besides Dragonite.”

“Chris said Amy’s attacks were mirror coated by the lake, too,” Becca recalled. “I’m sure Liang’s Milotic will be down there, too.”

“So he’s got it well guarded…with Milotic and Gyarados underwater, Dragonite at the surface of the lake, and Swellow, Fearow and Murkrow surveying the skies.”

“Obviously he didn’t want people finding the tunnel,” Becca said. “Karin I’m on my way back now…but we have to get to the bottom of this. Jeff is fuming his Submarine’s broken. He said something about National Talk like a Pirate Day…he was going to travel in it or something. Anyway we can’t use it again.”

“What are we going to do…” Karin sighed.

“I’ll be there as soon as I can,” Becca replied, turning the phone off and tearing through the woods.

Karin went back to the window, but as she went, she noticed a letter on the desk. It had a peculiar address.


The Authorities
Rules Tower
The Pokemon Masters League
#04621


“’Authorities’? That’s me,” she murmured. She opened the letter, which was quite thick, and found a hastily scribbled note enclosed.


I was there – I saw the whole thing. You can’t cover tracks when they’re cemented in my mind.


“What on earth?” she asked, taking out the other bits of paper. Reading the first, Karin’s eyes widened in fear. “No…No! How?”

She backed into the wall and dropped the wad of A4 sheets. They fluttered to the floor, where the topmost one, made in a poster-style, could be seen. It was a black and white picture of a variety of clumped-together trees. Wording was across the picture in a violent red:


I SaW AmY WoLfSoNg aT IvY LAkE
ShE WaS TaKeN
By SomEtHing
AsK ThE MiSsInG LiNK – oR KaRiN – tHeY kNOw AbOut It
It’S aLl a cONSpIrAcY
THeY DoN’t WaNt yOu 2 kNoW
UnTil ThEy AdMiT ThE TrUtH
I WoN’T Go AnYwHeRe


Karin was gasping in short, quick spurts. Sweat cascaded down her forehead. There was another hastily scribbled note, which Karin read as her fingers gripped the paper with trembling fingers.


I’ve posted these everywhere. You can’t hide from justice.


“We’re in too deep,” Karin gasped. “Too deep…”


*

“Magmar, fire punch!”

My newly evolved Magmar’s fist became enveloped in flames as he swung an uppercut towards Rika. Rika leapt back and created several copies. Her double team was a way for Razor Leaf to analyse my attack patterns and figure out a weak spot. I wasn’t going to let that happen.

“Fire spin!” I roared. Magmar spewed a thick tornado of flames at the ground, which reared up and engulfed all Zangoose, real or otherwise. The clones dissipated in no time, and Rika looked rather hurt.

“Double team again,” Razor Leaf growled. “Then get ready to use detect if it attacks you.”

I decided to lend a trick off Knight of Time in dealing with clones, watching as Rika made a circle of multiple mongooses. Or is it mongeese? Oh I’ll never know…

“Use your own double team!”

Magmar looked slightly bewildered, but clenched his fists tightly and concentrated hard. In a flash, two identical clones appeared either side of him. Razor Leaf gave a cackling laugh.

“You think you can just steal my strategies?” he sneered. “You need to practice double team you dolt. It’s so obvious you’ve never even asked your Magmar to use it before. Rika! Aerial ace and crush claw combo!”

The clones all leapt up high, claws glowing brightly as feverish white sparks charged up all around. Magmar watched as an onslaught of the opponents leapt up, all attacking him brutally. Of course, upon contact, the multitude of clones dissipated, leaving the real Rika to strike Magmar down with impeccable force.

“Magmar!” I cried, as he toppled over.

“Evolution’s exhausted your buddy,” Razor Leaf told me. “Rika! Use Fast Fury.”

“Fast Fury? There’s no official attack called Fast Fury,” I snapped.

“Good trainers make their own attack combinations,” Razor Leaf whispered audibly. Rika sped through the air, leaving a white streak in her wake, as energy materialized around her claws. In a flash, she dealt a tough slash to Magmar’s chest.

“Quick attack…” I mused. “And fury cutter? Magmar, fire punch.”

Magmar’s fist ignited and he leapt forward, but Rika used a quick attack, on all fours, to race to the other side of the arena and leap at Magmar from behind. Using surprising reflexes, Magmar turned and slammed the flaming fist into Rika’s face. Stumbling back, Rika looked surprised, giving Magmar opportunity to use a mega punch, slamming it into Rika’s jaw.

“Good work!” I cried, shortly before Rika leapt forward and delivered a slash to Magmar’s face. Roaring in pain, my Pokemon covered his face as pain seared through his body like fire to the skin.

“Rika, double team. Spread out and prepare for the grand finale,” said my opponent. In another bright flash, eight copies of Rika circled around a weary and exhausted Magmar.

“Eliminate them! Fire spin!”

But it seemed Magmar was too exhausted to perform a fire spin. I reminded myself exhaling a flaming tornado was an arduous task. I cleared my throat and thought hard.

“Ember!”

Opening his mouth, Magmar blasted a spraying assault of glowing embers, depleting a clone. He turned to each in turn, using the attack in continuation to hit all the clones. It was working, as the clones were fading fast.

“Water Pulse, Rika!” Razor Leaf snapped, and in no time a streak of cool, refreshing water, engulfed in supersonic rings smashed into Magmar and knocked him to his knees. Panting for breath, exhausted from the battle and the evolution, Magmar watched as Rika reinforced her clones and in no time, a full circle of eight stood.

“Now,” Razor Leaf said softly. “Thunder wave!”

From all the clones, a blasting sizzle of electricity was released. The wave of sparks smashed into the sopping wet Magmar, causing him to shriek and groan in pain as his muscled seized up. Twitching, Magmar lay there, looking at me.

“Get up!” I cried. I couldn’t recall him. Not yet. “Come on!”

“He’s going nowhere, Rika,” Razor Leaf said smugly. “Now, utilize the Upper-Aerial-Dynamo-combo!”

I watched, fists clenched as I realized the truth – I was trapped, like so many of his opponents. I imagined someone in a few years time watching this match, as Rika leapt forward. One clawed fist glowed a feverish white, the same glow trickling and enveloping her arm. With the other claw Rika delivered a flashing uppercut, sending Magmar up into the air. With a crack, the glowing claw punched Magmar with a devastating blow, sending him back into the ground.

“Magmar!” I cried. That crack sounded painful. He lay there as Rika watched dutifully, standing before Razor Leaf like a proud assassin.

“He’s done for,” Razor Leaf purred. “That combo finishes anybody off. Recall him now.”

I nodded, shooting the red light at my partner and bringing him back.

“Now who should I choose next?” he said, rolling his eyes as a thin smile curled across his lips. “I choose your Sneasel.”

I frowned…this wasn’t the choice I had expected. I gripped his Pokeball nevertheless, throwing it forward. In a flash of white light, Sneasel emerged, flexing his arms and staring at the considerably bigger Zangoose.

“This one can’t evolve to save you,” he replied. “Rika! Get ready. We’ll let him make the first move.”

“Sneasel, are you ready?” I asked. Sneasel nodded without looking at me. “Good. Use faint attack and agility. Disappear.”

The air around my Pokemon engulfed his presence until he was visible no more. Rika watched calculatingly, but in no time Sneasel cried his name and darted away. I didn’t know where he had gone, but I assumed it was somewhere tactical. I intentionally left this up to my Pokemon. That way, Razor Leaf didn’t know where he went, either.

“Find it,” he snapped at Rika.

It was my turn to smile now.


*

Meanwhile, Crystal Tears and Jenny were at Sunshine Fields. Jenny was practicing her contest appeal with Stella, her Ledian.

”Fly up and unleash a silver wind!” she cried, as a wave of sparkling powder swept down upon them. “Then use a swift!”

An array of shimmering golden stars rode the silvery wave of powder as Ledian then used a comet punch to sweep forward and send the stars and the powder swirling through the air.

“That was good!” Jenny cried. “But the end wasn’t great…take a break, Stella.”

Ledian sat in the flowers and sniffed them happily. Crystal Tears was watching this, sitting on a rock, sitting in a coil of her Seviper.

“Very…pretty,” Crystal Tears said softly. “But we need to attend to more important matters.”

“This is important!” Jenny cried. “This is my contest debut. I can’t lose to those stupid Eon sisters! They’ll humiliate me even more!”

Crystal Tears sat up.

“These girls are being nasty to you, are they?” she asked. It was interesting that the younger, Crystal Tears, who Jenny called Crystal for short, was the one taking a more mature role in the two girl’s relationship.

“They’re horrible,” Jenny said spitefully. “Calling me names in public, directing attacks my way if they see me…and they said they’d be competing in the Contest.”

“These girls sound awful,” Crystal said. “Jenny, we’ll let someone else take care of them. We have to sort out your ex-boyfriend.”

“Well…we haven’t split up properly,” Jenny admitted. “And who do you mean, ‘someone else’?”

“Ahh,” Crystal Tears said softly. “I forgot to even introduce you!”

She clicked her fingers, and from nowhere, a girl appeared, in ninja-like clothes of black and navy blue. She had a Venomoth perched on her arm like a hawk, and had sharp, piercing eyes.

“This is Tsuki Megumi,” Crystal Tears said, smiling. Tsuki nodded. Jenny raised her eyebrows. A second later, a youngish boy appeared, also from nowhere, looking fierce and determined. He had a Spinda at his side, with a heart-shaped mark on its head. He stood next to Tsuki.

“And this is Mr Moogle,” Crystal Tears replied. “Don’t be fooled by the name, he is a deadly boy.”

He gave a nod.

“Next we have Overlord W,” said Crystal, sitting in Seviper lovingly. A girl emerged looking about 18 years old. Like the former ones, she was dressed in ninja garbs, dark colours mainly. In a flash, a Cloyster appeared by her side, spinning its spikes threateningly.

“Who are all of you?” Jenny cried.

“Shush, shush,” Crystal said. “Wait until the end! Next is Roy.”

“Roy? That’s not very…intimidating,” Jenny commented.

“It’s latin,” said a voice, and a boy emerged standing there, with a sword sheathed at his side. He had a unique, curved hairstyle covering an eye. “It means ‘He who Kills’.”

“Really?” Jenny asked.

“I like to think so,” he replied sheepishly. An Absol was by his side. Roy joined the line of mysterious people.

“And finally,” Crystal Tears announced. “The girl who will ultimately destroy all competition in the contest for you – I give you River Asayake!”

In a blast of smoke, a girl emerged, wearing a white and lighter blue ninja garb, setting herself apart from the other minion-style people. She had a Surskit on her shoulder and a Voltorb at her feet.

“River is my sister,” Crystal told Jenny. “She is young…but she is an excellent coordinator. How many ribbons have you won, River?”

River held her hand up, showing all four fingers and her thumb.

“Five,” she whispered.

“Five,” Crystal repeated, for Jenny’s benefit.

“That’s very good,” Jenny said. River gave a nod.

“People, go to your posts. Tsuki, Overlord, go to the Contest Hall and get a schematic of it for me. Analyse the place and we’ll decide how to utilize our plan. Roy, Moogle, keep an eye on the sisters. Watch their appeals and tell me what they’re like,” Crystal commanded.

The four nodded and darted off.

“What about me?” asked River Asayake.

“Practice your appeals,” Crystal replied. “Go!”

And she ran off through the fields. Jenny stood there, brow furrowed, deeply confused and somewhat intrigued by the display she had just witnessed. Crystal just settled down into her Seviper.

“So…” Jenny mumbled.

“We are The Crystal Syndicate,” Crystal said, smiling. “Don’t worry about those Eon girls. They’re being taken care of.”

“Thanks…” Jenny said awkwardly.

“And once you’ve done your first contest,” Crystal explained. “Then we’ll aim for your ‘ex’.”

“Great,” Jenny said airily, feeling herself slightly intimidated by this new mini-mafia Crystal seemed to control. Crystal watched her expression with intrigue as Jenny began to fear for the safety of the two sisters she disliked so much.


*

I think I had Razor Leaf confused. Sneasel used faint attack to hide in a corner of the abandoned building we were in. Rika, Razor Leaf’s Zangoose, had no idea.

“Strike! Faint attack and ice punch combo!”

From behind Rika Sneasel sped through the air, fist encased in ice. Delivering a quick slam, Sneasel flipped over the foe and landed before me.

“Rika, slash!” snapped my opponent. Rika leapt at Sneasel, but it was evident the smaller Sneasel was faster. In a speeding dash, Sneasel zipped behind the foe and leapt forward, delivering a slash to her back.

“Good work!” I cried.

“Good work? He’s battling without you commanding him. That’s not a good thing,” my foe rasped.

“Cram it,” I snarled. “Sneasel! Keep it up! Agility to boost your speed, then use a faint attack slash combo!”

“Double team, then swift!”

Sneasel ran circles around Rika, who decided to counter by creating 8 identical copies of herself. They all made a circle which Sneasel was running around, but he soon stopped when his speed boost was activated.

Sneasel disappeared into the darkness and leapt through the air, claws ready to slash. As Sneasel got close to Rika, she unleashed a flurry of stars which tore into my Pokemon and threw him to the ground.

“Crush claw body slam combo!” Razor Leaf snapped, his eyes wide as he watched hungrily. Rika leapt up, throwing her weight down as Sneasel lay on the ground. Claws shimmering with sparks, Rika prepared the ultimate attack. Luckily Sneasel darted out of the way as Rika smashed into the ground, doing something of a cartwheel before darting back and delivering a slash.

“Rika! This is getting us nowhere,” Razor Leaf snarled. “Use a flamethrower!”

Sneasel wasn’t fast enough to evade as the torrent of flames sped forward. They engulfed my Pokemon straight away. Despite being hurt, Sneasel crawled out of the inferno. I noticed the spot where Sneasel had been standing was looking weak. This may also have been due to Rika using body slam before. The ground was giving way and I wondered about using this to my advantage.

“Thunderwave!” Razor Leaf shouted.

“Sneasel, combine faint attack into agility to boost your speed undetected! Then get ready for action!”

Rika’s eyes darted around the arena as Sneasel cloaked into the shade. Sneasel was getting ready, running all around, building up energy…

“Focus, Sneasel!” I shouted. Razor Leaf’s eyes widen and he soon smiled to himself.

Sneasel uncloaked as its right paw flickered with feverish light…

“Now! Focus Punch and quick attack!”

In no time, Sneasel was charging through the air, focused and ready. The orb of energy soon grew in size until I knew it was going to spell trouble for Rika. The Zangoose watched, eyes wide, claws by her side…

There was a magnificent slam and the energy overwhelmed us all. Sneasel slammed the attack into Zangoose, but it seemed Rika was prepared. She fell back, grabbing Sneasel with her claws and managed to hurl my Pokemon right into the ground. Sneasel slammed into the hard floor, aching. Razor Leaf had anticipated the focus punch and managed to counter it with a seismic toss.

“No!” I shouted. “Come on, Sneasel!”

“Body slam, Rika!” Razor Leaf cried. His Pokemon was taking a few deep breaths, readying herself to leap up and crush my Pokemon.

“Sneasel! Use brick break against the floor!” I shouted. “Hurry!”

Furiously pummeling the ground, Sneasel watched as Rika leapt into the air gracefully, limbs outstretched and a smile on her face. Sneasel’s fists ached as he smashed the ground, which was already weak. I watched in horror. Sneasel wasn’t going to make it.

“Come on!” I snapped. Sneasel continued pounding the floor, hoping it would break, but Rika’s body smashed down and I knew it was too late. My plan was for Sneasel to break the floor and drop down to the next level, hopefully getting out the way. But Rika had crushed my Pokemon just as the floor gave way. There was a rush of dust clouding our vision as a portion of the floor gave way and a thud could be heard.

“Rika!” Razor Leaf shouted. “Pinball, clear the dust damnit!”

Forgetting that Magneton was guarding a collapsed Grey, I watched as the dust was siphoned away. Sneasel lay on his front, eyes open, gasping for breath mere inches from the gaping hole Rika had gone through. Sneasel obviously knew he couldn’t break the floor so he got out the way and let Rika supply the weight and force needed to cause the floor to crumble.

“Rika!” cried Razor Leaf again. “A-Are you hurt?”

On the next floor, we could all see Rika sporting a dislocated shoulder, lying on a bed of plasterboard and dust. Razor Leaf shot me an acidic look as he blasted his Pokeball beam down at his Pokemon.

“A bit of a cruel tactic, if I must say so,” he said airily. “Who do I send out next?”

I had no clue, to be perfectly honest. Did he have any grass types? Thinking hard, I thought about choosing a rock type that Sneasel’s ice and fighting moves (even his steel ones) could help beat.

“Solrock,” I said firmly.

“Solrock?” he asked. “Hah! You said it. I choose Dawn!”

The rocky sun Pokemon emerged, staring at me dolefully. I suddenly made a startling realisation only too late. Sneasel got up, staggering slightly, evidently weak but still able to carry on.

Solrock had fire attacks.

Damnit!


*

Back in the main village, Becca was in the Tower with Karin, who had wasted no time in showing her the flier she received which hinted that someone else had witnessed Amy’s murder.

“It could have been Chris,” Karin mused.

“Don’t be stupid,” Becca snapped. “It wasn’t him. I know it.”

“How?”

“I’ve met him enough to know,” she snarled. “It wasn’t him.”

“Well what should we do?” Karin asked furiously.

“I-I…well I don’t know!” Becca snapped. “They said they won’t be going anywhere…and I bet they’ve put these up all around the village. Pichu already rang up complaining about this…she’s confused and angry that we’ve been hiding things from her, because she’s a moderator!”

“She believes it, then?” Karin asked.

“Yes!” Becca cried.

“Stupid girl,” Karin sighed.

“Stupid? I know I’d believe these posters,” Becca snapped angrily. “It makes so much more sense, from an outsiders prospective, that we’d cover something up rather than some lunatic is simply making it up. People will believe this Karin! If people see this, then people will leave TPML!”

“What can we do?” Karin asked. Becca’s eyes widened.

“Henry,” she said quickly. “What about that number you found?”

“It’s old,” Karin replied. “But I can try…”

Becca nodded firmly and Karin sat at her desk, dialing the number into the phone. She changed the phone to loudspeaker so that both could hear well. The phone rang…and rang…and rang…eventually it was answered.

“Hello?”

“Henry?” Karin asked. “Is that you?”

“Karin?” said the voice. “Yes…yes it’s me.”

“I’m glad we reached you,” Karin replied.

“Is there a problem?” Henry asked.

“…yes,” Karin said apprehensively.

“Well whatever it is, I’m sure your current Banker can tend to it,” Henry replied lazily. “I mean…I haven’t done that job in years.”

“No, no…” Karin mumbled. “It’s nothing account-related, Henry. I-It’s about your brother, Liang.”

“What’s wrong with Liang?” Henry asked quizzically. “He hasn’t called me…”

“Come to the village,” Karin said. “We need to explain everything there.”

“If something’s wrong, I want to know now,” Henry replied angrily.

“It has to wait,” Karin replied. “Please, make your way to the village and, more importantly, the Rules Tower.”

“Goodbye for now,” he replied angrily, slamming the phone down.

“Touchy, isn’t he?” Becca said, raising her eyebrows. “I hope he gets here before the Contest starts, you’ll be away for that.”

“You’re right,” Karin mused. “If all else fails, you’ll just have to talk to him.”

“So,” Becca began. “He used to be the banker for us?”

“Yea,” Karin replied. “And a damn good one, too. I think that’s how he met Amy – she always delivered her pay slips to the bank herself, instead of making other people do it.”

“We need to go back to the lake,” Becca said firmly. “We need to see what’s at the other end of the tunnel.”

“Even more important is convincing people that these fliers are not true,” Karin replied, peering out the window. A crowd of people were surrounding the Rules Tower, throwing things up or holding banners. “A lot of people look pretty unhappy.”

She turned to Becca.

“If too many people leave, the Board of Governors will close the league down.”


*

“Sneasel, don’t panic. You can do this!” I said.

“Dawn, get ready for a little fun,” Razor Leaf hissed.

“This one’s for my Mankey,” I snarled. “Sneasel! Quick attack and brick break!”

“Mankey’s out next,” Razor Leaf said softly. Sneasel picked up speed and leapt through the air, delivering a chop to Solrock. Solrock, however, countered by delivering a strong tackle to knock my Pokemon out of the sky.

The arena was somewhat deterred now because of the large gaping hole in the center. Sneasel fell to the ground, Dawn the Solrock floating above the hole. I knew we had to deal a blow down at it, to hurl it down the hole to the second floor.

“Dawn! Fire spin.”

A flaming tornado was spewed from Solrock’s mouth and picked up speed, sweeping around the perimeter of the hole. Sneasel was using quick attack to leap over the hole to evade it, but soon it caught up and my Pokemon was engulfed in the flaming cage.

“Now go in for another spinning tackle!”

On its side, Dawn the Solrock span like a Frisbee and sliced into Sneasel, throwing him from the flaming eternity and to the ground. Leaping up, Sneasel viciously dealt a hacking chop to Solrock’s body, causing rocky flakes to shed from the Pokemon’s exterior.

“Ice Beam!” I snapped, as Sneasel fired off the pearly white orb of frosted energy. Solrock was hit square on, hovering above the large hole in the ground as it recovered. “Ok Sneasel! Strike it with a metal claw/quick attack combo!”

Nodding, my Pokemon picked up speed as his claws shimmered silver. Leaping up, Sneasel was given a shock when Solrock hovered backwards and headbutted him down to the ground. Sneasel was close to falling down the gaping hole when he planted his metal claws into the floor, which sunk in and securely kept him there, hanging over the edge.

“Dawn!” Razor Leaf shouted. “Shadow Ball!”

The orb of darkness was being charged up by the enigmatic sun Pokemon. Sneasel hung there, swaying lightly as sweat trickled down his forehead. The orb was getting bigger and bigger, and time was running out.

“Sneasel! Ice Beam now!” I cried. As the shadowy projectile flew down, a beam of frosted ice soared up and encased it, before throwing both attacks forward into Razor Leaf’s Pokemon. Not long after, Sneasel hoisted himself up, darted at the foe and used a metal claw to rake his claws into his foe hard.

“Dawn!” Razor leaf cried warningly. “Another double-edge! Hit it hard!”

As Solrock span down, tackling Sneasel and hurling him to the ground, Razor Leaf suddenly leapt to the side. His phone was ringing. Taking it out, flipping it open and holding it to his ear, he answered his call.

“Yes?” he snapped. “Yes it is.”

There was a brief silence.

“What? No…”

His eyes traveled to the ground. A tear formed in one eye and leaked down his face.

“S-She’s…no…please, no. Yes I will. Right away.”

He snapped his phone shut. I looked at him, eager for answers as Sneasel stood there, having gotten up after being tackled down. Dawn the Solrock hovered in mid-air. Razor Leaf cleared his throat, eyes at the ground.

“I-I have to go,” he murmured. “Now.”

“What?” I shouted. “We’re having a battle!”

His eyes darted up and met mine.

“There’s more to life than this!” he snapped. “Each one of us has a life outside this isolated village! Dawn, Pinball, Return!”

His Pokemon soon disappeared in respective beams of red light. Razor Leaf eyed me furiously, shot a glance at Grey, and ran to the door, wrenching it open and slamming it shut behind him.

“Grey?” I said tentatively. “What was that all about?”

“I think,” Grey said softly, still in pain. “Daniel is back to earth again.”


*

Meanwhile, in the Larch Ward of St Augustine’s Hospital, London, Daniel stood by the glass window of a patients ward. A woman of 50 years old, give or take, lay in the bed, still as a statue. Her face was a ghostly white.

“How did you get here so fast?” asked a Doctor. Daniel kept his eyes firmly pressed on the woman.

“I have ways,” he replied softly, tucking a Pokeball back onto his belt.

“We did everything we could, Daniel,” said the Doctor. “The cancer cells had already reached her lymph nodes…even if surgery was a success, she would still have suffered a lot. She died very peacefully.”

“She died alone,” replied the moderator, tears spilling down his cheeks. “Alone.”






Chapter 19: The Blue Avenger
Chris finds his relaxing day off disturbed by a pseudo-pirate with a malfunctioning submarine by the name TBA. After being plagued by sea-shanties from "They Might Be Giants", Chris takes necessary measures to sort him out by battling him in his submarine. Meanwhile, it's the day before the Contest...but why can't the Eon sisters compete? Henry makes his way to the village, but Becca is preoccupied with the arrival of an unwelcome guest....

[The Blue Avenger]

Wow.

First of all, I wasn't expecting the battle to end that way. I feel rather sorry for Razor now... I could go into a deep psychological profile of him, talking about how his mean spiteful exterior is a combined result of resentment towards those surrounding him (Grey?) and an underlying sadness (futility, perhaps) that would come with knowing that a loved one (mother?) has severe cancer. But I won't.

Also, Chris actually had a pretty good strategy in the match. Next time I'm fighting in a building, I should definitely collapse the floor under someone.

The Crystal Syndicate looks interesting... I wonder what exactly they'll do. I remember hearing that name before, though... I don't know where.

Also, the note of me wanting a sub for Talk like a Pirate Day made me laugh, as did the upcoming chapter description.

Finally, I'm eager to see this mystery surrounding Liang, Henry, and our mysterious observer sorted out - the suspense is killing me.

See you next chapter!

[Mega Horny]

I believe the Crystal Syndicate were the bad guys in one of Crystal Tear's RPGs.

[Crystal Tears]

[color=orange][font=franklin gothic medium][b] Very nice Chris, I liked your battle. Poor Razor. Though really Chris should think threw his strats before he picks a Solrock to fight.

Ahaha, I have my own mini mafia. Haha. Lol, The Crystal syndicate? Its a enemy alright, but you'll have to look at the lounge arena to find out exactly where its from.

Very nice overall Chris! Can't wait for the next chappy!

[Andrew]

I always knew you'd try make us like Razor! But it's not going to work, if they have something that we're suppose to sympathize wih that's fine. But quite frankly, treat others how you'd want to be treated! I don't care if your mum carked it!

Interesting yet inconclusive battle! Man, Magmar sucked!

Crystal Tear's evil little group is hillarious. Adds weight to my theory that this is the meanest TPML.

Will Liang become banker, like out of Shawshank Redemption?

[Dark Dragonite]

Once again, you've outdone yourself Chris, keep it up, I'm reading again, lol
I didn't see the end of the RL Vs. you match coming at all, I felt like a car just drove through my house, and parked on me.

[Hyperness is a Good Thing]

*rotfl at the Crystal Syndicate* CT is now a mafia leader. wheee

Good chapter Chris, I like the battle, and busting a hole in the floor was a rather smart move. Finally we get to see Razor Leaf's more "human" side? I wonder if Grey is planning on telling Chris anything more...

Hoho, I wonder how will the competition go?
as usual we're still in the dark about the Liang/Wolfsong/Henry thing... =P How evil.

[Pichu Luver]

[font=sylfaen] Yes I er do read this, you know how the viewer count goes up higher then the post count? Heeeeeee.

LOL, my sister is just evil. *shmacks 'er head* how can you be so mean? Now she has a mafia, what has the world come to? It's the end of the world as we know it, but I feel fine . . . Course I'm fine, she's my sis, I have immunity. :biggrin: Lol, go me and the randomly diffferent costume. ^^''

I'm thinkin Chris should have looked up what Pokémon Razor had first. Now that was some . . inventive tactics, collapsing the floor. Herm, maybe Razor does have a heart . . . somewhere. Now TPML is falling apart, hope the mods have a lot of duct tape.

PS-Assumptions are dangerous things, heeee.

[darktyranitar]

True, Razor Leaf is a jerk, but I feel sorry for him to lose his mom.

So, what would he be after this? Change to a better person, I hope.

Crystal Tears got a small league of evil members. Hehe, their personalities are nicely done. Their appearance in this fic is not what had expected to see. Chris is going to have a lot of pain after this...

And who could be the witness? Now, based on the clues... capital followed by small letter, capital, small...

(Could this be MeLoVeGhOsT? Just making a wild guess as on his username letters)

It's getting very suspenseful as each chapter, Chris! Great chapter!

[MeLoVeGhOsTs]

Lol, I'm in it? That would surprise me.

Also, good chapter, I could start putting up each theory I have now, but you'll only put down most of them so ;)

It's a good chapter, I'm eager for the next one, the excitement is killing and I don't know what to say, except that it was good chapter!

[Chris 2.1]

TheBlueAvenger: There’s still more layers to the onion-esque being that Razor Leaf seems to be at the moment. But will he return to The Pokemon Masters League? Isn’t it odd that most the moderators are missing, dead or just not around.

I think Chris is much better at thinking on his feet, evident by the way he battled against Razor Leaf. And Mega Horny is right – The Crystal Syndicate exists in CT’s RPG. She told me about the name and I just had to include it in the fic. They’re basically Crystal’s minions, and it seems they’re set to sabotage the Eon Sisters contest appeals. But as Ch19 will demonstrate, The Crystal Syndicate might not need to intervene at all.

Ch19 is very funny and possibly the most random Chapter yet. It’s a nice relaxing way to get out the quite serious Chris/Razor Leaf rivalry and at the same time provide some moments of comedy I hope you’ll all love.

Hmm well Ch18 held some very important clues relating to the Amy/Liang/Henry storyline, and the clues in Ch19 will hopefully help you piece things together. As for the observer….oh how exciting it is :D


Mega Horny: Correct!


Crystal Tears: Chris did well against Razor Leaf but it’s clear he still has a long way to go. He did mean to check Razor’s team but evidently forgot! Whoops. See you next chapter!


Andrew: Well the thing is, Razor Leaf’s character was an angry git. It’s well known that anger is a secondary emotion – it isn’t pure. It stems from another, primary emotion such as fear, loneliness, etc. I wanted to show you Razor Leaf isn’t a robot. He has emotions, and the storyline with his mother is something quite important. We don’t know the full story just yet!

Hmm well soon there’s going to be light shed on another TPML Village which is entirely different from this one. I don’t know if this is an evil one or not, but The Crystal Syndicate seem to mean business. Watch out for them!

Liang become banker? He’s in a maximum security jail! But who’s to say he didn’t use to be a banker?


DD: Hey thanks! And the quote….well, what can I say? I aim to surprise :D


HIAGT: Well concerning Razor Leaf’s life outside TPML, you’d be surprised what Grey knows. So Grey is back in TPML! Will he take over Razor Leaf’s job maybe? All I can tell you is that their story definitely ISNT resolved.

More light is shed when we finally meet Henry in Chapter 19!


River: Yargh! It’s you! Well CT treats you better than everyone else – you’re the favorite :P. Yea Chris should have gone to a computer and checked Razor Leaf’s TPML Profile. I’m sure he’ll do that soon. As for TPML falling apart, you’re quite right. Will it shut down?


Darktyranitar: Razor Leaf’s a complicated character. Obviously he’ll need time away from TPML but I can assure you we’ll see him again…eventually. As for change, don’t think it’ll be the good type of change :P

You’re right Chris can’t take on The Syndicate himself. But Jenny seems so uncomfortable with the idea; you never know what she might end up doing.

MLG? What a good guess! I’m not saying if it’s right, though! Haha. You’re right the suspense is upping with each chapter, and you just wait until you see Chapter 20. I’m planning on giving some nice cliffhanging moments for you to muse upon over the small hiatus!


MLG: Hmm well I’d love to hear your theories! People have been right in the past and I don’t have a super-brain so let’s hear! There are some dark twists and turns to come so I hope you enjoy!

[Charles Legend]

Nice Chapter as always Chris, now about the person who saw Amy get taken I bet it's Ubberfred ether that or Ox. E. Moron....

~Charles Legend

[Chris 2.1]

All will be revealled...

....you have a Magby called Chris 2.0?! Good god!

[Charizard04621]

The upcoming battle will be a draw or inconclusive, causing much frustration on everyone's part due to the lack of finality =P


I win.

Don't know if Razor will change after his mother died, he might just revert back to his original persona again.

[Ace64]

Heheh. "He Who Kills."

The death of RL's mom will only cement his personality, I think. But even if he still a jerk, it's gotta make him re-evaluate a few things. Wonder what was wrong with his mom? The big C?

And I can see how Jenny is the most complicated character. She's doing more 'thinking' than battling, dealing with her emotions and thoughts about Chris, and that's gotta mess with your head. Let's just hope that CT's mafia doesn't break our hero's legs...

[Chris 2.1]

Karin: Uhh...I lost your medal.

Ace64: The doctor implied she died of cancer, but it seems Razor Leaf wasn't there for her during her suffering. Why? You'll find out.

But while your point on Jenny is...pretty accurate, I have to say she's going to head to a lot of places in terms of character. Obviously she needs to sort out whether or not she believes CT's lie about Chris and TML, but you'll see soon enough that Jenny's got a lot in store.

[The Blue Avenger]

Oh yeah, I forgot to mention - all the new evidence popping up strengthens my belief in the fact that Amy will catch the Dragonite... even though it's Liang's and in custody.

[Chris 2.1]

Hmm maybe the tunnel leads to another TPML Village which Amy is competing in? Or maybe Henry is Liang's twin brother and he took Liangs place in jail.

Either way, your theory is entirely contradictory yet something I really can imagine myself writing. Just wait and see what happens!

In other news, Ch19 has come along wonders - I'm off this week from College (Easter, yayness, etc) and I think the general mood of the chapter makes it quite easy to write. There's some excellent TBA and Chris dialogue in the submarine, as well as the introduction of Henry.

But expect surprises :P

[Charles Legend]

you have a Magby called Chris 2.0?! Good god!
Yeah, but don't worry he not going to be in the ASB anytime soon trust me. ;)

oh and I can't wait to read the next chapter, It should be quit instesting.

~Charls Legend

[Chris 2.1]

Yeah, but don't worry he not going to be in the ASB anytime soon trust me. ;)


*Ahem* Actually, Chris 2.0 the Magby will be quite an important member of Charles team...

Whoops, did I just reveal Charles Legend is set to appear in the fic?

Yup

Did I hint that he's the character in Chapter 20?

Yes...but that doesnt mean it's true :P.

Chapter 19 should be up later on tonight.

[Charles Legend]

*Ahem* Actually, Chris 2.0 the Magby will be quite an important member of Charles team...

Whoops, did I just reveal Charles Legend is set to appear in the fic?
Yup

Did I hint that he's the character in Chapter 20?

Yes...but that doesnt mean it's true :P.

Chapter 19 should be up later on tonight.

Or you may just be pilling my leg... :rolleyes:

~Charles Legend

[Chris 2.1]

Charles: Wait and see :D





Chapter Nineteen
[size=3]The Blue Avenger



It was a bright morning in The Pokemon Masters League, but the main village was as deserted as it usually was during the night. Papers rustled along the bricked square as the flowers danced merrily in the breeze. A young man in his early thirties paced meaningfully through town, the wind tickling his dark blonde, straw-like hair on his head. He wore shades, a black suit over a white shirt, and a plain black tie. He carried a solid, metal briefcase with him as he went.

Passing the train station on the edge of the village, the man’s eyebrows raised when he saw people frantically queuing up to get on the next one. There was a packed train already. It looked like people were desperate to leave.

“Excuse me,” the man said politely, approaching a trainer by the name of Dark Sage. He had a Ludicolo by his side. The man took his shades off.

“Yes?” Dark Sage asked.

“What’s the rush to leave?” he asked. “The Pokemon Masters League is getting closer…”

“Oh, don’t you know?” Dark Sage said, picking something up from the ground. He uncreased it and held it out. “These fliers have been flying around the village for days now.”

“What on earth?” the man said, reading the disconnected writing. “Amy Wolfsong’s been murdered?”

“The Missing Link refuses to comment on them,” Dark Sage explained. “So everyone believes it. Did you…know Amy?”

“We had met,” replied the man. “Once or twice. So…you’re staying?”

“Think of it like this,” Dark Sage said. “The less people there are, the less competition there is. If I stay, keeping my eyes peeled for murdering monsters, I’ll have a better chance in the league.”

“You sound like a clever person,” the man replied, smiling. “Do excuse me. I need to see The Missing Link.”

“I doubt you’ll get up there – the security Alakazam won’t let you up.”

“Let’s just see, shall we?” he said, walking off.


*

Since the match with Razor Leaf, I was stressed. I have no idea why. Magmar had broken a small bone in his femur (his leg, you idiot), so he was in the Pokemoncenter for the afternoon. I recalled the rather irritating conversation I had when I was there…

“HI!” cried Nurse Smiles. “Blissey you slapper! Clean those counters! If our patients get MRSI then I’ll sell you on the black market!”

She spoke with such over-cheeriness I was amazed that there was a threat between her sugar-coated lines.

“I didn’t think I’d see you again,” I said, rolling my eyes jokingly. “You’re always on a shift when I come in here!”

“Oh!” she said suddenly. “I’m on these simply fun-tabulous things! Pep Pills! Yummy yum-yum-yum!”

Her eyes darted around.

“I need some more,” she said cheerily. “Or I’ll get angry! And my name isn’t Nurse Smiles for nothing!”

“I’ll be back later,” I said hesitantly, dashing off.

Since then, I took Grey through the village, where he hadn’t quite gotten the reaction he wanted upon returning from a year-long hiatus. Nevertheless, he told me he had business to attend to, re-registering at the Approval Tower and such. I said my goodbyes. We promised to meet soon to discuss the events in BT Street.

What made Razor Leaf leave so abruptly? Grey said he had no idea, and I believed him. The man told me he wanted to sort accommodation out, and now that I thought about it, I needed some, too. Jenny went all pissy with me and threw me out her flat.

I really needed some way of soothing my senses and rejuvenating. I was more stressed then when I had to work at Cheapstop, the supermarket I spent my weekends in before I got to The Pokemon Masters League (such a long story for such a long time away…). Looking on my VS Seeker, for I was bored of the park, I saw somewhere I’d never been before. Tranquil Shores.

Just saying the name was like a refreshing splash in the face. I clipped my VS Seeker onto my belt when it suddenly beeped, signaling I had received a message.

“About bloody time,” I said, opening my Inbox. The message took a while to load, but when it did, made my eyes widen in surprise:


I SaW AmY WoLfSoNg aT IvY LAkE
ShE WaS TaKeN
By SomEtHing
AsK ThE MiSsInG LiNK – oR KaRiN – tHeY kNOw AbOut It
It’S aLl a cONSpIrAcY
THeY DoN’t WaNt yOu 2 kNoW
UnTil ThEy AdMiT ThE TrUtH
I WoN’T Go AnYwHeRe


“Oh my god,” I said, re-reading it. “Oh my…god.”

Someone was there? In the bushes? Perhaps training, like I had, when I stumbled upon the lake? I racked my memory, trying to think back to when I went there…was anybody with me? Well Liang had been there earlier, but we all knew now it was his fault in the first place.

Was this Liang? Had he somehow hacked into a computer, wherever he was? The sender was ‘Unknown’, so I had no idea who sent me the message. It was like a 2006, modern-style take on the whole Grey’s message storyline I thankfully answered ages ago. I was curious if The Missing Link and Karin had seen this. I made it my job to see them…eventually. I really needed to relax.

Soon, on my way to Tranquil Shores, I got a nasty shock. In the village, pasted onto the walls of shops, scattered on the floor, on benches…an assortment of posters bearing the same message were spread out. I also noticed that the actual population in the main village, considering the time, was much lower than normal.

“Hey,” I said, seeing Mega Horny.

“Can’t stop,” he said. “I ain’t stayin’ here.”

“Where are you going?” I asked.

“Away from this fucked up place!” he shouted. “You seen the posters? About Amy?”

“Yea, but…how do you know they’re true?” I asked.

“Why would they lie,” he asked me back.

“Listen,” said a voice. I turned to see another boy I didn’t recognize. “The Missing Link only addressed Amy’s disappearance after people questioned it. Remember that stupid announcement? ‘Blood disorder’, my foot. Then we see this. It’s easy to see TML tried covering this up.”

“Believe what you want,” said a voice. I turned to see Knight of Time standing there. “Those of you who actually knew Amy or Becca would know this situation is completely ridiculous. You’ve got no faith.”

Eventually Mega Horny and the other boy walked off to the train, which was taking on passengers at an alarming rate.

“This is crazy,” Kyle said to me, before turning and offering me his large hand. “Chris…I want to apologize for my behavior at the top of the mountain. It was…unprofessional and undignified.”

“Thanks,” I replied, as my hand was tightly shaken.

“Did you find what you were looking for?” he asked.

“Yea, I did,” I said airily. “But I ended up asking more questions at the end of it all.”

“Such is life,” Kyle mused. He patted me on the shoulder. “I have to go, but when you get time, we’ll have a proper match, what do you say?”

“Sounds good,” I replied, smiling. As he walked away, I felt confident that I had made something of an ally out of Knight of Time. I kept going towards Tranquil Shores, wondering if I should talk to The Missing Link or Karin. Or were they still busy recovering Amy’s Body?

I arrived on the pathway which led down to Tranquil Shores, which was a cove of sorts. The sun shone brightly, and the sand looked so fine and golden I was very excited. I grabbed my Pokeballs and released Poliwhirl, Electabuzz, Mankey and Cacnea (Sneasel, despite not needing Pokemoncenter treatment, was due for some rest).

“Come on guys!” I said. We found a nice spot on the beach…well; to be perfectly honest it was all nice. I noticed the Eon Sisters just leaving the beach, shooting disgusted looks at me. There were few people here, so I took my shirt off, rolled my trousers up, kicked off my shoes and socks and told my Pokemon to frolic.

As the cerulean waves crashed against the shore, and the sun beat down on my body, I let out a long, deep sigh. My concerns were ebbing away with the seconds…this was so nice. Back home was relaxing, but it was all parks and foresty places. This, this was different.

I suddenly jerked to my senses when I heard a heavy clanking noise coming from the left side of the cove.

“Huh?”

I sat up and looked around. Poliwhirl was spraying water into the air while Mankey and Cacnea danced around childishly. Electabuzz was just watching, looking quite bored. The clanking noise was, however, coming from the far end of the shore, where, along a rickety old pier, a submarine was half submerged in the water. A guy no older than me was dressed in full Pirate garb, ordering a Smeargle, Elekid, Charmander and Clefable to hit various parts of the submarines with hammers.

“HEY!” I shouted.

“Argh!” he cried, turning. “How be thee to’dee, matey?”

“Huh?”

“Yargh! Do ye fail to understand ’ee?” he asked me.

“Are you special?” I asked.

“Damn you!” he snapped. “It’s National Talk like a Pirate Day! You crouton.”

“Hey shut up,” I snapped back. “I’m trying to relax!”

“Relax? Today?” he cried. “Arr! ’eee needs convincin’ mateys! What do ee say?”

His Pokemon all cheered. I noticed Charmander and Elekid had eye patches on, while Smeargle had sketched a sword and held it out, grinning dopishly.

“I don’t need ‘convincin’, ‘matey’. I need to relax!” I cried.

“Arr-ee-arr!” he cried. I got out my VS Seeker post-haste.

The Blue Avenger
Ahoy! This trainer loves Pirates. With a more concentrated and smaller team than most, The Blue Avenger has nearly been around in TPML just about long enough to be considered ‘almost nearly a veteran, perhaps’. Maybe. An all-round nice guy with a submarine. What’s not to love?

“Put yer gizeemajig away!” he cried. “Battle?”

“No,” I groaned. “Relax.”

“Relax…with a battle?”

“No,” I snapped. “Repeat after me: I. WANT. TO. RELAX. CAPICHE?”

“B. A. T. T. L. E.?”

“ARGH!” I screamed, falling to my knees. “Pokemon, get him!”

I pointed angrily at TBA.

“Now!”

I shot him an angry glare.

“…Please?”

Turning around, I saw Poliwhirl, Electabuzz, Mankey and Cacnea wandering along the beach peacefully, like that old man on the advert for health insurance. ‘You know, memories are important. That’s why I joined Sunlife. Get a sunnier life. Today!’. That one.

“Mateys! Attack the prisoner!” TBA cried happily. Charmander, Elekid, Smeargle and Clefable ran at me.

“ATTACK THEM!” I cried. They were too far away. “Fine. Eat sand!”

I scooped sand up and hurled it girlishly at the uncoming Pokemon, but Smeargle held his tail like a hose to spray water and wash the sand away. Charmander scratched at my face like an angry rat, Elekid grabbed my by the shoulders and released an electric blast, while Clefable began flirting with the uncoming Pokemon in a bid to keep them away.

“Guys! Att-argh!” I moaned, falling to the ground. Luckily a spray of needles flew through the air and peppered Elekid, keeping him off me. He leapt to the side as the Smeargle took on my Pokemon. Charging at Cacnea, he was very surprised when Mankey suddenly delivered a devastating karate chop to the beagles stomach.

“Nice one!” I shouted, kicking Charmander off me, who immediately ran for Cacnea but was blasted away by Poliwhirl.

“Arr mateys! Take the prisoner!” TBA roared, throwing some more Pokeballs out. A Nosepass, Exeggutor, Dugtrio and silvery Metang emerged. “Thunderwave! Stun Spore! Sand tomb! Psywave!”

