The Pokemon Masters League (A Tribute to ASB)

[Chris 2.1]

Hello all. Excuse the slightly...how do I say this...cheesy title. Admittedly this wasn't perhaps the most elegant title, but as you can see, it is abbreviated to TPML...which is TPM, with an L...clever? No, not really.

This fanfic is nothing too serious and a small project I am doing based on the antics of ASB. For those unfamilliar with ASB - get down there! You basically choose a team of 4 Pokemon and battle them with other members, winning points to evolve current team members or catch new ones. I was made moderator there not too long ago, and have taken the ASB concept, as well as the characters, events, landmarks and battles and made them into a little fanfic. Obviously in this setting, Anime Style Battling is something of a weak and odd name, since the Anime won't exist there. Henceforth the name change to TPML.

Many characters are here, from (Oz)Andrew, Razor Leaf, The_Missing_Link, The Arbiter, Aragornbird, Pichu, Chris Watarimono, and Syberia, with many more to come. Each chapter focuses on a particular character from ASB.


So here we go! Please read + rate. I hope some ASB-ers do arrive in here and give me some feedback. Ch1 is mainly a prologue and does not take place at TPML Village. Ch1 is also the only chapter in 3rd person.



Below is a chapter guide with links to each chapter.

Chapter 1: The Missing Link (http://www.pokemasters.net/forums/index.php?topic=42828.msg601943#msg601943)
Chapter 2: Girafarig (Part 1) (http://www.pokemasters.net/forums/index.php?topic=42828.msg603292#msg603292)
Chapter 3: Girafarig (Part 2) (http://www.pokemasters.net/forums/index.php?topic=42828.msg606719#msg606719)
Chapter 4: Razor Leaf (Part 1) (http://www.pokemasters.net/forums/index.php?topic=42828.msg607794#msg607794)
Chapter 5: OzAndrew (Part 1) (http://www.pokemasters.net/forums/index.php?topic=42828.msg608804#msg608804)
Chapter 6: OzAndrew (Part 2) (http://www.pokemasters.net/forums/index.php?topic=42828.msg610662#msg610662)
Chapter 7: The Arbiter (http://www.pokemasters.net/forums/index.php?topic=42828.msg613160#msg613160)
Chapter 8: Aragornbird VS Pichu (http://www.pokemasters.net/forums/index.php?topic=42828.msg615034#msg615034)
Chapter 9: Hanada Tattsu (http://www.pokemasters.net/forums/index.php?topic=42828.msg619060#msg619060)
Chapter 10: Wolfsong (Part 1) (http://www.pokemasters.net/forums/index.php?topic=42828.msg623018#msg623018)
Chapter 11: 04621 (Part 1) (http://www.pokemasters.net/forums/index.php?topic=42828.msg624159#msg624159)
Chapter 12: 04621 (Part 2) (http://www.pokemasters.net/forums/index.php?topic=42828.msg625479#msg625479)
Chapter 13: Crystal Tears (http://www.pokemasters.net/forums/index.php?topic=42828.msg626589#msg626589)
Chapter 14: FabuLass (http://www.pokemasters.net/forums/index.php?topic=42828.msg628118#msg628118)
Chapter 15: Knight of Time (http://www.pokemasters.net/forums/index.php?topic=42828.msg629679#msg629679)
Chapter 16: Razor Leaf (Part 2) (http://www.pokemasters.net/forums/index.php?topic=42828.msg631837#msg631837)
Chapter 17: Razor Leaf (Part 3) (http://www.pokemasters.net/forums/index.php?topic=42828.msg632868#msg632868)
Chapter 18: Razor Leaf (Part 4) (http://www.pokemasters.net/forums/index.php?topic=42828.msg634534#msg634534)
Chapter 19: The Blue Avenger (http://www.pokemasters.net/forums/index.php?topic=42828.msg635730#msg635730)
Chapter 20: The Weakest Link (http://www.pokemasters.net/forums/index.php?topic=42828.msg639654#msg639654)
Chapter 21: Cocoa Sting (http://www.pokemasters.net/forums/index.php?topic=42828.msg641444#msg641444)
Chapter 22: Girafarig (Part 3) (http://www.pokemasters.net/forums/index.php?topic=42828.msg642807#msg642807)
Chapter 23: Wolfsong (Part 2) (http://www.pokemasters.net/forums/index.php?topic=42828.msg643506#msg643506)
Chapter 24: Chris 2.0 (http://www.pokemasters.net/forums/index.php?topic=42828.msg646412#msg646412)
Chapter 25: Salon Maiden Annabel (http://www.pokemasters.net/forums/index.php?topic=42828.msg649937#msg649937)
Chapter 26: Charles Legend (http://www.pokemasters.net/forums/index.php?topic=42828.msg656081#msg656081)
Chapter 27: Pike Queen Lucy (Part 1) (http://www.pokemasters.net/forums/index.php?topic=42828.msg657995#msg657995)
Chapter 28: Pike Queen Lucy (Part 2) (http://)
Chapter 29: Hanada Tattsu (Part 2) (http://www.pokemasters.net/forums/index.php?topic=42828.msg665315#msg665315)









Chapter One
The Missing Link




The sun cast a bright glow over the hills as a new day slowly began. It was the start of the summer…finally. In the city; the big, metropolitan city, businessmen and women alike sat in cars, sweltering in the heat of their small cars, stuck in heavy traffic during the rush hour. Housewives bode farewell to husbands for the day, standing in their disinfected confines for another stale day. Meanwhile, the children had finished school for the next couple of months. Now they were free from the shackles of education, the city was theirs. Ice cream parlors and burger bars were raking in excess cash and high profits.

The sky was a beautiful, pastel blue. Its vivid colours stretched across the sky as far as the eye could see. The sun sat behind a collection of fluffy white clouds which began to gently drift across the atmosphere.

Two people were wandering out of the city and up a dusty ridge towards a long, flat stone arena overlooking the beautiful city. One, a young man of 16 years, took a swig from a bottle of water and hiked farther and farther. His light brown hair was very dark in some places, and came down to the bridge of his nose. He had a well defined face. Carrying the gaze of his hazel eyes around, he saw his companion huffing and puffing as she walked slightly behind him.

Both were in light-coloured T-shirts, as it was a sweltering day, especially when one was this high up in the mountains. The male, who went by the name of Chris, wore a white t-shirt, which already showed sweaty patches underneath it. The girl, however, wore a light coloured yellow t-shirt. Both were in shorts.

“Can we have a break now?” the girl asked, tying her light brown hair in a ponytail. She took much precision in keeping two strands either side of her face. She dabbed on some more foundation with a brush, and pursed her lips. She fluttered her eyelashes and admired herself. She was of a similar age to her boyfriend, and had a very pretty face. This was Jenny. Jenny had often been told she had the face of a model. She would never disagree.

“Sure,” Chris replied glumly. The two then sat down on the large, flat rocks surrounding the area, sighing as the heat and humidity began to get to them. Grabbing four red and white balls on her belt, Jenny, with her eyelids half-shut in fatigue, dropped the balls to the floor and let the creatures within take form.

First was her fluffy yellow sheep, Mareep, nicknamed Bleats. It was adorable, and Jenny’s favorite Pokemon to show off. The little sheep seemed very flustered by the heat. Besides Bleats was Jenny’s next Pokemon, a Sunflora. She had a big, wide, plate-like face of enthusiasm, with bright leaves and a sturdy stem. It was nicknamed Flora. Flora absorbed the sunlight with gusto. Thirdly was Jenny’s Mudkip, nicknamed Skip. Skip was the only male in the group, and as he came out, he gave a happy little cry. Jenny chuckled. Finally, Jenny’s Meowth, Paris, emerged, looking elegant and refined. She was a lot like her trainer; often very hissy and quick to strike. Paris sat by her trainer and cleaned herself while Bleats, Flora and Skip ran around merrily.

“Skip, honey, can you use a water gun to cool us off?” Jenny asked, stroking Paris. Skip complied, firing a jet of water high into the air, letting it fall as droplets of rain over the group. Bleats instantly shouted cries of gratitude, while Flora dug her root-like feet into the ground and Paris just watched the group from Jenny’s arms.

“This hike is really exhausting,” Jenny said. “I hope it’s worth it!”

“Of course it’s worth it,” Chris replied, drinking his water. “The initiation test is the first step.”

“Naturally you’re going to do fine,” Jenny replied placidly, sipping her water elegantly. “I just hope I’m up to scratch…”

“As long as Paris doesn’t think she’s too good for fights,” Chris replied. Paris hissed loudly, slashing the air.

“Paris doesn’t think like that!” Jenny said defensively, stroking her cat to calm her down. “All my Pokemon enjoy battles.”

Jenny looked at her boyfriend.

“Why aren’t you releasing your Pokemon?” she asked. “They want to stretch their legs, I bet.”

“They’re fine,” Chris replied. “Honestly. They’ll just get distracted.”

A figure wandered towards them. He looked young. He had mousey brown hair in a mop-like shape over his eyes. His expression was one of utter emptiness.

“Are you ok?” Chris asked.

“Yea…” he muttered. “I just had my Initiation match.”

“Oh, how did it go?” Chris asked, suddenly excited and keen to hear this boy’s story.

“I didn’t get in,” he sighed. “I lost my match.”

“What Pokemon do you have?” Jenny inquired.

“I used my Raticate,” replied the boy. “But…well, the examiner is strong. She uses evolved forms. Good luck.”

And with that, the boy wandered off past them. Every Pokemon had their eyes on the defeated trainer as he made his way back the way Chris and Jenny had come. The two watched the boy go.

“Evolved forms?” Chris asked. “Uh-Oh.”

In truth, he had no evolved Pokemon whatsoever. It depended what evolved forms the examiner had. Tyranitar or Charizard would be tough, but an evolved form like Butterfree or Pidgeotto would probably pose little or no challenge.

For the next ten minutes, Jenny made sure her Pokemon were all psyched up for their initiation battle. While Paris did seem somewhat too good for fighting, Jenny assured herself she could count on the somewhat snobby Pokemon. When Chris was sick of sitting there in the heat, he asked Jenny to recall her Pokemon and keep going. She did so, and the two made their way further up the mountain trail towards the top.

They talked very little. In all honesty, Chris found a lot of frustration in his girlfriend. He did like her, and she was very beautiful, but she was clumsy and often very hotheaded. The hike up the mountains had already exhausted him of his tolerance.

A figure watched from the top of the mountains. It was evident she was a woman, but she was cloaked in black, so her looks were not distinguishable. She could see the two figures making their way up to the top of the mountain, and had already grown to dislike Jenny from her actions before. Plucking a Pokeball from her belt, she hurled it over the side of the mountain and ran back a few feet to avoid being seen.

As Chris and Jenny continued to walk, they stopped as a Pokemon ran from around the corner. It was an Absol – these dog, wolf-like creatures had an upturned scythe on the side of their head. Powerful, they often sought challenges from anyone invading their territory.

“Oh my god! An Absol!” Jenny remarked.

“It wants to fight,” Chris noticed. He drew a Pokeball. “I’ll do the honors.”

Clutching the cold, smooth ball, Chris maximized it and threw it forward, opening it up and releasing his chosen Pokemon in a flash of bright light. Smaller than Absol, a navy blue in colour, Sneasel emerged. With sharp claws and a piercing glare, this agile weasel was severely underestimated by many. It watched Absol.

“Get in there with the first move,” Chris ordered. “Quick attack!”

As Sneasel swept along the dirty ground, feet moving rapidly and claws stretched back, Sneasel prepared to make contact. With a quick slash, Sneasel turned and sped back to his trainer. Unlike Jenny, Chris did not name his Pokemon. Absol did not take much damage, but charged energy in her scythe. The scythe-like appendage glowed a feverish white.

“That’s a razor wind,” Chris noted. “Take it Sneasel!”

The slash of energy was hurled from Absol’s scythe, slamming right into Sneasel. Sneasel, arms crossed in defense, skidded back and managed to take minimal damage.

“Now, use an agility blizzard combo!” Chris shouted. Sneasel sped through the air – this time on all fours, before leaping up over Absol’s head and spreading his arms wide. A chilled beam of frosty winds swept towards the Pokemon and engulfed it, freezing it all over with icy paticles. Absol looked pretty tired, prompting Sneasel to soar down towards it and deliver a focus punch right in the face.

Absol fell backwards. Sneasel leapt back to his trainer. Absol slowly got up and ran around the corner. Giving chase, Chris and Jenny ran around the corner to see that, somehow, it had disappeared completely. Luckily, they did see a stone staircase leading to the very top of the mountain.

“We must be near,” Chris informed Jenny, who was curious as to where Absol went. The two went up the stairs together, Chris recalling Sneasel into his Pokeball, wondering what was up at the top.

The walk was not much farther. Chris did feel a painful throbbing in his calves; it was evident they were protesting the hike in the only way they knew. Jenny kept giving off dramatic sighs to herself as they walked, shooting glances at Chris.

Up the stone staircase they went. Each step sent a tiring ache up Chris’ leg. He sighed as the sun pulsated strongly; steadily drenching him with sweat, sweat that cascaded down his forehead. Jenny was fanning herself with a piece of paper, contemplating sending Skip out to cool them off. Chris did not like the idea.

“We need an element of surprise in this match,” Chris warned his girlfriend. “If we send our Pokemon out alongside us, well, the examiner could manipulate that into a strategy.”

Huffing to herself, Jenny plodded onwards, eventually getting her mobile phone out and ringing her friend Daphne. Blabbering about fashion, Jenny found the time simply flew by as she boasted about Paris and her other Pokemon. Chris sighed and saw the top of the mountain get closer and closer.

Eventually, after what seemed an age, they arrived up at the top. It was a long, barren wasteland up at the top. It was even hotter than usual with the cloudless sky wavering through their eyes. A figure stood on one end of an arena, the arena itself having been constructed by a twig running through the sand, probably. The woman was dressed in all black, covering her face save for her eyes. She looked very odd.

“Challengers,” she said.

“Yea, we’re here for the initiation,” Chris informed the woman. “I’m Chris, this is Jenny.”

“Hi!” Jenny cried nervously. The woman grabbed her black garments and threw them off, revealing a powerful-looking pinstripe suit over a young woman’s body. A refreshing, mint-green shirt was under her suit, and she wore black trousers. Her shoes had small heels. The woman was, in actuality, young-looking. Chris was reminded of a lawyer. Her hair was a few shades of brown, and it just reached her shoulders. She wore a pair of classy shades, so Chris was unable to see her face. Chris put her at about 18, possibly 19 or even 20. She looked very mature.

“My name is Rebecca,” the woman stated. “Or Becca for short. I am your examiner for the TPML.”

She grabbed two Pokeballs.

“We will have a standard double battle, during which I will assess your performance and decide whether or not you are qualified enough to enter the league.”

Throwing the two Pokeballs forward, Becca released her Pokemon. One was a purple colour. It was like two star-shapes backed onto each other, with a chunky, red gem in the center. Starmie. Despite being a genderless Pokemon, there was a distinct gruffness in Starmie’s equally feminine cry that suggested it may be a male.

Materializing next to Starmie was a crimson Pokemon. It had a steel body and two pincers for hands. Wearing a rather serious look, the Scizor in question stood at about Becca’s height.

“Meet Chiron, the Starmie, and Orion, the Scizor,” Becca said proudly.

“Ok…no worries here, right?” Chris asked Jenny, although his voice did sound higher than usual.

“No worries,” Jenny smiled. “Go Bleats!”

Mareep emerged, bleating happily. Dancing around, Bleats did not realize how immature she looked in front of Orion and Chiron. Chris grabbed a ball from his belt and threw it forward, releasing his choice. The little Magby emerged, smiling and waggling his little tail. Despite being small, he was a powerful Pokemon. Magby flexed his arms, eyes wide in over joyous anticipation of the match ahead.

“So it is Orion and Chiron versus…Bleats and Magby,” Becca noted, trying not to laugh at Mareep’s nickname. “BEGIN!”

“Bleats, thunderbolt at Chiron!” Jenny cried.

“Flamethrower, Magby,” Chris added. “Aim for Orion’s torso.”

Bleats flashed yellow as her fur began to charge up. Static electricity bounced around and soon, the sheep’s wool was like candy floss. Releasing the discharge in a jagged bolt of electricity, Bleats cried out in succession as it soared through the air. As it approached, however, Chiron began to spin on one point. Faster and faster he got, and as the thunderbolt hit this radius of spinning energy, it was sent flying towards Magby at an angle. Magby leapt from the attack, rolling and spurting flames from his mouth. They scorched Orion lightly, who shielded himself with his claws.

“Chiron, use a bubblebeam,” Becca ordered. “Orion, use quick attack.”

As Orion sped through the air, crying his name in a deep, focused manner as he headed towards Bleats, Chiron simultaneously spewed a collection of large bubbles through the air. Glowing a feverish blue, they sped at Magby and peppered him severely. Magby was thrown back to Chris’ feet, but he still got back up.

“Quickly,” Chris cried. “Use a fire spin in front of Bleats.”

As Magby watched Orion speed towards his ally, he opened wide and fired a cone of fire. It smashed into the ground and twirled upwards into a demolishing spiral of heat. Orion sped right into it and gave a long roar of pain. Bleats smiled at Magby.

Becca smirked.

“Chiron, use sharpen followed by double edge, aim for Magby!” she ordered. “Orion, use a swords dance and then a slash at Bleats!”

“Bleats, thunderbolt!” Jenny ordered.

“Magby, use smokescreen!” Chris cried.

Orion began spinning at an incredible speed. Ghostly images of swords slowly surrounded him, creating a swirl of dust. Chiron flashed white as all of his points seemed to get sharper. As this happened, Magby blasted a cloud of smoke into the arena. It obscured everybody’s vision. The thunderbolt failed, missing both opponents, and even though Chiron sped through the air, he still missed both foes and jammed into the ground. Orion slashed a streak of energy, too, and it managed to smash into Magby.

“You do not have long left to make a good impression,” Becca reminded them. “The match cannot exceed five minutes…”

“Damn,” Chris muttered. “Magby, use double team!”

“Bleats, use a headbutt!” Jenny shouted. As Magby created several clones to increase his evasiveness, Bleats charged right through the smoke. Chiron, currently jammed into the earth, used a teleport to return back to his usual place.

“Psychic to locate Bleats, then use psychic to slam it into the ground, Chiron,” Becca said. “Orion, use a skull bash on Magby.”

As Bleats charged, a psychic aura soon surrounded her. Feeling herself float up into the air, Bleats gave a cry as she was slammed into the ground mercilessly. Jenny was shocked that everything was so brutal.

“STOP!” she cried.

“Jenny, just –

Chris was interrupted by Becca, who reminded him he could not help his ally with strategies. Cursing, Chris simply tried to counter Orion.

“Fire Blast!”

As Orion sped forward, a huge cone of flames shrouded him completely. Giving a large cry, he flapped backwards and felt burns covering his body. Orion flapped his wings and sent a shivering silver wind speeding at both Magby and Bleats. Bleats gave a shrill scream as she was still mercilessly thrown into the ground. Magby took damage from the attack, too.

“Bleats, thunderbolt!” Jenny shouted. Unfortunately, this did not work. Chiron’s core glowed a feverish orange, and a hyper beam was sent speeding forward. It smashed into Bleats, ending the psychic connection and causing Bleats to suffer extreme damage. She fell down, and Jenny gave a shocked cry.

“Return!” she cried out. “You ruthless cow!”

“This is how Pokemon Battles work,” Becca stressed calmly. “Orion! Hyper beam. Chiron, bubblebeam.”

“Magby! Barrier!” Chris shouted. His clones were obliterated by the flurry of bubbles streaming through the air. Magby cried his name out and started wiping the air in front of him. This produced a pink barrier which absorbed the large hyper beam attack. However, following this, it shattered completely.

“Magby, good work,” Chris sighed. “Now use a flamethrower brick break combo!”

Magby sped through the air, spewing an onslaught of flames. Orion instinctively blocked them, crossing his arms, which allowed Magby to leap up, charge energy into his hands and release a series of chops at his foe. Orion took them, leading Magby to leap up and spew more flames at his foe.

“Great job,” Chris told his Pokemon.

“Orion, reversal,” Becca commanded. Chris sighed. Orion sent a glowing orb of energy rising above his head. The energy came from all parts of his body, and combined into a huge ball. He hurled it through the air, and Chiron then responded by firing a beam of chilled icy moisture at his foe. Magby watched as he was smashed into by the orb, feeling all the damage Orion took that match, and following that, was finished off by the ice beam, despite its weakness.

“Magby!” Chris gasped. “Nice try. Return.”

He shot the Pokeball beam forward and recalled his Pokemon.

“That’s all,” Becca announced. “I can tell a lot about both of you by the way you conducted that battle. Chris, I could see how you could often apply strategies to the situations that the battle put you into. You didn’t seem to fall under pressure, which worked in your favor. I am happy to say you are now accepted into the TPML.”

“Yes!” Chris cried out.

“However,” Becca said, turning to Jenny. “Jenny, you will not be joining Chris. I’m afraid your general performance was poor. You relied on basic attack strategies to get by, and it did not work. I noticed you rarely made use of Mareep’s more stable attacks. An iron tail could have severely weakened Chiron, and using Orion as a lightening rod would also be a plausible idea. However, your failure to implement a strategy means you are not accepted into the TPML.”

Jenny’s face dropped.

“You’re KIDDING?” she snapped.

“No, I am not,” Becca responded calmly, Starmie and Scizor by her side. “Now Chris, I’ll give you a lift.”

“Really? Cool!” Chris said happily.

“If you hang around central park tomorrow afternoon I’ll pick you up there,” Becca replied coolly.

“Hold on!” Jenny snapped. “Chris, you are NOT going!”

“What? But I passed!” cried Chris in defense.

“If I can’t go, then neither can you!” Jenny snapped. Her face was blotchy with anger, and she looked utterly frustrated at how things were turning out. “YOU’LL GET WITH ANOTHER GIRL!”

“Oh, not this again?” Chris muttered.

“YES, THIS AGAIN!” Jenny screamed. Becca intervened, plucking a Pokeball from her belt. Throwing it to the ground, a Kadabra emerged. It was about three and a half feet tall in height, with a fat tail but an otherwise thin body. It had a star on its forehead, and held a spoon in one hand.

“Nightshade, use teleport,” Becca muttered. With a loud cry, Nightshade waved his spoon, and within a few seconds, Jenny had teleported completely from view. She was gone. Chris’ eyes widened.

“Where did she go?” he asked.

“Outside the mall,” Becca replied coolly. “She’ll be fine.”

“Well…thanks, I guess,” Chris replied.

“You’d better head off home,” Becca warned him. “Say your goodbyes make last-minute preparations, that sort of thing. You’ll be gone a while.”

“Right,” the boy replied. “Well, nice meeting you.”

“Sure,” she replied firmly, watching Chris walk down the mountain path, Nightshade by her side. “Oh, and Chris?”

He turned to face her from a few steps down the mountain.

“Yea?”

“That Absol was mine - that is Lyra.” Becca added. Chris looked up at her.

“Yea, I thought so.”

And, more casually than when on the way up, Chris hitched his backpack up his shoulders, turned his music on and popped his earpieces in. Without a care in the world, he strolled down the mountain in the scorching heat, now with one less thing to worry about.

Becca watched him, sweeping her shades off to reveal beautiful eyes, mixed with shades of grey and blue. She scanned the area, recalling Nightshade, and sighed to herself. Turning her heel, she wandered across the top of the mountain, lost in thought.

[Crystal Tears]

I saw your update on ASB and just had to read this fic.

I want to see more of this pokemon masters league, which is sort of garenteed because of the fact Chris got in.
I love the discriptions of the battles, and the characters, and I especially love the short lived arguement between Jenny and Chris, especially the way it was resolved.

On a Side note: Jenny scares Me.

Yes um, forgive me, I'm not much of a critic.

[RaZoR LeAf]

Heh, great work Chris, who's Jenny though? NPC? Secret girlfriend? *nudge nudge, wink wink* Heh. Looking forward to chapter 4 and 5. :D

[Chris 2.1]

Oooh feedback.

CT: TPML Village is surely a sight to behold, as it contains the towers (Approval, Rules, Bank etc all), shops, a delightful little cafe, and many idyllic locations that you'll see across the fic. Oh...and I've actuallyhad some ideas for putting you in the fic somewhere! ;)

Yes Jrnny is a scary girl. It seems as if she just wasn't ready for TPML - or rather, TPML wasn't ready for her. Glad you liked it so far.

Dan: Glad you enjoyed the first installment. Jenny was a fictional character, but on an interesting side note my new girlfriend is called Jenny - and she's very lke the character. Pretty creepy 0_o;;. Ch4 and 5 should be a blast, or any chapter with Razor Leaf in it :P



Thanks for the feedback guys.

[Wolfsong]

It's 1:40, so if somethign i say doens't make sense bear with me. I just finished reading the chapter. I liked the whole chapter especially thedescriptions. ^^ Looking forward to the next chapter.

[The Blue Avenger]

Hehe, I definitely liked this. Very well done battle, and characterization is looking to be good.

You say your girlfriend's like Jenny? ...Um, maybe I missed something, 'cause that doesn't sound like a good thing to me. X_x

Looking forward to the next chapter!

[Vermillion]

Very cool, I liked it alot, whens the next chapter?

[Chris 2.1]

Wolfsong: Thanks, and what are you doing up at that time? *Tut tut*. Thanks for reading.

TBA: Lol! She is similar looks-wise, but slightly less mental and b!tchy. But very nice ;). I'm glad you liked it so far - it really is something of a preview for what is to come - a delicate balance of character-based plots and Pokemon battles. Thanks for reading!

Vermillion: Thanks a lot. Next chapter won't be for a while, maybe a week or so. Sorry for the wait but I want to sort sort of save the chapters I have, seeing as I am not writing all that often.

[Charles Legend]

Cool chapter Chris, nice battle, hehe I had the same idea once but oh well, at any rate I can't wait for the next chapter,

Oh and I take you are only doing the people who you have battled so far? ;)

~Charles legend

[Chris 2.1]

Charles: Thanks very much for reading. As I've said, I'm trying to split the fic into fantastic battles and clever character development. I have a lot of members who are characters in the fic, and many more will come. But that doesn't mean I only write about ones I have fought so far. Chris fights some trainers in the future, but so do some of the other characters. Some characters will also appear in smaller roles, as opposed to being main characters.


Anyway you've all been very nice, so here is a sneak peek at Chapter 2: Girafarig!


--


“This is great!” a boy cried, about 14 years of age. He ran out from the approval tower, clipping his VS Seeker to his trousers. As he did so, I leapt out from the bushes and grabbed him from behind.

“I CHALLENGE YOU!” I roared.

“Argh! Help me!” the boy cried, grabbing a Pokeball from his belt.

-

“I’ll give you economic standards!” Mum cried, grabbing a frying pan and hurling it towards me. Ducking, I got back up and tried reassuring her.

“I’m sixteen!” came my desperate cry. “I can make my own decisions!”

-

My first impression was how wide and spacious the main part of the village was. Shops were everywhere, as were benches, water fountains, flower boxes and otherwise hotdog stands. There was a burger bar, many souvenir shops and a shop for Pokemon accessories to name but a few. It was crowded, but not bustling. On the contrary, the place seemed to contain an orderly, yet oddly tense atmosphere.

--


I'll post it up soon. Maybe over the next few days.

[Chris 2.1]

[size=4]Chapter Two
[size=3]Girafarig


Life’s a funny little thing. If you look out your window at the bustling world taking place before you, you start to think. Everybody lives a completely different life – some live them slowly, while some live in the fast lane. Others are very reclusive, and some are more up-front and loud. Then there’s me. Chris. How do I live my life? I don’t think. I’ll see a hot dog vendor, buy a hot dog, and then remind myself I’m not hungry. I’ll pick up a brochure on a charity I don’t support. And, likewise, I’ll get myself signed up for some crazy Pokemon League without even thinking about the consequences.

Following my initiation, in which I was accepted and my girlfriend, Jenny, was declined, I awaited my ride to the TPML Village. But I never really explained to you what it was all about. The TPML is the shorthand for The Pokemon Masters League. Basically, you can register for this league, and simply train up against other foes. Whether it be in the TPML Community, in the large city devoted to TPML, or around the world. All over the planet there are various TPML spots, where you log in to alert people where you are. Say, for example, you went traveling to Tokyo. You would find a TPML log-in there, so everyone could see where you were. It’s pretty cool.

As for me, I wanted to simply get the basics first. Unlike my girlfriend, whose Sunflora is an evolved Pokemon; all my troops are in their basic stages. I have Sneasel, Elekid, Magby and Poliwag, all of which are male. They’re all pretty strong, but small. I’ve had battles at school and with my friends, but this is much more serious than them.

I began with Poliwag. He was my first Pokemon, and one I really cherished above all. I never gave him much independence; like a mother to her first born child, I was always worried and apprehensive for my little tadpole. Poliwag knew that and seemed to respect me for it. He never voiced any concern.

Elekid and Magby are both pretty fun-loving Pokemon. Magby is younger than Elekid, in fact the youngest of the four, and while Elekid is still in his smaller stage, I can tell he is getting more mature. I caught Elekid during a power cut – funny story really. I found him sparking up in the streets, and that’s how I managed to see him. He looked pretty hurt, and I wasn’t sure if he had been attacked or abandoned, maybe even both, but I took him under my wing. We’ve been through a lot, but he finally opened up and is now a new Pokemon. Of course, for a while, he played that clichéd ‘I’m a tough guy and I’ll hurt you’ thing.

Magby, meanwhile, is easily distracted and very easily excited. He is high on life and happiness, and I managed to catch this little blighter when I went on a school field trip to a dormant volcano down south. He kept trying to snatch my lunch…and so I sorted him out big style!

Then there was Sneasel. Very much the ‘lone warrior’ of the group, Sneasel had a lot of pride and was damned if he was going to lose it. He was probably a good contender for strongest on the team – his combo attacks were phenomenal, mixing his speed with his strength. Sneasel had a wide move pool and was probably the oldest in the group. He didn’t evolve, so he was naturally strong. I found him in the alleyways of the big city, and he fought bravely to try and avoid capture. Nevertheless, I persevered, and had this ice Pokemon on my side.

So, thinking all about TPML, and how long I’d be away for, I decided I’d better get home as quick as I could. Time to confront the parents…another thing I hadn’t considered…


*

Mum was, as we knew her, the drill sergeant of the household, and she knew it too. She was all about academic education, and often I found myself at the brunt of her excessive revision programs. Dad was much more lenient, although his ridiculous graveyard shifts at work seemed to keep him far away from us all. My older brother, David, was at University…it was that detail that made Mum cherish him above her own limbs. As for me, well, I wasn’t even old enough to go to University. Mum still criticized me for it.

Anyway….I broke the news, and…

“YOU WHAT?” came the deafening roar.

“I’m going to a Pokemon League! ‘TPML – A new economic standard in –

“I’ll give you economic standards!” Mum cried, grabbing a frying pan and hurling it towards me. Ducking, I got back up and tried reassuring her.

“I’m sixteen!” came my desperate cry. “I can make my own decisions!”

“You’re still a child by law!” Mum retaliated. Man, the ‘law card’ again. “Wait until you are older!”

“YOU ALWAYS SAY THAT!” I screamed. “When I was 13, it was ‘wait until you’re 14!’. When I was 14, ‘wait until you’re 15!’ When I was 16….you get the point! And NOW, now I’m legally allowed to smoke (and have sex!), you still deem me immature and unable to cope in the outside world!”

Mum looked at me. Tears filled up in her eyes.

“FINE!” She snapped suddenly. “Just go! See if I care!”

“Mum…”

“No, no, you’re right! You’re a big boy now…and I’m just a silly woman who doesn’t love her son!”

“Come on, Mum…” I muttered.

“Just promise me something,” she replied, calming down somewhat. Opening her arms, she beckoned me for a hug. I walked into her arms and she squeezed me tightly.

“Yea?”

“You’ll go to University after you finish the league,” she replied.

“Erm…well, Mum it doesn’t really work like –”

I stopped. Sighing inside, I considered what I was saying. Mothers were so strongly affected by the words their children spoke. Often you could control how your mother felt simply by saying words she would long to hear. She was, after all, looking out for me…

“Of course I will,” I replied happily, hugging her back. As she beamed at me, I could tell I had made her day.

Following Mum and I’s sudden understanding, she packed my bag for me upstairs, flinging some t-shirts and jeans into my bag. I was only taking a few t-shirts; there must be a dry cleaner there. I took a spare pair of trainers, and also a beanie hat. Gotta look good!

Mum also handed me some brochures and leaflets on University. Naturally I wasn’t going to read them, but as I took them, I gave Mum a convincing look that made her heart soar even higher. It felt weird, but I think my leaving had prompted this sudden bond between us.

“Goodbye,” I said emptily, hugging Mum a final time. Unfortunately, Dad was working late…or early…I forget, but either way, it resulted in him not being able to even hear about my leaving. Mum and I finally parted ways after being interlocked in a gigantic hug. I wandered off into the streets of the big city, waving goodbye as I went. I promised to ring Mum as I traveled.


*

I finally made it to Central Park. The huge spread of grass was a great place. Some people had Pokemon battles here (I saw a particularly engaging match between a Golduck and Grovyle. I wondered if those two trainers had been approved into TPML). Others tanned themselves, played Frisbee, swam in the lake or else just had picnics on the sweeping lawns hidden by the lush canopy of trees. I busied myself with an ice cream, enjoying it thoroughly. Mmm…raspberry syrup…

I saw Becca standing by what looked to be a pretty flash car. She waved stiffly, shades on her face again. I started to wonder if she was blind. I ran over happily, holding my ice cream cone high like an Olympic torch.

“Hey!” I said happily. My mood was somewhat different without Jenny. I felt so obliged to be sensible around her…and now she wasn’t with me, I wasn’t scared of feeling excited about what was to come.

“Hop in,” Becca replied, today wearing…pretty much the same as yesterday, albeit a canary yellow t-shirt replaced her mint coloured one. Today, I was wearing a pretty cool, dusty brown jacket over a deep green t-shirt. Shnazzy. I wore some dark jeans too, and some cool trainers. I had to look good, didn’t I?

As I got into the car, I buckled myself in, all the while keeping the cone firmly in-between my legs. You know, on a nice, warm day, the nice cold ice cream felt good on my…whoa, wait! Wait! PG! PG!

As I grabbed the cone, the worst thing happened. I sneezed, sending my ice cream flying across onto Becca’s pretty dashboard. The lady’s face was frozen with contorting fury as she tried to hide how this was making her feel.

“Sorry!” I cried happily.

“Let’s just go,” Becca sighed, slamming her foot down and screaming out of the city. And off we went.

The journey began!


*

Becca refused to listen to my “Ultimate Car Tape” for the journey. I insisted she heard it, and she threw it out of the window. Her car had a soft-top, so while she enjoyed a brisk breeze sweeping through her hair, I just got flies in my face. Eurgh. The Journey to TPML Village was about two hours long. And we had NO toilet stops.

“Ok, we’re here,” Becca said happily, leaping out of the car and locking it. We were in a very regal looking car park, and as I approached the space, I had seen “The Missing Link” on the space. Weird.

“What’s that on the car space?” I asked.

“My user name,” Becca explained. “You see, in TPML, everybody has an alternate name they use for battles and stuff. Mine is TML – The Missing Link. Everyone calls me that.”

“Ok,” I replied. “What’s my name?”

Becc- I mean, TML produced a folded-up form from her breast-pocket. She unfolded it, got out a rubber stamp (from where? I have no clue, either) and stamped it six times. She then handed it to me.

“Go to the Team Approval Tower and hand this in,” she explained. “And choose a User Name there.”

“Where are you going?” I asked.

“I have work to do,” TML replied calmly. “You can find me in the Rules Tower.”

And she walked off. Granted, TML did not slump her posture as she headed off to a large, multistory tower in the distance. In fact, one would not normally think she resented where she was going. I could somehow tell, however, that she was not as pleased about her position as she may once have been.

“Oh-Ok, thanks for everything!” I cried.

“Thank you for spilling ice-cream in my car,” she replied sarcastically, not bothering to look at me. Maybe she was too busy to look at me. Yea. That was it.

I wandered from the car park, finding myself in a beautifully lush garden. It was nothing like Central Park – this was smaller, more enclosed and much less liberal. Large, bell-shaped flowers of many hues sat in large clumps of soil, set delicately into the soil. Large, weeping willow trees overshadowed benches in the shade. The asphalt path to walk on was durable and easy to work with. This was, apparently, the Battle Park, said the sign I walked past. A popular place for people to hold matches as it was not a bias arena, I thought to myself.

As I went, I saw a battle already taking place. An oriental looking boy was commanding a Charizard, and his foe, looking nervous, was battling with a Golbat.

“Harker, wing attack!” cried the opposition, who had a light welsh accent. He looked to be in his twenties. The blue and purple vampire bat swept through the air as Charizard released a humongous stream of flames in retaliation. Harker flapped backwards, grunting and coughing up smoke and ash.

“Iron tail!” replied the Charizard trainer. Charizard flapped upwards, swinging its tail up and over its head. It smashed into Harker and threw it down into the ground.

I kept walking, wandering through the park. Two pretty girls were comparing their new Eevee evolutions. One had an Espeon, and the other an Umbreon. I wandered onwards, passing through the park altogether and arriving in the main village.

My first impression was how wide and spacious the main part of the village was. Shops were everywhere, as were benches, water fountains, flower boxes and otherwise hotdog stands. There was a burger bar, many souvenir shops and a shop for Pokemon accessories to name but a few. It was crowded, but not bustling. On the contrary, the place seemed to contain an orderly, yet oddly tense atmosphere.

Perhaps the most intriguing part of the main square were the many big, black towers stretching high into the air. Circular, there were quite a few. One of which was, I soon realized, the tower TML began to make her way to. I wandered up to one, in order to investigate it further. It read “ATTACK LIST BETA,” on a scrolling sign. I had no idea what that meant. Another was “REFEREE TOWER.”

I found the Approval Tower. I wandered inside, striving to hike up another set of deep black steps. Once I felt I was near the top…I met a queue. And let me tell you, I was queuing there for a considerable amount of time. I wished there was some way to pass the time – the black interior was lifeless and formal. After a while, when I was really losing my tether, the person in front of me was finished with their approval and went through a door behind the desk.

A neon sign saying “NEXT” flashed. I wandered forward, expecting to see a saggy old woman…but instead I was confronted by a Pokemon. An Alakazam, to be precise. It had a trilby hat on and looked very important.

“Kazam!” he cried.

“Erm…yes, *ahem* I-I’m here for my –

“KAZAM! Alakazam!” Alakazam cried.

“Eep!” I murmured. “I…I have this stamped piece of paper from T-TML…”

Suddenly the paper glowed a vivid blue, and Alakazam levitated it from my grip, across the desk and into his claw-like hand. He slotted it into a computer and pressed a few buttons. A whirring, clicking noise could be heard. Something seemed to be loading.

“Kazam, Alakazam,” the Alakazam said casually to another PSI Pokemon typing into a database behind him. “Alakazam!”

The other Alakazam chortled. “Kazam, Kazam!”

The one serving me then eyed me. He gave me an impatient look as the whirring and clicking continued. Something was getting printed off. Slowly.

“Oh, what’s this?” I inquired, as a slip of paper was pulled from the printer’s mouth and handed to me.

“KAZAM!”

“Right,” I replied, looking at the sheet. “Ooook…User Name Request Form.”

“I think I’ll stick with Chris,” I said proudly. A fat little machine in the corner flashed red and gave an incorrect noise.

“Already - taken,” it said in a mechanical noise.

“Ok…Chris The Dude!” I said happily. There was another ‘incorrect’ noise from the machine.

“That – name – sounds – too – crap,” it responded.

“Hey!” I said, blushing. “Fine…go for…erm…Brit Chris!”

I was British, after all. Gotta love your heritage! The machine gave off a noise like a microwave.

“Your – name – has – been – successfully – registered – on – TPML’s – main – server,” it told me. “You may now proceed to the door at the back of the room.”

“Thanks,” I replied. Alakazam handed me something. It was something to clip to the side of my belt. It was like a little computer, able to fit into my palm. I also got handed a brochure reading “Welcome to TPML.”

Intrigued, I wandered through the door Alakazam indicated. In truth, it was just a staircase down to the entrance, but it was less cluttered thanks to the lack of a long queue. I read the brochure, which explained this small computer was called a VS Seeker. It basically recorded any trainers I met or battled and allowed me to sent email-like messages to them to arrange matches. It clipped on the side of my belt, and was pretty handy.

And with that, as I was now approved for TPML, I made my way out of the Approval Tower towards my first battle.


*

Of course, while I was at first incredibly motivated to find myself a battle, it was actually hard finding people who wanted to fight me. I saw those two eeveelution girls before, asking if either wanted to try their luck, and in actuality was quite glad when they declined. I doubt I could beat Espeon or Umbreon – those Pokemon would have had a very strong bond with their trainers if they were in those forms anyway.

Perhaps I could catch a new Pokemon, as making an addition to my team to mark my arrival in TPML. It would certainly be a novel idea. I didn’t exactly know where to find any, though. What were the odds of finding wild Pokemon in the village?

I went into a small cafe on the edge of the village to collect my thoughts. The title on the glass walls said “Latte Days”. Nice. Ordering a coffee, I felt rather mature as I sipped it by a nice quiet seat at the window. Watching the world bustle past was a really interesting way to whittle away the time. I saw many people and Pokemon as I sat, and even some friendly faces appeared in the café along the way, smiling and acknowledging me in some shape or form. I even saw the welsh bloke who owned that Golbat from before. He ordered a drink (I couldn’t hear which one, and wasn’t too bothered anyway) and eyed me mysteriously. He sat down with his back away from me.

Then, I had a pretty clever idea. I had just emerged from the Approval Tower, correct? I had been so psyched when I left it; I knew the perfect way to find a new opponent. If I was psyched when I left the tower, then…

“This is great!” a boy cried, about 14 years of age. He ran out from the approval tower, clipping his VS Seeker to his trousers. As he did so, I leapt out from the bushes and grabbed him from behind.

“I CHALLENGE YOU!” I roared.

“Argh! Help me!” the boy cried, grabbing a Pokeball from his belt. “ONIX GO!”

I leapt back as his Pokeball released a large, rocky snake from its confinements. The Pokemon was huge. I’d never seen it before in real life, but it was petrifying. It reared its head and gave a long roar.

“Oh, so you want a battle?” I asked, getting out my VS Seeker and scanning it on the boy.

Girafarig – Beginner Trainer.
Specializes in rock and ground Pokemon. Really likes Girafarig. A lot.

“Ok Girafarig,” I said cockily. “I’m Brit Chris! And I’m going to challenge you to a Pokemon battle!”

“Ok then!” Girafarig replied. He had a hat on which resembled a Girafarig head. His T-shirt was plain white with a picture of the giraffe Pokemon on the front. He wore baggy cargo pants and chunky trainers. “Can I choose the arena?”

“Yea, ok,” I replied.

“The Crush Quarry,” Girafarig replied. “It’s just out of the village. Lots of rocks lying around…perfect for Pokemon battles.”

“Fine!” I said confidently. Wait, how did he know about arenas already? “Let’s go!”

As I wandered after this spunky opponent, I sighed in understanding. Yes. I do rush into things. Sometimes, I manage to keep things stable and everything works out. Like before – I did leap into this strange new environment, but I’m hopefully going to settle in. Likewise, I met someone, assaulted them…and now I have landed myself in my first ‘friendly’ TPML match against this guy. Little did I realize, jumping into things wasn’t always wise.

[Crystal Tears]

Oh... Funky. Like the last post I made, I like the descriptions, and the way you puts things.

Girafarig- ook... This dudes a bit... odd... You must really like Girafarig to name yourself after them. Anyways, I hope you... Err, Chris Win's the battle!

Side Note: Your mother throws frying pans at you? O_O A little to protective, or a bit to abusive...

[The Blue Avenger]

Ooh, that was a dirty trick. Grabbing the poor kid from behind...

But it was hilarious too. Heh. Also loved the bit about Chris' mom throwing pans at him; that was great.

Also, the VS Seeker (although a minor part) I liked. That seemed really cool to me.

[Chris 2.1]

CT: Haha Girafarig used to be an ASB battler but he isn't really around anymore. I don't think he had a Girafarig, either. Hmm. Let's hope our Chris wins the match. And yes, his mum did throw pans and pots, but in a loving way. *cough* erm...yea.


TBA: Lol Chris had to employ dirty tactics...but his tactics are nothing compared to some of the other TPML members! Glad you found it funny, too. Thanks for the compliment about the VS Seeker - they're a nice addition and will be sort of important really, as they give data on TPML members rather like a Pokedex. It's fun thinking of bio's for each character. And it also has a lot of other uses, too!

[Chris 2.1]

Hey, erm I guess I'll bump this a little. Anyone around?

[Wolfsong]

Sorry it took a while to reply. ^^; First schoolwork then the burn but i finally got around to posting. As before i liked the descriptions. The part with the throwing of the frying pan was funny. I also liked the part where you chose the user name and the scene where you challenged Girafarig. Hopefully it won't take me as long to reply in hte future ^^; I'm looking forward for when the next chapter is out.

[Chris 2.1]

Amy: Thanks! Hope that hands better. I burnt my hand a couple months ago an I still have the (equally cool), red streak across my hand. Looks cool.

Anyway glad you liked the Chapter. Ch3 is one of the most battle-based chapters I think you'll see during the fic, while many others are character-based.

I'll post Ch3 over the next few days.

[Chris 2.1]

Chapter Three! Sorry for the wait. If you like this chapter post in this topic! I hope a lot of ASBers pay attention, there lots of good tactics in here heh :D



Chapter Three
Girafarig: Part 2


These days, everybody seems to be talking about having that ‘6th sense’. I swear I had it once. When I was little, on my 6th birthday, I just knew I was going to get the exact OPPOSITE of what I wanted off Mum and Dad. I asked for roller skates and got…a homework desk. Yea, Mum tried setting the train off on the right track…but it got derailed along the way.

Even though not everyone brags about having it, secretly everybody predicts an outcome, even when they’re unsure of the results. But in my first battle against Girafarig, what seemed easy at first went from easy to hard…then easy…then hard…then easy…then hard…and for the first time in a while, I realized that I didn’t know which way this match would go.

The Crush Quarry was a pretty interesting sight. The hard earth was a combination of oranges and browns. Weathered rocks littered the arena, some large, some small, some mere handfuls of gravel scattered around. The sky on this afternoon was a placid blue, stretching as far as the eye could see with not a cloud in sight. Girafarig looked very much at home here, gripping his first Pokeball in anticipation. We already had a referee, standing in-between us on a very high rock with two flags. The sun shone brightly.

“Standard match,” Girafarig rasped. “3-3. That ok with you?”

“Fine,” I snapped back. “You choose first.”

“I choose Rhyhorn!” Girafarig told me. His Pokeball opened, and the huge, stocky rhino emerged. I could tell by now that my new-found opponent seemed to favor Pokemon that were of a big size in their basic stages. Onix sprung to mind. I wonder what else he had.

“Right,” I said firmly. “I choose you, Sneasel!”

Flying forward from his Pokeball was my trusty Sneasel. He got in some uuber-cool ninja pose and watched his bulky foe.

“Round 1” The referee cried. “Rhyhorn vs Sneasel. BEGIN!”

“Rhyhorn, mega horn!” Girafarig ordered. Rhyhorn began charging towards Sneasel as his horn glowed a green colour. Sneasel saw this, also seeing the cloud of dust whipping up from behind the behemoth.

“Quick attack out of the way,” Chris ordered. “Then turn and use metal claw!”

Sneasel darted around Rhyhorn, speeding to the other end of the arena. All of a sudden, Sneasel bolted back towards the rhino, claws pulsating a feverish metallic colour. With a deft sweep of his claws, Sneasel dealt good damage to Rhyhorn from behind.

“Rhyhorn, take down!” Girafarig cried. Rhyhorn turned and began charging at Sneasel again.

“Quick attack!” I cried. “Then ice beam!”

Sneasel bolted out of the way again. On all fours, he was amazingly fast, and as he turned around, he opened wide and from a glistening pearl of energy he fired volleys of ice through the air.

“Flamethrower!” Girafarig roared. Rhyhorn, as he saw the attack fly towards him, opened wide and blasted a torrent of flames spiraling through the air. They melted the ice and smashed into Sneasel, dealing devastating damage. Sneasel fell back.

“Get up!” I cried. I never knew Rhyhorn had access to Fire attacks.

“Swords dance, Rhyhorn,” Girafarig ordered. As Rhyhorn chanted, ghostly swords rose from the ground and circled around him, boosting his strength. “Now, use a stomp!”

“Sneasel, agility, get out of the way!” came my next order. As Sneasel lay there, Rhyhorn galloped forwards, leaping up and pushing the weight into his front legs. In a flash, Sneasel swept out the way and appeared to Rhyhorn’s left.

“Ice Punch!” I cried.

Running fast, Sneasel leapt up and smashed his fist into Rhyhorn’s side. Rhyhorn gave a long moan as he stumbled to the right clumsily.

“He’s unbalanced, strike again!” I roared. “Quick attack metal claw combo!”

Sneasel swept through the air again and Rhyhorn swayed precariously. As Sneasel neared, and my plan began to slot together, Girafarig interrupted.

“Earthquake!”

Damn! The roaring tremor ripped the ground up and managed to somehow re-balance Rhyhorn. He stomped his feet jubilantly as Sneasel was shaken and disorientated.