“Watch out!” I shouted, as a wave of crackling electricity smashed into me and brought me to my knees again. Poliwhirl leapt in the way of the stun-spore for the rest of the group, firing off an ice beam while suffering, managing to strike Exeggutor. However as a wave of psychic energy struck us all, the sandy earth gave way and we fell down into a cone-shaped pit of sand.

“Is everyone ok?” I asked.

“Har-har!” cried TBA. “Good work gang!”

“Small team?” I rasped. “Electabuzz, fire a thunderbolt at that stupid guy.”

As the arrowed bolt of electricity shot through the air, Metang’s eyes glowed an eerie blue as the attack flew down towards us. My eyes widened in fear as I grabbed Cacnea and hurled him towards the attack; it struck him, dealing minimal damage due to the attack type.

“Nea!” snapped the Pokemon, jabbing me.

“Sorry,” I murmured. “TBA! Let us out!”

“Sleep Powder, Numeron!” TBA cried. A thick spore was blasted out upon us, where it softly fell to our noses. I tried holding my breath, but I knew it was futile. Soon my eyelids felt weighed down, and I gently fell asleep among my Pokemon…


*

In the Rules Tower, Becca and Karin continued to work, the latter having just come back from a visit to the contest hall down BT Street. The Contest was mere days away.

“Everything’s looking great,” Karin said. “I’ll be away for most of the day.”

“Ok,” Becca replied absently.

“Are you alright?” Karin asked. “You seem quiet.”

“I’m just…anticipating,” Becca murmured. “Meeting Henry. I’m just hoping he’s going to appear and BAM, all our problems are solved. Liang’s innocent, Amy’s alive, and whoever put those posters up puts more up saying ‘Oh! Actually I was wrong! WHOOPS!’. I just need him to…resolve everything, Karin.”

The doors flew open and a man stood there, having just recalled a Pokemon. He tucked the Pokeball away onto his belt and swept his blonde, straw-like hair from his face. Smartening his tie and carrying a briefcase, he walked to the two girls.

“You!” Karin snapped. “How did you get up here? What about the Alakazam?”

“The security system’s easy to take care of,” the man replied smoothly.

“Who are you?” Becca asked.

“His name is Ecks,” Karin snarled. “He used to be on The Board of Governors, back in the day.”

“And you, Karin, used to run this TPML Village, back in the day. And when you ran it, people didn’t get murdered by gargantuan monsters. When you ran it, it was popular,” replied the man named Ecks. “I’ve only been here…well, hours, maybe? And I’ve seen an influx of people leave TPML because they’re scared.”

“Just simple rumors,” Becca said. “Honestly. Do you expect that we could let some…monster murder somebody?”

“I don’t know you at all,” Ecks replied coldly. “So I can’t really answer that, can I? All I do know is the second The Board of Governors gets wind of this, you can’t expect to run this place much longer, missy.”

Becca stared at the ground uncomfortably.

“What do you want, Ecks?” Karin asked furiously.

“I thought I’d have a look in here,” he said casually. “See how things are ticking. And it makes me sick.”

“What an exaggeration,” Karin snapped. “Look, Ecks, you’ve…had a look around, so you can go now.”

“I don’t want to,” Ecks replied quietly. “Karin I believe every word on those fliers, and as soon as I can prove it, I’m taking the news straight to the Board of Governors.”

“On speaking terms with the Board, are you?” Karin sneered. “Last thing I heard, you were ‘Internally Dismissed’ from the Board of Governors. So don’t act as if you’re working as their little spy, Ecks. I don’t believe you for a second.”

The man named Ecks looked momentarily stunned, before smirking and regaining his poseur.

“I’m not asking you to believe me, Karin,” he said airily. “I’m just letting you know what cards I’m playing. I’m going to go now, but let me remind you I’ll be talking to the small collection of registered members left. I’m going to leave this village once my job is done.”

“And what ‘job’ is that?” Karin asked.

“Isn’t it obvious?” Ecks asked her. “For somebody who claims to stand for justice, you’re not very good at identifying it yourself.”

He turned to leave.

“See you around.”

“What on earth was all that about?” Becca asked, bewildered. Karin let out a sigh.

“He’s not to be taken lightly,” she explained. “If he’s going to snoop around, he’s going to really snoop around.”

“We need to get rid of him,” Becca said. “He’s trouble.”

“But he hasn’t done anything,” Karin explained.

“I know that,” snapped the woman. At that point, she looked down at the surveillance camera and, as Ecks left the main lobby, a rather worried looking Henry was walking in. “Henry’s here.”

“I’ll greet him,” Karin replied, marching towards the door. She was not gone long, despite there being a multitude of steps to reach the main office of the Rules Tower.

“Please sit down, Henry,” Becca said, as the boy came in. He was about 20, with slightly shaggier hair than Liang. He looked to have a similar build, wearing a black shirt over a white t-shirt and a pair of jeans. Karin took her usual seat.

“What’s going on,” he said irritably. Karin nodded to Becca.

“Liang’s arrested,” she said firmly. “We arrested him on suspicion or murdering Amy Wolfsong.”

“What?” he cried, eyes widening. “Liang…jail? Murder Amy? He would never do that to her. Didn’t you know? They were good friends.”

“He confessed,” Becca replied. Henry raised his eyebrows slightly.

“…he did?”

“Yes.”

“W-Wha…” gasped Henry, burying his head in his hands. “Why? Why would he murder her? How did he do it?”

“He lured her to a secret lake in Ivy Woods,” Becca explained. “And dragged her underwater with his Dragonite.”

“We were hoping you might know more about it than us,” Karin said. “…any history between Amy and Liang, you know.”

“Well Liang really did like Amy,” Henry said. “He fancied her, when I was around anyway. I think Amy liked Liang as more of a friend…something of a rival. She would be quite tomboyish around him, and she loved battling his Pokemon. Liang didn’t mind all of this of course, but I think he wanted more. When I worked at the bank, Amy was one of the few people who delivered her paychecks by hand. Back then, before the VS Seekers and before everything was automatic, you received a paycheck in the Main Tower, which you put in a postbox which got delivered to the bank for me to file. Amy came herself, handing them in, and we’d often spend some time laughing and joking like that. We grew close.”

“We found a message in the VS Archive,” Karin interrupted. “Liang sent a message to Amy telling her to leave ‘him and his brother alone’. What happened?”

“Oh,” Henry said, apparently thinking. “Well after a while, Liang noticed that Amy and I were getting closer. At first, he got a job at Latte Days, because he knew she liked to go there and write. She stopped visiting after he became too much. He sent her a valentine’s card too, hoping to steer her away from me, but it was clear where her…interests lay. She seemed to like me. I don’t know…after a while Liang began sending her messages. A lot.”

“What did they say?” Karin asked.

“You’ve seen some, apparently,” Henry noted. “Just harassing her, really. He was very hurt.”

“I bet,” Karin said.

“He was crushed,” Henry sighed. “I think he felt he wanted to protect me from the girl that hurt him so badly.”

“I’ve never seen any problems between them,” Becca said. “Well…actually, I’ve never really seen them around each other at all.”

“Exactly,” Henry said. “He’s probably kept out of her way.”

“So why kidnap her?” Becca asked, who received a stare from Karin. “Well…murder’s looking less likely now, right?”

“Don’t assume,” Karin chided.

“I don’t know why he would do what he’s done,” Henry sighed.

“Liang is only on a sort of provisional arrest,” Karin explained. “Until we get Amy’s body to accompany his confession, he’s held in very tight security and his sentence cannot be drafted. He never fully explained his motives…he said Amy ‘deserved’ what she got.”

“Has he shown any signs of…mental regression?” Henry asked cautiously.

“None,” Karin replied. “Has he been on any medication of any sorts?”

“None,” Henry sighed.

“Great,” Karin sighed. “Another dead end.”

“So, what happened after I left?” Henry asked. “I know I gave a lot of Pokemon away…”

“Amy still has a few,” Becca said fondly. “Vaporeon, Sandslash, Marill…”

“I don’t remember receiving one from you,” Karin added coldly. “But nevertheless, once you left, we gave your brother your job as Head Banker. He ran the place very smoothly, but once we closed TPML down a year or so ago, we also demoded all members. When the new TPML was started, we had no moderators until just recently. We gave Amy the banking job, which she showed great enthusiasm for, and we gave Liang Head Referee.”

“Listen,” Henry said quietly. “It’s…getting late. I’ve traveled quite far to see you both and I really could use a break.”

“Of course,” Karin said. “How about you come by tomorrow sometime? I won’t be here, but The Missing Link will.”

“Okay then,” Henry replied, getting up to leave. “Tomorrow it is.”

As he left the tower that day, Karin and Becca shared a look. When their eyes met, it was as if their hopes and fears were flooding out into the open. Both knew that, while providing some assistance, Henry had not been the lifesaver they had hoped for. They also knew they were no further in recovering Amy’s body from the lake, or finding out anything about the tunnel which lay at the bottom. Karin’s words on the mysterious Ecks lay in Becca’s mind as she wondered about her future in TPML.


*

Meanwhile, Jenny was sitting in the park, reading the latest issue of ‘Hear all my Problems’ magazine. She casually looked through the article about a mans son realizing his sisters boyfriend was his best friends clone when the eon sisters marched over.

“Hey bitch,” Solia snapped.

“Back off,” Jenny replied angrily.

“I won’t back off until YOU give us our Pokemon back!” snapped the girl.

“Yea!” Luna cried.

“W-What do you mean?” Jenny asked, as the two pretty girls loomed over her.

“Her Espeon,” Luna said.

“And her Umbreon,” Solia went on. “Are missing. How coincidental we make a new ENEMY and then our Pokemon have gone?”

“I didn’t steal your Pokemon!” Jenny cried.

“Oh my god,” Luna sighed. “What a liar!”

“Let’s get the police,” Solia replied firmly.

“I swear I didn’t do it!” Jenny cried.

“YOU DID YOU BITCH!” Luna snapped. “The contest is tomorrow…our appeals were perfect. I HATE YOU!”

She flipped her cell phone out, but there was a sudden snapping noise. Turning to the left, Luna looked for the source when a silky length of string stuck to her cell phone and pulled it into the shadows of a nearby bush.

“What the frick?” Luna asked.

“Who did that?” Solia asked.

“I don’t know,” Jenny murmured.

“BITCH!” Solia screamed, shoving Jenny.

“Hey!” Jenny replied. “Back off!”

She delivered a sharp slap to the girl, hitting her hard and causing her to tumble back. Luna watched, horrified, as Jenny stared at the hurt Solia.

“I did NOT steal your Pokemon,” Jenny replied firmly. “Whoever stole your Pokemon probably stole your phone a few moments ago. Stop giving me attitude!”

She turned and walked away from the eon sisters, who watched in apparent awe. Once Jenny had left the park, the Eon Sisters wandered towards the large bush, peering inside and trying to see what was there.

“Nothing,” Luna said. “Nothing at all. No phone or Pokemon…”

Directly above her, sitting in a tree, Tsuki Megumi stroked her Venomoth, who had the girls cell phone. Tsuki took the phone and hurled it from the tree, sending it flying across the park and hitting the path, where it shattered.

“Luna!” Solia cried. “It’s there!”

They ran to investigate, but Luna turned back to where the phone had been hurled from. She saw a large tree, but there was nobody there. Tsuki had fled the scene, but she had missed something crucial. A man in yellow spandex was clutching two red Pokeballs, leaving a clearing in the park where VEEDP was sprayed on the floor.

“VEEDP,” he whispered, running off.


*

I began to wake as a horrible, college-rock sound filled my ears.

Here's hoping you don't (hoping you don't)
Become a robot (clang clang)

“What is going on?” I asked, before realizing I was tied to a chair sitting behind and to-the-right of The Blue Avenger, who was happily steering his Submarine beneath the crystalline waters.

Clang, clang, whoops, too late
Here's hoping you don't (hoping you don't)
Become a robot (clang clang)
Clang, clang, whoops, too late

“Tied up, mee harty!” cried TBA.

“Why?” I asked.

“You’re in for a reel treat, I tell ee!” He began, before suddenly coughing violently. “Haaack! Oh god, I tell you, that accent hurts! Really tough on the trachea, you know?”

“No,” I murmured.

“Oh shut up,” he complained. “You’re tied up!”

“Why did you tie me up, anyway?” I asked pathetically.

“’Cos I wan’ed ter- Haaaack! Nope…thought I could get going again…” he groaned. “Because I wanted to battle you, you crouton.”

“Stop calling me that,” I murmured. “Where are we sailing – is it called sailing, in a submarine?”

“Submerrying.”

“Really?”

“No.”

“Oh.”

“We’re just roaming the ocean,” TBA said casually.

“Ocean?”

“The Pokemon Masters League….is on a peninsula!” cried the boy. “Ahar!”

“Let me go,” I said.

“No.”

“Let me go,” I repeated.

Here's hoping you don't (hoping you don't)
Harbor a deathwish* (help help)
Help, help, help yourself
Here's hoping you don't (hoping you don't)
Harbor a deathwish* (help help)
Help, help, help yourself

“No,” came his reply.

“FOR THE LOVE OF GOD GET ME OUT THIS HIPPIFIED SUBMARINE YOU PSEUDO-PIRATE!” I screamed.

“Nope,” he said casually. “You insulted my Pirate heritage…I have to do this.”

“This is stupid,” I murmured, trying to wriggle free. As luck would have it, I could reach my belt and managed to grab a minimized Pokeball. Hands tightly tied to my side, I simply rolled it down my leg, where it hit the floor and popped open.

“Cacnea!”

“Pin Missile!”

A spray of needles severed the ropes binding me. I leapt to action as TBA turned in his seat, grabbing a Pokeball of his own.

“Argh! A battle it be?” he cried. “Carpainter, get them!”

His Smeargle emerged, and instantly began sketching a sword in mid-air. I watched as he painted it, clicked his fingers and grasped it from the air as it momentarily fell. Smeargle looked very non-threatening with a new pirate hat on.

“Needle arm!” I shouted. “GO!”

Cacnea threw himself through the air as his thorny arms glowed a bright white. Slamming into Smeargle’s torso, Cacnea leapt back to me, just as Smeargle retaliated by running forward and slashing the air, sending a concentrated strip of energy soaring into my Pokemon.

“Pin Missile!” I said, as another dose of sharp needles flew around the tiny submarine.

“Watch it!” cried TBA. “These machines are expensive!”

“So?” I snapped back. “Faint attack!”

“Swift!”

As Cacnea disappeared and soared blissfully through the air, an array of golden stars swept through the arena space and managed to strike him without fail. Cacnea, severely disheartened, re-appeared and fell to the floor, where Smeargle began painting a target on his face.

“Lock on,” TBA told me. “Handy, no?”

“Cacnea, watch out,” I said, but Cacnea was already running towards me. “What?”

“Nea!”

“He wants to be returned,” TBA said, laughing. “Carpainter! Sheer Cold.”

“Return!” I cried suddenly, recalling Cacnea in a flash. “Hey! Call off your attack!”

A sweeping beam of frost flew towards me. I dived to the floor and the beam smashed into a console, causing a multitude of sparks to crackle and fly all around. I looked up. The broken keypad was frozen over.

“You idiot!” TBA cried.

“YOU attacked!” I protested.

“YOU recalled your Pokemon!” he argued back.

“Poliwhirl, attack!” I shouted. In no time my Pokemon emerged, flexing what looked like muscles. “Use a mega punch!”

Slamming a fist into Smeargle, Poliwhirl dealt a powerful blow. The beagle stumbled back before swinging his sword, which Poliwhirl tried evading in the small submarine. Instead, he leapt up high and swung his foot into Smeargle’s face, sending him flying into the main windscreen of the sub. He smashed against it brutally.

“Mr Carpainter!” cried TBA. He looked out the windscreen. “Hey…”

“What?” I asked.

“We’re headed towards something,” he murmured back.

“What sort of something?” I asked, completely bemused.

“Another submarine,” said TBA. In no time there was a gigantic thud, and the submarine smashed into the side of another very similarly-built one. I was hurled into the back of the sub, smashing my back against the interior and moaning in pain. Damn those seatbelts! I knew I should have stayed tied up. Our submarine drifted off at an odd angle as the other seemed to float on somewhat peacefully.

“What’s wrong?” I asked.

“Our steering is malfunctioning,” he mumbled.

“Fix it!” I cried.

“I…can’t,” he said. “I spent my last paycheck on a coffee machine for the submarine…but of course it had to get broken when some damn woman makes me go under some damn lake, and we get attacked by some damn Gyarados…”

“So, what can we do?” I cried, having no idea what he was on about.

“The water’s getting shallow…I think we’re approaching land!” TBA cried. “Hold on tight, Brett Chris!”

“It’s Brit Chris!” I shouted, as the submarine began to speed through the shore, smashing against rocks and wedging tightly into the sand. Once again, despite holding on (tightly, as well), I was thrown around, this time going forward and knocking my head on the seats.

“Where are we?” I groaned, checking my VS Seeker.

Area not found on map.

“Crap.”












Coming up: Chapter 20 - The Weakest Link
[i]The First Pokemon Contest begins in The Pokemon Masters League, and despite being unable to compete, The Eon Sisters make Jenny pay, still believing she was responsible for their Pokemons kidnapping. Meanwhile, Chris and TheBlueAvenger find themselves on a small Island populated by rejects of the original TPML, and get on the wrong side of The Weakest Link, OzAlex, ViNe WhIp and Gandalfbird to name but a few.

Ecks continues his investigations into TPML by meeting Henry himself - but before that, the mysterious man has a startling revelation for Becca's ears only. Following that, he has an ultimatum for the Head of TPML, but can she trust the man whose motives are still unclear?

[The Blue Avenger]

I laughed out loud several times over the course of the chapter... not just because of my obvious bias, though. Nurse Smiles' "I need some more! Or I'll get angry!" was awesome. Also, I appreciated the bit of self-referential humor: "It was like a 2006, modern-style take on the whole Grey’s message storyline I thankfully answered ages ago." The humor was also neatly broken up by very intriguing developments... It's good to know exactly what went down between Henry, Amy, and Liang, and Ecks' effect on the story should prove interesting. And I guess we know now what the Crystal Syndicate Andrew did to the Eon sisters to keep them from competing... :P

Now, to my part. I enjoyed the dialogue back and forth between Chris and TBA, particularly any and all instances where crouton is used as an insult, because that's exactly the sort of irreverent insult I tend to use. :P The description from the Vs. Seeker was funny as well. Chris' comment, "small team?" was something I was wondering myself, heh. The battle turned out well, too.

And of course the next chapter description sounds interesting as well. See you then!

[Ultimate Charizard]

Another cracker. Getting really interesting.

With TBA and Chris on the reject island it would be a nice way of introducing an old Vet who left the boards then signify his return by having him go back with them.....ahem....dunno who though ;) lol.

On a serious note that was some good work. Surprised we dont see more of u in RPG.

[Mega Horny]

Indeed, Nurse smiles is becoming quite irritating. I liked the little side notes, such as where you explained about Magby's femur. Also, TBA seems quite...how should I put this...salty. Crouton? LMAO.

This fic reminds me a lot of Lost, with each chapter designated on one character, while others appear in some spots too. I wonder who was in the other submarine. Maybe it belonged to the Crystal Syndicate? And TBA and Chris are trapped alone in a dark submarine who knows where. Hopefully some more man to man talk (not in any sexual way ^^).

My character appears yet again! I sounded like someone from a Resident Evil game. Great use of the F word, I would have done similarly ;)

Also, I was going to use The Weakest Link in my fic as a joke! BLAST! You've beaten me to it. Well, great stuff and keep up the good work! I have a feeling this hidden location will have a lot to do with the plot and I'm hoping to see more of Dark Sage as well.

Again, Crouton, lol. Nice.

Peace

[The Blue Avenger]

I wonder who was in the other submarine. Maybe it belonged to the Crystal Syndicate?

I'm betting that, due to the similar build of the sub, that it belongs to one of the rejects... like The Green Avenger or something. :P

[Mega Horny]

LOL, yes that would be just like him. Probably red tho ^^, and maybe hell team up with allt he other rejects and they will make an army with the crystal syndicate led by Ana Lucia and Jack to stop the others!

Well, I would think so, but, you stated that your theories are often very far off ;) so we'll see.

[Andrew]

Man the Blue Avenger's a nutter! Absolute nutter! However the opposite of blue is Orange!

His absolute attack against Chris was funny, although why would Chris leave Sneasel with Smiles since he didn't really have to.... But Submerrying?

The whole Amy mystery's getting damn annoying, they know there's a cave, hurry up and go down there! I know all about dramatic tension, but it's getting beyond the joke! Just charge all the Pokemon up fully and go down and KILL!

However, Jenny's getting in trouble with EVERYONE isn't she? God, next thing you know she'll have the mailman after her.

But Ecks seems mysterious... what's in his bag? I hope it's alcohol.

[Chris 2.1]

TBA: I think some of the laughing-at-yourself stuff does make quite a difference, since Chris obviously felt the whole Greys message thing was a total waste of time. I don't want to add too much Nurse Smiles into the fic because she'd get stale, but did you ever wonder who replaced her at Jolly Japes?

Haha you edited your post :P But why did Andrew intervene? Is it part of VEEDP, or his goal of being a contest queen?

Yes TBA's introduction was, as I said to you in PM, quite manageable and really fun to do, hence he is in Ch20 as well. It was going to be longer, the TBA Mini-Arc, but I have much more important things to attend to, you see.

If you like humour and plot development, Ch20 is more of the same with some serious issues and some light-hearted laughs. Huzzah!


Ultimate Charizard: Lol! Nice try. I'm going to perhaps implement UC into the fic but it can't be on the Island. Because of the way in which the fic is going, I may find a good oppertunity to introduce both UC and DD. As for RPG...I tried with some suggestions years ago but they sucked. I can't come up with RPGs and dont have the time to compete in them.

However RPG is implemented into the fic....somehow. Watch this space!


Mega Horny: She won't be around LOADS. I dont want her to get stale, but we'll see Drummond Bones and Smiles replacement in the future.

Haha I'm glad you mentioned that because in Chapter 20, Chris is thoroughly convinced they're on the Island from Lost and tries to desperately convince TBA, who hasnt actually seen the programme. It's very funny.

Dark Sage, like you, is a secondary character and will have frequent cameos as he (unlike you) is one of the few people to actually stay in TPML. Actually while TBA and Chris are away, the action in the village is of more importance. There is a death in Ch20.


TBA: Close, but not close enough :P


Andrew: It isnt opposite Island...but Chris left sneasel because he was tired and recieved a lot of damage against Zangoose AND Solrock.

Annoying? How the heck can they go down to the tunnel? TBA's sub is across the ocean, and they cant just send their Pokemon down there because they lack the capacity of being able to explain what they find. But don't worry. You'll see the cave explored soon. And I think you'll be surprised...

The Eon Sisters hate Jenny. That's it really. Oh and TML dislikes her.

As for the briefcase....hmm that's quite important actually.

[RaZoR LeAf]

Nice chapter Chris. The board of governers intregues me. Who could be important enough to be in charge? I think DittoPokefreak, who brought ASB to TPM perhaps? ASB rejects? will we be seeing a certain rapamon on the island, eeking out a feeble existance? Is the cave Yoda's Cave? Will everyone face their worst fears as they get closer? And will OzAdnrew and TBA have a bitch fight only to get interuppted by their invading clones and end up getting drunk together?

[Mega Horny]

Im not going to Last? Death? Ack! I don't think Im important enough yet to die, but maybe Ethan Rom will slit my throat. Hmmm. Perhaps Jenny or someone whos having it bad? We'll see...

Also the Lost thing is awesome. At one point in my fic the characters uncover a hatch on an island at it brings back a few memories as well, but not in the way you're using it. Very clever!

[Wolfsong]

Sorry it took me a while to reply, but i've been busy with projects and all. I can't stay on long now as it is beginning to thunder and lightning. I just wanted to say that i enjoyed the chatpers as usual and I laughed several times while reading it. Keep up the great work.

[Andrew]

Let's not be negative! Where tehre's a will, there's a way! They could like, go down there, like "Into the blue!" With spear guns and Pokemon! Man, that movie was pretty. But boring. They could go together!

[Dark Dragonite]

lol, great, I loved it again!!
I have a really horrible possibility for VEEDP:
Victory Equals Eliminating Dark Pokemon, I know, it's probably so far from it, it isn't funny, but I'm trying...
Oh, and LOL@ TBA for me being quoted in his sig.

[darktyranitar]

Lol, what funny encounter that Chris had with TBA. Funny dialogues between them.

Put them aside for a while; what's up with the island of TPML reject? And interestingly, who was on the other sub?

Heck, we could still see Andrew running around spraying VEEDP. Gosh, another desperate attempt to get people attention, although now people are running out of TPML due to the rumours and would most probably pay no attention on him.

So, now some Ecks guy popped out of nowhere and threaten to shut down TPML. Does he have some intention to take control of TPML? And if Charles Legend does come in the fic, maybe he could be some sort of private investigator for the strange event on TPML...

Again, I am loving the chapters more and more as this story progress. Good work, Chris!

[Chris 2.1]

Razor Leaf: Hey thanks. The Board of Governers are 12 people who oversee every single TPML location. Most of them are unfamilliar to you, simply because their high-and-mighty businessmen/women. But a familliar face's father actually is a member of the Board, and some Vets you may know of. Obviously since they oversee EVERYWHERE I didnt want many members being from the TPML we all love/hate.

Rapamon2? Oh...well, you'll see *chuckle*


Mega Horny: In Ch19 you boarded the train out of TPML. You don't want to stay anymore because of the suspected murder. A lot of people share your opinion (but Dark Sage doesn't). But I won't deny there is a possiblity ANYone dies.


Wolfsong: I'm glad you liked it! I'm also very pleased you laughed! See you next chapter.


DarkDragonite: Thanks DD! Glad you liked it. Oh very clever idea for VEEDP but I'm afraid its wrong! You did well to guess. What does anyone else think? I'll give you a hint: there are more words than the abbreviated ones, if that makes sense.


Darktyranitar: Glad you liked the dialogue, it was quite fun to write. The Island of Rejects (which is NOT the official name) is quite an interesting idea relating to something I've mentioned, and been asked, on an issue about The Pokemon Masters League. The driver of the sub is VERY important!

Andrew didn't JUST spray VEEDP...if you kept your peepers peeled you might have noticed what else he was doing.

Ecks certainly popped up, but he seems to want to promote justice by finding out the truth about Amy. Who sent him? Is it possible Henry sent him there as an investigator while he kept Becca and Karin busy?

Ecks' scene is very important, and I'll tell you one thing to spur your curiosity: he was lying about at least one thing he mentioned in the conversation. Any ideas?

Charles will feature in the next 'segment' of chapters. I have some interesting things planned for him.






I can't really say much more on Ch20! It's got to be spoilerproof.

[MeLoVeGhOsTs]

Nice chapter, although I liked 18 better ^^. I was sad to see nothing about Razor Leaf =( TBA seems funny and the island is intruiging. Rofl at the green avenger. I'd like to see more team involvement. The pokemon don't really seem to be a person on their own, let them play bigger parts ^^

I didn't get a cameo ='( *whines*

[Greyfox]

Tsuki stole the Espeon and Umbreon, but when she fled the scene, she left their poké balls; Oz, while spraypainting his nonsensical "VEEDP", grabbed them and ran off. Leads me to believe that Quakman is working with the Crystal Syndicate, or he just got very lucky and is taking credit for capers he didn't start.

As for one of the mysterious man Ecks' claims being falsified, I believe it might be his conversation with Dark Sage. It seemed odd to me that he went from shocked (finding out about Amy Wolfsong) to calm ("We've met once or twice.") within a matter of seconds; call me crazy, but I think he may've had something to do with this crazy abstraction.

Anyway... yeah... interesting read... TBA was hilarious... flufferbumbles... whatever...

-drew, tired

[Vermillion]

Good stuff dude, TBA is a nut! I liked Smergle's usage in the battle, it's given me some new ideas for my own ^_^. Keep it up!

[Mega Horny]

Ah, that explains where I was going. Also, I was thinking -- your Lost joke in the next chappy -- Do you mean that BritChris is convinced that the island -- the fictional one -- is real and that they're on it, or, due to the fact that they refer to it as a show does he think theyre on Oahu instead?

[Charles Legend]

Charles will feature in the next 'segment' of chapters. I have some interesting things planned for him.
I wonder if the person in the other submarine was not infect Charles legend since I was the one reffing that match. I could very easily see Charles Stealing the blueprints for TBA's submarine with the aid of his Voltorb or his Ditto, However maybe he made improvements to it so that his submarine can transform in to a Spanish Gallon, and maybe even into a 1960 Green Rambler Convertible... LOL just a thought. ;)

Anyways, I have a theory on Liang's reasons maybe he was angry that Amy was given the job as head banker instead of him....


Mateys! Attack the prisoner!” TBA cried happily
LOL, I like this twist on the battle in the submarine, and the fact that it was Jeff who took Chris Prisoner.

I wonder what Ecks true goal is, maybe Liang hired him as part of his plan to get Rebecca fired to finish his plan for revenge on her.

~Charles Legend

[Chris 2.1]

MLG: Thanks! I do agree in a way Chris' Pokemon have little personality themselves, but the Pokemons personalities are minor in the fic due to having so many members and each member having a personality of their own. I want to focus more on the characters. Razor Leaf is still in London, and who knows when if he'll return? The Island should be a funny end do this segment of the fic.

And you'll get your cameo. Soon. But NOT because you whined! I already have a few people planned anyways.


Drew: LOL very nice theory there - sounds like Quackman, right? And your Ecks theory is also quite plausible, but for the answers, you'll have to wait till next chapter I'm afraid!


Verm: Haha Smeargle's sketchables gets even better soon!


Mega Horny: All I'll say is Chris thinks they're on an Island SIMILARR to the one on Lost. It's not going to be plot-central, so non-lost fans, don't worry. There'll just be some alluisions to the fact Chris loves the show.


Charles: An interesting point, although there arent many refs in unofficial matches like this. Charles will be introduced early on in the final segment of the fic. But some AC/CC and ASB Pokes will be featured.

Next segment we will also have a chapter which is NOT named after a character per se. We will see chapters for Charles Legend and Chris Watarimono to name only two (Chris W was originally going to have Ch10 but, as you'll see, I needed things to have moved on to a certain point), as well as River Asayake. And for those curious ones....

....Hanada Tattsu will return from his training soon. And we'll see quite a different Hanada than the one in Chapter 9.

[Charizard04621]

Out of curiousity, is Ecks based upon anyone? I think he's just a spontaneous creation like Nurse Smiles, but still, just wondering.

[Chris 2.1]

I had in mind the sort of young, successful businessmen you see these days. Quite handsome and I think he's quite vain, too.

[Charles Legend]

I had in mind the sort of young, successful businessmen you see these days. Quite handsome and I think he's quite vain, too.
Relly? that's odd because Amy told me on AIM that he remined her of some dectective off of CSI, the sad thing is I agree with her. ;)

~Charles legend

[Chris 2.1]

Well Amy didnt write it did she? Karin asked who I based him off, and there's my answer. Anyone else can think anything else.

[Ace64]

More random theories by me.

1- VEEDP= E-VE PD. Eevee Police Department?Because he took two stolen Eeveelutions, a' course.

2- The notes were not written by MLG, but by RaZoR LeAf. Every other letter in the note is capitalized, just like in Razor's name. But why would he care about Wolfsong's body? Strange. Is Drew trying to frame him or something?

I liked the chapter,and I'm jealous that TBA's submarine is big enough to fight in. Island of the rejects, huh? That'll be something to see...I like "The Red Revenger" as a double, but that's just me. And instead of drew, go with 'rewd'. Heh. It's a play on words. Poor Jenny- I think she's somehow going to be let holding the evidence once the Crystal Syndicate gets through with her. Even if they are helping her, I don't trust them to be trustworthy.

[Chris 2.1]

Ace: Interesting theories, but I won't give anything away! Hm well who says TBA has a reject-doppleganger? He's only been introduced recently. Hmm. Haha Drew's double isnt 'rewd', but as you'll learn the doppleganger of Grey (as he is still known) has it much better than Grey does :D

As for Jenny....I've said it before and I'll say it again. She's goes to some pretty interesting places. And The Crystal Syndicate....hmm.

[Myster Myuu]

Hello. Just finished reading through the first 20 chapters of your fic. Brilliant work, my friend. You do an excellant job at maintaining a stable, fluidly-moving plot. I see some ripples here and there, but that's to be expected. There is no such thing as a perfectly calm ocean. But enough metaphors for now.

I really enjoy where you're going with this. Mysteries are one of my favorite types of stories because I enjoy trying to work it out before the characters do. That said.. I have my theories:
-Amy Wolfsong isn't dead. She has either a) been kidnapped or b) faked her own death.
-Aragornbird didn't have anything to do with the disappearance of Amy DIRECTLY but he is possible being pressured into taking the heat. Or perhaps he's doing it of his own accord...
-The death Chris alluded to for the next chapter will have to be either a smaller char that has been mentioned once or twice or a main char. My money goes on one of th Eevee sisiters or, perhaps, UuberFred saying his farewell.
-Andrew shall secretly over-throw TPML, change the name to OzLand, and decree that, from now on, Trainers shall do the fighting while the Pokemon give the orders! She will also make every day 'Get Totally Sloshed' Day and rule the world with a drunken fist!


Hmmmm.. I wonder if I shall see some spotlight in this fic :D Prolly not. Ive only just recently returned and my last two stints in ASB were short-liven ones that no body probably remembers.... God I hate personal shit.... I could have been somebody.. I could have been a CONTENDER ~shakes fist at cruel, cruel fate~

Course, I could be some odd-ball character who appears every so often at TPML to wreck havoc and general mischeif upon the denizens of the village, hope some splendiforous tournament on my remote island where all the matches take place in out of this world arenas and give the winner a nice, big peanut butter cookie for his efforts..... But Im not trying to influence the author or anything :biggrin: :biggrin: :biggrin:

Once again, great job and keep up the fantastic work. I eagerly await the next chapter.

[Chris 2.1]

Mster Myuu: Hey! Well you've read 19 my friend - I certainly hope you've not seen Ch20 yet! Thank you very much for the compliments. If you would, I'd appreciate a PM of the...ripples you mentooned. I think I've surprised myself because the Pokemon, and the battles themselves, are not the core of the fic. We're entering the territory now where things are going to be based more on character, situation, and life itself in my opinion. A lot of things will be explored you wouldn't expect. The mould of trainer fic I adopted for an ASB-Themed mini project has essentially driven me to this wonderful place I am now.

Interesting theories, although I shall not dismiss or acknowledge any. Except that Uuberfred will NOT be the one dying. I could never do that without telling you his wonderful backstory. And Aragornbird will surprise you.

I can see you getting a cameo somewhere although since I don't know you all that well I don't know when. I shall definitely consider you in the future - as an allusion to the timeline of ASB I like to give current members cameo parts here and there. I didn't realise you used to be in ASB either!



All those anticipating Ch20 I can tell you it is NEARING COMPLETION. It's a lot bigger than usual and I've been out drinking quite a lot this weekend (bank holiday today, 3 day weekend!) so forgive me. But I can tell you it is an exciting one with some mixed elements in it which will lead to some great things in the final segment of the fic.

I recently developed a new character you'll meet in Ch21 who is fictional but very important! A joy to write and definitely going to cause some problems.

[Myster Myuu]

Maybe I HAVE seen ch 20 MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!!! ....

actually, no I haven't :p

Anywho, character-driven stories are always nice. Being a writer myself, I enjoy developing my chars and creating interesting and unique plotlines more than anything. So, naturally, I tend to pay more mind to character and plot development in the stories I read. That's why I like TPML. It does not adhere to the typical 'trainer fic style' of Start Journey (prolly with a Pikachu) - catch pokemon - fight Team Rocket - beat gym leaders - fight Team Rocket some more while catching pokemon - win pokemon league/beat elite four - the end (not that the typical trainer fic ever gets that far :p ) A very unique, very well-written story this is to say the least :D

Yep, I spent a couple short stints in ASB back in the day. First time was waaaay back in 2002. Unfortunately, personal matter made me have to leave after only a month or two. Second time was back during the days that Businesses were more of a focus than the battling (a time which you talked about in your fic). Again, I spent a month or two around before I could no longer come to TPM because, everytime I did, some spyware installed in one of the pop ups infected my comp with a virus. :( So I guess you cant really call me a vet because I wasnt around all that long, but you cant call me a newb either because I know my way around ASB :P

But now that Ive clogged up your fic's thread with my life story.... :D

Im actually surprised you didnt refute me prediction of Andrew taking over TPML... makes me wonder exactly what you have planned for that crazy Quackman and his VEEDP...
Also, I will make a wager as to who dies.... ~slams 5 bucks on the table~ The soon to be deaparted shall be.... Knight of Time aka Kyle! Unless you have future plans for him, he has no real weight in the storyline and could easily be written out. I could be wrong, though. It's happened before, much to my chagrin.

[Chris 2.1]

Myuu: I'll answer this another time ^^;;



MAJOR APOLOGIES!

Chapter 20 has taken forever, BUT! For a very good reason. Its a whopping 23 pages in length (nearly 24) - roughly 9 pages longer than most chapters! I had a lot to tell in this chapter and A LOT has to be set up. There are some smaller, choppy scenes and I've been doing some cutting and pasting all around so it all works well.


Thanks guys!








[size=4]Chapter Twenty
[size=3]The Weakest Link



It was a grand day in The Pokemon Masters League. Despite the popularity in the recent days, the turnout for the first Pokemon Contest was a high one. Karin watched from her table, where she was the adjudicator for the contest as all the competitors lounged around in a common room backstage. The audience watched expectantly.

The Eon Sisters, Luna and Solia, had been unable to find their Pokemon and decided to get the truth out of Jenny one way or another. They decided that before getting the truth out of her, they would ruin her chance at winning the contest. Despite the eevee-lutions being the girls prized Pokemon, they did have others, although they rarely saw the light of day.

Luna was in the air vent that overlooked the stage. A little Natu was by her side. Solia was sitting in the audience, looking interested. Luna smiled.

“Welcome, everybody!” Karin said, standing to greet the audience. “I am Karin04621 and this is the first Pokemon Contest to be held in TPML!”

The crowd cheered loudly, making Karin smile. Here all the woman’s worries ebbed away as she greeted the crowd.

“The first stage of the Contest will be the appeal stage,” she said excitedly. “Prepare to be dazzled by our competitors appeals!”

The first contestant came on – it was Chris Watarimono. He walked onto the stage purposefully and threw out his Pokeball, releasing a little orange Torchic, who chirped his name several times.

“Fire spin!” he cried, and in no time the little Torchic was spewing flames as he span on the spot, sending flames curling around his body and engulfing him in a tornado of heat. The audience watched in anticipation. A second later, Torchic burst from the flames, a trail of light speeding behind him as his beak glowed with energy. As the flames died down, and embers showered the stage, Torchic gave an endearing wink.

“A fantastic opening appeal,” Karin observed, sitting at her desk by the stage. “Chris and Torchic’s combination of slash and quick attack to streak through the flames was effective and well-choreographed. Chris earns an 8.5.”

There was another wave of applause and cheers crashing over the stage as Chris recalled his Pokemon and walked off.

“Next we have Dark Sage!” Karin cried, as the next member walked on. Dark Sage had a black cape on, and soon threw out a Pokeball revealing a cute little Ralts. The small Pokemon had a rounded, green helmet with small horns protruding from it, and innocent eyes. The crowd found Ralts endearing.

“Ralts, initiate the psychic pirouette!” Dark Sage said triumphantly. Ralts nodded, shuffling her feet slightly. In a bright flash, Ralts created a circle of clones, making a total of 8 Ralts, all staring around at each other. Slowly, a blue, ethereal glow began engulfing the Pokemon, and all 8 were lifted off the ground. Gasps came from the crowd as they watched on. Next, the Ralts all gave a polite bow, before being lowered back down to the ground.

Applause broke out, but it was definitely quieter than before. Many girls were utterly taken aback by the cute little Ralts who, as the clones dissipated, gave a brief wave and smile.

“Another interesting appeal from Dark Sage,” Karin observed. “The display of Ralts psychic powers was good, and the double team was also effective. I’ll give you 7.2”

Dark Sage gave a polite nod and, with his Ralts, walked from the stage. Next, standing behind the backdrop was Jenny, coolly preparing for her debut. The crowd fell silent and Karin spoke.

“Next we have FabuLass!” she cried, as Jenny walked purposefully on stage, Stella’s Pokeball in hand. She waved happily to the crowd, arching her arm back and releasing Ledian. In a flash of light, the ladybird emerged and Jenny caught the Pokeball. Undetected in the ventilation, peering through a grate with her Natu was Luna.

“Get ready, Natu,” she hissed.

“Stella, go!” Jenny cried. Her Ledian burst from the light of the Pokeball and fluttered its wings heavily. “Fly up and use silver wind, go!”

Ledian nodded, sweeping up to the ceiling elegantly. As it got there, the creature opened her four arms wide as a silvery wind swept down elegantly, sparkling powder shooting down the wind. The crowd watched elegantly. Natu fired a confuse ray down on Ledian, illuminating the creature and making it look like a part of the appeal.

“Now use swift!” Jenny ordered. Along the silvery wind was a sweeping mass of bright golden stars; they rushed towards the ground. “Quickly! Comet Punch them away!”

Ledian stared, dumbfounded, as the attack smashed into the ground, creating a small pop and a brilliant shower of energy. Jenny looked at Stella furiously.

“Comet Punch!” she snapped. Ledian gave a sigh and floated to the ground, sitting there, eyes screwed shut in concentration. The audience found this highly amusing, watching the confused Ledian try to follow the appeal. Dumbfounded, the ladybird flew at Jenny very suddenly, fists glowing white.

“Not me!” she snapped, screaming and diving for cover. There were howls of laughter from the crowd, particularly Solia, who sat there guffawing away as Jenny embarrassed herself. Luna recalled her Natu and began to get out the ventilation.

“I think we’ve seen enough,” Karin said jokingly. “FabuLass your appeal would have been very good, if it had been executed accurately. The appeal was badly coordinated by the end, but it did begin very well. I will give you 5.1.”

Tears filled in Jenny’s eyes as she recalled her Pokemon and ran off the stage. The audience gave a tumultuous applause as Jenny went, having thoroughly enjoyed her cock-up. The Crystal Syndicate sat on the back row of the hall.

“You all saw that,” Crystal Tears said softly. “A confuse ray from the ventilation. And that Eon sister is without her…Eon sister.”

They all held up small flags saying ‘Go Go River Asayake’ on them, for River was competing in the contest.

“Tsuki, I want you to monitor the ventilation. Go the ventilation room and make sure that girl doesn’t get out.”

“Yes Crystal,” Tsuki said, getting up and dashing off.

“What should we do?” asked Roy.

“Just watch the damn contest,” rasped their leader.

“Next up,” Karin said. “We have OzAndrew!”

Andrew walked on, suddenly realizing he had his Quackman ‘Moderately Equipped Utility Belt’ around his waist, keeping his jeans up. With a gasp, he undid the belt and threw it off to the side of the stage, where it hit Alf, the resident TPML Janitor. Alf gave a mumbled grumble.

“Ok! I choose Mr Mime!” cried OzAndrew, releasing his Pokemon. “Mr Mime, create a reflect shield in a star-shape!”

His Pokemon crying out loudly, Andrew watched as Mr Mime made a shimmering pink star-shaped barrier. As Mr Mime’s hands glowed a vivid blue, the shield-like barrier was lowered to the ground, where the clown stood atop it and began floating into the air.

“Go on Mr Mime! Zoom!” OzAndrew said. Mr Mime flew around manically, crying his name, almost like the Green Goblin of Spiderman fame. “Now fire magical leaf!”

With one knobbly hand still focused on the board, Mr Mime blasted a barrage of colourful leaves through the air, which sped along nimbly. As the childish Pokemon made a successful touchdown, the audience cried out in amazement, some sporting rather different hairstyles due to the barrage of flying leaves.

“An interesting appeal,” Karin said. “There was clear insight into Mr Mime’s attacks and characteristics and it was executed well. 7.9.”

“Awesome!” OzAndrew cried, grabbing his Pokemon’s hand and running off the stage. Jenny watched from the sidelines, tears streaming down her face, her hopes and aspirations dashed.

Meanwhile, Tsuki Megumi stood by the duct leading to the ventilation shaft with her Venomoth.

“Stun Spore,” she hissed, and her Pokemon began flapping its wings hard. The sticky dust rose up the air ventilation shaft towards where Luna was situated. Tsuki watched, arms crossed devilishly.

“Too easy,” she said to herself. However soon a strong blast swept though the air, stunning the girl and causing her to stumble back. Luna slid down the tunnel with Natu on her shoulder, having used a whirlwind to repel the spores.

“Obviously not,” she hissed. “What are you doing?”

“You ruined somebody’s appeal,” Tsuki snapped. “The girl needs avenged.”