“Quickly, use flamethrower!” Girafarig snapped. Rhyhorn opened wide and a stream of flames streaked through the air. A magnificent blend of reds and yellows merged together to engulf Sneasel, who lay on the ground in pain. The Earthquake had knocked him down, and the flames had toasted him well.

“Sneasel, icy wind!” I ordered, knowing Sneasel needed to get back into the game. Sneasel threw his arms up in the air and cried out loud. The air started to get slightly colder, and a sweeping wind slashed across the arena. Even the referee looked cold, in his trendy short-shorts and short-sleeved t-shirt. Rhyhorn screwed his eyes shut in concentration.

“Rhyhorn, sunny day!” Girafarig cried. The temperature increased as the icy wind eventually faded. I began sweating profusely as I felt the sunshine bear down on me. Sneasel looked unsettled. Ice attacks would be no use.

“Brick break!” I roared. Sneasel swept forward with his arms held back, swiping them forward in quick, successive chops. Rhyhorn gave an angry roar as his rocky skin shed somewhat.

“Rhyhorn, come on,” Girafarig said, desperation creeping up his throat and escaping his lips. “Rock slide!”

I gave a shuddering gasp as I realised what was about to happen. Rhyhorn smashed his feet into the ground, roaring his name and looking all around. Rocks from high up in the quarry began rolling and crashing down the side of the hills. Sneasel cried his name in confusion as both Girafarig and Rhyhorn grinned.

“Agility! Try and evade the onslaught Sneasel!” I cried urgently. Sneasel got on all fours and dashed around the arena. Rocks smashed down around him and burst into lumps of smaller rock, and still Sneasel maneuvered around in evasion. Rhyhorn watched, as any rocks that hit him shattered upon his thick hide. Eventually Sneasel began to tire.

“Keep moving!” I continued. Sneasel got progressively slower and slower until he was merely plodding around the quarry. A boulder split and smashed down on his back, causing him to cry out in pain.

“Sneasel!” I cried.

“Rhyhorn, another flamethrower,” Girafarig cried mercilessly. Rhyhorn opened wide and delivered a sharp stream of flames to twirl through the air and aim for Sneasel.

“Come on pal,” I cried. “Protect!”

Lying on his stomach, Sneasel produced a white glittering shield around him. The flames smashed against the surface of the protect shield, and Sneasel was saved.

“Keep it up, rain dance!” came my plea. Sneasel got to his feet, swaying precariously, before summoning a sudden and heavy downpour to lash down upon the arena. Large bullets of rain peppered the ground. Rhyhorn felt uncomfortable.

“It’s weak,” Girafarig called out. “Rhyhorn, take down mega horn combo!”

As Rhyhorn charged, his horn glowed with energy. I knew Rhyhorn was going to pack a mighty wallop with his combination of tank-like charge and his piercing blow from his horn.

“Sneasel, metal claw to the legs!” I cried. “Then ice beam!”

Lying in the soft earth, letting the heavy rain splatter against his weak body, Sneasel charged metallic energy up in his claws. As Rhyhorn got near, Sneasel also built up energy in a pearl of ice particles in his mouth.

“HIT IT!” Girafarig roared.

“SLASH IT!” I shouted. Sneasel slashed forward and seriously hurt Rhyhorn’s front legs. Rhyhorn fell down on his front knees like a sort of bow, and Sneasel then unleashed his ice beam, the force of which smashed into Rhyhorn and drove him back across the arena. Rhyhorn was quite clearly defeated.

“No…” Girafarig said slowly. “Fine. Return!”

He grabbed his Pokeball and shot the red beam from it. Rhyhorn was absorbed and brought back into his Pokeball, safe from the destructive battle and the incredible turn of events. I looked down at Sneasel, beaming with pride. I felt like my Mum when I told her I would give Uni a shot. Utterly shaking with pleasure.

“Sneasel, come back,” I said happily. “You were brilliant.”

And with that, firing my Pokeball beam forward, I recalled Sneasel into his Pokeball too. Thinking hard, I considered who to use for my fight. Girafarig was waiting for me to make the first choice. Damn him. I grabbed a Pokeball from my belt, arched my arm backwards and hurled it forward. As the ball hit the ground, opening like an oyster and releasing a globule of white energy, my chosen Pokemon emerged.

“Good luck Poliwag!” I cried to my tadpole Pokemon. Girafarig’s Pokeball smashed against the ground, opening and releasing, luckily, a Larvitar. This little critter wasn’t very big, and would not pose much of a threat, I thought to myself. Poliwag eyed Larvitar.

“Round 2!” The referee cried. “Poliwag VS Larvitar! BEGIN!”

“Larvitar, dig!” Girafarig shouted. Instantly, the little…whatever it is burrowed under the earth. Me and Poliwag watched. It seemed Larvitar was taking the defensive.

“Poliwag, ice beam over the hole!” I cried, my brain cheering over the initial brilliance of my scheme. From his round, pink nose, Poliwag blasted a beam of frosty ice across the arena, sweeping it over the hole Larvitar just burrowed. A sparkling, frosty layer of ice spread over Larvitar’s hole.

“Don’t panic,” Girafarig said coolly. “Sunny Day, followed by rock smash!”

I sighed deeply, knowing my plan was about to fail. The ground beneath the sheet of ice started to glow a bright white, and I soon felt a steady wave of heat simmer around me. The ice melted as a bright white orb flew upwards into the sky, passing through the ice as if it were a ghost; bursting and causing the sun to begin heating things up even more. Seconds later, Larvitar smashed the ice with a punch and landed back on the arena.

“Poliwag, water gun!” I shouted. My little tadpole friend fired a jet of chilled water forward, which struck Larvitar right in the chest. Screwing his eyes shut, Larvitar stumbled back in pain. This was the time to keep striking! “Follow up with doubleslap!”

Poliwag leapt into the air, spinning himself around and slapping Larvitar with his flat tail. Larvitar opened his mouth and crunched down hard on Poliwag’s soft tail, causing great pain to the tadpole Pokemon. Poliwag tumbled backwards, and Larvitar raced forward with a headbutt to deal effective damage.

“Don’t stand for that!” I cried. “Taunt it!”

Poliwag was shouting what I could only presume were rude words and nasty comments. Larvitar was suddenly shocked, flexing his arm muscles, shouting back, and charging towards Poliwag in a rage.

“Let it come to you…” I muttered. “Water gun!”

As Larvitar got to about a foot away from my Poliwag, he opened his mouth and blasted another chilled stream of powerful water. Caught in the blast, Larvitar was thrown backwards and smashed against the hard earth.

“Don’t you know the sun decreases the power of water attacks?” Girafarig snapped.

“Yea, of course,” I replied nonchalantly. “But I’m using the force of the water gun to push Larvitar away, not the type of the attack.”

Girafarig sighed.

“Larvitar, use mud slap!” he cried out. Larvitar kicked up some sloppy mud from the ground, but Poliwag instinctively used a water gun to wash it away. Poliwag leapt up and down happily. Larvitar’s anger was matched by the look on his trainers face.

“Fine,” Girafarig snapped. “Larvitar! Rock slide!”

The ground rumbled again as echoing roars came from the rocks and boulders in the beautiful landscape around us. Girafarig wore his content grin as Larvitar started crying his name like an annoyed child. Poliwag looked at me. I nodded firmly.

“Ok Poliwag, time for some target practice!” I cried. “Use short, decisive water guns in quick spurts as the rocks come towards you! Try to shatter them!”

Huge, lumbering boulders rolled down the hillside dangerously. Poliwag spat two darts of water towards the boulder, hoping they would demolish the boulder getting closest. The water shattered the first boulder into smaller pieces. Larvitar, it seemed, had burrowed underground to avoid getting hurt, not having a rocky body like Rhyhorn. As I began to think, I thought of a way we could still hurt Larvitar.

“Water sport!” I shouted. Poliwag abandoned his target practice for now, instead shooting a jet of water high into the air. It rained down onto the ground in a heavy downpour and began soaking the arena. Puddles grouped and soaked into the hard earth, nourishing it and softening the rocky surface we fought on. And, as I had hoped, as the boulders smashed into the ground, they dented into the somewhat damper, moister earth and left light craters in their wake. Larvitar, who was only slightly in the ground, was being thudded by the boulders while Poliwag used a water gun to push any oncoming ones away.

“No! Larvitar!” Girafarig cried. I was grinning like a Cheshire cat as my plan was actually executed effectively. Larvitar seemed to be suffering. Since I beat Rhyhorn, by beating Larvitar I would secure a win as I would have won 2 out of 3 rounds.

“Larvitar…” Girafarig said slowly.

“Lar, Lar!” cried his…thing.

“I know you’re weak…but…” Girafarig began. “Hyper beam!”

Larvitar created an orb between his paws. It charged up to the size of his body and flashed an orange before a long beam of heated energy erupted forward right at Poliwag. Unsure what to do, I stood there, frozen in shock. Poliwag started panicking as the beam smashed him right off his feet and hurled him back, slamming him into the ground.

“Poliwag!” I shouted. “Get up and use a water gun to Larvitar’s face!”

“Larvitar, there’s no time for rest!” Girafarig ordered, as his little Pokemon panted with increasing fatigue. “Hyper beam again!”

Larvitar gave a sigh as he summoned another sweeping beam of orange energy. It was somewhat weaker than the previous one, but nevertheless went straight for Poliwag. Poliwag was mauled down by the beam and collapsed.

“No!” I cried. Poliwag was too sore to get back up. “Return, Poliwag.”

As Larvitar gasped for breath, I shot the red beam at my poor tadpole as he was recalled back to the safety of his ball. His first battle in TPML…and even though he lost, he did a fantastic job. I began to contemplate who I should release next – Elekid or Magby? Elekid had more experience so he seemed the more logical choice…but Magby had more access to fighting-type moves, which were effective against rock type Pokemon.

Grabbing my third and final Pokeball, I arched my arm back and hurled it forward, watching it burst open and release a warming light which then took the form of my Pokemon.

“Magby!” the little spitfire Pokemon cried happily. “Magby!”

“Ok Magby,” I said firmly. “Get ready! Karate chop!”

Crying his name in unison, Magby ran forward with his paw held back. Larvitar was panting heavily as Magby got near. Magby chopped Larvitar in the base of the neck and the weary thing fell over.

“Leap back, then fire spin!” I cried successfully. Magby crouched before leaping up high, using his spout-like mouth to breathe a curling tornado of flames to engulf the Larvitar and scorch its hide.

“Go down for a rolling kick!” came my next cry.

“Larvitar, mud slap!” Girafarig cried. But it was no use. Larvitar was so sapped of all it energy it gave a weary moan as Magby swung his foot up out of a forward roll and smashed Larvitar in the jaw. Larvitar slumped into the earth. It really was done for.

“Return,” Girafarig spat. As Larvitar disappeared, Girafarig plucked a fresh Pokeball from his belt and held it forward. “Onix, GO!”

From the ball came the huge, sinewy rock beast. It reared its thick head and gave a humongous roar. Magby looked petrified, being roughly the size of Onix’s eye. He stumbled backwards as the cute smile vanished from his face.

“Size doesn’t matter!” I cried. “Go for a karate chop!”

Magby raced across the arena, paw held back and preparing to strike. Onix surveyed this from up high, and responded on his trainers commands by slamming his rocky tail down at Magby. The agile little thing dived to the side and avoided the smashing blow.

“Be relentless!” Girafarig roared. “Use sandstorm to block its vision, then hit it with an iron tail!”

Onix roared out loudly as a swirling mass of sand whipped up around the arena. Magby cried out in fear as Onix slowly disappeared beneath the veil. He looked around in confusion, wondering where his foe was…

…then, from nowhere, a shiny segment of Onix’ tail thwacked Magby in the side and hurled him into a boulder. He gave a scream of pain as he struggled to get up. I could barely see my Pokemon now as the sandstorm worsened.

“Headbutt!” Girafarig cried. As Magby looked around, panic-stricken, the large snake swept through the air and smashed his head into Magby, hurling my Pokemon back. Magby landed just in front of me, bruised and seriously hurt already.

“Magby, karate chop!” I shouted. But he didn’t respond. Girafarig pointed at my Pokemon and commanded the next attack.

“Rock throw!”

With a devastating roar, Onix hurled his rocky tail down and smashed it into Magby. Giving a scream of protest, Magby looked at me with strain in his eyes. He was truly beaten down. The referee saw this and raised Girafarig’s flag.

“Magby is down!” he cried. “The round and match goes to Girafarig!”

My insides dropped as I felt suddenly deflated by the referee’s words. Girafarig recalled Onix nonchalantly and smirked. It was as if he knew he’d win. I recalled Magby, who whimpered lightly, and I put his ball away. The referee handed Girafarig a slip to take to the bank in order to claim a cash prize for a victory. He turned and wandered off. Feeling somewhat lost, I piped up a remark:

“G-Good match!”

“That’s loser talk,” he replied, not even turning to face me. I felt somewhat angry as the cocky git wandered off back through Crush Quarry. The referee wandered off too, leaving me alone, standing on the arena.

I suppose, really, you should never try and anticipate what the future holds. Even if, subconsciously, you have that ‘feeling’ you’ll win or lose, it should never dominate you or try and get in the way of what will actually happen. Sitting on the rock that the referee was standing on while reffing the match, I let the world wander on without me as night began to turn around. Sitting under a canopy of stars, the match was somehow having more of an effect on me than usual. I’ve lost matches before in my city – I’ve been training ages and ages. What was confusing was why this match was upsetting me. Was it that my opponent was an absolutely cocky idiot? Perhaps because it was my first TPML friendly match? I didn’t know.

Letting out a sigh, I realized it was late. And I needed a bed for the night. My Pokemon needed taken care off too. With that in mind, I wandered off from the Crush Quarry, unaware that a figure was watching me from afar in the Quarry. With a Combusken by their side, they watched me go. And as I began to disappear from view, they too swept off into the darkness and became swallowed by the night.

[The Blue Avenger]

Oh man, Girafarig was a jerk... but then again, I'm not sure I can blame him after the tactics Chris employed to get him to battle. Nice battle, by the way; I enjoyed seeing the role the quarry itself played in the match. Girafarig knows how to pick his arenas.

One nit-picky thing: your commands in battle seem a tad too specific and long-winded sometimes. For example, "Use short, decisive water guns in quick spurts as the rocks come towards you!" That could just as well be accomplished by saying "Use quick Water Guns to try and shatter the rocks!" By the time Chris finished odering the first command, Poliwag would've been hit already, heh. Anyway, like I said, that's not a big problem since I only saw it once, but maybe keep it in mind, y'know?

[Charizard04621]

Interesting. I have to get to working on my Computer Science project, which I'm skipping Orchestra for (totally out of character since I never skip anything even if I'm about to collapse from sickness), but the thing just won't be done. I've been working on it for two weeks and I sat for 6 hours straight yesterday programming. It refuses to complete.

Anyway, so, I've only read chapter 1. I'll catch up a bit later. Looks interesting so far - I find Jenny quite funny - but I would like to ask, since when does Starmie learn Sharpen? Or anything besides Porygon, for that matter? I don't see Becca as much of a sharker, or in the story's context, genetic manipulator.

[Chris 2.1]

TBA: Hello! Hmm Girafarig was a real ASB member who was my first ever opponent. The real setup was slightly different but the basic point remains the same. I liked him being a jerk but I don't think he was in real life. Hmm. It's been a while.

Crush Quarry was indeed a location Girafarig took advantage of. There will hopefully be a lot more of this to come, especially in a future chapter against OzAndrew! TPML Village is surrounded by loads of different locations which is distinct enough to test my writing, hehe.

And I'll keep the long-thing in mind. Thanks!


Karin: Hey! Glad you found it interesting. Of course Ch1 is really an opening and it does develop more after that, but I'm pleased you took the time to read it. And in the games, Starmie doesn't learn Sharpen. I'm adopting something of a fanficcy thing people do in which Pokemon have illegal movesets. I felt a Pokemon like Staryu or Starmie could use Sharpen IRL, after all, they're sharp.

Becca isn't really a manipulative woman in the fic. She's really quite a sucessful businesswoman (albeit a young one. As you will soon learn, Becca didn't exactly ask for her job in running TPML...) and although she's quiet and distant, she's really a very normal young woman.


Thanks for the comments guys!

[The Blue Avenger]

TPML Village is surrounded by loads of different locations which is distinct enough to test my writing, hehe.


Hehehe... Can't help but ask, but will a certain submarine maybe show up at some point...?

[Andrew]

Lol, I remember reading this AGES ago.

*I don't know why I feel still hung over from... what... 3 days ago though* And I rather liked the little touches "Really likes Girafathingie. A LOT" or whatnot.

Man, um, top notch as usual... but, I've got to jet.

[Charizard04621]

Ah, I finally finished reading the three chapters. I'll just have to get used to poetic license... Every time I read an illegal attack I flinch =P I go, no! Illegal! Waving a referee flag and realize that I am not a referee and that this is a fanfic. So I tell myself, fanfic, fanfic, fanfic. And then I go, but but but! ^_^;;; But that's my problem, not yours.

Eh, the Combusken trainer is gonna show up in a battle sometime, is he not?

I feel sorry for Magby more than Poliwag =/ I mean, come on. Onix? x_X

Er, and Becca getting stuck with her job was my fault, I didn't realize that when I left everyone else in charge would, too.

[Chris 2.1]

TBA: Ummm I'll just say...*cough*BINGO!*cough*

Andrew: Glad you like it still. Wait till you see your Bio, it's funny :P. Hope you keep up with the fic!

Karin: Heh yea the Combusken trainer appears in the future. In fact it's a character which is very interesting indeed. Yup poor Magby :( He really did get clobbered. And don't worry about how things went. TML rose to do a fantastic job of managing ASB.


Chapter 4 previews:

-A new rival:
“…the name’s Razor Leaf. Don’t forget it.”

-A new companion:
“Great!” I said, bending down and picking the Pokeball up. “Look, Elekid, another team mate!”

-But an old outcome...

[RaZoR LeAf]

I'm in Chapter 4, yahoo! :evil: Great chapter Chris, battle was very good. You need to update your sig it's still saying Ch2, but that's not important. I hope I beat you into the ground next chap.. hehehe

[Charizard04621]

Well, he did say a new rival, a new companion, but an old outcome. ^_^; I just hope Chris doesn't get discouraged from two losses in a row, if that's indeed what's planned.

[Haruko.]

Lol. Such a positive attitude towards Chris their RaZoR.

Anyways, I liked your battle scene, very nicely detailed, and all. The way you discribed this Girafarig dude...

I dun like him one bit. Lol. I guess he's a bit to cocky for my liking, but I'm guessing thats because Chris jumped the kid for a battle, without thinking first. *wiggles finger at Chris* Look before you leap Chris.
But yeah.. Onix would umm... Hurt yes... It would sting most definately. No one gets to laugh at Magby's owies. Because all other owies are insignificant against an Onix's damage..

But anyways, nice chappy. ^_~ Keep it up.

[Chris 2.1]

Dan: Thanks. As I've said X many times, big face offs arent that much of an occurance - most matches since Ch3 are 1-1s and double battles. I'm trying to achieve a balance between the comedy, the character development and the matches. Expect some big fights to come though.

And you'll see soon enough if you clobber me or not :P


Karin: Hmm yea very true. But isn't that a bit too obvious? Who says Chris and Razor Leaf even HAVE a battle? Cou;d the outcome refer to something more subtle? Wait and see.


Haruko: Thanks about the match. I guess Chris got a bit too cocky when he decided to attack Girafarig. I hope he draws strength from the loss. Poor Magby, getting pummelled. Anyway we'll see the reprocussions next chapter.


Thanks for the feedback.

[Wolfsong]

NIce chapter. I loved the detail you included in your story. Poor magby, i would hate to be used as a puching bag for an onix. Ouch. Sorry if i'm not saying anything that hasn't been said before, but i enjoyed it. I'm curious to see what happens in the next chapter.

[Chris 2.1]

Wolfsong: Thanks! That's nice of you to say. And poor Magby indeed.


Chapter 4! Enjoy etc.




[size=4]Chapter Four
[size=3]Razor Leaf


Following my first loss at TPML, I wandered into the large village and managed to get a bed in a very pokey Bed and Breakfast. It was run by an elderly couple that seemed, oddly, very good at business and were very adept at modern accounting and dealership. Anyway, as their fussy Chansey cleaned my plate with a bubblebeam, I slipped out my chair and thanked them. Each was going over product analysis and ways in which to stretch this season’s budget even further. I was in awe.

Wandering in the village, I gave Poliwag, Sneasel and Magby to the Nurse for healing. She explained Sneasel and Poliwag would recover quicker than Magby, who might be in longer due to his fractures. I couldn’t help but feel floods of guilt wash over me as I handed over Magby’s Pokeball. He got slaughtered against Onix, but I didn’t expect any different to be perfectly honest. Sending to his doom was what hurt the most – I knew he wouldn’t (and couldn’t) win against an Onix.

Leaving my guilt in the Pokemon Center, Elekid strutted alongside me as we looked in some of the shops. There were some aviator shades I was really liking so, getting out my wallet I bought them in a snap.

The day seemed to be sluggishly sliding by. Sitting with a bacon roll in the middle of TPML village with Elekid, I let the world around me simply…happen. I saw, from the Charizard and Golbat battle, the Charizard’s trainer, who was of an oriental origin with jet black, rather short hair. He watched me as he passed, giving a brief smile and gentle wave.

“Hi,” I said, waving back. I could see he was treasuring a Pokeball. My guess was that he probably caught a new Pokemon. He wandered off there and then, which got me thinking to myself. Perhaps I should catch a new Pokemon, too.

“What do you think, pal?” I asked Elekid. “Fancy a new team member?”

“Buh-buhh!” cried the little thing. I smirked, leapt off the bench, but was confronted by a figure. I hadn’t seen him appear, but he had just come out of nowhere right in front of me. It was the Golbat trainer that I’d seen a couple of times around. With his short hair, rather impressive height and sharp frown, he looked somewhat angry. He wore a plain black t-shirt with jogging bottoms on. Pokeballs were on a belt around his waist.

“Aren’t we enthusiastic,” he said, in a rather odd voice. His welsh voice and the quietness of his tone made him sound somehow stealthy.

“Hey,” I said cheerily. The man raised an eyebrow. He was definitely in his twenties.

“If you want my advice,” he rasped. “After your astonishing defeat yesterday, you need to be better equipped against rock-type Pokemon.”

“I…you saw my battle?” I asked. He nodded.

“From afar,” he admitted, smirking. “You really did get beaten badly, didn’t you?”

“You must have been far away if that’s what you managed to see,” I retorted. He smiled.

“Even being blind wouldn’t stop me hearing Magby’s tortured scream as you let it get pummeled,” he admitted. I began glowing red with embarrassment. My brain clicked and whirred hard trying to calculate a brilliant comeback…but it never happened. I let him get the better of me.

The man, whose name I still did not know, spoke up again.

“As I was saying,” he began, busily I might add. “You need some more anti-rock Pokemon. Sneasel and Poliwag were ok…but Rock Pokemon are devastatingly strong and big. I’ve been ensuring I can handle almost any type ever since I began TPML. You need to do the same.”

“I was going to get a grass Pokemon,” I replied, trying my best to assure this person I knew what I was doing. I didn’t start training Pokemon just yesterday, which he seemed to be implying. However, he raised his eyebrows.

“Grass?” came his voice. “Well, it’s your choice…”

“What do you mean?” I hollered back. He ignored me and turned to leave. Grabbing his arm, I frowned and he turned to meet my eyes. “What’s wrong with a grass Pokemon?”

He just smirked darkly and heaved his arm from my grip.

“Tell me!” I shouted, my voice harsher and much more demanding of answers than usual. He gave a soft laugh and looked at me.

“Grass types are weak,” he said softly. “The popular types in TMPL are fire, psychic, ice…even flying types. They wipe the floor with grass Pokemon. You want a fighting type.”

“Fighting types are weak to flying and psychic, too,” I retorted. “Stop trying to influence me.”

I walked off firmly. He gave a smirk.

“By the way,” he added, as I clenched my fists and endured the surging anger in my body. “Just so you know…”

I may not have been showing it, but I was hanging onto every word as I walked off through town. He stayed still.

“…the name’s Razor Leaf. Don’t forget it.”

I knew I wouldn’t.


*

Wandering through town, I was introduced to a kiosk which would sell me a memory card for that VS Seeker I obtained upon arriving at TPML. This memory card, merely the size of a thumbnail, would upload a TPML virtual map onto my little computer. I paid some money to the lady at the kiosk and uploaded the map screen.

The village itself was amazing, but surrounding it was a plethora of fantastic places to go. Crush Quarry was listed, as well as a place called Tranquil Shores. A large lake with a sandy shoreline, it seemed to be like a little bit of the seaside in the vicinity. Also drawing my attention were Trolgar Mountains and a place called Ivy Woods. It certainly seemed a great place to catch Pokemon.

For the meantime, I decided to actually head back to Crush Quarry. I wanted to explore it a little bit more, and anyway, there was loads of time to venture into all these sights. Taking the winding road out TPML village, I made my way to the Quarry.

I couldn’t stop thinking about Razor Leaf. I looked him up on the VS Seeker database and managed to unearth a lot of information about him. He was a ‘vet’ – not the animal doctor, but a veteran trainer who has battled in previous years at TPML. This meant he knew a lot – not just about Pokemon, but attack strategies, common Pokemon used in the league and a lot of information on trainers. I deemed him a strong opponent, and learned he currently had 10 Pokemon of mixed type combinations. Again, he seemed to mix a concoction of types into his final team, giving him huge advantages. I was impressed.

With that thought in mind, I made my way to the Quarry with Elekid. My mind flashed back to seeing Sneasel, Poliwag and Magby crying in pain as I recalled them into their Pokeballs. I hoped they would be ok.

As I began to feel the heat of the sun, I was suddenly aware that I was here – Crush Quarry. Wandering within the canyon-like environment, I saw a trainer flying across the skies on a humongous Skarmory. Sandshrew and Sandslash scampered around the large rocks, and it was then that I spotted something.

A Mankey. Leaping up and down, the energetic monkey, with its pig-like snout, was pummeling a nearby rock and smashing it up into gravel. I smiled broadly and my eyes then widened. If Mankey could do that to a rock…and Onix was essentially a rock…

Bingo.

Grabbing Elekid’s Pokeball, I hurled it forward and released my buzzing little friend. As he began swinging his club-like fists around manically, an electric charge built up and Elekid began to send off a thundershock.

“Go!” I shouted. The bolt of electricity shot forward and zapped the unsuspecting Mankey. He toppled backwards and fell of the boulder. As he did, my attention was diverted to something behind him, standing on a jagged rock. It was a little round cactus with long spiky arms. It had a dotted smile and was picking berries. It was a Cacnea.

“Hey…” I thought. “Cacnea’s a grass type! That’s what I wanted anyway!”

Cacnea leapt up from the little rock and the sharp pins on his arms glowed white. A flurry of needles swept through the air and rained down on us. Quickly, I commanded a thunder wave from Elekid, to take the attack and neutralize the pins. It worked, and the pins clattered to the ground. As I stood there, panting, with Elekid in front of me, I realized Cacnea was an alternative, perfect choice. Mankey clambered back up and watched me. Both of these Pokemon would be brilliant members of my team. Feeling my Pokeball belt, I was rather annoyed to learn I only had one Pokeball…

And that’s when it boiled down to the bones. Should I take Razor Leaf’s advice, or not? My clammy hand gripped the empty Pokeball as I watched both Cacnea and Mankey. What should I do?

“Mankey!” cried the hyper monkey. “Mankey Mankey!”

I looked back at Cacnea. He didn’t seem as interested in being caught, but was simply smiling, having used the pins on his body to jab berries and keep them in place. He munched them off contently.

I needed a killing machine, not a glutton. I turned back to Mankey and held my Pokeball ready. Catching Pokemon was an easy feat – I had done so for my Mum on one occasion, hoping that a little Skitty would be the perfect Mother’s Day present. Unfortunately it was rather savage and did not like being addressed as ‘Buttons’.

“Elekid, thundershock!” I snapped. The jagged bolt flew through the air and zapped Mankey again. He toppled down, and I hurled the Pokeball forward straight away. In an instant the creature disappeared as a red light pulled him into the capsule. As the ball landed, it pinged to indicate a capture.

“Great!” I said, bending down and picking the Pokeball up. “Look, Elekid, another team mate!”

“Burr-Bahh!” cried my energetic friend. Cacnea watched me, his big, animated eyes holding back tears.

“Nea…” he sighed, sniffing and leaping off. Oh well…I did have only one Pokeball, and I had to make a choice. Either way somebody would have been disappointed.

For most of the way I worked with Mankey on his fighting attacks. His karate chop, the low kick, and even the mega punch were starting to look more and more impressive as we went. Furthermore, upon finding ourselves assaulted by a Geodude, Mankey pulled off a perfect iron tail and gave the large boulder a severe headache.

As the afternoon sailed by, I took Mankey to the main TPML village. I showed him around, although as I did I reminded myself he would probably scurry around here often when the Quarry got boring. I wondered how Cacnea was doing.

During the day I went back to the Pokemoncenter, and found Sneasel and Poliwag were fully treated. Poliwag bounced out keenly, and I gave him a big hug and pat on the head. He smiled through it. Sneasel had a plaster on his arm but otherwise looked fine, watching me darkly as I gave him a thumbs up. I introduced Mankey to both Poliwag and Sneasel, the latter finding the excited monkey a little too much.

I recalled my four, thinking longingly of Magby in the hospital, recovering from his bruises, bashes and broken bones. I walked to the park an ordered a smoothie from the happy lady at the smoothie bar. Hmm…orange and mango delight.

“How fruity,” said a stealthy voice. I looked up to see Razor Leaf standing over me, eyes looking sharply at my smoothie.

“Erm…thanks?” I said.

“Not you, your drink,” he snarled. “So…I see you caught a fighting type.”

“How did you know?”

Razor Leaf lifted his t-shirt up slightly to show a VS Seeker clipped onto his belt, in a stylish silver and black colour.

“I saw your profile was updated,” he began airily. “Anyway…it looks like you took my advice after all. A wise move.”

“Yea…well thanks for the advice,” I said sarcastically. I felt slightly bad for my bitter attitude. After all, I wasn’t here to make enemies. I cleared my throat. “Want to join me?”

“No…” Razor Leaf replied. “No, not really…”

“Oh,” I said, somewhat crestfallen.

“But next time you’re having a little play-date, I do hope you’ll invite me,” he rasped, putting on a fake, sugary smile and skipping off, before muttering words beneath his breath.

“Shut up!” I cried, getting up. “I was being friendly.”

But my words only reached the back of Razor Leaf’s neck, as he was clearly trying to ignore me. He walked on, laughing to himself, which was when I made a bigger decision and clutched Mankey’s Pokeball.

“Come on then!” I shouted. “Battle me!”

He turned on the spot. Watching me with malice, his eyes were lit with a manic happiness as he grabbed a Pokeball of his own. Striding forwards, for he was a big man, Razor Leaf stood facing me with his Pokeball ready.

“Fine!” he cried happily. “1-1?”

“Great,” I said, unenthusiastically, marching over a few feet away. “All we need now is a referee.”

“Oh don’t be daft,” snapped Razor Leaf. “This isn’t an official match.”

“Ok then…” I said slowly, reaching for Mankey’s Pokeball. “I choose you!”

The ball flew from my grip, hitting the ground and bursting open. My brand new Mankey leapt forward, his face ruffled with fur and his little snout squashy and flat. He smirked happily. Razor Leaf saw this, pulling a ball from his belt and throwing it out very plainly. I had expected him to show off a certain degree of flair.

From the ball came a large, floating rock. It was an orange colour with large rocky horns sticking out all around its body, making it look like the sun. Eyes half-shut, it floated in mid-air, murmuring its name. It was a Solrock – a psychic type.

This was just what I needed, I thought, staring down at Mankey. He seemed eager to fight, even though he was going to have a very rough time. I pointed at the rock.

“Karate chop!” I shouted. Mankey leapt up, swiping his hand and dealing moderate damage. He leapt back down and landed clumsily. Solrock watched Mankey with ominous eyes.

“Fire spin!” Razor Leaf cried, as Solrock began spewing a spinning vortex of flames from its mouth. The flames began ensnaring Mankey, trapping him…oh my god! It was like Fantastic Four…where the Human Torch flies around Dr Doom…

“No! Dr Doom- I mean…Mankey!” I cried. “Dig!”

Scurrying underground frantically, Mankey evaded the flames and burrowed underground to a more safe part of the arena we were on. It was a simply arena, made from compressed sand.

“Earthquake!” cried my foe.

“No!”

A cunning tremor rumbled across the ground and rippled, coursing forward angrily and tearing up the firm ground. I heard a muffled scream as Mankey was buried under the mass of heavy sand.

“Mankey!” I cried desperately.

“Psychic,” Razor Leaf muttered, pointing at the jumbled up sand. Solrock hummed, brimming with blue energy as a similar blue aura enraptured Mankey. My Pokemon was gently lifted out of the sand, looking in awful shape. Fur ruffled, scratches over his body, he really was worse for wear. Solrock used its psychic power to hurl Mankey across the upturned sandy arena and at my feet.

“Nice try,” growled Razor Leaf. “Come back when you get some common sense.”

And as simply as that, Razor Leaf turned to walk away. I held Mankey in my arms, stepped forward and felt the anger rise up my body. The cheeky little git really had some nerve.

“HEY!” I snapped, as he walked off. “Don’t just walk off like that!”

But he simply raised a middle finger at me from behind. I fumed, watching him go, his Solrock floating at his side. His Solrock had incredible power, which, as I thought to myself, would have been less of a challenge had I used Sneasel. But the sad truth was I used Mankey to show off my new capture – the very capture Razor Leaf had encouraged me to go for.

“Grass types are weak,” he said softly. “The popular types in TMPL are fire, psychic, ice…even flying types. They wipe the floor with grass Pokemon. You want a fighting type.”

I hadn’t wanted a fighting type. I had wanted that Cacnea. Mankey was a really nice Pokemon, but given the choice I would have much preferred Cacnea. Damnit…I could cover rock types fine! That damn Razor Leaf and his influential ways…

Holding Mankey, I watched Razor Leaf go. The manipulative Veteran obviously had a lot of tricks up his sleeves. Even though I knew I should stay out of his way, a part of me yearned to go after him and make him pay for the humiliation he had demonstrated.

And that’s when it hit me. That’s when I truly appreciated that every action had a consequence, and that it’s the choices we make in life which determine who we are as people. I’d flown off the handle to prove myself Razor Leaf after he mocked my match against Girafarig. I set out to make a statement, and caught Mankey. Head feeling bigger than it should, I challenged him to a match – something he obviously expected, for he defeated me hands down, having probably calculated a way to defeat Mankey once he found out I’d caught it.

After that, I felt I really had learned my lesson. Since then, I don’t think I’ve ever been as arrogant to people. I don’t think I’ve ever been so irrational towards other people, either. When you learn a lesson, it really can hurt, but knowing you’ll never make the same mistake twice is a feeling that eases the pain.





Ch5:

-An popular veteran returns to TPML:

“He took on the entire TPML community at once!” she cried, awe-struck. “The match lasted so long…”

-Mysterys arise...

However, our silence was soon ruptured when there was a long, deep groan from across the lake. Perking up instantly, I looked across the glassy surface and tried to decipher the shape amid the thick fog. A huge shadowy form swept across the surface of the lake, but it was a mere shadow as it was cloaked by this perpetual mist…

-And manipulation is rife:

New Message:
From: Brit Chris

I challenge you to a 1-1 Pokemon match. You choose the location.



-All in Chapter five, coming soon!

[The Blue Avenger]

Hmmm... not a bad chapter. I must say, I quite honestly wasn't expecting Razor Leaf to be so... Ugh. Nasty.

Your battle descriptions continue to be excellent. Man, Chris is sure taking a beating so far... but I guess that's life, huh?

And I have a feeling I know who the star of the next chapter is... and if I'm not mistaken, I was in the battle in question. Heheh.

[Charizard04621]

Heh heh, you had fun twisting up PX's character, didn't you? =P *pokes PX* And don't tell me you changed into that! Ha.

Hmm, next chapter is OzAndrew, I believe. He had four pokémon against four people at once or something like that before. They only had one each, though. I wouldn't call that the whole community, but hey. Hmm, did I even sub ref a round of that...?

[The Blue Avenger]

Naw, I think the match Chris is referring to is when Andrew took on like 10 or 15 people in a mall. It was a fun match.

[Charizard04621]

Yeah, that's the match I was thinking about, except it wasn't that many people. Lots of people DQed out or never showed up. I might have sub-reffed at least one round of that match... Hmm, actually, nevermind, Cyrus might've been reffing and perhaps he showed it to me.

I think Oz had Misdreavus floating around doing nothing while everything else killed each other... Pretty sad, lol.

[The Blue Avenger]

Okay, yeah, it's the same match. But there were originally 10 people versus Andrew, even if about half of them got DQd.

[Charles Legend]

Chris, your doing just fine so far, I like the Charter line up so far, I can't wait to read chapter five, it should be a good one since Andrew style of battling has always been fun to read about.

I bet Chris well go back and Catch Cacnea soon right?

Btw Chris, even though I may not reply here that often don't think that I don't read this, because I do. ;)

Oh yeah I remember that match, that well always be a classic even if it never did get finished...

~Charles legend

[Chris 2.1]

TBA: Hmm I'll leave you to figure out who the star of Ch5 is. Chris' record is crap so far, but he has a long way to go before the Tournament starts, and a long time to perfect his record. I agree Razor Leaf has shown his true colours here, and in the future proves to sink even lower to be as bad as you can get. Thanks for reading.

Karin: It's fun twisting Dan into a horrible devil-man, it really is. But after a while, it's second nature for him to be an absolute bastard when he's in a chapter. As for Ch5, it's a toss up as to who may be the star. I think some of you will guess soon enough. Glad you like it so far.

Charles: Oh I hope you do post frequently because I'm the type who needs support from people. Otherwise I just collapse. Lucky Charms is a fantastic example. I had like 10 rpeliers to Ch1, and it then dwindled to 1 by about Ch3. So I got all ranty and dropped it.

Anyway glad you like the way the fic is incorporating characters. Andrew's battling style is one unlike anything else in ASB, and it should make for some delightful reading. And whether or not Chris catches Cacnea is...well, unknown yet...;)

Thanks guys.

[RaZoR LeAf]

Oh yeah.. i'm EVIL! Whoo! And I totally owned Chris! I'm such a bastard.. heheh, great chapter Chris, totally looking forward to the next chapter. Especially if it's Andrew in the starring role.

[Wolfsong]

Another nice chapter. Keep up the great work. Congrats on the mankey, its interesting to see them in stories. I'm looking forward to the next chapter.

[Chris 2.1]

Dan: Yea you did really own Chris. But Razor Leaf sinks to even lower depths in future chapters. I wonder when (if ever?) Chris will have the guts to challange Razor Leaf again? And yes, next Chapter features Andrew and, if I may say so myself, is a spectacular one indeed. It raises a lot of questions....

Amy: Thanks! Glad you liked it. Mankey is only a young thing so it's quite a contrast to the serious nature of Sneasel. The dynamics in the group will shift somewhat over the next few chapters. Hope you enjoy the next chapter!



Ch5 posted in a few days

[Andrew]

Actaully it was 18 on 18 (Sniffle) In a mall, I did so well because everyone practically forgot they were on the same side, attacked eachother and were dqed.

It was one of my bestest battles. EVER. Except for those fucking dragons

Man, I was a'rocking back then! Now I'm left with so many pokemon I realize are kind of crap and can't get rid of! I've got like 5 I like.

Oh well! I really enjoyed that Brit Chris, Razor Leaf being so snooty was amusing. Plus the fact he's being bitchy adn doing some fake prancing. Truely brilliant. Oh, and Buttons, I do wish to see some more of the feral cat in the future. Preferably bringing a dead baby Zapdos to the doorstep or something like that.

[Chris 2.1]

Andrew: Hey, you're alive! Barely, by the sounds of it. Hey and don't worry about your pkmn shortage - give some away as Xmas presents as part of the Christmas Tree! (We're doing it this year!)...but I don't need any! I have too many Pokes as it is ^^;;. Also, I'm sure if you evolved Slowpoke it would be good. Bro has a good moveset.

Glad you liked Ch4.

Ch5 up tomorrow hopefully.

[Charizard04621]

Slowpoke is really good in general, one of the more powerful starter pokémon. With all the claims you make of being a champion of underused pokémon, I'm surprised you haven't taken right to it.

[Andrew]

Ew. Slowpoke SUCKS. Mainly because Impereon used one. lol. I'm a picky picky person when it comes to Pokemon. I like underused... if they're pretty/quirky/cool and they're decent. OTHERWISE they'll go into the blender. Like I believe all fucking Dragons should.

[Charizard04621]

To each his own. Slowpoke is strategically powerful regardless of who uses it. But you're one for randomness rather than pure strategy, neh?

[Chris 2.1]

Time to find out just what OzAndrew's style is in a new chapter!

*Drumroll...*

Here it is! The eagerly awaited Chapter Five of The Pokemon Masters League.





Chapter Five
[size=3]OzAndrew: Part 1


After spending a few days at the TPML village, I felt as if I was finally settling in. Magby was out of the Pokemoncenter, feeling a little achy but able to walk about. He seemed ok about the loss, although he had developed something of a phobia for snakes. And rocks. I introduced him to Mankey, who was so pleased to see Magby he gave a shuddering scream and pounced on him. I gave an apprehensive grin and held Mankey back. Sneasel was still being his usual dark, mysterious self, but we were all so used to it we barely noticed. Elekid seemed pleased to have his buddy Magby back, while Poliwag simply liked to test my parenting skills by doing a number of dangerous things…the cheeky so-and-so.

I left the Bed and Breakfast that morning, watching as Graeme and Anne, my hosts, were furiously calculating profit sales and doing their best to increase their monthly income. Their two Aipom were putting the washing on the line, aided by their hand-like tails.

As I wandered through the village, heading towards the Coffee shop, I bumped into Girafarig. I took a step back and looked at him – he was carrying two bulking suitcases, and had a jacket on over his Girafarig T-shirt. He looked like he was going somewhere.

“Hey,” I mumbled casually.

“Yo newbie,” he replied cockily.

“Newbie?” I spat. “I started before -”

“I’m kidding,” he smirked. “Nice to see you’re still as touchy as usual.”

Think of something clever to say, I thought to myself.

“GirafarigAreUglyAndDumb!” I gurgled. Girafarig simply stared at me.

“Uh…huh,” he mused. “Anyway newbie, I’m going.”

“Where to?” I asked. “You’re surely not leaving now?”

“Off to New Zealand,” Girafarig replied. “Going to the TPML city there to get some more experience.”

“Oh,” I said blankly. “O-Ok then.”

“Glad you approve Dad,” Girafarig sneered, before grabbing a Pokeball and holding it out. He released a Pokemon from it, one which I barely recognized from our battle. The colossal Rhydon had obviously evolved from the Rhyhorn, standing on its hind legs now, with a long, powerful tail and ferocious composure.

“Thrashing you the other day gave Rhyhorn enough experience to evolve,” Girafarig explained. “Rhydon, carry my suitcases."

He looked at me, as his Rhydon lifted the cases with ease.

“I’m catching the next train in ten minutes,” he said simply. “So I guess I’ll see you in a few months, when the TPML Tournament begins.”

“Yea…” I said airily. “See you.”

And with that, Girafarig walked off briskly, Rhydon stomping beside him. It was pretty weird to say it, but something felt wrong. Maybe it was because I was dealing with people leaving so early into my stay at the TPML village, or maybe because a part of me actually respected Girafarig in some small way. Either way I looked at it, it was going to be a considerable amount of time before I saw Girafarig again.

Just then, I heard a voice from behind me. A boy a few years younger than me emerged from the Approval Tower, asking questions out loud to himself. He had four Pokeballs, each, I noticed carefully, a Lure Ball. Obviously this guy was a water fanatic. I pointed my VS Seeker at him and got his bio:

Hanada Tattsu
Water Pokemon fanatic. His name means “Cerulean Horsea”.

“You ok?” I asked. “Need help with directions or something?”

“Oh, no,” Hanada replied. “I’m fine.”

And with that, he stumbled off into the direction of Crush Quarry. I was keen to see what water Pokemon Hanada Tattsu had on him, but even more interesting was the way of TPML. Seconds after Girafarig moved on, Hanada Tattsu appeared; ready to take on the community. It was like some sort of revolving door system.

I walked into Latte Days, the coffee shop I was rather fond of now. I soon sat down at my favorite table, sipping a coffee and eating a slice of cake. I do like cake…I would have let my Pokemon out too…but…well, you know. Mankey was probably riddled with disease. As I ate my cake, I looked up and saw TML bustle into the shop, files under her arm as she fiddled with the strap on her heel.

“Heya Becca,” the friendly woman behind the counter said. “Usual?”

“P-Please,” said TML hurriedly. I watched as no less than twelve cups of steaming hot coffee were poured for the TPML head lady. Wow. As TML released her Kadabra, Nightshade, I wondered how on earth Jenny, my girlfriend, was doing. Nightshade used its psychic powers to lift up all the coffee and levitate it. TML turned to leave, handing the woman some cash, muttering “keep the change!” and disappearing. Odd.

As I sat there, sipping my coffee (was I doing it wrong? It really burned my tongue…) I felt slightly ashamed that, so far, I had a total of no victories in TPML. Whether or not the last match I had, against Razor Leaf counted as a loss was something I was unsure of. I noticed the VS Seeker of mine, clipped to my belt, and picked it up to examine it.

It informed me that 09 people had so far spoken about me in TPML. Hmm…trivial. It also went on to display information such as my wins (none), my draws (none) and my losses (two). I really was annoyed that a big fish like me had left such a small pond. I used to be something. Something really good, but it felt as if I was pretty pathetic now.

I finished up here and went to leave. I walked through the main square again, seeing those two girls with Espeon and Umbreon. They had just left an adjacent souvenir shop with bags full of merchandise for family and friends. I overheard some of their conversation as I walked past:

“Did you hear? He’s coming back!”

“I cannot wait to see him!”

“Remember his last match? Oh my frikkin god!”

I think they noticed me eavesdropping.

“Yes?” the Espeon trainer asked rudely.

“I…I was just wondering what you’re talking about,” I said mildly. The Umbreon trainer shot me a dirty look.

“A TPML veteran is coming back, doy!” she said. “He’s getting off the train at 3.”

“That’s only twenty minutes from now!” I cried.

“Yep,” replied the Espeon Trainer. “Hey…I should so get his Oztograph!”

“That was so clever!” cried the Umbreon trainer. “I Oz-gree with you!”

“I’m Oz-confused,” I said, smiling.

“Back off,” snapped the Espeon trainer. “That was so Oz-crap.”

I shrugged my shoulders and wandered off around the shops. Those girls had never come across as complete idiots to me. Little did I realize, a caped figure stood on top of the Approval Tower, grinning devilishly as he removed his straw, corked hat.


*

It soon transpired that most of the TPML community was excited about the return of this famous veteran. In no time, a crowd mulled around the area before the station, hoping to catch the veteran as he got off his train.

“So,” I said, to a rather worried looking girl beside me. “He’s…a famous guy?”

“He took on the entire TPML community at once!” she cried, awe-struck. “The match lasted so long…”

She gave a heavenly sigh. Whipping out something from her pocket, the girl revealed a stunning wedding ring in a delightfully well-presented ring box.

“The time is right this time, I can feel it!” she said happily.

“Oh, look,” came a drawling sneer. It was Razor Leaf. He sidled in and emerged by my right side. “Come to see the famous veteran?”

“Obviously,” I snapped at him. “Why else would I be here?”

Razor Leaf just clicked his tongue at me. I really was angry now – the man’s mere presence seemed to just irritate me so much. Our little tiff was interrupted, however, when a loud voice boomed over the Village.

“Fools! Fools of TPML! Bow down before me!”

I looked around, unable to detect the source of the shouting. It seemed my intrigue was matched by just about everyone else, who spun around wildly, hoping to find out where the voice had come from.

And then we found out.

From one of the TPML Towers (the Approval Tower, if I was not mistaken) leapt a caped figure, cackling loudly. Girls screamed out in shock as the figure plummeted down to the ground. It looked too great a height to be jumping from, but as he got closer and closer to the ground, he began to slow down. Almost as if losing momentum from the fall, the man got slower and slower until he landed gently on the ground, helped by an invisible force.

The man was tall, and looked to be around twenty years of age. He was wearing a cape over a tan-coloured polo shirt, and removed a corked hat from his head, the hair of which showed traces of bleach in it. Throwing his hat out into the crowd heroically, the man was somewhat irked when it actually hit a boy in the eye. The boy stumbled and was soon helped to a first aid room.

“I’m back!” roared the man in his Australian accent. He was well-tanned, with cargo trousers on and some trainers on his feet. He gripped a Pokeball and watched the audience with a mixture of awe and disgust. “SO! Anybody wanna challenge OzAndrew?”

“Heh, Oz,” I snickered, as the shaking girl besides me listened. “That’s clever…he took the Oz from the word ‘Australian’, and added it to his –

“YOU THERE!” Boomed OzAndrew. “Are you challenging me?”

“N-No!” I cried, horrorstruck at the thought. “No…No no no…not at all, no…NO!”

“Will anybody fight me?” came OzAndrew’s cry. As he said this, I got my VS Seeker and scanned this heroic figure.

OzAndrew – skilled Veteran
Sneakier than a thief in sneakers. Employs strategy and loves to target weaker foes. Uses an array of generally underused Pokemon.