“By paralyzing me with spores?” Luna retorted. “I bet it was you who took our Pokemon!”

She made an advancement but Venomoth blasted a psybeam to strike the girl. Luna fell to the floor in amazement as Tsuki watched stilly.

“We did not steal your Pokemon,” Tsuki snapped. She turned and left the room, leaving Luna there with Natu, gasping for breath.

Meanwhile, the Contest was so far a success. The Appeal stage was over and the finalists were decided. As the battle round of the contest commenced (River Asayake VS Dark Sage, the latter doing rather badly, while the former got through using an impressive water pulse and quick attack combo during the appeal stage), Jenny met with The Crystal Syndicate outside.

“WHAT happened?” she snapped.

“It was Luna Princess, 50% of The Eon Sisters,” Crystal explained. “Her Natu used a confuse ray from the air vents, confounding Ledian during her appeal.”

“Those bitches!” Jenny snapped. “Well you know why they’re doing this, don’t you? It’s because you stole their Pokemon! Just give them back and we can…sort this out.”

“We didn’t take them,” Crystal replied. “And they know that.”

“But…I saw you,” Jenny said to Tsuki. “In the park…”

“I was looking after you,” explained Tsuki. “And when I saw them trying to ring the police I needed to stop them. Venomoth used a string shot to get the phone away so they couldn’t make the call.”

“So who took the eons?” Jenny asked.

“We don’t know,” Crystal tears replied firmly. “But that’s none of our business. We wanted to get at the Eon Sisters because they bully you. That’s been taken care of for us; someone has stolen their Pokemon and they have been unable to participate in the contest.”

“So…what now?” Jenny asked.

“We target The Missing Link,” replied Crystal. “And your boyfriend, Brit Chris.”

“Look, about that…” Jenny said. “They’re never together…I really think this whole ‘Chris was cheating on me’ thing was a little far-fetched.”

Crystal looked hurt as she stood at the front of her Syndicate.

“I saw them kissing,” Crystal Tears reiterated.

“And I saw you kissing Chris, but that meant nothing,” Jenny retorted. Crystal’s eyes widened.

“Fine,” Crystal Tears said airily. “Be like that, FabuLass. I tried helping you, I introduced you to my very own Syndicate, and we worked effortlessly to help you in the Contest today.”

She turned to leave.

“We must see River’s battle. Maybe she can win the Ribbon. Don’t expect affability from us, FabuLass. If you are not with us, you are against us.”

And as the Syndicate walked away, Jenny felt an odd feeling in her chest. It felt as if a knot had been untied and her feelings for Chris were beginning to make themselves clearer. Now having to contend against the Crystal Syndicate and their vendetta against Chris and herself was going to be the main problem. But despite that, Jenny went back into the Contest Hall, eagerly watching the match.


*

It had not been long since The Blue Avenger and myself had found ourselves on the beach. I wondered if we were in another cove of TPML, thoroughly excited that we would discover a new, hidden part of the village, but TBA took a different approach.

“Our VS Seekers couldn’t locate this…place,” he explained. “So it’s obvious that we’ve left TPML.”

“So obvious,” I said sarcastically, before suddenly realizing something. “Oh my god. OH MY GOD!”

“What?”

“Have you ever seen Lost?”

“No.”

“Well it’s an Island just like this one!” I cried. “This plane crashes on the beach (but it was all planned!) And the survivors find all these hatches around…secret bunkers as part of a research facility. And it’s just like this!”

“Look…Chris…” TBA began.

“Ok! Let’s find the transceiver…I think it was in the jungle,” I began, thinking back to the early episodes. “We can triangulate a frequency to pick up the source of the distress call we’ll inevitably find on the transceiver…from Rousseau and her crew. Then when we find out where she recorded it, we can record our own message! I’m sure she mentioned a Radio Tower in Season 1, Episode –”

“SHUT UP!” TBA cried.

“Nine,” I replied meekly. “Solitary.”

“This beach is deserted,” TBA said. I was really sick of his ‘let’s analyse everything’ attitude. “No footprints or anything. I wonder if the entire island is empty?”

“Apparently not,” I said, pointing up ahead. There was a woman in a sharp suit looking at us. She looked like someone…someone I knew. Her age, hair and eye colour resembled that of Karin, but the facial structure and the tan told a different story.

“Outsiders!” she cried.

“Hi!” I said cheerily. “We’re from TPML…”

Her eyes widened.

“TPML?” she asked. “Masters! Attack them!”

We both looked around suddenly as a small group of people stared at us. All seemed familiar, from the tall, well built Razor Leaf-a-like (who was in a rather odd crinkly pink shirt I might add) to the young yet wise figure of Grey, who was dressed in a white suit, shirt, tie, trousers and shoe combination.

“What’s going on?” I cried, as a Crobat flew at me. “Are you The Others? Mr Friendly! I know where the guy pretending to be Henry Gale is! Argh! Get off! Seriously!”

There were loud, raucous shouts and a multitude of Pokemon (such as an odd red Sneasel) attacking us. I tried gripping a Pokeball but soon I was thrown to the floor as more Pokemon, including a Dragonair and a Lickitung joined in the fray.

“Person Man! Barrier!” TBA shouted, releasing his green Mr Mime. The odd little Pokemon made a pinkish barrier over the two of us, protecting us from those around. TBA was catching his breath.

“These people…” he said emptily. “Do they look familiar to you?”

“They look like…TPML people,” I gasped. “Karin, Razor Leaf, Grey, OzAndrew…”

“Yes…” TBA said. “Same hair colour, same eye colour (I’m assuming) but with some, the dress code is…different. Something’s different. If only the VS Seekers worked!”

“The barrier is weakening!” I shouted. Sneasel and the other Pokemon furiously attacked the dome-like safeguard surrounding us. The fury on the people’s faces was clear. This was serious. Before I could say anything more, the barrier was reduced to shards and we were beaten furiously by the ongoing Pokemon. My eyes drooped shut as I saw the fury in Karin-a-like’s face.

This was bad.


*

I was soon woken by a sharp fanfare. I jolted to my senses to find myself in a large pit with The Blue Avenger. All the odd people surrounding us were watching their captives like hungry predators. Upon the ending of the fanfare, however, a woman entered the room.

“Entering The Weakest Link,” said a thuggish bodyguard. “All kneel!”

The people knelt as The Weakest Link arrived, peering down over us. The pit had a cross-hatched cover comprised of metal bars. The Weakest Link? Was this some sort of joke?

“You’re awake,” said The Weakest Link. “We would like to welcome you to our Island.”

“Why did you attack us?” I snapped.

“Silence,” snapped the woman. “And let the answers come to you. This is our Island – you are now among the elite members of TPML.”

“We were already in a TPML Village,” TBA explained.

“THEM?” TWL cried. “The Pokemon Masters League…is nothing. We…WE are The Parodying Masters Locality!”

“What.” I groaned in a dull voice.

“A supreme band of people who longed to be in The Pokemon Masters League,” TWL said emotionally. “Whether our urine samples were unacceptable, or our battling was not up to scratch, we were rejected. And as we were rejected, we decided to form our own army, our own band of people who were not ‘approved’ by the powers that be. I emulated the woman who trialed me. You might also recognize the other members of TPML here.”

She turned to them.

“ROLL CALL!”

“Vine Whip!” cried the girly Razor-Leaf doppelganger.

“The Negotiator, AKA White!” cried the Grey-a-like.

“Galdalfbird!” shouted someone.

“Foxsong!”

“OzAlex!”

“Christian Watarimono!”

“Night of Day!”

“Light Dragonite!”

“04622!”

“Wait,” I said. “She lives in TPML!”

“No she doesn’t you retard,” said 04622. “04621 lives in TPML. The number 04621 is a code for that TPML Village. All the Villages are on an internal database monitored by the Board of Governors. This Island has the reference number 04622, and in honor of the woman who is patriotic to have the code as her user name, I took our reference number for my user name.”

“O-k,” I mumbled.

“There are others of The Parodying Masters Locality,” TWL told me. “But they are busy.”

“And why did you kidnap us?” I asked.

“We were intrigued by you,” TWL said. “Who are you? Why do you exist?”

“What do you mean?”

“You trespassed,” TWL explained. “This is our Island, not yours.”

“Our Submarine was damaged…we veered off course,” TBA explained.

“That was done on purpose,” TWL said softly. “By The Green Vindicator. You swam in our waters. You need to pay.”

“Vindicator?” TBA asked.

“Look it up in a thesaurus,” TWL said. “It’s similar to Avenger.”

“I have…a clone?” TBA gurgled.

“Doppelganger,” I pointed out.

“Anyway,” The Weakest Link said. “MASTERS! Get The Blue Avenger out. We can use him. Keep the other one down there…Vine Whip, keep an eye on him.”

“Totally!” Vine Whip cried.

I watched as the grate was lifted, and in no time a hand flew down, grabbed TBA by the neck and dragged him out. He kicked and flailed his arms wildly, shouting out, and soon he disappeared from view, the grate sliding back over the large pit.

“We shall be back shortly,” TWL said. “Masters! Away. Vine Whip, stay.”

And then they left. I was sitting there, thoroughly beaten and almost definitely missing a tooth, wondering what on earth was going on. Two of my Pokemon were still at the Pokemoncenter, and TBA had been taken for some presumably horrific experiments of some sort.

“This sucks,” I groaned.

“Shut up,” I heard Vine Whip sneer.


*

Meanwhile, in the main village of The Pokemon Masters League, a crowd was eagerly watching the final battle of the first Pokemon Contest. River Asayake and her Voltorb, Kablooie Louie were battling hard against OzAndrew’s Corsola, CorsolOz.

“Thunderbolt!” River cried. A jagged bolt flew upwards, but as Corsola was shone with a reflective coat, the attack was sent right back at the Pokemon, dealing major damage. Voltorb span on the spot in reaction to the powerful counter-attack.

“Now my dear!” OzAndrew shouted. “Pin Missile!”

“Rapid spin!”

The clattering shiny pins were repelled by the spherical Pokemon as it span haphazardly, eventually sweeping across the arena like a Tasmanian Devil. Corsola leapt back however, nimbly avoiding the foe.

“The battle is sensational,” Karin cried through the microphone. “But Corsola is leading by a considerable amount! Can River Asayake pull a victory off? Time is running out…”

“It’s time, Dearest!” OzAndrew said proudly. “Recover!”

As a feverish energy engulfed Corsola, her HP bar began to rise again. The Corsola was managing to replenish her health – something River Asayake was shocked by. The Crystal Syndicate watched as the bar was rising as the timer went down.

“Louie!” River cried. “Thunder-wave!”

A crackling web of finely-laced sparks burst through the air, snapping around Corsola and giving her a shock, stopping her HP-replenishing spree. Trapped, Corsola squirmed as hard as she could, but it was futile.

“Now, use charge!” River said, eyeing the clock. Energy wrapped around the round Pokemon, boosting its electrical discharge power. Andrew urged his Pokemon on more as the crowds cheers washed over the stage and the five minutes began to expire.

“Use thunder!”

Voltorb gave a booming roar as a huge streaking surge of electricity swept right into Corsola, powered by the charge and deepening the paralysis. As the attack was fired off, Voltorb laced a swift attack with it to deal even more damage. Corsola was hurled into OzAndrew, who tumbled over. The timer then gave off a buzz. Time was up.

“The match,” Karin said, as the crowd hushed. “Has ended.”

She consulted the green HP bars.

“And River Asayake has narrowly scooped a victory!” Karin cried. “The thunder-wave technique weakly paralysed Corsola and pertained her from recovering any more health, while the charge-thunder combo balanced out the HP gained from recover and the swift just clinched it!”

The crowd cheered and OzAndrew recalled Corsola.

“Any words, Andrew?” Karin asked.

“Just one,” he murmured. “VEEDP!”

And with that, he ran off.

“Err…” Karin grumbled. “Anyway, River Asayake, you are the proud winner of the first contest!”

She presented her with the prestigious ribbon, beautiful lavender coloured one, which Tsuki added to her case. The crowd applauded and confetti fell from the rafters as The Crystal Syndicate watched keenly, Crystal in particular. Jenny fled the hall as soon as the doors opened, but she was not alone.


*

Walking along BT Street, Jenny felt something hit the back of her head. It was an old cheeseburger and, turning around, she saw Solia helping Luna walk down the street. Both looked utterly furious.

“Hey BITCH!” Solia snapped. “Way to set your little gang on my sister!”

“What?” Jenny asked.

“S-S-She attacked me,” Luna gasped, clutching her chest. “That weirdo girl that you know.”

“Who?” Jenny said, but by then, Solia marched forward, grabbing Jenny by the scruff of her t-shirt. “Hey! Get off!”

“You’re going to pay for what you did to our Pokemon,” she hissed. “AREN’T YOU?”

“I DIDN’T DO ANYTHING!” Jenny wept, trying to pull away. “GET OFF ME!”

An arrow flew through the air and pierced the ground, narrowly missing Solia’s leg. Everybody looked up to see Quackman standing there with two Pokeballs in his grip. His black cape fluttered in the breeze.

“It is I, Quackman!” he cried happily.

“Who?” Jenny asked.

“QUACKMAN!” he snapped. “I have something of yours…”

“What?” Jenny asked.

“NOT YOURS!” he shouted. “Shut up! I mean you two girls. It is I who kidnapped your beloved Pokemon!”

“You bastard!” Luna cried, but she was weak from the attack. “Solia, get him!”

“I totally left my Pokemon at home,” she sighed. “Oh my god Luna…what can we do?”

“Flora! Skip!” Jenny shouted, drawing two Pokeballs. “GO!”

Sunflora and Marshtomp emerged, crying their names. Sunflora beamed happily while Skip settled into a more mature pose. In a flash, they fired sharp leaves and jets of water towards Quackman, who leapt out of the way. However, a sharp leaf sliced through his costume, angering him.

“Grr!” he snapped. “Stop it!”

“Give us back our Pokemon!” Solia snapped.

“Only if you pay me,” Quackman sneered. “£250 each.”

“No!” Luna gasped.

“Flora, bullet seed!” Jenny shouted. A flurry of sharp seeds peppered Quackman, causing him to drop the Pokeballs. Espeon and Umbreon emerged from the balls, running to their owners happily.

“Espeon! Psybeam!”

“Umbreon, shadow ball!”

“Flora, use razor leaf! Skip, use mud shot!”

Quackman was attacked by the onslaught of mud, sharp leaves, the orb of concentrated shadow and the beam of rainbow energy. He fell to the floor in agony as the four Pokemon and the three girls watched on.

“You’re all bitches,” he snarled, fleeing down an alleyway.

“HEY!” Jenny shouted. “Who are you?”

“VEEDP!” cried Quackman. And he was gone.

“Espeon!” cried Solia, hugging her lithe, fox-like Pokemon. Luna did the same with her dark Umbreon, and the joy on the girls’ faces couldn’t be simpler. Jenny watched with her two Pokemon. Maybe…maybe the two girls weren’t so bad after all?

“Look, Jenny…” Solia said slowly.

“Yes?” Jenny asked eagerly.

“You helped us save our Pokemon,” she continued. “And we blamed you all along.”

“There’s no need to apologise,” Jenny said, blushing.

“Oh, I wasn’t going to,” she went on. “I was going to say that you helped us, and we blamed you, and despite all that you’ve done, you’re still a skanky, horrible girl that deserves everything she gets. Luna, let’s go.”

Jenny watched, stunned, as the girls walked off into the distance, and another day wound to the end. She sighed, wondering where Chris was when she saw Crystal Tears watching her from behind. Feeling slightly worried, Jenny walked off into the village.


*

I was getting sick of sitting in my dark cell. Luckily, during his guard duty, Vine Whip had failed to come across as anything of a threat at all. In fact, I sensed a soft side to him; maybe it was his dress code, or his pink-themed team…either way, I knew I could use this to my advantage.

“You know,” I said airily. “You’ve probably got a lot more to be getting on with.”

“So true,” he sighed.

“So…” I said. “You could let me out.”

“Hah!” he cried. “Nice try newbie.”

“What are they doing with The Blue Avenger?” I asked.

“Never you mind,” Vine Whip said. “We’ve never had a ‘Realsie’ on the Island before…not since that last idiot.”

I couldn’t care who he was talking about.

“Go on, let me go,” I pleaded.

“God will you SHUT UP!” he snapped.

“Let me go then!” I said. “I’ll give you something you might like…”

“What is it?” Vine Whip asked. I dug into the sole of my shoe suddenly, eventually picking off an old, hardened piece of chewing gum.

“Razor Leaf himself spat this at me,” I explained. “And I stood in it. Maybe you’d like it…since it’s been in his mouth and everything.”

“Oh my god,” Vine Whip gasped. “THE Razor Leaf?”

“Yup,” I said, throwing it up. It glided through the grate and Vine Whip grabbed it, inhaling it deeply.

“Wow,” he said. “I’m going to chew it right away!”

“Please don’t,” I murmured, for this was not Razor Leaf’s at all. Just something I stepped in. I had hoped these TPML-Member-Obsessives were gullible, and it was true. I guess people believe what they want. The chewing gum had sandy grains from the beach, grass and general stale qualities, but the look on Vine Whip’s face couldn’t be happier. He released a Granbull and Wigglytuff to shift the large metal grate.

“If anybody asks, you beat me up.”

“Yea,” I said, clambering out and finally getting a proper look at him. He seemed…nothing like Razor Leaf at all. Well he was a similar height, and he had that…frightful frown. I was reminded of a kestrel for some odd reason. I thanked him, leaving the very small room I was in.

“Ok,” I said, releasing Poliwhirl. “If we see ANYBODY, attack them with bubblebeam. Oh, except The Blue Avenger. Actually…nah, attack him anyway. He’s patronizing.”

Poliwhirl nodded. I ran to the door and grabbed it. The solid metal door was locked tightly. I pulled and pulled but to no avail. Stepping back, I let Poliwhirl sort things out – an amazing mega punch dented the lock and caused the door to spring open. I ran into the next room. It was a cold, dark room like the last, but it was completely empty. The next door was open, and as I opened it, I was greeted by daylight.

“We’re out,” I said. Polwhirl nodded. I looked around. We were in a rather disgusting clearing in a massive jungle. It was unkempt and dirty. The building I left, something of a prison, was solid steel, as were the other small buildings dotted around. It was very bizarre indeed. Most were only one storey high. Names were etched onto the doors of the very primitive steel huts. This must be where people lived.

“HEY!” a voice said. I turned around to see somebody walking out a hut. “What are YOU doing here?”

“Anderew?” I asked. “OzAndrew?”

“OzAlex,” he rasped, a Dratini coiled luxuriously around his neck. “I LOVE DRAGONS! But that’s far from the point. I heard TWL saying you were a prisoner. Why are you out?”

“I…got a job,” I began.

“Where at?”

“The…erm…” I grumbled. “Café.”

“You mean The SSSS?” OzAlex said.

“Huh?”

“The Skinny Sceptile Snack Station?” he asked. I sighed. Is this some sort of parody of The Chunky Clefable Café? I just nodded.

“Sure do,” I replied.

“I hate that place,” he hissed. “Scummy! Scum scum scum scum SCUM!”

He grabbed a Pokeball and released a little Bagon. He leapt up happily crying his name. I watched with Poliwhirl. OzAndrew hated dragons.

“BagOz!” cried Alex. “Headbutt dearie!”

“Poliwhirl, use an ice beam,” I murmured. Holding his hands around the air, Poliwhirl charged up a ball of solid ice energy. As Bagon got nearer, a beam of energized ice fired from the orb between my Pokemons hands, slamming into the little tyke and throwing him back.

“BagOz!” Alex said, as the slightly stiff Bagon fell to his feet. “Return!”

He shot a Pokeball beam at Bagon, who was beamed back inside with a jet of red light. OzAlex looked at me.

“Bitch,” he snapped. “Go on then! Run away! Yea! Then I hope the Alligator eats you!”

“…there’s no Alligator here, right?” I said casually.

“No…” Alex mumbled. “I…er…have to…erm…”

And with that, he ran off. I shrugged my shoulders and made my way down a cleared path through the jungle, running with Poliwhirl at my side. There was a signpost telling me that the ‘Bunkers’ were down a left fork, while the right one led me to ‘TB Street’. Hmm. I thought the bunkers sounded rather ominous and kidnappy, so I headed left.

But as I ran and ran, through the humid path winding past thick jungle trees, I saw we soon came to a wide clearing. Dotted around were round metal platforms stamped into the ground with hatch-like doors on the top. There was nobody around, and since I was so intrigued, I sneaked over to the nearest one, where the word ‘Approval Bunker’ etched by the door. Running to another, I checked it out. ‘Rules Bunker’. Weird. Were these similar to TPML’s towers?

Suddenly there was a deep rumbling noise and a sound resembling that of something metal being turned. I ran out of the clearing with Poliwhirl and into the woods, hiding within a shrub. The hatch was pushed open, and The Blue Avenger clambered out, his Mr Mime by his side.

“Psst! TBA!” I hissed. He turned, flinching slightly.

“Oh, it’s you,” he said. “I hypnotized them quickly. But we have to go. Now.”

“What did they want?” I asked.

“I’ll explain later,” he said, as I ran up to meet him. “But we need to go. Now! How do you think we’ll get out?”

“I have no idea,” I replied. “I don’t know how we got here.”

“Look, we’re on an Island, right?” TBA said. I nodded. “And the Jungle is in the center of the Island. Logically if we run in any direction we’ll eventually get to the shore.”

“But we need a way to get off the Island,” I whined.

“I’ll help you,” said a voice. I turned around, shocked, only to discover it wasn’t one of The Parodying Masters Locality at all. It was someone I knew from the beginning of my time in TPML; the member who I first battled against.

“Girafarig?” I said, puzzled. “What are you doing here?”


*

It had been a glorious day in TPML, but it seemed few people had noticed the lack of Brit Chris and The Blue Avenger. To anybodies knowledge, Razor Leaf had still not returned from his hiatus of sorts, and since he revealed the reasons to no-one, the smaller number of people in The Pokemon Masters League was worrying.

Grey was now among his peers again, although he tried to stay away from BT Street. He had bought a small house down a street called Falken Street. It was a leafy street with very picturesque houses right on the edge of the village.

The Missing Link was in her office after a lunch break which she spent a large portion of the day on. Returning to work briefly before she left for the night, Becca was intrigued to see a pile of fliers on her floor, all with the same message that the previous ones had. She also had an influx of messages on her VS Seeker, all with the same jumbled-up words.

“What is going on,” she sighed to herself, sinking into her favorite chair. Her answer phone was full of messages she was too tired to even bother listening to, and as Becca contemplated starting her work, she received a call.

“Hello?” she asked.

“It’s Karin,” said the voice.

“How did it go?” Becca asked.

“Some very interesting appeals,” Karin explained. “River Asayake won. The appeal round went well…except for Jenny Jackson-Smith, wait until you hear about that one; otherwise it was a success.”

“Don’t bother coming to the tower, just get home,” Becca said. “I can handle things here.”

“Did you get any word from Razor Leaf on the Internet Café for BT Street?” Karin asked.

“He’s been AWOL for some time now,” Becca sighed.

“Look the moderator’s situation is out of hand,” Karin replied. “Tomorrow we need to de-mod people who aren’t doing their job properly. We’ll map everything out and decide who needs the boot.”

“Most the applicants for Amy and Liangs positions have left the village,” Becca noted, looking through some documents. “So we’ll have to hand-pick some people I think. Razor Leaf can stay, though – he is good at what he does.”

“I have to go,” Karin said. “Sorry but there’s a TV Station who want an interview!”

“See you tomorrow,” Becca replied, hanging up the phone. Again, she sank into her chair and swiveled, to be met by Ecks, standing in the doorway, slipping a Pokeball onto his belt.

“Hello,” he said airily.

“You!” Becca gasped. “How did you get up here? That door was locked. AND there’s supposed to be security.”

“Security keeps the bad things away,” Ecks explained. “But I come here bearing good news, Becca.”

“You’re leaving?”

“Very funny,” Ecks replied in a dry tone that suggested he did not find it funny whatsoever. “No Becca, I decided to…assist you in dealing with the crisis you’re facing at the moment.”

“I don’t need assistance,” Becca said simply.

“Then you know more than when I last visited?” the man asked, raising his eyebrows. He scanned Becca’s silence and grinned. “I thought not. I was going to tell you that I have been doing some…investigating.”

“Oh.”

“And I know who the person was that witnessed Amy get taken by the large monster at Ivy Lake,” Ecks said softly.

“Y-You do?” Becca asked suddenly. “You know?”

“Yes,” Ecks replied.

“Who was it, then?” Becca said, sneering as she watched the man.

“Me,” continued the man.

“What?”

“It was me,” Ecks reiterated. “I saw her get dragged underwater.”

Becca stared at him.

“No you didn’t,” she replied. “You said you only got here a day or so ago.”

“I lied,” Ecks said slowly. “I told you I arrived here yesterday morning. But that’s not true at all. I have been in The Pokemon Masters League for some time. I explored Ivy Woods, found Ivy Lake and, watching in the bushes, saw a boy get knocked out by an attack on the other side of the forest. Then I saw a Dragonite emerge through a layer of thick fog to take the girl and drag her underwater.”

“So…” Becca began. “Did you send the fliers?”

“Yes,” Ecks replied, smiling. “Justice needs to be served. People need to know the truth.”

Becca watched him furiously, bottling her anger and the burning regret in her mind. She was a fool. Karin warned her about Ecks, and the slippery man seemed to have pulled the wool over everybody’s eyes.

“Nothing to say?” Ecks said, raising his eyebrows.

“I’m surprised,” Becca admitted. “You’ve been here all that time?”

“Watching and waiting,” he replied.

“Did The Board of Governors send you?”

“Oh, no,” Ecks replied. “But don’t assume I won’t be contacting them about this. I’m a vigilante, Becca. I sink deep into the life I live to get answers and results. But don’t think I’m an enemy.”

“Of course you are,” Becca snapped. “You’re trying to ruin me!”

“Becca…this doesn’t have to end badly,” Ecks pointed out. Becca watched inquisitively. “When the Board of Governors gets wind of this, they’ll look for someone to point the finger.”

“Why don’t you just not go to the Board?” Becca said coldly.

“I don’t need to,” Ecks replied. “They inspect the villages regularly, you know that. And with Razola here, you’ll bet the Board will know what’s going on.”

“So what are you suggesting?” asked the woman.

“Step down,” he said. “As head of TPML. Hand the torch to somebody else before the Board find out what’s gone on.”

“And let somebody else take the fall?” Becca asked. “That’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve heard all day.”

“Think about it,” Ecks said softly.

“Just stop,” Becca sighed. “I don’t care how you phrase it, you’ve come here to scare me with your ‘knowledge’ I don’t even believe you have. I think you’re making this up and you’ve come here to try and manipulate me. You knew Karin was away today, somebody who knows you better than I do, so you tried worming into my emotions and playing me like a fool. Well it won’t work. Ecks, I want you to get out of my office now. Then I want you to remember never to come back and bother me again. Is that understood?”

“Fiery,” Ecks said loftily. “I warned you, Becca. You would be better off getting out while you can.”

“Bring it on,” she snarled, as Ecks slammed the door behind him. Despite her words, the woman felt an odd sensation of doubt in herself as Ecks motives lay in mystery. Was it true he sent the fliers? Had he witnessed Amy’s attack?

Meanwhile, Ecks stood outside the tower. He was checking something on a notepad.

“Brit Chris…” he said softly. “The boy with Amy when she disappeared.”

And with that, he set off once more into the village, purpose etched onto his face as he concealed his eyes behind his shades again.


*

I stared at Girafarig. What in the hell was he doing? The last I remembered, he went to New Zealand, but it seemed our paths had crossed much sooner than I anticipated.

“Look,” he gasped. “We don’t have much time. They’re going to know you escaped, so they’ll be looking for you. We need to head to the beach.”

“Which way?” I asked.

“Follow me,” Girafarig replied firmly. He no longer wore his Girafarig head-hat, and his black hair was scraggly and messy. He looked awful. I realized these were the clothes he wore when he left TPML all those months ago…

He ran off down the path I went down originally to get to the bunker area, and I followed, TBA right behind me. Girafarig took us down the other fork, leading to TB Street, and we trailed behind. He seemed to have incredible stamina, something myself and TBA lacked.

“You’ve…been here a while…then?” I panted.

“Later newbie,” he growled.

“I’m…not…a…” I began, but my breath ran out before I could finish my sentence. Soon, we were heading down an awfully derelict street, which I presumed was TB Street. Smaller than BT Street, it had the distinct look of a city living in the shadow of its BT Counterpart. I noticed The Skinny Sceptile Snack Station, which had a crooked, dirty sign; White’s Cinema, which had a poster premiering ‘The Matrix’. I guess it was an old place.

Soon we were past the street, although it was evident that people were behind us. I turned to see The Weakest Link, 04622, Galdalfbird and OzAlex racing after us. The hypnosis had obviously worn off. Damn TBA’s Mr Mime. I prefer OzAndrew’s myself.

“RUN!”

There were angry roars and shouts as I recalled Poliwhirl and darted alongside Girafarig and The Blue Avenger. My heart was racing and sweat drenched my brow. The derelict street passed us by as we reached a rocky, deserted area of the island. We were near the shore. We were going to make it. There was a steep-ish drop before the beach, a few feet high.

“Pupitar!” Girafarig shouted, as he leapt off the edge of the clearing and landed in the soft, golden sand of the beach. “Sandstorm!”

Spinning on the spot, Pupitar generated a whirling vortex of sand to engulf the foes. Leaping along to his master, Pupitar soon reunited with us as we dashed along the beach. I looked around, where a smarmy green pirate stood.

“Who is THAT?” TBA snapped.

“The Green Vindicator,” Girafarig said. “We need to steal his submarine. Pupitar, use dig and sand tomb. You guys fight off these lot.”

“Cacnea!”

“Drivy Finn!” shouted TBA, and a rather skeletal Kabutops emerged, clicking and frothing. Eurgh. “Use a water pulse!”

“Cacnea use pin missile now!”

As The Weakest Link ran from the sandy vortex, a jet of supersonic water smashed into her and bowled her over. Cacnea fired a flurry of pins which rained on the four of them, giving us time. As we battled furiously, Pupitar dug underneath The Green Vindicator, causing him to fall into the sand trap. In no time Pupitar fired itself out the sand like a bullet, back to his trainer.

“Ok, let’s go!” Girafarig shouted. TBA ran to the door of the submarine and used Kabutops’ sickle to break into the sub. “Newbie, keep those guys away!”

“Cacnea, more pins!” I said desperately, as the glittering needles peppered them. Unfortunately, OzAlex released a Shellgon which charged through the air and tackled Cacnea back. Leaping forward, the cactus Pokemon’s needles glowed white as he slammed his arm down onto the Pokemon’s hard shell. But it did little damage.

“Shellgon use stomp!” OzAlex cried.

“Drivy Finn, slash!”

As Shellgon leapt over Cacnea, Kabutops soared through the air and dealt a double slash to the draconian Pokemon’s face, causing it to topple back in surprise. Cacnea spat a bullet seed at it before the door opened and we were able to get in.

“GET OFF MY SUBMARINE!” yelled The Green Vindicate you. “I will AVENGE – I mean, I WILL VINDICATE YOU!”

“Get in, get in!” TBA said, as we all got in. This submarine was similar to TBA’s, except it seemed somehow…upgraded. Girafarig recalled Pupitar, TBA recalled Kabutops and I recalled Cacnea. We strapped in.

Soon, the blades whirred and the submarine gently glided across the ocean waves. The rejects watched us go and I smiled, safe in the knowledge that I was away from that horrible place. The submarine descended underwater, and a question that had been on my mind for a while resurfaced.

“So,” I said. “Girafarig…”

“…wait till we get back, newbie,” he replied rudely.


*

It was dark. Jenny Jackson-Smith, fresh from her defeat at the contest, had decided to relieve herself by buying lots of clothes. She had all sorts and was really pleased that a new shopping district was being built.

Ledian felt disappointed at her total mess-up in the contest, but Jenny wasn’t worried. The Summer Contest had ended with River Asayake as the winner, but Jenny assured herself she could win the Autumn Contest later on in the year. Jenny re-assured Stella her appeal would have gone well, and they would try harder next time. However, she was seriously considering Flora the Sunflora for the next attempt.

Jenny’s flat was down BT Street, but the hunky builder that worked across the road no longer worked there – he had been called further down to help with reconstructing the area around Grey’s Playhouse. On her way home, Jenny realised it was already dark – she should really hurry.

However, as she arrived down BT Street, a hand suddenly clasped around her mouth from behind. A warm, sweaty hand that kept her from screaming. Jenny dropped her bags and she felt herself get hoisted down an alleyway near her flat, struggling to try and get free but unable to escape the grip of her captor.


*

On the outskirts of ASB there was a place called Falken Street. It was a leafier, suburban area of TPML, and at this time, it was very quiet. However, it was not completely empty. The man named Henry was walking down the street, for his house was just close by. Henry walked down an alleyway to get to his house much quicker – it was late and he wanted to be home as soon as he could.

He had not had time to see Becca today, which he had planned, but made the most of his time by looking around the village, particularly BT Street, meeting old friends and getting used to The Pokemon Masters League again. As he walked down the long alleyway, however, he heard footsteps which were not his own.

Turning, Henry looked to see who it was, but did not see anybody. Strange. He took a moment to analyse the scene; no leaves blew, no wrappers rustled. He shrugged it off. When he turned back, however, he was staring down the barrel of a gun.

“What the hell?” he gasped, stepping back. He could see the figure holding the pistol. His eyes widened and a tear formed in his eye.

“Liang?” he asked.

Bang.

Henry collapsed on the floor as smoke coiled from the barrel of the gun. Liang watched firmly, brow furrowed, eyes darting either side of him. The bullet hit Henry squarely between the eyes, and as the blood seeped down his nose in a thin, red trail, he mustered speech to his brother.

“T-They said…y-you were in p-p-prison,” he murmured.

“I never got there,” Liang replied coldly. “I have bigger things to do.”

He turned and walked down the alleyway as his own brother began to die behind him. As Liang left the scene, tucking the gun in its holster, he did not even look back at the one he killed. As simply as he appeared, the boy melded into the shadows and disappeared from sight.










Next Chapter: Cocoa Sting

Chris returns from The Island eager to learn what happened on Girafarig's travels. Unfortunately there are bigger problems as both The Crystal Syndicate and Ecks have their eyes on him. An unlikely witness to Henry's murder agrees to help, while Chris notices a change in Jenny.

Meanwhile, Becca finds Ecks sticking to his promise when a member of The Board of Governors comes to TPML to investigate after Henry's murder becomes the straw that breaks the camels back. And she does not bring good news. Grey also has a very odd proposal for Chris.



The description above is subject to change.

[The Blue Avenger]

...Wow. This started out really light-hearted... and then wham. That was an excellent mix of emotions. You made me laugh out loud quite a few times (this line in particular was great: "Oh, except The Blue Avenger. Actually…nah, attack him anyway. He’s patronizing.") I enjoyed seeing the rejects, particularly Mr. Green, and it was cool to see Drivy Finn.

Okay, now that I have my ego trip out of the way, I also really liked the serious bits. Liang shooting his brother was out of nowhere, and of course I'm eager to see where that leads. Girafarig being on the island was a shock. The Eon sisters... eurgh. I'm definitely making a fist right now. They're definitely characters you can hate easily, and I think they make an interesting subplot-villain. Also, Ecks proves to be more and more intriguing.

Random theory: This Girafarig is actually a reject. After all, Girafarig is the same backwards and forewards... He wanted to try and get to TPML, knowing that the real one was gone.

[Andrew]

Damn TPM ATE MY POST!

Contest: So Solia must have a Murkrow since Luna has a Natu? However, the contest was awesome. Lol, hillarious, I lost again. But it's good asayake won, she's good. Those Eevee sisters really are quite nasty! Funny, but nasty.

The island - The lost refrences, brilliant. Not to mention urine samples. Lol, I don't remember that! Also, I wonder what they meant by using the Blue Avenger... Vine Whip's pink themed team? But the chewing gum, ewtacular! Also, Chris attacking everyone INCLUDING TBA! But speaking of TBA... has he been replaced by The Green Vindicator? So they can infiltrate the real place? Haha, also kind of funny to see Girafarig, I bet he's like "The Others" of Lost.

I also love the fact Quackman called them bitches. lol. Hillarious.

Also, what's up with Ecks? He's VERY 24y... is he working with Raz? Has he kidnapped Jenny in order to get to Chris?

Finally, what's up with Liang?! What the? He's going to steal Henry's life? Plus why haven't they got Amy's body yet. It'll be all like that bitch from the Ring!

Great chapter, I really enjoyed it!

[Ultimate Charizard]

That was...awesome. Plain and simple worth the wait. (just dont make us wait so long in future ;))

Wasnt expecting the ending at all and i like TBA's theory on Girafarig. Not Sure if i remember him from way back when...id have to look through the archives lol.
Now im just waiting for my own Ego Trip lol ;). Maybe Reopen UC's Quarry, my old 'Signiture' arena. Nice place to hid bodies ;) lol.

Great work bud. And id also like to invite you (and anyone else into this kinda thing) to look at my new Pokemon RPG (which may end up as a fic) that i am writing and will be posting in the next day or so. If its half as good as this ill be happy.

[Hyperness is a Good Thing]

*thumbs up for the loooong chapter* I liked the contest and appeals, still wondering about VEEDP(you evil person, you haven't told us what it is yet), the Eon sisters are mean, and poor Jenny's having a tough time.

The Parodying Masters Locality is hilarious, loved them much much. The plot thickens with Girafarig being an antisocial b@st@rd, and well, of course, Liang murdering his own brother...EVIL.

Of course, Ecks, the crafty manipulator..will he have a bigger role to play in later chapters? lol, and poor TML, so much stuff has been happening(but it should or else it would be a boring fanfic to read wouldn't it?).

I have no theories to offer as usual but I agree with TBA's "girafarig is actually a reject thing".

^^ *waiting for the next chapter*

[Myster Myuu]

~watches chris take the wagered 5 bucks~ My precious moneyyy :'(

Henry was my second guess, really he was. I WAS gonna say Henry would be who was killed except.. umm.. err.. except that I didnt! Yea, that's the ticket! (They'll have to believe that, it fits together so perfectly hehehehehehe)

Good chapter though and through. Lotsa plot development. And, as you know, a plot is a good thing to develop for a story. A story wouldnt be much of a story without a plot. ~nods sage-like~ Im full of deep, meaningful insights like that :D

The bizarro TMPers was kinda cool, though it just seemed somehow incomplete.. I guess I was expecting a little bit more. It almost seem like you were just trying to get chris outta dodge while all sorts of funky stuff happened so that he couldnt interfere (like Henry being offed and his gf being tormented then kidnapped)Still, it was cool to see a bunch of weirdos idolizing ABSers in a rather.. err.. unique way.

Liang has me a bit confused. He seems to switch personalities like slutty teenage girl switches boyfriends. First he's all innocent-like and remoseful and really tugs at your sympathy string... next thing you know, hes torn the sympathy string off and is trying to strangle you with i I wouldnt be the least bit surprised if he murders someone next time by bashing their head in with a stone then proclaiming that he is misunderstood and hurting inside and that he was sorry and didnt actually mean to slam the rock into their head 50 times... but Im rambling now!

Loved this chapter. Keep it up. Dont keep us waiting :P

[MeLoVeGhOsTs]

Ecks was cool, he's interesting at least, he makes a good plottwist and brings out new possibilities with the BOG and all.

I follow TBA's 'Girafarig theory'. It's nicely found btw TBA.

My hopes of Liang being innocent are now shattered, thanks Chris :'(

TPML² inhabitants were really freaky btw o_O

The Contest was a nice addition instead of battles, also the Syndicate is what I like ^^. Tsuki is so ninja! *adores*

[darktyranitar]

Yes, an awesome chapter after a long wait!

I knew that Chris would refer the island like the one in Lost. Then, we got the parodying master locality people. Very interesting. If there was Chris clone, then it must have been American Chris or something like that.

So, that was the Pokeball that Oz, or Quackman had picked earlier. Then, it was The Crystal Syndicate which stole the Pokeball, and Quackman picked it up. How very manipulative of him...

Jenny opposing The Crystal Syndicate is not a very good thing to do. Wanna bet that one of them were the one that took Jenny away? It was mentioned that Jenny will have a bit of change. What's going to happen?

Woops, my guess on MLG was mistaken. Well, it would be really surprising if he would play an important role in this fic. And why did Liang kill Henry? Where is the so-called friendly Liang? I didn't see that coming.

Great chapter after a long time waiting for it, Chris! Keep up this good work!

[Mega Horny]

“The girl needs avenged.”
lol. Other than a few odd parts like that and when thee crowd clapped elegantly, the chapter was frickin awesome! Unless that was intended.

I was laughing my ass off the whole time. Vine Whip? LOL! The part with Lost was classic, but I wish more people could have gotten it. It was very clever. Mr. Friendly. Lol. Zeke. Eon Sisters are getting really annoying, and Quackman seems to be the hero of the day. The Parodying Masters Locality was awesome. I cant wait to see others. But, was night of day based on Knight of Time? Cuz that isnt really like an opposite...idk, that one was weird. Greys was awesome, and the part where Chris tricked Vine Whip was hilarious. Also, commanding Poliwhirl to attack TBA. lol. Whats next? IdEsPiSeSpEcTrEs? MeLoVeGoAtSe??
Lol, the latter is going to be in my fic. Anyway, pretty sick, and I wonder how the next contest will go. Jenny's appeal really had potential. Hehe Sayid. Just Awesome. I envy your writing skillz. unh.

[Chris 2.1]

Blimey you guys reply fast :-/ I post a chapter, go to bed, wake up and WHAM!

Anyway some of you MAY recall I did say this would be the last chapter before I go on a brief hiatus and catch up with my other work. After seeing the response I get from this and considering how eager I am to keep writing this, I’m not going to bother.

So…

…the wait for Ch21 won’t be long!

Anyway let’s dish out some replies.


TBA: Hey! Hmm yea I really know what you mean. I think mainly it’s because so much happened, and I did mention chopping and changing. Some scenes such as Ecks ultimatum, Henry’s murder and Jenny’s assault needed to be at the end to end the chapter on the right note. And you’ll also notice there are a number of people who might have kidnapped Jenny, too, so there’s a ‘Who Dunnit’ sort of vibe going on there.

Haha yea Chris found that while he was working WITH TBA, he was getting really annoyed with him. And I was going to use Dr.Worm, and also intended to use Sharpedo, but never got around to it.

My only worry with the serious bits was that they were all quite short and snappy – would it still deliver ok? I’m glad it has. Obviously while Amy’s murder and Liang’s arrest was a hot story, someone being murdered right there is going to send TPML spiraling out of control. Hence Cocoa Sting. Girafarig’s part was cool, because I wanted to bring him back sneakily and I like the way it happened. He has some really interesting stories to tell when we get back to the village!

I was close to giving the Eon Sisters redemption but where’s the fun? Jenny’s trapped in a triangle between them AND The Crystal Syndicate, and a face-off is inevitable! Watch out for a future chapter simply entitled ‘The Crystal Syndicate’ which will explore how they were founded and ties things up nicely.

Also there were going to be some ‘Clam Sisters’ in The Parodying Masters Locality who had Clamperl Evolutions but I didn’t find anywhere to fit them in. Interestingly enough, the Eon Sisters have three cousins who are set to come to TPML soon…

As for Ecks? Interesting revelation, but was that the lie I talked about?



Andrew: Hmmm yea I guess so ^^;; Maybe Hoothoot. I’m glad you liked the contest…as it briefly mentioned there’s one for every season, so there won’t one till Autumn time [In TPML time]. I don’t know how many more contests will fit into this fic. I doubt we’d get more than one in.

Haha yea I did inject some comedy in Chris’ scenes which sort of balanced out against the miserable seriousness of the other ones! What TBA experienced down in the Bunker, and why Girafarig isn’t in New Zealand is all explained next chapter.

Actually the reference to Raz is quite important but Ecks doesn’t know Raz, per se. I agree he’s like a 24 agent or something :P.

As for Amy’s body … as I’ve explained, Becca and Karin find it hard to tell anybody else about the situation, so they’d have to do the work. If they went to the tunnel and were attacked, it would cause another wave of fury and shock across TPML that a moderator/head of the village was attacked down there. Chris refused to help, TBA’s sub was attacked down there (and its now residing in ‘The Other TPML’s Beach’).



UC: As I mentioned, there’s no hiatus so I’ll probably work on Chapter 21 today. Girafarig was in my first battle in ASB but he didn’t stick around. He tells me he isn’t interested in ASB these days.

As for an Ultimate Charizard appearance, we’ll see! Thanks for the replies.


HIAGT: Glad you enjoyed things. Hmm VEEDP was given some interesting spotlight but it’s still unclear what it means. Look for this to be resolved early on. Clue: OzAlex held some clues!

Oh the Liang twist did catch you all off guard, correct? Mission: Possible :D This guy has more sides to him than a dodecahedron! That’s a 12-sided shape IIRC. Anyway TML will have some interesting character development over the next arc, mainly supported by Ecks and the rather exciting Cocoa Sting.

Ecks will be featured much more prominently.


Myster Myuu: I agree the other TPML could have had a lot more done to it, but it was just a time factor. I originally planned TBA and Chris to be there about 3 chapters, but it was never so. I don’t know whether they will go back or not. Girafarig will be able to fill in a lot of blanks on them, though, as well as why they wanted TBA and not Chris. Our plucky hero won’t like the answer.

As for why I had that…I needed a scenario to fit with the introduction of TBA. I also wanted Chris away for a brief period so that when he returned, he almost wished he didn’t (Ecks looking for him, Jenny finding herself liking him again, and the crystal syndicate wanting some kind of revenge)

As for Liang…I think he’s showing different sides of his personality. He doesn’t change. He’s an incredibly complex character who’s going through a lot. I can’t say much but he’s got a lot going on…and it seems he’s even escaped the authorities. Watch out for him!


MLG: BOG? I don’t follow you…

And as for Liang – sorry but this isn’t a fic based off what people want. Liang’s got an agenda and he has motives. As the rest of the fic unfolds you’ll see exactly why he shot his brother, among other things.

More of the Syndicate soon, too!


Darktyranitar: Funnily enough there WAS no Chris clone, which is VERY important to ‘The Other TPML’ (Now reffered to as TOTPML) and their plans. And as for your Quackman theory….nope! Read Ch20 again. Tsuki explained she was simply there to keep an eye on Jenny while she was around the Eon Sisters. When Espeon and Umbreon were stolen, however, Tsuki intervened to help Jenny avoid the police. Quackman stole Espeon and Umbreon for a very specific reason…

Jenny! Wow. That’s all I’ll say.

MLG will appear at some point I imagine, but did Ecks really deliver and write the fliers? Or is he messing with Becca?

It’s the same Liang – don’t think Liang drove to TOTPML, switched with Galdalfbird and lived a separate life or anything like that! It’s Aragornbird!


Mega Horny: Quackman? A hero? He asked for a ransom for the Pokemon! And he accidentally dropped them. Night of Day is an opposite of Knight of Time, in a way. Knight and Night are similar words, while Day is an opposite of Night. The names of TOTPML residents aren’t opposites or mick-takers, they just bear some similarity.

Thanks for the comments!



Ok guys, some more info on the next few chapters I think.

Charles Legend is set to appear to give Chris something of an ego-boost. The Battle Frontier-centered chapters will be around quite early on in this segment, and should really help develop some character. Some more mysteries of the village will be explored, and the archive will be revisited! We’ll see the security that’s installed there – and they’re not Alakazam!

Some of the moderators will be replaced soon, which causes mixed feelings for the group. And a group calling themselves ‘The V-Laws’ will cause some problems for the members of TPML.

Expect Hanada Tattsu to come looking for a rematch soon. And the Chris/Grey relationship looks to head down some interesting paths when Razor Leaf returns to the village.

[RaZoR LeAf]

That was a great chapter Chris, with plenty of fun, laughter and serious bits all thrown in together. The chewing gum, as I already said to you, is just disgusting, but the whole dopplegangers, very clever. Especially OzAlex and his loving dragon pokemon. Can't wait to see the atermath of Liang's escape.

[Mega Horny]

Mega Horny: Quackman? A hero? He asked for a ransom for the Pokemon! And he accidentally dropped them.

Yeah, i was being sarcastic. VEEDP.

[Wolfsong]

Whoo, finals are over so now i have more time . Ahem... sorry needed to get that out of my system. ^^;

Whoa, interesting chapter. It was fun to read about the contests. Although, that was a nasty surprise the eon sisters laid instore for Jenny at the contest. I was surprised to see that i had a doppleganger and for some reason I found the name Foxsong to be amusing for some reason. The chewing gum bit was a little gross, like others have said. It was interesting to see Girafarig again. Ecks is an interesting character, but i can see two scenarios regarding him. One is that he simply pretended to be the one who viewed my disappearance. I mean you said he's already lied once, so what's to keep him from lying again and again. The other scenario being that he actually did witness it like he said. Then, therre was the ending. Ii was surprised to see that it was Henry that got killed, but then again after rereading the last chapter it does somewhat make sense. How did Liang manage to escape? Liang must have left that picture on purpose knowing that Karin and Becca would call Henry and he would come to town. I wonder what he meant by bigger plans and also if he's simply either killing those that hurt him (if i'm dead), or if its just simply killing off his competition (if there is any chance that I could still be alive). Anyways, looking forward to the next chapter. Keep up the great work

Edit: fixed a few typos and reworded a few things. Hope it makes more sense now

[MeLoVeGhOsTs]

MLG: BOG? I don’t follow you…

The Board of Governors


And as for Liang – sorry but this isn’t a fic based off what people want. Liang’s got an agenda and he has motives. As the rest of the fic unfolds you’ll see exactly why he shot his brother, among other things.

I knew that, still it's strange. I'm keen on finding out, write damnit! WRITE! ;)

[Huzzah!]More of the Syndicate soon, too![/huzzah!]

[Chris 2.1]

Ahh don't have much time.

Ch21's coming along well and it's taking some directions which surprise myself. Sometimes I find that - when I am writing I suddenly take a new approach and it's great when that approach ends up benefitting. Unfortunately for you guys some things won't be revealled as early as I expected, but it's for the right reasons.

Also the last part of the fic will not introduce many new characters. Generally it's giving the current cast other chapters. We have a lot of background to explore.



Now as Ch21 is being written I wanted some feedback on something. Before Christmas I asked if a serious plotline(s) was a good idea, and I got some posetive and negative feedback which helped. The fic has already begun taking a dark turn and things will get worse!

But I had an idea for the next fic.

I am considering setting it in another village, maybe New York or London, and having Chris go there for the next tournament. Obviously some of the current cast may be there, but the majority of ASB People wouldn't feature. I may also feature members who havent yet appeared in TPML Village 04621.

What do you think?

[Ace64]

Whoops, haven't reviewed the last chapter yet. I'll get to it...soon.

I like the idea of that. Nothing like a change of scenery to keep things from getting stale. Maybe it could have something to do with Contests, perhaps?

[MeLoVeGhOsTs]

I like your idea, I'm interested in seeing Belgium (*coughsubtilehintcough*). Lol no just kidding, I do like your idea though.

[Silencer]

MLG, I didn't know you where from Belgium? Where are you from(just an estimate)?

I completely support his Belgium idea ^^

[MeLoVeGhOsTs]

I'm from Bruges. Huzzah! :D

[Ultimate Charizard]

Maybe stick within TPM but Still 'outside'.

So far the Villiage is pretty much ASB, but alot of ASB'ers do alot of other things in TPM. PCG, RPG and Fanfic itself has its own small communities of ASB refugees. And since Chris is writing this in Fic it could be a plot link to him being there.
Move out of the Little villiage and move to the TPM City.

[Chris 2.1]

UC: Hmm?

Ok TPML Village, the one the fic is set in, is the small assortment of shops and businesses in this particular leagues village. There are TPML Leagues all around. It doesn't have very much to do with this forum - TPM - Since the fic is based off the ASB Forum and not the TPM Forum overall.

However there IS a street called RPG Street which is going to actually recieve some spotlight soon. But as for TPML City...well there are loads - hence the idea of going to a TPML City like New York.



I dont' fancy Belgium since I know so little about it. NY or London, maybe Miami - even a TPML Village in the snowy alps somewhere? A total change of scenery and characters.

I'd maybe have 4 or 5 people from this cast (excluding Chris). Maybe have more emphasis on Contests but I doubt Chris would compete in them.

[MeLoVeGhOsTs]

Nah, don't do the contests.

Also, my Belgium thing was only a joke, I didn't think you'd take it seriously. 'twould be nice though.

A metropolis seems nice.

[Chris 2.1]

Yea I'd love to do a huge big city. There's so much more than can go on I think, and it's all a lot less personal (ie: in TPML people kinda know each other; its more of a community. In a city people are more distant etc)

I'm already devising potential plots and characters. If there is this transition from cosy village to thriving city, obviously the real genius is "how is this place different to what we've seen before?" and I'm excited about working on that.

[Chris 2.1]

Chapter Twenty-One
[size=3]Cocoa Sting




The ride in The Green Vindicator’s submarine was less than perfect. Firstly, TBA complained because there were NO They Might Be Giants CD’s anywhere in the sub. Secondly, Girafarig was annoying me so much that I tried using Reverse Psychology, before succumbing to temptation and asking endlessly how he ended up on the Island.

“When we get back, newbie,” he chided, rolling his eyes.

“YOU GOT HERE AFTER ME AND YOU KNOW IT!” I screamed.

“Calm down, Chris,” said TBA, who found the whole situation hilarious.

“DAMNIT!” I snapped.

Soon, however, we glided back to the beach, nestling onto the shore nicely. It was early morning, and the sun shone brightly as we got out of the submarine. I noticed the beach was being raked by Alf the Janitor. What a nice guy.

“How about we go to The Chunky Clefable Café?” I asked. “We could talk about what happened.”

“I can’t go there,” TBA admitted. “I…hate the place.”

“Oh,” I replied. “I suppose we could go to the park?”

Deciding we would go to the park, the three of us made our way there. My mind was working overtime thinking of how Girafarig ended up there. As we wandered into the village from the beach, Girafarig was hailed jovially by a group of people.

“Girafarig!” said one. “What are you doing back?”

“Hey!” he cried. “Hmm, newbie, our little story’s going to have to wait another time.”

“DAMN YOU!” I screamed. “WE RESCUED YOU FROM FREAK-ISLAND!”

“Calm down, Chris,” TBA said casually.

“You’ve said that too many times,” I hissed, as Girafarig was led away by his other friends. The sheer rejection from someone as inferior as Girafarig was burning me up inside, and I knew my 'angry vein' would begin pulsating any time now. I had to calm down...

“So, TBA…what happened with you?”

“Not much, to be honest,” he admitted. “They kept referring to me as a ‘Realsie’ and wanted to study me. I think they wanted to help The Green Vindicator replicate me or something. Obviously someone from ‘The Other TPML’ is quite valuable to what they do.”

“But I’m from TPML,” I bragged. “Why didn’t…OzChris or ScotChris or Brit Cristian care about me?”

“Erm…” TBA murmured. “I don’t think any of those people exist.”

“Damnit,” I mumbled.

“You probably haven’t been around enough,” he said simply. “They seemed to idolize the key figures in our village.”

“Hmm,” I murmured.

“They shaved my leg,” TBA said, revealing a smooth left leg. “And stored the hairs. They also took my change, but not any of the notes in my wallet. I think they’re just obsessed.”

“Yea…” I murmured, as my intrigue at Girafarig peaked by the minute.


*

Meanwhile, Police were down the alleyway in Falken Street. A forensics team roped off the area where Henry had been shot, and the body was now sealed in a body bag and was being driven to a morgue in a small town outside TPML. Becca and Karin observed the scene with the Sergeant.

“I can’t believe it…” Karin said slowly.

“I can,” replied Becca bitterly. “I bet Ecks did this.”

“You have a reason to suspect somebody did this?” asked Sergeant Phillips.

“Only suspicions,” Becca replied.

“I see,” replied Phillips. “It’s worth noting the closeness and accuracy of the shots on the body suggested this was an intentional attack, and the shooter was good with a gun. In either case my team will get back to you on this. A group of policemen and women will guard the perimeter of the scene. Good bye for now.”

Becca turned to Karin.

“You think Ecks did this?” she asked. Karin struggled to find the right answer.

“Well…” she said slowly. “I…I suppose I can him being capable of murder…but I don’t think Ecks knows – err… knew Henry, Becca.” She said slowly.

“Liang led us to Henry,” Becca said slowly. “Henry obviously had something to tell us. And somebody intervened.”

“Becca, stop,” Karin said. “It may have been a close-range murder, but Henry may have…I don’t know…got on the wrong side of somebody. In our shoes you can’t jump to conclusions.”

“Our shoes?” Becca asked. “My shoes, Karin. I run this place.”

“I know,” replied Karin. There was an awkward softness in her voice. Behind them, a woman cleared her throat and got their attention. Becca turned round to see a black woman in her late twenties standing before them. Her black hair was very straight and tied back in a ponytail. She wore a white suit with a black shirt beneath it, the large collar giving her a defining style. White trousers matched her suit, and white heels thoroughly deserving of their ‘high’ nickname were on her feet.

“The Missing Link, I presume?” she asked, in a deep authoritative voice.

“Yes,” Becca replied. “And you are?”

“My name is Cocoa Sting,” she replied. “I am on the Board of Governors.”

“You are?” Becca asked suddenly. “Oh. I see.”

“We at the Board have received a number of complaints about this village,” Cocoa explained. “In the wake of Wolfsong’s murder and Aragornbird’s arrest, a lot of people have been unimpressed with your attempts to hide the truth from them.”

“Well, you see -”

“Furthermore,” Cocoa went on. “Our Bi-Monthly population charts have indicated that, despite this being a mere village, the number of people has dropped dramatically. We at the Board are not happy with the way this place is being run.”

“I see,” Becca said coldly.

“I’m glad that you do,” replied Cocoa.

“So what will we do about this?” Becca asked.

“We will go to your Office,” Cocoa said. “And I shall tell you the protocol to be undertaken. Let’s go.”

Becca stared at Karin, who seemed very quiet, and gave a look to suggest that Cocoa was a woman who was not to be messed with. Feeling slightly put-upon, Becca frowned before murmuring ‘this way’, and leaving Falken Street to go to The Rules Tower.

“You are accompanying us?” Cocoa asked to Karin. “It is…04621, am I right?”

“Yes,” replied Karin.

“I see,” Cocoa replied, concealing a grin. Evidently she found Karin’s role in TPML something of a joke. Nevertheless, Karin kept her lips sealed as the three women made their way to the tower.


*

At the tower, Cocoa took her place in Becca’s chair while the other two women stood there. Entering her information into the TPML Main Server, she accessed some files she had evidently put up so she could access from anywhere.

“Right,” she said firmly. “Well, at least your office is tidy…”

“What are you doing?” Becca asked.

“I have a Level 1 access card to the TPML Main Server,” Cocoa said all-knowingly. “And I’m accessing my files and databases.”

“Right,” Becca murmured.

“Yes…” Cocoa mused. “The vast majority of the Board felt this particular TPML Location was getting out of hand.”

She pulled up a database.

“5 moderators,” she said. “One in jail, one at the bottom of a lake…one AWOL and another with an attitude problem so big she’s caused a mass exodus from the Trading Center which was not cheap to build, I can tell you.”

“Karin’s a respectable Moderator,” Becca said.

“They should all be respectable,” hissed Cocoa. “I’ve sent those four messages through their VS Seekers about the demotions –”

“Demotions?” Becca asked. “You’re demoting all four?”

“They apparently have priorities,” Cocoa said. “And they cannot moderate where they are.”

“Pichu can!”

“Pichu was sent packing as soon as I got here,” replied Cocoa, grinning. “Now then. I’ve drafted in Knight of Time as the Head Referee. In the old days he had a spotless record, very courteous, gracious in defeat (which is a rare occurrence anyway) and a very competent man. I had The Arbiter penciled in as the new Head Banker…and as for Head Businessman, I’d like your input.”

“You certainly…know who to pick,” Becca said. “How do you know about us in so much detail?”

“We keep tabs on members, Becca,” Cocoa said.

“Why?”

“Incase anything like this happens,” she replied. “Head Businessman. Any ideas?”

“I have one,” Becca said. “Razor Leaf. He’s so good at what he does, and I’m sure he’ll be back soon. He’s never usually absent without leave.”

“He is absent without leave, whether that is rare or not is,” Cocoa said. “I’m sorry but I refuse.”

“If you have to replace him,” Becca said. “Then I think Dark Dragonite is a good candidate, perhaps even The Blue Avenger.”

“I’ll look into it,” Cocoa said. “Thank you. Now then, Becca, I’ve got a set of keys for the Trading Club…you might as well head down there now, actually.”

“Why would I need to go there?” she asked. Cocoa’s beautiful lips formed into a smile.

“Didn’t I tell you?” she said. “I’m taking over as Head of The Pokemon Masters League. You’ve been demoted to Head of Trading.”

Becca stood there emptily.

“No…” she said. “No…”

“Yes,” Cocoa replied. “Now go.”

She threw the set of keys at Becca, but the girl, feeling somehow numb, let the keys hit her in the stomach and drop to the floor. Her eyes stared painfully at the ground.

“I-I’m demoted?” she asked.

“You did not handle the situation well at all,” Cocoa explained. “And with the murder of Elitos last night…it’s the only choice we have.”

“Becca…” Karin said slowly, watching her friend. Becca shook her head bluntly, before picking up her set of keys, picking her briefcase up and heading to the door, head high. She opened it, standing in the doorway, and shot a firm, icy look at Cocoa.

“His name was Henry,” she replied, slamming it shut. Outside, tears streamed down Becca’s face and she hurried down the steps. Meanwhile, Cocoa addressed Karin.

“Your job is Head Coordinator, am I right?” she asked.

“Yes.”

“Then do your job,” Cocoa snapped. “I really don’t need you as my little assistant, 04621.”

Karin nodded submissively and, gathering her things, left the Rules Tower shortly after Becca. Cocoa watched them go and surveyed the village from her window, while dialing a number.

“Gordon?” she said. “It’s Cocoa. I arrived here and the situation’s worse than I thought.”

“Did you make the necessary arrangements Miss Sting?”

“Yes sir,” she replied. “I’m resuming as head here, and I’ve changed the moderating positions here.”

“Good,” replied the voice. “My Grandson has been keeping me informed – make sure you do the same.”

“I will sir,” she replied, hanging up the phone.


*

I was back in The Pokemon Masters League. Finally! It seemed like an age since TBA kidnapped me on the beach. I was in my element here. No sooner had TBA wandered off to the Submarine Parts Shop than I was engaging in a battle with a trainer by the name of Ox.E.Moron.

“Deafening Silence!” he cried. “GO!”

His Pokeball burst open to reveal a Loudred. The big purple Animaniacs plagiarist clenched his fists as I released my new Magmar, whom I collected along with Sneasel from the Pokemoncenter, running once again into Nurse Smiles.

“Magmar! Fire punch,” I snapped. “GO!”

Magmar slammed his fist into Loudred’s jaw, sending the Pokemon scooting back. Loudred let out a long roar, but Magmar unleashed a powerful flamethrower to engulf the foe.

“DS!” cried Ox. “Use a hyper voice!”

The Pokemon unleashed a long, blue ring of sound, which raced through the air furiously.

“Magmar, leap through it!” I shouted, and my Pokemon dived magnificently through the ring, did a rolling land and leapt up, swinging his tail around and delivering a sharp smash to the face. “Now use fire spin!”

Opening his arms wide, Magmar blew a stream of flame from his mouth, which streaked against the ground and whipped up into a frenzying tornado of infernal heat. Loudred stepped back awkwardly as Magmar sent the tornado sweeping into his foe.

“DS! Water Pulse!”

From his huge mouth, a glowing orb of sparkling water grew. A sloshing wave of turbulent water smashed through the tornado and struck Magmar in the torso. Steam rose around us.

“Now! Thunderpunch!”

The rather clumpy looking Loudred suddenly sped through the air, fists crackling with feverish electricity. Magmar leapt back in evasion but was still struck, shuddering as sparks coursed through his body. Magmar retaliated by swinging his tail around and smashing Loudred in the face.

“Magmar, seismic toss!” I cried. Loudred tried diving out of the way, but Magmar grabbed onto the loony-toon and leapt high into the air. When they were at the right height, Magmar hurled the foe down to the ground, before rocketing down after him and firing a tremendous fire blast down. The symbol of fire rocketed into Loudred, engulfing him and slamming him hard into the earth.

“Deafening Silence!” Ox cried. “Return!”

I stood there proudly with Magmar. Ox.E.Moron looked rather embarssed.

“T-Thanks,” he grumbled.

“Come back when you’re a bit stronger,” I said rudely. He walked away, and left me to wander through the park with Magmar. I liked being here again…it suited me much more than that goddamn freak jungle on stupid island.

“Admirable, Chris. Admirable.”

I saw Grey watching. I smiled and walked over to him. He looked calm and happy, but there was an air of awkwardness around him. I recalled Magmar.

“What a passionate battle,” he said. “You’re really getting strong now, aren’t you?”

“Yea,” I replied. “I suppose. I need to catch a few more Pokemon though.”

“Indeed,” Grey replied. “Many of the stronger trainers have exceptionally huge teams. I think it is important.”

“So…” I said slowly. “H-Have you seen Razor Leaf since our match?”

“No,” replied Grey sadly. “And I have the feeling he might not come back, Chris.”

“Why?” I asked.

“Evidently the life he led here made him forget about the one that he had outside this village,” explained Grey.

“Yea…” I replied.

“You did well…against Razor Leaf,” Grey went on. “I was very proud of you.”

“I didn’t beat him,” I replied.

“You didn’t lose to him, either,” added the thespian. “But we began things in the right way.”

“Began?” I asked. “Began what?”

“I wanted to ask you,” Grey said. “If you would…keep training with me. I could be your guide…you would learn a lot and develop your skills through rigorous exercises.”

“Right,” I said slowly.

“Razor Leaf got out of control…” Grey explained. “But I’m sure we would be a better team. What do you say Chris?”

I stared into his eyes.

“Grey…I can’t fill the hole Razor Leaf left,” I said. “I know you are an excellent trainer. You just re-registered for the league. Grey, there will always be someone to teach…but you need to teach yourself things now. You need to train for the tournament. This is why we’re all here, isn’t it?”

“Yes,” Grey said. “It is.”

“Then stop worrying about me,” I said. “And teach yourself.”

Grey seemed somehow stunned. Had he not received the answer he wanted? I think he felt like we would have made a good student-teacher combo, but I reminded myself that wasn’t a particular angle I wanted to be a part of. When I left my home to come here, I became an independent person, and the thought of being taught like I saw Razor Leaf get taught in the archive unsettled me.

I bode him a farewell and turned to leave. Grey said nothing, staring at the ground sadly, apparently feeling empty and hollow inside. He got up, straightening himself and regaining his poseur, before walking off through the park.


*

Meanwhile, Karin was now sitting in her own office. It was a small, very modern office to tie in with the recent construction of the Contest Hall, for the office was above the Hall. Karin was typing away a self-evaluation of the recent contest when her phone rang.

“Hello. 04621 here.”

“Karin? It’s Sergeant Phillips,” said the voice.

“What can I do for you?”

“I have some rather troubling information,” she replied. “We identified the body as belonging to Henry Armithwaite. Following procedure, we contacted Wormswood Prison to deliver the news to Liang Armithwaite.”

“Yes…” Karin said.

“The man I spoke to claimed there was nobody called Liang Armithwaite at the Wormswood Prison. Did I get the name wrong?”

“No,” Karin said. “That’s the right one.”

“After further investigation, we discovered that the Guard Van transporting Liang to Wormswood was in a severe road accident further to the prison than to TPML Village 04621. It tipped over and both the escorts were found dead. There was no sign of Liang.”

“What?” Karin asked. “How did this go unnoticed for so long?”

“Somebody removed the number plates from the van, so when it was found, police were unable to say where the van came from and where it was going. The escorts were also robbed of any identification,” she went on.

“I don’t believe this,” Karin replied.

“I tried contacting The Missing Link,” the sergeant said. “But no luck.”

“I’ll pass the news on,” Karin said. “Thank you for your call.”


*

After going to The Chunky Clefable Café and having myself a light snack, I got Magmar out of his Pokeball again and we went into the park for the second time that day to continue training. I was not surprised that Grey was no longer there. The park was much quieter, but there was somebody I was very surprised to see. Jenny. She was sitting on a bench quietly. I called her name, giving her a shock, and ran over to see her with Magmar.

“Hey!” I said. “How’s things?”

“Oh, hey Chris,” she said slowly. “Magby evolved then?”

Magmar nodded excitedly. He seemed so pleased that he was an evolved Pokemon now. I wondered how the rest of the group would feel – presumably Poliwhirl and Electabuzz would be happy, but I had the feeling Sneasel would become quite grumpy.

“Yea,” I replied, smiling. “How are things?”

“Fine,” she replied quietly.

“Good,” I replied awkwardly. She seemed to have clammed up completely.

“Chris?” she said nervously.

“Yea?”

“I’m sorry,” she replied sadly. “…for kicking you out my house. Crystal Tears told me you and…T-TML were kissing and seeing each other…and I know I shouldn’t have –”

“That bitch!” I snapped.

“…but I listened to her anyway,” Jenny replied timidly. “S-She convinced me to kick you out and not to talk to you…”

Jenny burst into tears and covered her face with her hands.

“I’m so sorry,” she wept. “I believed her!”

I put an arm around her, consolidating her as she wept harder and harder. She was shaking slightly. She was taking this so personally…I’d never seen her so worked up before.

“It’s ok!” I said calmly. “Jenny…I’m not angry. I don’t have any clothes with me anymore…I left my bag on…”

I was reminded of the Island.

“…anyway I need to buy some new clothes. How about we go this afternoon?”

“Chris…” Jenny said slowly. “I was raped.”

“What?” I asked suddenly.

“Last night…” Jenny began, stuttering as tears flowed down her face. “I had been in town…and as I walked down the st-street…a hand clamped around my mouth, and dragged me down an alleyway…”

I held her close but she broke loose.

“H-He did terrible things to me…” she whimpered. “And threw me to the ground when he was done. I cried myself to sleep…I was too weak to get help.”

“Oh my god,” I groaned, cradling her again. “I’m so sorry.”

“So am I,” she whispered.

“W-We’ll get through this,” I said passionately, as I felt stinging tears burn while they trailed down my face, too. The feeling of desperation to be here for Jenny was overpowering. My emotions were taking over as I held her close.

Nothing else mattered right now. I sat there with Jenny, feeling closer to her than ever before and planting a kiss on her head. From the bushes, Crystal Tear stood and watched, arms crossed, brow furrowed.


*

Meanwhile, Karin raced down BT Street to the Trading Club. She had to deliver the news to Becca about Liang’s escape from custody. He was on the run from the law now, and the issue surrounding his sentence would be taken to another level of seriousness now he escaped the authorities.

She arrived at the small though brightly lit Trading Club, only to find the main lights turned off and the trading consoles basking in the dim backup lights which were left on at all times. The door was locked and the ‘Closed’ sign hung in front of the glass. Karin checked her watch. The Club was open for another hour still.

Unless…

Thinking back, Karin began to piece things together. The despair of Becca losing her position as Head of TPML might have hit her hard…and since Trading was still not the most popular activity in TPML, she may have decided to spend her time more efficienly.

Where would Becca prefer to be, apart from in her office at the Rules Tower?

“We saw a cavernous tunnel at the base of the lake. I think Liang may have kept Amy there. I really think she might be alive, Karin.”

Becca had gone to Ivy Lake.

Karin dashed off through the darkening streets, sweat streaming down her forehead as she forced herself on, on, on. She ran through the main village square, hoping she could convince the head-strong girl that they needed to think things through…remembering their battle against Liang’s colossal Dragonite, Karin wondered if they could take on the rest of the creatures in the lake.

Her hair was tangled in the briars and thorns of Ivy Woods. Karin burst through a thicket of shrubbery and emerged on the pebbled shoreline of the elusive Lake. The moon was beginning to emerge, casting itself across the rippling water. Karin ran to the water’s edge, where she found a suit crumpled among the rocks.

It was Becca’s suit. Karin dropped it and peered into the shadowy depths of the lake, but it was no use. She was too late.

Becca had gone after Amy, and Karin knew her well enough to know she wouldn’t come back without her.




Next Chapter: Girafarig (Part 3)
Girafarig decides to satisfy Chris' thirst for answers on the basis that he beats him in a rematch. Cocoa finds her arrival in TPML welcomed with open arms as she adresses her plans for the future. Meanwhile, tempers rise when the new moderators are revealled to the public right when an old one returns to TPML. After deciding to refer Jenny to a psychiatrist to help her overcome her attack, Chris' financial situation reaches an all-time low and he has to get himself a job.

Meanwhile, Becca ventures through the underwater tunnel, but the Moderator is barely able to comprehend what she finds...

[Greyfox]

Wow; I did not see this one coming.

"WE RESCUED YOU FROM FREAK-ISLAND!" I enjoyed that. In fact, Chris' bitterness towards Girafarig was amusing, to say the least. Even better was TBA's insistance to keep the hero calm. Meanwhile, the going's on with TML and Cocoa Sting were surprising. Never would've imagined Sting replacing TML as head mod. Poor girl has to suck up the worst mod position, it would seem.

And then the bridge snaps and we find out what happened to Jen. That's just crazy; who and why could this happen, I wonder? I'm sure we'll find out later on, but this is just astounding.

The relationship between Grey and Chris is evolving nicely; I must say, I don't blame Chris for denying Grey's request even in the slightest bit. Him wanting to venture out on his own certainly made sense.

And now the end, TML abandoning her post and searching for Wolfsong just gives me a creep'd out vibe. Her sheer determination to not come back without her friend is just a thrilling read, and I can't wait to see how that pans out.

Anyway, good read, nice work. Grammar could be fixed, but oh well.

-drew

[Dark Dragonite]

Wow...I shall make reference to the wuote in TBA's Sig, lol...
Ms. Sting certainly thinks highly of DD, I wonder if he has anything to do with Wolfsong's disappearance, probably not, just a guess...
This was an emotional coaster ride, from TML being demoted, to the match with Mr.Moron, to Jenny's rape...keep it coming Chris, great work!!

[The Blue Avenger]

There's not much I can say that hasn't already been said... blasted thunderstorm, keeping me off of the computer... Seeing Girafarig be a jackass again was funny, and it was a nice throwback to the beginning of the fic. I can't say I wasn't expecting Becca to get demoted, especially with Ecks' dialogue over the past few chapters. However, you did a good job with the scene anyway: you protrayed Cocoa Sting well, as well as Becca and Karin's reactions.

Mr. Moron was really funny, but it'll be hard to top Uuberfred... good to see you're not overusing him, though.

Raped?! That was out of left field, but also an effective way to bring Chris and Jenny back together.

Didn't see any of Andrew/Quackman this chapter, so I'm left to wonder what role he has in any or all of the major incidents of late.

Eagerly awaiting the next chapter.

[Chris 2.1]

Replies!?


Drew: Chris refers to it as freak-island quite often now. But will he go back? I don't know if he ever will. I really like Chris and Gira's relationship, and next chapter sort of takes us back to where they began, and we'll see how far each of them as come.

Cocoa has really stung all those around her, and she'll be around for a while. Miss Sting isn't as forgiving and friendly as Becca or Karin. And they were never friendly anyway :-/. Jenny's story is told in a bit more depth, but it's really distressed her mentally. She's become quite unstable. It was quite odd to write but I hope I can portray how its making Chris feel, too, because it's quite upsetting for him, too.

Chris and Grey reached a fork in their relationship, and I think Grey was quite upset at Chris' request. But he looks to be the new banker....and as I told you, that might not be good news.

I agree it's quite thrilling as far as the Becca plot goes. Mainly because we don't see her go, we just see Karin pick up the pieces and realise it herself. Becca's sick of hanging around and her desire to find Amy has driven her to the brink of diving in right after her. Look out for more on this next chapter.


DD: Haha. Mrs Sting certainly wanted DD as a mod, but it's going to cause some problems as you'll see. Well DD being linked to Amy is a very good idea....and I'll say nothing on the matter! And I agree it was a rollercoaster indeed.


TBA: I agree we're regressing to the beginning of the fic, and get ready for some shocks during the Girafarig rematch. Ecks told her to save herself and step down, maybe to preserve her dignity and do things on her own terms? He warned her of the consequences....is Ecks really as bad as we all think?

Mr Moron will feature a bit mainly because his Pokemon all have Oxymoronic names. Google it if you don't know what that means! Uuberfred will be back soon, but I decided he will not have his own chapter. He isnt a character with enough dimensions to build on sucessfully, and is more of a funny background guy.

However UuberFred does have a significant role in the Battle Frontier saga.

It did bring them together, but as you'll learn will carry a lot of significance for the future of Chris and Jenny as characters and as a couple. I told you Jenny was going to many places...and this is just the beginning.

True, there was no Andrew/Quackman/VEEDP and that's quite important. You will see some Andrew next chapter. It all ties in with Chris getting a job :P



Thanks for the replies guys!

[The Blue Avenger]

Chris getting a job, eh...? I can see it now: Quackman's apprentice! He shall be named... Sparrow!

*cough*

And, heh, I do know what an oxymoron is. ;D I actually liked the one you put in this chapter; I'm a big fan of puns and plays on words. A TV show I used to watch, Sheep in the Big City, had oxymoronic names for almost every character: Private Public and General Specific, for example.

Gah, now I want to go watch that show again...

[darktyranitar]

What a ride of events, from Chris arrival to the demotion of the mods. Then it's a bit of laid back with the battle with oxymoron, until we're surprised with the fact that Jenny was raped.

Hehe... I don't really know what oxymoron is... guess I could take your advice to google it up. Hmm, I seemed to remember that in previous chapters, you have made reference to Google...

Wow, I didn't see it that Jenny will be raped. Now, I'm starting to wonder if this event will play any important role in the future. After all, it could be any random guy that raped her.

Okay, so that's how Liang escaped... Wow, thing's are really getting out of hands. With Liang on the loose, who knows what's more in that mind of his. Hmmm, no idea on what Becca will find at the end of the underwater path. Eagerly waiting for the next chapter, Chris!

[Wolfsong]

Whoa, another great chapter. It was amusing to see Girafarig annoying Chris by not telling him about happened then before he can he is called away. Cocoa Sting looks like she'll be an interesting character. Hmmm... If i'm at the bottom of the lake without my versus seeker why did she even bother to send a message to my character? *shrugs* Ouch about Becca's demotion. Ox. E. Moron was an interesting touch. I certainly wasn't expecting to hear that Jenny got raped. Did she report it or is she going to? Hmmm... now that Becca is looking for me, the chances that maybe I'll be found soon one way or another have increased. As usual looking forward to the next chapter. Keep up the great work.

[Chris 2.1]

TBA: Haha not quite...I want Ox.E to show his team of Pokemon all named after Oxymorons. Like Microsoft Works the Porygon2 and Aeroplane Food the Altaria. They're more humerous oxymorons though :P Wait...was that the cartoon? I think I remember it!?!!!


darktyranitar: Google it! Haha. Yes Google was featured heavily in Ch9, Hanada Tattsu. Talking of which...where is he?!

Hmm Jenny's story develops in what I think is quite a predictable way, but whatever the case, it will be interesting for her as a character. As for the tunnel....


Wolfsong: I think Cocoa will be very interesting, but wait until you see her in later chapters. But who was Gordon? More importantly, who was his grandson? I think she was just following Protocol, whether you're without VS Seeker or not :P

Becca's demotion takes her down some interesting paths in terms of plot and character, as seen by her fiery determination to get Amy. Jenny reports the rape in Ch22. The mystery around Amy will be solved very soon...but don't count on Amy getting her moderator job back.

[Myster Myuu]

Here's an interesting theory. It was Liang who raped Jenny. That's right. He escaped from athority and went to kill his brother and decided to make a detour for some forced lovin on a minor. THEN he went and killed his brother.

Man.. Liang is on a role...
Kidnapping, 2 to 4 Counts of Murder in the First (if he killed the guards), Assault with a Deadly Weapon, Rape, Assault and Battery, Resisting Arrest, and evading arrest.... he's got himself quite a little laundry list of offenses piling up. Just the 4 Murders is prolly enough for the chair. This is all assuming that he did anything else besides murder his brother, that is.

Ooh, ooh! Maybe Liang has an evil twin that has actually been doing all this naughty stuff! Maybe this evil twin caused the police van to wreck and then kidnapped the real Liang and took his place so that he could do all this nasty stuff only to peg it on the not-so-evil of the twins later on!

It also seems like Becca may find out more than she wants here in the coming chatpers. She may stumble upon a whole Evil Twin and Amy plot to take over TPML! Wouldnt that just send her for a loop!

AMAGAD! AMAGAD! I bet that This 'evil twin' Liang and Amy are actually from The Other TPML!!!!! They kidnapped the real Evil Twin Liang and Amy and kid them somewhere deep within their island then took their place so that The Others could take over the real TPML. Only Liang's brothers found this out so 'The Other' evil twin Liang had to silence him!!! SUCH CONSPIRICY!!!

I I THINK I KNOW WHO'S BEHIND IT ALL!!!! It seems so simple now that I thought of it! Who else could be the mastermind! They always say that its the quiet ones that'll kill ya! Yes.. Yes.. The Mastermind of "'The Other' Evil Twin Liang and Amy Evul Conpiracy to Overthrow TPML and Then the World' is........ NO, Not OzAndrew! (He's just the scapegoat!) It is......... UBERFRED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

YEA! That was the task that Fred's father asked him to complete! You see, Fred's father was utterly humiliated in some way or another by TPML so he asked his son to take it over! Its a pity Chris was too busy wallowing in his self-pity or he may have heard this evul genius spilling his vile plans and would have been able to stop it!!!! (remember back when Chris was admitted and UberFred was brought in? That's what Im talking about!) I have it all figured out!! HAHAHAHAHAH! YOU CANT STUMP ME, CHRIS!!! I AM TOO SMART FOR YOU! BWQUAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!

But you know what this will all lead to?!?!?! This will conclude with a fated showdown between UberFred and OzAndrew! They shall fight to the supreme ruler-ship of the universe in a 1 on 1 knock-down, drag-out, no-holds-barred free-for-all inside UberFred's Evul Space Ship/Fortress atop Mount Everest! Who will reign supreme!? Only God Knows!!!!!


AFTERTHOUGHT:
Brilliant chapter by the way. Top notch. Maybe a tad on the short side, but definately worth more than it's size in gold. Keep up the good work and dare not make us wait long to see my brilliant deductions proven true :D

[darktyranitar]

Wahahaha! So much of freakin, evil, twisted, thoughts, or possible spoilers, from Master Myuu! Who are you? Are you Chris evil twin that like to spoil his story?

Haha, it would be very, very interesting to see if the theories are true. Uuberfred VS Andrew? Hmm...

[Chris 2.1]

*Reads Myuu's post*

Myuu......you'll get shot down Falken Street if you keep revealling the plot *shifty*

[Myster Myuu]

If I truly did provide any unintentional spoliers, I do apologize. It was not my intention to do so. It was, however, my intention to be totally and utterly zany and insane! I tend to ramble off a lot of non-sensical prattle when Im in a good enough mood. Being hopped up on pizza and root beer helps me along in that aspect as well. Lacking any thing that would resemble sleep also seems to further my decent into insanity nicely too.

I will say that some of my ramblings were honest predictions but Ill let you decide which. The rest were intended to be pure insanity-coated candy to tickle the funny bone and make people do one of two things:

A) Giggle and think 'Gee, that Myster Myuu is such a silly character! I wonder what craziness he will come up with next!'

or

B) Cringe and think 'Gawd! What the heck is wrong with that Myster Myuu!? Is he retarded or something?! Someone needs to kick his arse!'

This way I know who are my friends and who are my sworn enemies who must be wiped off the face of the Earth when my plans for world domination come to fruition! ... but you didnt hear me reveal that to you... CRAP!

~pulls out Neuralizer and erases everyone's memory of the last 2 minutes~

[Chris 2.1]

You just ruined the rest of the plot -_-


On another topic, I'll leave you guys to figure out whether or not I'm telling the truth. Ecks isn't the only one who lies!

[MeLoVeGhOsTs]

Stunning chapter to say the least.

Cocoa reminds me of that Woman from the 'Ministry of Magic' in Harry Potter and the Phoenix-ordre. Getting in command, degrading all others, and so on. Loving her character! She'll make sure we get enough excitement around here.

I can so get Chris' fury about Girafarig. I just wanted to smack him down at that point! I was aslo quite surprised that Chris denied Greys request. Grey seems to be somewhat off the chart.

Liang seems evil and I like it. Jenny getting raped was another thing, the sudden heartrush made by Jenny was surprising, though. Chris and Jenny as a couple is what I'd like to see. I'd love to watch them mature, I find that they've come a long way since the beginning.

My theory: Liang is schirzophremic (I have no idea how to write it. Shut up you belgian n00b.) Amy is yet not dead and these 'others' were a mild side plot, they have nothing to do with all these things. BUT I still believe the theory on Girafarig being the same as the Realsie. With Girafarg being the same when turned backwards.

All these evil theories are making me like this fic even more ^^

Also, sorry for not replying earlier.

-MLG

[Chris 2.1]

MLG: Oh thanks! Yea I agree Cocoa has an "Umbridge" thing to her, but the authoratative, clever (often female) character is used a lot in films and TV. Particularly 24, with Alberta Green (Day 1), Erin Driscoll (Day 4) and Karin Hayes (i think? in S5). Not to mention Kitt McGraw in Nip Tuck S3.

She's going to provide that bridge to the BOG we havent really had yet. You will see more of the BOG in the upcoming chapters hopefully.

Greys position in the fic changes; the Razor Leaf/Grey rivalry/relationship was integral to his story, and now we as an audience are up-to-date with his past, i felt it necessary to move Grey into the present. He's registered for the TPML League, and he has some interesting stories to tell soon.

I agree Chris and Jenny as a proper couple will provide a new angle on her character and the two as a couple. I think this attack really is going to change Jenny because her bubbly personalty has sort of burst. This is one of the steps which will take her into new places.

Interesting Liang theory...and the Girafarig one is as popular as the Razor-Leaf-catching-the-monster-which-was-a-Lapras theory ages ago!



You think this is evil? Oh dear...you wait and see. Some characters are going to reveal themselves as darker than you'd expect!

[Hyperness is a Good Thing]

*reads the comments and starts laughing* I wonder how much of what Myster Myuu predicted will turn out to be true? ^_~ sounds pretty cool!
*hops up and down* I sort of agree with the Liang-raped-Jenny theory..or maybe it's Eck's horny side surfacing?
Hopefully the mystery at the Lake will be solved soon ^_^ do write more.
Btw, the name Cocoa makes me think of something yummy to drink for some reason. =.=

[Chris 2.1]

I agree: She has a deliciously smooth first name and a sharp, difficult second one. Cocoa Sting. A nice contrast, wouldn't you say? She was originally called Cocoa Blush (Plot details to anyone who knows where THAT name comes from ;)) but I wanted to change it.


Info on Ch22:

This chapter involves a large character by the name of Chad who spends a lot of time at a computer. Very unfunny sense of humour and a very wide knowledge of Lost, MSN and Livejournal.

[Chris 2.1]

Chapter Twenty-Two
[size=3]Girafarig (Part 3)


That night, I went back to Jenny’s flat and moved my stuff back in. I say my stuff…that consisted of…me. When we crashed on freak-Island, I left my bag in the submarine, which had all my clothes in. Damn. I planned on visiting the new clothes shop, ‘Disco Badger’, to get some new accessories the next day. That night, I lay in bed, barely able to sleep.

Together we went to the police station. I checked for it on my VS Seeker. Jenny reported the rape with Sergeant Phillips; a woman with a beaky nose and oddly friendly demeanor. A few times Jenny would break down into tears, but the interview wasn’t too long.

“Did you manage to salvage anything from the attack?” asked Phillips. “If we had a swab or hairs we could make an identification of the attacker almost instantly.”

“Oh, no,” Jenny said. “No…when I got home I showered. I-I needed to. I wanted to clean him off me…his touch, his scent…”

Phillips looked somewhat disheartened.

“What about a condom?” she asked.

“No…” Jenny said softly. “I-I don’t remember him putting a condom on.”

Phillips eyed me and I knew what this was about.

“I see. Well Jenny, your experience sounds very traumatic, and there is a very good psychiatric doctor at Jolly Japes hospital. If we refer you there, you can attend sessions with him to help understand the severity of the attack, and you can recover in your own time,” she said.

“We spoke before…” I explained. “Jenny would prefer to stay at the hospital.”

“Is that right, Jenny?” Phillips asked.

“Y-Yes,” she replied. “I want to be somewhere secure. A-Away from…from him.”

“Of course,” Phillips said. “Jenny, could you wait outside please? I need to discuss some financial matters with Chris.”

Trembling, Jenny got out her chair and walked across the room, sniffing and mumbling slightly. I watched her go with a sharp sting in my heart, before turning to Phillips.

“She needs to be tested,” she said, without waiting.

“For what?” I asked.

“Every sexually-transmitted disease under the sun,” Phillips answered. “But slightly more obvious is the issue of pregnancy.”

“Yea…I kinda thought that,” I admitted.

“But as she is…” mused the sergeant. “…she’s too vulnerable and fragile for us to explain this may have adverse effects on her. We’ll have to wait until she has attended some of her sessions with Dr Drummond-Bones.”

“Ok,” I said emptily. The thought of Jenny being a mother was horrifying…especially if I would have to raise it with her. I began thinking of myself at 30, with a child approaching 13 years old looking nothing like me at all. Knowing this child wasn’t mine, and raising it with love…could I do that?