I was impressed by this characters profile. There was a murmur from the crowd. I watched expectantly, seeing who, if anybody would be challenging this veteran to a match. I saw Razor Leaf grip a ball in his hand and take a small step through the crowd. But before he could challenge Andrew, there was a sudden parting and the large crowd split down the middle. I craned my neck to see what was going on.

Down the ‘aisle’ made by the crowd was TML. Today wearing an ocean blue shirt under her black suit, the proud businesswoman marched up towards OzAndrew, briefcase swinging angrily, Orion her Scizor pushing people out of the way.

“Becca…” Oz murmured, watching TML draw near.

“OzAndrew,” TML began, reading off a statement. “You have been fined £500 for the damage of a very expensive Approval Tower. Your frantic stunt endangered your health, as well as a possible splattering of your corpse on our expensive ground. Therefore, since I am assuming you are still as you used to be, you will stay here for as long as is necessary, until you win enough money to pay your fine.”

She threw the form into OzAndrew’s face. His expression collapsed like an old house as he grudgingly signed the form.

“Shall we fight now?” she asked mockingly. Orion was by her side as she said this. OzAndrew watched her, an angry expression creeping across his face. Within moments he pulled his Pokeball away.

“No, not just now,” he said quietly. “I’ll – I’ll sort out my accommodation.”

“You do that,” replied TML, turning and walking away from OzAndrew. The crowd watched as TML disappeared, Orion by her side, heading back to her office to presumably do more paperwork and mundane things that someone in her position was obliged to do.

I turned back to see the look on OzAndrew’s face. But when I looked, he had disappeared completely. Curious. As the crowd sighed, chatted and eventually dispersed, I could not help but stay there, thinking wildly about this new character in TPML. He would surely have strong Pokemon, sneaky tactics and a good reputation. He would be the perfect person to help train me to beat Razor Leaf. Being a veteran, OzAndrew would surely know Razor Leafs strengths and weaknesses.

It never dawned on me the dangers of what I was doing as I decided to go and train my team before seeing OzAndrew (and even finding him). Together my team of five visited Ivy Woods, a small forested area out of the way from the civilized hustle and bustle from the village. As we wandered through the canopy of trees, the light shooting through the gaps in the leaves, a pleasant silence was all there was to be heard. Wait…is that an oxymoron? Hearing silence? Erm…whatever.

Walking on further, I saw a group of Weedle clustered around a small bush of berries. Grabbing my chance, I threw two Pokeballs out and released Poliwag and Magby. Ordering attacks, I watched as Poliwag and Magby fired streams of water and jets of fire at the bugs, who tried darting out of the way. The Weedle gave shrieks of pain as they were attacked, soon becoming defeated.

“Magby, 10-o-clock!” I cried, spotting a Beedrill flying up to Magby’s upper left. Magby turned and from his mouth spouted a thin streak of flames at the bee. It zipped away with an agile flap of its wings, and dived down frantically.

“Poliwag, backup!” I ordered. With a cry, Poliwag dived forward and shot a jet of water to try and hit Beedrill. When Beedrill swerved back to the right, it swerved right into a cleverly-timed flamethrower from Magby and shot down to the ground.

“Now!” I said. “Ice beam, then fire spin!”

A huge beam of pearly-white ice smashed into Beedrill and froze it over lightly, glazing it with a frosty coating. Magby leapt forward and spewed a flaming wisp of coiling flame around Beedrill, melting the ice and dealing pain at the same time. Beedrill gave a final buzz and flapped weakly into the sky.

“Good work,” I said to my Pokemon, recalling them and wandering on through the woods. As we walked, we often fought against many of the wild Pokemon. I took this time to train each one up, sending them out to tackle the wild beasts. When we arrived at a cave entrance, we used Elekid to light it up, which unfortunately disturbed the Zubat and Golbat inhabitants. As they angrily swooped down on me, I used a combination of Poliwag, Sneasel and Elekid to help. Poliwag soaked the ground and ceiling with water sport. Sneasel fended the bats from me, and Elekid released a thunder to conduct the wet cave and electrify the opposition.

Over the afternoon, we got a lot of training done. Mankey was showing off his fighting abilities when we encountered a Machop. After a display of powerful chops and kicks, the humanshape fighter was defeated. The group seemed impressed, and we continued onwards. Our walk was serene, with the sun beaming around us and the twigs crunching beneath our feet. A large Ekans was slinking back to its nest, while a group of Growlithe ran across a rocky ledge above. I decided to keep going, and was positively stunned when we reached the most beautiful part of TPML Village yet.

A glassy lake, stretching for some distance as the forest trail wound around the perimeter. A very light mist hung low over the waters surface, and reeds shot up from the lake, a dull mottled green colour. I walked to the edge of the water with admiration.

Settling onto the pebbled shore with my team, I told them we would be taking a break. Sneasel seemed to find the best way to relax was to smash things up, and spent considerable time smashing his claws into an old log on the shore. Mankey was trying to skim rocks, while Elekid and Magby sat and talked. Poliwag, however, dived into the water and began swimming happily.

For some time we lounged around. I really felt at ease in this secluded little spot down by the lake – it was like I had my own little space, for once. Poliwag was happily exercising as he swam, and the others mulled around the shoreline. I thought about Razor Leaf, my new adversary, as well as OzAndrew, who I could hopefully convince to tutor me in the ways of a veteran.

However, our silence was soon ruptured when there was a long, deep groan from across the lake. Perking up instantly, I looked across the glassy surface and tried to decipher the shape amid the thick fog. A huge shadowy form swept across the surface of the lake, but it was a mere shadow as it was cloaked by this perpetual mist…

I swiped some of the mist away.

“What is that?” I asked. Another long, echoing howl rang out and I got to my feet instantly. “Something’s around here…something bad.”

Poliwag leapt out of the water, and the rest of the group soon ran in front of me and tried to protect me from harm. I watched all five stare ahead with confidence, as if whatever they would fight was worth it to secure my safety. From above, a Taillow and Spearow soared across the skies and, upon eyeing me, swept down to attack.

“Hey!” I cried. “Guys! Go!”

Mankey happily leapt up, but Sneasel grabbed him and hoisted himself high up into the air, using Mankey as a step-up. Sneasel gave an ugly grin as he slammed an icy fist right into Taillow’s side. The baby swallow gave a long cry as it swerved and shot back at me. Sneasel began pummeling Spearow mercilessly. Spearow flapped a strong gust to throw Sneasel off him, before shooting forward and drilling his beak into my weasel’s side.

“Hey!” I cried. “Sneasel, icy wind!”

Sneasel started screeching as a frosty wind picked up. Shards of ice shot across Spearow, who flapped back as Taillow soared down at Mankey. Mankey stepped back, stumbled and fell over as Taillow got closer, but help was at hand. Magby leapt over his fallen comrade and blasted a silky stream of fire to stop Taillow. The bird soared around, eyeing Magby with fury.

“Elekid, thunderwave!” I shouted. But as I turned, Elekid was getting smashed into by Spearow, who was using a steel wing. Elekid was hurtled back, only to have Spearow re-appear behind him and smash him around even more.

“Thunderbolt!” I cried, more desperate than ever. A raging bolt swept at Spearow, but Spearow flashed white and surprised everybody. From his body, an identical thunderbolt swept down on us. It smashed into Elekid’s attacks and caused a small bang.

This was much harder than it should be. A Taillow and Spearow, apparently wild, were bullying my 5 Pokemon with relative ease. Sneasel was putting up a good fight, now leaping up and slashing Spearow often. However, it was difficult.

Suddenly, both Pokemon began to glow. They screeched their names and soared down at my Pokemon. The five-some formed a tight group and began firing off attacks – a flamethrower, a thunderbolt, a water pulse and an ice beam. They smashed into the flying Pokemon, but they persevered. Mankey soared up and delivered what had to be a revenge attack – a powerful smash better fuelled when hurt – but still the Pokemon soared down. I racked my brains and concluded it was a sky attack. From both of them.

“Guys…watch out!” I warned. They got closer, energy sweeping from their beaks as they gave angry cries. For such small Pokemon, they were proving to be tough. I watched. Mankey cowered, Elekid and Magby reluctantly stood their ground, Poliwag watched and Sneasel stood, his claws by his side.

And then it happened. The second they should sweep through my team and devastate my arsenal, they stopped. Still in mid-air, with energy all around them, their faces contorted with anger, the Spearow and Taillow were just suspended by an invisible force.

“Huh?”

It seemed the Pokemon, too, looked confused. Mankey was giggling to himself, but a rustling in the bushes behind me drew my attention. I turned, and saw none other than OzAndrew himself emerge from the bushes, followed by a Mr Mime. His Mime wore an aussie cork-hat.

“Hi,” I said nervously.

“Wotcher,” he grinned. And then I figured it out. His Mr Mime used psychic to stop the two birds in their tracks. “I saw you were having some trouble, so I thought I’d help.”

Mr Mime was concentrating hard.

“Thanks,” I mumbled.

“There’s no way in heck these are wild,” commented the Oz. “Way too strong, way too…way too focused.”

He looked at me.

“Go on, attack them now,” he told me. “Get a few hits in.”

“Why me?” I asked. “Don’t you have some big veteran Pokemon to fight them off?”

“Erm…not exactly,” OzAndrew said. “Look, just attack them!”

I turned, and pointed at Spearow.

“Go Sneasel! Blizzard and focus punch. Magby, follow that with fire spin!”

Sneasel raced across the ground, leaping up and releasing a chilled streak of ice shards. They engulfed Spearow, who looked astonished as he was brutally tossed around. The psychic connection broke, Spearow began falling but Sneasel slammed a fist into his gut. Spearow flew upwards as a flaming streak of fire wound around him and torched the bird.

“Great work! I called. “Elekid, thunder punch! Mankey, iron tail!”

As Elekid swung his club-like fist around, sparks ignited around and danced happily on the Pokemons body. With a grunt, the fist slammed into Taillow, who Mr Mime lowered closer to the ground so my Pokemon could hit it. Mankey followed suit as his glowing tail swung around and smashed the Pokemons skull.

Taillow and Spearow fell to the ground with a dull thud. I smirked at my team, but noticed Poliwag was looking a little glum. Maybe because he hadn’t finished either of them off. He seemed down, so I decided to do something.

“Poliwag, use a water pulse!” I cried. “Then use a double slap!”

Poliwag looked up, smiling. He cried his name and blasted a stream of water through the air. Pulsating rings trapped the jet of water and soared at both the fallen Pokemon. Washed over by the chilled water, both Spearow and Taillow lay there, each damp and defeated. Poliwag leapt forward, using his tail to slap both of them around a little.

“Good work!” I cried. Poliwag smiled happily. “Thanks for the help, OzAndrew.”

But as I turned to see my new friend, I saw there was nobody there at all. He had disappeared, as had his Mime. Puzzled, I looked around for the Australian comic, but to no avail.

Suddenly, an odd mist curled around us from across the lake. It curled so fast it can’t have been a natural fog, I thought to myself. I heard a large stomping noise. Fear spread through my body, I grabbed Poliwag and ran through the mist. There was a loud roar as something approached me.

“Wha?” I cried weakly. “What’s going on?”

With a fantastic blast of air, the mist cleared as a figure swept across the lake. It must have taken Spearow and Taillow with it, for they were not on the ground anymore. I looked around, but they had gone. In the distance, a figure flew across the lake.

What was that? Why had Spearow and Taillow attacked us? Where had Andrew gone, and why had he disappeared? Why was he here in the first place? And what took Spearow and Taillow away?

As I mulled over these questions, I led my team back through Ivy Woods. We were all tired from the days training, and I knew all my Pokemon were getting stronger as we trained. Still, as the sky faded into a deep red colour, and as the sun sank low on the horizon, I wondered how I could find OzAndrew. There must be some way. I looked at my VS Seeker, which I had clipped to my belt. I accessed the profile I had scanned in when OzAndrew arrived on the scene.

“Options…” I muttered, scrolling through the device. I let out a gasp. “Brilliant! Of course…the only way he’ll oblige…”

Meanwhile, a shadowy figure stood in an alleyway, a group of Pokemon around him. There was a vibrating from his belt, and the figure instantly recognized it as coming from his VS Seeker. Taking it off his belt, he opened it up.

New Message:
From: Brit Chris

I challenge you to a 1-1 Pokemon match. You choose the location.

“A challenge?” OzAndrew said. “Hmm…that guy in the woods…he didn’t have a very strong team by the looks of things.”

OzAndrew typed a reply.

Meet me at Sunshine fields tomorrow at midday. Don’t be late.

Smirking, Andrew pulled something out from behind him and pressed a nozzle to his lips. He began blowing hard, motioning for his Pokemon to help him.


To Be Continued…

[Charizard04621]

Hahaha, a gigantic fine, that's great. I found the part that he clumsily hit the poor boy with his hat funny (wow, I'm so mean), as well as his VS Seeker info. =P I'd love to see when he accidentally targets a foe that is more powerful than he is. Funny stuff.

Chris made an interesting choice, though, 1 on 1. I think that'll give him his closest shot to winning - Sneasel is good, and it's less difficult to take on one pokémon with the most powerful on the team than to be outclassed by more than one that have been longer trained.

The Spearow and Taillow were OzAndrew's, I suppose? Was he complimenting himself when he said they were well trained? =P

On a side note, the giggly Espeon/Umbreon sisters are getting on my nerves.

[Andrew]

Lol, I'm a real jerk, but not a classy one! *Sniffle*

Also, I'm somewhat amused that the other vets in ASB kind of hates me, lol and is somewhat true. Becca and Charnumber rather dislike me! :P

Also, icky birds! They carry lice! ICKY LICE! I suspect Chris is going to get a win, and I'll become an alcoholic. lol.

Nice chapter, Chris, I was enjoying that. Oh, and Charnumber, the Espeon/Umbreon girls were hillarious! HILLARIOUS! Not to mention the hat incident. Brilliant. And something I'd totally do.

[The Blue Avenger]

What a great entrance. Seriously, jumping off a building then pegging some poor kid in the eye. Also, the description - "his face collapsed like a house" - totally caught me off guard. Nicely done.

The arena should have been Strawberry Fields. ;P

I'm betting that OzAndrew pulls out OzMime for his battle. That's the first Pokemon I think of when I think of Andrew... Or maybe LaprOz, hence the big foggy shape on the lake.

[The_Missing_Link]

I don't hate you, Andy. I just hated how we would start matches and then you would disappear halfway through them or just give up entirely

Honestly Chris, if you want to capture Andy perfectly, make him forget about his battle or forget Chris's name. He's not good with names

[Andrew]

Who ARE you?

[RaZoR LeAf]

Oztograph.. lmao. Great chapter Chris

[darktyranitar]

Ouch, a hat in the eye...poor kid... :biggrin:

Nice fic, Chris. The battles are pretty good, and also the comedy element put between some incident. Chris challenging Oz to a 1 on 1? What is going through his mind? Maybe for a chance to meet Oz face to face and ask him to train him, or he's just plain crazy...

[Chris 2.1]

Karin: hehe thanks, glad you liked it. The Eon girls are rather irritating I admit, but it’s quite nice working with non-existent characters. There are a few other trainers who are not ASB members – look out for one in Ch7. A personal favorite, I must admit.

VS Seeker info is fun to write ^^

And as for Spearow and Taillow, all I can say is you’re way off :P


Andrew: Not as much of a jerk as Razor Leaf in the fic. I gave Andrew a sort of innocent, likeable character in the fic. Or, that’s how I feel towards him. I know scars run too deep for others. Anyway I think OzAndrew is, in the fic, really likeable and quite easy-going. And thanks about the Eon girls!


TBA: I think Andrew, someone I know to ooze individuality, needed a spectacular entrance. But no, the foggy shape wasn’t LaprOz. In fact, Andrew doesn’t have or obtain a Lapras in the fic, since it’s based more on the ‘new’ ASB. But thanks for the feedback!


Dan: Lol thanks. “I’m Oz-Confused” was a line I was fond of, hehe. I was going to include that as part of the preview but, well, you know. As you’ll see, they’re not the only people who admire Andrew. What about the girl who was going to propose to him!? Thanks for replying.


DarkTyranitar: Hey! Nice to see you. Thanks for the comments – I’ve never been too strong a comedy writer so it’s nice that my work is good and appreciated. I wonder why Chris is challenging Andrew? He said it was the ‘only way he’d oblige’ so perhaps Chris is setting him up? All revealed in part II!



Sorry guys but the next chapter is choc-full-of-spoilers so I can’t really post any previews. All I’ll say is Chris goes against OzAndrew 1-1, but after the match his opinion on the quirky Australian quickly changes. Razor Leaf is back with a powerful addition to his team, too, and starts to mock our young hero’s ability. However, feeling disheartened, Chris finds that the two most annoying sisters in TPML help provide him with the right comfort.

[RaZoR LeAf]

Well OzAndrew says that the Taillow and Spearow are really well trained, and if Karin is way off, maybe your going right the way back and having asb vets like Pokemaster Ash or Dittpokefreak turning up.

[Wolfsong]

Nice chapter. That part where the hat hit the boy in the eye was funny. Any chance that that spearow and tallow belonged to aragornbird? I'm looking forward to the next chapter.

[Chris 2.1]

RaZoR LeAf: Sounds like a good possibility. Maybe I've been doing some research. All will be explained in the very distant future....*mysterious smoke*

Wolfsong: Heh thanks Amy ^^. Aragornbird? Interesting. He did have those Pokemon...but he hasn't been around for a VERY long time. Interesting. Where did he go, anyway!?


Ch6 might not be for quite a few days.

[Knight of Time]

RaZoR LeAf: Sounds like a good possibility. Maybe I've been doing some research. All will be explained in the very distant future....*mysterious smoke*

Wolfsong: Heh thanks Amy ^^. Aragornbird? Interesting. He did have those Pokemon...but he hasn't been around for a VERY long time. Interesting. Where did he go, anyway!?


Ch6 might not be for quite a few days.


I can answer your question about aragornbird, Chris.

He's really busy with his college life (I had to contact him about something important related to the Pokemon Hangman game in PCG not too long after I became a worker there again (I used to be one in the older days), and he is just too busy with his life), so I have a high assumption he might not be back in ASB.

About Spearow and Taillow, I don't remember offhand if he had either, but I know he does like bird Pokemon, hence his name.

[Charizard04621]

He had neither - his main pokémon was a Torchic. I believe he also had a Skarmory, a Gligar, and a Natu among other things.

[Andrew]

The one who liked Bird pokemon was Jarreddo, but he left.

Then I deleted him from my MSN List becuase he got whingy.

[Chris 2.1]

Sorry I've been really busy lately.

I will try and post Ch6 soon, but we'll have to see. I like to stay ahead, and am currently half way through Ch9, which is quite a good combination of character development and Pokemon matches. I won't say who it's based on though....perhaps it's quite a surprising character.

I'll work hard over the weekend on Monica's Vendetta AND this fic, hopefully we'll get Ch6 up by Sunday.

[Charles Legend]

That's oK Chris, we can wait for the next chapter.

BTW I agree with Amy that the spearow and tallow belonged to aragornbird, I mean it's not that hard to guess who it is since aragornbird never took his team banner out of his Sig... ;)

~Charles legend

[Chris 2.1]

Chapter Six
[size=3]OzAndrew: Part 2


I hardly slept that night. I lay wide awake, thinking about the challenge against Andrew. My trap had worked thus far, convincing him I was a weak trainer and letting him pick the arena. He would try and pick an arena which would suit him, but my variety of Pokemon were ready. His Mr Mime would fall to my Sneasel.

Sunshine Meadows were a group of well-kept fields overlooking TPML Village. They were well kept, some with longer grass than others. I arrived there early, on a field with short grass, but Andrew was nowhere to be found.

My watch ticked on. Soon it was five minutes past midday. Where was my foe? I angrily looked around, wondering where he could be. My Pokemon were on my belt, ready to battle.

And then I saw it. A huge something floated through the air. I couldn’t decipher it at first, but soon, as it flew over TPML Village, and got closer to me, I could see exactly what it was. A huge bouncy castle, the size of a small house, bright red and yellow, was floating through the air towards us, OzAndrew at the helm with his Mr Mime.

“Oh my god,” I gaped. Slowly the huge castle was lowered by the psychic Pokemon, getting closer and closer to the ground. With a soft FLUMP it landed gently before my eyes, shining in the sun, the Australian standing there proudly alongside his Mr Mime.

“Greetings mate,” he grinned.

“Pick your Pokemon,” I said quickly. I watched as Andrew beckoned me onto the bouncy castle first.

“This is our arena,” he declared. “Come over.”

Making sure to take my shoes off, I clambered onto the huge bouncy castle. OzAndrew was bouncing happily with Mr Mime.

“Who are you using?” I asked.

“Mr Mime, of course,” OzAndrew replied. “And you?”

I thought for a few seconds. Sneasel would burst the arena with his sharp claws, although he was probably the best bet against Mr Mime with his dark-type attacks and wicked speed. Then again, Elekid hadn’t been able to fight against Girafarig...but the electricity from his attacks would not be able to do much damage in a rubber castle. Thinking hard, I managed to cross out all my team members until only one choice remained.

“Poliwag, Go!” I cried. Poliwag emerged brightly and gave a happy cry as he bounced up and down. It had to Poliwag – Mankey is weak to psychic, and Magby’s flames would melt the rubber. OzAndrew gave a smirk.

“Mr Mime, thunderpunch!” he cried. His clown leapt forward as dancing sparks brimmed around his knobbly gloved hands. Racing at Poliwag, Mr Mime’s comical face twisted into one of fury and determination.

“Bounce out the way!” I cried happily. Evasion would be a cinch on this field! Poliwag bounced to the wall, giggling as he pressed against the walls of the huge castle and bounced off in another direction. However, Poliwag’s bouncing eventually cost him – he bounced straight towards Mr Mime and his crackling fist. Poliwag gave a cry and was hurled back into the wall, where he bounced again.

“Water gun at the wall!” I cried. Poliwag blasted the water at the wall, which began to eventually slow him down. He stood facing Mr Mime. “Again, at the Mime!”

Mr Mime tried to run out of the way, but it was difficult to run on this wobbly arena. He tripped and was soon soaked from the icy jet of water. He turned and with his hands held forward blasted a psybeam towards my Pokemon.

“Poliwag, hang on!” I shouted, as Poliwag groaned from the strong attack. “Use doubleslap!”

“Nice try,” OzAndrew rasped. “Psychic manipulation!”

Poliwag raced forward at Mr Mime, before swinging his tail around and beginning to slap the Mime across the face. Not particularly happy with this, Mr Mime used his psychic attack to manipulate Poliwag and raise him high into the air.

“Poli!” cried my friend.

“Mr Mime, good work!” OzAndrew shouted. “Now use shock wave while it’s in the air!”

“No!” I shouted. A rumbling blast of electricity swept up and struck Poliwag while he was struggling in the psychic attack. I knew Mr Mime took very little damage so far and Poliwag had suffered immensely.

“Ice Ball!”

Poliwag’s stomach glowed an icy blue as a small icy pebble was hurled at Mr Mime. He stumbled back, momentarily losing his footing. He concentrated harder as Poliwag blasted a somewhat bigger icy shard at him. He took it with little or no effect. OzAndrew was laughing, but I knew better than to mock – ice ball fired 5 times, each one getting bigger and better. The third one was the size of a football and slammed into Mr Mime, knocking him over.

For a mere second or so, the psychic connection broke and Poliwag fell, but Mr Mime got back up and applied the psychic attack again. Poliwag was looking rather angry as the fourth ball of ice, this time much bigger and being roughly the size of a beach ball hurtled down and smashed Mr Mime over the head.

The clown stumbled and fell back, bouncing back up and looking very angry indeed. He clenched his fists and stared, focused, determined to hurt Poliwag in what ever way possible. Poliwag sprang off his tail, bounced off the wall and tackled Mr Mime, before leaping back and firing the fifth and final ice ball, now slightly bigger than Poliwag himself. It rocketed down and smashed right into Mr Mime, hurtling him back into the wall, which he then bounced off.

“Meet him with an ice beam!” I cried. Mr Mime flew into the pearly white beam of ice and felt his body begin to freeze over. A light layer of ice glazed his knees and arms, and as he fell to the floor of the castle he bounced gently.

“Body slam!” I cried. But Poliwag didn’t listen. An odd glowing was occurring over my Pokemon as he cried his name in surprise. Warm light emitted from his body as Poliwag rose…arms flexed from his body and his tail shrank into his back. Growing to around three and a half feet, with eyes on the top of his head, the light began to die down and my new Pokemon stood in front of me.

“Poliwhirl?” I asked. Poliwhirl turned to me and gave a thumbs up, winking and turning back to the battle.

“Mr Mime, thunderbolt!” OzAndrew cried. Poliwhirl leapt from his better-developed legs and raced across into a wall, which he bounced off and charged at Mr Mime. The clown was ready, however, slapping my Pokemon across the face. Poliwhirl hoisted himself off the ground and ducked from Mr Mime’s slap.

“Whirl!” he bellowed, swinging a mega punch forward. It smashed into the clowns pale face. Poliwhirl repeated this a few times until Mr Mime threw him off. Poliwhirl landed on the bouncy floor, bounced up and fired a bubblebeam down. The bubbles peppered the clown, who used his large hands to block the attack.

“Just because you evolved, doesn’t mean you can beat me mate!” cried OzAndrew. “Mr Mime, psybeam!”

Another rainbow-coloured beam of energy whirred through into Poliwhirl and caused him to stumble back. Poliwhirl clutched his head, a pained expression on his face. He looked to be receiving a headache from the psychic attacks. Mr Mime swung a crackling fist, his thunderpunch slamming into Poliwhirl’s face and throwing him back. He smashed into the side, bouncing back and flying at Mr Mime.

“Mr Mime! Psybeam!”

“Ice Beam Poliwhirl!” I yelled. Poliwhirl released his ice beam as he charged towards Mr Mime and his psychic blast. The two attacks collided and fought against each other wildly, finally imploding and spreading across the arena. Poliwhirl flew into the bang and was hurtled to the ground, but Mr Mime held his ground.

“Poliwhirl, get back up!” I cried. Poliwhirl struggled to get up. Mr Mime aided him by using a psychic to lift him up into the air. Poliwhirl groaned in pain as Mr Mime tortured him up in the air. OzAndrew was smirking.

“Bubblebeam!” I roared. Solid bubbles were fired through the air from Poliwhirl’s mouth. They peppered Mr Mime and screwed up his concentration. Mr Mime stumbled back, causing Poliwhirl to fly down to the floor of the castle and bounce briefly.

“Come on, Poliwhirl!” I shouted. “Hydro pump!”

“Re-direct it with psychic!” cried Andrew. Poliwhirl blasted a tremendously thick stream of water through the air. Mr Mime began to concentrate, an odd aura surrounding the water. Soon the water curved around and bolted at Poliwhirl.

“Out the way!” I cried. Poliwhirl bounced off to another wall, but the jet of water followed. Poliwhirl pounced at the next wall and flew off it, and the huge jet of water smashed against the rubber wall as Mr Mime lost his concentration. Poliwhirl watched the water gush down the bouncy castle.

Mr Mime was exhausted. He swayed precariously, panting. OzAndrew watched, frustrated. Poliwhirl walked over to Mr Mime and watched his foe.

“M-Mime…” muttered the clown.

“Mega punch!” came my cry. A glowing fist slammed into Mr Mime’s head and knocked him to the ground. Mr Mime did not get back up.

“No!” OzAndrew cried loudly. “Mr Mime!”

He ran down and helped his Pokemon up, before recalling it into its Pokeball. I shook Poliwhirl’s hand, filled with happiness at my first victory in TPML. I just couldn’t stop smiling. Andrew looked rather irritated.

“Well done mate,” he said, shrugging.

“Thanks,” I said broadly. “But I wanted to ask you something…”

OzAndrew watched me apprehensively. He raised his eyebrows, and I went on.

“Well, since you’re a veteran…I was hoping you could help me. Give me some tips about beating people with as much experience as you.”

“What?” asked OzAndrew. “You serious? Cos if you didn’t already realize, you just beat a veteran. What else is there to learn?”

He looked rather irritated.

“This particular veteran…” I began. “He’s cruel. Horrible. He’s really good.”

“Forget it,” OzAndrew snapped. “Just…leave me alone. Mr Mime needs to recover so I can fly off somewhere else.”

He looked very ticked off. I shrugged, recalling Poliwhirl and wandering away from Sunshine Meadows. As I walked down the winding path back to TPML Village, OzAndrew watched me for some amount of time, although it was far from my knowledge. He sighed, leaping back onto his castle.


*

Needless to say, Poliwag’s evolution was something of much celebration. Mankey, Elekid and Magby were very happy for their friend, who was now the biggest in the group. Sneasel, however, looked somewhat bitter about this new powerful addition. We bought a hamper of food from the village’s local Supershop, an alarmingly large supermarket, and set off into the battle park to relax.

In the park, we sat down as a double battle commenced. To my shock, the Eeveelution girls had their Espeon and Umbreon were out on one side, battling against a rather slobbery couple who had a Nidorino and Nidorina out. The two were holding hands.

Obviously Espeon’s psychic attacks would be an advantage. I watched as Nidorino charged at Umbreon, who dodged and fired a beam of energy forward at Nidorina. She gave a screech and raced at Umbreon, but Espeon intervened with a swift.

The battle was exciting. We all ate our picnic as a group and I commented on the various techniques that the trainers employed. Soon a small crowd had gathered, and they commented on how the battle was going.

“Oh isn’t that just adorable,” came an oily voice. Turning, I saw Razor Leaf approaching me with a powerful looking Pokemon at his side. It was a Blaziken. The huge bird-like human was an odd creature but very impressive. Standing slightly taller than Razor Leaf, it looked highly intimidating.

“What do you want?” I snapped.

“I just thought your little brownie meeting with your Poke-pals was just so endearing, I had to comment on it,” Razor Leaf sneered. “Like my Blaziken? Evolved just yesterday. What a fantastic match…you should have seen the opponent.”

I stayed silent.

“Apparently you beat OzAndrew,” Razor Leaf went on. “That’s what they’re all saying. But let me tell you, Brit Chris, OzAndrew is a pathetic vet. You want to try against some stronger, more experienced vets if you want to get cocky.”

“Too late,” I said, rising. “I’m plenty cocky as it is.”

“We can help that, right Haf?” Razor Leaf sneered, talking to his Blaziken. “How about it?”

I looked at my team, who all seemed to be trying to look ferocious. However this did not really work for many of them. In fact, Sneasel was the only intimidating-looking member of my team. Poliwhirl was slurping some jelly, Magby and Elekid just oozed cuteness, and Mankey couldn’t keep a straight face.

“Maybe some other day,” I growled back. Razor Leaf just smirked.

“Blaze kick.”

In a second, Haf had swung a blazing foot across my picnic blanket and set it alight. My delicious food began to burn to a crisp as my Pokemon leapt from the fire. Poliwhirl put the fire out with a water gun, but my team, congregated around the singed picnic, eyed Haf with rage. Razor Leaf simply smirked and walked off with his powerful Blaziken.

Meanwhile, in the double battle, I managed to see the very end. Espeon blasted a psybeam into Nidorino, while Umbreon fired a hyper beam right at Nidorina. The rather soppy couple recalled their Pokemon melodramatically, before tearing off through the park.

“Anybody else?” asked the Umbreon trainer. “Hah! Pathetic.”

“I’ll take you on.”

I looked and saw OzAndrew tearing through the park, two Pokeballs in hand. He looked very gallant as he rose up to the challenge of the Eeveelution sisters. OzAndrew faced the two, and declared he would fight them both himself. He dropped his Pokeballs and released two Pokemon – A Koffing and a Staryu.

“Hah!” mocked the Umbreon girl. “No problem for us.”

“Espeon, psychic!” cried the girl.

“Smokescreen, Koffing!” cried OzAndrew. A thick black haze was exhaled from the various pores on Koffing’s spherical body. The arena became coated in dense fog, and it was difficult to see. “Staryu, use swift!”

From the fog, a ray of star-shaped projectiles sprayed Espeon and Umbreon.

“Flash! Light up the darkness!” the Umbreon trainer told her Pokemon. Umbreon charged into the fog, rings glowing a bright white and illuminating the scene. Staryu span down and smashed into Umbreon as Koffing spat a large ball of sludge at Espeon.

“Staryu, use psychic on Koffing! Hurl it at Espeon! Koffing, use selfdestruct!”

Koffing began to glow a bright white. Soon he was shaking as Staryu manipulated his form and threw him through the arena. Koffing gave a loud groan as he hit Espeon and exploded in the Pokemon’s face. Espeon was hurled to the floor, weak and injured.

“Good job Koffing,” OzAndrew said, recalling his Pokemon. “Looks like Espeon’s down and out.”

“No!” cried the Espeon trainer. “Espeon!”

“That was amazing,” I told myself. “What tactics!”

As Espeon was recalled, it boiled down to just Staryu and Umbreon. Umbreon raced forward with a quick attack, but gave a groan as he smashed into a barrier Staryu created. Umbreon leapt back, firing a shadow ball, but it smashed into a light screen. Staryu gave an odd noise as it span through the air like a ninja star and sliced into the creature’s side, shooting up and spraying bubbles down.

“Umbreon, quick! Shadow ball!” cried the girl. But it smashed against another light screen. “Damnit!”

“Staryu, water gun!”

“Quick, shadow ball! It can’t bring up a light screen while it’s attacking!”

But she was wrong. The shadow ball hit a light screen which re-appeared in front of Staryu. I was enthralled by the match. Staryu was creating light screens, barriers or reflect shields to suit the attack Umbreon was using. And they seemed to move, too, seeing as they were aiding Staryu all the time.

“Staryu! Shadow ball!” OzAndrew cried. The ball of energy smashed into Umbreon and threw the Pokemon to the ground. As it got back up, it gave a cry as Staryu used a double team to create two identical clones. Now there were three Staryu.

“Swift!” cried the Umbreon trainer, her partner watching by her side.

“Teleport!” cried OzAndrew. “Above Umbreon! Then use ice beam!”

One of the Staryu, the real one, flashed and disappeared as Umbreon blasted a ray of stars at both the clones. Staryu re-appeared in mid-air above Umbreon, falling down to hit him while firing a pearly-white beam of ice. Umbreon was glazed over in ice and stood there silently as Staryu landed by OzAndrew, spinning and crying its name.

The crowd broke into applause as the Umbreon trainer recalled her Pokemon and ran off with her sister. I was so impressed with OzAndrew’s skills…the way he used Pokemon was simply superb. But I managed to beat him…so did that make me better than him? I was unsure.

Once the people had stopped crowding around OzAndrew, he could see me standing there, watching him. I recalled my team.

“Wotcher,” he said.

“I’m so confused,” I said. “What went on there?”

“I beat them,” OzAndrew explained. “Couldn’t you tell?”

“But I beat you!” I exclaimed. “So…am I better than you?”

“I don’t know,” OzAndrew replied.

“And how come you were at Ivy Woods yesterday?” I asked. “You appeared, helped me, and then…well, disappeared.”

OzAndrew looked at me with a meaningful expression.

“I was passing by,” he explained. “Just like you were.”

“But why did you go?” I asked. “And how come you’re a veteran but you’re Pokemon are in their unevolved forms?”

He gave a cocky shrug.

“Just be happy I helped you,” he said nonchalantly. And with that, he wandered off through the park. I stood there, lost in thought. OzAndrew was a lot deeper than I thought. He seemed a lot more mysterious than I could have imagined. His back-story was still unclear, but I intended to find out everything I could about him. As I decided to grab a coffee and call it a day, I was even more confused than yesterday evening about this positively baffling Australian.

However, as enthralled as I was about OzAndrew, little did I realize I was the sole focus of someone else. A figure lurked in the shadows, breathing in long, drawn-out breaths and not taking the time to even blink. A glint his eye sparkled in the darkness, and with a swift turn, he was gone, swallowed by the darkness.



__| Next time.... |__

-Chris finds a way to boost his confidence:
Apparently, according to my VS Seeker, his name was ‘UuberFred’. It also mentioned his abysmal record of 13 losses and 0 wins. I gave a hearty smirk.


-But what secrets are held in old BT Street?
"All I have now are my Pokemon and my memories, all in this little playhouse…” said Grey, staring around him with an air of nostalgia.

-And is this mysterious man the answer Chris has been looking for?
“Razor Leaf, you say? You certainly picked a good rival, Brit Chris.”

“And why’s that?” I asked.

“I used to teach Razor Leaf myself. I could tell you all his secrets.”



All coming up soon in Chapter Seven: The Arbiter/Grey.

[Charizard04621]

For some reason when I read "long, drawn-out breaths" I was reminded of Darth Vader. o_O;

I remember the bouncy castle, although OzAndrew actually made it "indestructible" and this Sneasel's claws apparently wouldn't have done damage to it, for some reason. I also remember the screwed up argument that this "indestructible" (rubber?) castle caused, had something to do with a ghost being able/unable to phase through its walls.

Unless The Arbiter is some guy returning from long ago with a different name, I don't really know who he is and how it was that he taught PX (PX was around longer than the name The Arbiter). Artistic license, perhaps, or maybe there's another character talking to you about him, rather than The Arbiter. Or, I'm messing up on my history. Could be that too.

And omfg @ Razor Leaf! That Blaze Kick was entirely unnecessary. How could you waste food! Think about the starving Pichus in Africa ;-;

[The Blue Avenger]

his name was ‘UuberFred’. It also mentioned his abysmal record of 13 losses and 0 wins.

Dunno why, but that made me laugh. Reminds me of someone I know.

Anyway, nicely done chapter. Nice to see those Eevee girls get beaten. And man, is Razor Leaf a jerk. The upshot, however, is that Chris has to beat him sometime, because they're rivals! It always works like that!

[The_Missing_Link]

For some reason when I read "long, drawn-out breaths" I was reminded of Darth Vader. o_O;

I remember the bouncy castle, although OzAndrew actually made it "indestructible" and this Sneasel's claws apparently wouldn't have done damage to it, for some reason. I also remember the screwed up argument that this "indestructible" (rubber?) castle caused, had something to do with a ghost being able/unable to phase through its walls.

Unless The Arbiter is some guy returning from long ago with a different name, I don't really know who he is and how it was that he taught PX (PX was around longer than the name The Arbiter). Artistic license, perhaps, or maybe there's another character talking to you about him, rather than The Arbiter. Or, I'm messing up on my history. Could be that too.

And omfg @ Razor Leaf! That Blaze Kick was entirely unnecessary. How could you waste food! Think about the starving Pichus in Africa ;-;




Arbiter is Greyfox number x5

[Charizard04621]

I don't know who that is =/

[Chris 2.1]

Karin: Yea I think the castle was indestructable, but still, that wouldn't be any fun, would it? And it would be difficult, too.

TML is right: The Arbiter was Greyfox10584, I'm surprised you don't know who he is. He isn't around anymore, but he's an interesting chap. But obviously irl Grey didn't tutor Razor Leaf, that's an element added into the mix that makes it that bit more enticing. I can't see tutoring working online :P

TBA: Yea there's an 'UuberFred' everywhere you go. Hehe yea Andrew wallopped those Eon girls. Nice to see they got their commuppance...but will they ask for his Oztograph? I can't see it happening personally. Hmm yea Chris should (in theory) beat Razor Leaf one day....but maybe I'll pull away from generic cliche's ;)

[Charizard04621]

The name The Arbiter showed up after I left the forum out of disgust, I saw him post quite a bit. I haven't heard of Greyfox, though.

[The_Missing_Link]

I believe Greyfox was a mod when we first joined in 2001. If not then, then I think a bit afterwards. Either way, he was there when you were active. You probably just forgot about him after a while

[Charizard04621]

I thought I joined in 2000 o_O Anyway, don't remember the mods back then until tyger_of_danyte, Impereon, and Smooth Criminal. The rest (Ditto Pokefreak and whatnot) didn't really matter to me. Grey was probably modding in that gray area where I didn't really care.

Thanks for the info though.

[EDIT]: Oh, I joined early 2001. And I didn't play ASB till maybe a few years later. I was an RBY person, only got pulled into it because of SilverSuicune.

[Chris 2.1]

I was wondering if I could ask for some open feedback from you guys, and by that, I mean ANYONE who has even read a single chapter.

You're all important, obviously, and as readers, closet or not, I think you're the best people to turn to regarding the fic.

I'm contemplating what direction to take it in. Obviously the fanfic is quite a funny, light-hearted one, and I love writing it. But I was wondering how you all felt about a slightly more serious element coming into the fic. It wouldn't be until the last 'slice' of the fic, perhaps the last 10 chapters or so.

Admittedly I would try and keep the comedy in parts, as I'm doing now, but I'm interested as to what you thought.


Please, anyone/everyone get back to me, in here or PM.

[Charizard04621]

Serious is good because it makes what you're saying at least semi-important. I can't take a comedy piece seriously unless there is some element of seriousness in there. If something is 100% funny and silly, I'll laugh for the time I'm reading it, shrug, and never look at it again. If you want to include something serious, go for it.

[darktyranitar]

Serious element...somehow, I do wonder whether you will include them or not in this fanfic, so I say...sure, why not. Go ahead, we here will continue to read this fanfic.

Whoa, how could Chris beat Oz Andrew? Is it true what Razor Leaf said, that he is a weak vet? But based on his battle against the Eevee twins, is he holding back against Chris in that battle? Or maybe just pure luck?

And can Razor Leaf be even worse than this? Come on, he shouldn't waste those foods. Especially when its not his. I hope Chris will beat him some day.

[Andrew]

I don't understand "wotcher" lol.

Also, hooray! I won! But I lost! Thanks for that! At least I'm not a complete retard.

Also, Charnumber, what you were going to do was phase your Ghost into the airpocket of the indestructable castle and essentially let Gengar get complete health and energy again. That's so not fair. Its like going to a health spa in the middle of a battle!

However, poor little Mr. Mime took quite a beating! At least Poliwag evolved!

Good chapter, lol, I rather enjoyed it. Thank you Chris.

[Charizard04621]

Also, Charnumber, what you were going to do was phase your Ghost into the airpocket of the indestructable castle and essentially let Gengar get complete health and energy again. That's so not fair. Its like going to a health spa in the middle of a battle!



Excuse me? What I was going to do? I wasn't even in the battle, get your facts straight. You should know who you are battling. Or are you that drunk all the time that you don't even realize who your opponent is?:)

[Chris 2.1]

Guys discuss your personal issues somewhere else.


Karin: Thanks for the feedback. I agree a serious element needs to be injected into the fic, but I doubt it will really take place yet. Obviously in the fic I have already implimented some serious more emotional storylines, while the general overview is a funny one. But with this plotline (or...character?) I hope to add something or urgency and seriousness to the fic.

DarkT: It's certainly something intriguing. But think of the factors affecting a win. Pokemon, state of mind, arena, opponent...these things, the "given circumstances" of the match, if you will seem to be ever shifting within all Chris' matches in TPML. So does that mean there is no singlely strong trainer? Oh and Razor Leaf DOES get worse. Much worse.

Andrew: My aussie cousin says wotcher, and it sounds australian. Meh. It means like "whats up?". I guess your character is kinda complex. And mysterious....WHAT was he doing at the Lake? Where did he go? HOW did he not die leaping from the tower? At least Poliwag did evolve....

...but how come Andrew has small unevolved Pokemon? It is answered, my friends.



Thanks for the comments.

[RaZoR LeAf]

My character is rubbing off on me. I'm getting more ruthless in battles trying to maim or blind the opponents. Heh heh. And Chris you should watch Neighbours or Home and Away for research on what Australians say. Aside from 'strewth' there's little else different.

[Chris 2.1]

Sorry there hasn't been much up atm.

I'm a bit busy, but I'm writing a pretty cool Ch10, which should see a furious battle between two TPML members. I'll try and post Ch7 when I finish Ch10.

[Wolfsong]

Sorry it took so long for me to reply. Been busy with school stuff. I enjoyed that chapter and congrats on poliwag's evolution. Also i think some seriousness can be good. Hopefully when you post the next chapter i'll be where i can reply sooner. Keep up the great work. And, i can understand about being busy, take your time no rush.

[Chris 2.1]

Finally decided to get Ch7 up. You've suffered long enough! Ch10 is currently in development, and it's shaping up nicely. I've also been spending considerable time planning out future chapters. I am on Ch10 and can safely say I have the content up until Chapter 18. Wow! Look out for Chris Watarimono, Wolfsong and Crystal Tears to arrive in the near future, as well as some other familliar faces I'll keep quiet about :P

Oh and if you enjoy this chappie, please reply!





Chapter Seven
[size-3]The Arbiter/Gray


During my stay in TPML Village I began to really get acquainted with the serene landscape. I’d wake up every morning, greet Graeme and Anne, grab a slice of toast and head off into the village to see what I could do for the day. Since I started here I’ve met a variety of odd people; from the mysterious OzAndrew, to cocky street-smart Girafarig, and even Razor Leaf, the veteran I truly loathe. The Missing Link hadn’t really shown her face all that much, preferring to stay in her office working hard.

I was examining my VS Seeker, looking particularly at the smug ‘1’ under the victories section of my stats, and ignoring the ‘2’ under losses. No draws so far. As I gazed at the map, I noticed a little street shooting off from the main village entitled ‘BT Street’. I was interested to see what it was like, and under the description, was told BT Street was ‘A bustling street of opulent character’. Anything that is described as ‘opulent’ can’t be too bad, right?

Heading into Latte Days, I sipped a latte and grabbed a slice of cake as I decided what I would do today. I thought that heading to BT Street would certainly be an interesting adventure, but decided to actually challenge some other people first, and maybe get that impressive ‘1’ up to ‘2’ in the victories column.

So, full of pep, I went on through the village. I had my team securely in their Pokeballs, but after Poliwag evolved into Poliwhirl I was eager for my other team members to evolve, too. Mankey probably wouldn’t evolve just yet, but I suspected Magby and Elekid might if we were able to engage them in enough battles.

Ten minutes later, I was in an arena in the main village. Large fences ran around the perimeter, with members of the audience pressed against the bars eagerly as I faced my new foe. Apparently, according to my VS Seeker, his name was ‘UuberFred’. It also mentioned his abysmal record of 13 losses and 0 wins. I gave a hearty smirk.

“UuberFred chooses you!” cried the plain boy. He was perhaps 14 or 15 years of age, but had an incredibly mundane expression, as if he was being put through something incredibly boring. His pudding-bowl haircut was dull and lifeless, unable to give life to his pale brown hair (and was it me, or did I see flecks of gray in there?). His face pale and clammy, he was short and dressed in a plain t-shirt and jeans.

My foe, who I shall refer to as Fred, released his two Pokemon, as it was a double battle. First was a Hypno, and joining it was an odd Pokemon by the name of Swinub. Hypno was strong – a very underused but still potentially awesome psychic type, while Swinub was unimpressive and looked easy enough.

“Magby, Elekid, GO!” I roared. In two flashes of white light emerged my Pokemon. Magby cried excitedly, while Elekid folded his arms and generated sparks to impress the crowd.

“Hypno, yawn. Swinub, use the powder snow,” Fred gurgled. Hypno began to yawn, trying to lull my Pokemon to sleep, but we countered it easily. Elekid gave a long screech to stop Hypno, while Magby snorted a stream of flames around Swinub to melt the pathetic ice attack.

“Elekid, thunderpunch! Magby, leap up onto Swinub and use a flamethrower directly down!”

I congratulated myself on my use of technique. Elekid ran under Hypno’s legs, rather like he was freeing him from a game of ‘stuck-in-the-mud’. He swung a club-like fist into Hypno’s back and sent a crackling surge of electricity down. Hypno gave a shudder. Magby leapt onto Swinub’s back – the kind of technique I think OzAndrew would be proud of – and breathed scorching flames down onto his opponent.

“Swine swine!” cried the pathetic pig thing.

“Hypno, use headbutt,” Fred murmured.

“Magby, Elekid, thunderbolt/flamethrower!” I shouted. The twisting thunderbolt mixed with the spiraling flames and smashed right into Hypno, knocking him down. Hypno struggled to get back up as Swinub leapt forward for a tackle.

“Take care of him!” I yelled. Magby nodded and leapt under Swinub, breathing a flamethrower up and sending Swinub shooting up into the sky. As Swinub came flying down, Magby smashed him with a fire punch and knocked him out.

“Return,” said Fred, acting rather irritated and bored by the proceedings.

“Elekid, latch onto Hypno and use charge!” I shouted. “Magby, relax.”

Magby spent some time sitting on the ground calmly, watching as Elekid leapt onto Hypno’s back. Suddenly, Elekid gave a grunt as he shook with vibrant sparks. Elekid was charging his electricity up.

“Hypo, use a focus punch on Magby,” said Fred. Hypno plodded forwards to Magby, but Elekid released a thunder attack. The huge sparks zapped every inch of the psychic Pokemon and shocked it into defeat. It collapsed, leaving Magby and Elekid free to cheer back to the crowd.

“Good job,” muttered Fred.

“Same!” I cried sarcastically, recalling my two Pokemon and looking around. There were people every side of the arena cheering me on. This was what TPML should be like. I looked at all the faces…but saw a rather odd looking masked fellow watch me manically. His face was hard to distinguish, so I took a step closer…but he slipped through the crowd and ran away.

I put this odd figure out of my head and wandered on through TPML Village. I saw OzAndrew heading towards the Rules Tower, something clutched in his hand. I wondered what it was as he disappeared up the staircase.