“More importantly,” Phillips said. “Is cost. These sessions won’t be cheap.”

“I’ll sort the finances out,” I said. “Leave it to me.”


*

Soon after, Jenny was ‘admitted’ into Jolly Japes and I gave her a kiss on the lips to remind her I was here for her. Unfortunately, the costs of her sessions with the psychiatrist were going to be much more expensive than I had initially hoped.

“Hey Mum!” I said, in a phone booth down BT Street, dialing the number I had nearly forgotten.

“Oh, hi honey,” she replied coldly. “Long time no talk.”

“Heh, yea!” I laughed.

“What was our agreement?” Mum asked. “Oh yes! Ring me every day. Hmm how long have you been there now?”

“Erm –”

“It was rhetorical,” she snapped.

“Anyway,” I said. “I need some money…Mum? Hello?”

She hung up.

“DAMNIT!” I snapped. “Damn it damn it damn it!”

I sighed and took a walk down BT Street. I saw the Trading Club closed, with a few people hanging around outside. One girl, looking remarkably like Pichu, held a sign up protesting ‘I want my sister back’ on a huge sign.

I must have missed a lot.

Either way, I passed a café that I had never seen before. It was quite small but tall, I saw, with a small sign and frosted windows. There was a feverish clicking from within:

Deus XP Machina Cafe
We Have Broadband!
Current employing

“Employing?” I said. “Hmm.”

I went inside, where wires crossed over everywhere like thick coloured snakes all wriggling towards the hole in the wall. Occasionally a catchy, split-second MSN jingle rang through the room, with blue walls and white skirting boards. Through a swing door, a beefy man shouted at a young boy.

“E-Excuse me?” I asked the room, not knowing who to address.

“Hah!” cried a lardy bespectacled boy from his computer. “Get this! I have the plot of the Lost Series 2 Finale ‘Live Together, Die Alone’ BEFORE IT’S EVEN AIRED!”

He rose from his seat.

“High-five, anyone? Anyone?”

With no answer, he sat down, defeated. I wandered to a counter, prompting the beefy man to waddle out and look at me with wide eyes.

“Ha! Custermeru!” he cried.

“I’m who?” I asked.

“Yu! Yu! Custermeru!” he cried.

“Oh, Customer?” I asked. “No, no, I want a job.”

He looked at me.

“Joberu?”

“Yea…maybe a bit less ‘eru’ but we’re getting there,” I said slowly.

“Eru?”

“Yea.”

“Ahh yhes! Erueru!”

“Huh?” I asked. He burst out laughing.

“I’m sorry that’s just too funny,” he said, smiling. “Hi! My name’s Chad! I own this café, I’m 34, 6’1, I weigh 2 pounds…2 many pounds, that is! Ha! You can use that joke if you want.”

“It won’t work…” I said, noticing how I’m not nearly as fat as him.

“Anyway my blood types a C, my hobbies include MSN, Bebo, Myspace, Livejournal…”

“Are they hobbies…or websites?” I asked.

“Technically MSN’s an instant messenger,” he said. “So yea, my favorite shows include Lost…but I read like all the spoilers online, did you know Claire might be sisters with Jack?”

“Erm,” I said. “There was NO concrete evidence to suggest that.”

“Well Michelle Rodriguez, better known as Ana Lucia, said that she thought it was a possibility.”

“Well Michelle Rodriguez doesn’t know jack, just like anyone who watches – sorry reads the show,” I snarled.

“You’re spunky,” he said excitedly. “You’re hired!”

“Oh yea,” I said. “Can I have a job?”

“You’re hired!” he replied.

“Great!” I said. “So…what do I do?”

Chad waddled through the swing doors, where the boy he was previously shouting at was scrubbing the counters.

“Gregory!” he boomed. “GO! You’re not wanted here anymore!”

The boy walked past me and shoved me hard as he went. The kitchen area was like that of any café really, but I noticed a room to the left of the main kitchen area where a computer was situated at a desk.

“You sit at the desk,” he said. “And people will e-mail you their orders from the specified PC Consoles. You give them to me, help me make them, and take them out to the right people.”

“Ok…” I said. “When can I start?”

Chad threw me an apron.

“Now.”

“Why do I need an apron?” I asked. “I’m sitting at a computer.”

“Just get in the room,” growled Chad.


*

In the main part of TPML Village, Cocoa Sting stood at her podium, with the newly moderated members sitting behind her, minus The Missing Link. A crowd gathered around the stage as she addressed her people.

“Good afternoon to you all,” she boomed in her powerful, confident voice. “My name is Cocoa Sting. I am replacing The Missing Link as the head of The Pokemon Masters League Village 04621. Following a string of complaints about the way it has been run, I have been sent in to improve things for the better.

“You have all been sent messages on your VS Seekers which dictate some of the more stringent rules being employed. Furthermore, we have a new team of moderators.”

Cocoa got out a sheet of paper to read from.

“The new Head Referee is Knight of Time. Our new Banker is The Arbiter. 04621 remains the Head Coordinator, and I hear the recent contest was a success. The Missing Link is our Head of Trading, who will face severe punishment for failing to attend this announcement, and out Head Businessman is Dark Dragonite.”

There was a round of applause following Cocoa’s words. However, Cocoa looked suddenly as the crowd begun to part. Standing in the aisle of people was someone she barely recognized. A tall man wearing a disgusted look on his face. It was Razor Leaf.

“You can’t hire a Head Businessman,” he growled, before jabbing his thumb to his chest. “You have one.”

“You claim to be a moderator?” Cocoa asked.

“I do,” replied the veteran.

“Then surely you know the rules?” Cocoa asked, a smile flickering across her lips. “Any absence of over 3 days must be reported in The Absence Tower. Correct me if I’m wrong…but you’ve been gone longer than 3 days, Razor Leaf.”

“My mother was dying,” Razor Leaf snapped back through clenched teeth. The crowd gasped and reacted as any would, but Cocoa watched firmly as if this was nothing. “Can you see why I prioritized?”

“Yes, I can,” Cocoa explained. “But despite your reasoning, you still broke the rules.”

“This is ridiculous,” Razor Leaf snarled. “I lost my position for THIS?”

“Please leave, Razor Leaf,” replied Cocoa. “You are embarrassing yourself.”

“Dark Dragonite?” he asked, pointing at the moderator. “You’ve got no idea. I made BT Street what it is today! And that only came about because you and your stupid Board of stupid Governors made a stupid legislation declaring each village had to have a specific number of stupid businesses running!”

Cocoa raised a thin, carefully plucked eyebrow, before averting her gaze to the entire crowd.

“Here is a demonstration of the rude, crude behavior I will not stand,” she shouted. “Razor Leaf will be fined £50 for his rudeness to the Head Woman of TPML – me.”

“£50?” Razor Leaf barked. “That’s ridiculous.”

“No,” Cocoa replied. “£100 would be ridiculous. I’ve written a letter to the Head Banker and will drop it off after this announcement.”

“This place is going to the dogs,” said the ex-moderator, turning to leave.

“Then go,” Cocoa goaded. “But just remember…if you’re going for over 3 days…”

“…report it to the Absence Tower,” he snapped back. “Right.”

“I’m sorry,” Cocoa said to the audience. “But that confrontation may have portrayed me in an unhealthy light. Let me make this clear, people of 04621: I set rules; I abide by them, and expect the same done by others. Failure to break the foundations I set will cause this place to crumble.”

She bowed her head.

“Have a nice day.”


*

I had worked for about three hours, and left The Deus XP Machina Café feeling actually quite tired. My eyes hurt from staring at the screen so much, and some idiot was yelling at me about some new series of ‘Friends’ in which Joey was in a wheelchair. Or something.

Wondering if Jenny was still at Jolly Japes, I rang her on her cell phone, but got an answer phone. She probably had to turn it off during sessions. It was then I noticed a message on my VS Seeker:

From: FabuLass:
Visiting is at 7 tonight. Can you make it? Session is frustrating and difficult…I hope I can see you. Love me XxX

I replied ‘Yes’ and proceeded to head into the main village, eager for something to fill the time. I saw the crowd dispersing from the stage TML used to speak on. I wonder if I missed anything important?

As I walked through the village, a huge football-sized something smashed me in the back. I fell to my knees and turned, seeing a Seviper slinking in front of Crystal Tears. The serpent used a shadow ball, it seemed.

“What do you want?” I snapped, and in no time a gang of goons appeared with the young magician. “Who are all of you?”

“You don’t know who we are?” Crystal asked.

“No.”

“Jenny never told you?”

“Nope.”

“Well we are The Crystal Syndicate,” Crystal replied. “I won’t bother with introductions…the people who need to know our names, know our names.”

“And who would that be?” I retorted.

“Oh…” Crystal sighed. “Never mind. Anyway, we explained to your ‘girlfriend’ that we’ve begun a strong vendetta against you. And we thought we’d begin by…oh, I don’t know…attacking you?”

“All of you?” I asked, eyes wide. “Leave me alone.”

“River Asayake!” Crystal Tears shouted. “Ribbon Power!”

River leapt through the air, brandishing a Contest Ribbon. She removed the back and began jabbing me with the little pin part, in my arm, leg, chest and ear. I tried getting out the way, but it was no use.

“Stop!” I shouted. “THAT ONE REALLY HURT!”

“Tsuki Megumi!” said the leader. “Cough-Mint-Menagerie! GO!”

Tsuki, a rather stiff, quiet girl with a Venomoth on her arm, pulled a packet of mints from her ninja garb and began throwing them at me. They were extra-strong: you could tell because they really hurt.

“Cough sweets?” I asked wearily, as one flew down my throat. As I choked, forcing it down, Crystal explained.

“Tsuki has a cough,” she said. “GO MY PRETTY! GO!”

I felt jabs in my scalp. The pain was unbearable. Suddenly, there was a loud roar. A trembling filled the air and I saw Crystal’s eyes widen in horror. A huge Rhydon was racing towards The Crystal Syndicate, horn ready to drive into the nearest obstacle. I rolled out the way, being on the floor, as the Syndicate fled.

“THIS ISN’T OVER!” Crystal cried.

I looked up to see Girafarig riding his Rhydon. He leapt off admirably, looking less like a tramp now, and held a hand out to hoist me up. I accepted, and faced the slightly younger trainer.

“Hey,” he cried.

“You didn’t say –”

“…newbie,” he replied. “Hah! I see you got beaten up by a bunch of girls.”

“I saw at least two boys there,” I explained. “Thanks.”

“No problem,” he said lazily. “I just wanted to see if you were willing to work for the answers you desire.”

“Answers?”

“About what happened to me,” he said.

“Oh,” I replied. “I don’t care anymore.”

“Yea you do,” he teased.

“I know,” I said hurriedly.

“If you beat me in a 2-2, then I’ll tell you,” he replied. “It’s quite a cool story.”

“Fine,” I replied. “Where are we battling?”

“Where do you think?” he asked. “Crush Quarry.”


*

The arena was set. Girafarig gripped a cold, smooth Pokeball in his hand as the heat of the sun beat down on us. I took my jacket off and plucked a Pokeball off my belt, knowing fine well this battle would be a cinch.

“I choose you!” he cried. “Aron!”

A small, metal creature emerged with big, doleful eyes and tiny pattering feet. I raised an eyebrow. This tiny creature was no threat whatsoever. I sent out Cacnea, who bounded from his Pokeball eagerly.

“I expected something bigger,” I told my foe.

“As did I for you,” Girafarig replied. “Aron! Headbutt!”

The speedy thing swept through the air, resembling a bullet more than anything and slamming into Cacnea. Obviously his hard head meant Cacnea’s needles were pointless. My Pokemon skidded back and shook the damage off, before leaping forward and swinging his club-like arms around.

“Nea!”

The needle arm was effective but could have done more damage. Aron raced around my Pokemon, who tightened his mouth and blasted a bullet seed through the air. The tiny bullets banged and popped upon impact, causing dust to rise from the dry earth. Cacnea was ok during sand, but when he opened his eyes, he could not see Aron at all.

“Now! Metal Claw!”

Cacnea was too late. Metal claws raked into his back and he was head butted into the earth. Rising up, Cacnea swung around as Aron tried a take down, and his needle arm surprised the small foe. As Aron tumbled back, Cacnea peppered him with a bullet seed, dealing effective damage.

“Your grass advantage is stopped by Aron’s steel type,” Girafarig explained.

“Cacnea!” I ordered, ignoring my foe. “Use leech seed!”

Spitting a seed through the air, Cacnea drew energy and nutrition from it as it latched into one of the holes on Aron’s outer body. Vines began creeping out and ensnaring the foe, draining his health.

“Aron! Metal Sound,” snarled Girafarig, and Aron releasd an ear-splitting sound through the arena, echoing and reverberating around the quarry. Cacnea struggled to endure the sound, but I knew we had to act fast.

“Seismic Toss!”

He had seen my other Pokemon practice this, but whether or not Cacnea could pull this off remained a mystery. He slammed a needled arm down onto Aron’s body and spun around fast. Leaping up, Cacnea hurled Aron through the air, who smashed into a large boulder just behind me.

“Aron!” cried his trainer. But the best was yet to come. Cacnea raced through the air, firing off a stream of peppering bullets that each exploded into the ore Pokemon. My prickly Pokemon finished with a dazzling needle arm, defeating the opponent.

“Well done!” I cried. Cacnea smiled at me as a few of his spikes began protruding further from his apple-green body. They extended at an alarming rate. Then, mere seconds later he was still again, smiling.

“Aron, return!” Girafarig cried. “Nice work.”

“Just send the next one out,” I said, rolling my eyes. Girafarig nodded, gripping a Pokeball and hurling it forward. From the ground burst Onix – the magnificent serpent that had caused my first defeat in TPML roared deeply.

Part of me wanted to send Magmar out, to redeem himself from when this giant beat his Magby form. But I knew that was a fool’s mistake. Cacnea had enough strength to whittle Onix away nicely.

“Don’t be intimidated,” I ordered. “Bullet seed! Aim for different segments.”

But Cacnea didn’t pull the attack off. He was concentrating hard, deeply, as if trying to remember something of utmost importance. Onix swung a thick, powerful tail at us. Cacnea leapt out the way with more agility than he had ever demonstrated.

“Use your attack!” I said. “Come on!”

And yet Cacnea refused again. It was only when Onix swung a tail a second time that Cacnea leapt over the tail like a skipping rope, rolled across the ground and fired a bulled seed into the foes eyes. As Onix was blinking furiously, a white light engulfed my Pokemon and he began to shine brightly. His arms stayed much the same, but the rounded body became more defined and human-like. Legs sprouted, and an odd, dark hat appeared on his head.

The light died down as a Cacturne watched me with round, yellow eyes. A hand was on his hip. He grinned cheekily.

“Cacturne?” I asked. “Ok Cacturne! Go!”

Onix roared and made a long lunge at Cacturne, who swiftly leapt out the way. Onix smashed his face, neck and upper body area into the ground, turning and swishing his tail majestically. Cacturne disappeared in short spurts as he darted around, before running up Onix’s back and firing a bullet seed attack at his horn.

“Don’t let that evolution throw you off!” Girafarig snapped. “Dragonbreath!”
Green flames burst from Onix’s mouth, darting up into the skies, missing Cacturne, who was now slamming a needled-arm into the Pokemon’s back. Onix’s head dived to the ground, Cacturne gripping onto the horn tightly, and as Onix pierced the dry earth and sped underground, Cacturne was thrown off, hitting the battlefield and seeming quite dazed.

And that’s when I realised my Pokemon had fallen into the same trap twice. Magby evolved to Magmar to help fight Razor Leaf’s Zangoose, and Cacnea had similarly done so to help fight Onix. The evolution mid-battle left them exhausted and easy targets. To Onix, Cacturne was a pesky fly, evolved or not.

“Cacturne, you’re tired,” I said. “Come on, rest.”

Cacturne gave a heavy grunt as Onix burst from underneath him, hurling him up into the air. A stream of green flames shot up and singed my Pokemon, who bolted down through the air, holding his arms out and blasting sharp needles down upon the arena the same time as firing bullet seeds from his mouth. The fantastic combination clattered into Onix and dealt effective damage. Cacturne landed on Onix and ran down his back, firing leech seed attacks into the grooves between the Pokemon’s huge rock segments.

“Onix! Slam,” Girafarig snapped. Onix, with Cacturne on his body, went limp and fell to the ground, causing my Pokemon to become crushed beneath the behemoth. A huge cloud of dust whipped up into the air as my vision was obscured. I heard Girafarig cheering, coughing and later spluttering as the dust began to clear.

“Cacturne’s down,” he boasted. I got his Pokeball and returned the now-bigger version of the cactus Pokemon. Only Mankey was left to evolve…

“Who’s it going to be?” asked Girafarig.

“Poliwhirl!” I roared, as my bipedal tadpole appeared from his confinement. Flexing his arms (for they were getting more muscled, I noticed), Poliwhirl narrowed his eyes and stared at Onix. They had met once before.

“Onix, watch out. Use an iron tail!”

“Psychic, Poliwhirl!”

I knew Poliwhirl’s PSI senses were weak. He was not like an Alakazam, able to manipulate space and levitate. But he had the ability to hold attacks back by exerting a similar sized force.

As the tail, glimmering and shining in the heat flew down at Poliwhirl, his eyes glowed a vivid, mysterious purple. The Onix’ tail halted mere inches before my Pokemon’s face, although it was evident this caused Poliwhirl strain.

“Water Pulse!”

The cold beam of supersonic water sped into Onix, smashing into his face. Poliwhirl leapt up into the air and landed behind Onix as his strength was sapped by the leech seed. Poliwhirl fired off bubblebeam attacks from his fists which peppered Onix and caused him irritation.

“Skull bash!”

The behemoth lunged at Poliwhirl, who dived to the left but was caught slightly off guard. He was slammed into, landing on his front by Girafarig’s feet. As Onix turned, eyes narrowing at the small foe, he swung his tail around, catching my tadpole again. Poliwhirl was hurled through the air and landed painfully across the arena.

“Get up!” I shouted.

“Dig!”

Onix smashed his head into the earth and caused another huge hole. Poliwhirl peered down keenly, giving me an idea. Upon my command, he shot a gigantic stream of water down the hole, which would hopefully catch up with Onix.

“Go down there!” I shouted. “And fire attacks at him!”

Poliwhirl dived underground, and I could hear rumbles beneath us. Poliwhirl was catching up to Onix, apparently. As the heat became more and more unbearable, I stared at Girafarig and smiled. He looked worried.

“How do you know Onix won’t plough into us?” I asked.

“He can detect where we are,” replied the boy.

Soon, the earth was ruptured and Onix flew out, roaring in agony. His entire tail-end was frozen solid, and he began furiously hammering it against the ground. As the vines from Cacturne’s leech seed grew evermore around him, it was evident Onix was tired.

“Onix, roar!” cried Girafarig.

“No mercy, Poliwhirl!” I shouted. “Hydro Pump!”

Jumping up, Poliwhirl gathered a mouthful of aquatic energy as a concentrated blast was issued, slamming into Onix’ face. Onix fell to the earth, defeated, as Poliwhirl flexed his muscles while standing on top.

“Damnit!” Girafarig snapped. “Return!”

Poliwhirl leapt out the way when Onix was recalled by the red beam, returning to his confined state, where he could recover. I gave Poliwhirl a firm handshake as Girafarig walked over.

“…I never quite got to New Zealand,” he admitted. “As soon as I got the train to the docks, I met that Vine Whip guy. He was a bit shady. Told me I was in the wrong place. I asked him what he meant, and he said if I emulated someone or something, then I should go with him. I objected. He knocked me out, and I remember waking up in that bunker.”

“What did they do to you?” I asked.

“Tests,” he remembered. “To see who I knew, what I knew…they didn’t like me. Kept telling me I wasn’t ‘special’, that I shouldn’t be in the league.”

“Shouldn’t –”

“They don’t like people like me,” he snapped. “People like you…people with no credibility or reputation in this league. They like the big figures – Moderators, Veterans, Popular People…we’re nothing.”

“Why did they keep you then?”

“To keep me out of TPML,” Girafarig said. “I think. I mean…they’re jealous we got in, when we don’t like The Missing Link as much as The Weakest Link does, or something like that.”

He gave a deep, long sigh.

“My team’s as strong as it was the day I left,” he explained. “Sure, Larvitar evolved, but those Pokemon evolve over time, not experience. You’ve improved loads, with new team members and stuff…and I’m rotting away in the past.”

“There’s still enough time,” I said.

“Yea…” he sighed. “Anyway…I’m gonna head off. See you around.”

He turned and walked away. As he wandered, hands in his pockets, I noticed the lack of ‘newbie’, his trademark degrading term he loved to use on me. I smiled. Maybe he was a nice guy after all?

“I almost forgot,” he said darkly. “See you around, newbie.”

I hate him.


*

In a vicious underwater fight against Milotic, Chiron slammed hard into its side, before projecting a glimmering beam of purple light into the serpent’s eyes. Becca, treading water in a rounded, white sphere of light, watched on as Milotic smashed into Chiron with her tail.

Deciding to leave the scene, Becca began swimming downwards, the sphere of light around her. It penetrated the darkness and illuminated the way ahead, and soon the dark, mysterious tunnel came into sight. Casting a glance above, Becca saw her beloved Starmie fight against the security system and knew this was the only chance she had.

Narrowing her eyes, she swam further, her hands breaking the water together before parting it either side of her. On and on she went, legs flipping up and down wildly, occasionally looking up at the surface and wondering if she was missed.

Not by Cocoa, she thought to herself.

As the mouth of the tunnel drew nearer, Becca swam on in and found herself in a tight, narrow space. The darkness was no problem as the orb of light engulfing her cleared the way. However, she tore her shirt on a jagged part of the wall, causing a thin cut to leak crimson blood into the water.

Tiring slightly, Becca’s purpose was ebbing away. She needed a rest. Gently she waddled through the water, the battle against Milotic behind her completely. Soon, she stopped moving altogether. She was exhausted.

When she stared ahead, however, and saw the tunnel move upwards, Becca knew she was nearing the end. She put all her energy into a powerful front crawl, beating at the water with her legs and swiping through it with her palms. Then, the shimmering surface told her she was nearly out.

Becca pushed her head up and broke the surface; gasping for breath and feeling the light shield disappear. She clambered out of the round, pool-like water and looked around her as her clothes dripped.

She was in a spacious part of a cave. Ahead was an opening, with torch brackets lighting it up. Becca wrung her hair out and proceeded. It was distinctly cold in here, she thought to herself, noticing it was eerie and quiet.

Soon she arrived in the next room, which was structured similarly. However, a stone staircase wound up the far wall of this room to a cavern higher up. This was incredible; a complex labyrinth of rooms and tunnels all under the lake? She looked around, before suddenly she was grabbed from behind.

Steered into the wall, Becca felt her arm twist and was wheeled around to meet a gun pointing directly between her eyes.

“You!” Becca gasped. It was Liang.

“Me,” he growled.

“H-How did you…?” Becca asked. “Y-You’re in…”

“No jail can hold me,” he said softly.

“What are you doing here?” asked the woman.

“This is my place,” Liang said. “You do not have the right to come here!”

He cocked the gun.

“Goodbye.”

Becca screwed her eyes shut as her heart hammered wildly against her ribcage, desperate to get out. It pumped blood furiously through her body as her hands shook at her sides. She was going to die…

A second cock was heard. Was that even possible, loading a gun twice? Becca opened her eyes and let out an audible gasp.

“Put the gun down, Liang,” said a voice.

It was Amy Wolfsong, with wild-looking hair and a cold look on her face. She pressed her (somewhat similar) gun into the back of Liang’s head firmly, with not a single trace of remorse to be found whatsoever.




Next Chapter: Wolfsong (Part II)
As Becca struggles to cope with the situation under the lake, Karin finds her loyalty waning for her friend after a conversation with Cocoa. Chris learns a little too much about a customer while at work, and The Crystal Syndicate faces trouble. Meanwhile, Razor Leaf approaches Grey and proposes a truce in order to take care of Cocoa Sting.

[The Blue Avenger]

I KNEW IT I KNEW IT I KNEW IT!

*cough* Pardon me. Anyway, that was an excellent chapter. It was satisfying to see Girafarig get beaten, and listen to what Vine Whip said to him only strengthens my theory that there actually is another Girafarig around there. Also, somehow, I think Jenny's sessions with Drummond-Bones will only make things worse. I also love the name of the computer cafe. Deus XP... heh.

And then we get to the last part of the chapter. I knew that Amy would be in the cave... but I wasn't expecting Liang down there. Although, in retrospect, all the clues were pointing that way. :P

Eagerly anticipating the next chapter.

[Ace64]

The HELL?! Where did Amy get a gun?? (Notice how that's my first concern- not why she is alive.) And now I don't think Liang raped Jenny...it doesn't seem to add up. Rape a girl, kill Henry, then go to underwater cave and wait for Becca to show up? Did he know Becca was coming, or was he surprised? Maybe someone in the League is feeding him information.

Heh. I like how the Crystal Syndicate attacks in mildly painful ways. Kind of things you can do to piss somebody, but can't be reported for without sounding stupid for it. Cough drops and pin needles...hehe. And whee!Cacturne. Nice to see that evolution doesn't mean an automatic win- realistic.

I kind of thought Karin might slowly turn against Becca...ever since that comment a few chapters ago...I think it was something when Karin used "we", and Becca said "We? You mean me." Anyhow, Cocoa Sting might leave, but Karin just might fill the void. Which could mean trouble..

Razor Leaf's back! Yippee. And with Grey feeling the way he does about Chris, who knows what that might mean? Can't wait for the next one.

[Ultimate Charizard]

Well another good Chapter. Im thinking that Cocoa isnt as official as she's making out and has some underlying agendas of her own, as well as perhaps partnerships with some of our resident 'black sheep'.
Does seem wierd that Chris described her name as Opposite textures, kinda like an Oxymoron..oh dont we have someone who names all their pokemon as Oxymorons (sarcasm mode off) Coincedence or does Chris just like Word Play.

Felt a little proud that the Quarry was chosen as the battle location. Ok so it wasnt my quarry, and it may have been referenced in the past but i made the suggestion with no prior knowledge so i influenced it ok!!!!!!! lol.

Lookin forward to the next installment.

[Wolfsong]

Whoa.

Another great chapter. I felt bad for Jenny. However, I had thought about the fact that it might be Razor leaf who returned when the announcement was made. I'm looking forward to see what will come out of this. Anyways it was interesting to see the attacks that the Crystal Syndicate were using against Chris. As far as the Chris vs. Girafarig battle goes it was interesting to read about and nice to see Chris win the battle. I certainly didn't expect what happened at the endof the chapter. I wasn't as surprised to see Liang pointing a gun at Becca as I was to see me pointing a gun at him. Then again, who knows what all he did to me while i was away. Yay for the fact that i'm alive though. ^^; I can think of three possibilities about how I got the gun. 1. When Liang was sending me all those messages, I could have applied for and gotten a gun. 2. Another theory is that I secretly stole it from Liang when he was away. Or 3. The third theory is that I was working with Liang until he threatened to kill Becca. Personally, I'm hoping that it's theory Number 2. ^^ Interesting ending, I wonder what I will end up doing. Now you really have me curious about what is going to happen again. Eagerly looking forward to the next chapter.

Edit to hopefully make it make more sense and also to fix quite a few typos

[Dark Dragonite]

Wow..just holy florking shnit!
Great work Chris, although I don't think Amy will kill Liang, would prefer to bring him to justice, and I think the Crystal Syndicate is behind Jenny's rape, as another way of attacking Chris...
RL, please don't hold this against me when we battle, lol
I'm Head of Business, w00t, I've never been so close to mod position, lol
Finally, Girafarig gets a beat down, but now, he doesn't seem as horrible as before...
My other theory on Jenny's attacker, would of course, be that of RL, Grey, to, as well, seek revenge, for getting in RL's way, and turning Grey down...
Very nice with Deus XP Machina, any connection with God Machine?

[MeLoVeGhOsTs]

As I told you before I never believed Amy was dead ^^ Good job Chris!

I'm guessing Amy's theory number 3.

Well that's all I can say now, except for the fact that I really liked this chapter.

[Charles Legend]

O.o in the words of Alpha 5 Ai yi yi!! anyways I had a felling that Amy would still be alive down in the cave. Now, I wounder what the deal with Amy with a gun is all about, but I guess your going to make us wait. and once again I see Charles Legend has notbeen interduced as of yet, yeah for be a usless Brock clone! ;)

anyways over all the last three Chapters have left me almost speachless in terms of the plot develament, and I see why your holding off on Charles legend since he is only a minior Charter in the plot anyways, and I also noteced there was no Quackman in this chapter again.

Anyways all in all the last three chapters have been grate Chris, and sorry for my lateness in replying it's just that I been kind of busy the last few days..... *cough*reffing amog other stufff*cough*

~Charles legend your useless Brock clone signing off.....

[Myster Myuu]

hrhrhrhr I love it when Im right (jumping teh gun, but :P )

If all the cheesy, campy suspense-thriller action spy movies ive ever watched have taught me anything, this is what will happen next chapter as it goes with the Becca-Liang-Amy storyline:

-At first, all will seem well and good and Amy has saved her close friend Becca and that Liang is Gyarados bait.... that'll late for about one paragraph. Then it'll be revealed that Liang and Amy are all hot to trot and that they have been working together this whole time. The reason Amy's hair is ashamble is because Becca.. ahem.. walked in on her and Liang, if you catch my drift ;)~

Now there are two distinct ways this can beportrayed after this is revealed. Either Amy truly doesnt want to see Becca get killed... or she wants to kill Becca herself.

If the former is the case, then it'll kinda be like Liang is the crazed lunatic of a psychopath who wants to put a bullet in the brain of anyone who isnt him or Amy. Meanwhile, Amy is the more human, understanding individual who truly doesnt want to see harm befall anyone she cares for. While Liang is ranting about how bullets look good going into people's brains, there will be a lot of heart-felt conversation between Becca and Liang and plot will be revealed. Itll all end when Liang goes too far and Amy is forced to kill him just before she, herself, dies in some way shape or form. Everyone is sad. The End.

The latter is a much more dark and uncomfortable path that we may tread. In this scenario, Amy is the cold, calculating mastermind behind the whole ordeal while Liang is the the niave, love-sick puppy blindly doing her bidding. Amy will take Becca captive with the express intent of doing the evul genius thing and revealing the master plan to her then killing her in a manner that means leaving her unmonitored in a situation that should most likely cause her painful death. So, yea, plot will be revealed and Amy will leave Becca to die in some over-the-top way with only Liang to keep gaurd. Becca will use her brain to lull Liang into helping her by turning him on Amy in someway. Becca and Amy will have a climactic showdown as Liang stand there with a gun, torn between who's head he should blow off. In the end, he'll finally make the decision to save Becca at the last minute. He'll be all remorseful for what he did... and then get blasted by Amy, who wasnt dead yet. She'll get ready to send Becca to the great beyond as well... when she is gunned down by Ecks who is miraculously there in the nick of time! It'll be revealed that he is, in reality, an operative from the FBI who had been invenstigating suspicions of illegal drug-running, of which this cave was the headquarters. The credits roll, and everyone demands their 6 bucks back.

So, yea, thats what I think will happen or some such shit. Now if you excuse me, Im gonna go watch the Die Hard trilogy, True Lies, Mr and Mrs Smith, and every James Bond movie to re-affirm my stance that it always happens in real life like it does in the movies >_<

[Blademaster]

Somewhere, in the heartland of TPMF's Fanfiction Section, there is a mountain known as The Pokemon Masters League - a mountain forged higher and higher by 22 chapters of stone-cold determination...

Only the most devout readers make it to the top; the rest are buried beneath avalanche upon avalanche of new story material...

Now, at the top of the mountain, where the most elite of battlers have climbed in pursuit of Chris 2.0, a loose layer of cobblestones and topsoil has been laid...

Suddenly, the peak shudders; a hand bursts from the ground. A tattered, dusty, badly-damaged climber pulls himself free from the wreckage and stands atop the mountain.

That climber's name...

...is Blademaster...


-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

(coughs up a mouthful of dust)

I... I did it... I finally caught up with this story - all twenty-two chapters...

(catches breath)

Chris, I'm sorry...

Sorry it took me 6 months after arriving here before I finally decided to read this amazing story. I love it - a great mix of comedy, action, Pokemon battling, and the darker elements of suspense, mystery, and dare I say, horror...?

...Yes, I dare.

I love the way your characters have all developed so well and so smoothly - I can assure you, I'll be a devout reader of this fic from now on, which means I'll be annoying you with my incessent and pointless reviews for the rest of the story.

Speaking of annoying, I'd love to stay longer and chat, but I don't wanna miss the new The Sopranos, so...

Later!

-Blade

[Chris 2.1]

TBA: Yes! Someone got the Deus XP joke. Thank god. Anyway yea Girafarig’s tale is told, but the poor guy will need some serious training if he wishes to get anywhere in the league! We won’t see much of Jenny’s recovery but we will hear from her how it is going. And just to concrete beliefs: the attacker IS character we’ve met.

Is it possible this Girafarig is simply the clone? And the real one is still on The Island?

The double-standoff beneath the Lake is going to get interesting…prepare to learn a lot about Amy’s side of Ch10/11.



Ace64: A lot will be explained next chapter, and it should be quite a big one because of what I’ve got to explain. We’ll be telling a lot of Amy’s story while she was in the cave…where she was, who she saw, and what she heard (or, more realistically, what she didn’t hear). Then we have the current affairs down in the caves, and the goings on in the rest of TPML.

Yea The Crystal Syndicate faces some troubles in upcoming chapters. Agreed about evolution…expect some big changes on Chris’ team soon. Hmm Cocoa putting Karin in her place is an interesting theory…but you’ll have to wait and see for yourself.

Some interesting scenes with Razor Leaf and Grey are to come. Their relationship as people will change.



Ultimate_Charizard: You think she may be working with Ecks? Or even Liang? Did she manipulate Becca? Does she know Amy is alive? Hmmm some potential twists there I think. As for a link with Ox.E.Moron…hmm I never thought of that. So your second guess is right :P

Nah Crush Quarry was in Ch3, where Girafarig and Chris had their first match. In the real ASB Match, Girafarig abused the hell out of the quarry by rock sliding, earthquaking and digging the hell out of Sneasel, Poliwag and Magby.



Wolfsong: Eeek! Amy’s back! Razor Leaf’s making himself heard and I’m excited to start writing his future storylines. He’ll also be battling a Frontier Brain which should be exciting.

It was good for Chris to beat Girafarig, but I’m not sure how much more we’ll see of him. Some of the background characters will make more appearances. Some will return to the village.

How Amy got the gun, and what she’s been up to will be explained in the next chapter but it might be a while before you see the full picture.

Your theories are interesting but I won’t shed any light on them! It might be worth knowing I’m perfecting this chapter so much I just scrapped 3 pages of work because it wasn’t what I wanted. I’m a perfectionist -_-;;

See you next chapter!



DD: Yea…florking shnit indeed. I will confirm there will be more bloodshed to come, but whose blood is shed, and who sheds the blood is going to be a tightly-kept secret!

Some interesting theories and DD’s introduction will hopefully be in the form of his own chapter very soon. I’m planning to introduce a few more characters from ASB but a lot of this arc will involve old characters getting more spotlight as well as the introduction of the 7 Brains, who have a chapter each.



MLG: I’m glad you liked it!



Charles: Your chapter will be soon, I hope. During the BF Saga is most likely. Charles adds a nice humorous element to the fic and I want to bring him in at the right time. I’m very happy you’ve enjoyed the past three chapters – these next few are building up to what the finale is going to be about, but I can guarantee nobody (even Myuu) can calculate what will happen.

And WHERE is Quackman? *Points to Ch23*



Myuu: I must begin by saying I was pulling your leg last time, and you DIDN’T reveal any of the story!

Your theories are interesting but provide quite in-depth, finale-esque plots which I can’t see happening this early on. We still have a lot of the fic to go, and many more layers will be revealed.



Blade: Thank you! What a nice compliment by a new reader. I’m glad you’re on the bandwagon and hope you enjoy the rest of the fic!



Details on Ch23:

Erm what to say....oh yea, we'll find Chris encounter some problems at work, and we'll also see Razor Leaf strum up a rivalry with Dark Dragonite. We can expect the Karin/Becca/Cocoa dynamics to shift somewhat, and we'll hopefully see some of Ecks.

[darktyranitar]

Hey Blademaster! Congratulation for reading it so far! Keep on reading TPML, cause it's just good!

Hmhm, Amy is still alive! Strange, there was a time in the previous chapters where MLG points out that Amy might still be alive, but Chris then tell him not to find too much twist in his fic. Gee Chris, it must have been hard for you to work on all the twist and characters. And in the end, it paid off. I love this chapter!

Hehe, I knew people like Giragarig are hard to change. And the part when Chris hate Girafarig after he was starting to like him a bit is hilarious. It was a great match between both of them.

Aiee, here comes The Crystal Syndicate. I still couldn't understand why they wouldn't just leave Chris alone; or more precisely, Crystal Tears. But anyway, her lackeys, er... associates are quite cool!

It's getting more and more intense. Looking for future instalment of the fic, Chris!

[Chris 2.1]

The main reason Crystal won't leave Chris alone goes back to Chapter 13, when Chris foiled her con artistry. I think she's got quite a manic side and loves to pick out ways of getting back at him, since he ruined her way of income. After Jenny 'joined' the Syndicate (technically she didn't join them, but was on good terms with them), Crystal tried turning Jenny against Chris, and when this failed, the CS turned on both.

As for the twists...I find it really fun and challanging to make things work. I like a good twist in each chapter, usually at the end as a cliffhanger. There are quite a lot to come, too, so take EVERYTHING with a pinch of salt.

[Silencer]

If I would be Chris I would either a) report(but seeing the stupidity behind the attacks it would seem strange, specially to nurse smiles) or b) take revenge. I mean she needs to have some private time right? and he does have an electabuzz does he not. *hinthint*

[Blademaster]

Hey Blademaster! Congratulation for reading it so far! Keep on reading TPML, cause it's just good!

Hey, Faiz! Thanks; I'll be reading, amigo - believe me, I will!

As for you, Chris, I was kinda rushing last night, so whatever stuff I forgot:

1. I'm still gonna do that review thing for TPML in the Writer's Lounge - I'll be doing that after this review.

2. I'm a bit curious as to something - have you just been picking people from ASB for this story, or did all the readers agree to it/submit their characters? I'm asking because not all of the characters in your story have reviewed in real life, and I've never heard of a TPMF member named Cocoa Stings. Who is she?

3. Can I be in this story, too?

LOL, just kidding - or maybe I'm not. Who knows? Maybe I could do stand-up at the Chunky Clefable Cafe. :lol:

At any rate, I'll be awaiting the next chapter, but for now, I have to go review in the Lounge, finish the new I Syndicate chapter I've been working on, get Mega Horny's drawing done... Oh, damn it, I have too much stuff to do!

See ya later!

...Again.
-Blade

[Charizard04621]

Eh, poor Chris, I expect his job's gonna be hell. He might not want to keep it, but he'll have to unless another opening comes up, which is a possibility sometime in the future. Interesting plot twists, gonna keep reading for more. The Crystal Syndicate looks like it's gonna be a pain, they're freaking hilarious but annoying at the same time. Crystal Tears just seems to be some little unthreatening girl screaming "Do you know who I am?? Do YOU know, WHO I AM?!" I really doubt that they were behind the rape, they're definitely not powerful enough and they probably didn't even know about it at the time they attacked Chris with cough drops.

On a side note, unless she's holding back for some unknown reason Karin is a complete pushover, come on. Taking insults from an inferior leader, pfft. Hope Karin dies in a fire if she really is that submissive! Unless she's planning to turn things around, she should've left the league when she saw what happened to Razor Leaf. Leave that stupid TPML shithole, there's nothing left there to defend unless she's got a plan to bring it back to the way it used to be. Oh, and wondering whether she can take on Liang's pokémon, and useless enough to have to use like six pokémon against one puny Dragonite and nearly lose, rofl. Not one of my favorite characters, the best one is Razor Leaf in my opinion. GOGO Razor Leaf! For the wiiiiin!!!

Waiting on your next chapter, they're quite fun to read. =P

[Dark Dragonite]

I see Karin's character as being a pushover until someone, probably Ms. Sting, pushes the wrong button...then I see her flipping out completely, and trying to take charge.


I see Oz as being an annoyance, like Crystal Syndicate, nothing serious, but amusing, and a antagonist...

I see atleast 1 of Liang, Amy, Becca dying, maybe both Liang, and Amy...Amy may just turn out to be not the victim here, but the criminal, although the emphasis on her wild hair dictates either she was held captive, in a tryst with Liang, or, she just didn't have ammenities while she was in hiding...

Chris is going to grow to hate his boss, but his boss will give him an easier time than his predicessor...

RL and DD will clash, big time, I have a weird feeling Quakman will be around, or involved...I don't know why...

[Chris 2.1]

Silencer: The crime gets reported, and Jenny's statement leads to some complications which might change her life forever.


Blademaster: Initially I picked the bigger, more recognised members like The Missing Link, OzAndrew, The Arbiter, Razor Leaf etc. I added people I've battled (Girafarig, TheBlueAvenger) and people I'm friends with (Razor Leaf). I just pick people who I can build character on. Syberia was originally going to be the star of Ch15 but he wasnt in ASB so I got rid of him for Knight of Time.

I'd like to mention Knight of Time will get more spotlight soon. He's been quite overshadowed as of late.

Cocoa Sting, Ecks, FabuLass/Jenny, The Eon Sisters, Uuberfred, Ox.E.Moron, Dr Drummond-Bones, Nurse Smiles, Chad and all the others are made up.


Karin: Haha I think his job's going to be interesting to write over the next few chapters. He needs it to generate money to pay for Jenny's therapy. As for the Syndicate, some interesting scenes with them in the next chapter. I really enjoy writing them but obviously anything gets stale after a while so I have to look at ways of spicing things up.

The thing is, only two of the Syndicate are male so they're classed as potential suspects, simply because it seems odd for it to be executed. So you have to go back to the drawing board and think "ok...who would do it?".

Hmm in a way I'm glad you picked up on Karin. As of late she's been quite quiet, and I have every reason to have written it so. Cocoa Sting is the most authoratative figure (that we know of) in the village at present. She is on the Board, therefore she has the power, money and influence to do whatever she wants. She comes in, demotes Becca, fines Razor Leaf, makes a few changes and as you'll see, tightens things up in the village.

If Karin tries opposing her, Cocoa can simply click her fingers and Karin's out. The woman knows she has to play this one down. Razor Leaf crossed the line and he lost more than his money. Between you and me I think if Karin's going to do anything (and she seems the type that will, if you remember when she was introduced, she looked for answers right away and wanted the truth from Liang), she's going to have to bide her time.

But since Razor Leaf is looking for allies, he might find Karin willing and able.

Furthermore, its been established Liangs dragonite was much, much bigger and stronger than any seen previously. Karin and Becca wanted to take it out as soon as possible and did so. And what if it WAS stronger than Karin's Pokemon...

I'll admit Karin isnt standing out too much at the moment but you'll soon see that's about to change.

Razor Leaf's going to try and lead a revolution.....


DD: Interesting. As I said Karin's biding her time and luring the foe into a false sense of security. She'll strike.

Interesting theory on the deaths. I won't go into detail because I don't want to confirm or deny any theories. As for Chad, he's pleasantly annoying, and that's going to be fun to write about.

As for DD, he's the first obstacle in Razor Leaf's plan.

[Chris 2.1]

Chapter Twenty-Three
[size=3]Wolfsong (Part 2)




There was a thick, curling mist forming around Amy’s ankles as she stared at Chris. The shadowy figure loomed ahead, and Amy decided to grab a Pokeball. She held it close as a huge bang erupted behind them. Chris turned to get a good look, and as he did, Amy turned just in time.

A swift attack tore into Chris’ chest, throwing him to the ground. Amy bent down to see him.

“Chris?” she said. “Chris?”

He was knocked out. Amy looked around anxiously, desperate to help him as the thick mist almost engulfed the boy as he lay there, motionless. She looked up as the shadowy figure grew in size…

…a huge Dragonite dived from the shadows and grabbed onto her in its paw. Amy was hoisted off her feet as the monster gave a loud roar. Screaming in protest, Amy felt a white sphere of light surround her as she Dragonite dived under the lake.

Amy felt dizzy in the clutches of the beast as it swiftly sped through the water. In no time they arrived at a tunnel, and Amy was held close to the creature’s chest as its wings beat furiously and it zipped through.

She looked around as the creature dropped her to the floor. They were in a cavern of sorts, and she was dripping wet. Dragonite stood behind her, like some sort of guardian. Amy looked around.

“C-Can I go?” she asked weakly. Dragonite shook its head.

“Amy,” said a voice. She looked to see who it was.

“Liang!” she cried. “W-What’s going on? What is this place?”

“You need to rest,” he said emptily. “Come with me.”

“Why?” she asked. “What are you going to do to me?”

“Nothing,” he replied. “Now come on.”

Deciding to follow Liang, Amy wandered after him as they walked through to the next room of the cave. Amy saw Dragonite, standing by the water, looking proud despite being soaking wet. As she walked, she felt an odd presence around her as the air got colder…

“Didn’t I see you up in TPML a few hours ago?” she asked. “Do you swim down here all the time?”

Liang ignored her.

“You never fully forgave me,” she said sadly. “After Henry…”

“Shut up,” he snarled, turning on her suddenly. Amy froze in fear, as the look in Aragornbird’s eye was oddly chilling. He gave a brief nod and a soaking rag was suddenly clamped to Amy’s mouth from behind. She smelled chloroform…and as the waves swam up to her nostrils, suddenly all became dark…



Present Day


Meanwhile, in the caves, Becca was pressed against the wall, sweating heavily. Liang pointed a gun between her eyes, while Amy Wolfsong had hers pressed into Liang’s head.

“Amy, I have this taken care of,” growled Liang, without turning around. “Go away.”

Becca watched as Amy nodded calmly, moving the gun from off its pressed position into Liang’s head, and resting it by her side. In a split second, Amy swung her gun-armed hand up, knocking Liang in the neck with the back of the gun and sending him sprawling to the ground.

“You bitch!” Liang cried.

“Amy, let’s go!” Becca said sharply, heading to the water that she emerged from. But Amy turned the other way.

“No,” she said. “We can’t go yet.”

“Why?”

“My Pokeball belt is still here.”

“Where?”

“Deeper in the caves,” she said. “Are you coming?”

“What about Liang?” Becca asked, who was lying on the ground in agony.

“He’ll be ok,” Amy said. “Come on!”

Amy ran up the stone stairs melded into the wall of the cave towards the opening up top. Becca followed precariously, taking Liang’s gun from him first. He made no movement in trying to stop her.

“What has he done to you?” Becca asked. “All this time…”

“He’s not who you think,” Amy warned Becca, without looking at her.

“He’s a bad person,” Becca retorted.

“Why?” Amy asked calmly. “You all thought he murdered me…and I’m alive. So he’s done nothing wrong.”

“How do you… ?”

“He told me,” Amy said. “That he was arrested for my murder.”

“He confessed,” Becca explained. “That’s why we arrested him.”

“So why did you come down here?” Amy asked. “If you believed me dead…and Liang arrested…”

“I saw this tunnel when we ran a search for your body…” Becca said. “And it compelled me to see what was here. I was just starting to accept you might be dead, Amy…but I did stay hopeful.”

Amy flashed a smile at her friend as they turned into the next room. However, when they got here, a Grovyle was standing as a sentry guard, blades charged with feverish energy. It wore a grim look on its face and had dominant male features. Amy saw this, immediately reaching for her Pokeballs, and remembering they were in the next room along.

“Allow me,” Becca said. She threw out a Pokeball and in a flash, Orion the Scizor emerged. Snapping his crimson pincers menacingly, he stared at Grovyle, who was content and reserved. “Skull Bash, go.”

Orion’s wings buzzed and he tore through the air, head tucked down. Grovyle leapt to the side but wasn’t quite capable of evading. Scizor smashed into the Pokemon’s back and sent Grovyle sprawling to the ground.

“Go!” Becca cried. “Get your Pokemon.”

Amy ran to the next room, where a belt lay on a fine, mahogany table. Becca watched Amy pick it up and slip it on as she had Scizor smash Grovyle with a metal claw.

“This Grovyle is pathetic,” Becca noted, recalling Orion.

“It’s Liangs,” Amy said emptily. “Obviously he sent it to guard my Pokeballs…but he hasn’t had it long. It’s weak without its trainer.”

“Let’s just get out of here,” Becca replied. They turned to head back down the staircase to leave the cave, when a sharp cry filled the air. There was a bang, and Amy was hurled down the stairs weakly. Becca turned to see the Grovyle charging another leaf blade, firing it into the womans chest and hurling her down the stairs. She slammed against the hard rock and felt searing pain rush to her head.



Flashback


Amy lay there. Her body was tight. Eyes shut heavily; they did not want to move at all. In a bright flash, the girl’s eyes were torn open of their own accord and she gave a long gasp. She was submerged in water, with tubes leading through her nose and mouth, out of a tight glass coffin and up to the surface.

“W-W-Whaa?” she gurgled. Above her, a dim, murky yellow light was buzzing. It must be the light of the room she was in. Two looming figures could be seen above water. Writhing and squirming, Amy begged for release in muffled gasps. There was a dull clunking sound. Darting her eyes to the left, Amy saw a raising/lowering mechanism lifting the coffin up from the waters.

As she broke the surface, Amy saw only one figure remaining in the room. It was Liang, pulling a lever in the rather dark, cave-like room they were at.

“What did you see?” Liang asked darkly.

“I-I,” Amy gasped. “I-I…”

“Tell me what you saw,” he said.

“W-What are you talking about?” Amy asked. Liang remained silent. “L-Liang? W-Where am I?”

“Back you go,” Liang said in a grim voice, pushing the lever again. A thick grinding was heard as Amy, lying horizontally in the glass coffin, thrashed around inside, screams muffled by the tubes connected to her mouth. As Liangs expression disappeared once the coffin broke the water, Amy felt a curious sensation fill her nostrils and her senses began to falter…



Present Day


New Message: OzAndrew
Re: Latte!
I’ve ordered my Latte AGAIN. Omgz! This service sucks x10! I’m going to the toilet – I think your starter gave me chronic diarrhea. I want my Latte at my PC by the time I’m back.

I sighed as I replied ‘Sorry for the delay’ and sent it to Andrew’s messenger. I re-tied my apron and walked into the kitchen.

“NO YOU CAN’T HAVE YOU JOB BACK, GREGORY!” Chad screamed down the phone. “I DON’T CARE HOW MANY FINGERS YOU’VE LOST - I DON’T CARE!”

He slammed the receiver down.

“Hey…Chris? Hi, yea, it would be AWESOME if you could take this GreaseBurger to MeLoveGhosts on console 4…”

“But he’ll get greasy cheese all over the pc!” I protested.

“Then I’ll pay you EXTRA to clean it up!” he said cheerily. “Ps: Here’s a Latte!”

Balancing MLG’s GreaseBurger on one arm and OzAndrew’s Latte on the other, I wobbled out the kitchen and into the computer area.

“HA!” cried a boy. “According to Serebii Forums Futurama is coming back for Season 5.”

“Awesome!” cried a nerd.

“Tooltastic!” said another.

“I doubt it,” replied a third.

“And it also says,” he read. “The season is a straight-to-DVD-release!”

“Awesome!” cried a nerd.

“Tooltastic!” said another.

“I doubt it,” replied a third.

“Here’s your GreaseBurger, MeLoveGhosts,” I said apprehensively, handing the plate to the busy member. He was looking on a website called ‘Save The UnderUsed!’. He sent me away with a patronizing wave of his hand, so I went to Andrew’s console and placed the Latte down.

Then I saw his computer screen. He had Livejournal on, with a new blog posted called ‘VEEDP!’

VEEDP…the rather odd graffiti on the towers. Did Andrew know something about it? I clicked on the blog link and was given a new page.


Andrew’s Log.

Well it’s finally happened! VEEDP has truly begun to be established in the world of TPML. What is it, you ask?

Well, since I luuuuurve posting my thoughts online…

VEEDP is my Vendetta against Eevees, their Evolutions, Dragons and Pikachu. As the most popular Veteran in the world (winner of the 2006 OzAndrew award for outstanding achievement in OzAndrew. Sponsored by OzAndrew) I think my opinions should be taken into account.

I hate Eevee. I hate their scummy little smiles, their bushy little tails and their constant POPULARITY! Their evolutions are icky. Dragons are way too uuber and I hate them SO MUCH! And Pikachu is a cash cow.

I stole Espeon and Umbreon from those bitches Luna and Solia. I tried getting ransom money off them, to pay The Missing Link’s fines. But they stopped me.

If it wasn’t for those damn kids I would have got all the money…


“What are you doing?” snapped Andrew. My eyes widened and I hastily got out his chair.

“N-Nothing, just…resting,” I uttered. “Deep-Vein-Thrombosis is nasty.”

“Did you see that?” Andrew asked, quickly shutting the window on the computer.

“See what? Oh that? No, no…I really didn’t…see what?” I asked.

“You keep your mouth shut,” Andrew replied. “Right?”

“Right,” I said, looking in the corner of the room. The screens from Andrew’s livejournal blogs were slowly being printed off from the main printer. “Sorry.”

I walked back to the kitchens, not before slipping the paper into my pocket and folding them up.



*


The Absence Tower was quiet. It was always quite quiet in the Absence Tower. Each of the 10 floors was dark, with small, dot-like blue lights on the ceiling. It had an odd, astral feel to it. Dotted around the tower on round pedestals were holograms of people. One resembled Vermillion. Another resembled Mega Horny. Another looked a lot like The Blue Avenger. There was about a dozen on this floor, and in turn, each would speak slowly.

“I have to leave for a few days. My wife gave birth to a baby boy…my baby boy!” said the Vermillion-hologram.

“Apparently my Car’s clamped all the way in Hawaii,” said a TBA-hologram. “I’ll be gone most of tomorrow..”

They played in order of when they were left. Vermillion’s played first because it was the most recent, and the older ones came by in sequence. Once each floor was full, it was the workers job to transfer the holograms down a floor, and the bottom floor, the oldest holograms, were deleted.

A figure stood on a glowing pedestal in the corner of the room, and a blue light began to envelop her. As this happened, a hologram of Karin materialized in the nearest open space of the room. Karin stepped off the pedestal and turned to the control panel. She got out a small penknife and jimmied open the panel, and began typing into the computer. As she changed the coding, the hologram began to change and started to take on the form of The Missing Link.

However, she was not alone. Moments later, Cocoa Sting emerged, bathed in the beautiful blue light.

“Karin?” Cocoa asked amusedly. “Fancy seeing you here.”

“Afternoon, Cocoa,” Karin replied.

“What are you doing?” asked the Head Woman, pacing through the semi-darkness and sliding past cool-blue holograms. “I can barely see you…”

“I’m just here,” Karin said.

“Oh,” Cocoa said suddenly. “Becca seems to have left a message in here.”

“I will be gone for a few days, four at the most,” said the hologram. Unfortunately it still retained Karin’s voice, as she recorded the clip. Cocoa smiled.

“You tried your hardest,” she said slyly.

“I don’t know what you mean,” Karin replied.

“You make me laugh,” replied Cocoa, with a firm loathing in her eyes. “Making an absence message and changing the coding…that’s smart. Pity you didn’t have time to give a reason for Becca’s absence…without that it isn’t even a legitimate message.”

Karin stared at Cocoa.

“You and I…” Cocoa said slowly. “We both know that there are deeper issues at hand. I know you might not like me, and I understand why. I know what happened in the past cannot be changed, but I ask you that you keep a sniveling segment of your dignity left.”

Karin still did not respond.

“The Missing Link is not here. Where she is, I have no idea, and I don’t particularly care. What matters to me is that she is not here, where she should be. The longer she stays away, the higher her penalty.”

“That makes sense,” Karin said.

“But what doesn’t make sense,” Cocoa mused. “Is your unwavering devotion to covering the young vagabond’s tracks.”

“I don’t think it’s fair to punish her,” Karin explained. “And I didn’t think it was fair to fine Razor Leaf, either.”

“Life isn’t fair, Karin,” Cocoa said. “This is a business. These people have jobs and titles with work they have to undertake. I kept you on; I can damn well sure take your moderation away from you.”

She turned to walk away.

“Stop protecting Becca, because she is not worth protecting at all. And remind yourself, because my records are hazy – why did you come to TPML in the first place?”

Karin watched Cocoa leave the tower by the staircase, clenching a fist tightly. She stood in the basking lights of the Absence Tower, deep in thought.



Flashback


“What’s going on?” Amy asked. She was sitting by the small pool-like construction set into the ground of a small, well-lit cavern. Liang was with her. The two were eating.

“She won’t let me tell you,” Liang sighed. “I can’t help it, Amy. I just can’t.”

“So why was I taken?” Amy said nervously.

“Stop asking questions, please,” Liang said quietly. “You probably know more than you realize anyway.”

“Everyone will think I drowned,” Amy said sadly. “They’ll replace me…they’ll have a funeral for me…”

There was a voice from outside.

“Liang, I want a word with you. Now.”

“Sorry,” Liang said, removing himself from the room.

“I thought I made myself clear,” said the voice. “I don’t expect to have to make trips down here.”

“I know,” Liang mumbled.

“They’re onto you,” said the voice. “The evidence is overwhelming. Very clever people here. But don’t worry.”

Amy strained to hear the rest of the conversation but the voices were more hushed. She strained her ears but it was just too difficult. She sighed and continued eating.

“Nothing yet,” Liang replied. “I can’t do it yet.”

“It has to be done,” said the voice. “And the sooner, the easier it is for you. If you fail to do what has been asked of you, then you will pay the consequences.”

Liang returned to the room shortly after. He was shaking slightly, and was very subdued.

“What was that about Liang?” Amy asked.

“Nothing,” he said. “Come on. You need to go back in the chamber.”

“Why?” Amy asked, protesting. “I don’t know anything, Liang!”

“This has to be done,” Liang said slowly.



Present Day


Meanwhile, in the park, The Crystal Syndicate had their daily Syndicate meeting. Sitting in the coils of her Seviper was Crystal, ticking names off on a clipboard. She paused suddenly.

“What’s wrong?” River asked, while deciding where to attach her new Contest Ribbon.

“Roy’s not here,” replied Tsuki.

“He has left us,” Crystal explained. “He was taken to RPG Street, and he wants to stay there.”

“How dare he,” Tsuki said softly. “The Syndicate is too important.”

“I agree, Tsuki,” Crystal said elegantly. “And yet…Roy feels differently.”

“Speaking of which,” River said. “Where is Weasel? And Mr Moogle?”

“Also down RPG Street,” rasped Crystal. “Only three of us remain. The devout members of The Crystal Syndicate must band together if we want to thwart the evil RPGers.”

Suddenly, a sharp sword flew down and struck the earth. A note was attached. Tsuki and River watched excitedly as Crystal took the message off and read it aloud:

Dear Crystal LOSER-cate
We are The Role-Playing Brotherhood, affectionately known as RPB. We have converted two of your Syndicate through our spy, Roy Karade, and plan on taking the rest of you over to the Role-Playing side.

Feeling brave? Neglect our warnings
Soon the Syndicate shall be mourning

Best wishes
Bulbasaur1, Bulbasaur2, Bulbasaur3 and Bulbasaur 4

“Bulbasaur4?” River asked. Crystal Tears searched for the name on her VS Seeker.

Bulbasaur4
Bulbasaur0 was a popular girl who lived in a nice house down RPG Street. However, after a freak cloning accident, she created Bulbasaur 1, 2 and 3. Renaming herself as the fourth member, she began a band of wrong-doers who spread evil through role-playing. Plus, she has a +1 Mace.

“Bulbasaur4, huh?” Crystal Tears asked. “Syndicate, prepare for war.”

The three got in highly energetic poses, with Tsuki perching Venomoth on her arm, and her eerie Banette sitting at her feet. Crystal sat in Seviper still, making a gun with her fingers and pointing it forward. River held her ribbon out fantastically.

“See?” Crystal said. “We would be AWESOME superheroes.”

The other two looked at her.

“What?”



*


Grey locked up the Bank Tower and set off for his home down Falken Street. It was getting late. As he walked through the village, a figure was leaning against The Approval Tower.

“Razor Leaf,” Grey said curiously. “What are you doing?”

“…it’s Daniel,” he replied.

“What are you doing?” asked Grey a second time.

“Thinking,” he said. “Thinking about Cocoa Sting.”

“I see,” Grey replied. “She seemed to enjoy humiliating you at the announcement.”

“She’s a bitch,” Razor Leaf snapped. “She cannot run this place. She’s an awful, awful woman and I will not stand idly by and see this place – this thriving village – get thrown to the dogs because she didn’t like the way Becca did things.”

“I did think Becca was good at the job,” Grey said. “The news about Amy Wolfsong’s murder must have been the straw that broke the camels back.”

“You think so?” Razor Leaf asked sarcastically. “Either way, I’m not happy. And god knows we can’t appeal to the Board – they’re the ones who sent Cocoa here in the first place.”

“What are you suggesting?” Grey asked.

“You can guess,” replied Razor Leaf. “It’s easy enough to explain, Drew. We gather a group of people. Anybody against Cocoa and her reign over this place. And we bring her down from the inside.”

“Bring her down?”

“Take her out, stop her running this place.”

“In what way?”

“We’ll discuss that at a later date,” he said. “But before I can put anything into action I need people at my disposal. I need an army.”

He held his hand out to Grey’s.

“Will you join me? Put aside our feud, put aside our past. Let’s do something incredible.”

Grey eyed Razor Leaf’s hand, in deep thought. As the evening sky darkened the two old friends stood there, one contemplating, one simply waiting. The light in the Rules tower indicated Cocoa was in there.

“I’m sorry,” Grey said. “But I cannot do what you want. I won’t help you. I agree Becca did a good job, but Cocoa is obviously good at what she does, too. She is not an enemy. I know you will achieve your goals, Razor Leaf. You’re a fiery young man who can put his mind to anything and get the results he needs. I just hope you can find paths to your allies when your bridges are burned.”

He walked away into the night.

“Have a good evening, Razor Leaf.”

“It’s Daniel,” he called.

“I know,” replied Grey sadly.



*


Becca opened her eyes to find herself tightly tied up. Her eyes darted around. Amy was nowhere to be seen. Liang held two guns, one in each hand, smirking at her. Becca wriggled to try and escape, but it was in vain.

“Where’s Amy?” she snapped.

“Back where she belongs,” Liang replied. “I was worried for a minute.”

“What are you going to do to me?” asked Becca.

“I’m going to sit you here,” he said slowly. “And every night, I’ll feed you slightly less food, and give you slightly less water. And every other night, I’ll bring someone down here. Someone from your village. And I’ll kill them in front of you. Then, when you can’t take any more pain, I’ll bring Amy, and shoot her last.”

“You’re a sick bastard,” snarled the woman. “Why did you want her?”

“She’s important,” Liang replied. “Very important.”

“And I assume I won’t hear anymore than that?” Becca asked, smirking.

“Not unless she wants me to,” replied Liang.

“Who…Amy?” Becca asked. “Not unless Amy wants you to?”

“Not Amy,” Liang said. “‘Her’.”

“Who?” Becca asked. “Who are you working for? Who put you up to this?”

“Answer me, Liang,” she added firmly.

Liang’s eyes widened and Becca managed to get free from her ropes. She leapt at her captor, who fired two shots wildly through the air. They missed Becca completely. She knocked one gun away which smashed into the wall and broke. Pinning Liang up against a wall of the small cavern she was in, she twisted his arm so that he fired upwards into the ceiling.

“Tell me who you’re working for,” she snapped. “TELL ME!”

Liang kicked her from in front and she stumbled backwards. He took careful aim.

“I’ve already got someone else’s blood on my conscience,” he said grimly. Liang shot at Becca, who was hit in the shoulder and gave a long, sorrowful moan. With her final ounce of strength, she stumbled into Liang and hit him in the face, causing him to drop his gun to the floor. Becca picked it up with oddly sharp reflexes.

“Tell me…” she groaned. “Tell me!”

“No, I can’t,” Liang said. “I can’t tell you. She’ll kill me.”

“I’ll kill you,” replied The Missing Link. “AND I’M HERE NOW!”

“No!” snapped Liang.

“GIVE ME A NAME!” screamed Becca. “GIVE ME A NAME NOW!”

“F-Fine!” Liang cried. The gun was pressed firmly to his heart. “I’ll t-t-tell! Just get that thing away from me.”

Becca nodded, drawing her gun away. Liang looked into her furious eyes, stared at her bleeding wound and gave a somber look to the distant gun across the floor. He took a deep breath.

“I’ll ask you once more,” Becca said quietly. “Who are you working for?”

Liang swallowed.

“Karin,” he replied emptily. “04621.”

“Liar,” Becca said. “WHO ARE YOU WORKING FOR?”

She jabbed the gun to his chest.

“I told you!” he cried. “Karin!”

“Stop feeding me lie upon lie!” screamed Becca. “TELL ME THE TRUTH!”

“It is her!” moaned Liang. “Don’t you think it’s odd? Amy disappears…Karin arrives? Cocoa changes all the moderators around but is apparently satisfied with her job?”

Becca looked wildly at Liang.

“It can’t be Karin…” she said, as she began losing more blood to her gunshot wound. She slumped into the corner, lost completely in thought. “Can it?”

Liang didn’t answer.





Preview for Chapter 24
Coming Soon!

[The_Missing_Link]

Brilliant explanation of VEEDP. I know Andrew hates dragon Pokemon but I'm not sure whether the other ones were made up or completely real

Karin against Rebecca? If it's for real, then why? This is starting to become very interesting

[The Blue Avenger]

O_O

Wait, what? Karin?

That Karin?

Wow. I have to say, I would have never seen that coming. I mean, I know I say that a lot, but wow. Completely unexpected. When Liang mentioned a woman, I automatically assumed Cocoa... not Karin.

On that note, it was good to see, sort of, what happened to Amy. It's still shrouded in mystery, but at least we're making headway into it.

Of course, what a cliffhanger. Anxiously, anxiously awaiting the next chapter.

[Ultimate Charizard]

Now theres a Twist. Although it does now explain why she was so eager to cover up for her absence...hasnt explained why shes so defensive for Razor though.
Was a little confused with all the flashback stuff (had to read it all again) but on the whole pretty good.

And i cant wait to see this whole Crystal Syndicate Vs The RPG Board lol. As long as you dont bunch me in with those Dastardly Role Players, im more freelance lol.

[Ace64]

Kwahahaha! So....Karin did turn against Becca and Amy! But....what is she doing covering for TML? Unless she was covering her own tracks, and didn't count on being walked in by Cocoa Sting. In any case, if Becca is the one behind this devious plot, then Daniel's revolution works perfectly. Daniel and Co. move Sting on out, Karin takes the stage, restores everyone to their rightful positions, and everything is cool again.

Strange...even though Liang put her through hell- it seems Amy doesn't really hold it against him. What's up with that? Liang's the hired help, true, but he does have a choice here. Or does he? What can Karin possibly have over him that would make him do all this to the girl he once liked? Henry's dead, so that's out of the question...

Yay for VEEDP! I should've gotten that... Eevee evolutions is staring you right in the face. But it does make sense, so, uh, kudos.I wonder what Chris will do with that information? Still trying to figure out what 'tooltastic' means...

[Dark Dragonite]

Wow, again Chris. Superb!
I was about to guess Cocoa or Crystal was involved with Amy's disappearance too...
Will Becca make it out of the cave alive?
Will she save Amy from that tank? What is Karin trying to do with the tank?
Questions I look forward to the answers from.

Chris may have some breathing space, now that CS is busy with RPGers...Razor Leaf may find himself joining with a lot of enemies to take Cocoa out, I see a possible Karin-Daniel team up...
If Oz really feels that way, I see me obtaining a few eevee/lutions, and having a battle... ;)

Becca may die, if she doesn't: 1)Kill Liang now, while she has the chance...self defence...2)Get herself, and Amy out, and some medical attention...

[Wolfsong]

It's like almost one in teh morning so apologies if there are a lto of typos ^^; Yeesh. I kinda figured that my character would not have had an easy time, but thiswas nothing like what i had thought about. Then another shocker. At first, I thought that the person Liang was talking about was Cocoa Sting but when it was Karin i was totally caught by surprise. Also, how am I important. I'm not really understandign that litte bit. Anyways, interesting chapter and am definatly curious abotu what happens in the next chapter. Keep up the great work.

[MeLoVeGhOsTs]

Lol, I had a cameo ^^. Hurrah, I'm a fat computer nerd... :p (which is ironic because I am just the opposite ;) )

Anyway, good chapter, VERY good twist of events and I'm eagerly waiting for the next installement!

[Chris 2.1]

Replies!

Becca: Andrew frequently tells me his loathing of all eeveelutions and Eevee itself (see the way an Eevee was killed off in EBTV…shocking). He also despises Pikachu. So I implemented VEEDP!

Glad you’re intrigued.


TBA: Maybe he meant 04622…the one from freak Island?

Cocoa’s more of a saint than you’d think…but watch out for how Becca takes the news about Karin next chapter! As for Amy…yea we saw very little but it’s enough to get your brains whirring. Re-read those flashbacks and you might find more to them than you think! As the plot develops we’ll see more Amy flashbacks.


Ultimate Charizard: Karin is a good friend to Becca but that doesn’t mean she can’t have an agenda. Will she aid Razor Leaf in the fight against Cocoa, perhaps to overthrow her and take over herself? All will be revealed.

Sorry the flashbacks were confusing. The second one particularly was very odd, and I do admit you can’t learn MUCH from it. As I said, if you look deep enough into it you might see some things you didn’t see first time.

Haha The Crystal Syndicate VS RPG will be fun!


Ace64: I’m glad Karin was a shock! You’ve reached a very good conclusion here: what does Karin have that can make Liang do what she wants? Henry is dead…but why was he shot?

Haha VEEDP is solved! Huzzah. But Chris has to take it to someone who matters first. But will Andrew get in his way?


Dark Dragonite: So many questions! Unfortunately each answer spawns so many more questions I can’t say too much! A Karin-Daniel team up is entirely plausible, and I think Daniels revolution will be very entertaining indeed. And Becca needs medical attention…but considering where she is, her chances don’t look good…will she take Liang down while she has the chance?


Wolfsong: Amy’s had it tough, more on that to come! She’s VERY important to everything that’s going on, but it’s difficult to explain how. Try re-reading some of the scenes again!


MLG: You’re not fat….and you’re a bit fan of UU Pokemon judging by the website….how acute!






Chapter 24: Chris 2.0
Becca hatches a plan to rescue Amy and prove Karin’s involvement in the goings on of TPML. Chris confronts Cocoa about Andrew’s Quackman persona but is quickly shot down by the powerful woman. Razor Leaf builds his army but soon realises some people can’t be trusted. Crystal Tears leads her allies into a Role-Playing Battle.

[Blademaster]

KARIN?!!??! SHE'S the one behind all this?!?!?!?!

...Whoa...

And since when does RaZoR LeAf ask ANYONE for help? He must be desperate...

I find it strange that Andrew, the big man on campus, is such a... how can I put this...

...A nimrod? Nice role reversal, lol. :biggrin:

Anyway, I like how theses chapters are short enough so I can actually not space out halfway through them: I think I have ADD or something... :eek:

Anyway, I should go - keep it real, all.

Peace!

-Blade

[MeLoVeGhOsTs]

YAY I'm not fat ^^ Anyway loving UU pokemon is accurate! Good job Chris ;)

[Charizard04621]

Muahahahaha, can't wait to see how this turns out.

[Hyperness is a Good Thing]

YAY! Finally the mystery of VEEDP is explained! ^_~ Ohhhh so Karin's the one behind this? or so it seems...what sort of evil plot twist will you be pulling off the in the next chapter?

*rotfls at the CS vs RPGers battle* That would certainly be an amusing side plot.

[Chris 2.1]

Blademaster: Hmm Razor Leaf's always been an independantly-functioning guy but I think he has changed slightly since the death of his mother. He knows he needs strength in numbers to achieve what he wants.


MLG: Thanks!


Karin: Yea should be interesting!


HIAGT: Next chapter is still really the aftermath of the information we got last chapter. But as always, I'll be providing jaw-dropping twists and turns to keep you on your toes!

And the CS/RPG battle is.....err....interesting, to say the least :)

[darktyranitar]

Karin's behind all this? Chris, you come up with more surprising and unpredicted twist, and I love it!

VEEDP... well, that make sense. And since Chris has uncovered that Andrew is the one behind VEEDP, then what will happen once he report this? And who would join Razor Leaf's army? The way I see it, maybe the ex-moderators will join him.

Something's up with what Liang is doing to Amy in the water coffin thing. Perhaps an experiment of some sort?

[Chris 2.1]

Darktyranitar: Haha! Something I've been saving for a while...I'm glad you enjoyed it. I think VEEDP makes sense when you hear it, but at first, it could mean so many things. Andrew's going to try and ensure Chris can't report anything, but if he manages to or not...you'll have to wait and see!

Experiment? Interesting.



I'm posting mainly to confirm that Chapter 24 (24 chapters ALREADY? Geesh) begins foreshadowing the arrival of the Battle Frontier. It also introduces some unseen characters from ASB. We're going to get some more answers to what Amy's been up to, and we'll see some new locations. Expect other twists and turns, too, as well as a grim reality check for one character in particular!

[RaZoR LeAf]

Oh dear god I'm so behind.. *mass reads three chapters in one go* OH MY GOD!

I'd just like to point out that my mother hasn't actually died, Chris made that bit up, but anyway. OH MY GOD! Did I already say that? Maybe. Karin is evil (actually.. no surprises there.. I battled her for a Gym badge), Razor and Grey might be getting on good terms, Amy's alive, TBA had his leg shaved, and most importantly VEEDP made me laugh out loud.

[Vermillion]

Nice use of throwing in my away time cuz of the kid ^_^, very nice twist with Karin being the big boss of it all. Can't wait for more!

[Chris 2.1]

Dan: LOL. Great reaction. I'm glad VEEDP made you laugh - more on that in Ch24. The chapters have twisted and turned, and even more is to come. One question is answered while bringing up hundreds more questions itself I'm afraid!


Vermillion: Clever, no? :P And yea, Karin....wow!



Side note: Ch24 coming along nicely, setting the tone and context for the rest of the fic. But one pointer:


WHY is it called "Chris 2.0"? Will we finally see more of Freak-Island? :O

[Chris 2.1]

Chapter Twenty-Four
[size=3]Chris 2.0



Becca’s eyes flickered open. Karin stood before her, a gun loaded, pointing right at her head.

“You!” Becca cried. “You traitor!”

“Me?” Karin asked.

“You hired Liang, he kidnapped Amy…he’s keeping her down there and he shot me!” Becca shouted.

“All part of a big picture,” Karin said confidently. “Liang’s just a pawn. Amy’s just a pawn. You’re just a pawn.”

“What do you want out of this?” asked a weak Becca, as she heard reverberating echoes fill the room. She looked around. They were in the Absence Tower, amid glowing blue projections.

“I’ll tell you,” Karin whispered. “But once I do…I’ll have to kill you. Do you still want to know?”

“I’m in enough pain,” Becca sighed. “Tell me and put me out my misery…”

“Very well…” Karin began. As she spoke, Amy stood by her side, looking concerned. She whispered something to Becca.

“You have to…Becca…you have to…come on…Becca…urgent…you have to…”

Becca was jerked awake suddenly. She was in the cave still, and the aching sting from her arm drew focus once again. Looking around, she saw Amy standing over her, shaking her gently. It was dark – the torches on the walls were extinguished.

“Becca?” Amy said. “Come on.”

“W-What?” she said. “Oh…my arm…”

She groaned under the prolonged pain. A large, thick collection of scabbed blood covered most of her shoulder and crusted over her shirt. She had been tied to a large, rocky spire that jutted from the rough floor.

“You must have fallen to sleep from the pain,” Amy mused quietly.

“Usually gunshot wounds keep you awake,” she groaned. “Where’s Liang?”

“Asleep,” Amy replied, pointing to the still figure of the boy, in a wooden dining chair. “He’s keeping watch over you.”

From behind Amy, three little Pokemon emerged. A jade coloured Marill, swinging her balled tail in her paw like a bolo; a little Sandshrew with gleaming eyes, and a Poochyena, standing proudly by Amy’s leg.

“Jade also lulled him to sleep,” she added, smiling. “Stay still. Dusty’s going to cut you free.”

Becca kept rigid as the Sandshrew leapt at her, slashing away the tight, thick ropes binding her. She struggled to get up, needing Amy’s assistance. The Poochyena stepped forward next, closing its eyes. Becca watched as it gave a soft whimper, a barely audible growl that was emitted in bright, periwinkle-blue soundwaves. They wavered up to Becca’s wound and began to meld into the scab, causing it to lose its red colour and heal slowly. The scab sank back beneath the surface of the skin, but Amy ordered her Pokemon to stop.

“What are you doing?” Becca asked.

“Dakota’s not strong enough to use it properly,” Amy admitted. “And not even a full-strength Heal Bell would heal your wound. It needs to be treated properly.”

“Right,” Becca said. “It’s through this way to the water –”

“No,” Amy interrupted. “I’ve found another way out.”

She withdrew a carefully-folded piece of paper from her pocket.

“I stole this from Liang’s pocket,” she said. “It’s a rough drawing of the cave complex. And it shows another way out of here.”

“Really?” Becca asked. She looked and saw an area marked ‘EXIT’ in heavily scribbled pencil at the end of a long corridor. “Well let’s go this way, then.”

Recalling her three Pokemon, Amy led the way out of the caves. Becca released Nightshade the Alakazam, hoping he might help them out of any difficult situations. Amy saw this and released a Houndoom with white speckles all over.

“Yana,” Amy whispered. “Keep an Odor Sleuth up. Tell us if you detect anything.”

The two left the main room where Becca was being kept and ran down a narrow space between two thick walls. Their footsteps clanked as they ran over rough rock, and Becca’s heart began pounding wildly.

“How did you get out?” Becca asked.

“I rolled a Pokeball into the corner of the room before I was tied up,” Amy said. “And when Liang left, my Bayleef came out to help me. You think you had it bad…wait till you see the room I was in.”

“Why don’t you tell me about it?” Becca asked.

“Not now,” Amy said. “Let’s just focus on getting out of here.”

“I can’t believe what Liang said…” Becca mumbled. “If Karin really is behind all of this, we need to sort it out.”

“How?”

“We need evidence,” Becca said. “To implicate her.”

“How can we find evidence?” Amy asked.

“You’re going to have to scour the Archive,” Becca mused, as they continued to run along the tight corridor. “I can’t – I need to get this damn wound tended to. Listen. Head to the Archive but don’t go up Trolgar Mountain – there’s an entrance on the ground. Go to the foot of the mountain and go around the side. There’s a large, forested area around the base. You’ll find a metal door embedded into the side of the mountain. I have my suspicions that all actions are being monitored in TPML…so when it asks for your username, use mine.”

“Ok.”

“Oh, and Amy. It is vital you’re not seen. People think you’re dead.”

The two walked on through the corridors. A lot of time passed beneath the complex, in which Becca wondered about Liang. If he had to write the map down, there was a chance he did not know the place well enough to come after them once he woke. How long would Marill’s song last? Becca knew it lulled Pokemon into a deep sleep…but what about humans?

“It says the exit is straight ahead,” Amy said, after consulting the map. She stared ahead. “But…there’s just a wall here.”

She sighed as her arms dropped to her side.

“This is fake!” she cried. Becca gave a click of her tongue and proceeded to walk forward.

“Get closer,” she said, for they were still many meters from the end. Becca walked to the very end where, embedded into the rock was a thick, metal hatch-like door. It was labeled ‘ESCAPE HATCH’ and had black and yellow hazard stripes around it.

“Oh,” Amy said.

“This is our way out,” she said, wrenching it open. Unfortunately it was jammed tight, so Amy had Yana leap up and sink her teeth down on the lock. It managed to wear it down, but soon an iron tail was swiped up and took the lock clean off.

“Excellent,” Amy said, recalling Yana. “You first, Becca.”

Becca nodded, recalling Nightshade. She began crawling through the thin, horizontal tunnel. It was tight and cold. As she went, she soon saw the other end getting closer. Amy soon followed. Becca found the end and forced herself out of it, landing in a tall, thin tunnel-like corridor, similar to the one on the other side of the escape hatch. But this was comprised of dry earth.

“This is the way out?” Amy asked. Up ahead was a slow-winding spiral staircase made of a worn rock, winding up this earthy shaft. Becca stared up.

“It must be,” she said, sighing. “This is all we have.”


*

A familiar scene was unfolding in the village square. Cocoa Sting stood at her podium, addressing the members of TPML. Behind her was an army of about thirty armed guards. They wore black and carried rifles.

“…and due to Elitos’ murder, I have begun implementing new, stringent security measures that will eliminate any threats you feel you may face in the village,” she said proudly. “These guards are monitoring the village 24/7, and should you find anything troubling, do not hesitate to talk to them.”

Each guard released a Pokeball, and a group of blue Metang emerged, hovering above the crowd with their chunky, metal arms and long noses. They emitted odd noises as they hovered around.

“Furthermore, these Metang will be patrolling the village for any wrong-doings. They have the power to read minds and will not hesitate to do so if they feel they are being lied to. They will report to me.”

Gasps were audible through the village. Razor Leaf watched with disgust. Also in the crowd was Karin, folding her arms and furrowing her brow.

“These new, harshly implemented measures may seem threatening but I assure you, that is not the point at all. I wish to stamp down on the villainous characters in our village. Henry’s death reminds us that there exists an evil in this community and I will not tolerate it.”

She cleared her throat.

“In other news,” she said. “Since The Missing Link’s regime as Head Woman of The Pokemon Masters League ended, the population in the village has begun to increase after many were driven away. I am delighted to announce that TPML Village 04621 is hosting The Frontier Brains Trust over the next few weeks!”

Upon these words, the crowd’s reaction got stronger. Some gave excited cries and stared at Cocoa with intent, while other shrugged their shoulders in a vain attempt to be happy at the news.

“The Frontier Brains,” Cocoa went on. “Are a group of seven extremely strong trainers that tour around the world’s TPML communities. Since the league is approaching soon, they are coming through our village for a while. They will set up their arenas all around the village, and once that is done, you will be free to challenge them like any other trainer. They are very strong, and I advise you to battle them with caution. Proof of your victory is presented in the form of a small, golden badge. They all specialize in varying elements of battle, and will test your skills. I hope you enjoy your time in TPML and when the Brains arrive, you treat them with respect. Goodbye for now.”

As Cocoa left the stage, a raucous cheer filled the air and she smiled fondly. Her team of moderators met her, minus The Missing Link.

“How is everything going?” she asked importantly, walking to her office. The moderators trailed behind her.

“Reffings are still efficient,” Knight of Time said, and when Cocoa nodded, he peeled off into the village.

“Businesses are running smoothly except the Trading Club, which has been locked for a while now,” Dark Dragonite mused.

“That’s because The Missing Link is a lazy, incompetent person,” Cocoa snarled. “Steve, I want you to send her a message on her VS Seeker informing her that she will be demoded if she does not open the business soon.”

“Yes Miss,” Dark Dragonite said.

“My name is Cocoa,” she replied, still not staring back. “I’m not your teacher.”

“Sorry Cocoa,” he replied, walking off. Cocoa, an armed guard, a Metang, Grey and Karin walked into the foyer of the Rules Tower.

“The Autumn Contest is scheduled for during the league,” Karin said firmly.

“During?” Cocoa asked. “What if people enter both?”

“The Contest only lasts one afternoon,” Karin went on. “So we can schedule it accordingly.”

“Fine,” Cocoa mumbled, and Karin walked away, clenching a fist as she went. She shot a dark look towards Cocoa as Grey began informing her of his updates.

“I have begun updating the bank accounts for this month,” Grey began, but was soon cut short by Cocoa.

“This month?” she asked. “Grey what did I tell you? I want the bank updated every week from now on.”

Grey frowned.

“I know you said that,” he replied calmly. “But if I update it every week that means I need to spend most days in the Bank. What about training for the league? What about my free time? I’ll have none.”

“Such is the life of a Moderator,” Cocoa said airily. “You moderate. THAT is your priority. I’ll be checking your updates to make sure they are frequent.”

Grey stood there and watched Cocoa, feeling sudden anger rising in his chest. It was an anger he had lay dormant for some time, but found his tolerance waning in wake of the woman’s rudeness.

“Of course,” he mustered. “Good-day.”

Although as he walked away, it was clear these were not his intentions at all.


*

Jenny was making excellent progress. That’s what she told me last night anyway. But in a letter from Dr Drummond-Bones, the aforementioned fruitcake expressed some concerns in keeping her at Jolly Japes for too long.

“If she feels this place is secure,” his letter read. “Then staying here too long will convince her it is the only place she will feel secure.”

It was decided she would have two more sessions there. At visiting, where she was tightly encased in itchy woolen bedspreads, she told me she was scared and confused. I told her I would be there for her.

Her vulnerable side was much more visible…and it made me see a part of her I never really saw before. Usually she was egotistical and loud, but she felt more like a human now than she ever did when we started dating.

These thoughts ran through my head as I sat in The Chunky Clefable café, OzAndrew’s internet confession in my pocket. As soon as I ate my food, I was going to report this startling revelation to Becca.

Or…that was the plan originally. Some new woman was drafted in, and I missed her big important speech thing. I heard from a newly returned Mega Horny, however, that The Frontier Brains Trust was coming to the village very soon. So, as I waited for my toasted sandwich and salad, I was quite surprised when a figure slipped into one of the seats opposite me.

“ARVEN!” cried a chef-like man, running through the cafe. “WHERE ARE YOU, ARVEN?”

I shrugged and diverted my attention to the man at my table. He had strikingly straw-like hair over his head. He took his shades off to reveal handsome eyes. On the whole, this stranger was giving me a business man sort of vibe. He extended a firm hand for me to shake.

“Chris, right?” he asked.

“Brit Chris,” I corrected him. Man that name sucked! I really hated it.

“My name is Mr Ecks,” he replied smoothly. “I understand you were partially involved with the disappearance of Amy Wolfsong?”

“Oh,” I said. “That.”

“Yes, that,” replied Mr Ecks. “I wanted to talk to you about it.”

“Now’s not a good time,” I said, feeling slightly pressured by this man. I began stuffing my food in my mouth. “Why do you whont to knohw?”

“I want to know the truth behind her disappearance,” he snarled. “Because justice needs to be served.”

“Well,” I said, cramming the last chip in my mouth. I’m not sure why, but this man freaked me out. “I’m realhy shorry but I realhy need to go.”

I got out my chair and ran out the café. Mr Ecks watched me go, disappearing down BT Street. He raised an eyebrow and slipped his shades on, preparing to leave. He was stopped by a Clefable waitressing.

“Fable!” she cooed, handing him a bill.

“Oh,” he replied. “No, no…it was that guy – that one there – he got the food. I haven’t bought anything.”

“Fable! Fable!” she protested, jabbing Mr Ecks in the side.

“Fine,” he said, getting his wallet out. His eyes were fixed on me as I ran through the village desperate to get away from this eerie man. The experience of seeing Amy get dragged to her death was traumatic enough without having to tell it to any sneaky investigators around.


*

Razor Leaf stood proudly before a small group of people and their Pokemon. They met at Sunshine Meadows, overlooking the TPML Village. With him were various members of TPML.

“So,” Razor Leaf said snidely, arms folded. “You all know why we’re here.”

There was a general murmur.

“A woman is in charge here,” he began moodily. “And she has no idea what she is doing. This vessel that is our lives – our goals is being steered right into an iceberg. The way Dark Dragonite is running the Businesses; we’ll be back to the old days of people ignoring the league to set new ventures up.”

“How do we know that?” said a voice. It was Elec Man, a veteran who had led a quiet life in TPML since the ‘old days’, as they were known. At only 19, he was younger than Razor Leaf, but had no problem addressing him. A Glalie hovered by his side.

“Know what, Nate?” sneered Razor Leaf.

“That Dark Dragonite is a bad Business Mod?” he added. “He’s had the job for mere days.”

“Good point,” argued The Blue Avenger, today wearing a red fez hat. He looked utterly ridiculous.

“I know,” Razor Leaf replied. “Because I saw his original application for moderating all those months ago. He applied for my job but didn’t get it. And when he was asked what he wanted to achieve – oh forget it, I’ll get a copy of it from the archive.”

“You’ll need moderator access,” TBA reminded him.

“That’s where Kyle comes in handy,” said Razor Leaf, turning to Knight of Time. He was clutching a little Squirtle happily, and a crimson Sceptile stood by his side. “Kyle’s the only one among us who is a moderator. He can do it for us.”

“I can’t do that,” he replied earnestly. “It’s logged. Cocoa will know I accessed those files. She’ll ask questions.”

“Then lie your way out of it,” replied the bitter veteran. “Honestly…”

“Listen to me,” Kyle replied, grabbing Razor Leaf’s collar. “I don’t want to be a traitor. I know Cocoa is leading the League into dark waters but I refuse to stab her in the back.”

“Kyle,” Razor Leaf replied calmly, as he removed Kyle’s grip. “I like your contained fury. I like your attitude. But if you join us, you’re a backstabber to the authorities. It just begs the question if you are to be a back stabber, will you make a difference, or will it be a petty, unjust effort?”

Kyle frowned.

“I’ll have a look,” he said.

“I’ll come with you,” replied Razor Leaf. He addressed the group, including Vermillion, who had baby vomit over a Led Zepplin T-Shirt. His Vigoroth stood proudly by his side. Also among the group was Mega Horny, who seemed to have resurfaced, and the mysterious member Ice Man, who’s Ditto had transformed into a Taillow and sat on his shoulder keenly.