For the rest of the morning, we went to Crush Quarry. I arrived there, finding it actually quite busy. The large, bright quarry was occupied by two trainers in a Pokemon battle – a Graveller VS a Nosepass. Not being fond of either Pokemon, I scurried up a ridge and decided to train my team up. As we arrived on a large cliff of the quarry, we overlooked the entire quarry itself, and could see some of the Village up ahead, although it was clouded by some of the trees. My five Pokemon emerged and we practiced a variety of things, from smashing rocks to build up attack, defending against attacks and things like that. I could see the match below, and after Graveller defeated Nosepass, a Quagsire was sent out, which seemed to make short work of the boulder Pokemon indeed.

The heat was beating down on us from above, so I had Poliwhirl fire a water gun up to cool us off. Magby, although disliking water, enjoyed the small sprinkle of water, as did the rest of the group.

We stopped for a few breaks, this place reminding me strongly of the place where I battled The Missing Link for my initiation. Magby had helped me there, which had been a great help. I definitely thought either Elekid or Magby would evolve soon. I knew we had to train them up, so we continued our strict regime for most of the day. I was particularly infuriated when Razor Leaf arrived down below, his Blaziken, Solrock and a Lunatone out and practicing attacks. I was intrigued by his team. Seeing him train made me more determined to train, so I did just that.

After another hour or so of training, the team was all a lot stronger and much more psyched. Mankey was panting as he had now perfected iron tail, and was much faster with his sliding low kick. Sneasel watched Poliwhirl as he practiced hew attacks like his mega punch, ice punch, and even began trying to use psychic. Magby and Elekid began to work together to turn thunderbolt and flamethrower into a strong combo attack.

Finally, the team was too exhausted to do any more training. I recalled them all, watching as Razor Leaf released a Golbat and trained it. I walked down from the rocky cliff we were practicing by, and took a different path out of the Quarry to avoid seeing Razor Leaf in the flesh. Little did I realize, I was being watched by an odd figure with a mask over half of his face. He stood from afar, shadows of huge Pokemon around him.


*

Latte Days was quiet today, I thought to myself, as I sipped a hot chocolate at my favorite window seat. Not only that, I was aware that I hadn’t seen OzAndrew since the day I battled him...unless you counted when he slipped into the Rules Tower Hmm. I really enjoyed sitting here and watching the world pass by. During my time at Latte Days, I saw a rather handsome young girl dressed like a magician outside. She had a Vulpix and a Numel as her assistants, and she did a manner of fantastic street magic. The large crowd was very impressed by it indeed. I watched keenly.

Obviously the girl was a member of TPML…or was she? Perhaps she was simply a busker of some sorts.

After leaving Latte Days I was disappointed to see that the street magician had disappeared. I was hoping to talk to her. I decided to go back to Ivy Woods to try and train my team up some more. Furthermore, the intrigue of the misty lake and the shadowy monster hiding within the depths of the serene location was something I could not wait to learn more about.

However, as we made our way into the woods, there was a slightly ominous feeling, one I did not feel last time I was here. I released Sneasel and had him keep me company. He crawled ahead cautiously. I heard quiet rustles which did not worry me too much, but still…

A loud rumble echoed around me. I was curious. When I was last here, I delved right into the depths of the wood when I found this curious shadowy form. Hearing this rumble was odd – we were still not too far into the woods at all.

I stood still. Listening hard, staring ahead, I attempted to see what was causing the rumbles. Nothing. I stepped forward cautiously, wondering what I would see. Nothing still. On and on I went, pushing branches out my way as I stumbled off the main path and into the wild overgrowth.

What would there be, I asked myself? A powerful Pokemon? I soon found out as another roar filled my ears. It came from my left. Sneasel raced forward, slashing away at the overgrowth and meeting a terrible fate…

I gasped. A barrel of flames whooshed into my Pokemon, who fell back in an instant. Charred and burned, he gasped for relief as I stared ahead in disbelief. No. It couldn’t be. A huge Charizard stood in the clearing, thick orange tail with a flame atop. Huge wings burst from its shoulder blades, its draconian head held high. What was this powerful Pokemon doing in a forest?

“Sneasel, return,” I murmured. I recalled the weasel and plucked another Pokeball. I wanted to send Poliwhirl out to fight Charizard…but could he fare well enough? As I made my mind up, Charizard began to flap upwards into the air.

“No!” I shouted. It rose higher into the air and gave another loud roar. As it did, and I watched in awe, I suddenly recalled my encounter with the mysterious creature from the lake. It was softer…loud, but soft. And how could a Charizard stand in that water without the tail going out?

Charizard headed off. I ran through the forest back onto the path frantically. Quickly I sped through the forest, unable to see the large dragon. Bursting through the forest and out onto the path leading to TPML village, I gasped. The Pokemon was heading to the village.

Remembering that film where the dragons flew into a city and destroyed everything, but not quite remembering the name, I raced after Charizard frantically.

Soon I was in TPML village, frantically searching for the damned Charizard. The lack of charred buildings and demolished wreckage told me Charizard was not on a vicious rampage, thirsty for blood and secretly wanting a friend. It told me it was probably flying back to its trainer. As I kept up my sprint, seriously reconsidering cross country training when I returned home, I saw Charizard fly ahead down BT Street. I followed.

This was my first visit down BT Street, and what a dump it was. This street was old; apparently none of the buildings were occupied. All of them seemed to be companies or businesses – or at least, they used to be. Peeling paint, crooked signs, broken windows – all these things contributed towards the dilapidated and unkempt look and feel of poor old BT Street. An old casino, an egg center and an internet café were just some of the run-down relics of BT Street. But as I looked, I saw a lone figure standing outside a building. He recalled the Charizard there and then.

An odd, half-masked man who smirked casually. He was dressed so oddly, with a ruff around his neck, and velvety baggy trousers, giving the impression he leapt head-first into a jumble sale. It was difficult to place an age on him, for he looked neither young nor old.

“Hang on…” I murmured. “I’ve seen that person before…”

Suddenly realizing this, the man gasped and ran off down the street.

“Hey! Wait!” I cried, tearing after him. I followed him as he ran down old BT Street. I saw a very large building with an information ‘I’ above it. Some sort of kiosk, I thought to myself. He suddenly arrived at a building and dashed down it. I gave chase, stopping when I arrived there and looking up at the sign.

It read ‘Grey’s Playhouse’, and the large sign across the front was of a human skull, the top sliced off neatly, resting on a small round table. I admired it briefly before pushing the door open and running inside.

Inside was a very small waiting area. The carpet was a dim red, and there were toilets for men and woman adjacent to the door. On the right was a small desk, and opposite was another set of doors, the same colour as the carpet. I keenly pushed the door open and was impressed with the interior.

It was a small theatre. The seats were the same dim red, a maroon if you will, and there were probably no more than 75 seats in total. There was a tower in the corner, which was where the lighting and sound effects were all taken care of. But perhaps the most intriguing part was the beautiful stage, with red velvet curtains either side, with the odd figure standing in the middle.

I walked along the seating, noticing many smaller Pokemon sitting around. A Bagon, Larvitar, Aipom, Psyduck, Heracross, even a Skarmory perched in the lighting tower. The man stood on stage with an Umbreon by his side. He looked at me.

“Erm…” I mumbled. “Hi.”

He continued to stare.

“L-Love the erm…I love the theatre,” I noted. “Really nice.”

“Thank you,” replied the man. “What is your name?”

“Chris,” I replied.

“What is your real name, Chris?” asked the man. I knew what he was getting at.

“Brit Chris,” I replied.

“Hello Brit Chris, it is good to see you,” said the man. “I am The Arbiter. Also known as Grey.”

“Ahh,” I said, remembering the sign. After a while I recalled why I was here in the first place. “Your Charizard attacked me in Ivy Woods…”

“From what it told me,” Grey said whimsically. “You were chasing him.”

“I…”

Damnit! He had me now. I thought about what happened, and pieced together the events which led me to come here.

“You see, I was looking for…erm…something.”

I mean, I didn’t want to say ‘a monster’. How dumb would that sound? He gave an inquisitive look. I felt my face redden under the pressure.

“Did you find it?” he asked.

“No.”

“I see,” he replied. “That is a shame…but there is much time to explore the area you currently inhabit. I hope you find what you’re looking for.”

“Thanks,” I said. There was a rather uncomfortable silence following. I was looking around (noticing his shiny Treecko, which was scaling the walls), while he was simply watching me.

“So…” I began. “Y-You’re an actor?”

A grin flicked across Grey’s face.

“Used to be,” he explained. “I have not acted for some time. Once, the fabulous metropolis that was BT Street was full of tourists. Now, however, it’s dead.”

“I figured,” I mumbled. Grey smiled, before continuing.

“Once, perhaps only a year ago, BT Street was the place to be. It was full of successful businesses and nearly everybody went there. There were casinos, an egg center, a cable club, a lot of cafes and a lot of breeding centers. Training Institutes were also popular. Leave your Pokemon for a few days, then pick it up and it has some devastating new moves. You know the drill.

“Everybody flocked from all over to join TPML. Unfortunately a lot of those people came only for the businesses. People stopped battling to run their businesses. Others abandoned everything, even their own Pokemon, to help maintain their businesses. They ate people away.

“Unfortunately little was done about it. A select few people never really let the neon charms of BT Street at their souls. I had to watch people – some with the most incredible potential - waste away down this horrible street. After a while the businessmen and the businesswomen dropped like flies. Most of them left TPML to simply find who they were again. The money corrupted them. Of course, I had my own business. This little playhouse. We did a number of fantastic plays in our time. The Importance of Being Earnest, Shakespeare’s Hamlet…A Doll’s House to name but a few! My little troupe of actors worked to provide relaxing yet thought provoking entertainment for those tired after a day in BT Street.

“But once Businessmen dropped out, people stopped coming. Even my ensemble left me for bigger and better things. All I have now are my Pokemon and my memories, all in this little playhouse…”

He looked around fondly.

“The Missing Link has given up on resurrecting BT Street,” he went on. “She believes it will bring about the old ways.”

“What do you think?” I asked. I was beginning to feel less threatened by Gray, and instead liked his presence.

“Me?” Grey said, smiling. “I think that BT Street – or even the TPML community, for that matter – will always be a shadow of its former self. The main problem was that we were too lenient – it was too easy to start a business. If The Missing Link set restrictions, rules, and so forth, we could try and bring back some form of BT Street.”

“Yea…” I mumbled.

“I enjoyed your battle today,” Grey began. “I saw you, fighting against the Swinub and Hypno. Very good techniques you employed, Brit Chris.”

“I…erm, thanks. I haven’t seen you in TPML Village very often,” I said.

“I rarely leave this place,” Grey told me. “I know, it may sound ‘weird’ or ‘crazy’ but this is my safe zone. In this playhouse I am at peace with myself. This new-age village will just remind me of the place I ran from. I will sometimes come out, to pay money in, to eat, or to watch potential young trainers.”

“Oh.”

“I’ve been here for so long now, Brit Chris – I have trained in two previous TPML Tournaments.”

“Two? That’s pretty good, that makes you a veteran,” I said. “But…well, you team looks quite weak. I can’t see many evolved forms at all, Grey.”

“Of course,” Grey said kindly. “Most of these ones you see here are my newer additions. My older team members are backstage…but they ache for a battle. They are so big they can’t do all that much in this little place…”

“You need to get out more,” I explained. “Breathe fresh air, socialize…you can do all that and come here every night to bathe in your memories.”

“Perhaps you are right,” Grey murmured. “Oh, I don’t know. Times are changing so much, Brit Chris. I don’t know what I want to do with myself.”

“Get out this stuffy place and give me a hand,” I said firmly. “There’s someone I know…a veteran, no less, and I need to train up and take him down. Please, Grey, you have to help me toughen up so I can beat him.”

“Who is it?” Grey asked keenly.

“Razor Leaf,” I replied, remembering the bastard’s stunt with the blaze kick and my picnic. Grey raised an eyebrow.

“Razor Leaf, you say? You certainly picked a good rival, Brit Chris.”

“And why’s that?” I asked.

“I used to teach Razor Leaf myself. I could tell you all his secrets.”

“What happened?”

“What?”

“What happened? How come you don’t teach him anymore?”

“Oh,” Grey chuckled, giving a very false laugh. “That’s all in the past now. Never you mind.”

As I said farewell to my new companion, I had the feeling that it wasn’t in the past at all. Razor Leaf did something to affect Grey, something which he clearly wanted revenge for. Why was he so keen to help me beat Razor Leaf? An age-old feud from TPML would soon be resurrected. And I’d be right in the middle of it all.




Next Chapter:

-TML has an announcement:
“Those wishing to be selected for Moderation must come up to the Rules Tower for an interview. We will give the results soon.”

-A furious battle takes place in the village. But who are the participants?
Wings glowing a feverish silvery colour, Swellow swept forward and rammed hard into the pelican. Pellipper gave a strangled cry as she lost height. Swellow then flapped back, beak open as an orange glow charged up within. Pellipper watched, awe-struck as a hyper beam was blasted towards her. The orange beam hurtled along, Pellipper wide-eyed and evidently scared.

-Meanwhile, a friendly stroll takes it's toll:
There was a sudden roar. I jerked up and looked across at the lake. The thin mist was curling across the banks as it had last time I was here. Aragornbird watched me quizzically.

“What was that?” he cried.

-And more mysteries arise:
“History lies high?” Aragornbird said, reading it. It was in fancy, curly writing. “What does that mean?”


All in Chapter 8!

[The Blue Avenger]

Heh, interesting take on BT Street. That's one of the more literal interpretations of ASB, huh? ;)

Also, this is gonna sound strange, but I liked Uuberfred. Not as in I liked him as a character, but I thought he was a good light-hearted addition. I wonder how he got a Hypno, though.

One thing: It seems to me that it would be slightly difficult to identify someone who was in a crowd and wearing a mask as "watching you manically." Nothing major, just a nitpick.

Eagerly awaiting next chapter!

[Crystal Tears]

Lol. Alright, I've dragged my butt all the way over here to reply so here it comes.

I like it all so far, and I liked the quick, and relative easy battle with Uuberfred. But I think its kinda mean to pick on someone who looses... So.. Often. Lol.

Grey's a nice character, and I like his charizard. Lol. You shouldn't stalk pokemon like that Crhis. You'll end up getting burnt.

Anyways very nice!

Toodles~

P.S- Seriousness could be nice. Not to much though! ^_~

[Charizard04621]

I like Grey, I find it odd that he went from maniacal to Chris's guardian teacher though. Perhaps there's something more about him you're not showing us.

And oh, god, I know where you got BT street from. *vomits*

I liked that chapter though... Keep them coming! Don't make us wait ;-;

[Chris 2.1]

Replies!


TBA: Heh yea. Guess where the BT comes from :P And I agree UuberFred lightened the mood. I wonder if he'll ever return? And good point about Grey looking manical from a distance. I guess perhaps the general mask thing was what was manical. Glad you liked the chapter.

CT: Well Chris has lost twice and won once...sometimes you need to reach drastic lows to achieve great things. Ie: pick on weaker foes! And I'm glad you like Grey - of all the ASBers he plays quite an important role. Charizard is one of Grey's strongest team members, and will be battling a lot.

Thanks about the seriousness thing!

Karin: It is weird, but also quite important. I didn't mean for it to be so noticeable though. Grey's sudden character changes almost shift quite a lot - he's living in his memories, but has to face up to the reality that his fond memories are behind him. So he's quite fragile. But why is he willing to help train Chris up? Revenge?

Thanks I'm glad you liked Ch7. The future chapters are also good, I guess ^^.

[RaZoR LeAf]

Nice work Chris, I like the BT Street history. It's very true, though obviously not Becca's fault in the least, that bit you made up (you did make it up.. right?) Heh, nobody is going to learn RaZoRLeAf's secrets, he's a sneaky guy, I just know it.

[Chris 2.1]

Well it was kinda made up. Basically in the fic, Becca felt that BT Street kinda destroyed TPML, but I think back before Businesses and Tournaments were set up, Becca preffered not to set them up because there wasn't enough demand for them. But thanks, I think overall I converted it well.

Razor Leaf obviously might not be too happy if he found out about Grey, so will he take action? Most likely :P

[Charizard04621]

Yeah, it wasn't Becca who ruined it, it was a bunch of people that no longer frequent this place anymore, thank god.

[Chris 2.1]

Yea I didn't mean for it to sound like Becca ruined it. Arbiter said people got so obsessed with the businesses they forgot about TPML and just set up businesses and whatnot. But TML didn't want a repeat of that and therefore left BT Street derelict.

[Charizard04621]

It didn't sound like that to me, sounded like BT Street ruined itself. ^_^;

[Charles Legend]

It didn't sound like that to me, sounded like BT Street ruined itself. ^_^;


I agree that in the old ASB, people got so obsessed with the businesses they
forgot aboutthe real resion why they Joined the ASB in the frist place.

I also Agree it was never Rebecca's falt, Athought it would have been better if the towers had been left for her to deal with insted,not that it maters that much any more.... ^_^;

Anyways Chris I think this is coming along rather nicely, btw I loved how you made Grey's treecko crowing all over the walls, one of my favorit parts besides the battle, btw well Brit Chris ever get his hands on a Blastoise at some point, or wait is that mysterus monster a Blastoise? if so, It would be a grate help to Brit Chris namly to get back at Razzor Leaf's Blaziken among other battles... ;)

~Charles Legend

[The_Missing_Link]

I don't think anyone ruined the Business area. The lack of people running the businesses and using them coupled with the money problems did it. By the time Amanda and Karin left, it was time for a change. I think you guys are looking into something that wasn't really a big deal in the first place

[darktyranitar]

Haha, Chris is pretty sly, isn't he? I thought that UuberFred will beat him, but he lost. Chris should stop underestamating a newbie or a loser. Remember Girafarig?

I wonder if we will see him again after this. And about this Arbiter, so he's the masked person. Chris will get some training from a vet, but will that be enough to beat Razor_Leaf? And like you said, will Razor_Leaf do something about that?

This is coming pretty good. Can't wait for next chapter. Don't keep us waiting here, Chris!

[Chris 2.1]

Charles: Hehe thanks for the post. I agree the little things like Grey's Treecko (who had the most absurd name, Kuriashirashirushu or something to that effect) can make it funny, little easter eggs like that are fun for ASBers to look out for.

And as for Blastoise? I'll be honest - Chris won't be getting a Blastoise in the fic. I decided basically that since I have like 20 Pokemon, Chris catching them all, raising/evolving them all and giving them decent spotlight would be way to arduous (sp?) and unfair. So in this fic, Chris will get 8 Pokemon altogether. But when will he get the rest?


DarkTyranitar: Whoa no, Chris picked UuberFred so that he could win. I think a loss against him would probably cause our plucky hero to commit suicide! And yes, Girafarig, I wonder how he's doing? I'll want to incorporate UuberFred into the future chapters, because he's such a funny character. I can see him with a lot of bad omen Pokemon, like a Murkrow or something lol. Yea he'll be back.

Next Chapter will answer some of your questions....so I can't say much!


And I'll post Ch8 within the week, hopefully. Ch11's still in the early stages.

[Greyfox]

I'm an actor!

Anyway, yeah... this is the third post I've made since my hiatus. I haven't read much of this fic (although in due time, I'll be sure to catch up) except for the latest chapter (because I'm such a self-appreciating bigot). I love how you described it... almost exactly how I would've said it. A nice touch.

[font=Palatino Linotype][i]-Grey

[Chris 2.1]

*Gasp*

The Arbiter is back!

*Scribbles some notes down on his role in ASB Fic*

Great to see you back, and thank you for the compliments!

[Charles Legend]

LOL@ Chris reaction to Gray's return

anyways I think your doing a fine job so far, the next chapter sounds like it well be a good one.

~Charles legend

[Chris 2.1]

Thanks Charles.


Ch8 is a Chapter I'm quite fond of. I can't post it yet, but I will post it before Christmas.

Some teasers:

-This is the first Chapter of TPML which has two characters in the chapter title.
-Razor Leaf manages to abuse his new-found authority
-Chris and a new friend head back to Ivy Woods (Ch5), but find a reason never to go back.
-A mysterious business card adds another twist to the Village.


Will definitely post it soon. Discuss!

[MeLoVeGhOsTs]

Well, I finally got around reading this. I must say, all characters have their own good characteristics. I like the way Razor Leaf and Grey have a history and OzAndrew's mysterious nature. I hope to see more battles and Village revealing. And eventhough I do not ASB nor know many of the characters I liked it's writing style and lack of doomsday thoughts. I hope to read more of this fic, since it's inspired me.

*points at PM*

[Greyfox]

I finished reading the [entire] story; it's very well written (and quite humoring with Ozzie's chapter). Although, I noted some errors (mainly with my character's pokémon).

My current Charizard is female and completely black; however, as you said, Grey's character had some "retired" pokémon, including a male Charizard named "Ifrit". That could've been the one you were referring to when you wrote the previous chapter.

If I can remember correctly, this is a list of all the pokémon I used to have before leaving the ASB last time:

·Fenrir (Male Umbreon - deceased)
·Leviathan (Male Blastoise - not to be confused with Levi, my current Wartortle)
·Ifrit (Male Charizard)
·Neptune (Female Gyarados)
·Undine (Female Vaporeon - child of Raichupet's Umbreon and Fenrir)
·Kjata (Male Tauros)
·Ark (Male Alakazam)
·Sonja (Female Meganium)
·Cerberus (Male Houndoom)
·Hades (Male Gengar)
·Espeon (Female, name escapes me)
·Bahamut (Male Dragonite)
·Pheonix (Female Pidgeot)
·Sacred (Ditto)
·Mothership (Porygon)

Wow... tha's a lot to remember.

[font=Palatino Linotype][i]-Grey

[Chris 2.1]

MLG: Hey! Thanks for reading. I'm glad you're enjoying it despite not ever being in ASB! Although *also points to PM* that may change soon....

Grey: Hey Grey. That rhymes, heh. I'm glad you're enjoying it, and I agree Andrew's chapter was a funny one. Chapter Nine is also quite funny, too, with a lot of serious parts in as well. But that can wait...:P. And yes, about your team - I do realize your team is different in the fic, but I did decide, for many of the characters that I would merge old and new teams, cut some members, add others etc. Grey has all the Pokemon in the audience, plus Charizard, Blastoise, Metagross and Snorlax. But I didn't forget about Charizard being black.....you'll see.



Ch8 up tomorrow. I promise.

[Chris 2.1]

Here we go, as promised.


Chapter 8!





Chapter Eight
Aragornbird VS Pichu


Knowing I had a secret weapon against Razor Leaf was something which kept me going over the next few days. Grey, like so many others in TPML Village, left me feeling curious and baffled. Was everybody here a raving lunatic?

Grey decided to meet me today to train up. We were to meet in Sunshine Meadows, where I battled OzAndrew (and won rather spectacularly), and show off our teams and our best attempts at battling. I was keen to see the other members of his squad after witnessing his Charizard’s incredible strength.

However, as I waited for Grey, he never came. My team (consisting of Poliwhirl, Sneasel, Magby, Elekid and Mankey) hung around, getting more and more bored. There was only so much serene beauty I could admire. I checked my watch. An hour after the agreed meeting time. Where was he?

This was ridiculous, I thought to myself, still in Sunshine Meadows an hour and half after the time we had decided upon. I recalled my team members and stormed off across the meadows towards Latte Days. I was so angry – all that could quell my rage would be a slice of cake and a hot chocolate.

Sitting there, not even caring about the chocolate crumbs cascading down onto my clothes, I wondered what had caused Grey to back out. I sighed. He did seem unstable mentally…perhaps the leap of leaving his beloved BT Street just made him collapse into a hysterical fit.

Disappointed as I was, the promise of a new day was making me somewhat brighter. As I ate away, I saw The Missing Link walk through the village. She looked rather flustered and distracted. I wondered what was bothering her. I also saw the boy who trained water types…his name was Hanada something…he joined TPML just after Girafarig left. He was clutching a Lure Ball, suggesting he caught a new Pokemon.

I suddenly noticed that I was one of very few people in Latte Days. People were flooding out the doors eagerly, heading in the same direction as Hanada and The Missing Link. I was curious to see what the hubbub was. I slurped down my hot chocolate and headed outside.

The main village of TPML was a huge open square. The various black towers, shooting up into the sky proudly were the main focus. Shops and stalls were also built around them, as were fenced arenas. However a stage had been erected in the middle of all the towers, with a speaking podium there. The Missing Link stood there proudly, with her assistant and friend who went by the name of Wolfsong. Older than The Missing Link, Wolfsong was something of an advisor while being a strong battler and good friend.

“Attention, Pokemon Masters League participants,” cried Becca, through a megaphone. “We are looking for some of the more renowned members of TPML to be promoted to Moderators. We are facing difficult times, and the workload I have to deal with is of a disgusting amount. Therefore, five Moderators will be hand-picked to help deal with the workload and monitor progress in the village.

“Those wishing to be selected for Moderation must come up to the Rules Tower for an interview. We will give the results soon.”

There was a murmur of excitement. Everyone seemed keen to be a Moderator – on my left, a rather stringy girl was mumbling to her very bored-looking friend about how Moderators get bigger paychecks if they won matches. To be honest, the prospect of working hard was one that certainly didn’t appeal to me. However, when the announcement broke up, a number of people spilled forward towards the Tower to have their interview. I snorted and walked off.

During the day, I trained up at Crush Quarry with my team. They all worked very hard – Mankey and Sneasel pummeled rocks, Elekid and Magby wrestled each other, and Poliwhirl practiced his psychic attacks on a nearby rock. We didn’t see anybody all day, which was slightly odd. Was everyone keen to audition for the Moderator spot?

By the early afternoon we were in need for some food. I fed the team up, complimenting them on their fighting that day. Sneasel eyed Poliwhirl rather enviously, obviously wishing he too could evolve. I wondered if Magby, Elekid or Mankey would be evolving any time soon. The village was slightly busier, with some people chatting to me about how their interview went.

“Horrible!” bawled Hanada. “I totally messed up. The Missing Link was hardly impressed by me at all.”

“I’m sure you’ll do fine,” I said, hoping to sound sincere.

“I saw your Poliwhirl before…that’s really cool,” said Hanada. “I have a Poliwag, I hope it evolves soon.”

We talked for some of the afternoon, Hanada telling me how his older sister was some fabulous Gym Leader called Miss T…or Mipsy, or some stupid name. He decided to train up water types in her honor. He had a Squirtle, Totodile, Mudkip, Poliwag and Horsea. Ooooh. I wished I could take him on with Elekid. What an easy victory.

That gave me an interesting idea as Hanada walked away. Maybe I should battle him. I gave a slight chuckle, and soon after feeling very guilty for being a manipulative bastard.

I went into the main square, looking at the empty stage Becca had once announced everything on. Razor Leaf sat on the edge proudly, clutching a Pokeball with a smirk on his face.

“Guess who got modded?” he sneered. He prodded his own chest. “Head Businessman of TPML.”

“Businessman?” I asked.

“Top-secret plans for the future,” he said snobbishly. I laughed.

“You’re bringing some business back into BT Street?” I guessed. He began to blush.

“Yea, that’s right,” he admitted. “We’re trying to get rid of some old useless properties like…oh, I don’t know…Grey’s Playhouse.”

“What!?” I cried. “But Grey still lives there!”

“Then he’d better move out soon, we wouldn’t want him hurt, would we? He has so much to say for himself, like giving out people’s secrets…”

Razor Leaf said those words with such a horrible tone in his voice he sent a shiver down my spine. Did he know about Grey offering to help me? Was he responsible for Grey’s absence at Sunshine Meadows? I narrowed my eyes at him.

“Hurt him and you’ll pay,” I growled.

“Oh, yes,” he sneered. “I forgot you had such a big, strong team. All those powerful Pokemon…I’d better watch what I say.”

He leapt off the stage and walked off into one of the big black towers. I watched him go, somewhat enviously at his new level of authority. I also wanted to check on Grey as soon as I could. However, at that point, a crowd began to congregate while Becca took to the stage again.

“Thank you, everybody, who has so far been interviewed for Moderator positions. We have already got two people moderated: Head Banker and Head Businessman. But we have three more placements. The Head of Tournaments is still to be decided, as is the Head Referee and Head of Trading.

“Currently, we are facing a tough decision as to who should be Head Referee. It is between Aragornbird and Pichu, two TPML members who are highly respected in terms of experience and dedication. Thus, we will decide with a 2-2 battle. Since each seems to have a fondness for flying Pokemon, they shall use their flying Pokemon and battle in the sky.”

Clapping her hands loudly, Becca stepped back. Aragornbird and Pichu both emerged from behind Becca, in seats on the stage. They leapt off the stage and onto raised trainer stands which rose up from the ground. Monitors came to life on each Tower, giving a view of the match from closer up, so that those watching from the ground could see the match easier. I saw the trainer stands rise higher than usual, probably because the match was taking place in the air.

Becca stepped forward again.

“Aragornbird VS Pichu! 2-2. BEGIN!”

I looked at Aragornbird. He was the Charizard Trainer who battled Razor Leaf when I arrived in TPML. He was of Chinese origin, with jet black hair which was relatively short. He looked to be around 18 years of age. As he stood there, in his raised platform, jeans torn like a rock-star, white sneakers on his feet, he gripped a Pokeball and threw it up into the air. It was slightly colder, as he was high up, but his thick woolen jumper solved that problem.

It was now mid evening, and a certain fatigued sky was in view. It just felt late. The sky was darkening into a navy color as Aragornbird released a fantastic beast. I knew it to be a Flygon – a sand dragon. It had sharp-looking green wings with a red outline. Huge red eyes stared around the arena, while its skinny, small face and frame was tinged a meadowy green. It had a thick, powerful tail.

Pichu watched. She had an irritated look on her face, wearing a tight top over her well-toned body. She was perhaps in her early twenties, her freckled face twisted into something which suggested she had an attitude problem. Her hair was in two pigtails, and she wore a pair of baggy jeans. She hurled her Pokeball forward and sent out her trooper to do battle.

From her Pokeball emerged an elegant bird Pokemon, Pidgeot. It soared high into the air, its yellow, red and white plumage sweeping down its handsome face and down its neck. The big bird was a sign of power and looked to be a fantastic battler.

“Pidgeot VS Flygon,” Becca said. “GO!”

“Flygon, dragonbreath!” Aragornbird shouted. Flygon darted down at Pidgeot and opened wide. A sweeping beam of greening flames headed into Pidgeot, but Pidgeot used an agility to swerve up and around the Reffing Tower. Curving back at Flygon, Pidgeot’s wings shimmered silver and it swept powerfully into Flygon’s side. Flygon gave a disapproving screech and darted around the Approval Tower.

I looked away and walked on down the street. I had more pressing issues to worry about. Hurrying through the crowd, I made my way to BT Street while hurriedly typing out a message on my VS Seeker to send to Grey.

I arrived at BT Street. It looked exactly the same as when I had last visited here, but for some reason I had envisioned it to be different. I hurriedly ran down the street to Grey’s Playhouse, arriving at the door and wrenching it open.

Inside, it was just as it was when I left Grey the other day. Grey was reenacting something, performing to his group of Pokemon.

“…an hour and a half ago in the Drawing Room you agreed to the whole thing. Now you turn around and make objections and try to force me to give up my one chance in life. Yes, my one chance! You don’t suppose that men like Lord Illingworth are to be found every day do you, Mother? It is very strange that when I have had such a wonderful piece of good luck, the one person to put difficulties in my way should be my own mother. Besides, you know mother, I love Hester Worsley….”

He paused when he saw me.

“Greetings!” he said energetically. “Just rehearsing our next performance…”

“Our?” I asked.

“W-Well,” Grey muttered. “I am learning my lines in advance, you see…that way, when I do find some actors to take part, I am already ahead in my line-learning!”

“What is the play?” I asked keenly.

“A Woman of No Importance, by Oscar Wilde,” replied Grey. “A fond favorite of mine. Anyway, what can I do for you?”

I explained to Grey about Razor Leaf, and how he had become the Head Businessman of TPML and was planning to destroy the playhouse. As I told Grey this, I expected him to be somewhat shocked, upset or even angry. But he merely chuckled at my story.

“I’d love to see him try and remove me!” he called. I frowned.

“Where were you today?” I asked seriously. “We were supposed to meet, remember?”

“Oh, oh yes,” Grey said slowly. “Well, you see, I was a little caught up in something, Chris. Unavoidable. Terrible business, oh yes.”

I looked at him angrily.

“If Razor Leaf tries to hurt you, email me on my VS Seeker. I’ll come straight here.”

“I won’t need protected, Chris,” Grey said kindly. “But I do appreciate your offer.”

I simply sighed in frustration. He was a rather stubborn character. I thought about the match between Flygon and Pidgeot, and decided to pluck up some nerve.

“Care to watch the match?” I asked. “Flygon VS Pidgeot…sounds good, right?”

“No, thank you,” Grey replied. “But the offer was simply wonderful. You may go now, Chris. Thank you for your visit.”

And out I went, feeling slightly unwanted. Grey had been rather cheeky, I thought to myself, but he must be strong. He shook my hand briskly as I left, and ruffled my hair fondly…which kinda hurt. I wandered back into the main Village to see the rest of the battle, not bothering to sort out the feeling of messiness of my hair.

However, as I walked away, I didn’t even see Razor Leaf lurking in an alleyway besides Grey’s Playhouse. His Blaziken, Haf, stood proudly behind him, wrists flaring up. But I didn’t notice. I walked back to the main part of the Village.

There, I saw Pidgeot blasting a hyper beam towards Flygon, who swept upwards softly and escaped the blast. The earth dragon then darted down at Pidgeot, claws glowing a golden colour. A ferocious dragon claw attack tore across Pidgeot’s face and caused the beautiful bird to get thrown back into the Rules Tower, where she cried and dropped down to the ground.

“Pidgeot is down,” Becca called. “Pichu, select your next Pokemon.”

Pichu recalled her majestic bird and pocketed the Pokeball. She drew a fresh one and hurled it forward, which burst open to reveal a rather big-mouthed pelican. It had a bright yellow beak, long hefty wings and big eyes.

“Pellipper!” Pichu yelled. “Water pulse!”

A thick stream of cold water burst from Pellipper’s bill. Flygon was struck, but used a quick attack to shake off the water and speed away. Turning sharply, Flygon blasted a hyper beam through the air, which Pellipper ducked under as she flew around the arena.

Flygon was getting exhausted. This was evident as the dragonfly flapped slower, had worse reactions and so on. Pellipper was full of life, ducking and swerving to evade attacks while firing deadly ones of her own.

“Flygon, dragon claw again!” Aragornbird yelled.

“Water pulse as it comes close!” Pichu said jubilantly. Aragornbird gave a gasp as Flygon’s claws glowed with a bright golden glow. Slashing down, Flygon was surprised when a jet of water smashed into its side and it soared through the air. Furiously beating its wings, Flygon waited for an attack order.

“Faint attack!” cried Aragorn. Flygon darted through the air, suddenly disappearing into the air as if it were invisible. Upon her trainer’s orders, Pellipper blasted short darts of water, desperately trying to find Flygon, but the efforts proved futile. Flygon re-appeared behind Pellipper and dealt a heavy tackle.

“Good job Flygon,” Aragornbird began. “Dragonbreath!”

The stream of hot green flames burst towards Pellipper, who took the attack easily and was not too deterred by the attack. Pellipper swooped upwards, diving down and blasting a jet of water into Flygon. Flygon recoiled, flapping back and firing a hyper beam through the air, but Flygon was tiring, and Pellipper simply ducked and evaded.

“Pellipper, finish with a quick attack and hydro pump combo!” cried Pichu manically. Aragornbird smiled rather graciously as Pellipper sped through the air, blasting water as she went. This was all too much for the poor Flygon, who was knocked out by the string of attacks.

“Nice work,” complimented Aragornbird.

“See?” Pichu rasped. “Being civil isn’t hard.”

“I was talking to my Flygon,” replied Aragornbird, shooting his Pokeball beam at his Pokemon. Flygon disappeared in a red flash and it was then that Aragornbird selected his second Pokemon. “Go, Swellow!”

From the ball, a brilliant blue swallow emerged. It was evidently a male with handsome plumage and neat feathers. The Swellow flapped proudly against Pellipper. Many of the crowd seemed to like the elegant bird.

“Pellipper, water pulse!” Pichu cried. Pellipper repeated the usual procedure – a huge jet of water blasted from its bulking yellow beak. Rings of supersonic pulsations wound around the water as it raced towards Swellow. Swellow watched this keenly, almost as if it was a challenge of sorts. The majestic bird flapped up higher and higher, eyeing the water as it got closer…

…but Swellow pulled off a fantastic sweeping dive, winding beneath the water pulse, which subsequently smashed into the Referee Tower. Swellow picked up speed, energy flowing from him as he dealt a crushing aerial ace into Pellipper. The pelican shook it off, flapping a strong gust of wind at her foe to try and send him back. Swellow fought against the bracing winds and swung around the back of Pellipper.

“Steel wing!”

Wings glowing a feverish silvery colour, Swellow swept forward and rammed hard into the pelican. Pellipper gave a strangled cry as she lost height. Swellow then flapped back, beak open as an orange glow charged up within. Pellipper watched, awe-struck as a hyper beam was blasted towards her. The orange beam hurtled along, Pellipper wide-eyed and evidently scared.

“Pellipper!” Pichu cried. “Protect!”

Pellipper struggled hard, concentrating fully as a white shield glimmered around her briefly. But it soon faded. Trying again, Pellipper kept the shield active for a mere second or so, but it failed again. Pellipper didn’t appear to have the strength to keep up a protect shield.

The whole crowd watched as the orange beam smashed right into the pelican Pokemon. Poor Pellipper was hurled relentlessly to the ground, where, after slamming into the hard stage with a groan, the pelican was declared knocked out.

“Pellipper is KOed,” cried TML. “The round, match and position of Head Referee goes to Aragornbird!”

There was a roaring applause as Aragornbird smiled weakly to everybody. Pichu recalled Pellipper and looked rather upset, slinking off the stage and off through the crowd. Aragornbird stood there, waving as he received such a response from the community. I was impressed by his abilities, and knew he’d be a tough opponent should I have to face him in the Tournament. I turned to leave, deciding to get some late-night training in before the day was done.


*

And so, at Ivy Woods, a landmark which had become something of tumultuous intrigue over the last week or so, I let my 5 Pokemon out and began training. Elekid and Magby wrestled, Poliwhirl kept practicing his psychic powers, managing to levitate Mankey, who was chatting animatedly to Sneasel. The stars shone brightly over our heads as we mulled around the misty lake.

It was then that I heard a rustling. Perking up instantly, I looked as, just around the corner, the bushes prickled and rustled. Someone – or something – was there. I watched, Sneasel then standing by my side, claws out.

The bushes parted, and a person walked out of them. It was Aragornbird. I suddenly sighed, smiling as he walked over to me. He looked somewhat nervous to see me. I wondered what was wrong…had he encountered the mysterious creature?

“Are you ok?” I asked.

“Yea, fine,” he replied.

“Good match today,” I said. “Well done.”

“T-Thanks, yea,” he said with apprehension. “So, what are you doing here?”

“What, here?” I asked. He watched me intently. “Just training, really.”

“It’s a bit late,” Aragornbird said.

“Yea, well, nothing else to do, is there?” I said, smiling. He seemed to return it. “So, what’s your alibi?”

“Alibi?”

“Yea, what are you doing here?” I asked.

“Oh, just exploring, really,” he admitted. “Still on a high from the match today…Head Referee’s such an honor.”

“I bet it is,” I replied. “How long have you been here?”

“Oh, a couple years,” Aragornbird mumbled.

“Do you know what Pichu’s going to do?” I asked.

“I heard Becca is giving her Head Trader position, since nobody else was very competent enough for it,” he said to me. There was a sudden roar. I jerked up and looked across at the lake. The thin mist was curling across the banks as it had last time I was here. Aragornbird watched me quizzically.

“What was that?” he cried.

“There’s this…thing around these parts,” I explained. “It sounds big, though.”

“What kind of thing?” asked the Moderator.

“I don’t know!” I shouted. The mist was now unfurling around my ankles. I felt a cold chill and knew something was up. With that I grabbed my Pokeballs and recalled my team, even though Sneasel seemed reluctant to actually be returned. “COME ON!”

I raced to the edge of the forest, staring across the pebbled shoreline. Aragornbird stood there, transfixed as a huge shadowy creature loomed closer to the shore. It let out another long, sorrowful groan as mist soon engulfed Aragornbirds ankles and knees.

“HURRY UP!” I roared. As I said that, a glow appeared in the creature’s mouth. An orange glow, to be precise, one which materialized soon and collected up to be a hyper beam. It was blasted through the air, Aragornbird furiously running from it. The hyper beam smashed into the shore and caused a huge explosion. Pebbles and debris flew everywhere as Aragornbird ran to my side and we both headed off into Ivy Woods.

I knew where I was going – back to the Village. The mysterious creature obviously wanted to keep us out of the way, and I was only too glad to never go back to Ivy Woods. We ran and ran, not looking back, not looking anywhere but straight ahead. Once we arrived in a sheltered clearing, towards the entrance to the forest, we began gasping for breath and regaining ourselves.

“That…was…am…amazing,” Aragornbird gasped.

“It attacked us!” I cried, still bewildered. “Why?”

“It wants us to stay away,” Aragornbird said. “And I swear I am never going back there again!”

He paused suddenly. I looked at him. Aragornbird seemed to be looking at me with a curious expression on his face. He reached out towards me – I hesitated at first, but it was over quick. He plucked something from my head, which caused a slight twinge of pain. I felt the skin throb where he pulled it from off my head.

“Ouch!”

“You had something in your hair,” Aragornbird said. It was a small card, like a business card. I took it off him, flipped it over, and read it. “It’s been there a while.”

History lies high

“History lies high?” Aragornbird said, reading it. It was in fancy, curly writing. “What does that mean?”

“I’ve no idea,” I mumbled. “You say it was in my hair?”

“Well, yea…kinda woven into it,” Aragornbird told me. We both stood there, transfixed and confused. Not only had that huge monster in the forest managed to try to kill us, but someone (or something?) had left this card in my hair. Why? What did it mean?

I had absolutely no idea. But someone obviously did.

[The Blue Avenger]

Ooh. Suspenseful. :D Eager to see what the card means. Gotta say, though, the fact that it was a business card sorta came out of left field.

Oh, and I hate Razor Leaf more and more with each passing chapter. But at the same time, as a character, he's great. Sorta like von Karma from Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney, for those of you that've played it.

[Wolfsong]

Sorry that it took me a while but i finally got caught up. ^^ Even though I have said it before, I like your writing style and the descriptions are great. I really enjoyed both chapters. I can honestly say that the business card was an interesting development. I certainly wasn't expecting something like that. I'm looking forward to future chapters.

[MeLoVeGhOsTs]

I like it, but it was short. Or maybe I just read to fast. Anyway it was great. The plot is starting to reveal itself and Razor Leaf is starting to get on my nerves. At first he seemed rather impressive, but now he just seems...I don't know, perky. Chris is doing great and I'm hoping for a new evolution. ^_^

The battles are great as usual and I take that righter high in regard for a fic. That's what makes me read a pokemon fic, so you're doing great =D, keep up the good work.

Well it changed *points t...*, I might stop pointing to PMs ;)

Bye.

[Chris 2.1]

Replies!


TBA: Hmm yea the mysterious card. What does it mean? How did it get there? I think the clues are there if you look hard enough ;). I agree Razor Leaf is quite a horrible character, but will he and chris ever see eye to eye? You have to wonder. Thanks for reading


Wolfsong: I'm glad you liked the Business Card part - it's a sneaky sub-plot which will lead to great things. Keep your peepers peeled for any hints!


MLG: Hmm lemme check....nope this chapter wasn't any shorter than usual, but the fact that most of the Flygon VS Pigeot match was not seen probably made it seem quicker. I can see where you are coming from with Razor Leaf, but he does have a very interesting plot which will come to light soon. Chris does get a new evolution soon....

I'm glad you enjoyed it! Thanks.



So, guys...a few points I'd like you to consider...

-Grey and Razor Leaf
-Ivy Lake
-Business Card

I think these were the three main 'things' that will hold a lot of relevance. Discuss.

[MeLoVeGhOsTs]

Well, Grey is strange at very least. He seems weird and away all the time, but I think he's a diamond in rough. Razor Leaf is bleg as I posted in my former reply, but he keeps it rolling.

Ivy Lake holds different options. Maybe a Blastoise? Although I would prefer something more evil, like Gyarados. It seems misterious, and there is constant mist whenever that monster is around. Hmm, intruging...

The Buisness Card seems like a start for the Egg Centrum no? Anyway I can't speculate much around this card, but I'd like to see where it's going to.

Also, look what I found: http://www.pokemasters.net/forums/index.php?topic=30699.0

[Chris 2.1]

Whoa, dude.

Such n00bness from the soon-to-be mod of ASB there. And I lost :-/

[MeLoVeGhOsTs]

I enjoyed every last bit of it ;)

[Charles Legend]

Well, Grey seems like a nice guy although his mind is to stuck in the past however that's what makes him kind of cool. Now as for Razor lea, he is a down right jerk and a snob although that what makes him such a grate rival in this fan Fic.

now as for Ivy Lake, the Quote monster could be a Pokemon that is part Ice type, Like say something along the lines of a Lapras ... ;)

About the Business Card, I think Grey put it in Chris hair....

Oh and Pichu was a girl all this time, and I just now find out about it?! :eek:

~Charles Legend

[Chris 2.1]

I hope Pichu was a girl, I never really knew Pichu when Pichu was in ASB. S/he got banned, didn't s/he? Anyway the concept of Aragorn VS Pichu was one I always liked, as both were such flying-type fanatics (although Liang did like his Dragons, too)

[Charles Legend]

I hope Pichu was a girl, I never really knew Pichu when Pichu was in ASB. S/he got banned, didn't s/he? Anyway the concept of Aragorn VS Pichu was one I always liked, as both were such flying-type fanatics (although Liang did like his Dragons, too)


Yeah I think Pichu was a guy, however that dose not mean that you have to have the charter you based off of him to be a guy, I mean you could use this mistake as an advantage as a plot device, like say Pichu lost a bet and now he or rather she is paying for melding in thing he should have kept his nose out of… which could also explain her bad attitude as well.;)

Anyways as far as Pichu’s Charter goes, she is ok for now maybe we well learn more about her past in later chapters perhaps Although I really love the fact she used a Pidgeot, and a Pellipper too, since I almost never see anyone use them that much.

Oh and before I forget…. Have a Marry Christmas, I hope you got wat you asked for and more… ;)

~Charles legend

[The Blue Avenger]

I hope Pichu was a girl, I never really knew Pichu when Pichu was in ASB.

That's a complicated issue. We had her/him over at TL at one point, and even though everyone referred to him/her as Tom, s/he claimed she was a girl. Go figure.

[darktyranitar]

Hm, I would say that the monster at Ivy Lake could be a Lapras, and Grey could just put the card on Chris hair, but looks like Charles had got me beaten...the lines where Chris said that it hurts a bit when Grey ruffled his hair gave a bit hint.

Anyway, the battle between Aragornbird and Pichu is pretty well done, I like that. And Razor Leaf is getting a lot more worse. Is he going to destroy Grey's Playhouse with his Blaziken?

And Chris, I think you forgot to put the future spoiler. Or the future chapter is too interesting to spoil? Anyway, see you in the next chapter. And merry christmas to all of the readers here!

[Chris 2.1]

Charles: I agree Grey is in the past...and he needs to start living life again in the future. I'm sure he's a very strong foe. I also agree Razor Leaf is a good character, but I would not call him a snob. He's a real bully, if you ask me.

Hmm Lapras is a good idea...didn't Razor Leaf have a Lapras in ASB? Titanic, I believe she was called...did I just give something away?

And as for Pichu...little is learned about her. She doesn't feature prominently.


darktyranitar: Lapras? Hmm perhaps...and yea, Grey did ruffle Chris' hair, but if you look closely there are some subtle hints that it could be someone else, someone unexpected...

I liked the match between Aragprnbird and Pichu, too. Aragornbird/Liang is in the fic a fair bit in the future, but as I said, Pichu is not in too much. I wonder what Razor Leaf is planning, and will Grey ask for help from Chris, or try and keep his courage?


As for the Chapter 9 Teaser...look below!




Next....in Chapter Nine...


-Inside, it was evident that it hadn’t seen actual use for a long time. Like my suspicions, it was a swimming pool, with a few floats in different colours, slightly faded and torn. They floated grimly on a surface of dirty water, with debris and rubbish also present. The tiled walls were grimy and dirty, and a stagnant smell filled the arena. An old diving board had broken off and was floating in the water, too.

“Weird,” I murmured, but discretion was never my strong point. It was then that I saw none other than Hanada Tattsu descend from the stairs which led to raised seating overlooking the pool.


-In the Village, Andrew's tactics get the better of him:

“I AM OZANDREW!” roared the Australian. “ANYBODY WANT A CHALLENGE? ANYONE?”

“I’ll challenge you,” came an all-too-familiar voice. Razor Leaf leapt into action, a Zangoose by his side. The Zangoose flexed its claws and awaited an order. “Crush Claw!”


-Meanwhile Chris has a match of his own...

“Water gun!” cried Hanada. Totodile wearily clambered up onto the nearest platform and opened his jaws, sending a shot of water at Elekid. Elekid used a quick attack to leapt onto the next platform, staggering somewhat but staying on.


-But it doesn't end well for one of the battlers...



Coming soon.

[Charles Legend]

Yeah Dan/razorleaf had a female Lapras named Titanic, wait Chris are you hinting that Razor leaf left his Lapras in Ivy lake? but then the question is why, what is Razor leaf planning in Ivy woods if anything?

~Charles Legend

[The Blue Avenger]

Yeah Dan/razorleaf had a female Lapras named Titanic, wait Chris are you hinting that Razor leaf left his Lapras in Ivy lake? but then the question is why, what is Razor leaf planning in Ivy woods if anything?

~Charles Legend


Actually, I saw it as the other way around - RL will catch the Lapras. I could see Chris weakening it, and then RL swooping in and stealing the catch.

[MeLoVeGhOsTs]

TBA has a very nice idea. 'twould be RL style.

[Chris 2.1]

*Feels the need to reply, but doesn't know whether to acknowledge or diminish said theories*


Erm...Chapter 8 soon!

[Chris 2.1]

Eeeck.

Ok guys, hate to say this but the fic will be on a brief hiatus until sometime in January. This is basically just because I have a lot of College Work, a lot of Acting auditions around the country, and a birthday on Tuesday (whee).

I'd hate to rush those commitments just to post chapters of the fic, so I hope you guys all understand. Chapter Eight will be posted on January 20th, which is ages away, I know, but I'm sure it'll be worth it.

So I thought to myself that if the fic is....on holiday (so to speak) for such a long time (3 weeks really), will it die? Hopefully not.

I was wondering if any fans, closet or not, would at some point during the next 3 weeks post some sort of overall summary of how they feel the fic is doing; opinions, favourite parts, least favourite parts, funniest moment, etc, just so I can get some feedback.

It obviously isn't compulsary but would be a great help. Thanks a lot guys, and see you in three weeks!

[Charizard04621]

Pichu is a guy. I guess he's still banned, or at least inactive.

Haven't read the chapter yet, will soon. Good luck with everything, I know how painful it is to be busy... =/

[RaZoR LeAf]

I am totally loving me more and more.

[Charizard04621]

Besides his sacriligeous destruction of food, I like Razor Leaf. Call me a prick. =P

I am, of course, interested in the business card, who left it, and how it should be read. History lies high. Is history some lofty memory of the past, of something glorious? Are filthy lies aplenty in the currently tainted version of history? And why was there no end to the sentence - no punctuation besides the italics? Hmm.

[Andrew]

Oh noes! Mistah Myme is going to get killedz by Razors mad Skillz!111 Lol! I'm going to be a perpetual loser in this.. .aren't I? ... *esad* Sucks2bme.

The last episode, interesting, could've gone either way regarding the choice of Pokemanz who picked first, but Aragornbird won, still superfun. I wonder why Grey abandoned you. And will chris have a battle in the future? Sneaky sneaky Razor Leaf, I bet he's going to overthrow TML!

Also, didn't Hanada go to New Zealand? In like the first episode?

I don't know...

Overview, still good, but Chris needs to stop going to Latte Days and pigging out, and where does he sleep at night? Does he have a roomate from hell? Or an overly cheery soul who's ALWAYS SUPER HAPPY! And does his team have personality :(? Still, I really do enjoy reading in my brief moments, and there's no real problems. Good work.

[Chris 2.1]

Andrew: Nah you're not a loser. A) You beat the Eon sisters, B) You'll have plenty of victories and C) if it gets desperate, you'll fight Uuberfred and win ^^

Chris' next match is in Ch9.

Nah Girafarig went to New Zealand, not Hanada.

Chris sleeps at a Bed and Breakfast (also mentioned in upcoming Ch9) but I don't make much point of talking about it. His lodgers are an elderly, kindly couple who are suceeding surprisingly in the world of competetive business.

His team has some personality, yes, I thought I intergrated a lot in there.
-Sneasel: cliche loner guy, quite proud but not self-centered
-Poliwhirl: Easy going, quite close to Chris
-Mankey: Young, naieve but willing to learn a lot more in terms of attacks and life lessons etc
-Magby: Quite excitable, very good battler
-Elekid: Can get cocky, also very strong battler and good friends with Magby.


Karin: I'm glad I've perplexed you! I can certainly say you're thinking in the right way - looking at things seperately, considering what wasn't said as opposed to what was said etc. All will be revealled one day :P


Just so you know guys, in some of the future ASB Chapters, in no particular order:

Wolfsong
Hanada Tattsu
Karin
A bunch of weirdos...*looks shiftily* these guys are gonna be great!
More UuberFred!
And the most unwelcome guest known.

[The Blue Avenger]

Okay, I've been thinking for a while on what I want to say about this.

I definitely like where the story is going. Trainer fics are definitely common, but it's refreshing to see one that breaks the mold. (This is not to say trainer fics are bad - see 'Pokemonese.') Of course, the cast of characters helps immensely. I'm sure you've heard the saying 'real life is stranger than fiction'... I think that this story proves it. Particularly OzAndrew.

Uhm... as far as favorite moments in the story... OzAndrew pegging the poor kid in the eye with his hat was hilarious. Your battle scenes overall are excellent, and your character development is good too. I'm also intrigued to see where the plot is going.

The only thing I can think of as far as downsides go is that your chapters seems short... but that's probably just me reading too quickly.

[Charles Legend]

Chapter Eight will be posted on January 20th, which is ages away, I know, but I'm sure it'll be worth it.


I would like to make two small points if I may. first you meant chapter Nine, second Jan. 20th came and past already buddy ;) OK so you were most likely more swamped then a Swampert getting hit in a swamp by muddy water, OK bad joke but you get the point.

But anyways my favorite part was Poliwag/Poliwhirl beating up OzMime in the bouncy castle.


And the most unwelcome guest known.

Who could that be I wonder... =/ Ah it's bad enough you already threw a monkey wrench at me, what do I look like water pipe? ;)

Um you see the truth is I had Originally thought that I was going to face Andrew in the second round, not Weasel Overlord, however I am more then welling to battle her, since I have never balled her as of yet.

Although perhaps you caught on to my plan of testing out Andrew’s entire team in an 8 on 8 match, Thus you decided to pair me up with Weasel Overlord instead of Andrew, unless of course I am just seeing things .. Ah man that must be it, that means I going crazy ^_^;

~Charles legend

[Chris 2.1]

I wouldn't try analysing our matchups - we simply paired people up who were of a similar level of expirience, and it also depended on how they did last round, too.



Ok so in the brief hiatus I never actually did any writing on this :-/. Nevertheless, here is Chapter Eight!





[size=4]Chapter Nine
[size=3]Hanada Tattsu


My distaste for Razor Leaf was growing by the day. His cocky attitude, smarmy walk and fantastic odor made him a very unlikable person. His mannerisms irked me. His voice cut into my brain like a sharp knife. Not to mention he liked to humiliate me, defeat me, embarrass me…you get the picture.

At least, at the end of the day, I could retire to the Bed and Breakfast and head to bed, nestled between the thin, musty-smelling sheets, forgetting everything except how many sheep I was going to count.

Unfortunately, that soon changed.

One day, I was coming in from yet another training day. After the rather odd experience I shared with Aragornbird – the fantastic beast nearly killing us AND the odd message on the deadly-sharp card, I had decided to leave the mysteries of Ivy Woods behind. Who cared what that maniacal beast was? As long as I wasn’t near it, I would be a-ok. Instead, we trained at Crush Quarry mainly. It was a place I was rather fond of.

The day had been tough, with Sneasel now forming something of an anti-Poliwhirl thing after my cerulean frog managed to learn psychic much more effectively, now able to levitate rocks and such like. Sneasel was extremely jealous and was now taunting and tormenting poor Poliwhirl. Poliwhirl retaliated with an amazingly-timed focus punch and knocked Sneasel out. Good for him, I guess.

So with a team at loggerheads with each other, I was really stressed. It was a stormy evening, and I walked into the B&B, dripping wet with a broken umbrella in my hand. I was greeted by my hosts and decided to head upstairs and have a nice hot shower before calling it a night.

However, as I plodded up the stairs, I heard a noise. Graeme and Anne chatted about their ‘friends’ garden and how horrible it was downstairs, so someone else was upstairs in the bathroom. At the top of the stairs, I saw the sliver of light around the crack of the bathroom door. The sound of running water aroused my suspicions as my hand moved closer to the handle of the door…

Suddenly it was wrenched open. Razor Leaf stood there, dripping wet (from a shower I presumed), a towel around his waist and a toothbrush in his mouth. His eyebrows raised and a smirk appeared on his face. He pulled the toothbrush out from his mouth.

“Hello,” he said casually.

“Hey…” I began. “You’re staying here?”

“Yes,” he replied. “My old flat got demolished. Part of the BT Street Conversion, you know.”

“Hey,” I said suddenly. “That’s my toothbrush!”

“Yea, I know,” he drawled. “I don’t have one.”

“Well, don’t use mine,” I told him curtly. “You can get things like gingivitis if you use other people’s toothbrushes.”

I thanked Google for that nugget of information. Dental Hygiene is cool. Or, at least, that’s what the websites claim. I think Timmy Tooth is the best role model out there.

“Oh, it’s ok,” Razor Leaf replied. “I already have gingivitis.”

I ended up giving him the toothbrush.


*

The raging rain outside gave me little sleep. I tossed and turned, rolled back and forward and constantly flipped my pillow over, but nothing worked. The drops of rain lashed hard against the windows all through the night. Now having to live with Razor Leaf would be another strain on my increasingly-stressed life in TPML. Breakfast was an awful affair – having woken up late, I came downstairs to find Razor Leaf had eaten the last of the toast. And judging by the old cupboards in the B&B, the food wasn’t as fresh as I was used to. What on earth were ‘Frosty Moon Crunchicles’?

Following my dreadful start to such a dreadful day, I walked out into TPML Village to find it still raining. I soon decided to get some sort of shelter by heading down BT Street. Maybe I could hang around with Grey in his Playhouse. I used my jacket to shelter me from the rain, heading as fast as I could down the street. Unfortunately, being a rather old, worn down street, I tripped on a raised slab and flew forward, hitting the wet ground and giving a groan of dissatisfaction. Wet, hurt and…well, wet. It just couldn’t get any worse, right?

I heaved myself up, sighing. I looked at Gray’s Playhouse, still quite far ahead, but what really piqued my interest was the old abandoned building across the road. It was old and chipped, with high windows, but seemed to be a swimming pool of sorts. Painted untidily was ‘HANADA CITY GYM’ in aqua blue paint.

I was intrigued. Hanada Tattsu was a member here…I’d spoken to him a little bit, and he was very pleasant. I think his real name was Greg – thanks again, Google! I was very curious, so I headed down a thin alleyway to find a door which led me into the building.

Inside, it was evident that it hadn’t seen actual use for a long time. Like my suspicions, it was a swimming pool, with a few floats in different colours, slightly faded and torn. They floated grimly on a surface of dirty water, with debris and rubbish also present. The tiled walls were grimy and dirty, and a stagnant smell filled the arena. An old diving board had broken off and was floating in the water, too.

“Weird,” I murmured, but discretion was never my strong point. It was then that I saw none other than Hanada Tattsu descend from the stairs which led to raised seating overlooking the pool. He was with a Poliwag, Totodile, Mudkip and Squirtle, with a Horsea in his arms.

“A challenger?” he asked, awe-struck. “Sweet Lizzy McGuire!”

What an odd expression.

“Hey Hanada,” I said.

“Oh wow, a challenger at my very own Gym!” he cried.

“N-Now hold on, I didn’t say -”

“You know, ever since I discovered this old swimming pool last week I always wanted to make it into a Gym. So I painted a sign outside and drew some water Pokemon on the tiles, look!”

A rather shabby (and wobbly) drawing of a Dewgong on the wall told me all I needed to know. Hanada, however, was bloated on his lucky find.

“This Gym is AMAZING, the pool poisoned seven people, that’s why it got closed!” he cried, almost too enthusiastically. “But hey, just because we’re friends doesn’t mean I’ll go easy on you!”

“Hang on; there’s been a mistake -”

“Oh…” Hanada replied. “Oh…I see.”

“You do?”

“Yea! It’s ok Chris,” Hanada replied. “I guess I got a little too enthusiastic.”

“Oh, well yes, you were quite enthusia- ”

“You wanted to book a Gym Match for later today?” he asked. I stared into his eyes and knew declining this young boy of his wish was almost as cruel as the time I egged my hamster to roll down the stairs in his little ball. Oh Ginger…it should have been me who suffered from internal hemorrhaging! I swallowed my pride and spoke.

“Yes,” I said firmly. “Erm…about…mid-afternoon.”

“Oh this is SO cool!” Hanada cried. He whipped out a diary and checked it. “I’ll see if I can fit you in…”

He said this with such an air of over-authority. I was sure his diary was completely empty, but resisted sneaking a peek. Hanada penciled me in for four-o-clock that afternoon. After that, I bode him a fond farewell and walked out the Gym as he sliced his finger on some broken glass.

During the day, I trained up with the team, focusing particularly on Elekid and Sneasel. I planned on using them both against Hanada; Elekid had a type advantage, and Sneasel was a strong team member anyway. We trained up around Crush Quarry, one of my more favored training places these days. It was at Crush Quarry where I met Aragornbird. He was training up a strong-looking Treecko.

“Hey Chris,” he said brightly.

“Hey,” I replied. “Umm…”

“It’s Liang,” Aragornbird replied.

“Hey Liang,” I said coolly. “How’s things?”

“Great thanks – just trying to evolve Treecko. You don’t fancy a match, do you?”

“Not today,” I replied. “I’m booked up against Hanada Tattsu.”

“Oh,” Liang replied. “Isn’t he the water-Pokemon maniac?”

“He isn’t really a maniac,” I explained. “But he is very…erm, passionate about the water types. He’s taken over the old swimming pool in BT Street and is using it as a Gym.”

“You mean the pool which poisoned all those people?” Liang asked.

“Yea, that’s the rumor,” I said.

“Man this training’s starting to tire me out,” Liang gasped. “Fancy a coffee?”

“Sounds good,” I replied. Together we went to Latte Days, and each ordered our drinks. I liked Liang – he was a really nice guy. I didn’t have that many friends at TPML, so it felt good knowing I had one in Liang. Perhaps near-death experiences cause friendships to grow. I don’t really know. I should Google it.

“Hey...” I began slowly.

“Yea?”

“H-Have you gone back to Ivy Woods since…well, you know…”

“No way!” Liang cried. “No way. Not after that maniac tried killing us!”

“Me neither,” I explained hurriedly. “But if something weird is going on there, we should tell someone.”

“The Missing Link isn’t here at the moment,” Liang told me. “She left on some important business this morning. I would have brought it up with her, but…well; you know…she isn’t around.”

“It can wait,” I said. “But still…it needs investigated.”

“Agreed,” Liang said. But at that point, his watch beeped. He explained he had to get back to his training and left the café at that point. I mulled around for a while, seeing OzAndrew soaring across the village on his levitating bouncy castle. His Pokemon fired attacks down onto the village people. Curious, I ran outside to have a look.

There, Andrew was using Mr Mime to keep his castle high up in the air. His Misdreavus fired a shadow ball, his Koffing a sludge bomb, his Staryu a water gun and his Skiploom a bullet seed. People ran all around screaming.

“I AM OZANDREW!” roared the Australian. “ANYBODY WANT A CHALLENGE? ANYONE?”

“I’ll challenge you,” came an all-too-familiar voice. Razor Leaf leapt into action, a Zangoose by his side. The Zangoose flexed its claws and awaited an order. “Crush Claw!”

Zangoose powered up the attack and raced through the air, leaping high and swinging the crackling claws back. As she slashed forward, Misdreavus used a psychic grip to keep Zangoose at bay before hurling her back down to the ground. Razor Leaf frowned as Zangoose hit the earth hard.

“Stay back,” he said to his Pokemon, recalling her. “Sol! Mani! I choose you!”

In flashes of light, a Solrock and Lunatone emerged side-by-side. OzAndrew looked somewhat irked as the two psychic Pokemon floated up to the bouncy castle. Misdreavus tried using a psychic attack, but the Pokemon were too strong. A flamethrower and ice beam combo chilled Misdreavus down before torching her. She staggered back as OzAndrew recalled her.

“CorsolOz, get them!” cried OzAndrew. His Corsola blasted a bubblebeam down at Mani and Sol, who were driven back by the onslaught. A Skiploom also hopped down to blast a bullet seed against Razor Leaf.

I wanted to see who would win this match, but the giant clock which was on the Rules Tower told me that it was time for my Gym Match against Hanada. I made my way through the village, seeing the Eon Sisters looking sulkily at OzAndrew from afar. I remembered the match they had, and gave a smirk.

Down BT Street I went, keenly eyeing the old abandoned buildings. Wow. It was almost like a deep-sea dive into an old city, with all these relics of times gone by. I crossed the street and made my way to Hanada’s Gym. I looked back and saw Grey’s Playhouse in the distance, and thought about him.

I opened the door again, and it seemed that Hanada had worked hard to get his Gym some reputation. Fairy lights were sellotaped all around the trainer stands. The trainer stands were, in actuality, similar to metal barred cages – the only difference being there was no top, and some bars had been pried from the back of the stand to allow you to walk in. Fairy lights were also loosely sellotaped to the walls.

“Welcome, challenger!” cried Hanada. I nearly leapt out of my skin as I saw Hanada, standing in his trainer cage thing and waving. “Ready?”

“Erm…”

I swallowed my pride.

“I-I sure am!”

“Stand in your box and select your first Pokemon!” cried Hanada.

“First?” I asked.

“Yes,” Hanada boomed. “This is a full on 5-5!”

“No!” I shouted. “Erm…no, no, I can’t make a 5-5, I have to…I have to get…g-get my erm…my mother…yea, I have to get her a…cure.”

“Cure?” asked Hanada. “What do you mean?”

“Erm…she’s sick,” I lied. “I need to seek high and low for a Leichi Berry. They’re so rare.”

“What’s wrong with her?” asked Hanada keenly.

“She has…erm…” I was finding improvised lying difficult. “Diabetic Boneitis.”

“I see,” Hanada said. “I have no idea what that is, but I shall agree to a 2-2 match with you.”

I thanked god quietly as I squeezed into the Trainer stand. I gripped my first Pokeball, arched my arm back and hurled it onto the float. Elekid emerged in a bright flash of light, sparks dancing around his body.

“Nice try!” Hanada guffawed. “Totodile, take him on!”

His Lure Ball was clearly aimed for the float, but it bounced off magnificently and opened over the water. Momentarily, Totodile emerged happily, but in a second he was dunked under the dirty water.

“BEGIN!” Hanada cried.

“Thunderbolt into the water,” I snapped. A jagged bolt burst from Elekid’s plug-like horns, arching across the air and darting down into the water. With an illuminating flash of light, Totodile was electrocuted and suffered extensive paralysis. The poor little alligator was clearly inexperienced.

“Water gun!” cried Hanada. Totodile wearily clambered up onto the nearest platform and opened his jaws, sending a shot of water at Elekid. Elekid used a quick attack to leapt onto the next platform, staggering somewhat but staying on.

“Quick attack and thunderpunch combo! Strike it!” I shouted. In a flash, Elekid was darting across the platforms, feet barely gracing the chewed foam as his fists both crackled with surging power. Totodile, still stiff and unable to move quick, stared in awe as the thunderpunch slammed right into his jaw and threw him back.

“Totodile!” Hanada cried.

“He’s not doing too well, is he?” I sneered. “Elekid, thunder wave.”

“Totodile, dive underwater!”

As my Pokemon sent a wave of fizzling sparks up ahead, Totodile took an evasive action by falling into the water, hiding beneath a sea of rubbish and broken beer bottles. Elekid watched with intrigue. Hanada and I both watched the surface of the water, too.

But after a few moments, it seemed Hanada’s action hadn’t quite worked well. Totodile floated to the surface, looking absolutely done in. Many cuts littered his body, and I wondered if he had perhaps swum through a school of glass bottles. Hanada recalled his Pokemon sorrowfully.

“He was already quite tired,” he explained. “F-From moving the trainer stands in. Yea.”

“I see,” I murmured.

“But no more mercy! I choose Squirtle!”

A similarly small yet rather adorable water Pokemon emerged. Squirtle cried his name happily, his round blue head shining. I pointed at him mercilessly.

“Tear it up with thunderbolt,” I snapped. Elekid happily blasted a jolt of electricity through the air, which arched down and soared at Squirtle. Squirtle tucked into his shell, which was subsequently electrified by the attack, rattling around as cries of pain echoed inside.

“Squirtle!” Hanada cried. “Water gun!”

Squirtle was much faster than Totodile, which was evident in the dart of water that hit Elekid squarely in the chest. He stumbled backwards momentarily, but he regained his stance.

“Quick attack!” I cried. Elekid began his quick-spurt dart across the floating platforms, but our strategy was soon stopped by Hanada.

“Bubble!”

A wave of big bubbles spread around Elekid, slowing him down considerably. Almost as if they were sticking to him, Elekid found himself losing momentum and plummeting into the water.

“Haha!” Hanada cried. “Water gun!”

A jet of water pierced the air and hit Elekid, dizzying him somewhat. Elekid clambered onto the nearest float, shaking himself of water. He turned to see Squirtle racing forward, head tucked down as he delivered a skull bash.

“Burr-rah!” cried my Pokemon as he toppled back into the water. Squirtle panted, for he was very tired. I had an interesting idea. Elekid was splashing helplessly, even though he could swim. Little attention seeker.

“Ram your horns up from underwater!” I shouted. Elekid swam under Squirtle’s float and rammed his plug-like horns through the soft foam. Squirtle gave a surprised cry as an eruption of electricity crackled around, shocking him almost beyond repair. He was hurled back into the water, exasperated.

“Squirtle!” Hanada cried. He looked slightly worried, staring at me, then back at Squirtle. “S-Say…Chris?”

“Yea?”

“Your Mums diametic boneitalis…erm…can it wait a little longer?”

“But Greg! She’s so ill!” I protested. Thank god for Summerview Theatre Camp – SUMMER OF 02! I love you, Summerview Theatre Camp. I still have the hat somewhere…anyway the experience paid off – my acting was top-notch. That creepy coach, Phil…I was so sure he was a pedophile.

“Just one more round?” Greg pleaded.

“Fine,” I said lazily. “I’ll give Elekid some rest.”

Elekid looked up at me. A manic glint was in his eyes as white sparks coursed over his body. Was it an attack, or was Elekid getting thirsty for more water Pokemon? I hastily recalled Elekid and selected another Pokeball. Hanada did likewise, recalling his rather upset Squirtle and selecting his next choice.

“I choose Horsea!” he cried. His little Pokemon plopped into the water and gave a happy toot.

“Sneasel, GO!”

Sneasel landed precariously on a float, sharpening his claws against each other. He stared at the adorable Horsea, who was splashing playfully. I began to grit my teeth as it dawned on me that this was the wrong place to have Sneasel. His speed couldn’t be used effectively here…

…unless…

“Horsea, water gun!”

“Sneasel, agility,” I quickly ordered. Sneasel darted to the nearest platform, teetering slightly. Horsea’s jets of water were just flying past him. “Now use a wide-ranged blizzard!”

“Dive!”

Horsea ducked underwater as sweeping ice crystals passed over the pool, freezing the surface lightly. The floats were also glazed over with a beautiful frosty blue finish. Sneasel looked around, apparently not content with the arena.

“Horsea!” cried Hanada. The little sea horse was under the frozen sheet of ice. Meanwhile, Sneasel repeated the procedure, firing a similar sheet of ice to strengthen the icy layer over the pool.

“Sneasel, that should do,” I snarled. “Quick attack over to Horsea.”

“Horsea! Try and use a headbutt to escape!” Hanada ordered. Horsea hammered his head against the roof of ice but it hurt just too much. Horsea, from what the strangled cries told me, seemed to be suffering immense pain by trying to free himself. Sneasel skidded along the ice, digging his claws into the ice to slow down. He stared down at the dazed Horsea through the icy glass sheet, a smirk on his face.

“Focus, Sneasel,” I said, as Sneasel began charging up his energy, letting it flow through his body as he concentrated on his breathing. Hanada simply watched, white-faced from the trainer box. Some of his fairy lights had gone out. Cheap crap.

“Ok…” I went on. “Channel the energy into your fist…ready…?”

“Snease!”

“Then focus punch, now!”

Claws retracted into his paw, Sneasel sent white energy circling his paw as he held it back. He suddenly slammed it down, shattering a hole on the thick ice and scaring Horsea. Soon after, Sneasel pulled his fist out and sent the other one in the water, where he grabbed Horsea and plucked him from out the pool. Some shards of glass had cut the poor creature. I could see beer bottles shattered, lying on the floor of the pool.

“Horsea, smokescreen!” shouted Hanada. But Horsea was gasping for breath. Sneasel leapt up, Horsea in his grasp, before hurling the poor sea horse down to the ground. Horsea, instead of dropping into the water, slammed into the cold, thick ice and gave a long cry of pain. I stepped back hesitantly, watching Sneasel land gracefully and begin pummeling Hanada’s Pokemon. It was only when I saw Hanada, tears down his face, shaking wildly, that I knew when to quit.

“Sneasel, that’s enough.”

But Sneasel kept on going, smashing his fists into the small Pokemon. Hanada Tattsu, now looking as though he was having a fit, clutched the bars tightly as the colour left his face completely.

“Sneasel, STOP!” I said, grabbing my Pokeball and recalling my somewhat angry Sneasel. Horsea lay in a bloody pool, snout cracked, slashed stomach, eyes half-shut. Hanada Tattsu nervously recalled Horsea, having some difficulty due to his manic shaking.

“Greg…” I said quickly. “Sorry.”

For a few moments, Hanada looked like he was forming words together. His eyes lay on the spot where Horsea was previously as his lips formed into various shapes and he tried to speak.

“No hard feelings, right?” I said, smiling weakly. Hanada looked up at me.

“Why?”

And as tears shone brightly on his pale face, Hanada Tattsu stormed right past me and towards the exit of the Gym. He slammed the door, footsteps indicating he ran further down the alleyway, bawling hysterically.

I looked around. I kicked myself for being so ruthless against this innocent trainer…for not thinking, or considering his feelings. Hanada Tattsu was only 12 years old perhaps. What had I done? Would his youthful spirit be crushed thanks to me?

Only time would tell. I shielded myself against the rain as it pelted down upon me, and made my way through BT Street, unable to shake off the considerable guilt that flooded over me more than the rain.

[Charizard04621]

If you ask me, Hanada screwed his own pokémon by choosing that arena. =/

[The Blue Avenger]

Man. Sad chapter. Excellent action split up by some completely random parts. I bet that Hanada's gonna end up under the tutelage of Razor Leaf... or something like that.

And then there was this line:

"“Oh, it’s ok,” Razor Leaf replied. “I already have gingivitis.”"

O_O

[RaZoR LeAf]

OK so you make 'me' out to be a foul smelling arsehole with no dental hygiene, but I never expect 'you' to be perving on me in the sowers. Wowzers! Heheheh.. I hope I beat OzAndrew. Since you'va had Hanada's not so official Gym, can we expect ore official Gyms in the future? Perhaps a cameo from Shade, or even the sneaky battler Charizard04621 (I still remember battling your chansey in that dark cave. Evil..). Great chapter!

[MeLoVeGhOsTs]

Waw, great chappy. I wasn't really around while Hanada ASB'ed, but I still like his ignorance and attitude in the fic. Keep on going, I hope the chapters will be longer =D Oh, RL is going great =D That'll teach Andrew.

[Charizard04621]

Perhaps a cameo from Shade, or even the sneaky battler Charizard04621 (I still remember battling your chansey in that dark cave. Evil..). Great chapter!


Muahahaha I bet I was the first person to force you to forfeit =P

[Chris 2.1]

Karin #1: Well he's only young. It's worth noting his Wartortle and Poliwag beat my Elekid and Sneasel. But since its MY fic I'll edit it how I want :P. Seriously though, Hanada had a certain innocence about him and he was a very enthusiastic ASBer. I also wanted to show some character development for both people - Hanada's faced a harsh truth about himself he just might have already known about, and Chris has to deal with the fact he's been as ruthless as Razor Leaf was to him when he started.


TBA: Agreed, it's quite a sad chapter. Hmm Hanada and Razor Leaf? Interesting. And the gingivitis line was hilarious. Go on. Admit it.


Razor Leaf: He just had a shower! Lol. Gingivitis is just basically plaque on your gums, its not like rabid tooth cancer or anything. I think we have a new dynamic with Dan and Chris lodging in the same house. Hmm I think eventually Gyms will appear in the fic, I know Contests are planned and places like the Chunky Clefable Cafe. Even if it's just a brief thing.

As far as the fic is concerned, I can see it panning over two fics. Just with what I have planned. Karin does make an appearence in Ch11.


MLG: No actual answer to the Dan VS Andrew match. As for Andrew, more on him soon. Glad you liked Hanada's character, too.



Ch10 won't be for ages.

[darktyranitar]

Another great chapter. Razor Leaf is not so irritating in this chapter, except that he took Chris' toothbrush. OzAndrew is crazy as usual. I hope RL win the match.

The last part is sad. Chris did use Sneasel, but don't you think that Sneasel was the one to blame? Maybe it has something to do with its dislike to Poliwhirl, or maybe he just likes to win. Man, poor Hanada.

[Chris 2.1]

DT: Yea Dan was a bit less evil, but surely if they're living together, Chris and Dans already weary relationship will be under more strain? Hmm. Yea Andrew was pretty crazy, but the match isn't concluded, it's just left open like that really.

The chapter seemed to be sucessful in getting the "sad" factor. Chris employed quite disgusting tactics against Greg, like minimising Horsea's movement, and breaking its snout etc. But Sneasel seemed to get out of control.


Ch10 is underway. Did someone say the monster at Ivy Lake?

[Charles Legend]

well I agree it was a sad chapter, however there were some interesting devilments like Razor leaf moving in with Chris. Andrew was as crazy as ever attacking the innocence resents of the village from the sky on his bouncy castle.

Chris is becoming more like Razor leaf with each passing day or at lest his tactics are, Sneasel now has a thing against water types because of Poliwag evolved in to Poliwhirl and must be jealous of the fact that he can‘t evolve...

~Charles Legend

[Chris 2.1]

Charles: I don't know whether you know or not, but a 4th gen Pokemon (Japanese name Manyula) is the evolved form of Sneasel, so there is hope for our little weasel yet! I wouldn't say he has a 'thing' against water types. He's just jealous Poliwag evolved.


Ch10 might be up tonight.

[Andrew]

Bwha. I'm the crazy one! Hoorah!

Chris's tactics against Horsea were awesome. Things I'd do. Also, totally correct in the way that I'd attack random people... lol.... Kill kill! I hope I got some snooty bitch in the eye. Also, the boneitis rocks.

Also, Razor stealing the toothbrush. Gross. Poor Chris, it'll be like living with that Bitch stacy. Good thing we kicked her out. HOORAH!

Is Hanada going to become a water puratain now, refusing to put his Pokemon in any water which doesn't have the correct PH levels and whatnot?

This is still a lot of fun to read.

[Greyfox]

Heh... so much for the next chapter being up "tonight"... six days ago.

Is Grey gonna battle? He seems so... weird and me-like...

[b][i][font=Palatino Linotype]-Grey

[Chris 2.1]

Andrew: Glad you liked the chapter, and the tactics chris employd against the water trainer. And boneitis is very seripus :o.....not :P

Hanada's not going to be around much as he's got a lot of thinking to do about the way in which he conducts things. But he will obviously need to return in time for the League.

I'm glad you like it.


Grey: Urgh yea :-/

Grey did have a battle planned in Ch10/11 but it's been shifted back for future as it seemed tacked on and very unecessary. He's a man of words and logic and doesn't want his Pokemon to fight for the sake of fighting. He feels talking with ones mouth is better than talking with ones fists.

But he will battle...and boy will it be good!

[Chris 2.1]

Right just finished Ch10 (finally!) so here it is.







Chapter Ten
[size=3]Wolfsong: Part 1



If I had thought my rather depressed, sullen mood would lift after a long sleep, I was much mistaken. The next day my mind swum with murky feelings as I slumped downstairs for breakfast. But once again, all the toast had been scoffed by Razor Leaf. Graeme and Anne were currently sorting out their new promotional campaigns, considering TV advertising and T-Shirts.

“Erm…where’s Razor Leaf?” I asked. Graeme turned.

“Oh? Who? Hmm…oh! Razor Leaf, yes…” Graeme said sluggishly. “H-He said he had important business to attend to, I believe.”

“Right,” I murmured. Sounded like he was up to his usual tricks…but something made me feel uneasy. Something that caused him to get up very early seemed out of place, for he always seemed to weave evilness into his everyday routine so much so that I seemed to be the only one aware of it.

I wandered off into the village, although not long after Graeme and Anne handed me some key chains, t-shirts and baseball caps advertising their Bed and Breakfast. Feeling somewhat stupid, I prepared to face another day in TPML.

Sooner than anticipated, I saw Hanada Tattsu with a Spheal backpack on his bag. A shirt sleeve and sock were sticking out the top – it was evident he crammed as much in as possible, for the damned Spheal’s eyes were bulging. I waved at him, causing the young boy to look somewhat irked.

“Hey Greg,” I said, smiling broadly.

“Hi,” he replied coldly.

“Y-You ok?” I said, feeling as if I was walking on oh such thin ice.

“Better than my Horsea,” came his scathing remark.

“Look, if your Horsea wasn’t up to standards, you can’t blame me,” I snapped. “Stop sending me on a guilt trip just because YOU didn’t train up enough!”

“Train up?” Hanada asked. “Train up? You FROZE the arena, rendering Horsea hopeless! Then you smashed through the ice, plucked my Pokemon out her habitat and beat her to a bloody pulp. She can’t survive on land, for goodness sake!”

He hitched his bag up a bit further.

“Don’t say you’re leaving…” I began.

“I wouldn’t give you the satisfaction of knowing you drove me away,” rasped Hanada. “No, I’m heading somewhere outside the village, somewhere I can clear my mind and grow with my team.”

He turned to leave.

“But know this,” he began. “I’ll train up for one purpose and one purpose only. To defeat you in a battle.”

I stared at him, lost for words. He watched me, a smile on his face, as he wandered off through the village. Staring there for a few moments I let everything sink in. I’d earned another rival…I really didn’t need this!


*

It felt odd seeing everyone enjoying the damp yet warm weather. I saw the Eon sisters, their prized Pokemon by their side. Most of the morning disappeared in a cloud of sadness I seemed to have brought on myself. However I hadn’t seen Razor Leaf all day. Not yet, anyway. As I sat in Latte Days, absorbed in my espresso, I saw him enter the little café discreetly.

“Listen,” he said quickly, slipping into a seat opposite me. “Can I tell you something?”

“Erm…” I began slowly. “Yea, ok.”

“I HATE YOU!” he whispered manically, before grabbing my drink and throwing it over my trousers. Needless to say, the scalding drink did indeed hurt, but it was the fact that is resembled something else that really irked me. “See ya!”

“Hey!” I retorted, as he ran out the café. But that’s when my ‘accident’ was exposed, and I was sentenced to ridicule and laughed at by all. I angrily left the café, feeling that the day couldn’t possibly get worse.

Once I walked (in a John Woo style, I might add) out the Café and on through the Village to change, I decided to venture down BT Street. As I went, I noticed that construction was taking place near the start of the street for a place called “HypoGloboMegaBurger”. It looked…bright. Neon signs were being installed, and a few onlookers watched curiously. A sign explained HypoGloboMegaBurger was opening in a week. Interesting.

BT Street was already quite different to when I first visited it. A lot of construction workers mulled around, their baggy jeans slipping down their hairy behinds. A rather grumpy Houndoom slumped around the builders yard as the various workers ate sandwiches while listening to a radio.

“Hey,” came a stealthy voice. “Lunch ended ten minutes ago.”

It was Razor Leaf, watching from the other side of a mesh fence which was erected around the building site. He looked cross, but the builders weren’t all that fussed.

“We’ll finish our break when we want,” said the ‘leader’ – the baldest, fattest and palest builder of the group. Razor Leaf raised his eyebrows challengingly, clutching a Pokeball and hurling it over the top of the fence, where it burst open and flew back as his Pokemon materialized. It was Blaziken.

“Roar.”

A huge, bird-like screech rang around the building site as Blaziken’s wrists flared up. The builders bolted into action, their sandwiches lying forgotten in the dusty earth. Houndoom contemplated snapping them up, but after evaluating things, decided it was too much effort.

“Then how about ‘wanting’ to finish now,” replied Razor Leaf. “Haf, stay there and keep an eye on them.”

He turned around and locked eyes with me. Remain vigilant, I told myself. He stared me for a few seconds, a hand on his hip. My hand was gripped around a Pokeball in my pocket.

“Dried up then?” he sneered. “Looks like someone moved onto ‘big-boy pants’ a little too soon.”

I raised my eyebrows in a questioning way, turned around and wandered back down BT Street. I bumped into Liang, who by the looks of things had just finished a battle against a trainer I did not recognize.

“Hey,” I said cheerily.

“Hi,” Liang replied.

“Win?” I asked.

“What?”

“Did you win…you know, your match?” I asked, feeling stupid.

“Oh, oh yea…” he replied. “Yea I won it. Yea. Just going…going for a…”

“I’m going to tell Becca about that monster,” I said firmly. Liang looked at me suddenly.

“Good idea,” he murmured.

“You…think so?” I asked, bemused.

“It was dangerous,” he replied, nodding. “B-But…”

“What?” I snapped.

“Maybe we should check it’s still there,” Liang replied. “You saw that thing…maybe it just…moved on?”

“You mean left Ivy Lake?” I asked. Liang nodded. “Well…if you’ll come with me…”

“Of course I will,” Liang said. “Your Pokemon are all quite small. You need someone who can fight it if anything turns ugly.”

“Thanks, Liang,” I said. “Shall we go now?”

“Of course,” Liang replied. “Come on.”

I began to run through BT Street, Liang by my side. It felt someone satisfying to know that we were going to resolve this ‘monster’ issue once and for all. As I ran, I saw Razor Leaf looking in my direction…or so I thought.


*

Before I knew it, Liang and I were racing through the streets of TPML Village, faces blurring as we made our way to the edge of the Forest. Soon our bodies were shrouded by a thicket of trees, and Liang stopped me.

“We should go slowly,” he warned me. “Surprise attack, you know?”

“Ok,” I replied.

“When we get near the perimeter of the lake, I’ll release my Pokemon and they’ll provide backup. You do likewise. Keep water Pokemon for attacking underwater. Ok?”

I nodded.

“Let’s go.”

And on we walked. Our feet moved quickly and silently along the broken twigs and scattered leaves that littered the ground. I breathed in short, sharp spurts, quite nervous about openly planning to attack whatever monster it was that lay at Ivy Lake. After some time walking through the woods, Liang stopped me.

“We’re near the lake,” he said. “Time to send out our Pokemon.”

He dropped three Pokeballs to the ground, which burst open to reveal some of his team members. First up was a Grovyle, presumably having recently evolved from the Treecko I saw him with not too long ago. Next to Grovyle was a rather odd Pokemon with a pink, smooth body and rounded blue runner-like legs, a pointed blue tail, and a blue beak. It was a Porygon2, and I had never even seen one before in my life. The odd Pokemon floated there eerily. The final Pokemon was a Shellgon. The pudgy dragon, encased in its shell had huge yellow, lamp-like eyes.

“Pelori!” Liang said to his Porygon2. “Hide in the foliage by the edge of the lake. Stay low. When the mist arrives, lock on to anything in the water and, on my word, unleash a zap cannon.”

The Porygon2 gave an odd mechanical whirring noise and zipped off.

“Glaurung, do likewise but go on my other side,” said Liang. His Shellgon nodded and dashed off. He then turned to Grovyle. “Maeglin, head into the trees above Pelori.”

Once his Pokemon had headed off, I decided to do likewise. I released Elekid and Magby, and they went off into the bushes just by the edge of the forest by the lake. Liang and I exchanged glances, and we proceeded off to the lake.

As we arrived on the rocky beach, I recalled the last time we were here, when I had found that odd note in my hair. I still had the card, which read “History Lies High”, but I knew nothing about it. It stayed in my wallet until I could figure out its relevance and meaning. We looked around, across the large lake, admiring its beauty. Just what was the monster that lay beneath its glassy surface?

“Get ready…” Liang said slowly. I released Poliwhirl to help us out. We stood there on the bank, looking for any sign of life. I was getting pretty scared, anticipating that eerie mist that crept up the shore and curled around your ankles…

…but it never came.

The minutes crawled by as we both stood there. The water was pure and clear – there were no ominous shadows beneath the surface. Together we stood, together we waited, and together Liang and I came to a difficult conclusion.

“The creature isn’t here anymore,” Liang said slowly. He picked a stone up from the shore and hurled it into the water. But no luck. Nothing stirred. I wondered to myself what had happened to the creature, had someone killed it?

Liang turned to the bushes.

“Maeglin, Glaurung, Pelori! Come out,” he cried.

“You too Elekid, Magby,” I mumbled. Our Pokemon all ran to join us on the shore. “Well, that was a waste of time.”

“Yea,” Liang murmured.

Together we walked back through the forest, Ling and his Grovyle practicing some attacks as they went. His Grovyle looked tough, and I was quite keen to battle it (I had a feeling Sneasel could show him who’s boss) but I felt somehow deflated after the lack of a monster at Ivy Lake.

“So, what are you up to today?” Liang asked me.

“I think I’ll just have a lazy day,” I told him, as we stood on the edge of the forest. “You?”

“Probably train some more,” Liang said excitedly. Man, he trained way too much. “I’d better head off. See you around.”

But as he wandered off, I decided to take action. Whatever had happened with this monster, it needed dealt with. I couldn’t just assume this monster was dead; I had to get it checked. Liang went one way, and I marched through the village towards the Rules Tower.

I was going to see The Missing Link.


*

“Ok then Amy,” Becca said, putting the phone down. “I just got off the phone with the board of directors.”

“How did it go?” asked the girl named Amy.

“Same as always,” replied Becca, looking out the window of the tower across the village. “Same as always.”

“Did you tell them about BT Street?” Amy asked.

“I did,” replied Becca. “The development of BT Street will probably keep them satisfied for some time. Until we can get everything else sorted out.”

“That reminds me,” Amy said, pulling a sheet of paper out from her desk. “Karin got back to me about starting the new project. She says she can come in a matter of days.”

“That soon?” Becca asked. “Excellent. I thought she might have visited while I was away, Amy.”

Amy looked at Becca. She was quite a few years older than The Missing Link, and was the Head Banker of The Pokemon Masters League. She was of an average height and build, while her hair (a mix of both dark blonde and light brown) fell just past her shoulders. Known as Wolfsong in TPML, she generally got called Amy by her close friends, and was also used to being known as ‘Amy Wolfsong’. Her team was very strong and well-developed, but they rarely saw battles these days. Amy worked a lot for Becca and did help her with the workload.

“I completely forgot,” Amy sighed. “How did it go? The trip to the city?”

“Successful, I suppose,” Becca replied. “Five trainers had initiation tests, and three were accepted.”

“What about…?”

“Yes,” Becca said. “She got in.”

“But you said -”

“I know what I said, Amy,” Becca said earnestly. “The girl has no talent whatsoever. Or…she didn’t, not when I battled her last time. This time, though, she seemed…different.”

Amy shrugged, tying her hair back into a ponytail. Her friend got up, approaching the hat-stand and withdrawing a thick brown envelope. As she did so, she brushed past a Delcatty.

“Sorry, Aiko,” Becca murmured. She handed the envelope to Amy, which had been opened and re-sealed. It had two heavy, coin-like objects inside. Amy withdrew a letter from it and read aloud.


To whomever it may concern,

My name is Jenny Jackson-Smith, and I am writing to you requesting another initiation test for entry into The Pokemon Masters League. I battled a trainer for entry but was declined. I implore you for another chance.

If you are near the big city, please arrange a meeting with me. Over the time between my initiation test and the writing of this letter, I have earned two official Gym Badges from the area, as proof of my ability.

Yours,
Jenny Jackson-Smith


“What do you make of that?” Becca asked.

“She seems nice,” Amy admitted, as her Delcatty wandered to her feet. “And two Gym Badges is very good.”

“I admitted her, she battled very well,” Becca said. “She just…”

“What?” Amy asked.

“Well, she really doesn’t like me,” Becca sighed. “And far be it from me to be hostile, I really don’t like her, either.”

[Chris 2.1]

I entered the Rules Tower, looking around. It was a very dark lobby, with the usual Alakazam working relentlessly behind counters and nattering to one another. There was something like a post-box set into the wall, with a selection of pens and paper nearby. A sign read ‘Please write down any enquiries and post them here. They will be answered via your VS Seeker’.

I wanted to see the big cheese herself, Becca, but wondered how I would go about it. I saw a staircase roped off just to the left of the desk at which the Alakazam were behind. Like a bank or building society, there was a thick glass partition between the Pokemon and me. I think I would have to run up there…but I needed a diversion.

“Sneasel, ice beam!” I roared, hurling a Pokeball through the air. I drew two more. “Magby, flamethrower! Elekid, thunderbolt!”

The elemental attacks swept forwards at the glass partition, but an assumption of mine appeared to be true. The Alakazam, withut evenm looking up, used some psychic manipulation to control the attacks and drive them back towards me. I ran to the rope at this point, unhooking it and heading up the staircase. The attacks swept out the door of the Rules Tower, where they seemed to hit into something outside.

“Hurry guys!” I cried, and my three Pokemon ran after me. An Alakazam teleported from behind the glass partition to our side of the lobby and gave chase. Sneasel fired off a shadow ball, hitting the foe squarely in the chest. Magby and Elekid seemed excited, the latter giving off feverish white sparks in every direction. I was reminded of the incident at Hanada’s Gym.

“Alakazam!” cried the guard. He held his spoons together and blasted a multicolored psybeam at us, which smashed into my leg and caused severe cramp. I gave a moan and collapsed as my leg gave way; Sneasel, Magby and Elekid stood before me.

“Attack him!” I gasped. Sneasel leapt forward, claws extended. Alakazam tried levitating Sneasel away, but Sneasel’s dark type proved invaluable. He delivered a quick slash to the Pokemon’s chest and then used a thief to steal its psychic spoons. Running back to me, Sneasel gave me a smile. I congratulated him.

Magby and Elekid fired off their projectile attacks, striking the much weaker Alakazam. Elekid raced forward, leaping up and delivering a double thunderpunch to the psychic Pokemon. Elekid cried his name and fired off multiple thunderbolts, which struck Alakazam on the stairway.

“Good work!” I cried. Elekid stepped forward, using a large, club-like arm to keep Magby back. Sneasel was playing the spoons as I lay there with my sore leg. Elekid began charging up energy in his arms, swinging them around like windmill blades. Sparks leapt and danced all around his body, most were yellow, but others were white and some a vivid china blue. The sparks danced over my Pokemons body, and within no time he was shrouded entirely by the sparks. As he cried out his name, the sparks morphed into an ethereal light I had seen once before – when Poliwag evolved into Poliwhirl.

“You’re evolving!” I cried, watching as the white shape grew until he was slightly shorter than me. The stubby fists became powerful, flexible arms with fur, while two antennas emerged from the odd, almost rugby-ball-shaped head. The light died down on the new Pokemon, and my Electabuzz flexed his muscles firmly.

“Buzzah!” he roared. Sneasel’s face dropped at the new, powerful ally alongside us. Electabuzz had black stripes in his yellow fuzz, with two powerful clawed feet and an impressive physique. Magby seemed very happy for his friend.

“Electabuzz!” I cried, as Alakazam readied himself. “Keep Alakazam busy!”

Magby, Sneasel and I raced up the rest of the stairs, leaving Electabuzz to fight Alakazam. As we turned a corner, heading up even more stairs, I saw up ahead another Alakazam guarding the door.

Damn.

I decided there was nothing for it.

“Ice beam and flamethrower!” I cried manically. Sneasel fired off the beam of ice, stunning Alakazam and covering his chest in a thin sheet of ice, and Magby fired off a smooth barrel of flames to engulf the guard. Alakazam used a psychic attack to levitate me up into the air, but Sneasel raced in with a faint attack, stunning Alakazam enough to drop me on my sore leg.

“Alakazam!” it cried. It held its spoons together, charging up another psybeam. With quick thinking (and some daring) I grabbed another Pokeball and threw it, releasing Poliwhirl. In no time, Poliwhirl blasted a jet of water to knock the Pokemons spoons away. Then, no sooner had he disarmed my foe, Poliwhirl unleashed a mega punch into the PSI Pokemon’s face, knocking it out. Sneasel watched irritably, Magby cheered loudly, and Poliwhirl just seemed satisfied at his work. I recalled all three just as my newly evolved Electabuzz ran up the stairs.

I recalled him, too, and knocked on the door. A voice said ‘enter’, so I did just that. Once I got inside, I could see Becca and a girl I knew to be called Amy Wolfsong – she was one of the five moderators, I think she was Head Banker. The room was rather like a big office, with desks for Becca and Amy, paperwork, files and the usual. However it was very, very tidy. A Delcatty paced around happily.

“How did you get up here?” Becca asked suddenly. “Where are the guards?”

“I need to speak with you,” I said firmly. “It’s very important.”

“What is it?” Becca asked. I could see Amy watching from the other side of the room, trying not to eavesdrop but remaining quite intrigued.

“There’s a monster at Ivy Woods,” I told her.

“A monster,” Becca repeated.

“Don’t say it like that!” I snapped. “I’ve seen it twice – every time you get to the Lake, this thin mist curls around the shore, and a shadowy figure emerges -”

“Lake?” Amy asked.

“Yes!” I cried. “The Lake in Ivy Woods!”

“I’ve never seen a lake there,” Amy noted. “Have you, Becca?”

“No,” replied the woman. “Is it very deep in?”

“Yes,” I said. “Very.”

“Maybe he is telling the truth?” Amy asked tentatively. Becca surveyed me for a few moments, pacing back and forth. Amy stroked the Delcatty which was wandering around the room.