Suddenly, a figure walked towards them. It was Grey. Razor Leaf watched him come closer, a grin on his face. Grey’s awkwardness at seeing Razor Leaf following their recent conversation had ebbed away. He strode with purpose.

“Look who it is,” Razor Leaf said, smirking. “What do you want, Grey?”

“To forge an alignment with you,” he sighed. “Cocoa Sting is going to make my workload unbearable. I don’t appreciate her ways of doing things and I know why you want to oppose her.”

He held a hand out.

“Tell that guy where to go!” Mega Horny cried. “Isn’t that the guy who lived in a theatre?”

“You zip it,” Razor Leaf snapped. “And do not disrespect this man.”

Razor Leaf shook the hand firmly and looked into Grey’s eyes. Both shared a passionate build of feverish energy as their status as people began to rebuild itself. The former teacher and student gave a nod to each other, and Razor Leaf turned to the group.

“A nasty infection is running this place,” he snarled. “But we – The Antibodies – will fight off this Sting and become immune to her ways. Who is with me?”

Daniel did nothing but grin as a wave of cheers and roars washed over him. Little did he realize a figure watched from a safe distance, a Gengar aiding his ability to cloak and blend into the shadows. With a Mohawk, long trench coat and athletic build, Dark Dragonite got his phone out.

“Cocoa?” he said. “I have news for you.”


*

Sitting at Tranquil Shores, I watched as Cacturne chased the group around, firing needles all over the place. Mankey was hit and pretended to die a horrible, dramatic death, while Electabuzz dodged and Poliwhirl leapt out the way.

“You ok?” I asked Sneasel. He rolled his eyes. Unfolding Andrew’s confession, I looked at it again. And again. Minutes passed by as I saw through the words and began asking myself what to do.

Was it my job to tell on him? Should I report him? Behind the angry screaming, I saw a sliver of fear in his eyes at the Deus XP Machina Café. I didn’t know what to do. He was trying to pay off his debts, which was fair enough…and nobody was hurt…yet. So was it ok?

I shouted out in anger and my Pokemon looked around. I knew what I had to do. Cacturne looked around, only for Electabuzz to leap at him. Making his spikes shoot out a few more inches, Cacturne cackled as Electabuzz fell to the ground in pain. Magmar walked over to me.

“You know what to do,” I said, as I crumpled the confession into a paper ball. I threw it at my spitfire Pokemon, who opened his mouth and blasted a stream of flames out. The flaming paper began shrinking under the flames, lying there in the sand, and I as I watched it burn, I convinced myself I was doing the right thing.

“Return, guys,” I said, shooting Pokeball beams all around. “I’m off to the Approval Tower.”

It was time to say goodbye to Brit Chris. And say hello to the second generation of Chris-ness. Only trouble is…what was I going to call myself? Maybe Chris, Version 2? ChrisV2? Hmmm…it had to be something much better than that…

…after half an hour of form filling, I left the Rules Tower as Chris 2.0. I guess my well of creativity has truly run dry.


*

Meanwhile, down RPG Street, Bulbasaurs 1-4, Roy Karrde and Tsukasa stood proudly. Roy brandished his sword, Tsukasa a bow and arrow, and the various Bulbasaur0 clones all held various maces, axes and hammers.

“Here they come,” Tsukasa cried. “Get ready.”

And, true to their word, the remnants of The Crystal Syndicate wandered over the hill and down the incredibly dull-looking street, with pock-marked walls and battered brick houses.

“I don’t see Weasel or Moogle,” River said apprehensively, Surskit on her shoulder. Tsuki held Banette under her arm. He looked irritated. Crystal Tears had Pichu on her head and a ghostly Ninetales stalking beside her.

“Welcome,” Roy boomed.

“You traitor,” Tsuki whispered.

“Where are our Syndicate members?” asked Crystal.

“Right with you,” Bulbasaur1 said.

“As Weasel and Mr Moogle are now members of The Role-Playing Brotherhood,” Bulbasaur2 replied, smirking.

“Now Syndicate,” Bulbasaur3 carried on.

“Meet your demise!” cried the fourth. “BROTHERHOOD! CHARGE!”

“Syndicate!” Crystal Tears cried. “Erm…RETORT!”

It was utter pandemonium. As Bulbasaur2 swung an axe, River and Surskit leapt out the way, the latter blasting a supersonic blast of water into the foe. The woman was hurled into the side of a house and groaned in pain.

“Tsuki!” River cried. “Behind you!”

Tsuki looked as an arrow sank into her leg. She gave a long moan on pain and grabbed Banette.

“GET THEM!” she screamed, hurling the plush demon into the air. As she lay wounded, Banette created a shadow ball and hurled it towards Roy, who slashed it away with his sword. Banette growled and snapped, charging an electric pulse and zapping Tsukasa. She flew back but regained her posture.

“Ninetales,” Crystal said. “Will-O-Wisp!”

As a huge ball of glowing violet flames swept down the street, Bulbasaur4 rolled under and smashed a hammer into Surskit, who was sent reeling through the air. River ordered an agility, and the speedy pondskater zipped across the ground, firing an assault of hard bubbles through the air.

“Banette!” Tsuki moaned, releasing her Venomoth. “CURSE!”

Banette trotted across the battlefield as Roy was sent reeling by a tackle from Venomoth. He swiped at the foe but a gust sent his sword flying out of the way. He stood there stupidly as a jet of water smashed into him.

Meanwhile, Bulbasaur4, the original of the four clones, found herself struggling with pain as Banette delved into her body. As a feverish yellow glow took over her body, she picked up a fallen mace and swung it wildly into Bulbasaur2’s side, causing a loud scream to piece the air.

“Venomoth! Stun spore and gust!” Tsuki groaned. Surskit began speeding back to River, and Ninetales began preparing a flame as yellow pollen was sprinkled across the battlefield. Roy began coughing wildly – Tsuki’s Poliwag used thief to steal his inhaler and his asthma was worsening by the minute.

“Brotherhood!" Tsukasa shouted, as Bulbasaur4 began clubbing her horrifically. “ARGH! ARGH!”

Screams filled the air. Roy was sprawled on the floor, and as Banette swept out of Bulbasaur4’s body, all that remained was a gibbering vegetable. The three clones were bloodied and bruised, and as the stun spore kicked in, the six of them were motionless as Ninetales fired off a brutal onslaught of horrid flame.

“Crystal!” River cried fearfully.

“They’re…hurt enough,” gasped Tsuki. Flames erupted all around and an explosion ensued. Screams and roars were emitted from the bodies as the Crystal Syndicate watched on, somewhat coldly.

“Ok!” a voice said. “End RP!”

There was a bright white flash, and the battered, scorched, beaten street turned back into a normal street much like Falken Street. Neat houses were leading down the street, the sun was gleaming brightly, and the fallen members of the Role-Playing Brotherhood got up. Except the Bulbasaur’s.

“You’re…ok?” River asked.

“My leg!” Tsuki cried. “It’s ok!”

“That was Role-Play,” Roy said. “What…you think we’d use real swords? You think we’d let you attack us like that?”

“We have psyonic simulators installed around the perimeters of the street,” Tsukasa explained.

“Although you did trigger my asthma,” Roy mumbled.

“That was the point,” Crystal said coldly. She looked at Bulbasaur4. “What happened to her?”

“Banette must have actually possessed her,” Tsukasa noted. “And the clones were all slightly…how should I say this…joined by Bulbasaur4’s brain. They shared a bond through their minds. I think since you actually destroyed Bulbasaur4 mentally…her clones don’t know what to do.”

Bulbasaur1 was seen walking constantly into a wall, groaning as blood wept from a graze on her temple.

“That was fun,” Tsukasa said.

“So where’s Weasel? And Moogle?” Crystal asked.

“They’re staying,” Roy replied darkly. “That wasn’t part of the Role-Playing. They’re one of us now. So am I.”

“Come on,” Tsuki mumbled to Crystal. “Let’s just…let’s just go.”

Crystal sighed to herself, and led her two troops back from the street. They recalled their Pokemon, Banette particularly feisty upon having consumed Bulbasaur4’s soul. Crystal saw River and Tsuki share a knowing look as they wandered back into the main part of the village.


*

Meanwhile, Becca and Amy were naring the top of the staircase they were at. Becca’s heart soared knowing that Amy was safe, and returning her to the village would only bring about good things.

“I mean, people upset that I hid your ‘murder’ from them will have to take it back,” she explained. “I can say I hid it because I thought you might be alive. And Cocoa can head back to The Board, and everything will be good again.”

“I suppose,” Amy wondered.

“Amy,” Becca added. “I was joking. Nobody will care that I had suspicions.”

“Oh,” replied a crestfallen Amy.

“We’re here,” Becca said. “At the top of the stairs.”

Set at a 45-degree angle into the wall was a thick metal door similar to the one at the archive. There was an old, worn lock on it which Becca soon managed to twist and snap. The two released Yana and Nightshade again as they stepped out of the caves.

It was darkening, and the cool air struck their faces instantly. Crickets chirped in the grass and stars twinkled overhead.

“We’re on the other side of Ivy Lake,” Amy said.

“The Archive’s not far from here,” Becca said. “Amy, head through that clearing and bear north. Keep going. You’ll get to the archive.”

“What about you?” Amy asked.

“I’ll head round the lake and to my house,” Becca replied. “Need to get this wound tended to.”

“How will you get it sorted?”

“A friend of mine,” Becca said. “She’s a trainee nurse at Jolly Japes. I’ll call her round. She won’t ask questions.”

“Ok,” Amy said. “Well…Becca…”

“Take care,” Becca said, embracing her friend tightly. “I’d come with you, you know that…but I can’t. Just scour the archives. Check the most recent floors and be thorough. Please be thorough. We need to get something to implicate Karin.”

“I know,” Amy replied.

"Here's your VS Seeker," Becca said, handing the cracked device to its owner. "I've been looking after it for you. I'll contact you when it's ok to come to mine."

Amy nodded.

“I’m so glad you’re alive,” Becca added. “So, so glad.”

Amy nodded a second time, more feverently, a tear in her eye. She wiped it away.

“Go! Go!” Becca hissed.

As she turned to leave, she watched her friend Amy Wolfsong run through the overgrown path with Yana the Houndoom. The two ran on, the fresh air feeling good to Amy. As she ran, flashes of her time in the caves began haunting her as she remembered the chilling feeling of being buried alive…underwater.

The sinking plunge, the gasp for release…fingernails scraping the glass coffin as she tried in vain to get out of her confinement. Shuddering, the girl ran on. As she went, Becca turned on a VS Seeker she pulled from her pocket. As it was turned on, it displayed details.

Owner: Liang Armithwaite
AKA: Aragornbird

“I’ll get the truth somehow,” Becca murmured. She turned and headed off into the foresty Ivy Woods.


*

“Whoa,” Crystal gasped. The three sat on a grassy knoll overlooking the village, near Sunshine Meadows. “That was immense.”

River cleared her throat.

“Crystal?”

“…I mean, I wanted to inflict so much pain on Roy…when those flames engulfed his bony behind I gave a grim smile of glee! My eyes widened in gloated joy as screams pierced the air…”

“Crystal?” River said again.

“…the power, the glory! The feeling of balancing things out – this sort of thing is legal, it must be…”

“I’m leaving the Syndicate!” River cried. Crystal paused and looked at her.

“What?”

“I’m leaving,” she repeated. “Crystal, I want to be a coordinator. You know that. The Grand Festival is soon, and I have enough ribbons to enter! While everyone else is gathering their last ribbons I can make my way down there and train! I want to be the best!”

“You can’t go!” retorted Crystal.

“I can,” River snapped. “You’re my sister. I don’t need to attach myself to you! I love you. I love you so much, but it’s hurting me having to sacrifice what I want! Let me leave and pursue my goals, achieve my dreams and fulfill my aspirations!”

Crystal stared at her sister.

“Fine. Where is it?”

“Chicago.”

“WHAT?” cried Crystal. “You’ll be in Chicago?”

“I love you,” River replied, kissing her sister on the cheek. “But I need to pack. I’ll see you soon, so soon I promise. Come and see me perform!”

“I might,” Crystal said coldly.

“I’ll call you when I get there!” River cried, tearing off down the grassy slope. Her Voltorb rolled alongside her, but soon built up too much speed and began to selfdestruct. A huge gaping crater was left at the foot of the hill, with River sitting in it awkwardly.

“Well, Tsuki,” Crystal said. “Just you and –”

A letter lay in the grass. Wondering where Tsuki was, Crystal opened it up and read the letter.


Dear Crystal,

I, too, aspire to leave this village. I’m the head of a small cult called The Tsukian’s (initially a small side project…) and it’s begun snowballing more and more. Now I have to head down to France to lead a revolution against…well…anyone who dares oppose us!

I might visit you soon. If I make it out alive. Even then, I will be considered something of a deity among mortals.

All the best
Tsuki x


“Not you, too,” Crystal muttered, tearing up the letter. “NO! TSUKI NO!”

She began shredding the letter wildly and hammering the ground with her fists.

“NO! NO! NO! TSUKI NO! RIVER DON’T! NO!”

Tears streamed down her face. Crystal lay sobbing in the grass, remnants of the letter scattered around her like tiny fragments. After some time there, she got up, walking across the village square. She received a few looks as she dried her tears. There was a small building in the main village where you could buy a small locker to store things in. They were call ‘Val-U-Keeps’ and were very popular.

Crystal went to her locker, opened it up, and removed a variety of things from inside. She shut it, locked it and pocketed the key before heading to BT Street with an assortment of things under her arm.

“Come one, come all!” she cried, standing before a collapsible table. “Crystal’s Cryptic Cups! Step up folks! Win double what you pay in a game so easy…”

This is for the best, she thought to herself. It’s the only way.

“…a game so easy a Slowpoke could saunter through it! And it’s happened before folks!”

“Sounds good!” a man said. “I’ll bet £10.”

Crystal forced a convincing grin as she screamed inside.


*

A variety of spandex yellow clothes lay in a nearby dumpster as OzAndrew walked through the time. A Jynx waddled beside him, wearing a female powersuit. She had powerful red lipstick on.

“No money,” he growled. “A huge fine that stinking The stinking Missing stinking Link gave me for leaping off that stinking Tower!”

Jynx garbled in his ear.

“Err I know I’m not letting you go,” he snapped. “Look, I hired you as my Lawyer because you were the best I could afford with the money I had. Ok!! This Quackman thing’s going to snowball and I’m gonna have to find another way to get money out of people.”

He paused.

“Oh yea, and I caught you in a Pokeball because…well, I can,” he rasped. “So you’re on my team.”

Jynx rolled her eyes. Andrew, however, paused outside a familiar-looking shop down a back alley of Falken Street. It was small and square, with a prawn on the front wearing a top-hat and monacle.

“Of course…” he said, wandering in. Jynx followed, looking positively scared with the surroundings. This was the King Prawn Pawn Shop, and Andrew was something of a regular here. A shaky, thin man sat behind the counter.

“A-A-A-Andrew!” he chirped.

“Mister McPrawn,” replied Andrew.

“Any more P-Pokemon to sell us?” he asked. “T-That Yanma…she was very good. A-And the Ma-Mawile, t-too!”

“None today McPrawn,” Andrew replied.

“I-I-Is that your g-g-girlfriend?” asked McPrawn, straightening his tie. He spat on his hand and used it to smooth this thin graying hair over his bald spot.

“This is a Jynx,” replied Andrew. “Hey, Mrs Justice, use flash!”

Jynx lifted her skirt. McPrawn gave a long, garbled, over-dramatic squeal.

“Stop!” he cried. “W-W-What do you want?”

“I want to know,” Andrew replied sneakily. “How much you’d give me for an official Battle Frontier Symbol.”

He gave McPrawn a devious look as he turned to a noticeboard on the wall, with a flier advertising The Frontier Brains Trust.






Chapter 25 - Salon Maiden Annabel
Chris finds work at The Deux Ex Machina stressful due to the amount of ‘Smiles’, and is soon dragged back into the Amy-Becca-Liang situation when things really start to heat up. Annabel opens up The Battle Tower, but who will be brave enough to challenge her first? Jenny helps Chris forge an important connection to past events, and Cocoa takes care of The Antibodies.

[The Blue Avenger]

That was... very chaotic. You had quite a bit going on in one chapter, and thet helped keep the pace really quick for the entirety, something I would imagine to be difficult to do.

I wasn't expecting Crystal to get deserted by her entire team, but it does make sense, the way it happened. It'll be interesting to see how far swindling gets her again.

I actually groaned out loud when I read the Antibodies' name. That was a nice pun; well done. It looks to be a good group of characters, and I'm curious as to how they'll affect the plot in the future.

The bit about Arven gave me a laugh, as did Ecks being stuck with the tab.

And of course the next chapter looks like it'll be interesting - Andrew in the Battle Tower will definitely be worth seeing, and I also want to see where the Amy/Chris/Becca plot goes.

Eagerly awaiting the next chapter.

[Ace64]

Wow. I find it rather ironic that Chris, the protagonist of the fic, actually changes not because of his own actions, but because of flat, boring Jenny from Chapter One. Seriously, wouldathunkit. Nothing's wrong with that, though. The fact that we've seen Jenny flesh out from 'the girlfriend' into who she is now is pretty impressive. It's interesting (and slightly gross) that rape has given both of them a new perspective, and seems to be bringing them together.

Heh..Know what, Nate? Nate's a funny name, that linemade me laugh for some strange reason. Unless Elec's name really is Nate, whereas I think it's just fine. I wonder what DD's aspirations were? Hmm.

[Blademaster]

Interesting - crazy, but interesting...

I'm glad Becca and Amy managed to escape, but what about Liang and Karin? And why do I think Cocoa is tied into all of this somehow?

I'm kinda glad the Crystal Syndicate is gone, to be honest - there's too much other stuff to follow in this story without having to worry about them, too...

I laughed at Ecks getting stuck footing Chris' bill, too, as well as the whole Jynx thing.

"Jynx, use Flash!" :rotfl:

Classic!

-Blade

[MeLoVeGhOsTs]

A good chapter Chris. You got rid of a some good side-plots of the past and replaced with some new ones. The Crystal Syndicate being one of them. Tsuki, River, etc. have played their roles (and might play them again later). It's a bit sad for CT to loose her team, but yeah that's life.

Speaking of bringing new elements into the fic: the Antibodies are pretty nifty. Grey and Dan on the same side, who could have guessed. MH's return is pretty cool, he's like the arrogant little trainer trying to put himself in a good position, awesome.

The whole Liang-Amy-Becca thing is finally coming close. Let's just hope it gets settled before the League starts.

DD seems to be quite the guy. I'm loving how he's for Cocoa and not against her. I'm sensing two parties getting into a big fight, but before that happens the Antidotes will be long disbounded by Cocoa. A shame.

Lol at the whole Andrew thingy. Jynx is awesome.

I wonder if I'll be sitting in the computer shop for the rest of the fic or if I'll be doing anything else ^^ (Hurrah for UU!)

Eagerly awaiting the Frontier Brains AND the new chapter! Nice work Chris.

[Elec Man EXE]

My name is funny, thats... cool I guess :wink:

And yes, thats my real name :p

Anyone care to tell me how much of this is a continuing storyline and whatnot? So far I've read back about 5 episodes (figured I better read it if I'm going to be in it, heh), but unless there's something really important to the current story I won't rush to keep reading backwards unless I manage to get a lot of spare time.

[Chris 2.1]

TBA: Quite an unexpectedly big chapter I must admit. It was chaotic but I do agree things seemed to flow well enough. I mixed the scenes around to decide which order was best...I notice with this fic particularly I spend as much time planning as I do writing! I finished the Chapter at about 11AM today (I had the day off College) and have spent till now (10PM) mainly planning the next chapter. Not entirely of course. But mainly.

Looks like Crystal is back to her roots again. Like I said. But it's important to realize she wanted power most of all, and when the Syndicate became more than a bit of fun, it fell apart.

Antibodies = best pun of my life. Haha I figured Razor Leaf would want something clever like that. Those characters IN the Antibodies will get more development as they'll be featured more and more.

Next Chapter should be good. I'm looking forward to giving the Brains some character. Chris has been, surprisingly, a background character really. The main action has dealt with Becca/Amy/Liang and now it's time to see the relevance of Chris watching Amy get taken. He's being dragged right back into the action!



Ace64: The adult theme of child molestation seems to have brought more dimension to the characters. Chris and Jenny begin to discuss even more problems next chapter when the consequences of the rape come to light. It's going to keep Jenny down this character-driven storyline that I enjoy writing about.

And Nate is short for Nathan or Nathaniel. Usually.



Blademaster: I agree I'm juggling a lot. There were a lot of smaller subplots at one point and now the big picture is coming into play the small plots are depleting themselves. Quackman has pretty much gone, The Crystal Syndicate storyline is gone too, but both characters are still featured.

In fact Andrew's going to have a BRILLIANT plot during the Battle Frontier. I can't wait to start writing it!

Andrew's Jynx, self-titled Mrs Justice, is his new Lawyer/Stroke Pokemon. Lol!

Thanks for the reply!



MLG: It's debatable whether Tsuki or River will come back. Maybe they will. I'm still unsure. MH has a small role but I think he always aspires to be more popular than he is. He made a bad move with his comment about Grey though! Razor Leaf and Grey may be united but their morals are the same, and their conflict against a common enemy will fuel some of the storylines for The Antibodies.

Hmm yea I think most of the storylines will be tied up before the League. Some will remain however. The action will heat up a lot more over the next few chapters!

The fic will HOPEFULLY reach 40 Chapters. Incuding the league that is.

DD is a snitch. And a suckup. But why? That's something I want to explore. He's Cocoa's sidekick at the moment and the only loyal Moderator by the looks of things. But that is soon to change!

MLG will be featured in a few parts.


Elec Man EXE: I'd read the whole thing. You might catch some things my long-term readers have long forgotten about...



Edit: Ch25's going to be huge :-/

Oh and Henry's death is very important. Don't think I've forgotten about it.

[Wolfsong]

Wow, great chapter. There were a lot of different things happening but it all worked out nicely. I'm glad to see that Becca and my character managed to escape. I chuckled in several places. I have a feeling something is going to happen at the archives. Keep up the great work. ^^

[Charizard04621]

Jynx, flash! Oh wow, I am emotionally scarred for life.

Interesting chapter, lots of stuff going on... I'll wait for more.

[Ultimate Charizard]

“I-I-Is that your g-g-girlfriend?” asked McPrawn, straightening his tie. He spat on his hand and used it to smooth this thin graying hair over his bald spot.

“This is a Jynx,” replied Andrew.

Best Quote Ever.

That was a busy chapter. Lotsa things going on though i have to say the whole RPG thing was...wierd, and a bit of a let down after all the hype lol (and i still wasnt in it grrrrrr lol)
But yeah more good work. Just dont keep us waiting so long for more ;) lol

[Elec Man EXE]

Well.... I finally read through every last chapter. Phew.

Good stuff though, glad I did. Quite a lot of interesting turns of events.

I don't think I managed to predict anything except there being a Milotic in the lake.

Oh, and to reply to the question posed a while back about a possible sequel in a different village/city... eh, I dunno if it would have the same effect. I don't particularly enjoy fanfics most of the time, but I do like this one mostly because I know (most of) the characters in one way or another. Gives it a sense of familiarity which I like.

If you went and made it with a bunch of completely made up characters.... I dunno.

[Charles Legend]

“I-I-Is that your g-g-girlfriend?” asked McPrawn
“This is a Jynx,” replied Andrew.
“Hey, Mrs Justice, use flash!”
Jynx lifted her skirt. McPrawn gave a long, garbled, over-dramatic squeal.
“Stop!” he cried. “W-W-What do you want?”

LOL now that's one hell of a flash! *Gets Squeezed to death by a Seviper owned by a young woman* is Charles a lucky guy or what? ;) or would you rather turn Charles in to a bloody mass of Regiooze Chris?

anyways nice chapter over all. I see Becca and Amy got out, but I have a felling that they have not seen the last of Liang or are out of total danger as of yet. Why do I get the felling Amy well be spotted if so I wonder by whom maybe by the new Security. If so dose anyone see them attacking her and come to her aid? maybe a cretin dragon trainer who doing a bit of research in the archives, before he goes off to challenge a brain. ;)

~Charles Legend

[Chris 2.1]

Amy: Hey! Yea Amy sucessfully escaped....or did she? All will be revealled next chapter.


Karin: Thats the plan :D Thanks for reading


Ultimate Charizard: Yea it's all a virtual reality simulation! I think part of that deflated "we actually achieved nothing" revelation is what finally gave River and Tsuki the courage to leave. They werent really accomplishing anything.

Although Bulbasaur 1, 2 and 3 are now walking vegetables haha.


Elec Man: Yea I pride myself on twisting and turning. I've got some big things planned for the next few chapters so watch this space! Just so you know, there are no longer plans for a sequel. More on that below.


Charles: Thanks the quote is funny :P Can't spoil too much about next chappy but it has a lot of action in it and some exciting battles!


I have cancelled plans for a sequel to TPML. I think it's going to work best as a one-off fic. Furthermore, I dont want to make up loads of fictional characters because thats not what TPML is based off. Its about characters you already know.

Because of that, there is no sequel. I had a few ideas but nothing more. Some basic characters and plots. The fic will have a proper ending and answer 99% of questions you might have during the course of the fic.

[darktyranitar]

Wow, a lot of thing happened in this chapter; Becca and Amy escape from Liang, the demise of the Crystal Syndicate, and no more Quackman. It's a good thing that the last two was done; this show how bigger plots are going to take place in the fic. It's quite fitting that the chapter's title is done that way, seeing how a lot of new things are going to happen.

There's something about MH; his role are quite small, but yet he kept appearing in the fic (three times, if I remember it correctly). Like everyone pointed out, the Jynx part is funny!:D

[Chris 2.1]

DT: Yea I mean this end segment of the fic (from Ch20-->) is all about changes. Cocoa moved in as head, the moderators got a switch around, Amy was finally rescued, and both Quackman and TCS are changing. Chris' responsibilities are more focused on poor Jenny as she recovers and their relationship is really developing.

Now all the small cogs of previous chapters have turned the big cogs that will take this fic to its end. Mega Horny's quite a commonly seen background character but I aim to include all sorts of various ASB people in the fic at various points.


Ch25's another whopper! It won't be up for a while yet. Until it is, how about we do a little Q/A? If you have any questions about the fic, locations, characters, or anything like that, feel free to ask me!

[Blademaster]

Mega Horny's quite a commonly seen background character but I aim to include all sorts of various ASB people in the fic at various points.

(brightens up considerably) :wink:

Q&A, huh? I got one: This is a pretty good fic, but all stories must come from somewhere, right?

So, where did this one come from? What inspired you to write this story? ASB is obviously a big part - OK - just about all of it, but what made you decide to turn that into... well, this?

-Blade

[Chris 2.1]

Blade: I suppose really the battles in ASB were a big thing. Chris VS Girafarig was a full 3-3 and had a variety of Pokemon. It was quite exciting. My other initial matches included VS Razor Leaf (finished early...ring any bells? ;) and VS Syberia in a large marble hall. As I looked at the various locations I'd already used in battle I considered making a story out of them.

At the time by trainer fic Lucky Charms crashed and burned. I was writing fantasy fics and fancied to do trainer ones again. The rest is history.

Core characters were going to be Aragornbird, Chris, Hanada Tattsu, Razor Leaf, OzAndrew, The Missing Link and Syberia (who never saw the light; instead he was replaced by Knight of Time as I felt he was a more workable character). Chris Watarimono was also going to be featured much more prominently, but his chapter was scrapped. He does reappear soon however.


After about Ch8 I went on a Christmas break and asked for feedback. Should I add mature elements to the story? I got a tumultous repsonse and made it so. The deaths, and the core stories about Amy/Liang, Ecks, Jenny's attack etc were all brought on by this idea. More are to come.

[Dark Dragonite]

Wow, that was great, I'm glad I got to come back from a vacation that went on too long, to get to read this!!
Yes, Amy and Becca made it out alive, and yay for sticking other people with the bill, lol
I think DD may be faking the Loyalty...welll....not exactly as it sounds, he may just be a straight arrow type of guy, but, he could have a lot higher aspirations, and knows the only way to get there is to follow everything to the letter, and be the best...then there is the old quote: "Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer"...

[darktyranitar]

Q&A... well, I got a few.

In this fic, you have applied a lot of plot twist and unexpected events. One of the most unexpected event was that Karin had somehow involved with Liang. So, have you plan that ever since the time where Amy was taken away by Dragonite? Or did you just made that up as the story progress?

And do you expect a lot of readers to turn up and read this fic, since this fic involved ASB in it?

And now that Drew is leaving TPM, would his character be removed from the fic? Or will he continue to live on in this fic?

[Chris 2.1]

Dark Dragonite: At the moment he's leapt straight to Cocoa's aide. While he looks like a snivelling sidekick I'm sure there's more to it than you'd think. It is a lot more sensible, being loyal until bigger things can be achieved.


DarkTyranitar: Good question. Basically at each point in the fic I have the next few things planned ahead, and IIRC by the time Amy was taken in her debut Chapter, I'd planned for Karin to be introduced in the next chapter. What you may remember is that Karin was one of Amy's 'emergancy contacts' and there's going to be more on that in the next chapter hopefully.

But yes I had planned for this to happen. Its to achieve something big - Becca and Karin are quite important characters. Becca is the newly stated leader and Karins the previous leader who has less authority than she did. Theres always this theme of the two of them working together and despite their cooperation I think Karin resents Becca's authority, and Becca sometimes wishes she had Karins expirience. I wanted to deepen this rift with the revelation Liang is working for Karin. Next chapter has a lot of confrontation between Becca and Karin with surprising results.

And at the point I'm at now, I've planned most of the end of the fic. The Battle Frontier chapters, as well as some future plot twists, the fates of some of the cast and, most importantly, the league!

As for Drew, thats an interesting question. I did contemplate it, but I don't think Drew's going to leave TPML.



As for Ch25, it's coming along very nicely. Expect it early next week!

[MeLoVeGhOsTs]

Yeah, I'd rather see him battle in the league ^^

I'm rooting for the league since many of us unknown players (like me) will probably be opponents of main characters. Hurray!

[Chris 2.1]

The league's going to have as many battles as possible. I'm trying to feature as many as I can, but I can safely say nearly every character who has been featured in the fic (and registers for the league) will battle.

[Chris 2.1]

HUGE HUGE HUGE CHAPTER





Chapter Twenty-Five
[size=3]Salon Maiden Annabel



At Ivy Lake, Becca jogged through the woods. Liang’s VS Seeker was in her pocket as she dripped pure water from her encounter beneath the lake itself. Hair feeling frizzy, shirt sticking to every contour of her body, wound feeling tingly and still sore in places; she made her way out of the woods. Nightshade the Alakazam held a hand out and stopped her.

“What’s wrong?” Becca asked. “Nightshade?”

Voice a mere whisper, she struggled to contain her fear. The two crept beneath the overgrown bushes and thorns as footsteps crunched around them. Becca squinted through the darkness and saw dark boots snapping mere twigs close by. Armed guards patrolling the forest…a group of Metang filing around…

Who were these people? Becca was of course oblivious to Cocoa’s message to the village about the new security and thus was utterly confused. She knew, however, that these people were not allies.

Karin’s probably sent them, she mused. She’s spilled the truth about Amy one way or another.

She turned to her Pokemon.

“Disable.”

As her soft, dulcet tones wavered among the air, Alakazam held his spoons up and concentrated hard. A wavering blue aura filled the forest and a strong projected blast was sent from every angle of Nightshade. The guards were targeted – they levitated up and were hurled around the bushes, landing into trees, hitting hard on the tough earth and roaring in agony. The Metang were dizzied enough for Becca to make an escape.

“Let’s go!” she cried. She got up and gripped Alakazam tightly. “Teleport.”

“No,” said a voice suddenly. It was Nightshade. He turned to Becca. “The Missing Link, you are under arrest.”

“Nightshade?” Becca asked. She turned around. “Who’s doing that to my Alakazam!”

One of the guards got up. A Metagross was standing with him, the eyes of which glowed blue. The man smirked.

“Like your Alakazam said,” he boomed. “You’re coming with us. Don’t try telepathy – Metagross has you locked.”

Becca frowned.

“On what grounds am I being arrested?”

“On suspicion of irregular involvement,” said the man again. “Metagross! Teleport us away.”

And, against her own will, Becca felt odd, smokey tendrils of energy wrapping around her. Vision obscured, she felt the scene of the woods dissolve around her as a familiar, dank-walled room materialized.

She was sitting in a chair. Two armed guards and a Metang were there, as was Cocoa. Becca realised she was in the cell beneath The Rules Tower. The same one Aragornbird had been locked in all that time ago.

“Agent Styles, Agent Brooke, thank you,” Cocoa said, as the two left the room through the thick metal door in the corner. Becca sat there stiffly as her foe surveyed her from afar.

“Contrary to what I’ve told others,” she began in her cool, rolling voice. “I’m very intrigued as to what you’ve been up to. My men find you dripping wet with a gunshot wound on your arm in the middle of the night…”

She leant against the wall.

“…care to fill me in?”

“What I’ve done,” Becca began. “Is none of your business and if I’ve upset the balance of your business then you can sack me.”

“Sack you? I’d do no such thing,” Cocoa smirked. “You hated your job so I think it’s suiting to make you stay there. What have you been doing?”

“I’m not telling you,” Becca replied.

“Fine,” Cocoa said. “You don’t need to cooperate. But until you do, I’m not going to give you anything for your wound. No painkillers, no treatment, nothing. If you’re going to keep me in the dark, you’ll have to endure pain like no other. The bullet’s still in there.”

Cocoa left through the door and slammed it behind her. Becca heard the lock click and angrily folded her arms, before realizing it brought a stinging pain to her wound. She wondered if Amy was making better progress.


*

Amy wandered on through the village. It was late. Hasan the Beautifly flew alongside her. Amy felt an odd revived feeling of refreshment to be in the village again. As she walked, however, flashes of her time down beneath the lake occurred before her.

A rush of water, screams echoing around a glass coffin…Liang’s shadowy face hovering above the water, and another face…another face staring at her with intent. Amy couldn’t quite remember who it was.

As she arrived at the foot of Trolgar Mountain, she followed Becca’s instructions and walked around the perimeter of the base. In no time, the girl noticed a large collection of thick overgrowth on the side. Clearing it with her hands (and a gust from Hasan), Amy found the thick metal door.

WELCOME TO TPML ARCHIVE
PLEASE ENTER USERNAME

Amy typed in ‘The Missing Link’ as Becca suggested. After a loading screen, the door beeped and opened up for her. Amy walked in quietly and quickly, staring around her. She was on the ground floor of the Archive – Year 2001. She set off up the staircase to find something recent – something from the top floor. Something to implicate Karin.

Amy had been in the archive many times, but being here and knowing she could not be seen was making her heart hammer wildly. As she made her way to the top floor, 2005, she was glad that it was so late few people were around.

“Implicate…” Amy mused, wandering past the section devoted to archived battles. She looked around, but couldn’t quite find anything she might be able to link to Karin working for Liang. Would something so valuable even be put here?

“I’m sure the high-security vault’s on this floor,” said a voice. Amy’s eyes widened as she looked around for somewhere to hide. Someone was coming. She looked around wildly. There was nowhere to hide, nowhere at all. Eyes darting all around, she heard footsteps coming up the staircase to her floor. Hasan flapped by her side. Amy had no choice.

“Silver wind,” she whispered, running to the corner of the room. She watched as a winding spiral of sparkling wind whipped up and was blasted towards the staircase. Both Razor Leaf and Knight of Time, seeking the tape of Dark Dragonite’s audition were bowled down the stairs rapidly. Kyle smashed his head off a step and was knocked out. Dan looked around.

“W-What was that?” he asked wearily. Now at the bottom of the stairs, he looked around the fourth floor and noticed something. “Kyle! The Vault’s on this floor not the fifth one! Kyle!”

But Kyle was knocked out. Razor Leaf sighed and dragged his companion across the luscious red carpet. The vault was basically hidden behind a long corridor blocked by a metal door, which was only accessible through a fingerprint decoder.

Despite his ally being unconscious, Razor Leaf pressed his index finger against the pad on the wall. ‘Welcome, Knight of Time’ was displayed. Daniel smirked, leaving Kyle on the ground as he walked down the corridor towards the tape of Dark Dragonite.

Meanwhile, Amy was panting hard. She hoped she hadn’t hurt the two people that had come at her. Looking around frantically, she knew she wasn’t safe here. Turning to the large door that led to the top of Trolgar Mountain, Amy fled.

“Sorry Becca,” she murmured, heading up the stone steps towards the exit. This was the only way out – the only way without being seen.


*

In my life, I’ve rarely been happy. It’s true. Mum always made me study hard, especially after my older brother got into university. Sitting in his shadow was always depressing. I remember my first date with Jenny…she decided it would be romantic to order each other’s food at the restaurant ‘Gourmet LeFoot’s Fajita Fiasco’, only to find she ended up ordering mine AND hers.

But life was beginning to turn around. Jenny was feeling better, and I was going to pick her up from the hospital today. We were going to have a quiet browse around the village’s shops (I only have a few pairs of clothes after the horrific submarine adventure) and some lunch.

I was working quite a lot at the Deus XP Machina Café, and although my boss was a slightly camp, hyper information-overloader (honestly: I can recite the last 5 years of his life starting from when he met ‘Justin’ and when he auditioned for Big Brother 7 but lost out to Richard, the self-described ‘Sexual Terrorist’.), I quite liked the work. Despite the fact geeky people often engaged with me in discussions about RPG’s, one mentioning his savior, Roy Karrde, it was quiet, well-paid and easy.

“Chris,” Chad said slowly. “This is like…so difficult. Ever since my mum Juanita fell out the bath, onto a rollerskate and down the stairs into Postman Gus, I’ve had to take care of her so much! So I’ve drafted in someone to run the Café while Mother’s leg, collarbone and hip heals.”

He stepped to the side.

“May I present…Lady Smiles!”

My eyes widened, my jaw dropped, and my heartbeat rose as the previous Nurse Smiles walked out from the kitchen. Her big, busty black body was draped in a navy blue shirt and she wore a pretty waitressing dress…although with her figure she was somewhat eye-wateringly gut-wrenching.

“CHRIS!” she screamed. “If it isn’t my buddy Chris!”

“Nurse…Lady Smiles?” I asked.

“I quit my nasty pasty job as a Pokemoncenter Nurse!” she cried. As she said this, I saw someone accessing the website for the official TPML Newspaper. A headline read ‘Clumsy Nurse infects Trainer with PokeRus’.

“Lady Smiles used to be married to one of the high-ranking Dukes of the country,” Chad said. “Now she’s job-hopping…albeit with a snazzy name title!”

“He married a dumb blonde instead!” Smiles cried. “But one day I’ll get my revenge! Oh yes I will! Oh yes!”

She slipped a knife in her pocket.

“Anyway Chris,” Chad said, as I was nearing the end of my shift. “Starting from tomorrow Lady Smiles will be your boss, so be nice!”

“Chris and I have met,” she replied. “And didn’t WE have FUN! FUN! FUN!”

I nervously took my paycheck and walked backwards out of the door.


*

That afternoon, at Jolly Japes, I went to pick Jenny up. I gave her a kiss and a cuddle as I walked into her ward – the same ward I was once in after being classed as crazy all those months ago.

“Are you ready?” I asked. “Have you got everything?”

“Yea,” she said, smiling. “I traveled light.”

She had Skip, her Marshtomp and Flora, her Sunflora help carry her bags. I turned to Doctor Drummond-Bones.

“Thanks for the help,” I said, sealing some money in an envelope. “Here’s the bill.”

“Jenny hasn’t recovered yet,” he explained. “But she is on the way to accepting change. We ran tests on the most common and most likely STI’s and they all came back negative.”

“That’s good,” I said.

“Very,” he replied dryly. “But we did not test for pregnancy. A pregnancy kit is in her toiletries bag. Explain to her the risks and help her if she needs help.”

“Ok.”

“And don’t anticipate anything,” he warned. “Don’t expect a baby, and don’t be surprised either. This is entirely up in the air.”

“Right,” I replied.

“Still fighting your demons?” he asked me.

“They’re cooperating ever so slightly,” I grumbled. “Good bye.”

And together, we left the hospital. Jenny released Paris, her Meowth, but she seemed slightly pissy with us all. Jenny explained she hadn’t really exercised her much. The primed pussy strolled along as Jenny suddenly clasped her wrist.

“Oh!” she said. “My watch! I left it behind.”

“I’ll get it,” I said hurriedly, racing back along the corridor. I dashed past the Nurse’s station and turned left, entering Jenny’s ward. I walked to her dresser and picked up her Gucci watch. Tsch. What a waste of money.

I turned when I heard a groaning behind me. I looked to see the pale, sallow-faced boy who was in here the same time I was. He stared up at the ceiling, lost in thought.

“X…” he groaned. “Almighty…X…dangerous….X…”

“X?” I repeated, before suddenly realizing something. Was he saying X, the letter? Or did he mean Ecks? Suddenly realisation washed over me as this boy stiffly murmured the mysterious man’s name.

“Chris!” came a sharp cry. Jenny was standing there. “What’s taking you so long?”

I hastily bode a silent farewell to the boy and joined Jenny out of the hospital, giving her the watch. As she fastened it on, she muttered about how annoying that boy was. His name was Joseph.

“What a weirdo,” she murmured. “Come on, we’ll hit the shops, yea?”

Even though it would be nice to get out these clothes, I knew my mind would be somewhere else until I got to the bottom of this.


*

As we shopped in ‘Disco Badger’, Jenny finding me quite a nice long-sleeved polo shirt in a dark, foresty green colour, I found myself oddly distracted. But it wasn’t due to Joseph. It was due to the mass congregation outside the village square.

“What’s going on?” Jenny asked. Fireworks flew up into the air, whooshing and screaming as colourful sparks burst from their thin skins.

“I think the Frontier Brains Trust has arrived,” I mused. We purchased our clothes (I got some quite funky black chord jeans and some new trainers, too) and went outside.

The Pokemon Masters League was alive with anticipation and excitement as large convoy trucks rolled into the village square. They boasted The Battle Frontier logo on the side. Cocoa Sting was at her podium, with Karin, Dark Dragonite, Grey and Knight of Time standing by her. Two armed guards also stood, with Metang accompanying them.

Many of the members of the league hung around the shops and towers keenly. I saw OzAndrew, trying to be discreet as he shot me dangerous looks, as well as Girafarig watching the procession curiously. Razor Leaf was also watching, with a gang of troubled-looking people I didn’t recognize. Except Mega Horny. I gave him a thumbs up to receive a middle finger in return.

“POKEMON MASTERS LEAGUE!” Cocoa cried. “PLEASE WELCOME THE FRONTIER BRAINS TRUST!”

Loud roars filled the air. Eight rather interesting-looking people began to walk onto the stage from their various Lorries. The eighth was a large, portly man with curly hair and shades.

“Hello TPML Village 04621!” came his cry. “I am Scott Enshida and I am the Ringmaster of the Frontier Brains!”

He gave a big, cheeky grin as applause filled the area. Jenny watched with intrigue

“Our brains will be occupying various areas of your village,” he explained. “And some facilities may take more time than others! May I introduce you to…Annabel!”

A woman with short purple hair waved. She wore a similarly-coloured glitzy purple top and reminded me somehow of a magicians assistant.

“Next we have…Spenser!”

A thin, elderly man gave a gummy smile as he gripped a blue staff tightly. His wise, white beard was long and thick. He wore raggy old clothes. The third brain was rather flamboyant looking, wearing a fairy costume and waving sporadically.

“Our third brain is Tucker!”

“Hiya gang!” he cried. He was so…colourful.

“Next is Greta!”

A rather butch looking woman, dressed in fighting garb punched her fist into her open palm, gritting her teeth and frowning. Her blonde hair reminded me of a croissant. After her was a man in a lab coat. He looked masculine and surly.

“After Greta is Noland!”

Noland simply nodded to the crowd. After this, a rather attractive woman stepped forward. Her sleek black hair shone in the sun, and she had a whip in one hand. She cracked it threateningly and gave a seductive smile.

“Next is Lucy!”

Lucy easily got the biggest amount of cheers. I stared at her, transfixed by her dominatrix-style beauty. Jenny, sensing this, slapped my wrist.

“And finally, please welcome Brandon!”

A man with thicker hair than the others, Brandon seemed to share Noland’s sense of surliness. Looking thoroughly irritated by Tucker, Brandon stood with arms folded and brow furrowed. Razor Leaf looked at Brandon.

“Brains! To your Facilities!” Scott cried. “Folks, your VS Seekers will be updated with the locations of the seven brains! Good luck battling!”