“Ok then,” Becca said. “Amy, go with Chris. Head to the Lake and see what – if anything – is down there. You can fight any monster off, I know you can.”

Amy nodded and turned to me.

“Let’s go.”


*

It had been some time since I got Amy’s help. Together we wandered on through the forest, Amy carrying a backpack filled with varying Pokeballs. I was intrigued if they were all empty ones, to catch the monster with (if it was a Pokemon), or if it was simply her team.

I had to admit, I was lost. Wandering through the forest, we brushed past nettles and briars, took the wrong fork whenever we reached a split, and seemed to be going somewhere I had never been before. Somehow, I had lost the lake. I had run into it the first time by accident, but the other times I had been there three times or so, and I had never found it a problem…

“Are we nearly there?” Amy asked.

“Almost,” I lied. “So…Becca doesn’t believe me, does she?”

“Well you have to understand that The Missing Link has been at TPML for such a long time, Chris,” Amy began. “When someone relatively new to the area storms in with talk of a monster, it is difficult to…digest.”

“But you believe me?” I asked.

“I will when you show me it,” Amy said. “For now, I’m still skeptical.”

We wandered on, and I began to get my bearings. I recognized the path we were now on, and realised we had actually been walking in something of a wide circle for almost three quarters of an hour. Eventually I led Amy the right way, and we continued on through harsh overgrowth which had covered the path.

“Are you sure you know where we’re going?” Amy asked tentatively.

“Yea,” I replied, grinning because I was telling the truth – I was leading her to the monster, and she would be able to help stop it. I thought about earlier, when Liang and I had failed to see it…but that just didn’t convince me. It had tried to kill me last time…

Eventually, we reached the edge of the forest, standing on the edge of the pebbled shoreline which was Ivy Lake. Amy let out a gasp, standing on the shore, amazed by what she saw.

“This is…” she uttered. “Fantastic.”

She wandered down onto the pebbles, releasing two Pokemon. A Jolteon emerged, as did a Bayleef. The two stood either side of their trainer.

“Willow, release a sweet scent,” Amy commanded. “Let’s try and entice the creature from out of the lake.”

Nodding, the Bayleef swung the leaf on her head around, sending a light, scented cloud of wonderment through the air. It lingered around the lake, eventually dispersing completely into the air. We waited for a few moments for something to happen. Jolteon and Bayleef stayed by their trainer’s side. I released Electabuzz and Poliwhirl.

“Guys,” I said. “I want you to help fight the mon-”

But there was no time for me to finish my sentence. A huge, echoing roar reverberated around the apparently peaceful lake. Silence and serenity was ruptured by equally violent, vulgar screeches and cries. Amy took a precarious step back and pointed towards the lake, where a shadowy form was materializing beneath the surface. Jolteon leapt forward.

“Thunderbolt!” Amy shouted. A jagged bolt flew upwards, arching down and shooting to the lake. However, as it neared, the surface of the lake shimmered an odd reflective shimmer, and the thunderbolt was driven back towards the shoreline with some sort of added force behind it. Amy sent Jolteon to use its Volt Absorb to recover from the retaliation attack.

“That must be a Lanturn,” I observed. “They’re the only species of fish Pokemon that can use electric attacks.”

“That was a mirror coat,” Amy observed. “The shimmer across the lake…whatever is down there is strong. And it’s a Pokemon.”

“What else would it be?” I asked. Amy remained silent as the usual mist began to float up from the lake, spreading across the pebbled shore. The thick mist soon enveloped our ankles and legs, spreading far and wide across the mysterious lake. Jolteon was submersed fully in the mist, being small, while Bayleef looked scared.

“Return,” Amy said to Jolteon. “Willow, sent a razor leaf at it!”

A flurry of sharp, deadly leaves sped through the mist and sliced the assailant – I knew this because I saw the shadowy form move slightly in defense. A shuddering chill echoed around the mist which was now engulfing my torso, and I saw the orange particles of supercharged light gather around the monster.

“HYPER BEAM!” I shouted. “Guys, get down!”

I grabbed Poliwhirl and Electabuzz and we dived to the ground. I felt the sharp, rough pebbles graze my face and the cool air striking my new scrapes. I saw Bayleef erect a protctive barrier before her trainer, who watched as the orange beam of energy smashed through the air. I could see Willows leaves and Amy’s ponytail wavering in the wake of the fantastic attack.

“That’s tired it out,” Amy snarled. “Willow! Solarbeam!”

However despite trying to charge up energy, Willow the Bayleef was left disheartened when charging up solar energy was failing. I looked to the sky and noticed dismal rain clouds were hindering her efforts. The thick mist was also a problem. Bayleef stood there, whimpering as she tried charging slivers of energy and yielding no results.

“Electabuzz!” I cried. But before I could order an attack, everything began to turn nasty. A sudden jet of water blasted from the mist and struck Electabuzz in the chest. He stumbled back, eyes wide as a beam of chilled ice swept forward and hit him. Falling to his knees, my electric Pokemon clutched the icy area of his torso with a gasp.

“What’s wrong?” I asked suddenly. “Electabuzz?”

“That ice is around his heart,” Amy mused. “It might be affecting his heart-rate.”

But before anything could be done, a long, echoing roar was heard again. I looked down at Poliwhirl, and he bravely dived into the mist, crying his name. Amy returned her Bayleef and grabbed a fresh Pokeball, ready to send out a water Pokemon.

“Stop that thing!” I cried at Poliwhirl. Poliwhirl seemed to dive into the water, for there was a splash and a wave of water rippling the shores. I could see the shadowy figure in the distance. Amy and I knelt over Electabuzz as I used a flat rock to chip the ice away off Electabuzz’ torso.

Seconds later, an echoing roar filled the air again and Poliwhirl flew through the mist and smashed against the shore. He looked awful. Welts and bruises covered his tender blue body, so I recalled him there and then. Amy and I stared up at the mist, which was now shrouding us entirely.

“We have to go!” I cried, getting Electabuzz’ Pokeball.

“You brought me here to stop this!” cried Amy. She got out her VS Seeker. “I’m contacting Becca.”

A jet of water, small and dart-like, whipped through the air and struck the VS Seeker, knocking it to the floor. Now, as our entire bodies were swathed in this mysterious mist, and our we felt the chill envelop us completely, we stared ahead. The shadow was getting bigger – it was coming closer to the shore. Amy took a Pokeball, but before she could do anything, there was a loud bang behind us. It sounded as if it came from the forest, so I turned my gaze to see what it was.

But nothing was there. I turned back as an array of golden stars tore into my body, ripping my clothes and scratching my face. I stumbled back, falling onto the rough ground and knocking myself out on the rocks. I faintly heard Amy screaming in protest as a roar once more filled my ears…

[Greyfox]

Oooh, cliffhanger.

Despite some grammatical errors, I'd have to say that this was a good chapter, overall. I was engrossed, which is ironic considering the fact that I'm such a self-appreciating biggot (and the chapter had no trace of Grey whatsoever). Thumbs up.

[b][i][font=Palatino Linotype]-Grey

[Silencer]

So will we finally see the monster? Let's see, mirror coar, swift, ice beam and hyper beam. Most likely an attack that clouds the area. Wonder what it'll be...

[RaZoR LeAf]

If it knows 2 Water Gun's and a Sky Attack, we know exactly what it is. Nice cliff hanger, but i'm worried I'm going to end up with a nasty reputaion.

[Charles Legend]

If it knows 2 Water Gun's and a Sky Attack, we know exactly what it is. Nice cliff hanger, but I'm worried I'm going to end up with a nasty reputation.


Don't worry you already have one Dan... ;)

*cough* yeah Dan you and Chris both have a habit of making us wait to see what Happens next in your fanfics 'The Goddess of Fire Din will offer you guidance to the Sorcerers Power. When the shadow of Din's Eye watches you, the path will be opened!’ and 'the Ivy lake monster'... *cough*

Anyways nice one Chris!

I wonder if knocking out those two Alakazam counts as a win against Becca for Chris? And looks like Chris is going to be in deep water if Jenny finds out that Chris has been running around with other girls. ;) Not dating but you know, some people in relationships can be so damn control freaks you know and I get the felling that Jenny well be that kind of person in this fic.

~Charles legend

[The Blue Avenger]

Hmm hmm hmm. This is an interesting cliffhanger. Good to know that this isn't all in Chris's head, heh. I wonder if this isn't a Dragonite - Mist for the haze. I could totally see it, and I could also see Amy catching it (she does have one in ASB).

Jenny's back, huh? That's a surprise. I wonder how this one will play out.

Aaand we see more of Razor Leaf being a jerk. Excellent. *Mr. Burns finger bridging thing*

And to finish off this paragraph thing, Hanada's reappearance was excellent. I like how you handled it.

[MeLoVeGhOsTs]

I can't really say much, it's all been said. Jenny returning cool, Ivy Lake monster cool, although I find it hard to believe that after all those years no one ever found Ivy Lake. Good chapter otherwise, keep on writing.

[Chris 2.1]

Grey: Yea it was a cliffhanger indeed. Usually a chapter involves a day in Chris' life, but this one was too juicy! It's also almost 4 pages longer than other chapters of the fic. I had a lot to put down.

Silencer: This was a chapter I suddenly decided to write. I was focusing more on Grey and RaZoR LeAf in Ch10 and 11 initially but I just thought the monster is something you will lose interest in if we wait too long. And it has a very extensive movelist....but if you think, you'll be able to figure out just exactly what's going on.

Dan: Hmm? Two water guns and a sky attack. Sounds like Missingno to me :O Hmm....oh and in repsonse to your query...your character develops just like everybody elses.




I'll answer the rest of these later!

[Charizard04621]

Very interesting, looking forward to the next chapter. Btw - scalding drink O_o I'd have thought Chris would need to go to the hospital.

[Greyfox]

Or he could sue the Latte Days establishment ala McDonald's.

[b][i][font=Palatino Linotype]-Grey

[Chris 2.1]

Charles: Actually Becca doesn't own them. She has employed them, but they are not wild, so SOMEONE actually owns all the Alakazam that work in Administration throughout TPML. I wonder who? And Jenny is returning! She seems to have put the work in, but does she want to compete, or find Chris? And why do her and Becca not see eye to eye? All will be revealled.


TheBlueAvenger: Yea at first it seemed as if Chris was making it up, especially when neither Becca nor Amy knew of a Lake in Ivy Woods. Hmm interesting theory about dragonite, as Amy does have one in her team. But has she caught it, or has it taken her? Why would it? Argh. Is the monster targetting specific ASB members?

I'm glad Jenny's return surprised you - I have been keenly waiting for her return to the fic since Ch1. She will certainly shake things up :) And I'm pleased you liked Hanada's departure. I didn't want him too upset about it and didn't want Chris feeling too guilty either. He'll return later.


MLG: Ivy Woods is the biggest forest in TPML, and the lake is rather small. People would seldom venture deep into the forest incase they got lost, and a lot of people just train on the outskirts and catch Pokemon around there. But was it coincidence Chris stumbled upon the lake?

Karin: Hmm I wonder if there is a hospital in TPML? :P There is, with the most colourful doctor around! You'll see that part of the community soon.

Grey: Latte Days doesn't need Chris to shut them down - the re-booming BT Street might scupper their wee business.



Anyway, Chapter 11 continues on from the last, with Chris waking to find Amy gone, as well as the misty fog and the ferocious beast. He quickly uses Amy's abandoned VS Seeker to contact one of Amy's friends to help. Meanwhile, Grey begins to lose his easy-going persona during a meeting with Razor Leaf.

[The_Missing_Link]

*sings* I love me, me is so cool, me me me...

Ok, I'm not that narcissistic but it's cool to have a character in a fic loosely based on your ASB persona. Anyway, I liked the chapter and I have no clue as to what the mystery Pokemon is but I have two questions

1) Will my character battle more (and if so, will it reflect the evolutions and catches I've made to my team)?
2) Will she remain the head of ASB? I don't know how close to the real ASB you're writing it like (except the character personalities. I think Dan would've been banned by now if he acted like that all the time)


Edit: Forgot to say I had no clue who Jenny was until I went back to the first chapter and read it again. Stupid me ^^

[Greyfox]

I do believe TML has written a song worthy of seven Grammy's. Meanwhile, I'm losing my composure! Awesome! Hopefully I kick his tooth-decayin' arse in battle!

[b][i][font=Palatino Linotype]-Grey

[Andrew]

I think amy has gone to frolic & play with this newfound pokemanz and have tea. And shit. Hanadas a snot as well! What happened to the vs seeker saying a lot of funny shit btw. I reckon tml writes jenny's! Did i also get fined again for my attention seeking stunt? Did i beat razor? The kazam battle rocked & i read it from my mbl. & posted this too. Oh & sneasel needs therapy.

[Chris 2.1]

Becca: Yea you're going to be battling for sure. Some of your current team will be evolved and you may have some Pokemon from ye olde ASB (such as Venusaur, although I see you have a Bulbasaur now anyway). Some of the next chapters focus more on TML and some of the moderators in TPML.

As far as the fic goes, I think Becca is going to end up retiring as Head of ASB but I'm still not 100% sure. I don't think Dan and Chris would take it over, however :P I didn't want to mod Chris since he's still a new character. He may get modded in future however, I'm not sure.

Haha yea well Jenny and Becca will strike something of a rivalry in the fic...watch this space!

The Arbiter: Hmm :P

Andrew: Ahh those questions are explained soon, probably next chapter. The VS Seeker still says things, but Chris knew of Amy anyway so he didn't need to use it. Sneasel totally needs therapy :P

[Wolfsong]

I fiinally got time to catch up and post and as usual great chapters. Now you have me curious about what's going to happen to me. ^^; I like how you did the battles.

[darktyranitar]

Well let see...Razor Leaf is still a jerk, Hanada is leaving, Jenny is coming to TPML, Elekid evolved, and Chris got knocked out by the mysterious monster.

The mysterious monster is really intriguing. What could it possibly be? A Lapras? Dragonite? I have no other idea to what it could be.

I think Chris was being a bit sneaky and mischevious on battling the Alakazam. Sneasel doesn't seem to be too happy for Elekid. And I have a feeling that Chris would get into more trouble than he ever wanted.

Great chapter. :smilie:

[Chris 2.1]

Wolfsong: Haha yea it was odd introducing you AND having you dissapear in the same chapter! I wonder if Amy's ok? :O

darktyranitar: Hmm well if you look at the attacks it uses, you can piece together what the monster is. But it's not fun to work it out...is it? And yes! Jenny is returning. Omgz etc. I can't wait to start writing her back in...what will Chris think? And poor Sneasel. I bet he is getting pretty pissed off with everyone evolving.

Glad you liked the chapter!


Well in Chapter 11, we leave where we left off with Chris knocked out at Ivy Lake. Dan meets with Grey to talk 'business', but business soon gets out of hand and drastic measures are called for. Meanwhile, a newcomer arrives at TPML...can you guess who it is?

[Greyfox]

Rapamon2? Please let it be Rapamon2... I wanna see Rapamon2... get his rear handed to him.

And it would seem that Uuberfred is becoming the sesshomaru of this epic...

[b][i][font=Palatino Linotype]-Grey

[Chris 2.1]

Hmmm no it isn't Rapamon2 :O I'm still debating whether or not he'll appear.

Anyway Chapter Eleven will hopefully be up before/by the weekend.

[Chris 2.1]

Earlier than anticipated.




Chapter Eleven
[size=3]04621



I heard screams filling my ears, and a pounding in my head telling me I wasn’t feeling great. My eyelids felt gummed together, but they parted and I began to wake up again to see what was going on.

I felt the back of my head, and a hot, runny liquid was flowing from my wound. It was blood. Crimson blood splattered the rocks around me, while Electabuzz sat there, gasping for breath as he stared across at me. Amy was nowhere to be found, and the mist had cleared completely. I got up suddenly but soon regretted it – I swayed precariously. I couldn’t see Amy at all.

“Amy?” I called out. “WOLFSONG? WHERE ARE YOU?”

I was suddenly reminded of the bang from the forest – this was obviously a trick to distract me and put me out of action…but I then recalled Amy’s screams and cries of help. Reaching the most disheartening conclusion, I admitted to myself Amy had been taken by the Monster.

“AMY?” I roared again. I recalled Electabuzz, promising to help him soon. Poliwhirl and Electabuzz were really hurt, and I knew that they needed attention now. But what was more worrying was Amy – had she been dragged underwater? If so, chances were she wouldn’t survive.

“What do I do?” I began asking myself, before noticing Amy’s VS Seeker on the ground. Hers had a pink shell, which was pretty cool, although it had a crack down it now. I picked it up, turning it on.

I began scrolling through the names on her friends list, thinking hard on who to contact. I browsed through, not really knowing any of the people on it. I suddenly came across an entry which sparked my intrigue:

In Case of Emergancy
04621

This looked promising. I pressed ‘send message’ and began to type one out.

‘Amy is in trouble. I’m at Ivy Lake. Please come quickly, I don’t know how long she will last.
Chris 2.0’

I sent it, clenching the VS tightly in my fist as my heart hammered wildly against my ribcage, dying to get out. The time went by slowly as the rippling breeze played with my hair. I felt tears filling in my eyes as I recalled Amy’s screams reverberating around my skull.

This was all my fault.


*

Meanwhile, Becca was in her office. Jenny Jackson-Smith’s letter lay by her computer, very worn as it had been read and re-read so many times. Becca knew Jenny was making her own way here, and was nervously waiting for the girls arrival.

The doors opened, and a woman entered the room who Becca had not quite expected. At 18 years old Karin, as she was known by friends, looked much older than she actually was. She was smaller than many, with shoulder-length black hair that seemed to contain lighter tones of chocolate and caramel. This, aided with the girl’s healthy complexion suggested she had been somewhere tropical and warm. Dressed in a very professional-looking suit and trouser combo, Karin took off her shades and placed her briefcase down.

“Karin!” Becca exclaimed.

“Nice to see you again,” Karin replied kindly. “Wow…look at this place.”

“Has it changed?” Becca asked tentatively. Karin shook her head.

“Not really,” she sighed. “Where is Wolfsong?”

“Out on business,” Becca explained. She looked at her computer. “This is driving me scatty…do you want to go and get a coffee?”

“Sounds good to me,” Karin replied. “Do Latte Days still have those Mint Espresso’s?”

“They do,” Becca replied, getting her coat. But at that moment, Karin’s VS Seeker began vibrating and emitting the noise it made when a message was received. Karin whipped it out, muttering something about ‘getting messages as soon as she got back’, but upon reading the message her eyes widened in alarm.

“Is everything ok?” Becca asked, but received no answer. Karin stared at the screen. “Who is the message from?”

Karin threw the VS Seeker over, and Becca read the message.

“‘I don’t know how long she will last’ – that makes it sound like she’s dying!” Becca cried. She grabbed her Pokeballs containing her team. “Come on.”

They ran down the steps and emerged outside, where Becca grabbed a Pokeball and released an Alakazam. It looked thinner and wiser than the ones working at the computers. Becca clutched onto one of its hands while Karin did likewise.

“Teleport us to Ivy Woods, as deep in as you can,” she commanded.


*

I sat there at the Lake, worry sweeping across me and drenching my thoughts. This was all my fault…if I hadn’t been stupid enough to pursue the monster…I mean, Liang and I went and it wasn’t there! Why did I look for trouble?

“HELP ME!” I moaned. “SOMEONE HELP!”

Nobody came…but why would they? Nobody is around here…even Amy didn’t know about the Lake. My mind flashed back to the backpack Amy had…she let it down on the shore when she sent out her Pokemon, Bayleef and Jolteon. I wandered to her backpack and opened it up, seeing that it contained about 10 Pokeballs. Above the button was a name inscribed on each one.

“HELLO?” I cried. Then I heard something.

“Through here!”

I turned to the bank and saw none other than Becca running towards me, with a woman I didn’t recognize. I was so glad to see them I breathed a sigh of relief. Becca leapt off the bank next to me.

“Where is Amy?” she barked.

“Sh-She -”

“WHERE IS SHE?” roared the other person. “What happened?”

“I…the…it was the monster!” I cried. “The monster took her! It covered the area in a fog substance…we couldn’t see…then she went.”

“Went where?” Becca asked. I pointed to the lake, shaking terribly.

“What happened to your clothes?” asked the other person. I explained all about the monster distracting me with a bang, and when I turned it unleashed a swift which tore into me and knocked me out.

“I see,” she replied. “Becca…can I have a word with you?”

Becca nodded and together with the woman, wandered a few steps away and began talking in hushed voices. I knew they were piecing together their thoughts and coming to a conclusion on how to deal with things. My eyes scanned the quiet, desolate lake where Amy had been taken not too long ago. I felt hatred for not helping her, and shame over being too weak to face up to the reality of what was happening. But Becca was here. Everything would be just fine. I decided to use my VS Seeker on Becca’s friend, who I still did not know the name of.

Karin 04621
What!? Karin’s back?

That was really unhelpful, I thought to myself, stuffing my VS Seeker back in my pocket. Meanwhile, Becca turned from Karin and walked over to me. I looked up at her, but her gaze was somehow patronizing.

“Chris…” she said slowly.

“Do you believe me?” I snapped. Becca turned to Karin, who nodded.

“We’re going to send you to a very good doctor…for your head,” Becca said, indicating the tiny little gash on the back of my head. It was painful…I got a lot of grit in when I fell down. “Chiron will take you.”

“What about Amy?” I asked, as Becca sent out her purple Starmie. “Are you going to rescue her?”

“I hope so,” Becca replied gloomily, as Chiron released a soothing mental wave of energy to wash over me. I felt my body dissolving away from the scene at Ivy Lake, and saw both Karin and Becca exchange glances as I disappeared.


*

“Well?” Becca said.

“Well what?” Karin argued.

“What makes you so certain Chris is making this up?” Becca asked. “Amy ISN’T HERE!”

“I can see that,” Karin sighed, rolling her eyes. “You told me Chris burst into your office ranting about a monster. You sent Amy to assist him. We find Chris ‘knocked out’ and with no recollection of seeing any monster, and Amy’s disappeared.”

“So?” Becca asked.

“Amy came to the conclusion there IS no monster,” Karin went on. “And when Chris learned another person found him to be a liar, he attacked her. She escaped, losing her VS Seeker in the process (probably after trying to contact us) and fled into the forest. Since we can’t contact her, I think it’s just a matter of hours before she works her way out of the forest.”

“That makes sense,” Becca replied.

“Tell them to keep an eye on Chris,” Karin replied. “I think he might be dangerous.”


*

When I came around, I was lying in a hospital bed in a small, pokey room. I didn’t know exactly how this had happened, but I was tightly trapped beneath the itchy sheets with a bandage around my head.

“HI!” came a scream from the doorway, and a black nurse leapt into the room. “How are we today?”

“Feeling severely patronized,” I replied.

“Oh silly little mr big words!” cried the nurse. “My name is Nurse Smiles! And I’ll be your nurse during your stay.”

“What happened, exactly?” I asked, bemused.

“Oh The Missing Link sent you here. She said your head wound might get infected! Anyway I’m just to tinker around with your medication chart so we can decide which tasty little treats to give you three times a day for a week! Doctor Drummond-Bone will be here shortly, he’s your Psychiatrist here at Jolly Japes Hospital! Isn’t that a nice name?”

“Please kill me,” I murmured, although Nurse Smiles didn’t hear me. I hadn’t quite contemplated there being a hospital in TPML, but I guessed there had to be really.

“Your Poliwhirl and Electabuzz have been sent to the Pokemoncenter in the main square,” Nurse Smiles went on. “They’ll be transported here when they feel better! Now I’m due in Court now…some silly little accusation about death by over-enthusiasm! Silly billies. I’ll come and check on you tonight – that’s if I don’t get sent to jail!”

And as the eccentric nurse sprang out of the room, a rather stiff, bearded man idled in. I could tell this was Doctor Drummond-Bones – the name suggested a complete contrast to Nurse Smiles, and by this mans odd walk (which suggested he was literally dragging himself across the room) I knew he was a complete loser.

“Hello Christopher,” he said dryly. I could see dried, yellowing spit in the corners of his lips, and a deep frown that suggested he disapproved of everything.

“Hi,” I replied. “What exactly –”

“I am Doctor Drummond-Bones,” he went on, ignoring me. “I do not wish to be reffered to as ‘doc’, ‘D-to-the-B’ or any other ‘hip’ nickname you may conjure up during your time here, which, let me assure you, will be very, very boring.”

“Ok, but I need to ask –”

“Anyway, I am here because The Missing Link feels you may be suffering from some sort of medical condition you didn’t tell us about upon arriving in the village. In other words –”

“I’m not crazy!” I snapped. “I didn’t make this up!”

“…you didn’t me finish,” The Doctor replied. “In other words…you’re crazy.”

“This is stupid!” I shouted, wrenching my covers and tearing them off. Doctor Drummond-Bone did nothing to try and stop me, but simply clicked his fingers. A Chansey popped around the corner and, using surprising strength, kept me from getting out of bed and tucked my sheets even tighter down the sides of the bed.

“Now then,” said the doctor, pulling up a chair. “Tell me about your parents. Did they…beat you at all, Christopher?”

I stayed silent.

“Any traumatic experiences with gypsies?”

Again, I stayed silent, rolling my eyes. Dr Drummond-Bones peered over his glasses.

“Do you have an evil twin of some description?”

Somebody help me.


*

Meanwhile, in BT Street, Grey was in his playhouse. The veteran trainer was simply sitting in the front row of the small seating and doing a crossword. A rather stiff Pupitar sat in one of the seats, as did the smaller members of his team. Grey smiled as a pink Sneasel dashed around the room.

“Calm yourself, Rouge,” he said. “Sit and enjoy the atmosphere.”

But it was evident that Grey’s Pokemon did not appreciate the playhouse as much as the trainer did himself. They were growing restless, needing to stretch and battle, longing to gain more experience. While Grey kept a select few Pokemon in their Pokeballs, the rest were out and getting very irritated by their trainer.

“Let’s see…five letters across…‘A disorderly mass; a jumble’…ah!”

He penciled in his guess.

“Chaos.”

The doors burst open, and Razor Leaf strode in. He looked rather cross, and immediately pointed at Grey. Grey turned to see Razor Leaf, and put his crossword down, smiling. The Pokemon watched.

“Nice to see you, Daniel,” Grey said.

“My name is Razor Leaf,” snapped the moderator.

“Your masquerade is Razor Leaf,” smirked Grey. “The mask you wear here…but your name is Daniel.”

“My name is irrelevant,” hissed the moderator. He pulled out a sheet of paper. “You need to sign this – I’ve told you.”

“And I told you I won’t be bullied by an apprentice of mine,” Grey replied. “I destroyed the last contract and I’ll destroy any you try and force me to sign.”

“You are wasting valuable space!” snapped Razor Leaf. “BT Street is developing into something far better than an alleyway of tarnished dreams! Open your eyes, Grey! There’s no place for your playhouse in BT Street.”

“And who thinks this?” asked the actor. “Nobody else has a problem with me.”

“‘Nobody else’ isn’t the Head Businessman of TPML,” Razor Leaf replied. “I told you at our last visit that your playhouse is being knocked down. The Missing Link herself told me that keeping this was pointless.”

“Yes, but you didn’t tell Becca I still lived here, did you?” Grey retorted. Razor Leaf looked shocked. “I don’t leave this place…not often. Everybody in this community thinks I’m gone, or maybe even dead. I’m not. I’m alive and fighting my demons in this playhouse! Just because you’ve pulled the wool over everybody’s eyes doesn’t mean I’ll stand down to you.”

Razor Leaf brushed past Grey and stood on the stage. He drew a Pokeball. Raising his eyebrows and beckoning his teacher onto the stage, the Businessman smiled a devilish smile. With no reluctance, Grey walked up onto the stage.

“Let’s deal with this the way all things are dealt with,” Razor Leaf said, gripping his Pokeball tightly.

“I choose you, Valhalla!” Grey cried.

From the seating, a rather impressive looking Golduck leapt onto the stage. He was smooth, flexible and apparently quite young. He showed off his muscles to Razor Leaf who, looking nonplussed, released a very sinister-looking Victreebel.

“Razor,” he said, smirking again. “Razor Leaf!”

As the humongous flytrap swung its big, thick leaves, a flurry of smaller, sharper projectiles swooped towards Grey and Valhalla. Grey looked furious as he nodded to his Pokemon. Valhalla’s gem glowed a vivid blue as the leaves halted in their tracks. Golduck was using its psychic powers to hold off the attack. On Grey’s command, Golduck sent them back towards their owner.

“Now use psybeam,” replied Grey. Golduck nodded and, holding a webbed palm either side of his gem, fired off a superb beam of flowing rainbow light. It smashed into Victreebel, who gave a hearty scream and crumpled to the floor, looking beaten.

“Get up!” cried Razor Leaf.

“He won’t,” replied Grey.

“That attack was too strong…how did you do that?” Razor Leaf snapped.

“Calm Mind,” Grey replied.

“But you didn’t use it.”

“Valhalla was using the attack before the battle began,” Grey said, smiling. “Or should I say during the battle – the furious battle of words we shared when you entered the building. Valhalla is like me, Daniel. Very angry when provoked, but very calm otherwise.”

“Cheap tactic,” Razor Leaf replied, recalling Razor the Victreebel. “Shenzi, go!”

A Mightyena emerged, snapping its big, white teeth. Valhalla looked nonplussed. Mightyena blasted a shadow ball, which missed its foe but slammed into the floor of the stage, splintering the decayed wood.

“Careful!” cried Grey. “Valhalla, use a brick break!”

“If I can’t stop your Pokemon, I’ll just demolish this place myself,” Razor Leaf replied, grabbing two more Pokeballs. “Guuzu! Sol!”

A Zangoose and Solrock emerged.

“Tear this place apart!”

Zangoose raced towards the stairs leading up to the lighting tower, while Solrock began using a rapid spin to knock away the seating. Greys younger Pokemon scampered around as their seats were ripped up, but some were not content with running at all. Treecko fired a bullet seed at the foe, while Bagon used a dragonbreath. Meanwhile, Heracross flew after Zangoose and engaged in a vicious battle on the stairs.

“Aid me!” Grey cried. His Umbreon emerged and soon helped attack Zangoose, but Razor Leaf was prepared. He released a Kecleon, a Slowking and a Noctowl, and had them help tear the place apart, too. Meanwhile, Grey was knocked off the stage by another shadow ball and hit the ground. Valhalla struck Mightyena with a cross chop and knocked it out soon after, but Razor Leaf didn’t care. He released a Piloswine, who used an ancientpower. The glowing rocks burst from beneath the stage and showered the playhouse with splinters and debris.

“Pinball! Sharp! Edge!” Razor Leaf said jubilantly, as a Magneton, Ninjask and Shedinja emerged. “Attack!”

“Go!” Grey snapped, throwing a black-and-white Pokeball out. His Orange Charizard emerged, using his tail to swat Magneton away. Zangoose knocked Heracross out with a crush claw, and began using a bulk up attack to increase his stats as he stood, undetected on the stairwell. Umbreon raced towards Grey. Skarmory flew towards Zangoose, but a brick break sent the armor bird reeling.

“SIGN THE CONTRACT!” Razor Leaf snapped. “And we’ll go away!”

“I refuse,” Grey snarled. “Xanthios! Come and help me!”

From the next Pokeball, a hulking Metagross slammed into the ground. Grey’s Sneasel and Umbreon attacked Noctowl, using a combined quick attack and ice beam to hit it. Sol was still ripping up seats, but Treecko kept on using bullet seed to distract it. Sol turned, shooting a flurry of embers down at Treecko, knocking it back temporarily. Meanwhile, Sneasel leapt at Slowking, using a faint attack to strike it. However, Slowking fired a water pulse to push the oncoming Sneasel up into the rafters of the building. Umbreon helped Grey up, who stood in his playhouse as all hell broke loose.

“Xanthios! Psychic, in beam form!”

A beam of ethereal energy swept feverishly through the air, slamming right into Zangoose and causing a lot of damage. Abandoning the staircase, Zangoose delivered a brick break at Metagross, but it did little damage. Metagross pinned Zangoose down and used a meteor mash – a glowing foot slammed onto the Pokemon, where a resounding crack could be heard.

“Sharp, Edge! Use a double shadow ball on the roof!” Razor Leaf shouted. “Piloswine! Use earthquake to shake the foundations!”

He surveyed the scene. He saw Zangoose and Noctowl were defeated, and recalled them. Similarly, Grey recalled Heracross, Skarmory and Sneasel. His Charizard flew up to the rafters, grabbing Magneton and using seismic toss to hurl it into the ground, knocking it out. Soon, the ground began to shake wildly as Piloswine unleashed an earthquake. Many of the Pokemon stopped fighting as the majestic pillars either side of the stage curtain crumbled to the ground, and a lighting rig fell with a smash. Two shadow balls smashed into the ceiling while, unbeknownst to anybody, Karma the Kecleon used a fury swipes on the wall while camouflaging.

“This is hopeless,” Grey wept. “Valhalla!”

But his Golduck flew to his feet, knocked out by a powerful solarbeam form Sharp and Edge. Charizard got angry, swinging his flaming tail and smashing it into Edge, knocking the ghostly shell out in one hit. Likewise, Ninjask was soon defeated after a combined dragon claw and fire punch met him. Razor Leaf recalled both, nonplussed.

“Had enough?” Razor Leaf smirked. “Grey…you have one more chance to grasp at your dignity…”

“I will retain it!” Grey snapped, tears down his face. “Bagon, Treecko, attack Slowking with everything you have! Xanthios, take on Piloswine and Charizard, sort out Solrock!”

But it got worse. More flashes of light illuminated the darkening playhouse as Razor Leaf sent out Spyte the Seviper and Haf the Blaziken. Haf swung a blazing foot into the chairs, setting them alight. Soon, a small fire began to get bigger in a corner of the seating. Charizard eyed Haf and went down to fight, while Xanthios managed to defeat Piloswine with a meteor mash and a body slam combo. Razor Leaf recalled Piloswine, while Grey looked on.

“Fenrir!” he said to his Umbreon. Take on Solrock – Charizard is busy.”

Umbreon nodded and sped through the air, tackling Solrock. Solrock sent a flamethrower at Umbeon, who erected a protective shield while firing a shadow ball at the foe. When Solrock began to retaliate, Umbreon disappeared with faint attack and blasted two more shadow balls to keep Solrock out of the way. Xanthios fired off a hyper beam and knocked Slowking out, but Razor Leaf shrugged and recalled his fallen members.

Now the pace was slowing down. Charizard and Haf had their furious battle in the middle of the destroyed seating, the fire to the left getting bigger and brighter. Bagon and Treecko were both resting as their efforts to defeat Slowking had worn them out. Umbreon was battling Spyte (and, thanks to a poison tail and poison fang combo, was getting severely drained), while Metagross stood by its trainer. Razor Leaf let Haf fight without giving orders, concentrating more on defeating Umbreon.

“Return,” Grey said to Treecko and Bagon. He looked, and saw the red stripe of Kecleon shimmering in the light. He pointed at it. “Xanthios! Hyper beam!”

With no mercy, the Metagross blasted an impressive orange beam from the orange X on its grey body. The beam hurtled towards the wall, smashing into Kecleon and defeating her, while causing a huge hole in the wall. Karma dropped to the ground, out cold.

“Return,” Razor Leaf growled.

“Now, Xanthios, take care of Seviper!” said the trainer. Umbreon limped away from the battle as Metagross used a shadow ball and then a meteor mash to knock the large snake out. Razor Leaf looked in disbelief as his only Pokemon left was Haf. He recalled Spyte grudgingly and clicked his fingers. Blaziken leapt out of Charizards way and landed by his trainers side.

“Well done,” he said. “Masquerading your strategy behind tears…very effective.”

“I’m not masquerading anything,” Grey said. “Look what you’ve done to me!”

The entire playhouse was demolished. The walls were cracked and broken, with the gorgeous paint chipped and flaking. Nearly all the seats were ripped up and flung relentlessly around. The stage had holes and splinters in it, there was a hole in the back wall where Xanthios attacked Kecleon, and the curtains were ripped and torn. A huge fire roared enthusiastically from the left side of the seating.

“I suppose we didn’t need to sign the contract after all,” Razor Leaf sneered. “Tell me, Grey…does it feel as if you beat me?”

“I feel dead inside,” Grey snarled. “DEAD!”

“And yet I feel so alive,” Razor Leaf said airily. “It really is an odd world, isn’t it?”

And with that, he sauntered out of the door. Grey, seeing the fire engulf the area, quickly leapt behind the stage, which was an absolute mess. He dusted the debris off an Old Persian rug and lifted it up, where a trapdoor lay in the ground. He quickly opened it up, dashing down the ladder into the darkness. He flicked a light switch on, where a series of mural-like drawings were on the back wall. Four stone pillars held four Black-and-white Pokeballs.

“Come with me,” Grey said softly, taking the Pokeballs, along with the rest of his team. “We must leave this place.”

He got a key from his pocket and opened up a back door. It led to a dim, dark tunnel and Grey, tears streaming down his face, ran down the dark corridor, finally letting go of his emotions and sobbing loudly. The corridor was long and thin, leading to a staircase. As Grey ran up the staircase he opened up the cellar-like doors and found himself in the back alley of BT Street. Behind him, his playhouse began to burn brighter and louder than ever.

“History lies high, Chris,” he whispered. “History lies high.”


*

Meanwhile, at the approval tower, a girl was running down the stairs after having finally registered for The Pokemon Masters League. She tied her light brown hair back in a ponytail, taking care to keep some strands either side of her pretty face. Her pink polo shirt had its collar up and she wore a short denim skirt in the summery breeze. She re-tied the laces on her converse trainers, tucking them either side of her foot. This was Jenny Jackson-Smith.

“Ok Chris,” she said, smiling. “Where are you?”

[The Blue Avenger]

Whoa-ho-ho... I think I can pretty safely say that the entirety of this chapter caught me off-guard. I didn't expect Chris to be declared insane, I didn't expect Razor Leaf to destroy the theater himself (although, in retrospect, I should have seen it coming), and I didn't expect Grey to be the one who left the mysterious note.

I did expect Jenny, though. So one point for me. :P

Anyway, nicely done. Doctor Drummond-Bones was done excellently, Nurse Smiles grated my nerves (but I expect that was the point), and, well... just a great chapter overall.

[Greyfox]

Joygasm... pure joygasm. Not only because I'm a self-appreciating bigot, but that battle was incredible. A shame that Grey lost his home though... but I guess it did help get him outside more. And now I'm curious about the four black-and-white poké balls he had with him. Me thinks it's Blastoise, Dragon(air/ite), Snorlax, and whoever else you think is super awesome amazing on my team.

I also enjoyed the doctor, Dee-to-the-Bee, and crazy Nurse Smilie..., and Charnumber (as Ozzie would say) is... for lack of better word, scary. What, with her turning TML all against Chris...

But despite all this, I do have some issues, minor of course. First thing is spelling, but you're probably aware of that. Second is that Valhalla is a girl golduck... =P

That is all,

[b][i][font=Palatino Linotype]-Grey

[Andrew]

Wow, Razor Leaf's a real bastard, isn't he. I hope Chris starts to get back at him, by like, putting rose stems under his sheets so when he wakes up he'll be covered in slashes.

Nurse Smiley is a scary one...

Also, Karin and Becca's whole idea is disturbing... Poor Amy. Surely they'd know that she couldn't have been beaten by Chris, and he has no reason to...

[Wolfsong]

Yikes, things don't look so hot for me right about now. At least Chris wasn't the only one that has spotted the shadowy form of the creature. Aragornbird did as well, if i'm remembering right, that one time in an earlier chapter. Maybe that will work out to Chris's advantage in the long run. *shrugs* Although what happened to Chris was not even remotely what i was expecting. It totally surprised me. O_o at Nurse Smiles. XD at the "accusation about death by over-enthusiasm". Somehow, I don't see the hospital stay being very helpful to Chris atm. The battles were interesting and nicely written. Too bad abotu the playhouse, though. Another surprise was that the phrase that Grey uttered which was the same that was on the business card. I kind of figured that it was Jenny that was returning. Anyways, keep up the great work, and I'm looking forward to the next chapter.

[Greyfox]

Anyway, the battle between Aragornbird and Pichu is pretty well done, I like that. And Razor Leaf is getting a lot more worse. Is he going to destroy Grey's Playhouse with his Blaziken?

An old reply, but he pretty much hit the nail on the head with that one.

[b][i][font=Palatino Linotype]-Grey

[Chris 2.1]

Wow. Replies.


TBA: I'll let you in on something TBA. This general monster saga has come out of nowhere - I never planned for the monster to be looked at in more detail for a long time. I just felt if I leave it too long, you'll all get bored of it so I decided to shed more light on it. Or I will. Next Chapter *cough*.

Anyway I had a problem, which was adressing the monster storyline and also fitting in Grey and Razor Leaf (originally Ch10 and 11 were a ferocious 5-5 between the two characters in BT Street, but I shifted it back as it had less priority). What was originally going to be a short scene demonstrating Grey's resilliance exploded into a massive battle which tied up some loose ends nicely :).

So by putting Chris out of action (the Jolly Japes Hospital thing) I managed to sort things out. Huzzah! I'm surprised you didn't suspect Grey - I think Charles Legend came to the conclusion Grey lodged the business card in Chris' hair (just so you know, its of a shaggy, rock-star length) in Chapter 8.

I'm glad you liked the characters of Jolly Japes - Nurse Smiles and Dr Drummond-Bone. I'm also very pleased this chapter was fun to read and enjoyable :)


Grey: Where will Grey go now? He seemed to need those 4 Pokeballs badly...are they a weapon he can implement against Razor Leaf, or a way for him to recover from the loss of his playhouse? What will he plan now the vendetta has thickened....will he plan anything at all? And some of those guesses are correct...did you notice his Charizard had a similar coloured Pokeball? ;)

I dont think Karin turned Becca against Chris. I think she tried to look at the bigger picture. The two (karin particularly) have been in TPML for a long time - talk of a monster at Ivy Lake (which itself has been hidden, apparently) is just bizzarre. Her priorities are in the right place, after all. It's just a good dynamic to have the reality of the situation appear, in retrospect, quite unbelievable.

Also sorry about Valhalla :D


Andrew: He is rather, but don't judge him harshly. A man wiser than anyone here once said "Anger is of the most unpure of the emotions. It is simply a mask worn over other, subliminal feelings we might have." It is a very true statement, and if it is to be believed....then what is Razor Leaf masking with his anger? You'll find out!

I think Becca wants to believe Amy is alive, but Karins story fits. It does make sense really...but the longer they wait, the less chance poor Amy has...I wonder, will she survive?


Wolfsong: And Andrew fought Taillow and Spearow, after which the monster arrived. I wonder if Andrew or Liang/Aragornbird will lend a hand in the situation? Haha Chris hasn't exactly landed on his feet, has he! This really has thrown a spanner in the works as he knows he is telling the truth and a life is hanging in the balance. And yes....the business card message. What does Grey want Chris to do?

Jenny has returned...eek!


Grey: Yea, quite odd that because as I said above, I hadn't initially planned for Razor Leaf to cause chaos and set fire to the building via his Blaziken. But whaddya no.


Ok! Ch12. Jenny is back in TPML and desperately seeks her boyfriend, who is still locked in Jolly Japes Hospital under the supervision of dangerously happy Nurse Smiles and unwaveringly dry Drummond-Bones. Becca and Karin begin to consider the fact that their story might not make sense when Amy never returns from Ivy Woods.

[Charizard04621]

Hahahaha, ruthless and manipulative! Yes!

Still wondering about the monster and Amy though, time to wait I suppose.

It would be unlikely, but maybe Grey will decide to room with Chris and Razor Leaf... Imagine the tension, it would be funny =D

[darktyranitar]

I figured out that Jenny would be the newcomer, and I did guessed that Grey put the nore on Chris's hair. But Chris got put in the hospital, and Razor Leaf destroying Grey's Playhouse was not what I expected. It's disturbing on what Becca and Karin thinks of Chris. I mean, he's a pretty nice guy so far.

Amy's dissapearance was a bit intriguing. What was causing the bang in the forest before the monster attack? I have this idea that the monster is own by someone, and that person try to eliminate any eyewitness, but leave Chris because he/she knows that nobody would believe him.

...or maybe I'm thinking too much. I might be a bit crazy.

Doc D-to-the-B is dead boring, and Nurse Smiles is scary. Wonder how Chris would make it through the hospital. Imagine Jenny finding him lying on the bed, and treated as a crazy person...

ASB wouldn't be the same after this...

[Andrew]

I forgot about the mist when i turned up! Have chris try get a heap of people to take on the monster like liang and andrew<who'd be sure to take pics so he'd post it on his lj for attention.> and girafarig after tml tells everyone chris is a dangerous liar through the vs. there is also NO EXCUSE for treating people poorly so razor needs to get over his issues. Maybe have the eon sisters and jenny organize a speed dating thingie lol.

[Chris 2.1]

Karin: You will not have to wait too long. Haha Grey, Dan AND Chris? What a sitcom-style situation. Will Grey tell anybody Dan burned the playhouse down, or does Dan have an alibi?

Darktyranitar: Hmm I wonder. Whatever the case is, it seems the monster is working with something. Is it the leader of the wild Pokemon in the area, able to command them at will? Or is it more than a simple creature....could it be a machine?

An interesting theory about Chris. After all TPML is a business and its in many peoples interest (mainly the board of goveners, who are Becca's 'bosses' so to speak) to keep this business running smoothly. Talk of a missing body and a monster would cause people to leave. Chris being in hospital is an ideal oppertunity for Jenny to get Chris where he cant run off.

Andrew: Hmm sounds like a good idea. But then again, Karin and Becca made sure Chris couldnt go spreading the news about Amy. I wonder if ASB will duke it out against the monster? Does Greys clue help the monster, perhaps?

Hmm Jenny and the Eon sisters. I can't see them getting on :(




Also the Silver Pencils are coming up guys! VOTE VOTE VOTE (for this FIC FIC FIC)

[Silencer]

I liked this chapter (especially the part where nurse Smiles had to go to court XD). For me the action was kind of hectic but it was kinda intrudused with the word chaos. Don't know it you ment to do that. I'm guessing the board should miss Wolfsong but who knows. Maybe they'll just think she left this particulair area. So this would probably lead up to either an epic battle between chris and the monster or Wolfsong somehow managed to tame the beast and she'll just return.

Also am I gonna be in it? I'll probably gonna be a big winno since I kept nagging about the reffings. I'm betting the reffing tower has a picture of me where refs can shoot darts at XD.

[Chris 2.1]

Silencer: Yea haha sometimes the made up characters are the most fun. Yea the crossword was a sort of hint as to what is to come. This may happen in the future with Grey, so keep your eyes peeled for any subliminal hints! Hmm Wolfsongs dissapearence would be odd since she doesnt have a VS Seeker so nobody could confirm the story. Remember in LOTR, Gandalf ended up taming the monster that attacked him....but would I copy such blatancy? Probably :P

I havent planned for you to be in it yet but thats because I dont see much of you in ASB. I can confirm the following characters have chapters named after them:

-Jenny (under her new TPML username)
-Crystal Tears
-Chris Watarimono
-The Blue Avenger (Mini-saga...this one is interesting)
-Razor Leaf (Act II)
-Aragornbird (Previously had a chapter with Pichu)
-Syberia
-Knight of Time (Still in development)
-UuberFred (gasp!)


Some origins are still sketchy but for TBA Mini-Saga I can't reveal chapter names as it would just spoil so much :P. I have a lot planned, but some people may get short cameos.

[Mega Horny]

I'm a latecomer, but I love the fic and have become addicted, i hope fore new additions and erhaps a personal cameo if you can fit it in.

[darktyranitar]

Hehe Mega Horny, I was having that kind of thought. Yeah, it would be lucky if some of us newby can appear as cameo in this fic :biggrin:. Ultimately, it all depend on Chris.

UuberFred is going to get a chapter of his own!? Wonder what it would be like. Will it be as mundane as he is?

And yes, the Silver Pencils award is coming! Vote for this fic, readers!
Don't worry Chris, this fic has gained quite a lot amount of reader that I'm sure they will vote for this fic :smilie:.

[Crystal Tears]

Lol. Still going I see?

Yay! I get to be in it! *dances*

Very nice Chris! Descriptions, battles, rivals (RL steals toothbrushes... o.O) , and overall an excellent fic.

P.S- Sorry about the toothbrush comment. But that part got me << even if has nothing to do with the latest chapter.

[RaZoR LeAf]

OMG! I love Razor Leaf so much. I wouldn't say i'm as ruthless and evil as that, but I do have a mean streak, and I suppose I could act like that. But Chris assures me, that we'll learn why he's such a bastard eventually. And 04621, that was great "In case of emergency", fantastic. "Do you have an evil twin?" Real laugh out loud moment. Nice to see more of my team coming out to play.

[Charles Legend]

I think Charles Legend came to the conclusion Grey lodged the business card in Chris' hair.
It was I who saiad that...

anyays nice chaphter and the Destuction of Gray's playhouse was not just Chaos but more like the playhouse was hit by Shadow's Chaos blast... ;) (man I been playing to much shadow the heghog, but more so of LOZ the Miinish Cap...)

~Charles legend

[Chris 2.1]

Mega: I can't make any promises and hate to get too far ahead of myself but we can try and fit you in somewhere :D

darktyranitar: I think that, while UuberFreds character is funny because of his 2D-ness, it will be a challange to explore it and base a chapter around him and his team.