As the crowd cheered, the Brains disappeared into the audience and ran to their respected stations. I saw Annabel head to one of the old, abandoned towers. Brandon seemed to be going towards Crush Quarry, while Lucy made her way to Graves Yard, a rather eerie place I had never visited. I didn’t see where the other ones went.

“Well,” I said, as the crowd dispersed. “I think I need to find a top to match these jeans, right?”

“Right,” Jenny smiled, holding my hand as we looked into another store. Meanwhile, as the crowd dispersed, Razor Leaf turned to his comrades.

“Kyle and me got the tape,” he said. “Elec Man, I’m giving it to you. Take good care of it. We’ll meet in two hours at Feizhi Outpost. Check your map cards.”

As he addressed The Antibodies, he felt his limbs freeze up. He had a shrewd idea what was causing the tingling numbness throughout his body as a Metang swooped around him.

“Go, go!” he hissed, as The Antibodies dispersed, too.

Knowing what to expect, Razor Leaf let the crowd disappear and saw Cocoa stalking towards him. Up on the stage, he could see Grey and Knight of Time looking similarly frozen.

“Rules Tower,” she said coldly, clicking her fingers. The psychic grip ended and Razor Leaf felt momentary cramp. He exchanged a glance with Grey and Kyle from afar, before following Cocoa to the Tower.


*

The three stood there, stunned. Cocoa paced back and forward, while Dark Dragonite stood in the shadows.

“The Antibodies,” she hissed. “That’s what you’re calling yourselves? A group of…hoodlums organized entirely to put me out of action. Do you think I’m stupid? This is exactly why I set up this security. Razor Leaf, you’re not a moderator, I know that. But this does not bode well. You are on very, very thin ice with me and I warn you: do not try testing how far you can walk before the ice cracks. You’ll get more than drenched in ice cold water, much, much worse. I’m fining you £50. Go.”

Razor Leaf turned and left the building. Cocoa turned to her two moderators.

“As for you two,” she replied darkly. “You betrayed my trust. You made me look like a damn fool! To have my own people stab me in the back like that…do you know how redundant I feel? Well?”

There was only silence.

“I’m fining you EACH £100,” she barked. “And if you two didn’t have accounts still open from ‘the good old days’ as I believe you dusty veterans like to call it, you’d both be carrying a negative balance. If I get ANY more proof my own moderators are turning against me, you’ll be up in front of The Chairman of The Board of Governors. Do I make myself clear?”

Both gave grave nods.

“Now get the hell out of my office,” she snapped. “NOW!”

Grey and Kyle turned to leave. As they went down the staircase, Cocoa turned to Dark Dragonite.

“You say they’re heading for Feizhi Outpost?” she asked. He gave a nod. “Go. Tell me what you find.”

Cocoa looked out of her window at the scene below, where people were avidly queuing up outside the brand new Battle Tower. She gave a smirk and got on the phone.


* .

As Cocoa was reprimanding the three members of The Antibodies, Becca was sitting in her cell, tied to a chair, with an armed guard and a Metang at the door. She had her fingers on a Pokeball behind her back.

“So,” she said absently. “Long shift?”

“Yep,” he replied gruffly.

“You look tired,” she added.

“I’m not,” grumbled the guard. Becca managed to throw the Pokeball up into the air. It hit the ceiling and ricocheted down to the ground where it burst open, revealing a powerful Hitmonchan. It had big red gloves on its fists.

“Locke!” Becca shouted. “Mach punch, go!”

A quick punch to the man’s head sent him collapsing to the ground. The Metang’s eyes glowed blue, and a psychic blast of energy was released, smashing into the table and causing it to merely crumple like paper. Locke the Hitmonchan darted to the left and right.

“Fire punch!”

Fists rubbing together, Locke created flames which soon engulfed his entire arms. He raced up and, uppercutting furiously, dealt enough damage to knock out the Metang. Becca smirked. Locke ran over and chewed through the ropes, allowing her to break free.

“For someone who isn’t tired,” Becca mused. “You went out like a light.”

She took his clearance card, swiped it through the door and ran out the prison to safety. She locked the door again from the inside and, heading out through the village with Locke, aimed to get home ASAP. But first, she had to find Karin.


*

“Come on…” Andrew murmured. “I’ve been queuing for like…50 hours!”

He was first in line at the Battle Tower, with a moody looking teenager behind him. His phone began to ring.

“Hello?” he asked.

“Andrew this is Larry,” said the voice. “Larry J Lawyer Jn? You drafted me in as a Lawyer for you. Something about a doctor?”

“Doctor?”

“You mentioned a Quack.”

“No…QuackMAN,” Andrew said. “As in the notorious spandex villain? No?”

“Anyway,” Larry said. “About my fee…”

“Look,” Andrew said, seeing the doors open for the Battle Tower. “C-Can this wait?”

“No sir it can not,” Larry replied curtly. “I have other cases…some bimbo nurse managed to kill a person by injecting them with some sort of toxin…but I’m prioritizing you here. Now, my fee.”

“Damn it,” Andrew said. “I’ll be back, Battle Frontier…”

And, grudgingly, he left the queue. All the facilities battles were displayed on plasma screens all over the village. In the main square, the arena for the Battle Tower could be seen, and people anxious to battle Annabel got glimpses at her team as battles went on. Other screens displaying the other battles were also displayed in shops and various places.

“Excuse me?” a hostess said, as Andrew left the front of the queue. “Who’s next in line?”

“I am,” said a voice.

“And you are?”

“Hanada Tattsu,” said the boy, sweeping his black hair from his eyes.

“Come on in!”


*

The arena was set. Annabel gripped a Pokeball tightly as Hanada Tattsu stood on his side of the arena. Despite being 15, he looked confident and serious. His black hair was longer and covered his left eye. His bright blue t-shirt had the sleeves ripped off, and he wore a chain around his neck.

“My first match,” Annabel said. “In this Village, anyway. Nice to meet you.”

“Yea,” replied Hanada absently.

“I’m looking forward to a great match!” Annabel said, as the countdown began. Three…two…one…

“Ok!” she cried. “Alakazam, GO!”

“I choose you, Quagsire!” shouted Hanada, releasing his large, dumb-struck Pokemon. Quagsire’s small, beady eyes focused on Alakazam.

“Right!” Annabel shouted. “Go Alakazam! Psybeam!”

Crossing his spoons, Alakazam projected a rainbow coloured beam of fantastic light. It rocketed through the air, gaining momentum and slamming into Quagsire’s thick frame. The huge land fish stumbled back before retaliating by firing off a huge ball of sloppy mud. Alakazam dived to the left and avoided it.

“Now! Use a mega punch!”

Quagsire stood there, staring blissfully ahead as Alakazam swiped a glowing fist upwards. The uppercut sliced into Quagsire and sent the dopey lump flying up into the air.

“Retalliate! Mud shot!” cried Hanada. A huge ball of mud was thrown at Alakazam who was, this time, unable to dodge. The thick goop covered the wise PSI’s eyes. Quagsire landed and spontaneously darted off through the air.

“Quag!”

Swinging his tail around he smashed it into the foe, sending Alakazam reeling. When the Pokemon got back up, wiping the mud away, Quagsire dealt a sharp headbutt to him and caused him to cry out in pain.

“Alakazam! Psychic!”

Eyes glowing a vivid blue, Alakazam concentrated hard. Quagsire was levitated into the air, eyes darting around fearfully as he rose higher. Hanada Tattsu watched, brow furrowed, thinking of a strategy.

“Now!” Annabel shouted. “Slam it!”

Instantly Quagsire was slammed hard into the ground. A resounding crack could be heard, but the Pokemon had no time to recover. Instead, he was levitated up a second time, tears leaking from his eyes as he went.

“Sludge bomb!” Hanada shouted. Opening his large mouth, Quagsire fired off numerous sludgy pellets at Alakazam. As the pellets exploded, he lost his concentration and the psychic connection was dropped. Quagsire slammed hard into the ground as Alakazam was covered in an oil-like substance.

“Alakazam use psychic to levitate! Then sweep forward with a dynamicpunch!”

Rising from the ground, Alakazam sped through the air. His spoons were nowhere to be seen while his right fist glowed a vivid white. Quagsire stood there, in something of a pondering stance as the foe drew near.

“Quagsire! Hold on!” Hanada shouted. Sweeping forward, Alakazam’s moustache was trailing either side of his thin face as he prepared to deliver the crushing blow. Annabel gave a smirk. Hanada returned it.

“COUNTER!”

“Alakazam!” cried Annabel.

But it was too late. The fist slammed hard into Quagsire’s side, who stumbled back before a dark, earth-coloured energy enveloped him. The doughy water Pokemon slugged Alakazam hard with his firm, fleshy fins and dealt impressive damage.

“I should have known,” Annabel smirked.

“But you didn’t,” Hanada retorted. “Mud shot!”

“Teleport and use psybeam!”

Flashing out of the way, Alakazam disappeared as a huge ball of mud splattered against the floor. Re-appearing behind Quagsire, Alakazam summoned his spoons and, crossing them together, fired a beam of bright rainbow coloured energy.

“Dodge!”

Slippery and slimy, Quagsire were known for their agility. He turned, dived and slid under Alakazam before grabbing his shoulders and headbutting him fiercely. Alakazam stumbled forward and his foe retaliated by blasting a jet of water at him, forcing him across the arena back to Annabel.

“Go!” Annabel cried. “Gravijaa Slam!”

“What?” Hanada asked, bewildered. Alakazam darted foreard, grabbing Quagsire and staring him in the eye. In a bright white flash, Alakazam teleported both himself and Quagsire, taking them to the top of the Battle Tower. In mid-air they hovered, until Alakazam suddenly hurled the foe to the ground. Quagsire dropped like a lead balloon, picking up speed. Alakazam used a psychic attack to gently lower himself to the ground.

In another sickening crunch, Quagsire lay on the floor, defeated. Hanada watched, eyes wide, as Alakazam gracefully landed by his foe.

“You sending out another?” Annabel asked. “We never did specify how many Pokemon we were using.”

“Of course,” replied Hanada, shooting the Pokeball beam at Quagsire. “Good work, Quagsire.”

He fumbled around for a fresh Pokeball, hurling it through the air. In a bright white flash, a red octopus emerged. It had two long tentacles and an assortment of shorter ones trailing behind its large head. It looked somewhat sinister.

“Octillery,” Hanada said firmly. “Let’s go.”


*

It had been a tough day. Jenny and I had shopped like mad, and I hadn’t actually realised how fun it could be. We chatted about the Battle Frontier and everything else under the sun. We even went to a pharmacy and got a pregnancy test.

“Dr Drummond Bones said there was a chance,” Jenny said softly. Her inflamed sense of rage she used to have was untraceable in this quiet, empty shell of a girl. “We’ll test tonight…”

“I’m here for you,” I whispered, holding her close. After a days shopping we decided to go and watch some of the Frontier matches. In the village square, we sat on a bench by a neat flower-box, as a match between Factory Head Noland and Blademaster was underway.

The Battle Factory was located at an old steelworks just outside the main village. Among the big, empty arena was a series of metallic levers and consoles. It was abandoned and old. Noland had an Ivysaur out, while Blademaster was using a Swellow. The large blue bird soared around barrages of razor-sharp leaves and swooshed down to irritate the foe.

“Are you going to challenge any of the Brains?” Jenny asked.

“Maybe,” I mumbled, thinking about that sexy Lucy one. “Yea, maybe.”

“I’d like to,” Jenny said absently.

“What about Contests?” I asked. “I heard the Autumn Contest is near…”

“I don’t know if I’m as bothered about them,” Jenny mused. “I really don’t know…”

Together we sat. As Blademaster defeated Noland’s Ivysaur, only to be surprised when the Brain sent out an Illumise, My eyes traveled across to the village square, where a surly Hanada Tattsu wandered around. He looked different.

“Hey, Greg!” I shouted suddenly. He walked on, ignoring me. I could have sworn he saw me. His ripped t-shirt, messier hair and darker skin made him look so much older. I wonder if he had won against anyone. As I pondered, Noland’s Illumise used a double team to spread out and fire a bright green beam at Swellow. Jenny tugged my sleeve.

“Look,” she said. “I’m feeling sort of tired…could you maybe walk me back to the flat? I might just nap.”

Agreeing, I got all our bags and we made our way down BT Street. I saw the Trading Center was now open, with a disgruntled The Blue Avenger behind the counter. Where was The Missing Link? I hadn’t seen her for a while and wondered if TBA had been drafted in as a replacement.

In the flat, I put all my new clothes in the drawers and turned to Jenny, who lay on the bed. She had released her five Pokemon; Skip the Mudkip, Paris the Meowth, Flora the Sunflora, Bleats the Mareep and Stella the Ledian.

“These guys are going to look after me,” she said softly. “Chris…head into the village. Have a battle!”

“I think I will,” I replied. “See you around, Jenny.”

I gave her a kiss on the forehead and, after I left, Jenny got her pregnancy test out from her bag and nervously wandered into the kitchen, shutting the door firmly behind her.


*

Becca frantically ran through the village, heart beating fast. She rocketed down BT Street, where an annoyed TBA stuck his head out the door of the Trading Center.

“COME BACK!” he shouted. “I HATE THIS JOB!”

Becca didn’t stop. She made her way to the Contest Hall, knocked on the door furiously, and gasped as Locke still stood by her side. Karin buzzed her through and she walked into the lobby of the hall. Taking the staircase, Becca made her way to the office which Karin worked in after being kicked out of the Rules Tower by Cocoa.

“Becca!” Karin cried. “Y-Your arm!”

Becca shut the door and locked it firmly. She stared furiously at Karin. The woman got up from her desk, sorting her papers into a file.

“What happened?” she asked.

“Shut up,” Becca snarled.

“Excuse me?” Karin asked.

“Drop it,” Becca replied. “Just drop it, ok? All I want to know is…”

“…what?”

“…why do it?” Becca sighed. “Karin – I know the truth. Liang told me everything.”

“Y-You saw Liang?” Karin asked. “What did he say? What truth?”

“You’re better than this,” Becca muttered. “Or the Karin I knew was better than this. Who knows what you’re really like.”

“Tell me what on earth you’re talking about,” Karin replied firmly, her patience waning. “Where have you been?”

“Underneath Ivy Lake,” Becca snapped. “I found Liang. Got him to confess what he’s doing. Turns out he’s working for you. I knocked him out and escaped with Amy.”

“A-Amy’s alive then?” Karin asked. “Where is she?”

“I’m not telling you,” replied Becca. “Do you think I’m stupid? All I’ll say is she has possession of evidence that directly involves you with Liang…and we’re going public.”

“No!” protested the moderator. “Becca…what you’re saying makes no sense! I haven’t done anything…I’ve been helping you! How can you take his word over mine?”

“Because this whole ordeal has shaken me,” Becca admitted. “And I don’t know who I can trust.”

“You can trust me,” Karin reminded her. “It’s me, Becca! Karin. The one who’s been with you since Amy was taken.”

“Convenient,” Becca murmured.

“What?”

“You heard me,” Becca snapped. “I’m so disappointed with you.”

“You’ve nothing to be disappointed about!” Karin snapped. “What has he done to you?”

“Liang?” Becca asked. “Nothing. He’s just made me realize you used me.”

“Used you?”

“Came onto the scene right after you organized Amy’s kidnap…to lend a hand, to assist me – when did I ask for assistance? Never! Then you help me get hold of Henry, which was good, then after one really unuseful talk with him (which, may I remind you, you were ‘busy’ at the time of!) he is found shot down Falken Street. Looks like our well of answers has truly run dry! Next Liang drops your name into it –”

“Becca!” Karin cried. “Calm down!”

“I’m plenty calm,” Becca snarled. “I just needed to tell you I know what you’re doing. I know what you’ve done, and I’m putting a stop to it. Now.”

She unlocked the door.

“Thanks for your time.”

And with that, the door was slammed firmly shut. Karin was pale, her hand shaking, unable to concentrate any longer. She saw Becca stride purposefully down BT Street with her Hitmonchan, and the acids in her body found a new way to make her feel sick.


*

Meanwhile, at Feizhi Outpost, Razor Leaf was addressing the members of The Antibodies. Some, like The Blue Avenger, had been drafted into emergency moderation of the Trading Club, and were unable to attend. The three-storey outlook tower lay in the middle of a desserted jungle-style part of the village, on the very edge of the land. It was very hot and flies buzzed around. Daniel had explained Grey and Kyle were on thin ice.

“May I welcome today,” he said. “New members UC – that’s Ultimate Charizard to you guys – and Mr Ecks.”

Applause rang through the small meeting area as Kyle set up a projection screen. Ecks smiled at the greetings. UC was with a Phanpy and Lunatone. He looked more intrigued than anything else. The video type was displayed.

“And what would you say you could bring to TPML’s Business?” asked The Missing Link, from behind the camera. A nervous looking Dark Dragonite sat in an uncomfortable chair.

“Err…” he mumbled. “Bring? As in, qualities?”

“Yes.”

“Right. Well I suppose maybe just ask…you know, see what people want and build it? Maybe focus on like, erm…”

“…any particular type of business?” Becca prompted.

“Oh well definitely more food chains,” DD said.

“Is that so?” came Becca’s surprised voice.

“More food chains?” Elec Man barked. A Pinsir clicked its large vice-like horns angrily. “The idiot! We have enough of them in TPML! We want proper businesses.”

“Nathan,” Daniel said firmly. The tape soon ended and he addressed the group. “As you can see, Dark Dragonite (also known as Steve) has no idea about what to do, even after regular prompting from The Missing Link. I dare suggest Cocoa is simply doing what we are – rallying the weak.”

“He is anything but weak,” UC said from the corner, arms folded. “I knew him, in the old days.”

“Oh?” Razor Leaf asked.

“He’s a confident, calm individual,” he explained.

“So that’s why he’s sucking up to the newly-instated leader of TPML who is, may I remind you, an influential member of the Board?” Daniel smirked.

“He has his motives,” UC replied.

“Whatever his motives are,” Ecks said. “They oppose ours, am I right?”

A dull murmur met his ears. Kyle, meanwhile, was with his small Squirtle at the window. He saw Dark Dragonite and a Castform wandering through the overgrowth. Castform was blasting a round, greened orb of concentrated energy to drive through the weeds and vines.

“Looks like ‘Steve’s here now,” he said dryly. “Obviously followed one of us.”

“Good god,” Razor Leaf said. “Right, Elec Man, Kyle –”

He paused.

“Actually…Mr Ecks…why don’t you help Elec Man?” he said. “All I want you to do is knock him out.”

“Why?” Elec Man asked.

“Bring him up here. I’ll sort him out,” replied the Leader. Ecks waved his hand politely.

“I can’t offer my services,” he said. “I feel so…provisionally enrolled. Please, Kyle, go ahead.”

Nodding, Knight of Time raced down the staircase with Elec Man, and the Antibodies watched from the window. Grey furrowed his brow, confused by the goings on. It was evident he was slightly uncomfortable in the capturing of Dark Dragonite. Outside, DD set his Castform on the foes, but Squirtle leapt high and fired a barrage of bubbles at the round, white Pokemon. As Castform was reeling, Elec Man had Pinsir restrain DD with a seismic toss, grabbing him and driving his face into the dirt. Squirtle used a mega punch and ice beam to further defeat Castform.

Eventually, Dark Dragonite was dragged into the hideout, where Razor Leaf watched amid his followers. Dark Dragonite was tied up to a chair, and Castform was recalled. Elec Man and Kyle shook hands.

“Well done,” Razor Leaf said, smirking.

“Daniel?” Grey asked. “We can’t do this. He’ll tell Cocoa everything.”

“Then we’ll just keep him here,” said Razor Leaf.

“Keep him here?” Grey asked. “Cocoa knows where he’s gone and any absence goes unnoticed – look at The Missing Link!”

“Okay,” Razor Leaf mumbled, massaging his temple as he paced back and forth. Red patches appeared in his cheeks as the Antibodies watched on. Elec Man and Kyle supervised Dark Dragonite.

“I have an idea,” Ecks said. The group turned.

“Oh?” Grey asked.

“You,” he said. “It’s Ice Man, right?”

“Err…right,” Ice Man replied. His Ditto sat on his shoulder playfully.

“That ditto of yours,” Ecks went on. “Transform it into that guy you’ve tied up.”

“Then we’d have a pseudo Steve,” Razor Leaf mused excitedly. “And he can act as a spy for us!”

He turned to Ecks.

“Great idea,” he said proudly. “Ice Man! Do what you have to do.”

And, five minutes later, Dark Dragonite was woken by a sharp slap. He darted awake, looking at Razor Leaf, who stood over him with Haf the Blaziken. Other members of The Antibodies leered at him.

“Wh-What’s going on?” he asked timidly.

“We decided your little game of snitch is going to end,” Razor Leaf replied darkly. “We don’t appreciate being snitched on one bit, Steve.”

“Whatever you do, you won’t get away with it,” Steve spat. “Cocoa’s expecting information on all of you from me today. If she doesn’t get a call, she’ll no something’s up. And she knows where I headed.”

“Oh, we’ve covered that no problem,” hissed Razor Leaf. He stepped back to reveal a recently-transformed ditto, resembling Dark Dragonite completely. He stuck his middle finger up at the real Steve, and was attaching Steve’s Pokeballs to his belt. He walked to the stairs.

“Call Cocoa and tell her we’re not at Feizhi Outpost,” Razor Leaf said. “Suggest we’re nearer Crush Quarry, that’s miles away.”

As he nodded, and the Pseudo-Steve began to leave, Grey whispered something to him and handed him a small slip of paper. The action went undetected as Pseudo-Steve walked off through the overgrowth to report to Cocoa. Grey watched solemnly, Ecks smirked hungrily, and Razor Leaf basked in his authority.


*

Amy spent her time trying to get down from Trolgar Mountain. She had escaped out the top door after fearing being seen. Clambering onto Wildfire, her Blaziken, she ran down the mountain slopes with ease, and she was now running through the village. Where was she to meet Becca? She wasn’t sure. Since the Village was crowded, Amy knew she had to go somewhere else. So she made her way to Ivy Woods.

It was often very quiet here – people rarely came. Amy began to think it was due to her ‘murder’ that it was seldom visited. As she skirted around the thicker parts of the forest, she wondered where to go.

“Psst!” came a sharp hiss. Amy jumped.

“W-Who’s that?” she asked, gripping for a Pokeball, having recalled an exhausted Wildfire. She crept further on through the darkening woods.

“Amy?” said the voice. She squinted and saw a figure scrambling through the overgrowth. It was a man in an expensive black suit, which had torn in several places. He carried a briefcase and slipped his shades in his breast pocket.

“Who are you?” Amy asked.

“Oh Amy,” he gasped, struggling to catch his breath. “I’m so glad…so glad I found you!”

“Who are you?” she asked again.

“M-My name is Ecks,” he panted. “I heard all about your escape, and it’s all been such a rush –”

“How did you find out?” asked Amy. “And what rush?”

“I was hired by the Board of Governors,” Ecks said. “To look into your disappearance. I’ve been in this village for so long, searching for clues and questioning people…and when I heard you were alive…I needed to make sure I found you.”

“And why’s that?” Amy asked, a hand on her hip, not understanding much.

“You need to get out of here,” Ecks replied. “Now. You don’t understand the ramifications of you returning to the village…coming back. People won’t like it.”

“Why?”

“It’s confusing people…people question why you were announced dead, who said it, who they can trust…this place has become so crooked, Amy…it’s unsafe. People are all after you.”

“I know about Karin,” Amy said. “She’s caused all the problems.”

“Karin?” Ecks mused. “Yes…that’s what I’m talking about. She’s got power and authority we cannot comprehend. Come on, come with me.”

“I’m very thankful Mr Ecks,” Amy said, turning away. “But I’m ok. Really. I’m fine.”

She turned but was grabbed by Ecks.

“No!” he snapped. “You need to come with me. Now.”

“Let go of me!” Amy snapped, struggling to get free. “Stop it!”

“Don’t make me do something desperate,” hissed the man. Amy writhed out of the man’s grip and ran through the forest. “COME BACK!”

“HELP!” Amy screamed, running as fast as she could. Ecks snarled, flicking his briefcase open and bending down. After a few moments of fiddling with the contents, he resurfaced, pulling a gun out and firing a dart at Amy. It struck her elegant neck and she collapsed in a heap on the ground.

Ecks smirked, slipping the gun away and locking his briefcase. He ran after Amy and released a large Arcanine, with beautiful soft fur and a proud mane. Ecks gently moved a sleeping Amy, trying to heave her onto his Pokemon’s back.

“What the hell is going on?”

I came onto the scene to find Ecks and Amy, the latter knocked out. A dart of tranquilizer was stuck fast in her neck. I had come here after Jenny went to sleep. I wanted to find Hanada Tattsu, but it turned out I had found more than I bargained for.

“Oh look who it is,” Ecks snarled.

“What are you doing to Amy?” I asked, grabbing two Pokeballs. “Magmar! Cacturne! Go!”

“Mars,” Ecks said to his Pokemon. “Keep the girl there.”

He grabbed two of his own Pokeballs and as my spitfire Pokemon and sinister Cactus emerged, Ecks sent out a huge Altaria, whose cotton wings stretched out far; and a deep purple Gengar, with illuminating red eyes and a spiked ridge down its back.

“Apollo! Pluto!” Ecks roared. “Fight these Pokemon off.”

In no time the Altaria swooped down towards Cacturne. He retaliated by spreading his arms wide, powering up and releasing a barrage of red-hot pins that swept through the air at the oncoming foe. Apollo flapped his wings hard and sent the pins clattering to the ground before striking Cacturne with aerial ace.

Magmar leapt up for an uppercut, going right through Gengar, who re-materialized and gripped the foe before licking his face with disgusting savor. Magmar, dizzied, stumbled back spitting jets of flame all around. Cacturne avoided one just in time, disappearing and speeding through the air at Gengar.

“Apollo! Perish Song!” Ecks roared, as a sallow song echoed out across the lake. I knew this didn’t give my Pokemon much time. Gengar was charging a shadow ball and hurling it gleefully at both my Pokemon. Such was the size of this normally average attack – it smashed into Cacturne and Magmar.

“Flamethrower! Bullet seed!”

A jet of flame managed to strike Apollo, who was burned badly. Gengar cloaked into the darkness, re-appearing by Cacturne and using shadow punch to really deal a blow to my Pokemon. Cacturne fired off exploding pellets to keep Apollo at bay, but I soon realised both my Pokemon (as well as Pluto the Gengar) were weakening. Perish Song was taking effect already.

“Right!” I shouted. “Magmar! Fire spin and follow up with smokescreen! Cacturne, faint attack!”

Magmar unleashed a feverish tornado of spiraling flame, which tore through Gengar at an impressive rate. Altaria flapped away, spewing off a dragonbreath attack towards us. Cacturne blended into the shadows, sweeping towards Mars the Arcanine, while Magmar cloaked the area in a thick fog.

“Poison Sting!” I shouted. Cacturne’s needles glowed a purple colour and he swung an arm into Ecks, causing him to roar in pain and kick at my Pokemon. Cacturne grabbed Amy and darted back into the smoke.

“Good job!” I cried. “Magmar, protect Cacturne.”

“Mars! Fire Blast! Apollo, heal your friends and Pluto, Will-O-Wisp!”

Magmar and Cacturne legged it through the hazy obscurity. Magmar turned and held his arms out as Cacturne let Amy fall into my arms. Soon after I grabbed the sleeping girl, Magmar was hit by a furious blast of fire from Mars, which, despite not being particularly effective against him, dealt incredible damage. Pluto’s bluebell flames swept towards Cacturne, but my fire Pokemon took the damage.

“Magmar, another smokescreen! Cacturne, help me with Amy.”

Ecks cursed in fury as smoke filled the forested bank of the lake a second time. Altaria was focusing his powers on healing his allies, and soon I managed to run. Amy on my back, I ran through the woods, Cacturne firing off sharp blades of energy to clear the grass, while Magmar provided backup for the impending attacks.

Once we cleared the forest, I gave Amy to Magmar, who was much stronger than me. I knew I had only option where to go. My house. Having thought Amy was dead, my mind was buzzing at exactly why Ecks had taken her. He seemed obsessed about her…was he going to do something shady? Or was he planning a vigilante-style interrogation to get to the bottom of everything?

Either way, he was after me now. I was really in trouble.


*

Becca was wandering through the village when she received a message on her VS Seeker. Feeling exhausted after her argument with Karin, she felt her wound worsen and she knew she was feeling fainter as the hours went by.

“New message…” she mumbled.

From: Chris 2.0
Amy Wolfsong’s with me in my apartment down BT Street. I think you should come here.

After reading and re-reading the message, Becca sighed and nodded to herself, heading down BT Street with Locke the Hitmonchan. She knew where I lived. Knocking on the door, I greeted her coldly and let her come in.

“Where’s Amy?” Becca panted. “What are you doing to her?!”

“Nothing,” I replied. “I rescued her from Ivy Woods.”

“Rescued her? She didn’t need rescued!” Becca snapped, remembering seeing Amy flee Ivy Woods to get to the Archive.

“She was hit by a sleeper dart,” I snarled at her. “She’s out cold. That Mr Ecks person had her draped over an Arcanine and was ready to head off. I battled him, caused a diversion and took her.”

“Oh my god,” Becca said, running over to the girl, sleeping on the sofa. “Oh my god. Amy! Amy!”

The girl’s eyes wearily opened and she looked around. Feeling where the dart hit her neck (which had been removed), she saw Becca and her eyes widened.

“I couldn’t find anything!” She gasped. “There were people there…they were staying a long time. I had to leave. I went to the woods, to stay out the way of people…”

“Shut up,” I snapped. Both girls looked at me.

“How dare you?” Amy said sharply.

“I want answers,” I said coldly. “Tell me EVERYTHING that’s been going on because honestly, I haven’t enjoyed thinking you were dead Amy. Seeing you alive, seeing Becca and you talking about some ‘plan’ you’ve been undergoing…”

I sat down in a chair facing them both.

“Time to start talking.”


*

It had been a tough day for Karin, also known in TPML as 04621. She had decided that she needed a break. What she really wanted was a good battle. A feverish fight against one of these supposedly elite trainers in the Frontier Brains Trust.

But alas, if she was here, she would have to work and play, and Karin was more interested in the latter. Her work was stressful, Cocoa was watching over her, she felt somewhat secluded in her office while everyone else had fun, and following an argument with Becca, Karin feared for her future in TPML.

There was no other choice. She made her way to the Absence Tower, and decided she was going to take a break. Heading up the floors to the top, she contemplated where she’d like to go. New York, where she used to work? Maybe.

As she stood on the glowing pedestal, Karin kept perfectly still as a hologram appeared in the nearest space of the room, which was getting quite full. A button on the console by the pedestal was labeled ‘record’.

“I’m spending the next five days away from TPML,” she said shakily. “Stress and personal issues are constricting my efficiency at my job.”

Karin released her finger from the button and the hologram flashed white before returning to its cool-blue colour. Karins hologram began repeating the message, and she turned to leave.

But someone else was here.

“Ecks,” Karin said firmly. She saw him in the sheet of light by the doorway.

“Karin,” Ecks said, smirking. He was somewhat out of breath. “I heard your message on the way up…how touching.”

“I’m going,” Karin sighed. “You’re not worth the effort.”

“Neither are you, it would seem…” Ecks murmured, as Karin walked past. She headed to the door but before she could get there, Ecks’ hand dived into his holster. He grabbed a gun and in a resounding bang which echoed off the walls, Karin slumped to the ground. Blood seeped across the black tiled floor.

Karin began groaning, coughing blood. She was struck in the back.

“You know me, Karin,” he said softly, walking around her slowly, like a hyena around its helpless prey. “I’m a vain person. A show-off. I am covered in a layer of pride and honor.”

The moderator struggled to groan in sarcasm.

“That’s why I severely dislike someone taking credit for my work,” he hissed. “Although a scapegoat was quite useful, I must admit…”

“I-I-I,” Karin mumbled. “I knew.”

“You knew?” Ecks said. “You knew it was me behind all this? Another reason you needed to be taken care of. You’re the smartest girl here. Once Becca spoke to you again, she’d begin to realize how your story does check out. And then we’d be off on another sleuthing trail to find the real ‘bad guy’. But they’re not going to find me.”

“T-They will,” Karin replied. Her breath was coming back, despite the blood spilling over the floor. “They will.”

“Becca’s not got the brains,” Ecks smirked. “I told Liang that, under extreme pressure, he was to drop your name in. I knew Becca would get angry. When she believed him, she got so worked up…and now she’ll be in floods of tears because her last words to you were accusatory...she never got to make it up with you…”

“Shut up,” Karin snarled.

“Oh no, no I shall not,” replied Ecks. “If I wanted you to die quickly I would have done so. I shot you with precision, my girl. I want you to hear my words. You’re going to die slowly, painfully, and brutally.”

“I die,” Karin rasped. “Knowing that it’s going to cause your downfall. People will put the pieces together. I know they will.”

“We’ll see,” Ecks said softly, walking to the hologram-creating pedestal. “It’s a nice theory…isn’t it?”

He cleared his throat.

“Mr Ecks. I will be absent from June 18th for about a week. My son and I have to spend some quality time together before my priorities shift. Thank you.”

After the message was recorded, in a similar fashion to Karin, Ecks walked to the control panel and wrenched it open. The dying Karin watched eyes wide, as Ecks tweaked the coding and settings. Soon, his message was replayed:

“Mr Ecks. I will be absent from June 16th for about a week. My son and I have to spend some quality time together before my priorities shift. Thank you.”

“June 16th?” Karin asked.

“Well would you look at that,” Ecks said lightly. “I’m not even here when you were murdered…look’s like my name’s been crossed off the suspect list.”

“S-Someone will have…” gasped Karin, weakening. “Someone…seen…someone…”

“The people who saw me today will be taken care of,” he smirked, leaving the archive. “Or…like you said, maybe I’ll get busted?”

He laughed.

“I’ve got a contingency plan, Karin, I always do.”

He turned wildly and shot three more bullets to Karin’s chest. She was on her front, propped up by her arms, but the next shots caused her to tumble onto her back wound, writhing in pain. Ecks laughed again and left the archive.

As Karin struggled to breath, she mopped the blood up with her hand and, seeing how much leaked, slapped her hand to the ground and drew a thick diagonal line. Moving her hand, she did a likewise opposing diagonal so that, in the cool-blue light of her hologram, a red X could be seen on the ground.

Breathing was slowing down. Groans and grunts reverberated around the large, spacious room. The various holograms stared into oblivion as messages were played on a loop. Karin’s hologram was staring right at the point where Ecks had shot her.

“I’m spending the next five days away from TPML,” said the hologram. “Stress and personal issues are constricting my efficiency at my job.”

“B-B-Becca…” groaned Karin.

“I’m spending the next five days away from TPML,” said the hologram. “Stress and personal issues are constricting my efficiency at my job.”

She rolled onto her side, grunting and heaving as her face was stained with her own blood. As her body began to shut down, Karin’s ears picked up her own message playing again and again.

“I’m spending the next five days away from TPML,” said the hologram. “Stress and personal issues are constricting my efficiency at my job.”

With a final groan, Karin shuddered momentarily and collapsed in the pool of blood on the floor. Her heartbeat stopped; pulse was untraceable and her brain slowly whirred to a stop. Dancing blue lights were the last thing the Moderator saw as Ecks made his way out the archive.

“I’m spending the next five days away from TPML,” said the hologram. “Stress and personal issues are constricting my efficiency at my job.”






Next: Chapter26 - Charles Legend
Following the horrific incident in the Absence Tower, TPML is reeling. Cocoa faces a tough leadership crisis, while Becca is struck with guilt and spirals into depression. Chris learns about Amy's expiriences in the caves, while The Antibodies relocate to a new hideout. Pseudo-Steve provides help for them, but what was on Greys slip of paper?

As The Frontier Brains continue to battle, Andrew is once again distracted from his challange. Meanwhile, Chris finds himself plagued by a friendly battler who seems to be his one (and only) superfan. And Liang strikes back.




Thanks guys!

[Dark Dragonite]

Another great one!!
I loved "Feizhi Outpost", for those who don't know, is the name of my KKahn I famously use!!
Nurse Smiles gave a trainer the pokerus, LOL, now she's Chris's boss? ROFL
Everyone wants Amy, and now she's at Chris's apartment, somehow, I think this will make Chris's life infinitely harder.
DD is captured and mimiced, I wonder how/if he will get out.
and this: "and the acids in her body found a new way to make her feel sick."
reminded me of a Panic! at the disco song(Lying is the most fun a girl can have without taking her clothes off)
"Oh now I do recall, we were just getting to the part
Where the shock sets in, and the stomach acid finds a new way to make you get sick."

[MeLoVeGhOsTs]

Waw, I don't know where to begin

First up, Jenny's doing fine already and their relationship is really improving. Just waiting for pregnancy test.

The Antibodies have an evil scheme, I'm intrested.

Karin's action remind me of the DaVinci Code. Lol, what will Becca find out before the depression takes her down?

I'm also a little confused on Ecks position here? He joined the Anitbodies? Killed Karin? Kidnapped Amy? And for what?

Becca is also a character I'm starting to hate. With her prejudgments and irritating calls, the bitch. Chris set them where she belongs! Let her talk!

Much more things I should ask or tell you, but I can't come up with them now. Sorry.

Oh and where has MH gone?

[Ultimate Charizard]

Wow.....
...thats all i can say lol.

Did not see that one coming...again. Ecks is a busy kinda guy. Workaholic lol.
Great work Chris, and ive finally popped up! Woot! lol. Theres my Ego trip and i like the reference to the Old times lol. He's a vet amongst whippersnappers lol
Now wouldnt mind a crack at these elite fella's ;), they look tough. Mighty cool.

[The Blue Avenger]

Hoo boy, that was an insane chapter. My comments have basically already all been said by others, so I'll skip directly to the crazy insane conspiracy theories. 1. There is more than one Ecks - Ecks' appearances in this chapter almost like different people. Since we've seen a Ditto Transform into a person, it's not entirely implausible. Heh, maybe each Ecks is actually named Eck - when they're referred to collectively, they're Ecks. 2. When people see the bloody X, they're gonna suspect the poor kid in the hospital. ;)

I'd also llike to say that the repetition of Karin's message at the end was very well-done - very dramatic. I think it was very appropriate, rather ironic, and... well... pretty cool.

[Charles Legend]

I agree with what has already been said however just as I had thought when he first showed up Ecks was behind Amy’s disappearance, also I was not that surprised that Liang was laying to Becca.

Anyways
Chris finds himself plagued by a friendly battler who seems to be his one (and only) super fan. LOL, it should be a good, I am very instead in seeing what you do to this alter ego of mine.... And why do I get the felling that Charles had been held prisoner on the Island of rejects when his crew stated a mutiny against him throwing him on to the Island as his ship was on it’s way to village 04621

oh and he Charles was also on board the Green Evictor’s sub with Chris' pack, however he was in the bathroom at the time when Chris and TBA along with Girafarig made their escape from the Island however they had no Idea they had a stole a way aboard…;)

~Charles Legend

[Blademaster]

I appeared... Ecks is the mastermind... Karin was innocent... and now she's dead...

It's... ooh... too much...

SNAP!

(mental overload) :dead:

Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh hhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh..........

(beep... brain... restarting...)

[ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo] 100%

OK, where was I? Oh, yeah... great work, Chris - I can see why you're a Moderator... can we say 'complex mind?' :eek:

A lot of stuff happened this time around... I kinda suspected Ecks for awhile now, but I couldn't figure out where he fit in... now, it's all starting to add up... but how does Liang fit into all this? And what's Ecks' motive? :confused:

Hmmmmm... intriguing stuff... I'll have to keep reading more closely...

Anyway, keep up the good work.

And thanks for putting me in the story! A Swellow, huh? Interesting choice... I just hope ASBlademaster wasn't a one-hit wonder... OK, I'm being selfish. Sorry. :embarassed:

See ya next time! :wave:

-Blade

[Dark Dragonite]

The only person with a clue at all, would be Chris...if he finds out about the bloody "X"...and is able to try and add it up...

[Andrew]

Oh, dear, Karin's dead? VEEDP is exposed!? Amy's alive and Becca did what I told her to do months ago!

Cripes, with Karin's last breath she made a DaVinci Code for the final episodes! But have we exposed Ecks too early... but what are his motivations? Unless he has a partner? Liang? Coco? Lady Smiles? But a brilliant ending.

Is Ice Man Ecks? I don't know, I'm stupid.

The Ditto clone issue, well poor DD.... but I doubt Ditto has the mental capacity to pretty much do much without explicit instruction.

Becca's wound? Will she get it tended to? But I loved the whole creepy Nightshade turning on her. And Jenny, Amy and Chris are surely in danger now... Speaking of Chris, poor lad hasn't had time to train or enslave more creatures lately. Will he be ready for the league or contest? Will he give his job the flick? And this new Jenny's quite upsetting. I'm surprised she'd even let someone touch her so soon after that drama when it first happened. Why wouldn't she go home with her parents?

I'm intreagued about what my character is going to be doing in this arc! Lol, and what my team is too....

But Hanada Tatts getting strong, woah... definately a step up! I still can't visualize those brainy people. I love the concept but.

But the Jynx thing the last episode was hillarious. Absolutely hillarious. And the Eevee sisters, haven't heard from them in a while...

[darktyranitar]

LOL at Blade's early comment :D.

So, it was Ecks who was behind this? Hmm... what is his intention on trying to bring down the leader of TPML? He done it once with Becca, and now, with Cocoa? He could be aiming to demolish TPML, or maybe have it to his own... I don't know.

And the X stuff that sick boy spoke; it seems quite a coincidence that suddenly Chris noticed the resembelance to Ecks name. But then, the boy might just be pure crazy (hehe Chris, you told me the boy was just crazy in response of the chapter where Chris was treated as crazy).

Charles Legand is up in the next chapter, and he's a fan of Chris! Hm, this could be interesting. And Mega Horny is in this chapter. Such attitude...

See you in the next chapter!

[Elec Man EXE]

I got to knock someone out :dance:

Gah... will we ever find out who is TRULY behind the evil scheme. Seems every chapter we get a new suspect :confused:

Maybe the real one is.... Emperor Palpatine! Muahahaha!

And great, I'm now allied with the current evil mastermind. Kinda ironic that he wouldn't knock out DD but he'll go around killing people. Quite the mood swings he has :tongue:

Chris finding Amy should turn out quite interestingly, methinks.

Oh, and one question. Is the investigation into who raped Jenny ever going to come into light, or will it stay a mystery for all time? Unsolved plotlines make me go crazy trying to figure out something hidden thats usually not there :rolleyes:

[Hyperness is a Good Thing]

Plot twist after plot twist.. Lol, did have suspicions about Ecks, but didn't expect him to be the real villian behind everything. This chapter did answer a few questions, but it raises a lot more...and the repitition at the end, like TBA mentioned, very nice touch, dramatic and ironic at the same time.
can't wait for the next chapter, with the everyone's reactions to Karin's death, also Chris getting to hear the story from TML and Wolfsong, and of course, Jenny's possible pregnancy.

[Mega Horny]

Whoo, i need to catch up! I love the way you're portraying my character BTW. But what was this business between me and Grey? I'm sorry, i must have missed something.

[Charizard04621]

Hey look on the bright side, at least she wasn't shot in the stomach like that poor old man. Interesting chapter, looking forward to more.

[EDIT]: Ooooh, Gravijaa Slam premiered ^^ Great combo, too bad it was overused to the point of staleness when I was around, got tired of seeing it used in idiotic manners. Who would gravijaa a Jigglypuff -_- That's retarded, it wouldn't do any damage.

[Wolfsong]

Good chapter. I kinda figured that there would be an almost encounter at teh archives when i saw that two parties were heading there. Nice to see Hasan. ^^ I certainly wasn't expecting Ecks to be behind things. I found it interesting that his team were named after Greek and Roman gods. I guess we'll soon be finding out more about what went on while i was gone. Karin's death was a surprise. I certainly wasn't expecting it. I'm looking forward to seeing what happens in the next chapter.

[Ace64]

Wow...at first, I thought the "Almighty Ecks" was some sort of detective, but it seems he's the one behind everything. Seems like there's an awful lot of people to take care of if he's to remain unsuspected...Chris 2.0, Razor Leaf, Elec Man, Kyle, Amy, Ice Man... got his work cut out for him. Maybe he didn't want to get involved with DD's capture so that DD would have no idea Ecks was even there. Ecks also suggested creating the pseudo-Steve, but if he betrays the Antibodies, he can take care of the whole group in one fell swoop...with Cocoa and Steve none the wiser.

Course, I'm just rambling. It seems Ecks was the one who helped capture Amy, but what kind of leverage does he have over Liang? Well, knowing Ecks, it's probably something good..

[Dark Dragonite]

3 possible scenarios with Jenny:

1)She is pregnant, but has a miscarriage, creating more mental strife...

2)She is pregnant, and has the baby, who looks just like the father, giving evidence as to the rapist...

3)Not pregnant...so many people assumed she was pregnant after the rape, this could be the least likely suspision...

[Ace64]

9 months is a long time to wait to discover the killer, isn't it?