Crystal Tears: Haha thanks for the comment. Yes Crystal Tears is going to be in, but I've been rescheduling her appearence for AGES. You'll see why it is important where she fits in in terms of story progress. Characters need to have reached certain points in terms of development, and others need to arrive in TPML.

Dan: That's right, Dan has subliminal emotions we need to adress, which will be looked into in the bastards second Character-based Chapter coming soon. I'm glad you enjoyed the humour, mixed in with the very serious issue about Amy. And yes this was an ideal chance to show off more of your team.

Charles: Yea chaos was a nice hint and foreshadowed what is to come. Look for more of this, particularly with Grey, in the future

[MeLoVeGhOsTs]

YAY for the newbies. More cameos =D This fic is going great, I hope to read more. I can't really explain much off my feelings towards the fic, because it is already been said.

[Silencer]

Silencer I havent planned for you to be in it yet but thats because I dont see much of you in ASB. I can confirm the following characters have chapters named after them:



The reason you haven't seen me active in ASB is because, well simply, a couple of reasons

No cash
No bussinesses (I had one in my old life)
No really big pokémon yet and
I'm only active in battles as a trainer, never as a ref (no time)

That reminds me. YOU STOLE MY EG CENTER IDEA! I used to be dragon684 and I had the mysterious egg central thingy going on b4 the ASB reset ^^

[Chris 2.1]

Hey guys Ch12 is here! Monster-fuelled action awaits!




Chapter Twelve
04621: Part 2


“Terrible…absolutely terrible.”

Karin was reading the newspaper two days after the incident at Grey’s Playhouse, where it explained youths had been seen setting alight to the building before running off. Becca came into the room with a coffee.

“I remember The Arbiter quite well,” she said to Karin. “I wonder what he’d say when he found out about his playhouse…”

“Oh, it says Razor Leaf witnessed it here,” Karin mused. “He was overseeing some construction work in BT Street when it happened. He must have given the eyewitness account.”

“Poor Daniel,” Becca said. “You know, him and Grey were very good friends.”

“They were?”

“More of a teacher-student relationship between them, if you ask me,” Becca went on. “Even though Grey is barely five years older than Daniel. It must have been hard for Daniel to talk about seeing it burn down.”

“It’s not like Grey died, though,” Karin pointed out. “Where is he now, anyway?”

“He…just left, we don’t know where he went, about a year ago,” Becca sighed. “That’s why I introduced VS Seekers, so you could keep a track of people. Grey always complained he could never work them…maybe if he learnt how to use one, we would know where he went.”

“Maybe,” Karin replied, who didn’t seem too fussed about Grey. “I might head down BT Street and see how the Hall is coming along. Daniel said the work was going very well indeed.”

“Where is Amy?” Becca asked. “She hasn’t come back yet.”

“I know,” Karin replied.

“You said she’d be back,” Becca snapped.

“Well blaming things on me won’t make her appear here Becca, will it?” Karin retorted. “We’ll have to just wait.”

“No,” Becca replied.

“What?”

“I’m going to see Chris,” Becca decided. “To ask him what he can remember.”

“He can’t remember anything, Becca, because he made it up!” Karin replied hotly. “Honestly, it’s easy to tell that.”

“I’d agree with you normally,” Becca admitted. “But there’s one glaring problem.”

“Oh?”

“Amy has disappeared.”

Becca slammed the door and left the Tower. Karin sighed, putting the paper down and grabbing her Pokeball belt. She waited until she saw Becca striding purposefully across the main square of the village before she left herself.


*

Hospital was…fun. In case you can’t tell, I’m being oh-so sarcastic. Jolly Japes Hospital is pretty awful. It got even worse when Uuberfred was admitted after his Pokemon attacked him in a match. Apparently they were under confusion, but I think they realised their trainer is a total jerk. There was also a guy admitted sitting opposite me, who was white as a sheet. Apparently, reading between Nurse Smiles sugar-coated speech, he was attacked in the street and suffered a lot of injuries.

“X…it was X…” groaned the man. He was around Razor Leaf’s age, give or take. “An almighty X…”

Anyway with Nurse Smiles being found innocent at her court hearing she was back, telling me hilarious jokes left right and center. When I asked her for a suicide pill she chuckled and gave me a lollipop. Damnit I’m 17!

“So then I realised ‘Fred, you have a gift!’ and pursued my goal,” Uuberfred said. “And I said to dad ‘Dad, I know you’ll go mad but I have to leave to pursue my goal!’ And do you know what he said?”

I chose not to answer.

“Chris? Do you know what he said?”

Again, I stayed quiet.

“He said ‘Fred, you have my talent and nobility running through your vines –”

“Don’t you mean veins?” I asked.

“Yes, yes,” he spluttered. “Anyway he said ‘Fred, go and avenge me!’ so I came here!”

“Avenge?”

“YES! Weren’t you listening?”

“Erm…” I mumbled, when Nurse Smiles waddled in again. She was carrying a parcel about the size of a small television. It seemed quite light. She bustled in, singing to herself.

“Ooh – eeh – ooh-ahh-ahh, ting, tang, wallawallabingbang!” she giggled. I threw her a disgusted look, before realizing the package was for me. “This came for you, Chris! Ooooh! I wonder what it is?”

“Me too,” I admitted. Nurse Smiles pretended to tend to Uberfred while watching me with a round eye. I opened it up, noticing it just said ‘Chris’ on the front. Inside it was full of polystyrene curls...I rummaged around for a while until I found something inside. I pulled out a slightly smaller box, setting the first one on the floor. At that point, Nurse Smiles perked up and, like a hungry dog examined every angle of the discarded box, keen to unearth some clues.

“Go away,” I snarled, and she did so, waddling off. I opened up the next box, finding polystyrene grains this time and after feeling around, found yet another, slightly smaller box. I set the second down and proceeded to open the third.

On and on this went, until I found a small box at the very end the size of a large match box. Inside was a thick laminated card with familiar words written on them:

History Lies High

“What is it?” Uuberfred asked. “Is it some sort of destiny-related clue?”

“No,” I replied. “Just a reminder.”

“Sounds interesting,” Fred said.

“Well…not really,” I replied. I sighed and placed the card down, thinking to myself. What was going on with the mysterious card? Who sent it, and why did they send it again? Was this perhaps a clue that I needed to have deciphered its meaning by now? Either way, this didn’t help me in the slightest, and me being in hospital wouldn’t exactly be efficient towards solving the riddle.

Not too long after the ‘thrill’ of another mysterious message, I was greeted again by Doctor Drummond-Bones who, certain I made the monster up, quizzed me about my past in a vain effort to discover why I lied. But I didn’t.

“Do you have any…Mormons in your family?” he asked me.

“No,” I replied. “Why?”

“Oh, just building on a theory,” he replied nonchalantly. “I’m working on a conspiracy theory about Mormons and was curious.”

At that point, Becca walked firmly into the ward, ignoring Uuberfred (who greeted her heartily) and wrenching the curtains that were drawn around my bed.

“Chris,” she said.

“Excuse me,” Doctor Drummond-Bone gibbered. “This is a psychotherapy session! You can’t just barge in.”

“Yes I can,” Becca replied. “Chris, you need to come with me.”

“What’s going on?” I asked.

“Amy…I want to know everything that happened.”

“Oh,” I replied coldly. “So now you believe me?”

“I’m sorry for sending you here…” Becca began.

“My head’s fine now,” I explained, referring to the wound I got. “But I can’t leave because everybody thinks I’m CRAZY!”

“If you help me, I’ll get you discharged from here,” Becca said, her words quick and jumbled, her tone urgent.

“You will do no such thing!” replied the Doctor.

“Shut up!” Becca snapped. “Uuberfred needs you.”

And with that, the Doctor leapt to the boy’s bed. It seemed his Swinub had popped out his Pokeball and frozen the poor boy to his bed.

“Amy still hasn’t been found,” Becca said desperately. “And I’m starting to believe your story now.”

“You should have believed me when I told you the first time!” I snapped.

“I know,” replied Becca. “Please, Chris, won’t you tell me what happened?”

“All I remember was going down there with Amy…she sent out Jolteon and Bayleef to attack if anything came close to the lake. Then the mist arrived, and clouded our vision. Amy recalled her Pokemon and my Poliwhirl and Electabuzz were defeated by attacks flying out of the fog,” I explained. “Then…there was an explosion…behind me, where you and Karin came from. I turned to see what caused it, and the monster used a swift attack and it knocked me to the ground.”

“Then you were knocked out…correct?” Becca asked.

“Yes,” I repeated.

“I suppose…” Becca began. “I suppose it could be true…”

“It is true!” I snapped.

“There are some issues we need to address,” Becca said slowly. “If the noise in the forest was an explosion, it’s safe to assume this ‘monster’ isn’t working alone and it may be under the control of a trainer in the village.”

“You honestly think someone would allow a girl to get kidnapped?” I asked, bemused.

“We need to act on that assumption,” Becca replied. “But if Amy was dragged underwater…”

“She won’t be alive,” I continued. “She’d drown.”

I began thinking to myself…last time I was at Ivy Lake, the Monster fired a hyper beam at me…was that a warning? Had the monster taken Amy because I hadn’t stayed away? I decided not to confide to Becca about my suspicions.

“Whatever the case,” Becca said. “The monster needs to be dealt with. It took Amy from us and we need to stop it.”

“I agree,” I said.

“Doctor!” Becca shouted, ripping the curtain apart. “I am discharging Chris. His story checks out, and I want him out of this hospital.”

“Very well,” Doctor Drummond-Bones said dryly. “I suppose this boy will have to fight his demons alone.”

“I AM NOT CRAZY!” I roared.

And, Becca by my side, I walked out of Jolly Japes Hospital, glad to be out of there. Nurse Smiles, who was now tending to Uberfred, was too busy waving at me to notice that she was suffocating Uuberfred with his own pillow. I was glad to leave the horrible hospital and finally get to helping Amy. I heard the other patient’s cries of “X! X!” even as I wandered down the corridor.

However, little did I realize, Jenny soon came into the Hospital with a bunch of flowers and a box of chocolates.

“Excuse me,” she said sweetly. “I heard ‘Brit Chris’ is here. Could you tell me where?”

“Sorry,” replied a grim nurse. “He was dismissed…only five or ten minutes ago.”

“DAMNIT!” snapped Jenny, hurling the flowers to the ground. She froze, cleared her throat, and looked at the nurse. “Ahem. Thank you very much.”


*

Soon, Becca and I were walking through the main square of TPML Village. She seemed irritated and carried a sense of urgency. She had tapped out a few messages on her VS Seeker and was sending them out.

“So…we’re going to the lake, right?” I said.

“Yes,” Becca replied firmly. “I just need to bring in the cavalry first.”

“What?”

Becca chose not to answer my question, but instead wandered on through the square until we arrived at the entrance to Ivy Woods. Standing there was Karin, gripping a Pokeball.

“I got your message,” Karin said. “I wanted to battle now I’m back…and I’ll settle for battling the monster that took Amy from us.”

It seemed that Karin was as close with Amy as Becca had been. Becca and Karin shared a moment of fuelled determination before asking me to lead them through the woods to Ivy Lake. I recalled seeing them run to the Lake with Chiron the Starmie, and assumed they had the starshape Pokemon teleport them to the middle of the forest, where they looked and looked until they heard my shouting.

I was getting better at finding the elusive lake, and proceeded to walk on through the overgrowth with Becca and Karin behind me. I was very keen to see Karin battle, as I had not seen any of her Pokemon yet (I could check on my VS Seeker, but I wasn’t quite sure how), and since Becca rarely battled, this was an idea opportunity. With Mankey, Magby and Sneasel with me, I wondered how Electabuzz and Poliwhirl were doing as they recovered in the Pokemoncenter.

“Are we close yet?” Karin asked me. I gave a nod as we continued on. Soon, the trees thinned out, and we were on the slight ridge overlooking the pebbled shore of the gentle lake. The sunlight shone down on the reflection of the glassy water, and both Becca and Karin gripped Pokeballs.

“Kill it,” Becca growled. “Whatever comes at us, attack with everything we have.”

Again, Karin gave a nod.

“Chris, stay out of this,” Becca told me. “Your stronger team members were hurt badly…I’d dread to think what would happen if your less-experienced members fought off.”

“It might not come,” I warned the two elite members. “When I came here with Liang for the second time, the Monster never arrived.”

“We need to be prepared, though,” Karin said, hurling two Pokeballs out. “Legacy! Aurvandil!”

A sleek, slender Dragonair emerged first, just in the shallowest parts of the water. He looked like a symbol of divine beauty – the firm horn on his head, the sleek, streamlined ear-like wings, coupled with the thick, flexible snake-like body and the cobalt shade. Just in front of Karin emerged Aurvandil, the Gengar. I had never seen either of these Pokemon up close, and with the latter, was surprised at how odd it looked. It was a deep, deep purple, although at times, depending on the light, it seemed a plum colour, and other times seemed translucent altogether. The sinister Pokemon scanned the area with his big, red eyes and gave a small cackle.

“My Pokemon and I,” Karin began. “Have had sufficient experience together to know how to adapt the situation suitably. In other words, I rarely speak out my orders. If my foe doesn’t know what is coming, then they cannot prepare to defend.”

She gave a sly grin, and I could appreciate why she was so well-known for her battling. Becca raised her eyebrows, perhaps telling me she had heard this before, while releasing Chiron the Starmie and Nightshade the Alakazam.

“Are you ready?” Becca asked Karin, who gave a docile nod. “Alakazam! Kinesis – I want you to detect where the monster is in the lake. Chiron, use calm mind.”

The beautiful Starmie’s core pulsated in a variety of colours as an odd, feminine crooning could be heard. Using the two powerful spoons that his species wielded, Alakazam scanned the lake and began to try detecting the presence of a foe.

“Kazam!” Alakazam said alarmingly.

“What is it?” Becca asked. Legacy began to dive underwater, in order to investigate the problem. Karin watched, seemingly nervous about what was to happen. Chiron still boosted its psychic abilities using calm mind, until Becca had decided that it had charged sufficiently.

“Look out!” I cried. Up above, there was a loud screech as a Swellow and Fearow swept through the air. I suddenly recognized these two as the evolved forms of the Pokemon Andrew and I battled long ago. “Those Pokemon are here to attack you!”

“How do you know?” Becca asked.

“I’ve battled them…in their lower forms,” I mumbled.

“There could be a flock of them living by,” Karin said. “Spearow were very common in Ivy Woods, I recall.”

“They’re no doubt angry about their territory being invaded,” said Becca. “Karin, keep them at bay – you can handle them easier.”

Karin nodded, giving a shrill whistle to get Aurvandil’s attention, before pointing to the dive-bombing Pokemon. The Gengar gave a nod, sweeping up through the air as each fist crackled with electricity. Golden bolts of lightening swept from each ghostly palm and struck the flying Pokemon with ease. Swellow swept downwards, curving and spinning around Aurvandil. Karin’s Pokemon retaliated by sweeping down and hurling two balls of flame, which missed Swellow and hit the less-agile Fearow.

“Good work,” Karin called. Fearow opened its beak and fired a swift attack, but the glowing stars swept through the ghost-type and into Swellow. Swellow distracted Gengar with a double team, while Fearow swept down towards me. Becca was too busy, so I grabbed three Pokeballs and sent my team out.

“Sneasel, icy wind if it comes close!”

“Nightshade, have you located it?” Becca asked. Fearow flew to her from behind as she overlooked her Alakazam’s search, but Chiron the Starmie retaliated with a powerful thunderbolt, dancing on the spot and sending a crackling bolt to shock the bird.

“Kazam! Kazam!” Alakazam cried.

“Karin! Nightshade has found something underwater,” Becca said. “Finish those two off!”

“Sneasel, attack!” I cried. Firing a beam of pearly ice, Sneasel struck Fearow, who, already shocked by Starmie, was weakening. Aurvandil fired off another double thunderbolt and managed to strike the crane as well. Then, the Gengar’s eyes glowed an eerie colour as pulsating sparks littered his body. Sneasel fired off a blizzard, sending the sweeping icy particles to strike Fearow further. Following that, Aurvandil blasted a massive thunder, sending the canon of electric pulsations at both the bird Pokemon. In a reverberating crash, both the Fearow and Swellow were defeated by the powerful attacks. Aurvandil flew to Karin’s side, while Sneasel, Magby and Mankey scampered over to me. Chiron and Nightshade were with Becca.

“Right,” Karin said. “LEGACY! Get back up here!”

After a few moments of chilling silence, the slinky Dragonair swam back up to the cool, clear surface. His head emerged, and his eyes focused on his trainer.

“Did you see the monster, too?” Karin asked. Legacy nodded. “Good. I want you to coax it up here for us – Chiron will help.”

Legacy plunged under water again, and Chiron leapt up and broke the waters surface, following the slender dragon. The two Pokemon ventured deep beneath the shadowy water to find the monster and get it to emerge.

“Are you sure this will work?” I asked weakly. Becca pulled out two more Pokeballs and hurled them forward, where the respected Pokemon took form next to Nightshade the Alakazam.

“Apollo!” cried Becca, as a Venusaur emerged. I gasped in shock at the humongous sight before me – the final form of the Bulbasaur line, the toad-like creature had hulking thick warts on its leathery hide. A huge flower bloomed on its back, as did thick, jungle leaves. It looked menacing. Next to Apollo was Lyra, the Absol, who I battled a long time ago back home. “Lyra!”

“Hey Lyra,” I said. “Remember me?”

Lyra gave me a coy smile. The four big Pokemon (Becca’s Alakazam, Venusaur and Absol, together with Karin’s Gengar) waited on the pebbled shore for any sign of the monster. Mankey, Magby and Sneasel all stood by me.

“Lyra, use swords dance. Calm mind, Nightshade. Apollo, use growth.”

Becca’s respected Pokemon charged up their abilities, each focusing on specific stats. I liked the way Becca was using this time to charge her Pokemon’s batteries like this. Karin simply stood there, arms folded, Aurvandil by her side.

It wasn’t that long before bubbles appeared on the surface of the lake, and the three of us realized that something was to emerge. As we stood in anticipation, a loud roar rumbled from beneath the water, and Chiron sped upwards, piercing the gentle surface of the water and spinning through the air. In a flash, the star-shape Pokemon had landed by Becca. Seconds later, Dragonair emerged from the water, sliding to the shore by Karin.

“Is it coming?” Karin asked. Legacy gave a nod as another roar was emitted. I noticed a light haze lifting from the lake, curling across the shore and spreading towards us. The eerie mist was perpetual and odd, but I knew we needed to see through it to get to the monster. This was it. The Monster had woken up.

“Kensei!” Karin shouted, and in a flash a brave-looking Scyther emerged. “Clear the mist! Legacy, come back to your Pokeball.”

Legacy gave a nod as the red light absorbed him. Kensei was sweeping through the mist while spinning at a high speed, charging his attack stat and siphoning the fog. The shadowy form emerging from the lake was still shrouded in a lot of the mist, which seemed difficult to clear.

“The monster is here!” Karin cried.

“Apollo, hyper beam!” Becca shouted. “Fire off a slash, Lyra, and Nightshade, use a psychic in beam form. Chiron, use a thunderbolt and aim for the water by the creatures legs.”

In bright, vivid flashes, the attacks were released. An orange beam of supercharged energy whooshed out of Apollo’s large flower. It was soon aided by a glowing blade of energy released from Lyra’s head. The two attacks were followed by a rainbow coloured beam of psychic energy which Nightshade projected from his spoons. The attacks soared into the mist, where they smashed into the large shadowy figure.

“We did it!” Becca said, as Chiron sent a delicate string of crackling electricity towards the water. There was a sharp snap as the water conducted the electricity and all the inhabitants of the lake were dealt damage.

“This is working, guys!” I shouted. Karin’s Scyther, Kensei, was swirling around rapidly, trying to clear the mist. It seemed to finally work, as the mist was being siphoned high up into the air and the shape was getting stronger and stronger.

“The mist is clearing!” Karin shouted, as Kensei span around wildly. Soon the huge creature emerged from the misty veil. It was huge, like nothing I had ever seen before. It was a Dragonite. The Pokemon was only told of in legends, and difficult to raise. The huge, golden brown dragon with its thick, powerful tail and normally docile expression was fuming as it charged up a hyper beam in its mouth.

“A Dragonite?” Becca asked. “We can run a scan on TPML’s database to see who owns one.”

“Owns one?” I asked.

“It’s either been abandoned by an old trainer or still under possession by someone,” Becca explained. “We need to find out why it’s here. Apollo! Hold it still with vine whip. Nightshade, give it a severe headache and Lyra, unleash a blizzard!”

The Dragonite gave a long roar as Apollo’s thick, creeper-like vines snapped around its waist, immobilizing him. Not long after that, an ethereal glow began to engulf the behemoth, whose head was pounding hard as Nightshade inflicted mental stress on the creature.

“Abusoru!” came Lyra’s Amazonian cry as a huge wave of sweeping ice crystals picked up and attacked Dragonite. The Monster thrashed around, but Apollo was holding on tight. It seemed the dragon unleashed an electric attack, which conducted down Apollo’s vines and shocked the Venusaur, but it did little damage.

“Aurvandil, get in there,” Karin purred. The Gengar swooped up through the air, charging up static electricity in his ghostly palms. Two bolts crackled across to the large Dragonite and struck it in the eyes, where it gave a long moan and fired a hyper beam. It passed through Gengar and smashed right into Apollo.

“Retalliate! Razor wind!” Becca shouted. The harsh, sharp winds whipped around Dragonite and grazed its soft body. Dragonite flapped its wings to break the wind up and blasted an ice beam towards Apollo. The Venusaur watched, not having the speed to evade. Luckily, Chiron and Nightshade used a combined psychic attack to redirect the beam into the shore, where it glazed over the pebbles and encased them in ice.

“Chiron, you’re drained,” Becca noted, as the gem of her starshape Pokemon flashed on and off. “Return.”

I watched all of this from the bank, Sneasel, Mankey and Magby at my side. Just then, I heard a rustling in the bushes. Peering into the darkness behind me, I looked to see what made the noise.

“Kraw!”

It was a dark-as-night Murkrow, staring at me with beady eyes. It was quite a cool Pokemon, I thought to myself, with its glaringly yellow beak and neat feathers. It stared at me, before suddenly flapping up and sweeping forward.

”Sneasel!” I shouted. In a flash my weasel leapt in front of me and dealt a stunning ice punch to the mockingbird, sending it reeling. Murkrow flapped backwards, regaining his poseur, before flying at me again. Sneasel leapt at the bird, grabbing its tail feathers and swinging it around.

“Kraw!” it cried, trying to charge a shadow ball up. But Sneasel let go, sending the bird reeling into a tree. Mankey leapt forward, his tail shimmering as he swung an iron tail into the birds back, probably dislocating it.

“Good work guys,” I said, as we all went onto the shore so we weren’t such easy targets for weirdo birds in the forest.

Up ahead, Apollo was looking defeated while Aurvandil, Nightshade and Lyra continued the assault on the Dragonite. It was easily weakening, so as Becca recalled Apollo she focused more on hurting the monster.

“Nightshade, are you ok?” Becca asked. Nightshade was gasping for breath. “Take a few minutes break. Lyra, another swords dance before using a hyper beam. Aim for the wound on Dragonite’s side.”

Aurvandil fired continuous bolts of electricity towards Dragonite, who was severely weakening. Now unable to defend, he let the bolts char his hide and send electricity coursing through his veins. Lyra’s powered up beam of orange energy swept through the air, while Becca coaxed Nightshade into continuing the match.

“Disable it,” she hissed. Alakazam caused an odd, dull rattling beam of grey energy to wrap around Dragonite and drain its strength even more.

“It’s weakening!” I shouted.

“Galadriel!” Karin cried, grabbing a new Pokeball. A large Blissey emerged, her pink curls tightly wound. A large egg, bulging with energy sat in a pouch at her front. I had seen these Pokemon work in Pokemoncenters. “Galadriel, use a softboiled to heal everyone!”

I saw as Galadriel sent big glowing eggs bouncing across to Nightshade, Aurvandil and Lyra. They had received heavy damage earlier, but the monster was attacking less and less now. It was weak.

“Galadriel, assist the battle!” Karin said. Holding her stubby arms a foot or so apart, Galadriel fired a series of large, exploding eggs, which sped at Dragonite and began peppering him around the chest area. Dragonite held his arms up in protest, but it was evident he was almost defeated.

“Ok everybody,” Becca called. “Power up and unleash final attacks! Nightshade, ensnare it with thunder wave and attack with a psychic attack again. Lyra, unleash an ice beam!”

A crackling web of electricity was spun from the two metal spoons Nightshade carried. I watched as this web wound around Dragonite, sparking and crackling devilishly. The creature was weak, that was for sure, and as I saw it whine and struggle to break free from the cage of sparks and electricity, a beam of psychic energy struck the monster hard in the face.

Dragonite gave a long, hearty cry of pain as Lyra fired off a pearly-white beam of pure ice. It was thick and strong, glistening beautifully as it slammed into the exact place Nightshade’s attack had hit. I knew Becca’s Pokemon must be very synchronized with each other, and compared this with my team, who seemed to dislike each other quite a lot.

Aurvandil fired off more thunderbolts, grinning widely as they charred Dragonite’s skin. Galadriel fired an ice beam and slammed it into the huge monster, and as the Dragonite cried in protest, the Pokemon all fired off an immense, orange hyper beam to sear through the air, lighting the sky and smashing into the foe. Swaying in the lake, Dragonite gave a crooning gasp as we stood there, watching in awe.

Then, Dragonite fell forward with an almighty crash, still with ankles in the water, face on the rough surface of the cobbled shore. Karin stood there, Galadriel before her and Aurvandil floating by her side. Becca, with Nightshade and Lyra, watched the Dragonite and I stood further back, with Sneasel, Magby and Mankey, intrigued about the monster and even more confused about the Murkrow that attacked us. I noticed it had disappeared.

“We did it…” Becca said. “Karin, make sure Dragonite doesn’t leave here. It’s owner may try and recall it. Set up a perimeter with your Pokemon and keep your eyes peeled.”

Karin released Scyther again, as well as a huge, burly Nidoking and a Sneasel. I noticed my Sneasel staring at this one with intrigue. It was slightly bigger, with sharper claws and (if possible) more of a quiet-to-be-cool demeanor. The Pokemon all gathered around Dragonite and kept it secure. I took this chance to recall the three members of my team.

“Thanks for your help, Chris,” Becca said. She looked sad, definitely because of Amy. “We couldn’t save Amy…but we can put a stop to the creature that did this to her.”

“What are you going to do with it?” I asked. “Kill it?”

“This Dragonite did not act alone,” Becca explained. “And judging from our sources, Karin and I think someone (most likely a trainer) is controlling it. We are noting down the Pokemon inhabiting the area; Swellow and Fearow, the Murkrow you battled, as well as Dragonite. We’re going to draw up suspects as soon as we can.”

“That’s good,” I said. “Amy deserves to be…”

“Avenged,” said Becca, finishing my sentence. “But please, Chris, don’t tell anybody of her death. It’s a very mysterious occurrence, and we need to avert suspicion. When we have found someone responsible, we will alert people of it.”

“Ok,” I replied.

“Nightshade can teleport you away to the village,” Becca told me, and her Alakazam stepped forward. “There’s nothing else to see here.”

I nodded as Nightshade projected a purple aura to ensnare me. Soon the dreary Ivy Lake dissolved and my senses alerted me to a completely new place. This wasn’t the village at all…it was Crush Quarry! I sighed in disbelief. Nightshade’s fatigue probably caused its lapse in judgment. I hadn’t actually been to Crush Quarry for quite some time. I wandered across the dusty landscape, seeing a few trainers with their Pokemon. There was one boy I recognized as Chris W…I wasn’t sure I knew all that much about him, but he had a pair of retro headphones around his neck, commanding a Mudkip to battle against a wild Larvitar.

I suddenly stopped when I saw a familiar Pokemon standing in front of me. Eating some dark purple berries which were wedged onto his many needles, the round, green Cacnea stood there innocently. He was watching me with his big eyes.

Fumbling in my pocket, I pulled out a little Pokeball and maximized it. I had enough Pokeballs this time to ensure the Pokemon would be mine this time!

“Hey Cacnea,” I said casually, strumming my fingers against the Pokeball.




Next Chapter:

-Chris finds himself the victim of a cruel street magician
-Becca and Karin find a suspect in the Ivy Lake case
-Jenny searches desperately for her boyfriend!
-And Chris finds himself back to square 1...

[The Blue Avenger]

Oh man, I love Uuberfred now. XD His dialogue at the beginning was brilliant. Drummond-Bones' comments about Mormons were good as well...

Heh, I knew it was a Dragonite all along. Amy is alive and will capture the Dragonite. Of this, I am irrefutably certain. It'll be interesting to see how this plays out, though.

Also: "Chris finds himself the victim of a cruel street magician." For some reason, that strikes me as incredibly hilarious.

[Wolfsong]

Wow, Another great chapter. I laughed when i read about the Swinub had popped out his Pokeball and froze Uuberfred to his bed. I was right about the dragonite. I'm not sure if i ever said anything but that's what i always thoguht that it was. Anyways, looking forward to the next chapter.

[Chris 2.1]

Replies? You guys are quick XD


TBA: Yea expect the right dose of UuberFred in the coming weeks. He won't be featured too much, but he will be given ample spotlight. Hmm yea Drummond-Bones and his conspiracies. And Nurse Smiles is innocent!...whoo-hoo?!

And the monster is finally unveiled. I don't think it was ever too surprising, but I think the real intrigue comes from who and why, not what. Is it true that someone did this on purpose? Who would want to hurt Amy Wolfsong? And don't be so "irrefutable", on either of those theories ;)

I'm glad you like the idea for Ch13. Guess why I picked this specific event for Ch13? Yes, Chris has *another* bad day.


Amy: Hey! Glad you liked it :). I think, as I said above, the monster got more obvious the more we saw it. Although I did really enjoy the Lapras theory (and Razor Leaf catching it...you all know him so well!) that we may see Titanic in the future chapters. Oh and TBA, I am aware you got LaprOz in the old ASB!

Thanks for reading!

[The Blue Avenger]

Oh yeah, I had forgotten about that. I remember, in a burst of brilliant irony, I used LaprOz against Andrew in his OzAndrew versus TPM match. Shame that never finished.

Oh yeah, one more thing: The Almighty X will either be the street magician or have something to do with a Metagross (or both).

[MeLoVeGhOsTs]

UuberFred reminds me off Luna in Harry Potter. Always speculating stupid theories and stuff, he also reminds me of the guy who fails at everything he does, I forgot his name, the one with his toad. The plant addic.

Anyway, good chapter. Dragonite seemed logical, although Liang has a Dragonite, Taillow and Spearow. Anyway, the card also seems interesting.

Keep on writing! (faster)

[darktyranitar]

Heh, UuberFred is hilarious. I wonder if he'll achieve what his destiny is. It seem that even his Pokemon thinks his a loser.

Great battle. I like it a lot. Although I didn't quite expect it to be a Dragonite. But it would make more sense for a Dragonite to be an almighty monster in the lake. I wonder if they will find Amy back... in one piece... And who is the suspect? Someone unexpected? I have the faintest idea... And MLG: Liang? For some weird reason, that name also struck me, seeing as he’s a flying type fan.

Ooh, who could the mighty magician be? And who/what is the X, and why are the hospital patients crying its name? Very intriguing indeed.

Keep on writing! :smilie:

[MeLoVeGhOsTs]

Liang = Aragonbird. Aragonbird left, but his ASB sig is still up, you can see the pokemon there. I only see him around Smogon. Anyway, I let some other comments take place now ;)

[Charizard04621]

Can't really post much - on Spring Break, and surprisingly got a working Internet connection.

Fun chapter, although (random background) Legacy was my champion and I'd always use him whenever I wanted to win a fight decisively. Aurvandil was a better choice considering the circumstances though, lol @ the Swift stars sent at him.

Also - was that Dragonite supercharged or something? O_o Why did it take more than one pokémon to beat it? And if so, who would be so cruel as to perform such modifications on a pokémon?

[Chris 2.1]

TBA: Heh yea that's where I saw it. Hmm you think X is of importance? I love how you guys find relevance to almost anything in the fic :P

MLG: Heh Neville? Hmm I dunno. UuberFred is simply a loser. Luckily you'll see the Trading Tower in the fic in the future, and you'll laugh when you see what happens when UuberFred goes there :)

Interestingly enough, Liang's banner isn't quite accurate. He did evolve some of his banner team before he left, but never updated his banner. I think he evolved Taillow and Spearow, as I remember reffing the match. It was a 4-4. He also used Feebas (Uinen iirc) and Shellgon.

Darktyranitar: As you'll learn, UuberFred's quest has been quite an interesting one. He's the sort of boy who takes everything literally...and when he gets his own chapter you'll learn just why (and how) he got where he is! It should be good.

Everyone is suggesting Liang/Aragornbird....:s

The magician isn't quite mighty...but if you look back on old chapters, you'll actually see a few references to this character. I think you can work out who it is if you're as clever as I think you are :) But don't worry too much about the crazy guy in the hospital. He's Crazy.

Karin: We're nominated the least likely couple! How dare they :P Ahh yes, well you see I wanted Legacy to take something of a back seat for this match seeing as it was against a Dragonite. Legacy will have more matches. Hmm well it's an interesting point that Dragonite was teamed up against so many Pokemon. Becca (and Karin, to a lesser extent) were so determined to pay this creature back for killing Amy they wanted to go all-out. Also this meant that Dragonite could only really attack one of them, so if it attacked Aurvandil, Nightshade could bombard it with attacks.

As you will soon learn, Dragonite went down much easier than it should have. As you'll soon learn, the solved mystery is about to open up again!


Glad you liked it guys and thanks for the nominations!

[Charizard04621]

Karin: We're nominated the least likely couple! How dare they :P

XD

Hmm, why do I sense that somebody's gonna get away on my watch =P Dragonite seems to have some... poweful allies, or someone who controls it.

[RaZoR LeAf]

You know.. Wolfsong has a Dragonite.. maybe Chris is distracting us from the truth that Amy is actually behind it all. Chris mentions a monster at Ivy lake, she goes with him because she's worried he's found her secret spot. She battles her own pokemon for the sake of the show, then fakes her own disappearence, to get Chris locked up and out of her way. Hmm...

[Chris 2.1]

Dan: Interesting theory. How do you know I haven't given Amy a Dragonite in the fic? It does work well, though, well done for thinking it up :P

[RaZoR LeAf]

How do I know your not just saying that because i've just spoilt your entire plot? >:D

[The Blue Avenger]

Because Amy's going to catch the Dragonite. It will happen; I'm sure of it.

'Cause if it doesn't... *shakes fist*

[Andrew]

And then everyone woke up and it was a dream?!

Lols.

I enjoyed reading it, nice to see TML and Charnumber showing off some power. No time, but good work. Will Uuberfred perhaps ensnare Jenny? Would he be as inept at being a boyfriend as a pokemanz trainer?

[Silencer]

Time for my theory. It's all UUBERFRED!!!

Uuberfred found the lake, used his daddy's dragonite to guard it. The dragonite overreacted and just used all his might to keep everyone away. Made some allies with wild bird pokémon to help him protect. Fred got attacked by the wild birds because they don't know him and that's how he ended up in the hospital.

See, it's a perfect theory ;)

Anyway. I wonder what they'll do with dragonite. Let him be trained? Lock it away? release it in the wild(away from civilisation)?

[Chris 2.1]

Razor Leaf/TheBlueAvenger: Wait and see ;)

Andrew: Glad you enjoyed it. LOL UuberFred and Jenny? No, as you'll learn, Jenny classes her and Chris as 'still together' and is keen to do everything in her power to keep things that way. Oh the joy! And UuberFred is still in hospital anyway :P

Silencer: You figured it out!!! J/k. It's worth noting that WHAT the monster was was simply the tip of the iceberg. Now we have a whole host of questions such as: does someone own it? Why is it in the lake, and why is it so angry? And plenty more besides :)

[Greyfox]

Why do I have the feeling that Jenny's TPML handle is something along the lines of "CHRIS_N_JENNY_4EVAH!!!!"? *sing-song* Uncomfortable...

[b][i][font=Palatino Linotype]-Grey

[Andrew]

How funny would it be to have jenny date-rape chris. & i bet amy used to own the dragon but abandoned it due to its massive eating bill. Oh and have a plauge! They're always nice!

[Chris 2.1]

The Arbiter: Let's just say her name is very 'Jenny' and although you've only just met her, I think you can guess what it'll be like.

Andrew: Funny? :-s Hmm nice theory about Amy, too. As for a plague....no...just no.



Ch13 is going well, should be up over the weekend hopefully.

[Vermillion]

Aye...1st time poster, long time reader =P. Liking the tale dude, I've been wanting to get lost in a new poke fanfic and this is it. I really enjoyed the free for all Razor Vs Grey battle, very tense moment and it gave me a "Helms Deep" kinda feel, which is awesome. It's unique to see battlers of the ASB with fully evolved teams and working together. Keep up the good work Chris!

[Chris 2.1]

Vermillion: Thanks for arriving! Wow...you get LOST in the fic? Thats nice to know. For most of the people in ASB their teams are advanced in terms of evolution, just so we dont have to go through everyone starting with a basic team.



Anyway guys Ch13 is here! Hey why did nobody comment on Chris about to catch Cacnea?





Chapter Thirteen
Crystal Tears



“Mankey, get it!” I shouted, releasing my little monkey. Mankey leapt onto the field as Cacnea finished eating his snack. When he was done, the cactus leapt high into the air, spinning his body around and firing a series of white-hot pins our way.

“Detect!”

Crossing his arms in front of his face, Mankey leapt back, left and right, avoiding the needles at all costs. He followed up by racing forward and dealing a heavy chop to the foe, but this only resulted in pain for my Mankey, who jabbed himself on Cacnea’s needles.

This was going to be difficult, I thought to myself, as Cacnea held his arms forward and fired more white pins. They peppered his soft fur and caused him to shriek in discomfort. Mankey leapt back just in time, for Cacnea swung a needle arm down and almost hit.

Cacnea’s attacks were long-distance. Mankeys were up-close. This meant Cacnea was able to keep Mankey at bay. I tried figuring out some way to counter this strategy as Cacnea fired off glowing bullets of energy from his mouth, aiming at Mankeys feet.

“Mankey! Swift!” I shouted, hoping he might know the attack. Opening wide, Mankey sprayed a beam of star-shape projectiles at Cacnea, catching it off guard. “Good! Now run and use swift!”

Mankey ran across the quarry, firing off the stars and keeping Cacnea from attacking. Cacnea fired a bullet seed at the ground and propelled himself high into the air, before firing another bullet seed down and striking Mankey from above.

“Smash the ground with iron tail and cause a distraction!” I shouted. Leaping up, Mankey swung his shimmering tail down into the ground with a thud, causing a huge cloud of dust to rise up. I heard Cacnea land and, confused, fire off spike cannons in all directions. Mankey used detect to keep himself from harm.

“Low kick,” I said, and Mankey delivered a sliding tackle to Cacnea, sweeping under the projectile and hitting. Mankey then grabbed Cacnea, before he could object, and swung him around, releasing him as he collided into one of many boulders that littered Crush Quarry.

“Neaa…” mumbled Cacnea, getting up. The dust had cleared now, and Cacnea simply wasn’t having any fun now he had been hurt. I drew an unused Pokeball and held my arm back.

“Go!”

The ball smacked into Cacnea, opening up and pulling him inside. After a few brief wobbles, in which Cacnea clearly didn’t bother escaping, the ball gave a soft ping and I was alerted that Cacnea was mine.

“Awesome!” I cried. I picked up the Pokeball and took him to the Pokemoncenter straight away. While I was there, I noticed it was looking a bit run-down – much less maintained than usual. The Nurse looked exhausted; pale, with huge bags under her eyes. I saw posters advertising a brand new Pokemoncenter scheduled to open in BT Street.

“It’s back,” the Nurse groaned.

“What is?” I asked.

“BT Street,” she replied grimly. I gave her my team, and she went to heal them, explaining that Electabuzz and Poliwhirl were both fully recovered. After another quick discussion about the new Pokemoncenter in BT Street, I took my six Pokemon and left the Pokemoncenter.

In the Park, I saw a ferocious battle ensue between OzAndrew and a guy called Vermillion. Vermillion had a Vigoroth out against OzAndrew’s Weezing, who I assumed had evolved from the Koffing I saw him use against the Eon sisters so long ago.

“Faul, get it with a slash!” Vermillion roared.

“Sludge into the eyes! Haha!” cried the Australian. As the large ape leapt at Weezing, the hovering ball of gas spat a globule of thick, gloopy sludge. Luckily Vigoroth managed to swipe it away, but his vision was slightly deterred.

“Now use tackle,” OzAndrew ordered. Weezing heaved a grunt as he slammed into Vigoroth’s stomach and knocked it out. Vermillion sighed, recalling his Vigoroth and releasing a Flaaffy by the name of ‘Liam’.

As Flaaffy and Weezing duked it out, I released my six Pokemon on the grass.

“Ok guys,” I said. “Elekid has just recently evolved into Electabuzz…and this is our new team-mate, Cacnea. Be friendly with each other, ok?”

Magby soon began chatting away with Cacnea, who had (somehow) used his needle arms to swipe some fruit. He handed Magby a pear and took an apple for himself as they munched happily. Poliwhirl was very keen to chat to Electabuzz – probably about evolution, I told myself. Mankey went to see Cacnea and Magby, while Sneasel sat and sulked.

“What’s up?” I asked, but I received no answer; I knew better than to expect conversation from him. “Evolution getting you down?”

He sighed.

“Look, you’re really strong as you are,” I told him. “Evolutions only for those who need to evolve. You don’t need to. You’re above that.”

But despite putting my heart into it (and remembering the teachings of Summerview Theatre Camp – SUMMER OF 02!) it seemed Sneasel just didn’t buy it. We spent the day hanging out, enjoying the weather (for it was quite a nice day overall) and the battle, which Andrew ended up winning. He cheered heartily and scampered off.

Not long after OzAndrew’s victory, a girl was wandering through the park, handing out fliers. I sent Cacnea to investigate, who came back with about fifty fliers all on various needles on his body. I plucked one off and examined it.




DO YOU LIKE HIPNESS?
YES!
DO YOU LIKE AWESOMENESS??
YES!!
DO YOU LIKE TOTALLY RADTASTIC FUNADEMIC R00LNESS???
YES!!!

THEN COME TO HYPERMEGAGLOBOBURGER! NOW OPEN ON BT STREET. PRESENT THIS FLIER FOR A FREE ENTHUSIASM MEAL OR HYPERMEGAGLOBOSHAKE!

FREE!

THAT MEANS…NO MONEY REQUIRED ([size=1]although we will steal any personal belongings we can get our greasy hands on)




Right. The prospect of a free hypapap…a free hypoglomo…the prospect of a free milkshake enticed me enough to haul my way down there to BT Street. I recalled my team members (especially Cacnea, after the girl decided he was great advertising covered in fliers and attempted to buy him off me) and went to see the new franchise.

BT Street was fast changing. No longer was it derelict and abandoned – there was a nice American diner opened up called ‘The Chunky Clefable Café’, as well as the bright, cheesy neon signs of Hypermegagloboburger in the distance. It was mid-way down the street, with Hanada’s old Gym across the road and further down…hang on.

Grey’s Playhouse. It was…no longer around. Scaffolds surrounded what looked like the charred remains of the ancient theatre. Workmen were tirelessly shifting the wreckage and rubble, and amid the mess I saw an old newspaper.


VANDALS TORCH DOWN MEMORY LANE

[i]Grey’s Playhouse was the victim of youth crime yesterday, reports claim. The old theatre had burned to the ground in what has been assumed to be a harsh, cruel attack.

Grey, also known as The Arbiter, left The Pokemon Masters League community around a year ago following the ‘rebuild’ of the league community. Since then the playhouse has always remained untouched, something of a memory for visitors.

“I always felt that it reminded us of the culture we used to have,” said veteran competitor Moltrecuno. “Now that it’s gone…well…I’m speechless.”

Head Businessman of TPML Razor Leaf spoke with The Daily Bulletin earlier today, telling us how he saw youths set it alight with matches.

“The building had been barricaded shut with all sorts – wooden doors, signs, planks and kindling. I saw the huge fire from afar and chased after them. They scarpered, leaving me to deal with the fire. Unfortunately the fire services could not arrive in time. All the machinery on the constructions sites down BT Street blocked the place off and it was too late.”

Razor Leaf, real name Daniel Powell, was unable to go on at that point. Having formally trained under The Arbiter, the two shared a close friendship. Daniel told us he misses his old ally in the ‘new age’ BT Street….


I put the paper down. That didn’t sound like the Razor Leaf I knew at all…either he had put on a brilliant façade to the papers, or there was more to this than I thought. I made sure to remember to corner Razor Leaf about this later in the day. But first – my coupon!

Like I said (before I noticed the burned down playhouse) BT Street was fast becoming rather popular. The Chunky Clefable Café, with its Clefable Waitresses seemed quite nice and spacious – more so than the tiny Latte Days, which was all the way in the main village! According to some of the billboards around the street, there were plans for a new ‘Cable Club’ and an Egg Center. I was very much intrigued by these.

Before I got to HyperMegaGloboBurger, however, there was a rather interesting stall before me. There was a girl perhaps a year or so younger than me, wearing a very sparkly purple suit and trouser combo. A Chikorita and Ninetales sat either side of her table, which was draped in a sparkly material.

“Come on folks! Come on!” she cried. I had seen this girl do some magic before and whipped my VS Seeker out to examine her.

Crystal Tears
A recently-registered member of TPML. Crystal Tears has a variety of types and likes to use a lot of confusion and trickery in her matches. Often uses a mixture of under and overused Pokemon types.

Intrigued, I wanted to see what she was doing.

“Ok my friends! If you want to try your luck and win double your cash back then you’ve come to the right place! My ‘Pick ‘N’ Kip’ table is easier than easy!”

I noticed three red cups, turned upside down. Crystal Tears lifted the first.

“You sir!”

“Me?” asked a rather naive looking businessman, only young.

“I think I can sense your luck is in!” cried the girl.

“Y-You do?” he asked.

“I do.”

“I’ll bet…£5!” cried the man. Crystal Tears nodded and slipped it into a pouch around her waist.

“Sir…you stand to win £10 back!” she cried. There was a general gasp (for a small crowd had congregated now). “Pick which cup you want the ball to begin under.”

He chose the middle, and the games began. Crystal Tears moved it left, then back…she switched the end cups around and then briefly showed where the yellow ball was. She then moved them around, scrambling them all up and confusing the hell out of me. I remember when I was younger, Mum always told me these people were conmen (or women, I suppose). I suddenly saw the girls hand move to her side, and a small, round yellow ball slip into her pocket.

“That one!” the man cried. “It’s got to be in that one!”

“Are you sure?” Crystal Tears asked, smiling.

“I’m sure!” he cried. “YES YES YES!”

“No luck!” Crystal Tears said, lifting it up to reveal it was empty. The crowd gasped in amazement and the man gave a loud sob as he ran off in disgust.

“Hang on,” I interrupted. Crystal Tears eyed me as my hand darted towards the next cup, lifting it up to reveal it to be empty. I grabbed the next one, lifting it up and revealing that the ball had gone. “It’s a con!”

“How awful!” a woman cried. “You little thieving rascal!”

“Give me my money back!” snapped the businessman. Soon angry roars and yells filled the air, and Crystal Tears murmured apologies as she folded up the table and edged away towards an alleyway.

“HEY!” roared a man. “She’s getting away!”

“Poison Powder, Dil!” Crystal Tears cried. Her Chikorita swung his leaf around and produced a toxic cloud. Soon the crowd gasped and dived to the ground, avoiding the fumes as Crystal Tears ran off with Ninetales and Chikorita.

“Cacnea! Use a spinning Needle Arm!” I shouted. Cacnea burst from the Pokeball, spinning around like a spinning top and releasing a flurry of needles. Crystal Tears managed to avoid them, but the poisonous fumes were siphoned away in no time. I pursued the thief down the alleyway.

“Come back!” I roared, Cacnea racing along by my side in a jumping motion. When Crystal Tears noticed she was cornered, she turned, back to the brick wall, staring at me as I raced towards her.

“Chika!” she cried to her Ninetales. “Fire spin!”

I skidded to a halt alongside my miniature cactus as Ninetales (who was an odd, graying colour with red eyes) blasted a cone of flaming wind through the air. Like a tornado, the fire swept across the alleyway, causing me to flail around in panic and flee the scene. The tornado soon died down after I scarpered, Cacnea by my side.

“NOBODY RUINS MY BUSINESS LIKE THAT!” Crystal Tears shouted at me. “THIS ISN’T OVER!”


*

“That was Razor Leaf,” Karin said to Becca, putting the phone down. “He said most of the construction has finished for the Contest Hall.”

“Oh, that’s excellent,” replied Becca. “Are the performers coming into town soon?”

“Erm…in a few days, I think,” Karin said. “I do hope we can successfully initiate Contests into TPML.”

“Well I see no reason why not,” Becca said. “They may not be as glamorous as the Contest Halls you saw on your travels, however…”

“New York City,” Karin said, falling into nostalgia. “What a sight. A stadium roaring with anticipation…a huge Arcanine bursting into flames as it charged around the area, spitting off huge fireballs from its jaws…”

Becca smiled briefly, turning back to her computer.

“I ran a search,” she told Karin. “On the Dragonite.”

“Results?” Karin asked.

“A lot of old names came up,” Becca went on. “Some of the veterans of TPML…most of them aren’t even registered for this years league.”

“Oh.”

“But…there’s one that stands out,” Becca sighed. She moved to the side of the screen to allow Karin to get a look at the profile.

“No…” she said slowly. “Aragornbird?”

“Apparently his Dragonair evolved,” Becca said. “Why didn’t we know about it?”

“Well,” Karin mused. “The database is updated for every single member quite frequently…every time a referee redeems completed matches to the Referee Tower, we would cross-check them. Whenever Pokemon were healed, we would usually ask the Pokemoncenter to send team updates to us. I can’t quite figure out how Liang’s Dragonite went unnoticed.”

“All it does is further add to the accusations,” Becca sighed. “I mean why keep it secret unless he was hiding it in a lake?”

“Perhaps…” Karin began. “Perhaps he took it off his team? Maybe it was too powerful. But then again…a Dragonite would never act so irrational.”

She looked at the profile.

“He also owns a Swellow and Fearow…well, we fought them ourselves, and Chris battled them in their lower forms. Oh it says he has a Murkrow, too…didn’t Chris fight one when we dealt with Dragonite?”

“Yes.”

“The evidence is startling,” Karin added.

“Aragornbird is a model person,” Becca argued sadly. “He is polite, he is an excellent battler, he is a moderator and he has so many friends…”

“I wonder why he took Amy, and why he attacked people who got close,” Karin said.

“I remember Amy once getting a valentines card from Liang,” Becca replied. “She was so embarrassed.”

Karin didn’t bask in this nostalgia as much as Becca did, prompting The Missing Link to pull back out of her daydream.

“In any case,” she said firmly. “We need to contact the police and launch an investigation.”

“What about his position?” Karin asked. “With Liang and Amy gone, we only have three moderators.”

“I’ll contact the Board of Governors,” Becca replied. “We might be able to get some veterans to come back into the light…meanwhile, I’ll ask for their opinion on Liang.”

She cleared her throat.

“He took Amy from us,” she said sadly. “That changes everything.”


*

I spent most of the day in Latte Days. I neglected this place recently, and since the place was really hitting an all-time low (following the creation of HyperMegaGloboBurger’s mysterious intrigue and the new café: The Chunky Clefable Café, I presumed) I felt like helping out.

I was one of few in here. A rather smart, young man was reading a newspaper across from me, but I ignored him and his incredible suave briefcase. I was more concerned about seeing OzAndrew walking across the village square in a melodramatic, sneaky manner. As soon as our eyes met, he squealed and ran off.

It had come to my attention that I hadn’t had a good Pokemon Battle for some time. Against Hanada Tattsu, I think. The distressed youngster was probably still training up somewhere distant, eager to attack me and make me feel his pain. Or something. The boy will probably end up as a psychotic killer who kills his foes with a water pistol…

I was then reminded that I had completely forgotten about HyperMegaGloboBurger and my free voucher! Darn it. I left a tip at my table, and wandered across the village back to the Bed and Breakfast where I hadn’t been for some time. It was down a leafy little road off the main village, with a few small, squat houses. I walked down the path, realizing it had been days since I changed my clothes. However, letting myself in (with my key), I was in for quite a shock.

“Oh, Chris!” Anne said, taking her apron off and scuttling over. “Where have you been?”

“Just…” I began. “Away. It’s nice to be back, though.”

“Yes…” Graeme said. “Chris…we have something of a problem.”

“What’s wrong?” I asked. They invited me into the dining room – a small, musty room with an old carpet and scratched table. I hadn’t been in this room before.

“We’ve sold the Bed and Breakfast business,” Graeme said, in a deeply sad yet oddly excited voice.

“Oh, congratulations!” I said. “So…what’s the new landlord like?”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, the person that bought the Bed and Breakfast…are they nice?”

“Erm…”

“Chris…the new owner isn’t planning on keeping the B&B,” Anne explained. “He’s just…buying the house.”

“What?” I cried. “So…I can’t stay here?”

“I’m afraid you’ll need to find somewhere else to live,” Graeme told me. “I’m so sorry.”

“There are some youth hostels nearby,” Anne said.

“How come you guys sold the business?” I asked. “I thought you loved the B&B?”

“We got a very generous offer,” Anne said, smiling. Just then, a person walked into the room. It was Razor Leaf.

“Talk of the devil!” Graeme said. “This is the new owner.”

“YOU?” I roared.

“Me,” replied Razor Leaf. “I really hated just lodging here…and with the salary I’m on, I figured I could buy this place and give Graeme and Anne enough money to let them go on that luxury cruise they’ve always fancied.”

“How kind!” Anne cried.

“This sucks!” I snapped.

“Sorry Chris,” Razor Leaf said, a simpering tone in his voice. “But I’m going to have to ask you to leave by tonight. Pack your things, or I’ll throw them on the streets.”

“Damn you!” I snapped.

“Graeme…Anne, if you’d be as kind as to meet me in the study? We need to discuss financial matters,” replied the veteran. The kind couple walked off, leaving me and Razor Leaf alone.

“Seen Grey’s Playhouse?” he sneered quietly.

“You did it,” I replied stealthily. “I know you did. Whatever you wrote in the paper was a lie.”

“What an accusation,” continued my adversary.

“What happened to Grey?” I asked. “Is he in hospital?”

“The authorities checked the place out…” Razor Leaf said. “But found no trace of a body. It’s anyone’s guess…”

“You bastard,” I snapped.

“Just go,” Razor Leaf snarled. “And never come back.”

I decided to listen to him, just this once.


*

After packing my bag (remember, I traveled light?) and changing my clothes, I left the Bed and Breakfast, now out of a home. In a pair of dark jeans, with a black polo shirt on and a baseball cap, I slipped on my shades and wandered through the village. Homeless. Luckily it was a nice day, as summer was showing itself. With my bag bulging, I knew I needed somewhere to stay.

However as I sat down in the main square, I saw Crystal Tears. That street magician. She was wearing a top-hat and had a magic wand, but it looked like the crowd had dispersed around her, causing her much distress.

“That rotten kid,” I heard a woman say. “I heard she’s just a con-artist.”

Soon, however, once the crowd had all parted, Crystal Tears marched over to me, tears in her eyes.

“Hey JERK,” she snapped.

“Hi…” I murmured.

“How’s life?” she snarled, clicking her fingers. A little Pichu appeared from beneath her top-hat.

“Cute,” I said, in response to her trick.

“No it isn’t,” replied the girl. “PEOPLE THINK I’M A CON ARTIST!”

“Well you are!” I said vigilantly.

“I’m a homeless girl who has to make ends meet,” she snarled. “Vala! Thundershock!”

“Pipi!” cried the mouse angrily. A delicate string of sparks jetted out from its pink cheeks and zapped me in the arm, sending a curious tingling sensation through me.

“Hey!” I snapped. “Cacnea, go!”

My little cactus popped out, and Vala the Pichu leapt onto the ground.

“Needle arm!” I shouted, as Cacnea’s barbs glowed white. He swung his arm and clubbed Vala with it, sending the mouse reeling. Pichu was undeterred, leaping back into action and charging up sparks across its body.

“Keep up the onslaught!” I snapped. But as I was attacking Pichu, Crystal Tears released a Heracross. Heracross’ horn glowed bright – a sign of its megahorn attack. Cacnea was smashed into by the strong bug, dealing heavy damage. Cacnea snarled, firing a bullet seed to pepper Heracross and keep him back.

“This is stupid,” Crystal Tears whispered, taking something from her inside pocket. She hurled it forward, causing a snap and a bang, releasing a thick blanket of smoke to blind us. Gasping for breath, I heard a familiar cry of Heracross’ name, and the beetle swept through the smoke with megahorn.

Next thing I knew, Cacnea was hurled into me, throwing me to the ground. I squinted through the smoke as Crystal Tears emerged, standing over me, Pichu on her shoulder and Heracross by her side.

“You’ve ruined everything,” she snarled. “And I’ll hound you day and night until I’m satisfied you share my pain.”

And with that, she turned and walked off through the smoke. On my back, Cacnea sort of stuck to my shirt, I heaved a sigh of relief and decided to go and find somewhere to stay after all.

Wandering through town, however, I came across a rather disturbing sight.

Jenny.

Standing there, eyes locked onto mine, she looked stunned almost. She suddenly laughed, face breaking into a smile.

“CHRIS!” she said. “It’s you!”

“Jenny?” I asked, bewildered.





Next Chapter:

-Chris is disgusted when Jenny becomes good friends with Razor Leaf
-Crystal Tears continues her whimsical attacks on Chris
-Karin and Becca take action
-Andrew, feeling underappreciated, takes drastic measures against TPML

[The Blue Avenger]

Hmmm... Crystal Tears as a street magician... I didn't see that coming. It works well, though, so good job there. Also, you have succeeded in making me hate Razor Leaf even more. Congratulations. I think only he could fulfill someone's lifelong dream and still manage to hurt Chris in the process. :P

I still think the Dragonite is or will be Amy's. This new evidence to the contrary does not deter me.

Finally: "Andrew, feeling underappreciated, takes drastic measures against TPML." That could be bad in so many ways.

[RaZoR LeAf]

Why am I expecting Andrew to get drunk and streak through a Contest or something? Nice chapter, though bit of a slow down after the last two.

[Andrew]

I don't streak. However i can turn either super bitchy, super nice or i become a random pash slut as i dance maniacly and sing, randomly making out with people who look hot. However chris needs to kick crystal tears ass for being a bitch and destroy her cardboard box home. Oh and why is caccy so nice? Also yay i won a match! And why doesn't chris mildly poison razor? Um yay?

[Chris 2.1]

TBA: The reasoning behind it is, in an old CCC conversation, she said she imagined her ASB character as a magician. So I decided to have her as a street magician in this. I think in Chapter 7 or 8 (one of the earlier chapters anyway) Chris noticed her, with Vulpix and Numel, doing tricks outside. (Vulpix has now evolved, and Numel was sold to Asayake).

Haha Andrew's part of next chapter is something I hope will provide some humour :D


Dan: Hmm interesting idea, as Contests are being implemented into ASB. I know what you mean - the chapter has touched down from the epic events of the last few (really 10, 11 and 12, since all 3 dealt with Amy and the Monster), but I do think it was a gentle landing, nothing too sudden. Obviously the events of the Amy Saga are being focused on in the next few chapters, as was evident by this chapter.


Andrew: Yea I think Chris will fight back, but CT shows her darker colours first. Why is everyone in ASB so horrible? Well, as you'll soon see, There's a Brilliant character who has A good role! (Look at the capitalised letters for a clue!) and said character gets on relatively well with Chris.

I don't think Chris can poison Razor Leaf though :( The twos storyline will take some unexpected turns in the future, though!

[The Blue Avenger]

There's a Brilliant character who has A good role! (Look at the capitalised letters for a clue!)

Oh no! Your clue is too cryptic! I can't figure it out! :O

[Greyfox]

"The prospect of a free hypapap…a free hypoglomo…the prospect of a free milkshake enticed me enough to haul my way down there to BT Street." - BritChris.

You have no idea how much that made me laugh.

Anyway, I especially liked the slower pace of this chapter. Crystal Tears' character is quite nice, and even though she seems bad at first, I can't help but think she'll eventually side with BritChris. Meanwhile, the rivalry amongst Razor Leaf and -Chris seems to be shaping up very well.

[b][i][font=Palatino Linotype]-Grey

[MeLoVeGhOsTs]

Couldn't agree more. Nice chapter. I'm intruiged by Aragonbird. I hope Grey comes back, teams up with whole TPML and smacks that bloody arogant Razor. Money doesn't make you happy, but it can buy you alot of things though.

More chapters! I hope that my team will one day be as good and advanced as most ASB'ers here ;)

[Chris 2.1]

TBA: What can I say? I've been wanting to put TBA in TPML for a long time, but I've been waiting for just the right time :P

Grey: Glad you liked it, hehe. Yea I can see what you mean with CT and Chris...but you'll have to see, right? And I'm also glad you like the development of Razor Leaf and Chris, which will heat up even more in coming chapters.

MLG: Hey you dont need a big team to be good in ASB, and you never know when your character will appear in the fic! Aragornbird as the culprit? I wonder how Chris will take it - they're very good friends. It all comes together in Ch14.


Also....guys...what do you think of Cacnea? Or Jenny and Chris finally meeting?

[MeLoVeGhOsTs]

Cacnea is just plain out awesome. I like it, but Cacturne rox0rz my box0rz.

Also, Jenny is a real pain in the ass, I can't stand her and she's only been in the fic for 5 minutes! Take her away! Take her away! *goes mental and joins UuberFred in the institution*

[The Blue Avenger]

Cacnea seems cool, but we haven't been exposed to him very long. Him being covered in flyers was a nice touch, though.

In regards to Jenny: there are so many ways in which their meeting could go wrong. I'm eager to see which way it is.

[Chris 2.1]

Actually the correct term is 'ways'. Just wait and see :P

[Wolfsong]

Nice chapter. Congrats on the cacnea. Aragornbird. I can't say i'm surprised. After reading this chapter, i went back and looked over some of his previous appearances and some of his reactions make more sense now. I have a feeling that it has something to do with that valentines card. It seems to random of a subject to just come up and all, at least to me. *shrugs* As far as Jenny being back, the phrase "oh boy," springs to mind. ^^; As always, looking forward to the next chapter.

[Charizard04621]

So... Is it aragornbird or has he been framed? Karin seems to jump to conclusions way quicker than necessary without properly investigating things, I would really hate to see another innocent being accused as guilty =P

[Vermillion]

Woah...I'm slightly a celeb...woot! To bad I was beaten...LIES I SAY!! ^_^ Razor dude...why are you such a asshat...now Chris is homeless and is going to lose the girlfriend..or ex rather...I dunno. Wow Liang went nuts when Amy didn't respond to his message of love...saddness...Great Chapter Chris!

[darktyranitar]

Ooh, Chris finally meet Jenny? Imagine Chris to hear that Jenny is a good friend of Razor Leaf. Hmhm, and what more if Jenny then lives with Razor Leaf? Just a wild guess... :biggrin:

OzAndrew unappreciated? Taking actions against TPML? With his attitude, what chaos shall he bring? And Cacnea seems to be a suitable Pokemon for Chris to have.

Anyway, this chapter seems to be a break for Chris from all the trouble that he faced earlier, that is until he got nowhere to stay, and Crystal Tears on his tail. Wonder how things would turn out for him. Looking forward to the next chapter! :smilie:
P/S: Is there any chance that my character would be in this fic? :biggrin: hehe...would love to see that...

[Chris 2.1]

Wolfsong: Hi! Yea good sleuthing, because Liang did behave rather oddly in some chapters. But is there more to him than meets the eye? Yes next chapter should prove enlightening, with the return of Chris' current (or ex? Hmm...I guess they'll need to sort that out first :P) girlfriend. Why did Jenny come to TPML? To find Chris? To show the world she's a competent battler? Maybe to get revenge on TML, who had complete disregard for her? You'll see!


Karin: I think with Chris she didnt jump to a conclusion, but she is very hypothetical and can often take the most logical assumption. With this, however, many trainers who do own Dragonite will be questioned, Liang is just the most suspicious case. Let's see how Liang reacts....


Verm: Haha yes, you made a cameo! Huzzah. Hmm Razor is cruel, but there will be a couple more chapters on Razor Leaf soon which will give him some much-needed spotlight. Hmm Liang and Amy is complex...but the valentines card was years ago.


Darktyranitar: Jenny and Razor Leaf don't know each other already, but they do get on during Jenny's stay. Haha do you think they might hook up?!! What an idea. I agree Cacnea is a nice addition, and Andrew angry can only mean trouble :O

Hmm yes this chapter was a nice 'back to normal' sort of chapter, but it wont stay like this for long :D

I don't do requests for the fic, but I do try and cram in cameos here and there, so I'm sure you'll be in soon.

[Mega Horny]

You don't really have to waste a cameo on me if you don't want, I kind of just want to be in it period, so have me appear and then like explode or something.

[Ace64]

Yo, took me two days to read the whole thing, but I'm finally here! Whew. Anywho- wow, Chris sure seems to be making a lot of enemies... Razor Leaf, Hanabu (sp?), and now Crystal Tears. Wonder if they form a Legion of Doom? Or any kind of team-up would work. I suspect I'll soon be adding Jenny to the list. My prediction is that she'll accuse Chris of cheating on her, or perhaps the dastardly RL will convince her of that, and she'll join the Chris-haters club.

[Chris 2.1]

Ace64: Hey! Glad you liked it and glad you caught up! You deserve a medal :P Yea Chris has some ... adverseries in TPML thats for sure. Haha some kind of Anti-Chris Brotherhood? Awesome :D Hmm well she may have come here to find Chris so she might still like him.

All will be revealled!

[Charles Legend]

LOL Chris you really do know how to get women angry at you. ;) I see RaZoR LeAf has not changed that much since he is still a Cruel towards Chris kicking him out on the street like that, and Jenny becoming good friends is not a good thing for Chris, I cold see Razor leaf using her to get all of Chris’s Secrets

Oh and nice touch with Crystal tears being the street magician. I thought here chater was grate, I mean being a sneaky con artiest….

~Charles Legend

[Crystal Tears]

[color=#Ffcc33][font=franklin gothic medium]Hahahaha. That's hilarious. Me a con artist. *pauses* I could see that if I had too. Silly Chris, you should know better then making so many enemies. *maniacal laughter in the back ground* Well good chapter! Heee~

[Chris 2.1]

Charles: Hmm yea Chris has a fair few enemies! Razor Leaf does get some more spotlight soon, so it should be exciting to see. Indeed, I bet Razor Leaf is very excited to utilise all these secrets about Chris. And Crystal Tears does appear in the next few chapters as a reccuring character, so keep an eye out!


CT: Glad you enjoyed it :P Watch for CT to appear in the next chapter, too.


Chapter 14 is well underway, I may get it finished over the next few days.

[MeLoVeGhOsTs]

I can't wait. I'm hoping on getting some respect for RL soon.

*roots for newbie cameo's, w000t*

[Chris 2.1]

I'm hoping on getting some respect for RL soon.


Well I don't know about that :P

[Chris 2.1]

Chapter Fourteen
[size=3]Fabulass


I got my VS Seeker out and scanned Jenny. Was this really her?


Fabulass
A very competent battler with a bubbly personality. Approach with caution – this girl ’got game!


“How long have you been here?” I asked, completely gobsmacked.

“Oh, a few days,” Jenny said simply. “I’ve been looking everywhere for you…they told me you were in a hospital!”

“I was…briefly,” I murmured. “Why did you come here?”

“Well, I just missed you,” Jenny explained. “And I knew I saw you looking at that Weakest Link’s arse…”

“Missing Link,” I corrected her. “She’s The Missing Link.”

“Whatever,” Jenny said, rolling her eyes. “So…what you up to?”

“Not much,” I murmured.

“Where’s your place?”

“My…place?” I asked. “Oh. I got kicked out. I’m homeless.”

“You did?” Jenny asked, startled. “Well where are you going to stay?”

“Erm…”

“Mine!” she cried. “I’m renting a little flat on BT Street. I got it ultra cheap, and there’s even a fit builder outside!”

“Cool…” I murmured. Jenny grabbed my hand.

“Dump off your stuff, and you can take me out for lunch!”

“But Jenny!” I protested. “It’s 5:00PM!”

“Well…” Jenny said. “You can take me out for dinner instead!”


*

Soon, the feeling of freedom I had at TPML ebbed away. Jenny was back in my life, and this time I had nowhere to run. She explained that her team had all grown up a little bit, and she even had a new Pokemon. Skip the Mudkip was now a Marshtomp, and something of Jenny’s tough bodyguard. Bleats was still a Mareep, Flora the Sunflora still hung around and Paris the Meowth was still very stuck up. She also had a Ledian called Stella. Stella seemed very boring, but I only met her briefly.

“You know,” Jenny told me, after a night suffering the immense pinkness of her very quickly refurbished flat, coupled with a day of general talking and ‘courting’, as its known. “I missed you so much.”

“I-I missed you a lot, too,” I said, noticing my acting skills were getting worse and worse. “Like…loads.”

“You did?” Jenny cried, giving me a heartily wet smooch on the lips. “Aww! Hey, I saw the cutest thing – couple mittens!”

“Hmm?”

“They’re like normal mittens…one for your left hand, one for my right…and then there’s this one big one for our hands when we hold hands in the street! It’s amazing!” Jenny cried.

“Oooh,” I groaned.

“I bought a pair! Well…I guess they’re a trio…” she said, pulling them out. The middle one looked like an oven glove lovechild.

“Wow,” I uttered.

“You don’t like them…” Jenny said sadly.

“Well, they look a bit stupid,” I said quietly, but this was evidently the wrong thing to say.

“Oh, sorry!” she snapped. “What has gotten into you? I come here, training extensively to make sure I’m a good enough standard just to see you, and you have an attitude! You act like you’re bored of me already!”

She stood up abruptly.

“I’ve done a lot for you,” she sniffed. “I’ve come to a strange new place for you…and you don’t even care!”

And with that, she stormed off.

Life doesn’t half get difficult sometimes…


*

Meanwhile, in the main village square, Andrew sat alone in a bench. He was filing through his VS Seeker, looking at his wins and losses. While they were quite even, he did feel slightly down. He had bought a baguette from Latte Days.

“Mime,” he said, popping his Pokeball open. The clown Pokemon emerged. “I’m feeling pretty down.”

Mr Mime looked sorry for his trainer.

“Nobody appreciates me around here,” he snarled. “Nobody! I’ve been here ages, and I have loads of cool catchphrases. My team’s all quirky and fun (except Jumpluff…the bitch) and I know lots!”

He looked up at the Rules Tower.

“TML doesn’t like me…” he sighed. “She totally rejected me after that Mod interview. I got fined another chunk of money for that goddamn bouncy castle attack the other week…ARGH!”

He got up, grabbing his baguette. He snapped it in two and threw it to the ground, which did not really achieve what he wanted. He snarled.

“It’s time I took action,” he snapped. “Mr Mime! To the costume store!”


*

“What do you MEAN?” snapped the Australian.

“We don’t have superhero costumes,” snarled the fat man behind the counter. “Look at this place, you giant pillock! We have costumes of Tatty the Bear, Princess Tartar and The Ugly Nurse. No superheroes!”

“Fine,” Andrew snapped. “I’ll make my own costume! Then you’ll see.”


*

That night, Andrew stood atop the Rules Tower, dressed in his new clothes. A tight, bright yellow costume was around his body, with black underpants on over the yellow and a black circle with a yellow Q in the middle. He wore a black cape, billowing in the wind, and wore a black eye mask, black top-hat and an orange bill.

“Bruce Wayne used his fear of bats to become Batman,” said the veteran quietly. “And god help me, I’ll use my fear of ducks to become…”

He cleared his throat.

“Quackman!”


*

Over the next few days, Jenny and I rarely spoke. We were polite and courteous, but we never lingered much around each other. I was sitting in the park, and noticed that Aragornbird was battling against someone I knew to be called Chris Watarimono. Aragornbird was using his Grovyle, whose name I was never able to remember, against Chris’ Altaria, who was sweeping through the skies magnificently.

“Go on, Liang!” I cried, longing to battle myself.

Altaria opened her beak and blasted a flamethrower down, but Grovyle used its agility to speed away from the attack, turning on the spot and firing a fantastic leaf blade upwards. It smashed into Altaria, who dropped down from the skies, picking up quickly and sweeping through the air again.

“Keep it up Joan!” Chris cried. “Dragonbreath!”

A silky smooth collection of flames whooshed through the air and engulfed Grovyle. The gecko seemed weak…he struggled to stay up after the attack, and in no time Altaria was pecking him everywhere.

“Stop!” Liang said. “Return.”

And with that, his Grovyle was returned. However, he selected a new Pokeball, throwing it out and releasing a Blaziken. I didn’t know he had a Blaziken. Just as the match was about to begin, however, I saw The Missing Link and 04621 walk purposefully across the grassy lawns, accompanied by two Alakazam.

“Aragornbird,” Becca said. “Can you come with us?”

He looked at her, and guilt washed over his face. He looked as if he knew why he was being taken away. His stance changed, and he seemed somewhat smaller and weaker in contrast.

“Err…” he murmured. “Can it wait?”

“What do you think?” Becca said smoothly. “Please recall your Blaziken and come with us. We need to talk.”

“What’s going on?” I cried, running across the grass. “Becca, what’s wrong?”

“I can’t tell you,” Becca said sternly, although I knew what this was about. Becca just didn’t want to say anything in front of so many people. “Liang, please come with us.”

“Blaziken, attack!” Liang shouted suddenly. Blaziken leapt at Becca abruptly, swinging a blazing foot forward. Clicking her fingers, Becca got the two Alakazam to use a combined psychic attack, holding Blaziken up in the air. Liang saw this, fumbling for his Pokeball while running off.

“Release,” Becca replied coolly, as Blaziken was hurled at Liang, knocking him over. Liang recalled the large bird Pokemon and ran off. The Alakazam used a psychic attack again, this time gripping tightly onto Liang.

“Hey!” cried the boy. “Stop it!”

“Why are you running?” Karin asked. “Obviously you’re not telling us something.”

Liang turned to me, giving me a startled but meaningful look.

“You did it, didn’t you?” I hissed. “You own the monster.”

“Be quiet,” Becca snapped at me. “Alakazams! Teleport Liang to his cell.”

She turned to me.

“Liang had a Dragonite, Murkrow, Fearow and Swellow,” she replied, in whisper. “He’s the only person in the community with these Pokemon, and all of them attacked us. We’re taking him in for investigation.”

“But he can’t be behind it,” I whispered back. “He’s a friend of mine!”

“I’ve known him much longer than you,” Becca replied, giving in. “And he is easily the nicest person around, that’s true. But however nice he is, Chris, he is a suspect. We have to investigate this.”

She turned to leave.

“And please don’t intervene,” she said. “Just leave it to us.”

And I stood there, feeling somewhat drained as Becca and Karin walked away. Liang had been taken in for questioning…I couldn’t believe the odds against him. Was it true he was responsible for unleashing the monster on TPML?

And did Becca’s comment: ‘I’ve known him much longer than you’ mean something about his past?


*

The next day, I mulled around the Park with my team. I was in a furious battle with a rather competent looking trainer called Jolt100. His Kangaskhan was standing there defensively as Electabuzz dealt swift, accurate blows.

“Pouch,” Jolt100 said firmly, tweaking his yellow truckers hat. “Dizzy Punch!”

“Meditate, Electabuzz,” I said firmly, as my Pokemon crossed his legs and sat peacefully, Pouch racing forward like…well, like an angry mother. “Focus…and when I give my word…”

Pouch leapt up high, fist glowing a dazzling white…

“Thunder wave!”

A large radius of crackling sparks exploded from my Pokemons body, trapping Pouch and shocking her thoroughly. Pouch fell back, hitting the ground, as remaining sparks danced across her body.

“Now!” I shouted. “Cross Chop!”

And, leaping up, Electabuzz crossed his arms as Pouch lay there, paralysed. This technique was originally a karate chop Electabuzz learned from Mankey following a cross-team training session, but due to his increased dexterity he managed to make the karate chop into a double-armed attack. Pouch watched in awe as Electabuzz executed the attack, knocking the huge Pokemon out.

“Buzz-ah!” my Pokemon cried, leaping back to his side of the field and beating his chest like a gorilla.

“Nice work,” Jolt100 said, recalling Pouch. “I suppose I’ll see you around.”

As he departed, I gave Electabuzz a high-five, receiving a sharp electric jolt from my companion. The two of us went to a hotdog stand and got a snack each, sitting on a nearby bench and watching the world go by. I saw a little girl with a Hoppip floating besides her, and a boy picking fruit from the trees with his Zigzagoon and Aipom. This park was such a nice place.

I saw the tall Razor Leaf, sitting on a picnic table, eating a sandwich. He was laughing, though; smiling and grinning, tossing his head back as he guffawed to whatever his company had said. I got up to see who he was with, for it was beyond my knowledge that he actually had friends.

And then I saw who it was.

Jenny.

Paris the Meowth sat there on the table, contaminating the food no doubt, while Jenny clapped her hands as she giggled relentlessly. I stormed right over there to see what was going on, furious she was fraternizing with the enemy.

“Jenny!” I cried, raising my eyebrows.

“Oh,” she murmured, turning away from Razor Leaf. “It’s you.”

“What are you doing?” came my demand.

“She was about to tuck into a slice of watermelon, but you turned up,” Razor Leaf said, smirking.

“Shut it,” I snarled. “Jenny, this person is pure evil! He’s burned down a public building, he bullies me every day and he kicked me out my house!”

“You’re right,” Jenny said to Razor Leaf. “He is losing it…”

“If you want, I can send you back to Jolly Japes,” Razor Leaf said softly, a smile flickering across his face. Jenny laughed.

“I told you to shut up,” I snapped, surprising him. “Stay out of this Razor Leaf, this has nothing to do with you.”

“What is ‘this’, exactly?” Jenny asked.

“What do you mean?” I said, bemused.

“Why do you have a problem with me meeting people, Chris?” Jenny asked. “What’s wrong with me making friends?”

“Making friends? Making friends?” I said. “You two are flirting!”

“What?” Jenny snapped back. “You’re such an idiot!”

“How?” I replied.

“Daniel’s gay,” Jenny replied, rolling her eyes.

“Whose Daniel?”

“Me,” Razor Leaf said firmly. “I’m gay.”

I stood there, lost for words. I’d just made a complete idiot out of the two people who were sure to make it hell for me.

“Yea, it’s never usually the complete bastards, is it?” he went on, raising his eyebrows.

“Happy?” Jenny snapped. “We’re friends. GET OVER IT!”

“Oh, I will,” I said, walking away, having to endure the burning feeling of embarrassment and humiliation. As I walked, laughter from both Jenny and Razor Leaf echoed around my ears, reminding me that things around here were going to be a lot tougher. I wandered through the park, thinking tainted thoughts, remembering Liang…could it be true he was responsible for Amy? Becca’s words hurt me deeply, seeing as Liang was someone I got on well with here.

I left the park no longer appreciating its beauty.


*

My day wasn’t made much easier. Sitting in Latte Days, which was starting to look really, really run down, I sipped a latte which seemed to have been made out of the worst ingredients ever. I didn’t bother complaining.

“Hey Andrew,” I murmured, as the Australian bumbled into the café. He sat down opposite me. “Well done against Vermillion the other day.”

“Thanks mate,” he said.

“Hey…” I murmured. “Why are you wearing an eye mask?”

“What?!?” he snapped, swiping it off his face. “I’m not…I didn’t….shut up.”

“I was just asking,” I said. “It looked like those ones superhero villains wear.”

“Shutupshutupshutupshutupshutup!” he sang. “*Ahem* anyway…what have you been up to?”

“I beat Jolt100,” I said. “Hey…did you hear about Liang?”

“He opened a new smoothie bar?” asked the aussie.

“No…” I replied. “He got arrested on suspicion of -”

I then remembered I wasn’t allowed to mention the monster, Amy disappearing or anything I learned from spending time with Becca or Karin.

“On suspicion of?” Andrew asked.

“O-On suspicion of…opening an illegal smoothie bar…selling counterfeit smoothies!”

“He did?” Andrew gasped. “Damn him!”

Good cover, I thought to myself. Then, at that point, Andrew told me he had mysterious business to attend to, before racing out of the café with an eerie laugh. I noticed he slipped his eye mask on as he went. Not long after that, I looked across the café, and saw Crystal Tears eating from the complimentary bread basket. When she saw me, she instantly came over to say hello.

“Hey bastard,” she said.

“Why are you eating bread?” I asked.

“Because I can’t afford food,” she snarled, looking at me as if this was my fault. “Now the word’s out I’m a con artist, and if I stay on the streets too long people throw things at me.”

“Excuse me,” a waitress said, walking over to Crystal Tears. “You’ve been here all afternoon. If you’re not going to buy anything, please leave.”

“No…it’s ok,” I said. I turned to the girl. “What do you want?”

“A slice of cake would be nice,” the girl murmured. The waitress wrote this down and walked off again. “Thanks.”

“It’s ok,” I said, smiling.

“You’re really very nice,” replied the girl, looking at me with her deep, passionate eyes. “Such generosity.”

“Oh…thanks,” I said, slightly dumbfounded. Why was she being so nice all of a sudden? Was it really the cake? Before I knew it, her hands held mine tightly and she leant in closer.

“I’m sorry for being so mad,” she said softly, closing her eyes. And right there, she kissed me. I sat there, closing my eyes and letting my confusion ebb away, only to be jerked back to reality a few moments later by a banging on the windows.

I pulled out the kiss, a long strand of saliva between our lips, to see Jenny standing at the large window of Latte Days, tears in her eyes. She seemed to mouth ‘WHAT ARE YOU DOING?’ at me, to which Crystal Tears grabbed either side of my head and pulled me in again.

“YOU BASTARD!” came Jenny’s scream, audible even from inside the café. She ran off through the main village square as I tried pulling out the kiss.

“No!” I shouted. “Jen-Jenny! Wait!”

But she was gone. I swiftly turned to Crystal Tears.

“You manipulative bastard!” I snapped.

“Check and mate,” she said slyly. I got up, gave her a firm stare and ran out of the café, leaving Crystal Tears on her own. Running off after Jenny, I noticed the sky around darkening. Another afternoon was fading in TPML.

“Jenny!” I snapped, seeing her run off. Many people in the village square were watching my pursuit of my girlfriend. “Jenny! Come back!”

She turned.

“Just go,” she said. “If you like here more than me…”

“She tricked both of us,” I said urgently. “She hates me! I ruined her business so she swore revenge…and she did this to try and turn you against me!”

“How would she know we date?” Jenny asked, a hand on her hip.

“She knows a lot…she spends her days wandering the streets,” I explained. Jenny’s frown lifted slightly. “I’m sorry about before…I am!”

“How can I trust you…?” Jenny sighed. I wasn’t sure why I was so compelled to make Jenny get back with me – after all, she was really very annoying, and as soon as she came back into the community, I felt all energy leave me. But I still wanted her. Something about her made me want nothing but her respect.

“It’s not something I can do for you,” I said to her. “It’s your call.”

She looked at me, analyzing me, perhaps, picking apart all my problems and putting them back together.

“I’ll think about forgiving you,” she replied, turning to leave. “Oh…I have a message from your mother.”

“What is it?” I asked.

“She said to ring more,” Jenny said, walking off. “I’m going to get Paris some claw extensions.”

With a pop, the slinky cat emerged at her side, and the girl proceeded to head off into the village.

“Can I still stay at yours?” I asked.

“I suppose,” came a reply.

I stood there, dumbfounded, watching her go away. For some reason, despite my mixed feelings for her, the result of her decision would be a lifted weight either way. Let her make her mind up, I told myself. What will be, will be. I think what had mattered to me the most was that she respected me. Our relationship was odd, because she was quite zany and immature, and I was quite the opposite. Perhaps all along, I wanted Jenny to see me as her guardian, her protector, someone she can look up to and be proud of. Even if we don’t see each other anymore, I would think she still felt that way about me. If we got back together, I would still have that respect off her, even if we were quite rocky as a couple.

Feeling mentally exhausted from the day’s musings, I sighed, hands in my pocket as I wandered off to think my thoughts out. Little did I realize, I was one of the only ones who was having a peaceful end to the day.


*

In a darkened cell room, Liang was sat at a table, face looking old and worn, bags under his eyes. He looked up as The Missing Link strode into the room. There were cables strapping Liang to the chair, which led down to the ground and into the wall.

“Please,” Becca sighed, sorrow in her voice. “Liang…don’t make me do this.”

He looked up at her.

“I’m not denying anything,” he said. “Everything that’s happened…it’s my entire fault.”

“Then let’s talk,” Becca said, sitting in another chair. “Those cables are hooked up to an Electrode. It’s going to release a lot of volts if you don’t tell us everything you know, Liang.”

“Why was I your first suspect?” he asked groggily.

“Your Pokemon are some of the best bred in the community,” Becca said, a smile across her face. “Many of them are bigger than the species average. When we saw a larger-than-usual Dragonite…we considered you. Not to mention we scanned all the Pokemon sighted at Ivy Lake, too and cross-checked them with your profile.”

She cleared her throat.

“Why didn’t you tell anybody your Dragonair evolved?” she asked. Liang just sat there, staring ahead. He didn’t answer, his head dropping slightly.

“Grovyle caused the explosion,” he said suddenly. “He used a hyper beam right into the bank to cause an explosion, distracting Chris.”

“And why did you need him distracted?” Becca asked. He did not respond. “Liang?”

“Because he needed to be taken out…so he wouldn’t see…”

“See what? Amy being taken?”

Liang gave a slow nod. Becca pulled out two VS Seekers, one of which was Amy’s. The other belonged to Liang.

“This is Amy’s VS Seeker,” Becca said. “Now a VS Seeker holds 50 messages. When it gets full, as you know, you can go to a recycle point in TPML and plug your VS Seeker in, emptying the messages. Those messages are kept in an internal database, and we’ve dug a few out…”

She held Liang’s VS Seeker up.

“To Amy, from Aragornbird.
Why aren’t you answering my messages? Is this because of the rose? Reply soon, please. Xxx,” Becca read out.

“To Amy, from Aragornbird.
I never see you anymore. You used to hang out at Latte Days all the time…but you don’t anymore. Is it because I got a job there? Please reply..”

“Stop it,” Liang murmured.

“To Amy, from Aragornbird.
Forget it. I’m sick of having to grovel for you to even waste your time on me. If you had any decency you’d at least say no to me, but you don’t even give me that. I hate you. Just…leave me and my brother alone.”

“I said stop!” Liang shouted.

“Why did you kill her!” Becca snapped. “WHY!”

“She deserved it,” growled the moderator. “She was not good…”

“What did you do with the body?” asked The Missing Link.

“I had them guard it…” Liang murmured. “It’s at the bottom of the lake. She knew about the lake all along, too. She just told you she never heard of it. We used to spend time there.”

“Get us the body,” Becca said, tears in her eyes. “I want to see her again!”

“Amy isn’t pretty anymore,” Liang replied gravely. “All the water from the lake…and all the teeny insects down there…”

“Oh Liang,” Becca sighed. “The Police will be here for you the day after tomorrow. Karin and I will come back tomorrow. Please…tell us as much as you can tomorrow.”

She left the room, closing and locking the door behind her, before breaking down into tears and sliding into a sitting position, covering her face with her arms. Liang could hear her sobs, watching the doorway, looking gaunt and unfed. Becca's sobs carried on through the night as the thought of her close friend's disease-ridden body haunted her from within.





Next Chapter...

-Chris learns a vital clue in the meaning of the cryptic business card
-The chapter focuses on a previously unseen location in TPML
-A veteran proves a tough obstacle for our hero
-Karin and Becca argue over whether they should retrieve Amy's body or not

[The Blue Avenger]

Wow. That was very much a roller-coaster chapter. Definitely went from "Heh, couple's mittens" to "Quackman... ooookay..." to "Wow! Liang actually did it?" to "Hm... interesting way of learning Cross Chop" to "Wait, he's gay?" to "Heh, illegal smoothies" to "Holy crap, CT's a jerk" to "OMG STALKER" to "Wait, she's dead?"

So overall, a good chapter. Definitely looking forward to seeing where this takes Chris. I mean, Amy can't be dead. If she is, then she'll be revived somehow. And then catch Liang's Dragonite. :P

Also, I bet Razor Leaf secretly has a crush on Chris, hence why's he's a total jerk to him. ;)

[Ace64]

Wow...this chappie was a shocker. I'm speechless. Good thing I can still type.

I wonder what Razor and Jenny were talking about? Well, they were talking about Chris, but you know what I mean. And why would they argue about retrieving a body? What harm could it do?

[Wolfsong]

Wow, definately an interesting chapter with many twists and turns. Why am I not all that surprised at Jenny's name. I found the idea of couple's mits rather... unique in a sense., though for some reason i did laugh at the description of the middle one looking "like an oven glove lovechild. *raises an eyebrow at the Quackman bit* It was interesting to see aragornbird's reaction at the when Becca and Karen though his escape attempt was a failure. He should have known better than to attempt to escape with two alakazam nearby. I found the scene between Chris, Jenny, and Razor Leaf to be rather interersting. I have a feeling that they aren't going to let Chris be able to forget about that incident. CT is certainly a conniving young lady. Liang was stalking me. That was definately an interesting development and I can't say i'm too surprised after the mention of the valentine's day card. I can actually see myself ignoring messages such as those if I actually ever received ones like that. I just realized something. How did Liang know that I said that I'd never seen a lake there if he wasn't in the room when I said it? As always, I'm looking forward to the next chapter to see what all happens.

[Chris 2.1]

TBA: Haha yea a lot was covered this chapter, and a lot of differnet themes and emotions, so I can see where you're coming from. Obviously Jenny's appearence as Fabulass made Chris re-think how he viewed the girl, and he is definitely confused about where she fits in to his life. Haha so Amy's still alive, is she? With Dragonite? Unfortunately it's safe to assume Karin and Becca are looking after Dragonite - it hasn't been outright said, but I think they would have taken his Pokeball from Liang and recalled the monster. But she may end up looking after the creature if Liang goes to jail...

LOL I love it! What an exciting theory. I suppose you'll have to wait and see!


Ace: Haha yea, well I think Razor and Jenny may have simply been exchanging funny stories, but Chris seems to take it personally because he is becoming paranoid over these two important people in his life. And in terms of retrieving the body, it's quite immoral to fish for a body underwater, and it might be very emotional for both of them having to see the disembodied corpse, because as Liang said, the body will already have begun decaying, especially if she had open wounds.

There's also the sort of nice touch of letting her spirit rest peacefully at the now calm Ivy Lake. But as you'll learn, Karin and Becca disagree on the issue completely.


Wolfsong: Hahaha yea I'm glad you noticed her name. Fabulous and lass. Clever. Copule mitts do exist, I'll try and get a picture for you hehe :P. Quackman is a small arc involving Andrew trying to replace Razor Leaf as 'the bad guy'. Hmm Liang was desperate...he knew the game was up. I dont think he was thinking very clearly when he found out that he was caught. He obviously didn't expect it.

Hmm Jenny and Razor Leaf's friendship will cause problems for Chris...and yes, CT will go to a lot to ensure she pays Chris back for ruining her business. Hmm I'm not sure if Liang stalked Amy, per se, but he had strong feelings for her she was too polite to turn down. He got a job at Latte Days because she was always there, and it broke the ice...but in the end, she turned him rather bitter. Did he hide his distaste behind his cheery facade?

And it's worth remembering when they got to Ivy Lake, Amy openly told Chris of how amazed she was the place existed. So it is either assumed Liang was in the area.....or could Razor Leaf be right? Could Amy be in on this too? Is Liang just reciting a cover story?

Hmm. And the comment about Liang's brother....who was he?

[The Blue Avenger]

Haha so Amy's still alive, is she? With Dragonite? Unfortunately it's safe to assume Karin and Becca are looking after Dragonite - it hasn't been outright said, but I think they would have taken his Pokeball from Liang and recalled the monster.

She gets revived. And then steals the Dragonite.

[Chris 2.1]

Now thats a nice theory

[Wolfsong]

And it's worth remembering when they got to Ivy Lake, Amy openly told Chris of how amazed she was the place existed.

I can't believe i forgot about that little tidbit. X.x

And as for Liang's brother I have absolutely no idea about who that is.

[Charles Legend]

ah now I see who you talking about in that reply and the odd thing is I had a felling it would be Andrew, but I never expected him to become Quackma. Anyways I see Chris has now jumped in to a pot of boiling water in this Chapter... and Amy's dead?! :eek: I have a felling there is more then meets the eye in the case, it would be funny to see Karin and Becca's reaction if Amy's body was not at the bottom of the lake....


The chapter focuses on a previously unseen location in TPML

I been wanting to know that for a while now, I am 99% it's some where in Britain near the cost line, which reminds me I take it New York is or at lest has a TPML village near it?

~Charles legend

[MeLoVeGhOsTs]

Wow. That was some jumping. From good to bad, from happy to depressed. Teens, lol. Well I found it a very interesting chapter, with CT acting like a cheap slut, only to make Chris pay, oh Chris is so naive.

Also I don't think Amy is dead, neither did Liang do it. There is more to this then you'd suspect. Good going there Chris ;)


Also, I bet Razor Leaf secretly has a crush on Chris, hence why's he's a total jerk to him.

This made me rofl so hard.

[Chris 2.1]

Wolfsong: Hmm it's quite an important part of the storyline...

Charles: Hmm well I can't say much, check out next chapter for some more clues. And I can confirm you're wrong, actually. You were thinking of Tranquil Shores, which hasn't made its debut yet but will in the future. This is another place.

And yes, New York is part of The Pokemon Masters League community, as is Tokyo, London, New Zealand (where Girafarig went) and many other parts of the world. Karin spent some time in New York from when the original TPML closed (over a year ago) and until when she came back a few chapters ago. Karin's leave was the same time as Grey's, who shut himself in his playhouse when the original TPML shut down.


MeLoVeGhOsTs: Haha yea it was a mixed up chapter. Hmm poor Chris, he's always the victim of somebodies cruel pranks and plans. Hmm Liang admitted to causing Amy's death...can you get any more concrete than that? Don't try finding twists to everything I write :P

[Charles Legend]

Charles: Hmm well I can't say much, check out next chapter for some more clues. And I can confirm you're wrong, actually. You were thinking of Tranquil Shores, which hasn't made its debut yet but will in the future. This is another place.

And yes, New York is part of The Pokemon Masters League community, as is Tokyo, London, New Zealand (where Girafarig went) and many other parts of the world. Karin spent some time in New York from when the original TPML closed (over a year ago) and until when she came back a few chapters ago. Karin's leave was the same time as Grey's, who shut himself in his playhouse when the original TPML shut down.
So is it only one village pre country or do they have branch offices? like for example if New York is America’s main TPML village would that make a branch office being Detroit Michigan. I am just asking since it would make no since for some one who lives in Michigan to make his way all the way to New York city just to become a part of TPML... but hey thats just my openion.

~Charles legend

[Chris 2.1]

Other cities in other states are also part of TPML's community, like Florida, Tampa Bay, Washington, Detroit, Atlanta, Ontario, California, Texas etc etc. Most states will be part of TPML.

The same goes for Australia; there is one in Queensland, Sydney, Cairns, Western Australia, Canberra etc. There is also a few around New Zealand.

There is one in Paris, Italy...the entire thing is all across the country really. I haven't ever specifically pinpointed where this specific TPML Village is, but its one of the smaller ones across the world. Since Chris is from England it would be assumed it was in England somewhere, but I'm not sure. I got a general american feeling from when I planned the description of the main village.

In future there will also be some spotlight on other villages.



...it would make no since for some one who lives in Michigan to make his way all the way to New York city just to become a part of TPML...


Well I don't know about that. TPML is quite a secluded, mysterious tournament many people know about. Obviously a lot of people want to get in, and only a select few are chosen. But how did some people like UuberFred get in....?

[RaZoR LeAf]

Oh that was a funny chapter, i had to restraing myself from laughing or my parents would have blazed at me for making too much noise. But I don't think Amy's dead either, if Liang loved her that much he wouldn't kill her, he'd lock her up or something twisted. Or maybe they're in it together, and it's all just one big set up! Ooh, mysteries abound.. not sure about Quackman though..

[Charles Legend]

Other cities in other states are also part of TPML's community, like Florida, Tampa Bay, Washington, Detroit, Atlanta, Ontario, California, Texas etc etc. Most states will be part of TPML.

The same goes for Australia; there is one in Queensland, Sydney, Cairns, Western Australia, Canberra etc. There is also a few around New Zealand.

There is one in Paris, Italy...the entire thing is all across the country really. I haven't ever specifically pinpointed where this specific TPML Village is, but its one of the smaller ones across the world. Since Chris is from England it would be assumed it was in England somewhere, but I'm not sure. I got a general American feeling from when I planned the description of the main village.

In future there will also be some spotlight on other villages.

Ah yes, so I was right in thinking Detroit would be a village after all….


Well I don't know about that. TPML is quite a secluded, mysterious tournament many people know about. Obviously a lot of people want to get in, and only a select few are chosen. But how did some people like UuberFred get in....?

I was referring to the distances it would take to travail there with out say an Xatu’s teleporting abilities…

And Perhaps they had there pokemon say like a Sceptile knock a moderator out with a slam attack and they stole some forms that just happened to be stamped six times, then wiped the memory of the moderator’s clean with an their Xatu’s psychic then had it teleport the Moderator and their defeated pokemon back to Detroit… ;)

On a side note I would have said this a lot sooner but the sever had not crashed before I could post it…

~Charles legend

[aragornbird]

Hey, guess who's back? ;)

Oh my god, Chris....this story you wrote is so amazing! And to think that I actually have a large role in it despite being away for so long. The battles were well described and the magery was great and it's so nice to see all these people that I still know.
Wow. Yeah, I definitely can't wait for the next chapter.

[MeLoVeGhOsTs]

Oshi, I only saw you on Smogon. Hail. WB!

[darktyranitar]

Yeah, this chapter is certainly a roller-coaster... meeting with Jenny, back to Oz Andrew's madness, Liang got arrested, meet back with Oz, Amy's dead. My, my, is this true? Amy's dead? This is very sudden... Surely you have put a twist on this? Or not...

And on Andrew, what kind of tricks is he up to? And Razor Leaf is gay? Well, that is surprising. Suppose like TBA's theory that he has a crush on Chris... Oh Chris, he got himself into more trouble. And minor note on Andrew's rant: somehow the part on Jumpluff got me, since I have a Hoppip myself...

And aragornbird is back! Check it out!

Overall, great chapter!

[Dark Dragonite]

Wow, it's Great Chris!!
Just to make everyone's lives harder, I decided to come back...again...